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Wednesday, Apr 25, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

Does anybody know anything about this guy? The Hill’s article says he’s a wealthy young man who makes money investing in turnarounds. He has little political experience (he’s served on the state Republican Party finance committee and is a precinct committeeman), but he’s lusted after by party bosses because he could self-finance. He also appeared to be slightly naive, at least about Durbin, but that seems to be changing…

Businessman Steve Greenberg is weighing whether to challenge Rep. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.), Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), or neither in 2008, and he will go public with his decision around May 15, Greenberg told The Hill on Monday.

The young, wealthy political newcomer met with the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) and National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) in Washington last week and said he is now more seriously considering a House bid in one of the GOPâ€™s top targeted districts, Illinoisâ€™s 8th. […]

In February, Greenberg expressed interest in running against Durbin. But he said on Monday that his meeting with NRCC Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Political Director Terry Carmack altered his perspective. […]

â€œThere are a lot of people who think this state is not Republican, and I think it is,â€ Greenberg said. â€œIn this state, people have not been proud Reagan Republicans, and weâ€™ve been trying to pander to be what I would call Democrat-lite. I think thatâ€™s the absence of leadership in the candidacies.â€

The Hill goes on to claim that Chicago Board of Trade executive Kevin J.P. Oâ€™Hara is also interested in running against Durbin, but then stretches creduility by claiming that Sen. Bill Brady and Joe Birkett are also possible candidates. Not. Well, at least for Brady. I also seriously doubt Birkett, who has been touting his chances in the 2010 governor’s race, would like to go 0 for 3 in statewide raes by losing to Durbin.

According to The Hill, President Bush won Bean’s district with 56 percent in the last two elections. On paper, the Republicans count this as one of theirs, but Bean has proved much more resilient than they expected.

Thoughts?

*** UPDATE *** Eric Krol had a story about Greenberg’s possible candidacy back in February…

Greenberg, who turns 36 next month, was an executive with Promotions Unlimited, a Racine, Wis., supplier of merchandise and promotional sale ads to independent drug stores. His father, Ira, founded the company in 1973 in Rosemont and eventually acquired the Ben Franklin variety and craft store franchise rights.

Steve Greenberg, who now invests in turn-around companies, served on the Illinois GOP’s finance committee. He’s also a former minor league hockey player with the Washington Capitals organization.

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Obamarama - House moves primary date *** Updated x1 ***

Wednesday, Mar 28, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

Not a huge surprise, except possibly the overhwhelming majority. From the AP…

The Illinois House today approved making the presidential primary election earlier to favor favorite son Barack Obama. Lawmakers voted 110-to-four to move the primary from March 20th to February Fifth next year.

House Speaker Michael Madigan sponsored the measure.

He says moving the date would benefit Obama — a freshman U-S senator and fellow Democrat. He says presidential nominations often are decided by the time Illinois voters get to choose.

The Senate still has to take up the measure before it gets to the governor’s desk. The governor has promised to sign it.

The bill’s status and full text can be found here and the rollcall will eventually be posted at this page.

*** UPDATE *** Off topic, but related to the 2008 campaign, the highlight of today’s House Government Reform Committee’s grilling of General Services Administration chief Lurita Doan was a PowerPoint presentation prepared by the White House political office which was allegedly shown at a GSA meeting.

The presentation was about upcoming 2008 political targets in the US House and Senate. A Democratic committee member claims two GSA witnesses say the director asked at the end of the presentation what could be done to help these candidates.

Setting aside the fact that doing something like this at a government office in Chicago or Springfield would probably result in an immediate FBI raid (slight exaggeration), check out the video below starting at “5:14.”

The title of the slide is “Battle for the Senate 2008.”

Illinois’ upcoming US Senate race between Dick Durbin and an as yet undetermined Republican candidate is listed as “non competitive” by Karl Rove…

Not surprising at all, of course, but food for thought.

Also, if you enlarge the image you’ll see that no Illinois Congressional races are listed in another slide (at 8:05) of the top 20 House targets for 2008.

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Wanted: Self-funder

Monday, Feb 26, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

Eric Krol writes about some unfamiliar but well-heeled names being bandied about for US Senate against Dick Durbin.

A respected Chicago Board of Trade executive from Winnetka and a Long Grove businessman whose family owns the Ben Franklin variety store franchise are among those talking to Illinois Republican leaders about running against Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin next year.

Both Kevin J.P. O’Hara, the chief administrative officer at the Chicago futures exchange, and Steve Greenberg, the wholesale executive, would seem to have the ability to write a check to cover some or all of the costs of a campaign.

State GOP leaders consider that important in finding an opponent for Durbin, given the political dynamics in play. Whoever runs against Durbin already is getting a late start, a situation made worse by a Democratic plan to move up Illinois’ 2008 primary to Feb. 5 - six weeks earlier than normal.

The practical effect on the political machinery is that candidates could need to file for office as early as mid-October. That means campaign season could start July 4 instead of the traditional Labor Day kickoff. And given federal campaign fundraising limits, candidates already should have started the money sweepstakes.

To that end, Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna Jr. said he’s talked to individuals who could self-fund about challenging Durbin, who’s No. 2 in Senate Democratic leadership.

The others, including Oberweis, Brady, etc. are also included. But what do you think about this unknown self-funder idea?

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