* 3:44 pm - Chris Kelly has pled guilty to two counts. It’s unclear from early press reports if he has agreed to cooperate in the investigation against former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Kelly was a close Blagojevich friend, mega campaign fundraiser and administration fixer.
* Jeff Coen of the Tribune Tweets that Kelly pled guilty in exchange for 57 months. …Adding… That’s on top of the 37 months he got in his tax case.
Kelly still faces trial on charges with the ex-governor — his third indictment. Kelly pleaded guilty in a separate tax scheme earlier this year.
The plea deal was finalized at the last minute, with Kelly initialing portions of it outside the courtroom minutes before court. At one point, Norgle recessed because Kelly said he hadn’t read the whole document.
…Adding… If you’re reading the plea deal and having trouble remembering who “Co-Schemer A” is, this Sun-Times story from March will refresh your memory…
George M. Criel is a roofing consultant who has worked for Chicago’s Merchandise Mart as well as American Airlines and United Airlines.
Criel has another identity, too. He’s “co-schemer A'’ — the previously unidentified consultant who federal prosecutors say got $450,000 in kickbacks for helping former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s top adviser, Christopher Kelly, get $8.5 million in rigged contracts from American and United, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
Between 1998 and 2006, Criel and Kelly allegedly ran a scheme to steal from those airlines by inflating the cost of roofing projects and making sure that Kelly’s company — BCI Commercial Roofing — submitted the lowest bids for the work, according to prosecution court filings in the Kelly case. Their actions “guaranteed profits'’ for Kelly and kickbacks for “co-schemer A,” who was working for the airlines, according to prosecutors.
* Two things made the 1994 GOP landslide so devastating for Democrats: 1) A huge chunk of their base was discouraged and embarrassed and didn’t bother to show up to the polls; and 2) Republican voters were energized and did come out to vote.
So, while the latest round of “tea parties” has received little coverage in the state’s mainstream media, Monday’s New Lenox rally turnout ought to force another look…
About 6,000 people packed the hillside venue at The Commons Performing Arts Pavilion for the protest, part of a nationwide Tea Party Express tour that includes speeches, musical performances and updates from a traveling Fox News correspondent.
Monday’s audience was the largest yet, organizers said.
Tea party organizers claim 10,000 people showed up, citing the Will County Sheriff’s office. New Lenox police estimated the crowd at 8-10,000…
The unexpectedly large crowd caused traffic to be backed up a quarter-mile on Interstate 80 as well as forcing some participants to park one-half mile away from the Commons Performing Arts Pavilion in New Lenox.
* At least some of the GOP base appears to be fired up. For now, at least, that has translated into a possible uptick in the number of primary challengers against Republican legislative incumbents. Eventually, though, attention will turn to Democrats. Whether the intensity will last through next November is anyone’s guess.
But what about the Democratic base? The Rod Blagojevich trial, the ineptness of the Quinn administration and a potentially nasty primary against Dan Hynes, the general Democratic Party position in favor of an unpopular tax hike, the ethics debate, the U of I “scandal,” the Todd Stroger meltdown and his upcoming primary, etc., etc., etc. won’t exactly energize Dem voters.
You may be surprised — or not — to learn that Berrios has a close relationship with property tax attorneys, whose business depends, of course, on how successful they are getting tax breaks for clients from the board of review.
The relationship is so close, in fact, that those attorneys have been major contributors to Berrios’ political funds and to those of his daughter, Maria Antonia “Toni” Berrios, a Democratic state representative from the Northwest Side. […]
And did we mention that the board of review is under investigation by the Cook County state’s attorney’s office? (No one has been charged with wrongdoing.)
Or that Berrios is known for his skill at helping family and close friends get government jobs?
Or that he’s a Springfield lobbyist?
A great lobbyist, in fact. Berrios was a key player in getting video poker passed in this state — one of the worst ideas in the history of state government.
Berrios owes his success as a lobbyist in part to House Speaker Mike Madigan. Madigan’s law firm, in turn, specializes in getting property tax breaks for Cook County businesses.
As I’ve been saying for weeks, we can expect a whole more on this topic as the campaign progresses. A lot more. A lawsuit by political operative Victor Santana won’t make things any easier, either.
While some Latinos may be fired up about the Berrios run, the Berrios slating is almost guaranteed to bring the heat on party leaders in a big way, which could further depress the rest of the Democratic base.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: This Berrios slating could be Michael Madigan’s Waterloo.
* Related…
* Fox Chicago: Who’s Giving Toni Berrios Money and Why?
* Zorn: Remind me again why this sign isn’t sickeningly ominous
* Quinn renames board chairman despite alleged Rezko ties
* Budget cuts to reduce nursing home advocate program
* The other Mrs. Blagojevich speaks - Ex-gov’s sister-in-law, a former teacher, had led a ‘quiet, private life’ — until now
* ADDED:Chicago attorney running for Senate: Jacob Meister announced his candidacy Tuesday. Meister practiced law in Chicago for nearly 20 years, focusing on banking regulation, interstate commerce and telecommunications.
A new study says that taxing services such as haircuts, plumbing repairs and storage facilities could generate more than $7 billion for Illinois’ depleted budget.
The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, which provides revenue forecasts for the General Assembly, estimates that up to 100,000 businesses could be affected by adding such a tax, which is used in other states but is sparingly deployed in Illinois.
• In 1975, money spent on services made up approximately 46% of total consumer spending. By 1995, money spent on services had grown to 58% of consumer spending. Service spending has remained around this rate since then. In 2008, consumers spent over $6.0 trillion on services in the U.S.
• Similarly, the Illinois service sector has been growing in recent decades. In 1977, service related industries accounted for approximately 32%, or $37 billion, of the $115 billion Illinois economy. The service sector accounted for $271 billion (43.9%) of the $617 billion Illinois economy in 2007.
