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Jack Ryan’s return?

Friday, Jun 26, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* He’s ba-ack! Drop-out Republican US Senate candidate Jack Ryan is one of the headliners at the Chicago Young Republicans’ annual membership event

This will be the largest GOP event Chicago has seen in some time. Hundreds of Republicans will be coming out of the woodwork the evening of June 29th in response to the month long Chicago Young Republican marketing program.

The event is FREE to everyone and will be the perfect chance to see the energy that has been building behind the GOP here in Chicago, President Obama’s very own backyard!

Popular 80’s cover band “Sixteen Candles” will rock the house and Congressman Aaron Schock will emcee!

Other guests include Jack Ryan, Harry Stein - author of I can’t believe I’m sitting next to a Republican and media young guns Guy Benson from WIND-AM and Mary Katherine Ham from Fox Nation, Weekly Standard and Townhall.com.

* Quote of the day goes to White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, who was asked about what Attorney General Lisa Madigan and President Barack Obama discussed earlier this month during an Oval Office meeting

. Um, and uh, ya know, there was a discussion about, ya know, let me say this, let me do this: What happens in the oval stays in the oval. They had a conversation about the race.

* And Dorothy Brown is in

Cook County Clerk Dorothy Brown plans to run for Cook County board president. The formal announcement is set for Friday.

Brown revealed her plans to ABC7 political reporter Charles Thomas

* Related…

* Sewage cleanup chief may go after Stroger’s job: Though Mr. O’Brien’s agency mostly has been out of the news in recent years — a good thing in scandal-plagued Chicago — he did return $39,000 in campaign donations from district employees last year after press reports that the gifts were illegal and had been reported to the Cook County state’s attorney. Mr. O’Brien said he and others at the district were unaware of the “obscure” law involved and had never intentionally solicited subordinates on his behalf.

* Democrat Harper taking another shot at Biggert’s seat

* Press release: Today, Scott Harper formally announced his candidacy for the United States Congress. Harper is entering the race to challenge Congresswoman Judy Biggert in Illinois’ 13th Congressional District which covers parts of DuPage, Cook, and Will Counties. As part of this announcement, Scott Harper has launched a web video that appears on his new campaign website at www.ScottHarperForCongress.com.

* Is Politico Right About Mark Kirk?

* Sen. Matt Murphy makes argument for governor

* Proft campaign responds to Carol Marin: …Carol Marin has one set of standards for those who share her liberal Democrat views and another for conservatives likes Dan Proft. But you want to know the real reason she targets Dan? She knows he can win.

  87 Comments      


Murphy in, LMadigan still debating

Monday, Jun 22, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* It’s been known for several weeks that GOP state Sen. Matt Murphy was leaning heavily towards a gubernatorial bid. He’s now made it all but official

“I’m very serious. I look at it as I really feel that among those in this, I give it the best chance for us to win,” Murphy, a Palatine Republican in his second term, told the Tribune. “It felt like everything kind of came together right in a strange sort of way. The feedback has been good enough. I’m ready to go forward. I’m in.” […]

“The issues that I have spent the most time focusing on are jobs and ethics. Those are the two most important things we’re going to be talking about for the next year and a half and doing things about thereafter,” said Murphy, whose Senate seat is not up for election next year.

“If you’re a Republican and afraid of anything in 2010, you shouldn’t be running,” said Murphy, who considered a bid for Cook County Board chairman. “The time to be afraid is over. What do we have to lose? If you’re not afraid to lose, you’re a whole lot better candidate. I think a compelling message is that there’s an electorate that is ready to fire these [Democrats], but we need to step up and see that we earn that piece of respect.”

* Laura Washington on Lisa Madigan, President Obama and Alexi Giannoulias…

Impeccable sources tell me that in that White House meeting, Obama made it clear he wants her to run for the Senate. […]

All that sputtering shows that Giannoulias has been knocked off his game. It makes you wonder just how well he really knows his old pal. When it comes to winning, pragmatism is Job 1 for Obama. The Obama-ites want to hold onto that seat at all costs, basketball buddies be damned. […]

All the same, she’ll take her time and may run her decision right up until August, when her nominating petitions must hit the streets. At best she could look indecisive, at worst, politically calculating. As the daughter of House Speaker Mike Madigan, that’s a perilous place to be.

