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Whitney: I got your cash right here, pal
Thursday, Aug 10, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller I’d be more sympathetic to Rich Whitney if he had raised enough campaign cash to at least pay for the drive from Carbondale to Chicago and back. That’s an exaggeration, but not by much. From a press release: Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney responded recently to critics who say that his campaign is not ’serious’ because the Greens have not raised as much money as their Democratic and Republican opponents. “No one should be surprised that the other two candidates are doing better at raising money when they are out selling themselves to the highest bidder.” $1,679 raised in six months wouldn’t even buy a good computer, let alone pay for Internet access, phone bills, postage, printing, HQ rent, electricity, etc.
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45-37
Thursday, Aug 10, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller UPDATE 2: Sabato has moved the Illinois governor’s race from “leans Democratic” to “Possible R Governor pick-up.” UPDATE: I’ve taken the subscriber-only requirement off this item because Rasmussen Reports has now posted its results online. I’ve put additional Rasmussen analysis below this original blog post. Rasmussen Reports has a new poll on the governor’s race. Date… Blag. Topinka You can find some earlier poll coverage here and here. ———————————————————————————- From Rasmussen: The power of incumbency is not necessarily paving an easy road to re-election for Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. The most recent Rasmussen Reports election survey of 500 likely voters in Illinois shows the governor leading State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka 45% to 37% (see crosstabs). That’s little changed from his lead of 45% to 34% in last month’s poll.
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Thursday, Aug 10, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Governor Blagojevich’s statement on terror alert
Thursday, Aug 10, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller The governor’s office just sent out this press release. “We learned of the terror plot last night, and since then, we have been in constant communication with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. While no locations in Illinois are known to be targets, we continue to monitor the situation closely. For people who do have to travel today, please be aware that all domestic flights have been elevated to an orange level alert. That means you should give yourself plenty of extra time at the airport. And most importantly, if you see any suspicious acitivity, please report it to the local authorities immediately. If we’re vigilant and if we go about our lives as we normally would, we can each do our part to stand up to the terrorists and show them we won’t be bullied.” UPDATE: From Sen. Barack Obama: “Today’s report that British authorities foiled an attack on airplanes traveling from London to the United States is a sobering reminder that the world remains a very dangerous place. It also reminds us how important it is to have strong allies in this fight that can help stop these attacks before they reach our shores. The cooperation between British and U.S. officials and the subsequent precautions taken to secure our people are admirable. I hope in the coming days we do more to secure our ports, our chemical plants, and our airports and railways, as the 9/11 commission recommended long ago.†UPDATE 2: Latest press release from governor’s office: Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today directed state homeland security officials to take actions to ensure security at commercial airports in Illinois in the wake of arrests in Britain of terrorists suspected of planning attacks on airplanes between the United Kingdom and the United States.
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Thursday, Aug 10, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Question of the day
Thursday, Aug 10, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Is this an important distinction or is it nitpicking? Gov. ROD BLAGOJEVICH has said for some years now that he doesn’t take campaign contributions from state employees. Have at it.
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The Metro East snub continues
Thursday, Aug 10, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller As far as I can tell, nobody except the Post-Dispatch has covered this issue. As the cleanup from last month’s storms is winding down, Gov. Rod Blagojevich is again facing attacks on the degree of attentiveness he gives to downstate Illinois. The governor was in Marion just last week and he didn’t bother to drive or chopper the relatively few miles to tour the destruction.
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The stone wall
Thursday, Aug 10, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller I recently sent the governor’s office a Freedom of Information Act request asking for “all documentation which contains the total nmber of federal subpoenas received by all state agencies, departments, boards, commissions, ect., including the governor’s office, since January 1, 2005.” The logic went that if they wouldn’t release the subpoenas themselves, maybe we could at least find out how many they’ve received. It was denied, of course. As you know, this Office cannot confirm or deny the existence of the documents requested. Nonetheless, even if this Office were to have documents responsive to your request, such documents would be exempt from release under Section 7(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act. This is Section 7(1)(a): Sec. 7. Exemptions. I’m thinking about an appeal. Meanwhile, Topinka tried yesterday to turn up the heat on the hiring scandals The Republican challenger for governor said Wednesday she would release the names of unsuccessful candidates for state jobs if she’s elected, and she urged Gov. Rod Blagojevich to do the same.
