* 2:52 pm - Lots of positive spin after today’s leaders meeting…
3 of the four legislative leaders met with the governor in his Chicago office this morning. The state’s top two Republicans then left to meet with Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, who skipped the meeting because of a scheduling conflict.
Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff says the plan is for legislative leaders to meet again Tuesday and then head back to Springfield next week to vote on capital and transit.
I’m told that House GOP Leader Tom Cross said it was one of the best meetings they’ve ever had. Senate President Jones’ spokesperson tells me that Jones believes “we are 99.9 percent there.”
* 3:01 pm - Senate President Emil Jones was on Chicago Public Radio’s 848 program last Thursday. He did an excellent job of defining and defending his position. Listen to the entire program at this link, or just listen to the Jones interview below…
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today announced the date for the Special Primary Election and Special General Election to replace retiring Congressman Dennis Hastert. […]
Governor Blagojevich scheduled the Special Primary election on February 5th, 2008, Illinois’ regularly scheduled primary date, as requested by Rep. Hastert to minimize inconvenience to the voters in the counties in the 14th Congressional District. The Special General Election will be held on March 8th, 2008.
Not a lot of time between those elections.
*** UPDATE *** You can download the official proclamation here.
* 3:35 pm - The Tribbies make a good point about the special primary…
One task [the candidates will] have is explaining to voters exactly how to make sure they punch both ballots on Feb. 5, since the regular primary and special primary will be held simultaneously.
From the same, post, they point out this oddity about the special general election date…
That’s a Saturday. Elections in Illinois typically are held on Tuesdays. We’ve got a call into Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration to find out why.
Today in Iowa, Senator Barack Obama said: “I have not been planning to run for President for however number of years some of the other candidates have been planning for.”
Oh really? […]
In kindergarten, Senator Obama wrote an essay titled ‘I Want to Become President.’ “Iis Darmawan, 63, Senator Obama’s kindergarten teacher, remembers him as an exceptionally tall and curly haired child who quickly picked up the local language and had sharp math skills. He wrote an essay titled, ‘I Want To Become President,’ the teacher said.” [AP, 1/25/07 ]
If this doesn’t get Clinton laughed out of Iowa, I don’t know what will.
* I’ve been telling subscribers about this idea for several days now, and the Tribune buried this nugget at the very end of an article about the gaming expansion negotiations…
One of the sticking points in the gambling package is the involvement of minorities. Rep. Bob Molaro (D-Chicago), one of the leading negotiators, said many House Democrats now like the idea of setting aside up to 25 percent of the ownership in a new riverboat license for minorities and women. Shares would be priced at $5,000 to $10,000 and a lottery could be used to help determine who gets to invest, Molaro said.
This was actually Speaker Madigan’s idea.
* Question: What do you think of this plan to allow middle class minorities and females to buy into new boats, apportioned by a lottery? By comparison, the system used with the defunct Rosemont boat required minority and female investors to demonstrate that they had an extra million dollars lying around. Senate President Emil Jones wants that proposal implemented for any new boats.
* My syndicated newspaper column hasn’t been posted online yet [they posted it sometime this morning - here it is], but, as with most columnists over the past few days, it delves into the governor’s decision to attend a Chicago Blackhawks game while the House voted down his mass transit funding bill…
The decision by Governor Rod Blagojevich to attend a Chicago Blackhawks game last Wednesday night instead of remaining at the Statehouse while the Illinois House defeated his mass transit funding bailout proposal says a lot about the governor on several different levels, none of it positive.
Blagojevich knew that Chicago TV station CBS-2 was planning to air a report that same night about how he is often a no-show at his state office. As the report confirmed, he prefers to hang around his house all day.
The station’s investigative report was pretty hard-hitting, but the governor’s attendance at that hockey game made it a blockbuster piece. The move served to boldly underscore the point that Blagojevich simply isn’t committed to his job, and highlighted his preference for all things Chicago over his duties in Springfield. There he was, gleefully chatting with the team’s president while the hopes of millions of commuters were dashed on the sharp rocks of the Illinois House. Oops.
