* We’ll know Monday morning which office Congressman Danny Davis will seek - reelection or Cook County Board President. From the Davis campaign…
Cong. Davis will announce his election decision at a press conference on Monday, November 9, 2009, at 10:00 a.m., at 3333 W. Arthington, Chicago.
* Democrat Alexi Giannoulias has a new Internet ad blasting Mark Kirk over Sarah Palin. The tagline is pretty good…
* Rep. Julie Hamos begins airing a new cable TV ad tomorrow. I think that makes her the first congressional candidate to go up. Anyway, rate it…
This is an initial cable buy of about $20K. Here are some details from a top source which were confirmed by the campaign…
$14,450 total for Comcast zones of Glenview, Highland Park and Mt Prospect; these zones encompass other towns as well and give good coverage in D10.
Additionally about $6,000 to WOW! Cable for their North zone that also has coverage in D10.
Bought CNN, Food, HGTV, MSNBC, TBS and USA Networks; all dayparts bought Flight is Sat 11/7 thru Mon 11/16
Script…
I’m Julie Hamos. The time has come for every American to have quality, affordable health care.
We finally have a chance to make that happen with a comprehensive package that includes a public option so that everyone has an affordable choice for health insurance, no matter what. We have to let Congress know that real health care reform demands a public option.
Let’s not let this moment in history pass us by.
I’m Julie Hamos and I approve this message because our fight for change is just beginning.
* Most unfortunate Tribune headline of the afternoon: “Quinn gets backing from former Blagojevich allies.” The story…
Gov. Pat Quinn got the endorsement today of several North Side Democratic leaders who once hailed and later feuded with his running mate and predecessor, Rod Blagojevich.
Among those supporting Quinn’s bid for the Democratic nomination in the Feb. 2 primary was Chicago Ald. Richard Mell (33rd), Blagojevich’s estranged father-in-law.
Others endorsing the governor today were Sen. Ira Silverstein and Reps. John Fritchey and Lou Lang. Fritchey is running for county board commissioner against former Ald. Ted Matlak.
*** UPDATE 1 *** And Dan Hynes has pounced. From a press release…
BLAGOJEVICH’S NUMBER 2 EARNS BLESSING OF BLAGOJEVICH’S NUMBER 1 PATRON The political muscle that gave IL Rod Blagojevich lines up behind Pat Quinn as questions persist about top aide’s resignation
CHICAGO – Pat Quinn, once a self-styled reformer, continued his gravitation toward ultimate political insider-dom today by accepting the endorsement of Alderman Dick Mell, the father-in-law and political patron of Rod Blagojevich, and a man synonymous with Chicago Machine politics. This comes on the heels of news that Quinn’s deputy chief of staff resigned abruptly last week, reportedly amid an investigation for doing political work on state time. Quinn has been mum on the affair. Dan Hynes for Governor campaign communications director Matt McGrath issued the following statement:
“Today’s announcement, coupled with the deafening silence surrounding Carolyn Brown Hodge’s abrupt resignation, further cements what has become increasingly clear: Pat Quinn will say or do anything to cling to power, including embracing the Machine he once railed against. It would never even occur to us to seek the endorsement of the single individual most responsible for inflicting this state with Rod Blagojevich, let alone hold a press conference, but for Pat Quinn, it’s all in a day’s work. The rest of us are once again left to wonder about Pat Quinn’s true convictions and commitment to anything beyond his own election.”
Considering Hynes’ family ties, that’s quite a breathless press release, but whatever. At least he didn’t accuse Quinn of actually doing his job and twisting it into something bizarre, a la Quinn’s TV ad.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Quinn spokesperson Elizabeth Austin responds…
“Dan Hynes’ hypocrisy knows no bounds. He is a child of the old-time Chicago Machine and owes his entire career to his ward boss father. Without Machine backing and his father’s political muscle, how could he have won statewide office at the age of 28? Certainly not on the basis of his grassroots advocacy for ethical reform, consumer rights, and tax fairness.