• Illinois’ economy is more dependent on services than the other Great Lake states primarily due to the increased importance of the 1) Finance and Insurance industry 2) the Professional and Technical Service industry, and 3) the Information industry in Illinois.
* The Question: Should Illinois impose a broad tax on services? Explain fully, please.
Without a substantial injection of new equity capital, Broadway could be fighting for survival and facing regulatory action during the heat of Mr. Giannoulias’ Senate race next year. On his Web site, the Democrat touts his experience as a former banker at Broadway.
The reason? The bank’s “high-octane growth strategy collided with the housing meltdown,” and that trouble was only made worse when the owning family took a gigantic dividend…
The Giannouliases, who own 100% of parent Broadway Bancorp Inc., appear to have exacerbated their predicament by vacuuming $70 million in dividends from the holding company in 2007 and 2008, double the bank’s profits during that period. The next-highest dividend total for a local bank Broadway’s size during that period was $39 million. Most banks in the category paid less than $15 million.
“Those (dividends) are appalling,” says Bert Ely, a Virginia-based banking consultant. “They basically were sucking capital out.”
* Speaking of the Senate race, the Democratic Senate Campaign committee just sent out a press release claiming that Republican US Senate candidate Mark Kirk omitted a key item from a bullet-point list of his recent voting record. The DSCC has a July 20th screen capture from Kirk’s old campaign website which includes in his voting record his “Democratic Position” on the so-called Cap & Trade issue, while a flier Kirk distributed in a recent Downstate swing left that out. Click here to see the original list from July, and click here for the more recent Downstate flier.
The congressman says he wants a higher standard of care in county health facilities, and he says he wants to streamline county operations and, hopefully, cut taxes.
However, Davis refused to say whether he would have favored the recent increase in the county sales tax.
State Sen. Rickey Hendon, Reps. Annazette Collins and LaShawn Ford and others, including Darlena Williams-Burnett, business owner Jim Ascot and pastor Marshall Hatch.
* And our political quote of the day goes to Illinois GOP chairman Pat Brady…
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady said it is appropriate for Obama to address the nation’s school children – but not to encourage them to help him.
“At first blush, this is something you would see at a far-left regime like Cuba or North Korea,” said Brady, of St. Charles. “Oppressive regimes do this to their children.”
* Related…
* Hynes, Quinn march with unions, but who will get backing? Sources in SEIU and in Quinn’s camp say the union is leaning toward Quinn. That endorsement could translate into a six-figure infusion into Quinn’s primary battle.
* Another Evanstonian joins race to succeed Hamos: Robyn Gabel, executive director of the Illinois Maternal & Child health Coalition, confirmed… she was very serious about running for the seat and planned to file shortly to run in next February’s Democratic primary.
* Get ready for some intense action in Illinois governor race
* Crowded, boisterous field seeks Illinois governor’s chair, Senate seat
As expected, former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s new book paints himself as the hero of Illinois politics and blames everyone but himself for his troubles.
He also tries to settle an old score. Blagojevich’s longtime enemies House Speaker Michael Madigan and Attorney General Lisa Madigan are both attacked.
“I believe the two Madigan’s are not the people they pretend to be,” Blagojevich writes in his new book, “The Governor.”
“Both of them are surrounded by conflicts of interest and indiscretions in their public and private lives.”
Blagojevich doesn’t detail any “indiscretions” about either Madigan’s personal lives, but he does allege that Speaker Madigan’s property tax law practice is “unethical” and “very well may be illegal.” And if it’s not illegal, it should be, Blagojevich writes.
The irony of Blagojevich’s use of the word “indiscretion” is obvious and undoubtedly intended. Speaker Madigan once said of Blagojevich “I could talk about some of his indiscretions, but I don’t plan to do that,” after Blagojevich had singled Madigan out for criticism during his first gubernatorial campaign.
Blagojevich also alleges that Mike and Lisa Madigan sabotaged his legislative agenda because Blagojevich refused to contribute money to the Democratic Party of Illinois, which Mike Madigan runs.
The former governor asserts that both Madigan’s and others met with Blagojevich to persuade him to contribute to a fund for Democratic candidates. Blagojevich described the meeting as “an effort to muscle me for nearly $400,000 in campaign funds.”
Blagojevich added that Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s presence at the meeting was “incredibly unethical” because she had subpoenaed his campaign fundraising records.
After noting the details of the seating arrangements, Blagojevich wrote this of Speaker and Attorney General Madigan, respectively: “While dear old dad is literally and figuratively putting the arm on me from the left side, she is subtly holding a gun to my head from the right.”
A spokesman for Speaker Madigan said that the book’s publisher must have reneged on his pledge to force Blagojevich to take a lie detector test. “The guy’s a very troubled human being,” the spokesman said of Blagojevich, adding “Why anybody would pay attention to this is beyond me.”
Despite promising months ago to name names and spill the dirt on Illinois politics, Blagojevich does very little of that.
For instance, while discussing the allegations that he tried to sell Barack Obama’s US Senate seat, Blagojevich claims he never offered a quid pro quo on the seat. But, he writes that others “approached us about campaign contributions if I either appointed them or the person they were supporting to the Senate. If anyone should have been charged with a crime for this, it should have been them and not me.”
The ex-governor does provide an example of someone who mentioned campaign money in exchange for an appointment - but that offer doesn’t appear to have been direct. And he doesn’t give us the name. The former governor alleges that one of his close legislative allies who is also a “prominent” African-American state legislator brought up the subject.
Blagojevich alleged that the unnamed black legislator “intimated that his overflowing campaign fund might be available to me,” if Blagojevich ran for a third term as governor.
The legislator wanted to talk with Blagojevich in person, but Blagojevich claimed he canceled the meeting because he wanted to “avoid any conversations with anyone who could possibly be chosen as a senator who might say something that could be interpreted as improper.”
