Today, Biss for Illinois released a new television ad, “Difference.” In the ad, Daniel Biss explains why, as a middle-class public school parent, he understands the stakes of this election in a way his wealthy opponents never will.
“They’ve never had to struggle to afford healthcare or pay off a student loan, so how can we ever expect the billionaires to make Illinois work for the middle class?” says Biss in the ad. “I’m Daniel Biss, and as a former teacher with kids in public schools, I’ll fight for fair taxes, fully funded schools, and healthcare for all because I understand the stakes in a way my wealthy opponents never will. That’s the difference: for me, it’s personal.”
The attorney general should be your lawyer. No conflicts of interests. My opponent Kwame Raoul has taken thousands from big utilities, banks and even red light camera operators. He’s counting on them to win. Me? I’m counting on you.
It’s important that my focus, my focus is on defeating Madigan and Pritzker. A hundred percent, that’s where I spend all my time and my attention. […]
My time is a hundred percent, all of my message, all of my time, my attention is focused on Madigan and Pritzker.
Madigan has officially taken up permanent residence in the governor’s head. Also, that doesn’t leave much time for governing. Just sayin…
* Meanwhile, we have a bit of snarkiness from the Rauner campaign…
Serious Questions for Tonight
After months full of campaign platitudes and liberal pipe dreams, tonight is the final debate for Democratic governor candidates to address voters before Tuesday’s primary election.
However, there are still some important questions the candidates need to answer before voters cast their ballots on Tuesday:
* In which of the three states is Bob “Three State” Marshall watching tonight’s debate?
* Where did JB Pritzker put all those toilets?
* When will Chris Kennedy break his silence on the CNN documentary about his family?
* Is Daniel Biss really just waiting for Dick Durbin to retire?
But seriously, how can JB Pritzker advocate raising taxes on hardworking Illinois families while he himself dodges taxes using offshore trusts?
But seriously, Rauner won’t even debate his own primary opponent. /s
Quinn started the interview, then all of a sudden there’s silence. And then he started talking to someone else. “Can I just come in to… Yeah.” Then he stuttered a bit, collected himself and carried on with the interview.
He hit just about every point in his age-old arsenal of references. Gold Star families, veterans (at least three times), jobs, the Citizens Utility Board, whistle-blowers, Abraham Lincoln, “Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and organize,” term limits, utility companies, “six days to the election but twelve if you don’t sleep” (twice) and how he’s a “fighter for the people.”
Asked who he supported for governor, Quinn said, “They’re all loving sons of loving mothers.”
I think the only Quinn cliche the former governor missed was the Mighty Mississippi River.
* Sen. Bill Haine (D-Alton) was at a press conference yesterday to discuss the need for action at the state’s veterans’ home in Quincy. This slightly edited audio (it’s, for instance, two comments put together) is from the Senate Democrats. Have a listen…
* You really should listen, but if you can’t because of work or whatever, here’s the transcript…
We’ve been on a political treadmill on this for years and now we have a governor running for election, desperate to win the primary, and I attribute that to the fact that we don’t have a resolution to what seems to be the problem, which is in the pipes! And we have more Legionnaire’s diseases.
The Governor, of course, God love him, went to the home and spent seven days there. So what? Does he have a[n] impaired immune system? Does he have emphysema? Does he have a cancer which would cause a further impaired immune system? The answer is, of course, no!
So, what does it prove going to the home for seven days? What it proves is that he’s somehow empathetic. Empathy doesn’t get it, ladies and gentlemen. It’s a study and the implementation of executive orders. Get the pipes done, is my opinion. We owe these people a great deal, and for us to be on this political treadmill, while there’s no resolution.
There are photo ops, but no resolution. And the Governor drank some water, he said. So what? It’s time for him to get past the primary and get this job done for veterans. The people of Illinois are tired of hearing about it and I think it’s a tremendous dereliction of duty to ignore it any longer with further commissions, further studies, photo ops, whatever it is. Let’s just get it done. He’s the Executive. We are the Legislative Branch. If he needs the money, we’ll get it. Do it.
—–
I’m at a loss to understand why the Governor would not be responsible. The Governor is the Chief Executive Officer of the state. [He] appoints all these officials. Part of the commentary – you referred to it as vitriol – is to try shake him to the point where he acts to bring people in to get it done. It’s three years, the Chairman said, the Senator said. Part of our effort is to get it done.
I know it’s difficult running for office and chewing gum at the same time, but this man was elected the Chief Executive Officer of Illinois. In the old days, it was called the chief magistrate, and it’s up to him to get it done.
And, I’ll give you one example. What’s that phrase, “Where your treasure is, that’s where your heart is”? Drive by the Governor’s Mansion and see how that’s being done. When he came into office that was a wreck. A wreck! Look at it now, it’s being finished, rebuilt. In three years! What’s the difference between the Governor’s Mansion and a home for veterans who risked their lives for the United States and for Illinois? What’s the difference, Governor? There is none! The priority should be the Quincy Veterans Home, not the Governor’s Mansion, for God’s sake.
