* Saturdays are usually my lowest traffic days by far. However, since the election is just days away, maybe it’ll be higher today. And maybe this will help boost numbers…

…Adding… The Frerichs campaign’s “caption”…

Democrat Mike Frerichs, candidate for state treasurer, is questioning 22-year incumbent Republican Tom Cross’ commitment to reforming Springfield today after pictures surfaced of Tom Cross campaigning with scandal-plagued incumbent Dan Rutherford. The picture of Cross and Rutherford campaigning together in Pontiac was posted by Rutherford at 9:46 pm last night to his Twitter account, @RutherfordDan.

Rutherford’s office was the target of a scathing auditor general report this summer that found he spent $328,000 in taxpayer dollars over just two years to ramp up an internship program in his office that was filled with the sons and daughter’s of the politically connected. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the interns were handpicked by Rutherford with no application process. Frerichs has also criticized the state treasurer’s office for:

1. Renewing the state’s contract with OppenheimerFunds to manage Bright Start, even after the firm lost $150 million in college savings belonging to 65,000 Illinoisans, and even though the firm is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. A recent report by investment firm Morningstar also indicates that many Bright Start families are paying above-average fees for lackluster returns, and the report criticizes Illinois for offering parents sub-par tax benefits for college savings;

2. Failing to maximize the state’s investment in Illinois technology companies through Illinois’ Technology Development Accounts, a public-private partnership. Despite an independent study showing that prior investments have created more than 1,000 jobs in Illinois and attracted roughly $150 million in private investment, Rutherford failed to expand the bipartisan program;

3. Refusing to release the results of a taxpayer-funded investigation into allegations of Illinois State Treasurer’s Office employees being coerced to do campaign work on Rutherford’s behalf;

4. Devoting 1/3 of the staff of the state treasurer’s office to promoting his failed bid for governor under the guise of the I-Cash Program, including the coordination of the I-Cash Program with campaign stops.

“Illinois is ready for reform, but Tom Cross is not,” says Frerichs. “Republican Leader Cross was on Blagojevich’s clout list, and according to state records he tried to get jobs for 46 different people. Throughout the campaign, Republican Tom Cross said he thinks Dan Rutherford is doing a good job. I don’t think there is a voter in Illinois who thinks Dan Rutherford passing up the chance to create thousands of jobs for regular people while growing internships for his friends and donors is a job well done.“

Frerichs adds “As state treasurer, on day one I will launch an independent audit of the office to root out patronage and waste, enforce the ban on state employees doing political work, and release the taxpayer funded investigation as Dan Rutherford promised. Tom Cross says he thinks Dan Rutherford is doing a good job, but I believe the people of Illinois deserve better.”