* This WaPo story comes out of Washington, DC, so it was most likely planted by somebody who is trying to recruit Lisa Madigan to run for US Senate…
The removal of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his subsequent replacement by now-Gov. Pat Quinn is still sorting itself out, but a real possibility exists that Quinn will face a serious primary challenge in 2010.
State Attorney General Lisa Madigan is clearly interested in being governor but, of late, there have been some reports that she may see a Senate race as the better (and easier) next step for her. Quinn has a chance to cast himself as the anti-Blagojevich to a public more than ready to move on. If he does, it’s possible he dodges a serious primary. If he stumbles, the sharks will be circling.
So far, Lisa Madigan seems pretty intent on running for governor. But like I said at the top, there is a DC recruitment drive.
Later in the piece, we get the state’s US Senate race…
[Appointed US Sen. Roland Burris] continues to play coy about whether he will run for a full term in 2010 but even if he does he seems likely to face a primary challenge from at least one major Democratic candidate with state Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Rep. Jan Schakowsky and state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias most regularly mentioned. If Burris decides against a run, this could be a knock-down drag out fight with Madigan, if she wants to be in the Senate, the immediate favorite in an open seat scenario.
Again, don’t believe that Madigan stuff just yet and consider the source. She didn’t enjoy the legislative process all that much in the Illinois Senate, so the US Senate has never been a major goal.
Giannoulias was in DC again last week to meet with potential campaign staff, fundraisers, etc. He also met with US Sen. Dick Durbin, who said yesterday that Giannoulias would be a “formidable” candidate if he runs. Giannoulias is clearly gearing up for a Senate bid.
* AG Madigan even tweaked Gov. Quinn a bit the other day…
Rod Blagojevich’s removal from the governor’s office signals a new direction for how open records issues are handled in state government.
But will it be more cooperation or antagonism? Attorney General Lisa Madigan wants new Gov. Pat Quinn to set a tone of openness right away.
Madigan sent Quinn a letter on his first day in office, urging him to issue an executive order making open records access a priority. He should appoint special staffers to oversee records’ requests and review scores of denials by the Blagojevich administration to see if violations occurred, Madigan said.
* And pretty much anybody who is anybody in statewide Democratic politics was in DuPage County last night for a President’s Day dinner…
But Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan tried to sound a hopeful note Sunday night, saying that while the ouster of the two-term Democratic governor involved “some of the most stressful, difficult times” in her career, she and other Democrats need to look forward.
“Look at the history of the good elected officials from the state of Illinois,” she said, citing Abraham Lincoln, Paul Simon and President Barack Obama. “There is no need to be ashamed.”
Yes, there is a need to be ashamed, but I can see part of her point.
* Meanwhile, ProPublica and the Tribune take a closer look at the guy who loaned and contributed $1.57 million to Roland Burris’s 2002 gubernatorial bid. Burris still owes Joseph Stroud $1.2 million from that race…
Shortly after the 2002 campaign ended, Burris phoned prosecutors and local police about criminal charges Stroud wanted filed against a former employee who had sued him, claiming wrongful termination, records show.
The businessman made it clear he had called on Burris, then a private citizen, because of Burris’ political résumé. “There is an appropriate person to go to who was formerly a state attorney general here in Illinois, I believe, to properly secure prosecution of a crime,” he testified in the ex-employee’s lawsuit.
Burris testified that Stroud’s contributions bought him no special access and he denied an allegation in the suit that Stroud had offered Burris $20,000 if the former employee were charged with eavesdropping because of tape recordings she made.
The owner of a local television station, WJYS-Ch. 62, Stroud denied making the offer. Burris, he testified, “received compensation enough. This was after I believe that I contributed a million-plus to his campaign.”
No charges were ever filed and Stroud also testified that he contributed so much money to Burris because it was in the best interests of the African-American community.
* And speaking of debt, this seems excessive…
Before he was even sworn in, newly minted Senator Roland Burris had already filed paperwork allowing him to start fund-raising for the 2010 election. But he says that’s doesn’t necessarily mean he wants to run for the office when his term expires.
BURRIS: No that means I am in debt. I have legal bills, to the tune of $400,000
Burris said he had to pay for his staff out of his pocket while battling to be seated in the Senate, after his controversial appointment by then-Governor Rod Blagojevich.
BURRIS: I have to try to recoup those funds, because I am not a wealthy person.
Burris’ own law firm represented him during the appointment ordeal and they still hit him for 400 large?
* Burris really ought to answer questions about this…
Faced with pressure from state regulators and a multimillion-dollar deficit in a funeral trust fund, the Illinois Funeral Directors Association two years ago turned to Roland Burris for help.
Burris, appointed last month to the U.S. Senate from Illinois, met at least once in 2007 with state officials who had determined the IFDA’s pre-need funeral trust fund, set up to provide funerals for nearly 50,000 people in Illinois, had a $39 million shortfall as of the end of 2005.
Reached mid-afternoon Friday, Darrel Thompson, Burris’ chief of staff, said the senator was too busy with official duties to answer questions.
Just how effective Burris was as an IFDA lobbyist isn’t clear.
* Related…
* Burris too busy learning about new job to discuss new job
