* I’ve been telling subscribers about a Republican bent to Democratic Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride’s campaign for a bit now, but Greg Hinz has some new endorsements…
In an odd turn in a key race, much of the state’s GOP legal establishment is endorsing Justice Thomas Kilbride for a new term on the Illinois Supreme Court, even though he’s a Democrat and the highly partisan issue of legislative reapportionment may soon come before the panel.
In a letter released by his campaign, Kilbride, who is up for retention in his west central Illinois district, won the backing of former Chief Justices Ben Miller and Robert Thomas, former Illinois Attorney General Ty Fahner, former U.S. Attorneys Dan Webb and Anton Valukas, and ex-lllinois House Minority Leader Tom Cross, among others.
All of them are Republicans, as is the first name on the list, ex-Gov. Jim Thompson, who agreed to back Kilbride before his recent death, according to Kilbride campaign spokesman Ryan McLaughlin, whose firm generally represents Republicans and big business groups. […]
Fahner, in a phone interview, Kilbride has done “a credible job” and is worth retaining, even if the two sometimes disagreed.“He’s an honorable guy, and he’s thoughtful about his opinions,” Fahner said. While Kilbride did, in his view, err in upholding the pension clause in the Illinois Constitution, the court was unanimous in that decision, Fahner said.
Justice Thomas endorsed Kilbride in 2010, so that’s not new. I told subscribers about McLaughlin’s involvement yesterday. Fahner is a bit of a surprise.
* From ILGOP Chairman Tim Schneider…
Justice Kilbride is a Madigan pawn occupying a seat on the Illinois Supreme Court, and he must be defeated. Kilbride has been elected by Madigan’s millions and has returned the favor, rejecting every good government reform that has appeared on the docket all in service to Madigan’s stranglehold on Illinois politics. The Illinois Republican Party strongly urges a vote of non-retention for Madigan’s favorite judge, Justice Kilbride.
* And this op-ed is by former Peoria Congressman and former US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood…
I respectfully ask voters to cast a No vote against Thomas Kilbride in this election. Kilbride has already been a state Supreme Court judge for 20 years. He is seeking another 10 years, or 30 years total on the bench. Enough is enough.
Worse, Tom Kilbride is on the bench almost solely because of nearly $4 million in campaign cash provided by Mike Madigan, the corruption-tainted speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives and longtime head of the Chicago Democratic Party.
Kilbride has returned the favor to Mike Madigan, by always deciding cases the way Mike Madigan wants. Let me explain.
Illinois and Chicago in particular are known for political corruption. It hurts our state. Now Madigan is again embroiled in scandal. The huge electric utility Commonwealth Edison recently admitted in court that for 10 years(!) it has been bribing close associates of Mike Madigan, including the best man at Madigan’s wedding, in order to get Madigan’s okay to pass its legislation.
LaHood, you may recall, recently endorsed Joe Biden for president.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Today, Illinois Congressmen John Shimkus, Adam Kinzinger, Rodney Davis, Mike Bost, and Darin LaHood released the following statement opposing the retention of Justice Thomas Kilbride of the 3rd Judicial District on the Illinois Supreme Court:
“We strongly urge the voters of the third judicial district to Vote No on the retention of Justice Thomas Kilbride because he is bought and paid for by Mike Madigan and the Democratic political machine.
Speaker Michael Madigan and his allies funneled millions to Kilbride’s campaigns, both in his election in 2000 and his retention in 2010. Kilbride has provided quite the return for Madigan - he was the deciding vote and wrote the decision striking down the Fair Maps amendment in 2016. The vote upheld Madigan’s gerrymandered maps and ignored the will of nearly 600,000 Illinoisans who signed a petition in support of nonpartisan redistricting. The people of Illinois deserve an honest and impartial Supreme Court, not one controlled by Mike Madigan.”
- don the legend - Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 11:07 am:
Some of these folks must be unbeatable in a game of Twister.
- Hot chocolate - Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 11:11 am:
Republicans that are flipping on this are so dumb. This is is not a game Democrats play. Why do you think that is?
- Steve Rogers - Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 11:13 am:
LaHood seems like a smart guy, I’m surprised by the “but Madigan” reasoning for kicking off a well-respected and thoughtful Supreme Court justice.