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Does she or doesn’t she?
Thursday, Aug 10, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Some controversy is brewing in the 6th. Democratic 6th Congressional District candidate Tammy Duckworth is at odds with two national gay rights groups over whether she supports repealing the military’s don’t ask, don’t tell policy. The statement she gave to the group follows: “When I was serving in Iraq, it made no difference to me what the sexual orientation of my comrades was. It certainly did not matter to me what the sexual orientation was of the men or women who helped save my life after my Black Hawk helicopter was shot down over Iraq,†Duckworth said in the statement, which her campaign acknowledges is correct. “Any qualified American who is willing to make that kind of sacrifice for our freedom should be free to do so.†UPDATE: Austin Mayor has the latest GOP mailer that slams Duckworth. A wise man once said that a political ad can sometimes inadvertently reveals more than was intended. Today’s installment from the National Republican Congressional Committee reveals one thing clearly: The GOP is out of ideas.
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Morning shorts
Thursday, Aug 10, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller · Editorial: One has to wonder why the General Assembly even bothers passing a budget. · Sneed: Mayor Daley and AFL-CIO President John Sweeney had a hush-hush meeting in a private suite at the Drake Hotel on Tuesday, during which Sweeney presented Hizzoner with a letter urging him not to veto the controversial big box ordinance. The letter was reportedly signed by the heads of all national AFL-CIO affiliates. · Blagojevich mulls law on morning after pill · “In a symbolic changing of the guard, the Chicago Urban League appointed the communications director to Gov. Rod Blagojevich as its new president and CEO on Wednesday, making her the first woman to lead the 90-year-old social service and civil rights organization.” · Commerce chief: Illinois economy in good shape · Ash borer ‘battle‘ intensifies · Muir: During the back-slapping and glad-handing at the gala celebration in Marion last week, I heard one official make the comment that the announcement that Southern Illinois has landed a professional baseball team is a sign that “we’ve made it.”
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Obama to reconsider prez run if Hillary drops bid?
Wednesday, Aug 9, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller I’m waiting on a response from the Obama people, but Hiram Wurf noticed this interesting little tidbit buried at the bottom of a TV story. Sources close to Obama have told CBS 2 News that Obama would reconsider his previously announced decision to skip the 2008 presidential contest only if Mrs. Clinton does not run. Check back later for the Obama response. UPDATE: Still waiting on a call-back, but this is an appropriate column. Dick Bennett has been polling New Hampshire voters for 30 years. And he’s never seen anything like it. UPDATE 2: OK, we finally have our response from Obama’s office. This is from Robert Gibbs, Barack’s communications director. Sources close to Obama have told people that he would reconsider his previously announced decision to skip the PGA Tour only if Tiger Woods does not play.
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Wednesday, Aug 9, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Aug 9, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller I hesitate to do this because it’s a national story, but it has generated such intense interest on blogs throughout the country I figured why not. I’m curious if you think that Joe Lieberman’s loss yesterday has any implications for Illinois. This is off-topic, but for once I’m proud of Illinois election laws. If you lose a primary race in this state, you can’t run for the same position in the general election. That’s as it should be. Can you imagine what would happen if every self-centered goof who lost a primary decided to run again in the fall? Also, in Illinois, if your campaign website goes down on election day we’d assume you did it to yourself. The media coverage of that incident was remarkably shallow and sensationalistic. There’s no way that his site could be taken down for that long. If it was hacked or hit with a Denial of Service attack, even a computer crew with a microgram of Internet savvy could have had it back up in a few hours tops. Anyway, back to the question. Let’s please try to stick to Illinois implications and not get into a big debate over side issues. Thanks. UPDATE: I posted this in comments but it’s worth repeating here because the discussion has already degenerated. The reason I tend to avoid QOTD’s like this is because people tend to spew regurgitated Limbaugh/Kos rhetoric instead of coming up with their own thoughts. So, please, take a deep breath and THINK before you hit that “Say it” button. Don’t be a boring regurgitator! The future of questions like this depends on it.
