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Wednesday, Jul 17, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This is a huge blow to Kirk Dillard’s campaign. Ron Gidwitz was fully behind Dillard in 2010, helped him raise money and is still owed almost $200,000 by Dillard’s campaign.

Gidwitz wasn’t a great gubernatorial candidate, but he’s a far better behind the scenes guy.

From a press release…

Republican candidate for governor Bruce Rauner announced today that Ron Gidwitz will join the campaign as Finance Chairman and Co-Chair of the campaign.

“I’ve said from the beginning that I believe Republicans should unite behind one candidate. We have an extraordinary opportunity to win the Governor’s race and transform the state. I know all the candidates extremely well and believe there’s a clear choice: Bruce Rauner,” Gidwitz said. “Bruce will energize Republicans and appeal to reform-minded Independents and Democrats because he knows we can cut government spending, create jobs, and take on a broken system in Springfield currently dominated by special interests.”

Gidwitz has long been one of the Illinois Republican Party’s top supporters and has deep ties in state GOP circles. He has spent the year working to unite Republicans around a gubernatorial candidate.

“Ron is tremendously respected in our Party and has been a long time leader. I am honored to have his support,” said Bruce Rauner. “Ron’s backing is a great boost to our efforts and will help grow our campaign’s momentum. Illinoisans are ready to shake up Springfield, and there is no doubt we can win.”

Gidwitz joins Elizabeth Christie and Jim Schultz as Co-Chairs of a campaign that already includes supporters like Anne and Ken Griffin, Mike Keiser, Jack Roeser, John Rowe, Dick Uihlein, and dozens of other important community and business leaders.

Dillard said earlier this week that he was upset that the business community was refusing to coalesce behind a single candidate. Well, it sure is beginning to. And that candidate ain’t Dillard.

…Adding… Bernie…

Dillard’s campaign filings show he still owes $250,000 from his 2010 effort, mostly to Ron Gidwitz. Gidwitz, himself a 2006 candidate for the GOP nomination for governor, was Dillard’s campaign chairman in 2010 and is former CEO of Helene Curtis.

Dillard said he does not have to pay back Gidwitz.

Maybe he will now.

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*** UPDATED x2 - Video *** Today’s quote

Wednesday, Jul 17, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From the Twitters…

Lisa Madigan at foreclosure event "I may entertain off topic questions…depending on what mood I'm in" #whatsnext

— Mary Ann Ahern (@MaryAnnAhernNBC) July 17, 2013

AGLisa Madigan surrounds herself with praise on home foreclosure, what about investigating Metra? What does think of cutting lawmakers pay?

— Mary Ann Ahern July 17, 2013

Lisa Madigan to reporter "you've been reading too much John Kass" then defends her record

— Mary Ann Ahern (@MaryAnnAhernNBC) July 17, 2013

*** UPDATE *** Video of the exchange is here…

View more videos at: http://nbcchicago.com.

Off-topic begins at about the 5 minute mark.

It’s pretty obvious that the Kass comment was a joke. Everybody laughed.

*** UPDATE 2 *** From WLS’ Bill Cameron…

When asked why it’s acceptible for the speaker and the attorney general to come from the same family, but not the speaker and the governor, Madigan said, “It sounds to me like you’ve been reading too much John Kass. Do you have an original question?”

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*** LIVE COVERAGE *** Metra allegations hearing

Wednesday, Jul 17, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller

* ABC7 has live coverage of today’s RTA hearing over allegations made by Metra’s former CEO that he was dismissed because he had “not acceded to requests for unlawful politically-motivated employment actions.” Click here for the live feed. WGN also has a live feed here.

* Sun-Times…

Former Metra CEO Alex Clifford testified Wednesday that after he wrote a memo saying House Speaker Michael Madigan’s office asked him to raise the pay of a Madigan campaign worker and hire another friend, Metra officials worked to oust him.

The memo “sparked a desire…to have me leave sooner rather than later,” Clifford told the RTA board, which has financial oversight over Metra.Clifford said that in February this year Metra Board Chairman Brad O’Halloran told him O’Halloran was going to have to get a meeting with Madigan to see what damage Clifford’s rebuffing of Madigan’s wishes would have on the agency’s funding.

“I wanted to stay working at Metra,” Clifford said earlier in the hearing. “This has been a long, difficult process.”

Clifford said he was “really steaming” when he heard he may not have the votes from the Metra board to stay on the job after he refused to go along with requests from powerful politicians.

* Tribune…

Shortly before Metra CEO Alex Clifford’s patronage complaints against House Speaker Michael Madigan pushed the agency into severance negotiations, Madigan asked Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration to hire the supporter at the heart of Clifford’s allegation.

The Quinn administration — which has sharply criticized Metra’s handling of Clifford’s departure — granted the speaker’s request for Patrick Ward, a labor relations specialist and longtime foot soldier in Madigan’s political army. Officials said Ward now is working in a newly tailored Chicago-based job that took over the duties of a state worker whose job had been based in Winnebago County.

The state revealed that Ward was the only person interviewed for the $70,000-a-year job.

The Quinn administration said the governor did not know about the hiring until Friday.

* And here’s a ScribbleLive feed…

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