The former governor also noted that canceling the meeting probably saved this legislator from getting in trouble with the law, but that the legislator later voted to impeach him.
The book’s most useful passages imply what could be Blagojevich’s defense during his federal corruption trial. Essentially, chief of staff John Harris was to blame.
Harris was arrested the same day as Blagojevich, but he has since agreed to cooperate with the feds.
Blagojevich wrote that he intended to operate his administration, “effectively, honestly and always within the rules,” but then added he “relied” on Harris “to tell me what we could and could not do.”
“As Governor,” Blagojevich wrote, “I left those [operational] details in the hands of my chiefs of staff.”
That’s classic Rod Blagojevich. Throw everybody else under the bus.
* The former governor’s book tour has begun, and here’s a quick coverage roundup…
* Blagojevich says ‘simple truth‘ clears him: “When you’re an honest person … you want to tell the people who hired you (that) you didn’t let them down,” Blagojevich said while promoting his book, “The Governor.”
* Blagojevich goes on book blitz in New York: In keeping with his long-held position that he has been victimized by political enemies and “unethical” prosecutors, Blagojevich primarily blames his downfall on five people: House Speaker Michael Madigan, Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan, U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald, convicted influence peddler Antoin “Tony” Rezko and his father-in-law Richard Mell (33rd).
* Blago: I’m the Anti-Nixon: “I’m the anti-Nixon, asking that these tapes be heard. My accusers are the ones who went to court and are keeping those tapes from being heard by the public. Someone’s lying here, and it’s not me.”
Over half of the respondents said the university’s reputation wasn’t harmed. And four out of five think it’s a common practice throughout the country. So, there’s been damage, but not according to the majority.
And it doesn’t look like Illinoisans are sure about whom to blame, either…
Of the 700 residents surveyed, 35 percent said they blamed trustees most, compared with 26 percent for legislators and other elected officials and 17 percent for university personnel.
Also, you’d think that when about 75 percent favor a particular reform, it’d get more play instead of being buried deep in the story…
About three out of four respondents said trustees should be elected, not appointed by the governor.
…Adding… And after whacking the heck out of the U of I for months, this is the Tribune’s suggested reform of the legislative scholarship program? Really?
Putting the [scholarship] decision in the hands of the universities would make it far less likely that the scholarships would be used to buy friends or pay political debts. And educators are far more qualified to select the recipients than politicians.
* Meanwhile, deep in a story about the economy lies this little buried polling nugget…
Like Keith, 67 percent of Illinoisans say they’re either not making ends meet or making just enough to get by.
There’s a big reason to be politically afraid of raising taxes.
* And towards the end of the Trib’s “red light camera” poll story, we find this…
Just 31 percent of Downstate voters said they would like to see cameras installed where they live, while 57 percent said they would not. Illustrating the NIMBY syndrome, however, 54 percent of Downstaters surveyed also said they thought traffic cameras were a good idea.
Overall, anti-camera sentiment was strongest in the Cook County suburbs, which have experienced an explosion of traffic cameras in the last three years. More than half of suburban Cook residents surveyed said they disliked the notion of cameras, and 58 percent said they didn’t want one where they lived.
Word is that Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez’s special prosecutions bureau has issued subpoenas to the Cook County comptroller’s office as well as independent Cook County auditors.
Powerful alderman spent $45,499 in taxpayer money to build a sidewalk and fence longer than a football field that keeps teens from hanging around the railroad track behind his home
Attorneys who sue the city of Chicago say a new legal tactic is going to cost the city a lot of money.
The city recently announced a new policy backed by Police Superintendent Jody Weis and the law department. It’s going to fight small lawsuits even though it would be cheaper to settle them. The idea is to scare off lawyers who think they can get some easy money.
A special prosecutor will investigate claims that McHenry County State’s Attorney Louis Bianchi improperly ordered a secretary to do political work for him on county time, a judge ruled Friday.
* Daley’s return, Olympics guarantee top today’s Illinois political docket
The county posted nearly $1.1 billion in visitor and tourism spending in 2008, a 3.9 percent increase over 2007, according to the Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
* Union Pacific has begun construction of a nearly $370 million, 785-acre intermodal terminal in Chicago
* The United Republican Fund and WIND radio hosted a Republican gubernatorial candidate forum today. Six candidates showed up and a straw poll of party activist attendees was conducted after the presentations…
Adam Andrzejewski - 116
Matt Murphy - 107
Dan Proft - 96
Kirk Dillard - 76
Bill Brady - 46
Bob Schillerstrom - 21
The biggest surprise, perhaps, is that Andrzejewski was so organized at that event. It’s also interesting that Sen. Brady, a conservative darling, scored lower than Sen. Dillard and Dan Proft.
* Speaking of Dillard, he announced a new campaign manager today. From a press release…
Republican candidate for governor Kirk Dillard today announced that Iroquois County native Tim Peters has accepted the post of Campaign Manager for Dillard’s gubernatorial campaign with Carol Stream native David Carlin accepting the post as Deputy Campaign Manager. […]
Peters brings a wealth of public and private sector experience to bear for the campaign including his service as Political Director to former U.S. Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert. He has held senior posts with former U.S. Representative Robin Hayes (R-NC) and U.S. Representative Jerry Moran (R-KS). Peters also served as a Senior Director at McDonald’s Corporation doing Public Affairs work both domestically and internationally.
* Conservative Republican US Senate candidate Patrick Hughes recently talked to the Illinois Channel about his campaign. You can watch the full interview here, but I’ve edited it down to his essential line of attack on Mark Kirk….