The big question: Can Lisa Madigan really say no to the president of the United States? You bet.

I had a very similar analysis to this one last week and came to a somewhat opposite conclusion: Leaning towards.

* Related…

Will a name like Raja play in Peoria? - 35-year-old Indian American Krishnamoorthi eyes state comptroller post, chance to make history

* Dillard, Proft dubbed “serious” gubernatorial candidates

  72 Comments      


No demands from LMadigan?

Friday, Jun 19, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* After checking around a lot yesterday, I don’t think Lisa Madigan demanded these pledges from the president…

I reported on Wednesday that Madigan had two conditions she wanted if she ran for the Senate: an immediate Obama endorsement and for the Democratic primary field to be cleared. Madigan political director Mary Morrissey told me Thursday Madigan and no one in her camp set down any conditions.

* Also after checking around, I think Sheriff Dart is leaning very hard towards a run for Cook County Board President, how that Forrest Claypool has dropped out. The rest, I dunno yet

Names potentially in contention now include Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, who, according to a source close to the sheriff, is “very, very interested and seriously considering it.”

County Assessor James Houlihan said Thursday that he was currently “re-evaluating his options.” And county Commissioner Larry Suffredin is forming an exploratory committee for the job. Already declared is the candidacy of Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th), and Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown has already commissioned polls.

More

Another source says there was an “understanding” that if Claypool didn’t run against Stroger, Dart would.

* Notes from the circular firing squad. Doug Ibendahl tries to turn up the heat on SB600, which requires the Illinois Republican Party to elect its committeepersons…

An in-party fight among Illinois Republicans that has been percolating quietly out of sight of most voters is starting to bubble to the surface, helped along by a GOP activist who [yesterday] compared his state party’s chairman — unfavorably — to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. […]

One of the leaders of the GOP rebellion is Chicago attorney and former state GOP general counsel Doug Ibendahl, co-founder of “Republican Young Professionals,” which is among the most rebellious elements of the party. Ibendahl today emailed reporters with a link to an essay he wrote comparing GOP state party Chairman Andy McKenna to the Iranian president — who, of course, is currently being accused by demonstrators in Iran of stealing that country’s recent election.

“What do Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Andy McKenna have in common?” asks Ibendahl’s essay. “Answer: Both have constituents who want their vote back.” Ibendahl goes on to suggest that McKenna is “dividing and destroying our party on the idea that Republicans should have lesser voting rights than even the Iranians enjoy.”

“Good grief, at least they had an election their voters can demonstrate about,” writes Ibendahl.

* Related…

* Can Illinois Republicans Take Advantage of Obama’s Mistake?

* After Madigan’s White House Meeting, AG Knocked by Giannoulias

* Giannoulias: Madigan Senate bid is `insider’ clout move

* Obama, Lisa Madigan Discuss Senate Seat

* Robert Zadek of Rockford to run for U.S. Senate

* Claypool drops out of board president race

* Claypool won’t run, but Dart, Suffredin might

* Claypool’s Announcement Stirs Up County Race

* Congressional Tweeters

  41 Comments      


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Friday, Jun 19, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

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This just in… Part 2 - Gibbs: WH not “picking” a candidate

Thursday, Jun 18, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* 2:44 pm - President Obama’s press secretary Robert Gibbs denied today that Obama is trying to nudge Lisa Madigan into the US Senate race…

“The president is not going to pick a candidate in the Illinois Senate race,” Gibbs told reporters during today’s White House briefing.

“The president has a very long relationship with the attorney general, dating back to their time in the state Senate,” he said. “She’d be a terrific candidate, but we are not going to get involved in picking a candidate in Illinois.” […]

Gibbs said he didn’t know whether Madigan was called to the White House or came in of her own accord to discuss the Senate seat now held by Sen. Roland Burris. […]

“I don’t control the DSCC,” Gibbs said. “We’re not picking a candidate. We’re not going to endorse in this race.”

* 3:18 pm - Speaking of politics

Alderman Toni Preckwinkle (Hyde Park) has launched a website in support of her campaign for Cook County Board President.

