Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Congressman Jackson wants Obama to “declare a national emergency,” take “extra-constitutional” action

Thursday, Oct 13, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller

Illinois Democratic Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. told The Daily Caller on Wednesday that congressional opposition to the American Jobs Act is akin to the Confederate “states in rebellion.”

Jackson called for full government employment of the 15 million unemployed and said that Obama should “declare a national emergency” and take “extra-constitutional” action “administratively” — without the approval of Congress — to tackle unemployment.

“I hope the president continues to exercise extraordinary constitutional means, based on the history of Congresses that have been in rebellion in the past,” Jackson said. “He’s looking administratively for ways to advance the causes of the American people, because this Congress is completely dysfunctional.”

* Rival Democrat Debbie Halvorson’s response via press release…

“In Rep. Jackson’s entire congressional career, he has never introduced a single jobs bill,” said Halvorson. “Now, he’s calling on the President to suspend the constitution? As a representative of the people, you don’t give up when you hit a roadblock and throw the constitution out the window – you keep working to get something done. The people of the 2nd district deserve real leadership, not rhetoric.”

In Jackson’s sixteen years in Congress, Jackson has proposed ten separate amendments to the Constitution – none have passed.

* Jackson video…

* Meanwhile, Raja Krishnamoorthi’s latest press release tries to put the best spin on his latest fundraising numbers…

Raja (RAH-jah) Krishnamoorthi (krish-nuh-MOOR-thee) has raised nearly three quarters of a million dollars since launching his campaign for Congress in the 8th District of Illinois–a figure that puts him well ahead of his Democratic primary challenger, Tammy Duckworth.

Krishnamoorthi holds a lead over Duckworth in both funds raised and cash on hand. According to his campaign’s latest filing with the Federal Election Commission, Raja raised $726,184 and has $635,997 cash on hand.

Trouble is, Tammy Duckworth outraised Krishnamoorthi in the most recent quarter, $476,894 to $313,536. However, federal candidates almost always do their best fundraising in the first quarter because their money is coming from longtime friends and supporters. This is Duckworth’s first quarter. The second quarter is more difficult because their buds are often capped out and they have to find new sources, ergo the decline for Krishnamoorthi.

Duckworth had David Axelrod and that entire crowd helping her raise funds, so it was expected that she’d do well.

Also, we don’t know how much of this money is for the primary and how much was raised for the general. Those are two different pots and they are rarely ever disclosed in press releases.

…Adding… Duckworth’s campaign says $24K was raised for the general.

…Adding More… Krishnamoorthi’s campaign refuses to disclose how much was raised for the general.

* Greg Hinz…

Bottom line: If Team Tammy hoped to bluff Mr. Krishnamoorthi out of the race, it’s not going to happen, not with these kind of numbers.

But they’d still like him to pick up his war chest and run instead in the north suburban 10th District, where the Dems so far have not been able to recruit a top-tier contender and his odds of winning might be better.

44 Comments

*** UPDATED x1 *** CME chairman is frustrated with Quinn

Thursday, Oct 13, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Crain’s has a story online about how Mayor Rahm Emanuel is “stepping up efforts to keep CME Group Inc. from moving out of town” because of its high tax burden. Emanuel told the magazine’s editorial board yesterday that he has repeatedly met with CME Chairman/CEO Terrence Duffy…

“They came and asked me to help them in Springfield. That’s what I’m doing,” Mr. Emanuel said. “One company should not represent 6% of the corporate income tax (payments).”

But this is what caught my eye…

The mayor declined to be drawn into a discussion of rumors that Mr. Duffy increasingly is frustrated that Gov. Pat Quinn has not yet presented a plan to help the exchange. “I’m not answering any hypotheticals,” he said, adding, “I’m working on” getting the company relief in Springfield.

I checked around yesterday and, indeed, Duffy is upset at Quinn for not getting off the dime. I called Gov. Pat Quinn’s spokesperson yesterday, but didn’t receive a return call. I’ll let you know if they see this post and want to say something.

* Duffy was on Jack Bouroudjian’s radio show yesterday and talked about moving…

“We have very viable alternatives. The traders can stay wherever they want, but the company can certainly go to wherever it suits its best interests…

“Being a good steward [of shareholders’ money] is not paying six percent of the aggregate tax bill of the state of Illinois in corporate taxes. We are the number one taxpayer in the entire state of Illinois… but we are far from the largest company in the state of Illinois.”

