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Wednesday, Jul 14, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* We’ve seen a lot of back and forth this week over whether six “satellite” offices established by Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and his chief of staff Robin Kelly (who is running to replace her boss) are worthwhile or not. From the Sun-Times…

State Sen. Dan Rutherford doesn’t believe State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and his deputy and heir-nominee Robin Kelly can open six satellite offices around the state without it costing the state any money.

“They say they’re using state office buildings so they are not getting charged rent,” said Rutherford, the Republican nominee for state treasurer. “We’re closing down Department of Children and Family Services offices across the state, five state police headquarters. If there is space in these regional offices, let them use it.”

A spokeswoman for Kelly, who is running to succeed her boss as state treasurer, said that since Treasurer’s employees no longer have to drive out to remote locations, the satellite offices actually save the state $30,000 a year.

But why does the state treasurer even need satellite offices, Rutherford asked Tuesday.

“I cannot think of one thing worthwhile,” Rutherford said. “They say it’s for ‘outreach, public awareness…’ There’s nothing the consumer needs at offices for the Treasurer. For people to come in and talk about Bright Start, Cash Dash? All of that stuff is on-line. And if it’s not, it should be. At the Thompson Center, there are people waiting at Attorney General’s office the Secretary of State’s office, but there’s not one soul waiting at the Treasurer’s office.”

The two candidates debated this week and longtime commenter and blogger bored now has video of the two going at it over this issue…

Frankly, even if this saves $30,000 a year as Kelly claims, I still think it’s awfully suspect that they would be opening one of those offices in the Metro East a few months before the election.

* Kelly also defended her office over the Bright Start debacle. Kelly claimed that just 3 percent of Bright Start participants all of their money in the fund that crashed and claimed they got all but 36 percent of their money back. Rutherford wasn’t impressed. Watch…

The two sparred over whether accepting contributions from banks and bankers was right. Kelly won’t accept them, Rutherford said “there’s no conflict” of interest…

Kelly also answered questions about who was minding the store while both she and her boss ran statewide and how she was separating her work from her campaign…

* Related…

* Treasurer candidates wrangle at Southland chamber debate

* Rutherford Thinks Treasurer Has Too Many Offices

* Galesburg Mayor Garza backs Dem. treasurer candidate

* Mayor Endorses Treasurer Candidate

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Commander McBragg

Wednesday, Jul 14, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The AP goes into detail about Mark Kirk’s service record and clearly shows that he didn’t have to exaggerate, lie, what-have-you…

Since launching his campaign, Kirk has come under sharp criticism for exaggerating his military accomplishments, repeatedly choosing to emphasize the few “Top Gun” moments in a 21-year Reserve career that has been spent almost entirely focused on office work.

But an Associated Press review of Navy personnel documents — as well as interviews with former colleagues, commanders and experts — shows Kirk has been an exceptional officer entrusted with vital, sensitive duties. His work was important but not glamorous.

If Kirk had limited his statements to his actual military record, he would not have lacked for achievements to brag about.

During the Kosovo bombing campaign, for instance, Kirk stayed behind at a base in Italy to study data and prepare briefings while the pilots of his unit, known as the “Star Warriors,” were in the air.

But instead of describing his actual duties when talking to voters, Kirk has talked about encountering anti-aircraft fire over Kosovo on what he called his “first mission.” But it was his only flight, and he was just an observer.

It seems to me that Kirk always needs to be the smartest and bravest person in the room. We all have friends with that annoying habit of trying to top every story that everybody tells. Kirk’s problem is he ventures into taboo territory with his false braggadocia about military exploits that never existed. He’s a Commander McBragg for our times…

* And as I’ve written before, once you get the reputation for being dishonest, you’ll have an extremely difficult time overcoming it. From the Sun-Times…

Just when you thought Mark Kirk couldn’t be more disingenuous.

The Republican Senate candidate who tried to pass off a series of exaggerations in his military record as honest errors now is smearing his Democratic opponent, Alexi Giannoulias, with a blatantly misleading TV ad that links him to the Gulf oil spill.

Usually, that ad would’ve been debunked and people would’ve moved on. Considering the press coverage Giannoulias was getting before Kirk’s problems were exposed, the ad might’ve even been ignored. Instead, it now becomes a character issue for Kirk…

And what do we call a candidate who thinks the voters are too stupid to see the truth for what it is?

Insulting.

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