* Speaking of Mark Kirk, the US Senate hopeful told Illinois Channel that the Veterans Administration is a “great example” of how “the government should be allowed to compete” in health-related issues, which might surprise some of Kirk’s critics on both sides of the aisle since Kirk is so publicly opposed to the “public option” on health insurance…
* I physically winced yesterday when I read this Twitter post by Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica…
Here comes the race card: Comm. Sims Receives Racially Based Phone Threats
Cook County Commissioner Deborah Sims, of course, was the one who reversed her vote on repealing the county’s sales tax hike the other day.
I winced because I figured Peraica was being stupid and would have to backtrack once Sims played the answering machine audio for the media. Soon enough, NBC5 had a partial transcript of the disgusting, racist and homophobic message…
“I wish you had an email address up on your site,” the tape begins, before lurching into a profanity laced tirade.
“I understand why you don’t because you don’t want to hear anything from your constituents. I’m very disappointed in your vote. You flip-flopped. Actually, you lied. And I hope you get **** AIDS and die. I pray to God you get AIDS and die. You **** liar. You’re a **** liar.”
The tape ends with racist remarks.
And here’s both messages left by the same clown with the profanity deleted…
Sheriff’s deputies are investigating harassing phone calls aimed at a Cook County commissioner. […]
The sheriff’s department stops short of describing these calls as threats. But investigators will attempt to trace the identity of the caller on these messages. They have not said what if any crime the caller could be charged with.
And Sims and others blamed Peraica and Commissioner Larry Suffredin for creating the atmosphere which prompted the call…
“Both of them called me a liar, called me a flip flop; in the same vein of the call,” Sims said. She acknowledged that none of the other commissioners used racist comments when they criticized her.
“I think they fueled the phone call. Anytime someone feels comfortable enough they can call you and call you a “N-word” … twice,” Sims said.
Pastor Walter Turner said, “It is because of what our commissioners have done on this board to flame the fires of racism to have allowed these people to say what they want to say.”
Peraica said it was “absolutely ridiculous” to suggest his criticism of Sims sparked the racist rant against her. He also repudiated the racist messages left for Sims. […]
Suffredin also condemned the messages. He said he has fought to support civil rights and said it was absurd to put him in this situation.
* Look, there’s no doubt that Stroger’s race has played a major role in both the media coverage of his tax hike and the public’s reaction. And there’s no doubt that the same thing happened to Sims when she changed her position.
I thought both of them did a pretty good job early yesterday morning (before the messages were discovered) defending against the criticism. Watch it…
The rest of the interview, however, wasn’t so hot. Stroger, for instance, gave himself an “A+” for handling the adminstration. Yeesh.
* Anyway, my point is that it never ceases to amaze me how the Chicago area has always been on such high racial alert, both black and white. Peraica’s immediate “political correctness” assumption, Sims’ blame-game, Stroger’s insistence that the repugnant call was a direct threat and the resulting county sheriff’s investigation, the media’s outright sensationalism and Eric Zorn’s belief that everything should’ve just been hushed up is all just way over the top.
The worst part is, there doesn’t seem to be anybody in the region who regularly takes the high road and urges that calm, honesty, empathy and reason prevail.
* As I told you yesterday, Gawker has uncovered e-mails from media outlets to then Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s press secretary pleading for interviews with the governor the day after his arrest. This one from the CBS Early Show is breathtaking…
There is far too much hearsay going around and in our opinion [Blagojevich’s] perspective is clearly being ignored. We want to provide the platform for the Governor to be able to set the record straight, something he has not been able to accomplish thus far and we hope he considers coming on the program to clear his own name.
Oy.
There were several pretty straightforward requests submitted to Blagojevich’s press office. Not everyone was so much of a suck-up. But, still…
The most pathetic request comes from Pat Curry, the news assignment editor for WGN, a local Chicago station. He wasn’t even asking for an interview with Blagojevich—he wanted Guerrero himself to come on, and delivered a masterwork of flattery and faux sympathy. “I wouldn’t expect you to be able to comment on a federal investigation, and could easily brush that off,” Curry wrote, signing off with, “Humbly, Pat Curry.”
And, of course, there was the “incredible offer” from Don & Roma’s producer.
So far, it doesn’t appear that any “news” stories have been written about this Gawker piece.
* The Question: It’s December, 2008. Rod Blagojevich has just been arrested. You’re a TV news producer. What would your e-mail to the Blagojevich press office say?
* The Sun-Times scores an exclusive interview with Rob Blagojevich, the former governor’s brother, and his wife. You have to scroll way down to get to the meat of things…
“I am frustrated with the [federal] government because I believe he is being held hostage by them,” Julie Blagojevich said of her husband. “I believe that they indicted Rob to get his brother to plead.”
But it won’t work. At least it hasn’t yet…
“I do not plan to plead guilty. I plan to go to trial. We’re co-defendants, and we are not guilty on those charges,” said Rob Blagojevich, who was paid $12,500 a month as fund-raising chairman. “I would not testify against my brother.”
Apparently, the Rob and his wife didn’t see this coming, even though they knew about the investigations…
“We knew about allegations, and we knew about investigations,” Julie Blagojevich said. “Rod assured us that he was not doing anything wrong. We understood that the allegations were really behind him, the investigation was really behind him.”
Wow. Talk about no due diligence. The probes were heating up with a fury by the time Rob signed on to the campaign. Then again, that’s his brother we’re talking about. He probably saw what he wanted to see.
Rob was brought in as Rod’s fundraising committee chairman because Rod needed somebody he could trust without question. Plus, nobody else wanted the job. At the time, pretty much everybody around the governor with half a brain knew that it was only a matter of time before the feds closed in.
The two men were not close at all during their adulthoods, so Rob and his wife saw this fundraising gig as an opportunity to rekindle the brotherhood. It’s sickening to me that Rod would put his brother in such a no-win position.
