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Tuesday, Sep 15, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Dear Jay Cutler,

I wish I could believe you when you promise “things will be better,” but I don’t. Then again, could they get much worse?

* Dear 19 members of the Cook County Democratic Central Committee,

Did voting “Present” on the roll call to slate Pat Quinn during Friday’s meeting mean you supported nobody or that you supported Dan Hynes’ request that nobody be slated? I only ask because nine voted to slate Hynes. Please, clear that up.

* Dear Rod Blagojevich,

Does everything have to be about you? Do you not realize how absolutely self-centered and moronic it is to issue a press release telling the world you’ll be attending Chris Kelly’s funeral?

* Dear Todd Stroger,

Does this story [fixed link] mean you’ve reached the “anger” phase? Please, speed up your grief phases and get to the “acceptance” level so we can be done with you.

* Dear Congresscritter Mike Quigley,

Actually, the “arch conservatives” I know don’t argue that government should always “stay out of people’s lives.” So, calling yourself one as you announce your support for gay marriage really isn’t all that logical.

* Dear Belleville police spokesman Don Sax,

Announcing to the media that a fight between teenagers on a school bus was “racially motivated” after simply reviewing a videotape was obviously a stupid thing to do. Didn’t you notice that it was black kids who broke it up? Drudge, thankfully, took down the gigantic, blaring headline after you corrected yourself.

* Your turn…

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Kirk faces the boo-birds

Tuesday, Sep 15, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* US Senate candidate Mark Kirk faced some pretty loud booing and heckling at a recent DuPage County Republican event, which amply showed that he still has problems with the far right. However, Kirk also demonstrated how good he is on his feet by twice turning the boos into applause.

Parts of the Republican crowd booed Kirk’s introduction and some angrily yelled chants about his “Yes” vote on the so-called “cap and trade” bill Thinking quickly, Kirk then asked for a moment of silence for a fallen soldier. It worked. He quieted the hall and eventually got them to cheer.

The loud boos cranked up again (at about 3:16 into the video) when he brought up the touchy cap and trade subject. But then Kirk said he voted “Yes” on cap and trade because he was representing the “narrow interests” of his congressional district and vowed to vote “No” on the bill if he represented the entire state.

And the crowd cheered.

This just proves a point about perceptions. It’s only a “flip-flop” when a politician flips away from your ideology. It’s “statesmanship” if a politico flips toward you. He’s either got no backbone or he’s a smart politician, depending on which way you see things.

* Anyway, Kirk kept “right” on hitting the hot buttons and smoothly firing out the ready-made applause lines with an ideological bullet-point tour through oil drilling, Nancy Pelosi, Hugo Chavez, his military service (quite a few times), the public option (he got the crowd to boo Alexi Giannoulias on that one) etc.

Have a look…

This is one slick candidate, campers. The Democrats should definitely fear him.

* Other campaign stories…

* Daily Herald: Time for Stroger to bow out gracefully - It’s time he pulls out of the race for county board president and clears the way for other candidates.

* Quinn endorsements cover political spectrum

* Quinn gets backing from SEIU Illinois Council

* GOP gov hopeful sets funding rule

* Dillard promises fund-raising moratorium if elected

* Proft: Government broken and the fix is in

* Ill. `lite gov’ seat worth more than warm spit these days

* Press Release: Jason Plummer, a small businessman from downstate Edwardsville, will enter the Republican primary for Lt. Governor during a statewide tour of Illinois beginning in his hometown and continuing on to Springfield and Chicago. Plummer currently works in the family business, R.P. Lumber, headquartered in Edwardsville, as well as subsidiary companies focusing on property development and technology investments.

* Kenilworth’s Dold hopes to fill Kirk’s seat

* Dems: Sente “most exemplified” Ryg’s position in 59th Dist.

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Hynes refuses to pay bills, Quinn tries buttering up AFSCME

Tuesday, Sep 15, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Dan Hynes has suspended state payments on some advertising and consulting contracts…

Hynes said he had informed Quinn by letter today that his office was suspending payment on $53 million in advertising and management consulting contracts, including more than $26 million to lottery ad agencies, $16 million for tourism and economic development promotion and $9.7 million for a timekeeping system.

“Surely you must believe, as I do, that ‘business as usual’ should not continue while healthcare providers suspend or curtail services and state financial support to schools is jeopardized by an imbalanced(sic) state budget,” Hynes wrote. “I have directed my staff to suspend payment on these contracts until your office communicates your intentions regarding these transactions.”

It’s not clear what authority Hynes is using to suspend the payments. The state law involving the comptroller’s duties gives him the power to refuse to issue a check if he believes a transaction is “not in accordance with the law,” but that is not what Hynes is alleging. A 36-year-old attorney general’s opinion also notes that the comptroller has “ample authority” to hold up payment if “an expenditure of public funds is contrary to law or unauthorized.”

That’s taking things a bit far.

Or not. From the comptroller’s office…

The Comptroller’s Act authorizes the office to preaudit and review all expenditures prior to payment. We are simply asking the the Governor to reconsider these spending priorities in light of the state’s fiscal crisis.

From the governor’s office…

No one in Illinois—especially the Comptroller—should doubt Governor Quinn’s zeal for making significant budget cuts and belt-tightening. Already, Governor Quinn has committed to cutting over $2.0 billion from the state budget in Fiscal 2010. […]

The Comptroller is also late in suggesting a cutback in outside contracts. On February 20, 2009, the Quinn Administration ordered agency directors, chief financial officers and purchasing officers to limit contracts and defer all major purchases unless absolutely necessary.

While Governor Quinn is being smart about making such cuts, the Comptroller wants to hack away at legitimate revenue generators such as the lottery and tourism. The Illinois Lottery spent $16.4 million on advertising and marketing last fiscal year and got back $648.5 million—money that goes to help pay for our children’s education. Governor Quinn believes that’s a good return on investment.

Remember this is the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth and Governor Quinn wants to encourage people, from all over the world, to come here and celebrate our greatest President’s Illinois roots.

Instead of supporting these engines of economic recovery and growth, the Comptroller is threatening to suspend payment on contracts even though he has no statutory basis to refuse payment on lawfully-entered contracts that have appropriated funding…

Hynes also said he would not ask AFSCME to reopen the union contract. AFSCME has not yet endorsed in the gubernatorial campaign, of course.

* And speaking of AFSCME, Quinn is seeking a venue change in the union’s layoffs lawsuit…

Illinois state agencies being sued by a union hoping to block Gov. Pat Quinn’s plan to lay off about 2,600 state employees want the case shifted to Springfield instead of southern Illinois.

Quinn called AFSCME “my good friends” yesterday when he accepted SEIU’s endorsement. “I like all the leaders and members of AFSCME,” Quinn said. “I want to work with them on solving a tough problem.” Watch it all…

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