On the heels of an internal poll showing Pat Quinn’s numbers plummeting and Scott Drury’s rising, Scott Drury’s campaign for Attorney General has begun airing a new statewide campaign ad. Titled “Clean Up Illinois” – which mirrors Drury’s campaign tagline, the ad highlights Drury’s strong work on core Democratic issues such as ending gun violence, women’s healthcare rights and criminal justice reform. The ad also highlights Drury’s experience fighting against and prosecuting public corruption, a strong contrast with Pat Quinn whose history and actions show he will be pushed around by Mike Madigan and not fight corruption.
“With six days left before the election, there is only one non-machine candidate with the resources and momentum needed to win the Democratic primary for Attorney General – that’s Scott Drury,” said Fabio Fernandez, from Drury’s campaign. “The only way to avoid four years of the scandal and dysfunction that follows Pat Quinn is to elect Drury – a true reformer committed to ending the State’s culture of corruption.”
Drury’s campaign intends to spend up to $1 million running the new ad on broadcast and cable television.
Scott Drury – Democrat for Attorney General. He’s taken on the NRA, protected a woman’s right to choose and reformed Illinois’ criminal justice system.
So why is Mike Madigan attacking him?
Madigan prefers Pat Quinn – someone he can push around and won’t stop corruption.
Drury is different – a former federal prosecutor who has locked up corrupt public officials. He represents a beacon of hope for those sick of Illinois’ culture of corruption.
Democrat Scott Drury – to clean up Illinois.
* This is the only info Drury would release on his poll today…
· Compared to Friends of Scott Drury’s baseline survey (conducted six weeks ago), only Pat Quinn, Kwame Raoul and Scott Drury have shown statistically significant movement.
· Since the baseline survey, Quinn’s support has dropped by almost 20 percentage points. Raoul has gained 9 points. Drury has gained 5 points.
· Drury has double digit support downstate and in the collar counties.
· Raoul has run more than two times as many ads as other candidates.
· Drury’s increased support can be attributed to his unique message among a crowded field of candidates and the publicity from the unsuccessful challenge to his candidacy.
· 1/3 of the electorate is undecided. If Quinn’s soft support is included, the percentage is higher.
· Undecided voters clearly do not like Quinn, given that they likely know him. Similarly, given Raoul’s advertising investment, undecided voters clearly are not sold on him.
· Given Drury’s growth – despite a limited ad spend – if Drury invests heavily in the last 8 days of the election, he can earn the votes of enough undecided voters and soft Quinn supporters to obtain the necessary plurality to win.
· Nancy Rotering and Jesse Ruiz have shown no growth over the last six weeks, despite heavy investments in advertising.
The Illinois Bicentennial Commission today released its first video commercial promoting the state’s 200th birthday. The :30 second spot is the center point of a statewide multimedia campaign named after the theme of the yearlong celebration: BORN, BUILT & GROWN in Illinois.
The campaign, which will run from now until the 200th birthday party on December 3, 2018, will showcase Illinois’ influence on the worlds of music, sports, agriculture, literature, commerce, history, technology and innovation, transportation, art and architecture, among others.
The content for the effort is pre-produced and being distributed statewide for carriage on television, radio, digital and social media. The messages can be run as public service announcements by media outlets or packaged by outlets for sponsorship by local advertisers. The Illinois Broadcasters Association is the distributor.
“We’re delighted with this creativity and the opportunity it now provides our association’s members in seeking local sponsorships,” remarked Dennis Lyle, president and CEO, Illinois Broadcasters Association.
The content was produced by Chicago-based AnswersMedia and paid for with private funds.
The Bicentennial program incorporates material supplied by Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Illinois Association of Museums, Illinois Department of Agriculture, and the Illinois State Museum.
Pritzker is also running a digital ad that contends Kennedy doesn’t support legalization of marijuana. […]
Kennedy has long said he wants more studies on how to legalize marijuana. On Monday he said he would want a state program run by a “broker like the University of Illinois,” not “in the hands of paid lobbyists working for corporate titans, private equity sharks or hedge fund investors.”
Kennedy said he didn’t believe it was a personal attack to go after the Pritzker family.
“I think it goes to somebody’s character and he’s demonstrating his character,” Kennedy said, adding his policy positions are listed on his campaign website.
* If you go to Kennedy’s campaign website you get this…
Chris Kennedy believes that we should legalize marijuana and broaden access to medical marijuana.
So, depending on how you feel about Kennedy, he’s either suddenly seen the light in the past ten days, or he’s flip-flopped to score political points and fend off Pritzker’s online spot…
Either way, they ought to update their Google ad…
That’s not helping.
