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Friday, Sep 5, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Friday, Jun 20, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Fix is not the most credible pundit ranker, mainly because the author is a political journalist and not a “real” analyst. But it may be worth noting that the Halvorson vs. Ozinga congressional race has been moved down slighty from 6th most likely district to flip parties to 8th…

8. Illinois’s 11th (Open seat, R): The rocky road for state Sen. Debbie Halvorson (D) continues, as in recent week she has come under fire from some fellow Democrats — including Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. — for a bill she introduced that would give Will County officials operating control over a proposed airport south of Chicago. Democrats insist the fight is actually good news for Halvorson, since it shows voters in the sprawling 11th District that she is standing up for them and not caving to Chicago’s political power brokers. Maybe, but a public, internecine feud is almost never good for business. Republicans acknowledge that concrete magnate Martin Ozinga got a very late start but insist he is a surprisingly strong candidate. (Previous ranking: 6)

* The Republicans, meanwhile, have posted some raw audio of Halvorson reacting last year to Gov. Blagojevich’s gross receipts tax proposal…

…Adding… I should’ve been more clear with the setup to that video. Halvorson ended up voting for the GRT in Senate Executive Committee after Sen. Lou Viverito unexpectedly voted “No,” leaving her little choice.

* Kristen McQueary is tiring of the acidity in the 11th District campaign and wrote a pretty glowing review of the Green Party candidate…

It’s going to get ugly. Getting spin-free truth out of these camps will be downright exhausting.

So it was refreshing Wednesday to meet Jason Wallace, of Normal, the Green Party candidate in the 11th District. From Heritage Park in Crete - Halvorson’s hometown - Wallace met with reporters and made a few points worth repeating.

* Jim Oberweis on high gas prices…

Oberweis said gas prices are the result of a supply problem that could be solved with increased offshore drilling in the U.S. and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He also supports exploration of alternative energy sources like nuclear, coal and wind energy - but noted that the government shouldn’t continuously subsidize those energy industries.

At a similar appearance in Elgin last month, Democrat Foster said he was “mystified” at why fuel companies are reporting record profits at a time when crude oil is so high.

“I think the Democrats making that argument don’t understand how business works,” he said. “It’s the same as saying farmers receiving $7.50 for a bushel of corn and making a profit are doing something bad. I would expect farmers to have record profits when prices are high and lower profits when prices are low, and I would expect oil companies to have high profits when prices are high and low profits when prices are low.”

Except because of the high fuel prices and the floods, I doubt farmers will have “record” profits this year. This is not even close to an accurate comparison.

* Progress Illinois has been taking Congresscritter Mark Kirk to task. Here’s the latest…

Another day, another instance of Rep. Mark Kirk twisting the facts.

Last week, we noted his falsehoods about the uninsured population in America. Yesterday, we thoroughly debunked his bogus claim that the federal unemployment insurance benefit extension he voted against would lead people to cash in after two weeks of work.

Then, during an appearance on WLS’ Don Wade & Roma Morning Show today, Kirk falsely asserted that the Chinese are drilling for oil off the coast of Cuba.

* Related…

* Foster: Fermi funding could be fine

* Funding bill may block Fermi layoffs

* Briefs: Meet new congressman

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Kadner on Jackson, Rezko and Halvorson; Plus: Greens; Seals

Tuesday, Jun 10, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I told you a little about this story yesterday, but Phil Kadner goes at it hard today…

Tony Rezko tried to negotiate a third airport deal in the south suburbs in 2006 on behalf of the governor, according to U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Chicago).

“There was no doubt he was a state actor at that meeting,” Jackson said. “I didn’t call Tony Rezko. […]

“Rezko said that in order to get the governor’s support for the things I wanted, the governor had to be given key appointments on the ALNAC board,” Jackson said.

“That is the same kind of thing they did with the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board and the teachers pension system. That’s how Rezko used his influence, by appointing people to these boards.”

* Kadner doesn’t believe Blagojevich administration claims that Rezko was never involved, and I don’t blame him one bit. I’m with Phil on that one.

Kadner, however, only briefly mentions that Jackson aide Rick Bryan brought Democratic congressional candidate Sen. Debbie Halvorson into the mix. That’s more significant, at least politically for Halvorson, than Kadner claims.

Here’s a quick refresher about what Bryant wrote…

Pay-to-play was the pathway laid out in Senate Bill 2063, sponsored by state Sen. Debbie Halvorson. That bill would have codified what Rezko essentially proposed to Jackson, ALNAC and its developers (SNC-Lavalin and LCOR), which was to create an airport board comprised of appointed – not elected – commissioners.

* I think that any direct Halvorson connection is a big stretch, but the most significant aspect of this statement was that an incumbent Congressional Democrat would seek to undermine a Democratic congressional hopeful by connecting her to Tony Rezko, no matter how tenuous those ties might me.

Jackson and Halvorson have fought bitterly on this issue over the years. Halvorson complains that Jackson wants to put an airport in her Senate district (and in an area which is not in Jackson’s district) without first getting permission from those residents. That’s a good point, but there’s no denying that Jackson has given Halvorson’s GOP opponent, Martin Ozinga, lots of ammo.

From an Ozinga press release…

* Did Halvorson ever meet with Rezko or Rezko’s associates about the Third Airport?

* If so, did Halvorson sponsor Senate Bill 2063 at Tony Rezko’s request? Was anything offered by Rezko in exchange?

* If not, still: why did Halvorson sponsor a bill that would have created ample opportunity for the same kind of cash-for-appointments schemes for which Tony Rezko was just convicted?

* Meanwhile, three Green Party congressional candidates were kicked off the ballot yesterday…

The board ruled in favor of petitioners who filed objections against 8th Congressional District candidate Iain Abernathy of Round Lake Beach, 10th District candidate David Kalbfleish of Arlington Heights, and 14th District candidate Robert Hill of DeKalb — all of whom the party had slated after the state’s Feb. 5 primary. […]

More specifically, attorneys for the objectors argued that the Green Party failed to elect any precinct committeemen from key counties during the February primary, a requisite first step in the process of slating candidates. In Abernathy’s case, objectors also argued for disqualification because he tried to run as a Moderate Party candidate in the primary before being removed from that ballot.

The Greens aren’t sure yet whether they’ll appeal.

* And Dem congressional candidate Dan Seals has harsh words for Springfield…

A Democratic candidate for Congress is offering a blunt assessment of Illinois’ state government leaders. Dan Seals is running in the 10th congressional district in Chicago’s northern suburbs.

Seals says Illinois needs “adults [in Springfield] who work for the people they’re supposed to represent.”

“Look, I’m not going to go pick a fight with anybody, but the fact is, we need more results out of Springfield and less posturing.”

Charlie Cook now rates Seals’ campaign against incumbent Republican Mark Kirk a toss-up, partly because of Barack Obama’s presence on the ticket.

* Somewhat related…

* Rezko: One trial down. Next up in 2009.

* Tribune’s Blagojevich-Rezko Cartoon

* Zorn: Let’s clarify the Obama deal with Rezko

* Our Opinion: Sign ethics bill, governor

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