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*** UPDATED x1 *** And the point is… what?

Tuesday, Jun 4, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller

* It’s as if Gov. Quinn wants people to see that he’s trying to do something. But all he’s doing is further highlighting his utter failure…

Gov. Pat Quinn and Senate President John Cullerton have met to discuss stalemate over a solution to Illinois’ pension crisis, but House Speaker Michael Madigan didn’t show up.

Aides to all three leaders had no details on Tuesday’s roughly hour-long meeting in Quinn’s Chicago office. Neither Cullerton nor Quinn addressed reporters.

Quinn announced the meeting a day earlier.

On what planet does the governor look active and concerned in this scenario? Because on this planet, he looks ineffective and appears to be flailing.

The meeting was about optics, because nobody in their right mind believed that anything was ever going to get done. But it doesn’t take half a brain to predict that the optics would suck.

*** UPDATE *** Speaker Madigan did not call into the meeting. He and his staff weren’t informed that it was an option, according to his spokesman, who also posted in comments that the AP called him about what happened at the meeting before the meeting even ended.

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*** UPDATED x1 *** Attorney General asks for concealed carry deadline extension

Tuesday, Jun 4, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Trib says that the concealed carry bill has been sent to the governor. Actually, it hasn’t yet been transmitted. It’s still in the House. The chamber can hold onto it for up to 30 days. I’m told that this is probably just a paperwork thing.

Whatever the case, the June 9th deadline is rapidly approaching and now the attorney general wants a delay to help the governor. Games are definitely afoot…

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has filed a request with a federal appeals court asking for an additional 30 days to put in place a law that would allow citizens to carry guns in public.

The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals gave the state until June 9 to come up with concealed carry rules when it struck down Illinois’ longtime ban in December. Last week, lawmakers passed a measure setting out who could carry guns and where, but Madigan argues that Gov. Pat Quinn should have more time to review the legislation before deciding whether to sign it into law.

The state constitution gives the governor 60 calendar days from the time a bill is sent to his desk to act before it would automatically become law.

“The request for an additional 30 days would allow the governor a reasonable amount of time to fulfill his state constitutional duties,” Madigan said in a statement.

* More…

“We think the request for a 30-day stay is appropriate,” Quinn spokeswoman Brooke Anderson said. “The bill has not yet arrived. Ordinarily, under the Illinois Constitution, the governor has 60 days to review a bill upon its arrival.”

Last week, the governor’s office would only say Quinn intends to “review” the legislation but would not offer any sense of the governor’s leanings on the legislation.

The plan that was fast-tracked through the House and Senate last week was a compromise deal that preserves existing local gun laws, including Chicago and Cook County’s bans on assault weapons, and keeps gun owners from carrying their loaded weapons on public trains and buses.

Discuss.

*** UPDATE *** From the gun guys’ response to Madigan’s motion…

1. Defendants’ motion is unauthorized by the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, plainly presented for dilatory reasons, fails to fully disclose the relevant factual circumstances, and otherwise lacks merit. Considering that the state’s remedial legislation passed with overwhelming veto-proof majorities in both houses, as well as the Governor’s deep and protracted involvement in this issue, the time for delay is over. This Court has spoken. The People of Illinois, through their representatives, have spoken. There must be some finality to this process. The motion should be denied.

The motion is here. AG Madigan’s motion is here.

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*** UPDATED x1 - VIDEO *** A red herring, some fuzziness, but a strong theme for Rutherford rollout

Monday, Jun 3, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The mansion “issue” is such a red herring…

Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford kept his plans for pension reform and the state’s income tax rate close to the vest Sunday, but he did make one vow Springfield residents should like.

Rutherford, a Republican from Chenoa, said during a stop in Springfield to announce his gubernatorial candidacy that he would live at the Executive Mansion if elected the next governor of Illinois.

Jim Thompson, Jim Edgar and George Ryan all lived outside the mansion at one time or the other. It makes no difference. You can be a good governor and not live at that mansion.

* More…

As for the state’s pension crisis, he said there were elements of the dueling reform plans passed in the House and Senate this spring that he liked, but he declined to say if he supported one over the other.

Rutherford also did not rule out extending the state’s income tax increase, which is scheduled to expire at the end of 2014.

“Let’s put (the income tax rate hike) on the table and negotiate the whole thing out,” Rutherford said. “What they did two years ago was a bad deal. I’ve learned you don’t agree to one thing until the rest of it comes along. They raised taxes and didn’t fix the problem.”

Rutherford opposes gay marriage but supports civil unions, he said.

He ought to say where he is on pensions. And that’s an interesting comment on the income tax, although I’m not really sure what it means…

“Put it on the table. When I take that oath of office in January 2015, that income tax increase is going to have to be on the table for discussion and debate,” Rutherford says. “And I will tell you what, I will not sign any income tax increase that doesn’t fix the problem of Illinois.”

And the failure to approve the gay marriage bill hurts Republicans far more than it hurts Democrats. The GOPs wanted it resolved so they could move forward and ignore the issue. It ain’t, so they can’t.

* He does, however, have a very positive theme of inclusion…

The son of pizza shop owners, Rutherford said he worked his way through college and graduated without debt. After he was elected to the Illinois House in 1993, Rutherford kept a private sector job with ServiceMaster, which operates brands like Terminix and TruGreen.

“I learned to work with people,” he said. “I worked with people of different religions, different skin colors, different customs and different cultures.”

The dual themes — hard work and an embrace of diversity — were apparent throughout the campaign event.

In introducing Rutherford, Steve Kim, who ran unsuccessfully for attorney general in 2010, said “no one” would work harder as governor.

Kim joked that a friend once asked if Rutherford was Korean because “he’s on Korean radio all the time.” As Kim spoke, Rutherford, who is single and has no children, stood behind the lectern, flanked by relatives and a multicultural array of friends.

“You go to Chinatown and you’re going to think he’s a movie star,” Kim said. “His picture is in every bank, it’s in every beauty salon, it’s in every restaurant.”

* And he has a message that some commenters here can probably relate to…

Rutherford said Sunday he has a track record of reaching out to people and communities “with different colors and ethnicities … and also with other beliefs.” He said the Republican Party and other GOP candidates need to do the same.

“My party’s not been that good at it,” he said. “You don’t have to be with someone 100 percent of the time to be a good Republican. I understand that there are people that have a different position on the social issues than some, and they are still good Republicans.”

* This can help as well…

Rutherford, a Pontiac native, said his experience in the private and public sectors make him qualified and so far, he is the only Republican who’s already won a statewide office who will run. He was elected treasurer in 2010 and served as a state representative and state senator for years. Before entering politics he was an executive with Service Master Co, based in suburban Downers Grove.

“I do have government experience, but I’m not a career politician,” he said. “I’m the only Republican that has won statewide that is looking to run for governor. I’m the guy to win.”

* His campaign splash page…

Caption?

*** UPDATE *** Video of today’s Springfield announcement via BlueRoomStream.com…

* Related…

* Rutherford announces gubernatorial bid at Pontiac event

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