- Morty - Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 11:43 am:
Is there ANYONE who isn’t a pawn of Madigan in Schniefer’s eyes?
- I am Batman - Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 11:44 am:
As I’ve said before, the “vote no on Kilbride” effort is a waste o’ time. Look for the Dems to redraw the Supreme Court map regardless of whether Kilbride is retained. They’re way too smart to let the seat change hands.
- Live Wire - Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 12:26 pm:
Ray wants to throw a wrench into redistricting. He knows Darrin will need help to keep his Congressional gig. IL is losing at least 1 seat. The map isn’t his friend.
If he is in a Primary against Kinzinger (or Davis) he will lose.
He knows how maps are drawn. Darrin is benefiting from the map drawn for Schock.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 12:28 pm:
=== Ray wants to throw a wrench into redistricting. He knows Darrin will need help to keep his Congressional gig. IL is losing at least 1 seat. The map isn’t his friend.
If he is in a Primary against Kinzinger (or Davis) he will lose.
He knows how maps are drawn. Darrin is benefiting from the map drawn for Schock.===
Narrator: Mary Miller will lose her seat. Kinzinger, Bost, Davis, and LaHood will agree to that.
- @misterjayem - Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 12:31 pm:
“Look for the Dems to redraw the Supreme Court map regardless of whether Kilbride is retained.”
As of 2018 Census estimates, the population the Illinois 2nd Judicial District (3,189,000) is more than the combined populations of the 4th District (1,320,000) and 5th District (1,321,000).
Our judicial map is overdue for a change.
– MrJM
- Joe Bidenopolous - Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 12:32 pm:
=Kinzinger, Bost, Davis, and LaHood will agree to that.=
And yet, the people who actually draw the maps - Democrats - may not.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 12:37 pm:
=== And yet, the people who actually draw the maps===
… need those involved to at least not beef at its outcome.
“We draw Miller out, y’all are safe, she may go after you (Bost) or you (Davis)… you cool with that?”
Usually consensus is best, along with saving yourself versus a not even completed 1st term congress member who’s district is in a region losing people.
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 12:56 pm:
Did LaHood ever speak out against lifetime judicial appointments during his congressional tenure?
- Upon Further Review - Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 1:07 pm:
What Willy suggests here is how it will come down. This was always the case, which is why no “A” listers with cash entered the primary that Miller ultimately won.
Miller is a one term and done Congress critter.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 1:10 pm:
===Miller is a one term and done Congress critter.===
Gotta win a primary, and she’s one heck of a campaigner. You don’t see President Trump tweeting about Rodney.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 1:13 pm:
=== Gotta win a primary, and she’s one heck of a campaigner.===
Yep. Deciding who would have to face her (Bost or Davis) in this new map is the question the map will answer.
Davis is the one she mirrors less.
- Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 1:16 pm:
I was carefully considering LaHood’ position as I was undecided about how to vote. Then Bost, Davis, the lesser LaHood etc came out with that shill of a letter, I will definitely voting to retain.
- Who - Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 1:28 pm:
Who is the best man at his wedding?
- Joe Bidenopolous - Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 1:32 pm:
===… need those involved to at least not beef at its outcome.===
I don’t think MJM and Harmon give one whit how the map may hurt Republican Congressionals fee-fees.
Look, I don’t think it’ll happen. But I do think there’s a way to map Miller in with Bost (and possibly Davis) AND also map Lahood in with Kinzinger or Davis.
Don’t overestimate how much Lahood was liked when he left the GA
- Upon Further Review - Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 1:57 pm:
=You don’t see President Trump tweeting about Rodney=
Very true. The entire primary in that District was who is the “Trumpiest”. Davis would have major problems winning a primary against her in a District that looks similar to her current District.
Trump may well be gone. I am perhaps hoping against hope that the person most on the Eastern Bloc fringe loses out in the end. She is an Eastern Bloc goof like her husband and the other wannabe’s.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 16, 20 @ 4:29 pm:
=== I do think there’s a way to map Miller in with Bost===
You only have to live in Illinois, not the district. She can pick where she wants to run.