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Another audit produces more bad news
Wednesday, Aug 9, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller I’ve been reporting on the Statehouse for over 16 years, and I can’t recall such a long string of negative audits as we’ve seen in the past three years. I really don’t enjoy writing all these stories about the governor. I have a lot of friends who work for him and/or support him and, personally, I like the guy. I truly wish he’d get his act together and focus more on clean and effective governance than generating an endless stream of PR pops. A new audit has found serious problems in the way Illinois handles doctors accused of possible misconduct, from investigations being closed improperly to sloppy paperwork to a lack of public information. The full audit can be found here. The AP has a summary here.
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Whatever it takes
Wednesday, Aug 9, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller The governor threatens to create a new state law over the objections of actual lawmakers. If the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t act quickly to make the morning-after pill available without a doctor’s prescription, Illinois will. Somebody should really show this guy a copy of the state Constitution. Meanwhile, the governor’s plan to force pharmacies to post signs is moving forward. Starting in early September, every pharmacy in Illinois will be required to post signs saying that pharmacists must dispense prescribed contraceptives–including the so-called morning-after pill–without delay. I don’t have time to find it now, but I recall that the mock-up sign released by the governor had his name displayed in big, bold letters. Just in time for election season. UPDATE: It turns out, the approved poster is the department’s letterhead and the State Seal. The guv’s name may be on the letterhead, but won’t be as prominently displayed as it was on the mockup the guv’s people used at that earlier press conference.
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Morning shorts
Wednesday, Aug 9, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller · Sneed: Ring ring: Betchya indicted businessman Stuart Levine, who wore a wire for the feds for the past 11 months, wishes he made better use of his cell phone. Why? The feds recorded more than 1,600 calls on the home phone of Levine, a Republican insider who cozied up to Dems after Gov. Blagojevich took office. · “Lowe’s has halted plans for two home-improvement centers in Chicago while Mayor Richard Daley weighs whether he will try to block the city’s new “big-box” minimum-wage ordinance, a South Side alderman said Tuesday.” · State working on traffic info via cell phone · “The ongoing debate about prison understaffing took an unusual twist Monday as state Sen. John O. Jones, R-Mount Vernon, announced he has filed a request through the Freedom of Information Act to force the release of a much-publicized report on staffing levels at prisons statewide.” · Business booms with trapshooting attendance · “A year ago, when prices hit $2.76 a gallon in Central Illinois, Gov. Rod Blagojevich was calling on President Bush to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Now, if someone had that price it would probably trigger long lines at the pump for ‘cheap’ fuel.” [That was before the guv got so much cash from gas station owners] · Law ensures meetings open to all but interpretation · Medicaid Reform: Fuhgeddaboutit · Kirk wants changes in No Child · Marin: Has ‘Low Blow Joe’ gone goo-goo, or is there more to story? · Sneed: [Pat] Quinn has been at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany visiting American soldiers wounded in Iraq — on his own dime and time. Quinn was invited by the Army and is due back today. · Rosenthal: WXRT-FM cuts veteran host Skafish
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You’re doing a heckuva PR job, Billy
Tuesday, Aug 8, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller William Burke, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, had some harsh words for critics of the state’s seemingly slow response to the devastating storms in the Metro East. “Some people were just complaining.” Burke said. “They thought that we were holding them back from getting cash money.” UPDATE: Topinka’s press release: Today, I am calling for an immediate apology from Governor Blagojevich’s head emergency management director to the people of the Metro-East for the comments directed at them while they are suffering through every day trying to get back on their feet. UPDATE 2: Here’s a story from late July that outlined local criticism of IEMA: In Cahokia, the storm left the city in a state of isolation. Power was knocked out to 90 percent of homes and businesses. Communications all but died. Some city staff resorted to hand-written memos.
