Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Tuesday, Jun 16, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Dear Chicago Tribunesters,

I know some of y’all are probably proud of your company. Heck, I’m proud of my company. Then again, my company isn’t under two federal investigations, my company didn’t just file for bankruptcy, my company never used its editorial powers to browbeat politicians into voting to allow lights at my decrepit, company-owned ballpark, my company never used all its powers to snag a riverboat casino, my company never “put on hiatus” one of the better state politics radio shows in recent memory, my company never endorsed George Ryan for governor and I, as company owner, have never been referred to as “the ultimate vulture.” At least not to my face.

So y’all will have to excuse me for spitting Pepsi on my keyboard when I saw this lede in the Tribune earlier today…

In an escalating public battle between two landmark institutions, the Chicago Tribune filed a state lawsuit this morning against the University of Illinois

Sheesh.

* Dear Jim Tobin,

What’s with your crusade against the Illinois State Police? Did you get a lot of tickets or something? No offense. Just asking…

“I think they should lay off all the state troopers. I think they’re a total waste of taxpayer money,” [Jim Tobin, the president of National Taxpayers United of Illinois] said. “We have too many cops and state police have proven time and time again they’re glorified Keystone Kops. We won’t miss them one bit.”

…As an addendum, why would any reporter quote this guy?

* Dear Sen. Burris,

Just go away already…

U.S. Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., who is under investigation by the Sangamon County state’s attorney for possible perjury for his January testimony before the Illinois House impeachment committee, was at the Sangamon County Complex Monday.

There’s no official word that Burris was at the building as part of that investigation, though in a recent visit to Springfield, Burris said he was anxious to speak with State’s Attorney John Schmidt.

* Dear President Obama,

I understand why you dissed California…

The Obama administration has turned back pleas for emergency aid from one of the biggest remaining threats to the economy — the state of California.

Top state officials have gone hat in hand to the administration, armed with dire warnings of a fast-approaching “fiscal meltdown” caused by a budget shortfall. Concern has grown inside the White House in recent weeks as California’s fiscal condition has worsened, leading to high-level administration meetings. But federal officials are worried that a bailout of California would set off a cascade of demands from other states.

But, heck, man, your home state needs you now. We’re in seriously deep doo-doo here. Plus, did this dance with Pat Quinn mean nothing to you all those years ago?

Your turn.

70 Comments

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - AFSCME; SEIU; DCFS; Dillard

Friday, Jun 12, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

Enter your password to view comments

Not much of a blockbuster *** UPDATED x1 ***

Tuesday, Jun 2, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This is not new news…

Just two weeks before his arrest on corruption charges, then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich floated a plan to give President Barack Obama’s former Senate seat to the daughter of his biggest political rival in return for concessions on his pet projects, people familiar with the plan told The Associated Press.

We’ve known that Lisa Madigan was Senate Candidate 2 in the federal arrest report since Day One.

* And this isn’t new news, either…

Blagojevich also said he wanted a deal in which the elder Madigan would allow a long-stalled capital construction program through the House and take action on a Blagojevich-backed health care plan in return for his daughter’s appointment to the Senate seat, the aides said.

I’ve already reported that, and it can also be inferred from the arrest report…

Advisor B agreed that the three-way deal would be a better plan than ROD BLAGOJEVICH appointing Senate Candidate 2 to the Senate seat and getting more done as Governor. [Emphasis added]

And this is the story Blagojevich leaked to Sneed back in November…

“The latest from Blagoville is Gov. Rod Blagojevich toying with tossing Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who wants Blago’s job?

“*It may endear him to powerful House Speaker Mike Madigan, Lisa’s dad, who is Blago’s political foe.

There was no way that plan would’ve worked anyway. Speaker Madigan wouldn’t even return Blagojevich’s calls and refused to meet with him. No way would he have cut a big legislative deal like that based on a Senate appointment for his daughter.

* And this isn’t new, either…

Blagojevich told Sen. Dick Durbin he was thinking of naming Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to the seat, according to two Durbin aides who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Read down in the story…

A Durbin aide said that in the conversation a number of names were mentioned as possible Senate picks — not just Madigan’s. He said Durbin spoke about the conversation at a news conference after Blagojevich’s arrest and mentioned Madigan’s name but none of the news reports that emerged mentioned Madigan — only Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett.

The only thing that may be new is that Durbin said he’d help. Trouble is, according to the story, Blagojevich told Durbin to “do nothing” and never got back to him.

*** UPDATE - 10:14 am *** From the Southern Illinoisan…

Durbin spokesman Joe Shoemaker said the two discussed about 20 possible appointments for the senate seat, of which Madigan was one, and Blagojevich had asked the senator’s opinion about the decision.

“Sen Durbin tried to get across two messages. Pick someone who can hit the ground running as a senator, and number two, find someone who can be appointed quickly,” Shoemaker told The Roll Call, a newspaper covering Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.