* Rob defends himself…
On tape, Rob Blagojevich presses Burris to donate to his brother. But, regarding the Senate seat, he’s heard essentially telling Burris: Get in line, that others also were seeking the appointment.
“How I conducted myself with Burris is how I conducted myself with everyone when no one was looking,” Rob Blagojevich told the Sun-Times.
* Teamsters Joint Council 25 has endorsed Pat Quinn. That’s big. The Joint Council represents 22 Teamsters locals throughout Illinois. Quinn is an honorary member of Local 786. From a press release…
“As an advocate of Illinois labor, Gov. Quinn has the experience of fighting for working families and the support of the Teamsters to continue the fight into a full term,” said John T. Coli, President of Joint Council 25. “Joint Council 25 represents more than 100,000 men and women statewide who deserve the deference and protection our governor has shown he can deliver.”
Other than signing the capital bill, this is the reasoning behind the endorsement…
— [Quinn] Signed an amendment to the Labor Relations Act to expedite contracts for public employees;
— Signed a Teamster initiative requiring responsible bidding on school bus contracts; and
— Signed a recent bill establishing the state’s first Teamster specialty license plate.
* John Patterson notes in a Daily Herald blog post entitled: “Courting the AFSCME vote,” that Dan Hynes’ budget plan doesn’t ask AFSCME for pay reductions, even though the gubernatorial candidate proposes to roll back operating spending to 2005 levels.
* Sneed reports today that state Sens. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston) and state Sen. Susan Garrett (D-Lake Forest) have endorsed former Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman for US Senate.
* As I’ve already told you, Sneed also reported today that JB Pritzker is being recruited to run for state treasurer on the Democratic ticket…
Word is Pritzker is being considered a Dem boomlet now that Kip Kirkpatrick has dropped out of the race.
• Background: Pritzker, an heir to the Pritzker hotel fortune, was also an early supporter of Hillary Clinton and a major thrust behind the creation of the Illinois Holocaust Museum.
* And Congressman Mark Kirk’s lawyers have convinced Univision Radio to at least temporarily pull an ad by Illinois Immigrant Action slamming the Repbublican US Senate candidate’s immigration positions. You can read the entire letter by clicking here. Progress Illinois has an excerpt…
As reported by today’s Sun-Times, this advertisement falsely claims that Congressman Kirk advocated “condoms” as a solution to illegal immigration. … This is patently false. … There is no record of Kirk ever mentioning “condoms” or “birth control” in connection with immigration or Mexico. … [I]f your station airs this advertisement after gaining knowledge that it contains false and misleading statements, you are subjecting your station to potential liability. […]
We also note that Cong. Kirk is a fluent Spanish speaker who went to school in Mexico. As a Congressman, he worked to improve the lives of Latino constituents by sponsoring a family reunification program (Project Abuelita) and securing a grant to teach English to young Latina mothers to boost their ability to help their kids with schoolwork.
At Illinois Immigrant Action, we understand why Congressman Mark Kirk does not want his embarrassing record of ugly remarks scape-goating immigrants, his refusal to meet to discuss actual workable solutions to our broken immigration system, and his mean-spirited voting record on immigrant issues drawn to the attention of Latino voters. But we are shocked that the Congressman would interfere with our free enterprise system to try to block our ad buy on Univision Radio, to use legal intimidation to prevent Illinois Immigrant Action from exercising our right to corporate free speech, and to interfere in the free marketplace of ideas.
Our ads are accurate. We denounce Congressman Kirk’s efforts to suppress knowledge of his statements to the effect that family planning in Mexico means fewer Mexicans, that the American people support helping Mexican women have fewer babies, and that fewer Mexicans mean less illegal immigration, and that this is a long term solution.
* Barack Obama won Illinois last year with about 61 percent of the vote. After he was inaugurated, his approval rating here shot up into the stratosphere. Now, it’s down to about where his election totals were, according to a Chicago Tribune poll, which has him at 59 percent job approval and 33 percent disapproval.
A Rasmussen Report poll earlier this month had the president’s approval here at 56 percent and his disapproval at 42. So, he’s actually doing better in the Trib poll than in the Rasmussen poll.
Obama’s standing with home-state voters could create problems for Illinois Democrats, if it continues into next year’s general election. Democratic officials have frequently cited their connections to and affinity for the president to try to offset the political fallout from the arrest and removal from office of disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who faces federal corruption charges.
That’s quite an overstatement. The trend obviously isn’t favorable at the moment, but he was at an unsustainable high at the start of the year. The fall was entirely predictable.
* Everybody wants to believe, it seems, that 2010 will be like 1994. There are some eerie similarities, but keep in mind that Bill Clinton tried and failed to pass his national health care plan during the election year. People freaked out, pretty much like they are now, and didn’t have time to settle down. If Obama can get that off the table in the next few months by passing something there will be a long breathing space before November.
About one-third think any health proposal will pay for abortions — even as lawmakers have stripped that measure from key bills wending their way through Congress. And one in five think the health plan will make “end-of-life” determinations for elderly patients, often referred to as “death panels” by opponents of Obama’s health-care reform proposals. This is not the case.
Graphic…
They ain’t exactly siding with the Republicans, either.
Among the potentially troubling signs for Democrats that surfaced in the survey was the fact that only about half of voters who describe themselves as independents approved of Obama’s job performance. Illinois has voted Democratic in recent elections, but independents remain a key swing block.
Additionally, 58 percent of independent voters believed that Obama’s handling of the economy had done little to help the job picture in a state that has seen unemployment rise from 6.7 percent since the presidential election to 10.5 percent in July. On health-care reform, 53 percent of independent voters disapproved of Obama’s actions. […]
The poll found Obama’s job approval remains strongest in his home base of Chicago at 85 percent, among Democrats at 91 percent, and among African-Americans at 94 percent. Voters outside the Chicago area lean slightly more toward dissatisfaction with his job performance, and he has the support of a narrow 52 percent majority of white voters.