Frustration with the Springfield mess is at an all-time high in Illinois, and the situation in the Chicago area is the worst I’ve ever seen. After months of turbulence which saw local property tax bills delayed for weeks because of a fight between the governor and the House Democrats and then relentless coverage of never-ending “Doomsday” threats for public transit, voters are hopping mad and they want action.
Blagojevich left Springfield for Chicago around six o’clock last Wednesday evening, knowing that he would likely be at the game during the floor debate. What kind of insane doofus walks right into a trap like that? The station knew he’d be at the game because the Blackhawks promoted the grand “event.” It’s like he wanted to be caught.
The governor reportedly told his aides that he felt he had to uphold his commitment to the Blackhawks because he promised them he’d be there.
Let that point sink in for a bit.
Here’s a guy whose word is completely untrustworthy in Springfield. He’s broken his promises so many times that legislators don’t even believe him when he signs contracts - called “Memoranda of Understanding” in Statehouse lingo. His untrustworthiness is one of the more valid reasons for House Speaker Michael Madigan’s refusal so far to agree to a capital construction plan. Madigan figures that because of their yearlong feud the governor will shaft his Democratic members when it comes time to dole out the project funding, no matter what the governor promises. And considering the governor’s miserable track record at keeping his commitments, who could possibly blame Madigan?
But, hockey. Well, on that topic, Rod Blagojevich’s word is apparently his bond.
The full column is here. I’ll update it with the Southtown’s address when it’s posted.
Is there anyone left in Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s inner circle who’s willing to tell him when he’s being stupid? Or do they tell him and he ignores it, convinced in his own skewed sense of reality that he can do no wrong?
…But Finke ought to know by now that the problem is not his staff. It’s him.
* Press Release: Anti-gambling forces to launch a new fight to keep a casino out of Chicago
* Carol Marin: Blago pits north vs. south in Illinois
*** UPDATE 1 *** We need a soundtrack for this “scandal.” The Blackhawks theme song “Here Come the Hawks” seems appropriate. You can download it here or just listen below…
[audio:herecomethehawks.mp3]
“Here come the Hawks, the mighty BLACKHAWKS!
Take the attack, YEAH! And, we’ll back you Blackhawks!
You’re flying high, now, so, let’s wrap it up!
Let’s go, you Hawks!
Move out!
Now, all look out! Here come the Hawks!”
A team spokesman said given the circumstances, [new Blackhawks president John McDonough] would have understood had Blagojevich canceled.
“Sure. Absolutely. Understandably, everyone’s busy,” said Guy Chipparoni, a team spokesman.
Ouch.
*** UPDATE 3 *** On second thought, maybe the Gear Daddies’ “Zamboni Song” would be a good choice…
“What we really need is a political Zamboni,” said David Dring, spokesman for House Republican leader Tom Cross of Oswego, “to clean up this mess that’s been the 2007 legislative session.”
State Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago) told me this morning he’s quite serious about trying to outfit state lawmakers in hockey jerseys for the next “ridiculous special session” Gov. Rod Blagojevich calls.
* For months, Aurora has been an exciting and contentious hotbed in the battle over abortion rights. As you may know, the row began when Planned Parenthood built a clinic in the city. Abortion opponents argued that the group violated city zoning ordinances when it built the clinic by allegedly hiding the facility’s true nature. The clinic was eventually opened, and has since been the target of protests, with the local police threatening to arrest protestors who violated city ordinances.
Anyway, city leaders have been looking for a way to mollify the pro-life activists and voters and try to calm everyone down a bit. They came up with this…
Aurora City Council members passed a resolution [last] week that urges state legislators to enforce a decade-old parental notification law.
The Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act, passed in 1995, requires a physician to tell a parent, grandparent or legal guardian at least two days before someone younger than 18 gets an abortion. […]
The law has been held up in federal litigation since 1996 and never enforced. […]
“Right now children who can’t even drive can come to Aurora and have an abortion performed on them without their parents even knowing,” said Julie Van Domelen, a St. Charles resident. “I don’t see this as an attempt to foster communication between parents and children; rather, parental notification gives parents the chance to do what is expected of them.” […]
Investment and dairy magnate Jim Oberweis, a Republican from Sugar Grove running for Dennis Hastert’s 14th congressional district seat, and state representative candidate Terry Hunt, a Republican from Big Rock, spoke in favor of the law, citing teenagers’ underformed cognitive skills as reason enough not to trust them with major medical decisions.
On the heels of Aurora’s passage of a parental notification resolution this week, Naperville City Council members likely will deal with the same item.
During discussions of the controversial resolution, two Aurora aldermen indicated Naperville could jump into the fray and debate a similar motion. Councilman Richard Furstenau said he has been in touch with elected officials in Aurora and intends to bring forth a similar resolution at Naperville’s second meeting in December.
“There are a number of Naperville councilmen who are concerned about this issue since they put that new venture (a Planned Parenthood clinic on Aurora’s far East Side) over there.”
* I’ve been hearing reports that Dan Lipinksi’s campaign has been calling some ward organizations in his district several times a day. Panic appears to be setting in over his primary race against Democrat Mark Pera and two others.
Larry at ArchPundit ran some results from Pera’s benchmark poll of Democratic voters several days ago which appears to show that Little Lip’s district ain’t nearly as conservative as some people have claimed, particlarly in the primary…
82 percent Less likely to vote for Lipinski on the issue of choice once they learn that he opposes a woman’s right to choose and supports criminalizing abortion even in cases of rape or incest
83 percent Less likely they would vote for Lipinski after they learned that he voted for the Bush energy proposal and voted to allow drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge
76 percent Favor a mandate calling for a pull-out of troops from Iraq beginning immediately with all troops out within a year as well as a cap on war funding to ensure the Bush Administration meets that goal
* Ray Hanania, however, claims that Lipinski is far more liberal than Pera has been portraying him…
Lipinski is 100 percent with the AFL-CIO, Children’s Defense Fund, Breast Cancer Coalition, and Alliance for Retired Senior America. He’s 92 percent with the League of Conservation Voters…
The National Journal analyzed all the voting records and concluded that Lipinski is “more liberal” than 71 percent of other members of Congress, and that puts him in the mainstream of America.
AFSCME endorsed Lipinski on Friday, by the way.
* I’m still skeptical of Pera’s chances. There are two other candidates in the primary race, both with their own bases of support. The general rule of thumb in primaries is “The more, the merrier” for incumbents. Pera won the ballot lottery, so his name will appear first - giving him a slight edge if the race is close.
Lipinski can probably expect an onslought of hostile media coverage for the remainder of the primary. His elevation to his daddy’s seat still rankles the media, and reporters appear eager to pile on.
Remember how Mayor Daley forced his petition circulators sign affidavits swearing that they wouldn’t trade their efforts for government jobs or contracts? Well, Fox Chicago ran this story the other day on how a third of Lipinski’s circulators were government employees - and all of them appear on the infamous Robert Sorich “clout list”…
The bottom line, though, is that those precinct workers will make a big difference come election day.
* More congressional stories, compiled by Paul…
* Shimkus adjusts to his new role in Congress… “I think I’ve been even more outspoken,” Shimkus said. “I get to vote no. We don’t move the agenda. I don’t have (Shimkus’ mentor, the former House Speaker Dennis) Hastert saying, ‘Hey, you may not like 25, 30 or 40 percent of this bill, but this is where we’re at as a conference and we have to move this forward.’ I think you’re a lot freer in the minority, a lot freer.”