* This latest Kennedy shift is one of many on this topic. We have been tracking Kennedy’s marijuana positions for a long time. From March 29, 2017…
Chris supports decriminalizing marijuana in Illinois. He believes we should not be prosecuting and crowding our jails over simple possession of marijuana. He is reviewing studies done on the effects of legalization in other states before determining if legalization would be right for Illinois.
“I don’t know whether it’ll get legalized, I don’t know if it’ll get taxed. I mean, I think betting our future that all of that occurs and that somehow that’s gonna cure our budget problem. I think we need thoughtful, real, concrete that operate without … without relying on something that has, you know, tenuous, um possibilities. Sorry. I’ll tell you the truth.”
I’m a big believer in science and the medical profession. I would take my cues from them. I do think we should understand what the long-term outcomes are in places like Colorado before we embrace, say … embrace massive change like legalization of marijuana. But if the studies indicate that we have no worse outcome, then I would follow the science on that. But, you know, we haven’t figured out what to do with the massive opioid epidemic that’s hollowing out our communities, that’s destroying the lives of young people and for which we have no clear answer. There’s no protocol. Every town doesn’t handle this the same way. Every family doesn’t handle it the same way. We have very few beds in Illinois to deal with the opioid crisis or a methodology to put people on the path to recovery, and I think before we introduce yet another drug into the lives of our young people and, I guess the full population as well, we ought to understand what we’re getting ourselves into.
I think it is dangerous to embrace a public health hazard simply because you want revenue.
That’s what I think. And that’s what makes, and I’m not aiming that at anybody. I’m cautious because we haven’t studied this issue thoroughly because the Republicans in the Congress in the House and the Senate have prevented the federal government from doing so. We have great research institutions in Illinois, nothing is going to happen under Gov. Rauner. We should challenge a place like Northern or U of I, UIC to study the effects, make an informed decision, defer to the scientists and the doctors and don’t let politicians make scientific decisions.
* So, he’s gone from favoring decriminalization (which we already had at the time) while putting the legalization issue under review; to saying we should be wary of the “massive change” of legalization; to warning against the dangers of embracing the “public health hazard” of pot; to cautiously putting legalization’s fate into the hands of “reputable scientists and medical professionals” to his latest plan of just letting the U of I run the whole show.
What’s that old saying? When a politician changes his position to one you oppose, he’s a flip-flopper. When he shifts your direction, he’s a statesman.
Do the math. I'm not saying @DanielBiss is not an honest candidate. He is an honest candidate. But if he were not in the race, @KennedyforIL would swamp @JBPritzker. JB knows this. I'm sure Durbin does too.
* The first problem with this conspiracy theory is that Pritzker is thwacking Biss with that retirement income tax ad. Yes, he’s attacking Kennedy, too, but Biss is still in there.
Also, didn’t Mary Schmich just write a Tribune column complaining about how Pritzker was constantly sending out negative mailers against Daniel Biss? Why, yes, she did.
Also, too, if Biss is part of some sort of grand scheme, he’s sure not talking like it…
Primary push has @DanielBiss campaign in Champaign for second time in one week. He responds to @GovRauner’s vow to “blow [@JBPritzker] up and take him down” in November. Biss says “JB Pritzker is Bruce Rauner’s dream.” pic.twitter.com/SR5CoNXdLt
* But just to be on the safe side, I asked the Biss campaign if the candidate was part of a grand conspiracy with Pritzker…
Better question, is this some Kennedy-Kass conspiracy? Or is this just a part of the Kennedy-Rauner partnership?
Then again, if Biss was involved with a nefarious plot like this, he’d undoubtedly deny it. Hmm.
I asked Pritzker’s spokesperson about this and she just laughed. But, it could have been an evil laugh to disguise her inside knowledge. I just don’t know.
* However, Pritzker is most definitely focusing more on Kennedy than Biss…
.@JBPritzker running 4 negative ads in the final week of the election, mostly against @KennedyforIL. Not a sign of confidence.
I counted only three. The one attacking Kennedy and Biss on the retirement income tax, one on marijuana (which we’ll get to in a bit) and one about how Kennedy had raised tuition at the the U of I.
Chris Kennedy: Making college affordable is critical to the success not only to the next generation, but of our entire economy.
Announcer: But what’s Chris Kennedy’s record?
Clip of a Mark Maxwell WCIA TV report: Our review of his time at the University of Illinois shows that he raised tuition several times while African-American enrollment dropped off steadily.
Announcer: That’s right. Kennedy’s five votes to raise tuition caused African-American enrollment to drop 17 percent. Chris Kennedy. Shouldn’t we judge him by his record?
I think what’s going on here is they’re worried that the undecideds will break toward the Kennedy name. There’s also lots of speculation out in the ether that some independent-minded Republicans might opt out of the GOP primary over disgust with both Rauner and Ives and vote for the clear anti-Madigan candidate in the Democratic primary, which would be Kennedy.
…Adding… Good point in comments…
Cook County Independent-minded Republicans might be tempted to pull a Dem ballot to vote against Berrios & Preckwinkle as well.