The Tribune refuses to post crosstabs, so we’re supposed to just trust their analysis. It’s a maddening habit, but they’re the Tribune.
Thoughts?
Please, try to stay civil. National politics brings out the worst in people. Do your utmost to remain above the fray. As always, resist posting regurgitated national talking points. They’re boring and stupid, for the most part. And try to keep it focused on Illinois.
The Tribune did not release the survey’s cross tabs, so we can’t see the exact figure Pearson is referring to here. (Does “about half” mean slightly more than 50 percent? Slightly less?)
But it’s worth noting that, according to Illinois exit polls, 55 percent of self-described “Independents” supported Obama last November, compared to 43 percent for John McCain. Dropping a few percentage points is hardly definitive, let alone “potentially troubling.”
* 9:53 am - Gov. Pat Quinn has appointed five new U of I trustees. All five are graduates of the school. From a press release…
The five appointments include: Karen A. Hasara, former Mayor of Springfield; Timothy N. Koritz, Staff Anesthesiologist, Rockford Memorial Hospital; Edward L. McMillan, Principal and CEO, McMillan LLC; Pamela B. Strobel, retired Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Exelon; and Carlos E. Tortolero, President, National Museum of Mexican Art. […]
These trustees join Christopher G. Kennedy, president of Merchandise Mart Properties Inc., and Lawrence Oliver II, chief counsel in charge of internal investigations for Boeing Co., who were appointed to the Board by Governor Quinn on August 26.
The University of Illinois Board of Trustees consists of thirteen members, including the Governor. Nine are appointed by the Governor for terms of six years, and three student trustees (one from each campus) are elected by referenda on their campuses for one-year terms. One of these student trustees is designated by the Governor to have an official vote.
* 6:03 pm - AFSCME local leaders met with the governor’s top staff today. The union just released this statement…
Leaders of the state’s largest union of public service workers, AFSCME Council 31, including more than 75 leaders from every AFSCME local union representing Illinois state employees, met today in Springfield with representatives of Governor Pat Quinn and his Department of Central Management Services (CMS).
AFSCME executive director Henry Bayer issued the following statement:
“The Quinn Administration proposed employee concessions that would cut every state worker’s pay by 11 to 15 percent over the next year and a half, and still result in 1,000 layoffs. We simply don’t believe our members can afford that, and we don’t think it’s fair to expect them to bear such an unfair burden.
“AFSCME is strongly opposed to any layoffs. We made clear that the governor should rescind the layoffs he has already scheduled, and instead work to raise adequate revenue to support the vital services AFSCME members provide. If Pat Quinn chooses to lay off thousands of frontline state workers, he will decimate those services, including child protection, safe prisons, aid to the needy, care for the disabled, environmental protection and much more.
“The ranks of state workers have already been slashed. Illinois has the nation’s fewest state employees per resident. As a result, AFSCME members are already working an extraordinary amount of overtime, much of it forced. In June alone, employees in the Department of Human Services worked more than 100,000 hours of overtime, and in the Department of Corrections they worked more than 145,000 hours of overtime. Laying off staff in those circumstances would worsen the overtime crisis and cost the state more money.
“Today AFSCME proposed ways the state could save money without harming vital services and the employees who provide them. We know there are state contracts worth tens of millions of dollars for services that are not essential and could be canceled or modified. We believe the state’s group health insurance program could be administered more efficiently. And there are still many unnecessary top-level managers left over from the previous administration.
“The only real solution to the state budget crisis is to raise new revenues. AFSCME will continue its efforts to build legislative support to that end, and to prevent the layoff of any state employee.”
*** UPDATE *** Here come the layoffs. From Gov. Quinn’s office…
Governor Pat Quinn’s senior staff met today with AFSCME leadership to discuss potential changes to the State of Illinois’ AFSCME contract in response to the current national economic crisis and the resulting declining state revenues.
Unfortunately, AFSCME was not open to these proposals which would have saved thousands of state jobs and, instead, they made the choice to go forward with layoffs. We are hopeful that other unions will not choose this path.
The union did recommend some additional cost-saving measures, which we appreciate and will consider. By being unwilling to re-open the contract, we are now forced to proceed with the layoffs.
The cost-reduction plan is a critical component of the larger budget solution and calls for shared sacrifice among state agencies and their employees.
While we are disappointed with today’s outcome, we will continue to work to rescue our state from this fiscal emergency.
* Earlier today, Dan Hynes demanded either an explanation or an apology from Gov. Pat Quinn after Quinn charged that Hynes opposed an advisory referendum on a graduated income tax a few years ago. Hynes denied he opposed the referendum.
“[Quinn’s] bizarre claim that Dan has changed positions on a progressive income tax is patently false,” a campaign spokesperson was quoted as saying.
Well, after I asked for more than 24 hours, the Quinn campaign finally sent what it says is proof that Hynes has flip-flopped from opposing a graduated tax to now supporting one. This is from an October, 2003 story in the Kane County Chronicle…
Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes opposes a proposed state constitutional amendment that would double the state income tax paid by the rich.
While touting his US Senate bid on Wednesday, Hynes touched on the proposal that Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn endorsed earlier this week, but kept a visit to Kane County focused on grabbing Illinois’ share of federal dollars to boost the state’s ailing economy.
“I wouldn’t advocate a tax increase at the state level,” Hynes said.
Oof.
Still, that one sentence quote is the only direct quote the paper ran on the topic, and it’s the only story forwarded by the Quinn campaign, so it’s not 100 percent definitive, but it ain’t good for Hynes, either.
“In 2004, [Dan Hynes] opposed a graduated income tax,” Quinn said. “Maybe he’s flipped and he’s flopped over to our side, and I’m glad he has. In 2004, he wasn’t there to help us.”