Duffy also explained why his company is paying state income taxes even though people are trading out of state, or even out of country…

“We dont’ know who our ultimate end user client is. They have to go through one of our [intermediaries]… so we don’t know who their clients are. So, their client could be trading out of Mumbai or trading out of Asia, but because of the apportionment laws in Illinois, we are getting taxed on all those particular trades. They have to have the mailing addresses where our clearing entity is. Our clearing entity happens to be in Illinois.”

His conclusion…

“First, they don’t deserve these tax dollars, but we are being treated completely unfairly.

Audio…

Click to download

* Meanwhile, the UAW has reached a contract agreement with Chrysler. If ratified, Illinois will be in line for some new investment at the company’s Belvidere plant.

But Ford’s workers are balking…

Members of Ford Motor Co.’s UAW locals are being instructed to prepare to strike as votes to ratify a proposed labor contract have turned sour.

Rejection of the pact would undo the company’s plan to add at least 1,100 jobs through a third shift at its Torrence Avenue plant on Chicago’s Far South Side as part of pledge to hire 12,000 workers nationwide over the life of the four-year contract. […]

In the first ratification vote Tuesday, workers at one of the Ford’s two assembly plants in Wayne, Mich. rejected the pact, with 51.1% of them voting no. The UAW Local 900 represents nearly 4,000 workers in Wayne. […]

“If we strike, they will use whatever resources necessary to continue operating their plants including the use of scab labor.” [according to a Facebook post by the UAW’s Ford Department.]

But don’t panic yet…

Another Chicago-area union member characterized the strike call as a typical bargaining tactic. “Chicago is in the process of voting,” said the member. “They were picked to do an early vote with the hopes of turning it around to use as a tactic for reassurance to vote for it.”

A strike at Ford involving scab labor would be a gigantic mess for everyone involved.

*** UPDATE *** Uh-oh…

Workers at Ford Motor Co.’s Chicago assembly plant voted overwhelmingly to reject a tentative four-year contract agreement with the automaker — setting the stage for a possible national strike, said a local union official early Thursday.

Seventy-seven percent of 2,317 workers at the Torrence Avenue plant who voted rejected the contract, said Grant Morton, United Auto Workers Union Local 551 plant chairman. The plant employs 2,700 UAW workers.

With the Chicago voting results in, the contract proposal now has more no votes than yes votes nationally, Morton said.

“We were given direction earlier today to prepare for a strike,” said Morton, who added the national union’s executive board will take a strike authorization vote if the deal is rejected nationally.

But union leaders have said the Ford offer was a good deal.

* Related…

* Sears’ request for tax breaks pits town against schools

* Hoffman Estates Approves Resolution To Keep Retailer In State

* CME’s Duffy: Tax on Trading Would Raise Food Prices

* Video: Emanuel on TIF, pensions, CME and what his budget means for Chicago business

25 Comments

Rate ComEd’s new TV ad

Thursday, Oct 13, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller

* ComEd has a new TV ad running in Chicago. The Adelstein Liston spots started last night on cable TV news stations and will run through next Tuesday in the evenings. Rate it…

21 Comments

*** UPDATED x2 - Jacobs responds *** Boland to drop congressional bid, will challenge Sen. Mike Jacobs

Wednesday, Oct 12, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Mike Boland is dropping out of the congressional race and will run for state Senate. This will be one of the most-watched primaries of the year…

Former state Rep. Mike Boland is dropping out of the Democratic primary in Illinois’ 17th district and will pursue a challenge against state Sen. Mike Jacobs.

The state Senate race would pit two longtime rivals against one another. And it would also pare the already lengthy slate of Democrats seeking to unseat U.S. Rep. Bobby Schilling, R-Ill. […]

Boland acknowledged he hasn’t done much fundraising, and he said he’d only raised about $6,000, far less than what some of his rivals are expected to report. Still, he said it wasn’t lack of money that is behind his exit.

He said he is challenging Jacobs because he’s unhappy with his record, particularly his sponsorship of a bill to let utilities raise rates to improve the electrical grid.

The feud between Boland and the Jacobs family goes back decades. He and Mike’s father despised each other, and the enmity continued when the son got the seat. Attempts were made in the past to dislodge Boland by both parties, but he’s always held on. He’s not all that popular at the Statehouse, but he was popular back in the district.

