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Obama may visit Quincy as the rest of the state boils

Wednesday, Apr 21, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The President is about to embark on a small-town Midwestern swing which could take him to Quincy…

Quincynews.org was reporting that several sources confirmed that an Obama advance team was setting up a possible visit to Quincy, with Wednesday appearing to be the most likely day. Various federal and state officials did not indicate any plans for a Peoria or Springfield stop.

Yeah. Springfield. Right. No way does he want to pop in near the end of session mess. And steering clear of Chicago’s craziness is also smart. Still, if he does come to Illinois, I’d like to see him pressed on what he thinks has happened to his home state since he departed.

* Meanwhile, Lynn Sweet says Obama’s chief of staff Rahm Emanuel is slightly walking back what he said on the Charlie Rose show this week about running for mayor if Daley decides to hang it up…

Emanuel told me Tuesday night he never intended to go as far as he did with Rose. The question came up at the end of a wide ranging interview. The usually disciplined Emanuel says he slipped up.

The Sun-Times runs down a list of other possible Daley successors…

Nor is [Rahm], necessarily, the frontrunner in that crowded field.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., CTA Board Chairman Terry Peterson, City Colleges Board Chairman Gery Chico and former Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman are also high on the list.

Former U.S. Commerce Secretary William Daley, the natural politician of the Daley clan, could try to succeed his brother. The field might also include: former Schools CEO Paul Vallas; presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett; U.S. Rep. Luis Guitierrez; and Chicago aldermen Bob Fioretti (2nd), Edward M. Burke (14th), Brendan Reilly (42nd) and former Ald. Manny Flores (1st).

And Congressman Gutierrez makes a good point in that Sweet piece…

Earlier in the day, Rep. Luis Gutierrez, who is at odds with Emanuel over the slow pace of comprehensive immigration reform in the Obama White House, told me, “I am sure every word that he spoke was not some sort of off-the-cuff remark but calculated to achieve some political goal.

“When I see Rahm Emanuel, [from now on] I don’t know if I am talking to the president’s chief of staff and if that is his chief priority, or if I am talking to a future candidate for the mayor of the city of Chicago,” Gutierrez said.

FOOTNOTE: Emanuel never liquidated his political war chest when he joined the White House; as of April 15, he had $1,175,109.76 cash on hand that could be transferred to a mayoral campaign.

* The Trib runs down the negatives…

But back in Chicago, where Emanuel made his political bones, the former congressman and political insider’s sharp elbows and national cachet aren’t much of a guarantee that he will replace the man who remains firmly in control of Chicago.

Just ask the Daleys.

“Absolutely not, and I don’t think anyone would say that,” said Cook County Commissioner John Daley when asked Tuesday if Emanuel would be the front-runner in a mayor’s race that didn’t involve his brother. “And I don’t think (Emanuel) would say that, knowing the electorate of Chicago.”

A return home to run for mayor means Emanuel, who renewed his interest in the job on national TV Monday, would have to address some long-standing political baggage. Questions abound about his quick stockpiling of wealth on Wall Street, help from a Daley patronage army to win a seat in Congress and chats with disgraced ex- Gov. Rod Blagojevich about filling a vacant U.S. Senate seat.

* And Congressman Quigley shoots down the whole idea…

“This is all b.s. The mayor is running again,” Quigley answered adamantly, not using the abbreviation. […]

“I’ve met with the mayor three or four times since I’ve been elected,” Quigley said. “He is focused. He is knowledgeable. And I think he wants to go out on his own terms, whenever that is.”

On top of that, maybe there is a little inside information.

“I hear their operation is getting put together,” Quigley said, meaning that he has been told by others that Daley is assembling a political team in preparation for a 2011 re-election bid. He couldn’t supply any details.

* And Fran Spielman writes that Rahm’s trial balloon, if it was that, didn’t go over well on the 5th Floor…

Mayor Daley’s popularity is at an all-time low, city finances are in the toilet, the Olympics went to Rio and his wife, Maggie, is battling a series of cancer setbacks.

So Rahm Emanuel’s announcement that he’d like to be mayor some day understandably touched a nerve in the Daley camp.

* Campaign and Statehouse roundup…

* Brady, Quinn release tax returns

* Gov. Pat Quinn pressures rival Bill Brady into releasing tax returns

* Brady Gives In, Agrees to Make Tax Returns Public

* ‘Tax-return politics’ vex candidates

* Is a candidate’s 1040 important 411?

* Quinn abandons pal Claypool in assessor race

* Quinn reacts to reports of Cohen as possible independent opponent

* Quinn to Cohen: Bring it on

* Downstater sure to win as lieutenant governor

* Keats pushes reforms, slaps Madigan, Berrios

* Tested waters are clear: Don’t raise tolls

* Liberate the kids

* David Leuthold: Proposed debt settlement law would hurt consumers

* Our View: When will we learn? Texting, driving a bad mix

* Illinois Senate says no to four-day school week

* State Capitol Q&A: Legislation would regulate eyeball tattooing

* Quinn wants review of state vehicles after DUI flap with Senate leader’s son

* Quinn Calls for Review of State-Licensed Vehicles

* Cullerton says he’ll look into limiting fleet

* Illinois legislators can’t let Chicago’s convention industry slip under the waves

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*** UPDATED x1 *** OK, maybe it wasn’t about the booze: Champaign mayor says Obama is not a citizen

Friday, Apr 16, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* We’ve had some back-and-forth here about what the real reason was behind the refusal of a federal underage drinking grant by the Champaign city council and its mayor. The first time I wrote about the refusal in February, I quoted a council member questioning the “morality of accepting federal grant money for local purposes.” Champaign Mayor Jerry Schweighart appeared to agree with that logic at the time.

