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Madigan talks about pensions, focuses on cost-shift

Thursday, Oct 25, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

* ABC7’s Ben Bradley scored a rare interview with House Speaker Michael Madigan yesterday. Madigan spoke mainly about pensions. And it’s becoming ever more clear that MJM is zeroing in on the cost-shifting plan. Madigan focused on the fact that 75 percent of the state’s pension costs cover teachers and universities.

Have a look…

* From Ben’s story…

“There’s just too many people in the legislature that don’t want to do the heavy lifting of legislating,” said Madigan. “They want to go there and talk among themselves. They want to talk to people you and say the right things for your consumption; but then when it comes time to cast a difficult vote they’re in the bathroom somewhere.”

House Speaker Mike Madigan, like almost every other state official, admits there is a real need for pension reform.

What they don’t agree on is how to do it.

Democrats think the state’s universities, community colleges and local school districts should pay for the pensions of their own employees. Currently, the state does, and Madigan says it account for 75 percent of the state’s annual pension payments.

“People are spending the money and sending the bill to someone else. It’s not a good policy anywhere, especially in government,” said Madigan.

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13th District roundup

Thursday, Oct 25, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Democratic congressional candidate David Gill has a new testimonial ad…

That move probably shows the Republican ad barrage is working. He needs to build up his positives again.

* Two competing partisan polls have completely different results…

David Gill has a 9 percentage point lead among likely voters in the 13th Congressional District race, according to a poll paid for by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

But the campaign of Republican Rodney Davis said Tuesday that its polling gives Davis a 43 percent to 39 percent lead over Gill. The Davis poll, taken by the Virginia firm Public Opinion Strategies, was of 400 likely voters. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percent, putting Davis’ lead within the margin of error.

The Republican poll gives independent John Hartman of Edwardsville a 10 percent share of the vote, and says that 8 percent are undecided. […]

An earlier Anzalone Liszt poll of the race, taken in September but never released publicly, reportedly showed the race a tie at 41 percent. And an earlier Public Opinion Strategies poll, taken in early October, also showed the race a tie. An August poll for the Gill campaign by Victoria Research gave the Democrat a 6-point lead, but all polls since have showed a narrower margin. A We Ask America poll of 1,253 likely voters earlier this month gave Davis a small lead.

* The candidates debated in Springfield last night, but neither man broke anything close to new ground. Roundup…

* Sparks, accusations fly during 13th Congressional District debate

* Davis, Gill clash in Springfield debate

* Outside groups have spent millions on 13th Congressional District race

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Walsh son: Duckworth should be ashamed

Thursday, Oct 25, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Joe Walsh, Jr. attended a press conference this week to blast Tammy Duckworth for using his father’s child support case in a TV ad. Now the son is appearing in a hard-hitting ad for his dad…

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Where’s Jerry?

Thursday, Oct 25, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The House Majority PAC has a new TV ad for Democrat congressional candidate Bill Enyart…

* But I can’t help but wonder something: It’s less than two weeks before the election and Enyart has yet to run an ad featuring retiring Congressman Jerry Costello.

What the heck?

The polls have this race super tight. Where’s Costello?

He’s apparently doing some robocalls. He’s in some mailers and the walk pieces. He’s done public appearances with Enyart, including an East St. Louis rally yesterday. He’s raised money and done other things for the campaign, but no TV ads.

I’m hearing that the Enyart campaign had a “very short window” to introduce Enyart and just didn’t have the resources.

There are lots of rumors about how Costello would rather see Enyart lose so he could put his own son in there two years from now. I’ve never really bought into that, but his absence from Enyart’s ads is certainly causing some tongues to wag.

The DCCC owes Enyart a favor after putting the horrifically unpopular Pat Quinn in a TV ad. Whatever the case, that TV ad they’re running right now is pretty much just more of the same.

* Jason Plummer has won the Illinois State Rifle Association’s endorsement…

“We are proud to support Jason Plummer for his unwavering support of the Second Amendment and the freedoms that the United States Constitution grants,” Richard Pearson, executive director of the ISRA, said in a news release.

That’s a very big deal down ‘yonder, in case you hadn’t already guessed. In a super-close race, that could be the difference right there.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition, crosstabs and a ton of mailers and TV ads

Thursday, Oct 25, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller

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