However, Boland has no money in his state campaign account. He drained it during his feckless bid for lt. governor last year, but he raised only a few thousand dollars for that campaign. Most of his money came from loans made by himself and his wife. Sen. Jacobs had $88K in the bank at the end of June and has raised about $48K since then.

Jacobs sponsored the much-hated “Smart Grid” bill. Jacobs’ father lobbies for ComEd. There’s plenty of fodder for Boland if he can run even a half-real campaign.

*** UPDATE *** Jacobs responds…

“I’m surprised,” Sen. Jacobs said. “He announced he was dropping out of the (Illinois) House where he had served 20 years to spend time with his grandkids. Then he ran for lieutenant governor and finished fifth. Then he ran for a Black Hawk College trustee position and then he announced a campaign for Congress.

“Now he’s going to drop out of the congressional race to run for (state) Senate. He makes me wonder if he knows what he wants to be when he grows up. I feel sorry for him. He has some issues.”

Sen. Jacobs said he doesn’t know Mr. Boland very well, but questions his motivation to run for the Illinois Senate.

“I don’t know what he could possibly offer the folks,” Sen. Jacobs said. “He hasn’t been very effective. … Thirty years ago, Boland ran against my father (for state Senate) and lost and endorsed a Republican after my father (Denny Jacobs) beat him. I don’t know what his motivation is. But anyone can run. It’s America.”

* Meanwhile, Democratic state Rep. Tom Holbrook has taken himself out of the race to replace retiring Democratic Congressman Jerry Costello. Others aren’t exactly climbing over each other to run, either…

St. Clair County State’s Sttorney Brendan Kelly and state Rep. Jerry Costello II, the congressman’s son, have told the News-Democrat they don’t plan to run for the seat Costello is giving up.

St. Clair County Board C hairmanMark Kern also has decided not to run for the 12th District seat, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Kern couldn’t be reached for comment. […]

Holbrook predicted “There’ll be a Democrat running.”

As to who that Democrat would be, “I would have to refer you to the party chairs,” he said.

* In other campaign news, there’s been a lot of talk about House Republican Leader Tom Cross thinking about endorsing Rick Perry’s presidential campaign. But Cross’ political godfather has just endorsed Mitt Romney…

“During my years in the House, I was an advocate for balanced budgets and low taxes,” Hastert said in a statement. “Mitt Romney stands up for these principles….From his success in the private sector, Mitt Romney understands how to create jobs and turn around this economy.”

* Everybody knows that Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky is intensely hated by the right wing. This post by Rebel Pundit is no exception…

#OccupyChicago: thousands of anarchists, union members, and Democrats–and not one American flag.

Just like the Tea Party!

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) was on hand. She addressed a mob outside the Hyatt Regency Chicago, where some activists apparently attempted to disrupt a meeting of the Mortgage Bankers Association. She then led them in one of five feeder marchers that combined into a sea of pot-smoking, bongo-drumming, flea-infested dreadlock lunacy outside the Art Institute of Chicago.

We caught up with Jan, and asked for her thoughts on the patriotism of the protest, since we could not find one American flag in her parade of nearly 1000 liberal loons.

The video…

*** UPDATE *** Apparently, the blogger either ignored or didn’t see this flag at the event…

* Related…

* ADDED: Paul Ryan to raise money for Schilling

* Elk Grove Mayor Won’t Run For Congress: “I have no desire to run for Congress or state senate, as long as you give me the privilege, nothing makes me prouder than to say I’m the mayor of Elk Grove,” said Mayor Craig Johnson at Tuesday night’s village board meeting, putting to rest talk he might mount a run as a Republican in the newly remapped 8th Congressional Dist.

* Resident to Biggert: ‘I am Seething‘ About Job Cuts - Protesters came to Rep. Judy Biggert’s office in Willowbrook to encourage her to support the jobs bill that was before the U.S. Senate Tuesday.

22 Comments

Reader comments closed until Tuesday

Friday, Oct 7, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller

* If you have HBO, then you absolutely must watch Martin Scorsese’s new documentary on George Harrison, Living in the Material World.

The film builds on itself to give us an incredibly moving, beautiful and spiritual ending. In that way, Scorsese completely captures - and mirrors - George’s life. Harrison once referred to his religion as “a mystical energy encased in a sound structure,” but he might as well have been talking about himself.

George will play us out…

A cloudburst doesn’t last all day

Comments Off

« NEWER POSTS