* Will Reynolds: Durbin supports McMenamin for Congress against Shimkus
* TeamAmerica: Looks like Dan Seals may be looking for a new day job
* ILGOPNet: YouTube interview with 18th-CD candidate Jim McConoughey
*** UPDATE 1 *** One of Pera’s people took a look at that National Journal study cited by Ray Hanania above.
Hanania claimed that the numbers showed Little Lip was “‘more liberal’ than 71 percent of other members of Congress.”
But Pera’s folks note that if you look at the results for just congressional Democrats, you find that Lipinski’s voting record is “more conservative” than 78.5 percent of his fellow Democrats. Download the spreadsheet here.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Interesting news from Pera’s campaign…
A trio of political mavericks - Chicago Aldermen Manuel “Manny” Flores, 1st Ward; Brendan Reilly, 42nd Ward; and Scott Waguespack, 32nd Ward - are supporting Democrat Mark Pera’s bid for Congress by hosting an upcoming fund-raiser. […]
Joining Flores, Reilly and Waguespack in their efforts are state Rep. John Fritchey, D-11th, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Debra Shore, Stephen Blandin, Emilia DiMenco, Amy Evans and Gail Morse.
* Purchase tickets here for the December 16th performance of “No-El or How the Blagojegrinch Stole Christmas” - Our Capitol Fax holiday party
* Role of minority-owned firms in Dan Ryan construction project lagged state goal…
Minority- and woman-owned businesses landed 20 percent of the $933 million in construction, design and engineering contracts from the Dan Ryan reconstruction project, falling short of the state’s 22.7 percent goal.
But the shortfall could be larger if Rohar Trucking — awarded roughly $20 million in contracts on the recently completed project and identified as a black-owned company — was a front for a majority-owned business.
* Georgia ruling on sex offenders prompts other states to reexamine laws
The Georgia court struck down its residency restrictions last week, giving opponents of such buffer zones hope that other state laws will be reviewed and possibly overturned.
“It certainly sends a message that creating laws that render people homeless is not in anybody’s best interest,” said Jill Levenson, a professor at Florida’s Lynn University who has done extensive studies on the effect of residency restrictions. “In theory, I believe this could pave the way for a U.S. Supreme Court case.”
* Hilkavitch: Free or fee? Air pump tiff flares on tollway
* An explanation of the smoking ban and who it will affect
* McQueary: Nuns on the stand — that would be a challenge
Too bad a certain political challenge concluded. I would have paid to watch a high-brow election attorney quiz Maria High School nuns about whether they really signed a candidate’s petition or whether the signatures were fraudulent.
That scenario never played out, however, because Cook County state’s attorney candidate Howard Brookins dropped his challenge to opponent Anita Alvarez’s signatures.
* Report: IL ranks near the bottom in screening problem teachers
* Towns await word on FutureGen project
The competition has been fierce.
Illinois offered $80 million in grants, low-interest loans and tax breaks, while Texas has promised $260 million in cash and tax credits. Both have offered developers protection from liability in the event that carbon dioxide leaks from the ground.
Economists say the project is an attractive economic target for small towns, and a big improvement on the kinds of low-wage jobs they tend to chase.
“Everyone talks about kind of the big score of attracting a Honda plant,” University of Illinois economics professor Fred Giertz said in an interview earlier this year. “The way the economy actually works is hundreds of thousands of small gains and small losses.”
* Sun-Times Editorial: Chicago is No. 1 in nation in dangerous subprime loans
* Editorial: Leadership, not insults, needed at county
* Tony Peraica: Enough with politics, lets talk about talk about the taxpayers
The vitriol and personal attacks that have surrounded the Cook County budget discussions are unfortunate, and accomplish little but damage the faith of the taxpayers in our government.
The members of the Cook County board don’t have to love each other.
They don’t have to get along. But we do have to pass a sensible budget that serves the residents and taxpayers of this county.
While they hurl insults, I will continue to discuss the budget.
* Grundy Co. groups hopes to determine what needs people have