* 4:10 pm - Quote of the day goes to Lou..

One Democratic lawmaker, who appeared at an event highlighting possible cuts to the state’s foster care program, said Quinn’s repeated forays before microphones and TV cameras at the offices of social service providers are rallying the wrong set of troops.

“What the governor has been doing lately is preaching to the choir,” said Rep. Lou Lang of Skokie, who was one of 42 Democrats out of a possible 70 to vote for the tax hike. “The choir has to now tell him go talk to someone else in that other church who doesn’t get it.”

  19 Comments      


Lisa Madigan met with Obama about Senate bid - Wants clear field

Thursday, Jun 18, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* We don’t know yet who asked for this meeting, but this is a huge blow to Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, whom Barack Obama backed in the last election…

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has met with President Barack Obama and his senior political aides to talk about running for the U.S. Senate seat he once held.

Ms. Madigan’s spokeswoman says the meeting occurred in Washington at the White House late last week, with the Senate race the subject.

Ms. Madigan reportedly has not made up her mind, but the meeting came after weeks in which White House operatives reached out to Ms. Madigan and urged her to run for the seat now held by Roland Burris, and after Ms. Madigan said she would agree to think about it.

In the meeting besides Mr. Obama were senior advisor Valerie Jarrett and presidential Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Ms. Madigan also talked with David Axelrod, who ran Mr. Obama’s presidential campaign.

More

So, who called the White House meeting? “I didn’t ask that question,” Ziegler said.

Hmmm. It’s a safe bet that Madigan is rethinking a bid for the governor’s job. “Well, she hasn’t ruled out a Senate bid,” Ziegler said.

And this Giannoulias press release is kinda weird

Statement from State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias regarding U.S. Senate race:

“Voters in Illinois are facing the most troubling economic times in decades and they want leaders who will solve problems and fight hard every day against the political insiders who have failed us. When Barack Obama ran for this seat in 2004, he was not the choice of the insiders. He became the choice of the people because of the strength of his ideas and his ideals.

“Illinois has been ill-served by state party leaders who think they know better than voters. Now more than ever, anyone who seeks this seat must convince voters they have the ideas that will get our economy on its feet and put our people back to work, not just prove that they have the political clout to demand a clear field and win appointment.”

Madigan wants a presidential endorsement and a clear field. As Giannoulias’ press release makes clear, that second part doesn’t look likely

The Chicago Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet reports that Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is demanding an endorsement from President Obama and a clear Democratic primary field as the two conditions for her to run for the Senate.

The White House looks willing to play ball, in light of breaking news that President Obama met with Madigan last week to discuss a potential Senate candidacy.

But the second condition looks very difficult to achieve, with state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias already in the race and raising big bucks for his exploratory committee with plans to make a formal announcement next month. And there’s no love lost between the Madigan and Giannoulias camps, making any kind of backroom deal between the two highly unlikely.

Several sources close to the Giannoulias camp said there is “no way” the state Treasurer would bow out of the race, and that he’s in it to win it. That would mean that if Madigan wanted to pursue a Senate race, she’d have to face a tough, expensive primary — without the benefit of the nearly $5 million in her state campaign account.

More

At a commencement speech in Chicago Sunday, Sun-Times Political Reporter Abdon M. Pallasch asked Obama Axelrod Sunday about spin put out by some Giannoulias critics that the White House wanted Madigan as the nominee because if Obama’s friend Giannoulias was the nominee, Obama’s and Giannoulias’ old friend, convicted influence peddler Tony Rezko, would become a campaign issue that caused spillover bad P.R. for Obama.

“The president has a lot of respect and affection for Alexi, for Lisa, but ultimately the party and voters here are going to have to decide who will be the strongest possible candidate right now,” Axelrod said. “Our interest is in making sure the seat remains in Democratic hands. It’s not up to the president to decide who the candidate should be, But that’s the standard everyone should apply: Who would be the strongest candidate?”

Pallasch asked Axelrod: “Are you guys taking a ‘hands off’ approach or trying to recruit the best candidate?”

Axelrod responded: “We’re talking to whoever wants to talk to us.”

Thoughts?

  73 Comments      


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