I called and called and received no official response. I was told on background that Quinn was likely referring to a private request he made to Hynes during either the 2004 non-binding referendum on the graduated income tax or the subsequent push to pass a constitutional amendment based on the successful results of that referendum.
Hynes, however, denied yesterday that he ever opposed the referendum and said Quinn had never asked him to help pass the constitutional amendment through the GA.
Today, Hynes is demanding either a clarification or an apology. From a press release…
The Dan Hynes for Governor campaign is calling on Pat Quinn to clarify or apologize for his false assertion yesterday that Hynes had previously opposed the issue of a progressive income tax. Tellingly, Governor Quinn has failed to provide proof for his claim, and his office referred only to a “private conversation” in a report published this morning. The Hynes campaign categorically denies any such conversation took place.
Hynes campaign spokesman Matt McGrath issued the following statement:
“On the topic of flip-flops, Pat Quinn typically knows of what he speaks. But his bizarre claim that Dan has changed positions on a progressive income tax is patently false. It is no surprise that the Governor would rather not defend his own plan to raise taxes by 50 percent across the board on all Illinois families.
Yesterday, Dan Hynes put forward a bold plan to address our state’s fiscal crisis by modernizing the tax structure and making it more fair. Pat Quinn talked about flip-flops and fishing trips. The people of Illinois are looking for a leader with a clear vision of the future, not a hazy focus on the past. Dan Hynes is going to continue to talk about his plans to move Illinois forward.
Governor Quinn owes the people of Illinois an explanation.”
* Meanwhile, the Illinois Republican Party has posted a new video, which is essentially Hynes being asked on WLS AM’s Don & Roma Show this morning to respond to an IL GOP talking point. Watch it…
* Speaking of Don & Roma, Gawker has uncovered some e-mails sent by media types begging for an interview with Rod Blagojevich soon after his arrest. Don & Roma’s producer told Blagojevich’s press secretary “I have an an incredible offer for you!” so please call. Read it here. Read the rest of the suck-up e-mails by clicking here.
Former ABC7 political reporter Andy Shaw was no suck-up. Check out his e-mail. Heh. Way to go, Andy. [I don’t think I sent an e-mail that day because I was able to get the press secretary on the phone very early that morning.]
* And David Ormsby compares Alexa web rankings of various gubernatorial campaign sites…
Illinois 2010 Governor Candidate July 2009 Web Traffic Rank:
* Brady, Bill 5,387,593
* Dillard, Kirk 7,209,347
* Hynes, Dan 9,777,962
* Murphy, Matt 10,221637
* Proft, Dan 3,815,627
* Quinn, Pat 4,626,269
These aren’t hits, by the way. These are rankings based on the entire Intertubes.
Proft has the “highest” rank of the bunch, with Quinn in second place. But they’re way behind this blog, which, according to Ormsby, Alexa has ranked at 206,748. I’m not a fan of Alexa, but whatever. It’s a fun little comparison.
* A recent national poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports found that 51 percent of American adults believe alcohol is more dangerous than marijuana.
A mere 19 percent said pot is more dangerous than booze…
Younger adults are more likely than their elders to view alcohol as the more dangerous of the two.
Fifty-three percent (53%) of women say alcohol is more dangerous than marijuana, compared to 48% of men.
In the crosstabs, it looks like even a plurality of senior citizens think alcohol is more dangerous than marijuana, 35 percent vs. 22 percent, with 33 percent saying they’re both equally dangerous. The poll found that about a quarter of all respondents thought that both were equally dangerous, with 2 percent saying neither were dangerous.
57 percent of Democrats said booze was more dangerous, while 45 percent of Republicans agreed. Just 14 percent of Dems said pot was more dangerous while 25 percent of Republicans concurred with that statement.
In fact, not a single identified demographic group believed that pot was more dangerous than booze. Not one.
1,000 adults surveyed August 26-27, 2009 with a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.
* Gov. Pat Quinn was on WSOY’s Byers & Co. program earlier this week. The host, Brian Byers, asked the governor about Monday’s Question of the Day, wherein we discussed who would play Quinn in a movie about his life.
The governor apparently saw the post because he mentioned one of your suggestions. Take a look to see which actor Gov. Quinn jokingly suggested play him in a movie…
* The Quinn campaign is continuing to bash Dan Hynes’ tax and budget proposals…
[John Kupper] of the Quinn campaign dismissed Hynes’ ideas as playing politics. “In a very real sense, this is a proposal that was put together for the benefit of a political campaign and not a serious effort to address the state’s fiscal problems,” he said. “It’s a lot of rehashed proposals that came right out of the political playbook 101. The question is better addressed to Dan Hynes as to how he is going to enact these things, since he’s pretty much been on the sidelines as these budget issues have been debated.”
Political? Yes, of course. Serious? Well, it’s at least as serious as Quinn’s budget plans, which pretty much all failed.
* Hynes has a calculator on his campaign website to compare what your taxes would be with his income tax proposal, which, he claims “puts the Middle Class first, with Gov. Quinn’s proposal.
*Taxes may vary based on an individual’s ability to qualify for certain exemptions and credits.
Household income –
under $200,000 would stay at the 3 percent income tax rate.
between $200,000 and $300,000 would be taxed at 3.5 percent
between $300,000 and $500,000 would be taxed at 5.5 percent
between $500,000 and $1 million would be taxed at 7 percent
over $1 million would be taxed at 7.5 percent
* There’s been a lot of discussion about how “boring” Hynes is and how that may be an advantage in a year when voters could be tired of flashy, dishonest, incompetent leaders. Kristen McQueary notes that this is not a new schtick for the Hynes family…
Perhaps Hynes can mimic a television commercial his father used during his 1987 run for Chicago mayor. In it, Tom Hynes talked about his reputation as boring. The camera panned to his family where Dan Hynes, then a University of Notre Dame student, pretended to be sleeping.