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Psychedelic brunch
Tuesday, Aug 8, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Aug 8, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Without snark, irony or nasty sarcasm, say something positive about Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
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Uh-oh
Tuesday, Aug 8, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Sneed, who has excellent federal sources, claims that Stu Levine was wired. Translation: Sneed hears rumbles Levine — a Republican insider who forged Democratic ties after Gov. Blagojevich took office — reportedly wore a wire . . . for the past 11 months . . . and recorded everybody from Springfield lawmakers to a former Chicago alderman. We already knew that Levine’s phone was tapped by the feds. This wire thing is a new one on me. You have to assume that everyone is wearing a wire these days. And anyone who spilled his guts to Levine after the investigation started is beyond stupid.
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Few specifics - Now and 2002
Tuesday, Aug 8, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller The Tribune coverage of yesterday’s Topinka speech was the most upbeat, but still repeated the Blagojecich campaign mantra that Topinka has failed to offer specific proposals. Republican candidate for governor Judy Baar Topinka offered business leaders Monday what she called an “hors d’oeuvres” version of her plans for increased spending on education and public works projects but offered no taste of how much it would cost taxpayers. And the Daily Herald claimed JBT missed a major opportunity. Republican Judy Baar Topinka had a perfect opportunity Monday to spell out exactly what she’d do if elected governor — a vision critics from both parties say has been lacking from her campaign. […] I went back and checked coverage of the 2002 MPC forum with Jim Ryan and Rod Blagojevich. Here’s a telling paragraph from Crain’s. Mr. Blagojevich said Illinois could come up with more money for schools by cutting budget waste, but he did not indicate how he would stare down legislators who might have their own priorities. He also called for integrating planning concerns into any decisions about building new roads and the like, and said the state should “focus†incentives for economic development in communities that have sufficient affordable housing. And here’s how his education proposals were summed up. First of all, I do not think Illinois provides enough money to local schools. I want to direct more of our resources to education. Back in 1977, when the Democratic governor was leaving and a new governor came along, 48 cents on every single dollar that was spent on a child’s education came from the state. After a generation of the same people, basically, with the same ideas and the same approaches, we’ve seen that go down to as low as 33 cents on the dollar. Not exactly specific, except for the 51 percent of new state revenue proposal - which he never did.
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You can’t blame George Ryan for this one
Tuesday, Aug 8, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller The AP reports that the governor is closing the barn door after all the horses have been hired. State agencies have to be more careful about hiring interns, awarding contracts and transferring employees after new directives from Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s office. It’s nice they’re cleaning things up. But wasn’t the governor supposed to do that in January of 2003? Instead of cleaning up after George Ryan, the Blagojevich administration is cleaning up after itself.
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Crain’s tips its hand
Tuesday, Aug 8, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller Calling Rod Blagojevich “the worst governor for business Illinois has had in decade,” who “specializes” in ’soak business’ policies,” Crain’s scolds business leaders for not contributing more money to Judy Baar Topinka. A fundamental rule of Illinois politics is, “Don’t back no losers.” Anyone want to bet on which way this endorsement will go?
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Morning shorts
Tuesday, Aug 8, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller · Gov. urged to flex muscle in counselors’ strike · Study: Patronage bad for county’s health; and Editorial: Enough to make you sick · Election Issues 2006: Jobs · State’s ban on business with Sudan challenged · Editorial: Don’t raise hopes with latest plan for old LDC · Bean gets big business backing · “In a recent luncheon with 65 leaders of the Illinois technology community sponsored by the Illinois Information Technology Association (ITA), gubernatorial candidate Judy Baar Topinka convened an open dialogue about the state of the technology industry in Illinois.” · $50 mil. shooting complex faces 1st big test · Elgin survey results · “Newly installed Cook County Board President Bobbie Steele announced Monday she has ordered a hiring freeze at the county — one similar in scope to a yearslong freeze by her predecessor but with tougher enforcement.”
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