“In September, when Comptroller Hynes appeared at the endorsement session of the Cook County Democrats, he spoke movingly of his pride in seeking — and accepting — their endorsements over the many years he has spent sitting behind the Comptroller’s desk. At that time, he shared his warm recollections of growing up in a ward office, learning about Machine politics at his father’s knee. Yet now, when the Democratic Party is embracing reform and putting state government back on track, he’s now Dan Hynes, the independent maverick?
“Just as they did in 2004, we expect Illinois Democratic voters to understand the difference between a second-generation ward politician and a true reformer who has devoted his entire life to standing up for everyday people against corrupt politicians, greedy utility companies, and corporate polluters. We know that the people of Illinois can tell a poll-driven career politician from someone who is, and has always been, the genuine article. “
[ *** End of Updates *** ]
* Last night, all but one of the Republican gubernatorial candidates said Illinois should opt out of national healthcare if it’s passed by Congress. Unsurprisingly, Gov. Pat Quinn would be against opting out…
Gov. Pat Quinn says Illinois should not try to opt out of a national health care plan if one passes in Washington.
The Chicago Democrat says that would be the wrong way to go. […]
Quinn also said Friday that he disagrees with Republican Jim Ryan’s call to lower the minimum wage in Illinois by 75 cents. Ryan says that would help make Illinois more competitive economically.
* Democratic US Senate candidate David Hoffman has a new banking plan. From a press release…
Hoffman’s plan will protect consumers by creating a separate, independent Federal Consumer Protection Agency, which will enforce consumer protection laws to prevent abuse by lenders; putting a stop to predatory lending practices by establishing a standard national usury rate for consumer credit transactions; using federal stimulus funds to provide affordable small business loans, and allowing judicial modification of home mortgages to protect principle residences during bankruptcy.
President Obama’s former colleagues in the Illinois state Senate used him as a punching bag Thursday in the first debate among all seven Republicans running for governor.
“Just as I worked to defeat Obamamcare when he was a state senator in Illinois, we will defeat it, hopefully, at the federal level,” said state Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington).
“But if we fail to do that, I will impose the [states’ rights] 10th Amendment to the United States Constitution, and tell the federal government they have no right to take our tax dollars and redirect them to provide a national health care program … It’s time someone slapped the hand of the federal government and said ‘enough is enough.’”
All seven candidates, to varying degrees, competed to be the most conservatove, the biggest “outsider,” the most opposed to tax hikes, and the most opposed to increased government spending on health care.
State Sen. Kirk Dillard, of Hinsdale, a former DuPage County GOP chairman who has been criticized for appearing in a 2007 Iowa caucus ad for Obama, appeared to use the health care issue to try to distance himself from the president.
“If I wanted to be part of socialized medicine, I would have moved to Europe,” Dillard said. “I’ll be damned if I’m going to let a socialistic Washington shove a new mandate down the (Illinois) taxpayers’ throats, especially if it’s health care.”
As the candidates expressed sympathy over the deadly shooting rampage Thursday at Fort Hood in Texas, state Sen. Bill Brady, of Bloomington, vowed to push the legalization of concealed weapons as a potential solution to defending against criminal or terrorist activity.
…an early question about how they would ensure Illinois residents can be safe in light of Thursday’s shootings at Texas’ Fort Hood brought out a range of responses.
Hinsdale businessman Adam Andrzejewski used the question to underscore his plan to keep illegal immigrants out of Illinois.
“One of the security issues we face is our immigration policy in Illinois,” he said. “We can take steps to defend the border right here in Illinois.”
Meanwhile, Brady said that violence, along with last year’s shootings at Northern Illinois University, illustrate the need to allow the concealed carry of guns in the state. He said the law would “help to respond to incidents like this.”
[Jim] Ryan also said the Illinois minimum wage is too high. After the debate, he said the Illinois minimum of $8 an hour should be cut to $7.25, the federal level.
Yet WBBM Radio’s headline is: “Quiet debate for GOP candidates for Ill. governor.”
* By the way, Progress Illinois has video of Sen. Kirk Dillard calling Obama a “Socialist” earlier this week…