Several commenters questioned their reasoning, pointing out the large number of U of I students living in Champaign and the local taverns that depend on their underage drinking.

Then, last month, the city council voted to accept a big federal broadband grant, which the mayor had said the council ought to be “careful” about accepting back in February. So, we all figured it was about the booze.

But, now, a new CBS2 report has me wondering whether the first take may have been correct…

You can count Champaign Mayor Jerry Schweighart among those who doubt President Barack Obama’s citizenship.

The third-term Republican was asked Thursday at a Tea Party gathering in Champaign what he thought of Obama and answered, “I don’t think he’s an American, personally.”

“You know, if you’re not willing to produce an original certificate, a birth certificate, then you’ve got something to hide,” he added. “If he doesn’t have something to hide, produce it.”

His statements echo doubts raised by the so-called “birther” movement that has long claimed Obama was born in Kenya and is not eligible to serve as President of the United States.

Here’s the video…

Strange, eh?

*** UPDATE *** The AP called and the mayor is sticking to his story…

The 71-year-old Schweighart told The Associated Press on Friday that he stands by the statement.

“Oh sure,” he said. “My stand, and I don’t understand why everybody is so upset, is he’s never shown the original birth certificate.”

Wow.

19 Comments

Rasmussen: Kirk over Giannoulias 41-37, large majority concerned about violent react

Friday, Apr 9, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* No surprise here. Embattled Democratic US Senate nominee Alexi Giannoulias is losing ground in the Rasmussen Reports poll. But Republican Mark Kirk is not gaining anything. Instead, voters appear to moving to undecided and “some other candidate.” That combined number has risen from 14 percent in February to 21 percent in the new poll. Here are the latest results, with two previous Rasmussen polls from March and February in parentheses…

Mark Kirk 41% (41%, 46%)
Alexi Giannoulias 37% (44%, 40%)
Some Other Candidate 8% (5%, 4%)
Not sure 13% (10%, 10%)

From the pollster…

Kirk holds a double-digit lead over his Democratic rival among male voters, but Giannoulias has a slight edge among women. Voters not affiliated with either party prefer the Republican by a four-to-one margin.

* Favorables…

Giannoulias is now viewed very favorably by just eight percent (8%) of Illinois voters and very unfavorably by 21%. This marks little change from last month.

Seventeen percent (17%) have a very favorable opinion of Kirk, while the identical number (17%) view him very unfavorably. Both findings are up from a month ago.

At this point in a campaign, Rasmussen Reports considers the number of people with strong opinions more significant than the total favorable/unfavorable numbers.

* Rasmussen actually has a slight majority for repeal of the new health care bill, with 51 percent favoring and 44 percent opposed. However, a plurality of 48 percent thinks the legislation will be “good for the country,” while 44 percent think it’ll be bad. 52 percent say they support requiring everyone to buy or obtain health insurance.

* Other questions…

When you think about the major issues facing the country, whose views are closest to your own President Barack Obama or the average tea party member?
50% President Barack Obama
38% The average Tea Party member
12% Not sure

How concerned are you that those opposed to President Obama’s policies will resort to violence?
27% Very concerned
29% Somewhat concerned
21% Not very concerned
20% Not at all concerned
3% Not sure

56 percent are concerned about violence? Fascinating.

…Adding… The more Republican you are, the less concerned about a violent reaction to Obama’s policies you may be, according to the crosstabs.

61 percent of Republicans were “Not very concerned” (33) or “Not at all concerned” (28) about the prospect of violence. Just 22 percent of Democrats weren’t concerned, while 65 percent of Dems were “Very concerned” (37) or “Somewhat concerned” (38) about violent reacts. 36 percent of Repubs were concerned.

* Related…

* ADDING: Preckwinkle’s campaign manager takes post with Cook Dems

* ADDING: Giannoulias Campaign Not Letting Kirk Off The Hook

* About 100 air frustrations with health care at Walsh forum: Walsh also has opposed the health care law and on Thursday repeated his promise to repeal the law if elected to the House. “It can be repealed,” he said. “It can be defunded.”

* No winners in America where citizens can’t talk to one another: Ultimately what’s troublesome here is the tone. One can certainly disagree with Hare on this or any issue; he’s a big boy who ought to be able to handle the heat. That said, we’ve known Hare for a few years now, he’s an amiable and well-intentioned sort, and he didn’t have this treatment coming. It’s quite a stretch to suggest this military veteran “doesn’t care” about the Constitution. Given his vote, nothing he could have said would have satisfied this crowd, which has every right to - and almost certainly will - express its displeasure with him at the ballot box. When Americans can’t talk to one another anymore, then it’s difficult to have a functioning democracy. Who would be surprised if Hare were far less eager to engage with such a group in the future?

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