* Meanwhile, Gov. Quinn is “acting gubernatorial” by cutting a very big ribbon today. From the governor’s public schedule…
Governor Pat Quinn will join local, state and federal officials to break ground on a transportation hub in Joliet.
WHO: Governor Quinn. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-Crete), Joseph Szabo, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, Sen. A.J. Wilhelmi (D-Joliet), Larry Walsh, Will County Executive, Jim Young, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Union Pacific Corporation. Michael Mullen, Chief Executive Officer, CenterPoint Properties
That capital bill is a political goldmine. But it has its downsides. From a Pantagraph editorial…
Hey, we just found an easy place to cut $40 million from the state’s capital budget.
It’s the $40 million allocated to build a branch of Chicago State University on the west side of Chicago — money that was not even requested by the university. That “surprise” doesn’t give us a lot of confidence in the rest of the budget.
* The other day, Mark Brown defended Republican US Senate candidate Congressman Mark Kirk against attacks on his immigration stance. Today, Brown gives an approving nod to Democratic US Senate hopeful Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias’ proposal to require states to recognize gay marriages performed in other states…
Under Giannoulias’ view, a same-sex couple from Illinois who get married in Iowa, where gay marriage became legal earlier this year, would have the same rights here as a married heterosexual couple.
Giannoulias said that would give them inheritance rights, hospital visitation rights, equal pension and health care benefits and all other legal protections granted married couples.
“I don’t think we’re asking for special rights,” Giannoulias said. “They’re equal rights.”
Informed of Giannoulias’ comments, a spokesman for Kirk offered a succinct response: “Congressman Kirk opposes gay marriage, supports the Defense of Marriage Act, and agrees with President Clinton’s policy of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”
Brown calls the idea politically risky, and he’s most likely right about that. Your thoughts?
Tipsville: Sneed is told that Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart has definitely, positively decided not to enter the fray for President Obama’s old seat in the U.S. Senate.
•It’s for the usual reasons: the need to raise boatloads of campaign cash, raising five kids — and not wanting to give up a secure job.
* Speaking of Kirk, I haven’t had much on the blog about Dick Green, a wealthy Republican who is gearing up to run in Kirk’s Congressional District. That’s a mistake. We should probably keep a close eye on him. Here’s an excerpt about Green filed a while back by ABC7’s Charles Thomas…
“We’re going to raise the money necessary to compete and we’re going to do everything necessary to win this race.” ]…]
Mr. Green, a multi-millionaire financial consultant, would not answer when asked if he planned on using his own money. He would only say that he’ll have enough to run the race until the finish.
* Related…
* Halvorson to host 2nd telephone town hall on health care
Illinois will get more than $200 million in U.S. Labor Department funds to modernize its unemployment insurance program.
The money is coming from the federal stimulus program.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security can use these funds to pay unemployment benefits, or if appropriated by the Legislature, for administering its unemployment insurance program or providing employment services, according to the office of Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill.
Stroger has previously said he might support a .25 percent rollback of the 1 percent increase that took effect just over a year ago, hiking the county sales tax to 1.75 percent. That would at least save Cook County consumers an estimated $100 million a year, if not the $200 million that would have resulted from a half-percent cut. But fresh from his victory Tuesday, when Chicago Commissioner Deborah Sims switched sides at the last moment to sustain Stroger’s veto of a July vote to cut the sales tax a half penny on the dollar, he backtracked on even that.
“Things have changed,” Stroger said. “It’s not the same. I’d have to go to the finance team, and we’ll look at the numbers, and we’ll see if we can handle that. But we do know that we have some costs that weren’t there last year when I proposed the budget, and one of them is $113 million for the pension fund.”
Deborah Sims can vote with impunity — or so she believes — because of several factors. First of all, she doesn’t really represent the South Suburbs, she represents her Chicago Wards — and, specifically, her loyalists are very proud of her residence in the 34th Ward. If Sims can get the votes out of the Chicago Wards and Thornton township, then she wins. Her work — her neglect of the Southland — is evidence that she understands this political calculation.
Hence her continued loyalty to Todd Stroger. Thus her neglect of the Southland.[…]
In the end, Deborah Sims has to do two contradictory things: have a strong presence in the South Suburbs (especially in Thornton township) and hope that voters don’t realize who she is. Todd Stroger won’t be successful down here — John Stroger wouldn’t have done that well if Forrest Claypool’s campaign had tried to compete in the South Suburbs.
In a lawsuit filed in federal court on Wednesday, they contend that Dart has violated their right to due process by refusing to enforce court-ordered eviction notices on tenants.
“I’ve had one tenant who hasn’t paid his rent for 10 months,” Slinkman said. “Tenants all over Cook County are gaming the system because they know there’s a court order that prevents evicting them when the temperature is below 15 degrees or when there’s excessive snow on the ground or during the holidays.
The agencies are seeking $200 million in federal stimulus funding to get express buses running between job-scarce areas in the south suburbs and employment opportunities in the west and northwest.
If funding is approved, the so-called high-occupancy-toll or HOT lanes could be opened on the Tri-State by early 2012, officials said Wednesday.
Across Will County, there are hundreds of middle-class addicts — what authorities say constitutes a deadly heroin epidemic. A record 19 overdose deaths have occurred so far this year. That’s three more than were recorded in all of 2008, and nearly four times as many as in 2000.
The problem is fueled by cheap prices, easy availability and relaxed social attitudes toward a drug once considered beyond the pale.
The death toll has risen every year since 2005, according to Will County Coroner Patrick O’Neil’s office, with the overdoses occurring in places including Mokena, Crest Hill, New Lenox and Homer Glen — suburbs better known for family-friendly, cookie-cutter subdivisions than widespread hard-drug use.
