Governor JB Pritzker released the following statement after the United States Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump on the impeachment charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
“Today we saw Republicans in the United States Senate thwart the intentions of the framers of our Constitution and capitulate to this corrupt and untruthful President. The Republican Party now has confirmed it is captive to a political ideology denies the truth and refuses to hear the witnesses that legal and moral precedent demand – and that the vast majority of Americans hoped to hear from.
“Here is the undeniable truth: President Trump used our tax dollars to help his reelection campaign by refusing to give an ally needed aid until they helped his political operation.
“As governor of the nation’s fifth-largest economy, I’m going to continue to make Illinois a firewall against Donald Trump’s assaults on our democracy and hold him accountable on behalf of all the working families he has harmed.
“Illinois will always stand on the side of all the brave individuals across this nation who are fighting to hold the United States of America to its own ideals of liberty and justice for all.”
Take some deep, cleansing breaths before commenting, please.
Today, Marie Newman, Democratic candidate for Congress in Illinois’ 3rd District, announced her first television ad with a spot called “Learned” in her primary race against 15-year incumbent Dan Lipinski.
The ad tells the story of Marie’s roots in the district and the values she learned from her community that led her to become a successful small business owner and community activist (script is below). It also highlights some key differences with Dan Lipinski and echoes Marie’s belief that it’s time for a real Democrat to represent this district. The ad is part of an over half million dollar buy the Newman campaign has reserved.
Momentum continues to grow for the Newman campaign, with endorsements from the Illinois Federation of Teachers this week and 8 local elected officials and 4 key independent political organizations.
Meet Marie Newman. Born at Little Company of Mary, baptized at St. Barnabas, raised in Beverly and Palos. This community shaped Marie’s belief in hard work and equality. Marie scrubbed floors to pay for college and went without health insurance when she couldn’t afford it. But Marie became a successful small business owner and community leader. Now Marie is running for Congress to do what Dan Lipinski won’t: raise wages for working people and ensure health care is a right for everyone.
…Adding… On a side note in that district…
Illinois State Republican Leadership Endorses IL-3 Congressional Candidate Mike Fricilone Over Nazi Arthur Jones
“We have a fantastic candidate for Congress in Mike Fricilone. I am proud to join countless other Republicans in endorsing him for Congress.” – Republican Senate Leader Bill Brady
CHICAGO – IL-3 GOP Congressional Candidate Mike Fricilone today was endorsed by both Republican Leaders of the Illinois State Senate and State House. His opponent is American Nazi Party leader Arthur Jones.
Republican Senate Leader Bill Brady
“We have a fantastic candidate for Congress in Mike Fricilone. I am proud to join countless other Republicans in endorsing him for Congress. Mike has been a leader on the Will County Board in passing budgets that both cut taxes and improved services. Republican voters must know that the party in our state stands with Mike and not his fake Republican opponent who has been a Nazi leader and denies the Holocaust.”
Republican House Leader Jim Durkin
“Today I am proud to announce my endorsement of Mike Fricilone for Congress. Mike has fresh and bold ideas for our community, state and nation. He is a proud, forward-thinking conservative. Under his watch as Finance Chairman in Will County, they cut taxes, reduced waste and built a new public safety center, new courthouse and new county health center, all without raising taxes. Mike’s opponent Arthur Jones has also filed as a Republican, but he is only running to spread his Nazi message of Holocaust denial which our party condemns in the strongest possible terms.”
Will County Board Member Mike Fricilone
“Our party needs a nominee who can show the public what real Republican values are. We must show the voters there is a real Republican choice and that I am that candidate. I am so honored to have the endorsement of both Leader Brady and Leader Durkin. Together we will build a party that fights for lower taxes, cuts wasteful spending, and brings fresh, bold ideas that move our nation forward.”
About Mike Fricilone: Mike Fricilone is a Will County Board Member and the Republican Leader of the Will County Board. Fricilone, is running for Congress to bring bold and fresh ideas to Washington to move our community forward. Mike is an active sports coach in our community, a 30-year member of St Bernard’s Parish, President and a charter member of the Lockport High School Charitable Foundation, and has spent the last 6 years on the board of directors of the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center.
* This is an important step. From a press release…
Governor JB Pritzker announced today that the state releasing $50 million in funding for the first round of matching grants of Connect Illinois, the state’s $420 million statewide broadband expansion.
“We’re beginning to deliver on an ambitious 4- year plan to deliver broadband to homes, businesses and community institutions like hospitals and libraries in every corner of the state,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I want to be clear: This isn’t about a person’s ability to check Facebook. This is about a small business owner having the tools she needs to reach new customers. This is about an elderly couple’s ability to get access to medical experts anywhere in the nation even if they live in a rural community. This is about giving children the ability to research their homework assignments online. In short, this is about the right of all our communities to access health care, education, and economic opportunity.”
Applicants are required to provide at least 50% of non-state funding, effectively doubling the size of the nation’s largest state competitive grant program to expand high-speed internet.
Applicants are anticipated to include internet service providers, rural cooperatives, nonprofits and local governments. Grant responses for the initial $50 million round of funding can be submitted through Friday, April 3, 2020. Up to $5 million per project will be available during the first round, and subsequent rounds will follow over the course of the next several years. The Notice of Funding Opportunity is available online at: https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/AboutDCEO/GATA/Pages/2366-1333.aspx.
Connect Illinois is centered around three main outcomes: education, telehealth and economic development. It aims to provide universal access to basic broadband for homes, businesses, and community anchor institutions by 2024.
The Rebuild Illinois capital plan dedicated $420 million toward broadband expansion — $400 million for the grant program and $20 million to strengthen the Illinois Century Network. The matching requirements in the grant program will leverage state funds to attract at least an additional $400 million from internet service providers.
“Fast, reliable internet isn’t a luxury anymore, it’s a necessity,” Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago). “Broadband access is critical for everyone, from students to small business owners, and it’s vital that we continue to invest in its availability in all corners of our state. We’ve done a lot of great work on this issue so far, and I look forward to continuing to work with Governor Pritzker and my colleagues in the legislature to expand this critical resource.”
“I am honored to represent rural and downstate Illinois as a member of the Broadband Advisory Council. Funding for new and improved infrastructure will give more residents access to high-speed Internet, provide better e-learning opportunities for schools, and boost telehealth programs in areas that do not have easy access to specialized medical facilities and doctors,” said Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy). “We are providing resources to give our communities, our farmers and our local businesses access to the technology they need to compete in today’s economy.”
“I am proud to stand today with the Governor and the other members of the Broadband Advisory Council as we move from design to execution in expanding broadband Internet access statewide to reach Illinois communities still left behind by the broadband revolution, bringing additional resources for education, economic growth, healthcare, and other areas benefiting from Internet resources,” said Rep. John Connor (D- Romeoville). “Using the Broadband Council’s comprehensive plans presented today, Illinois begins to bridge the digital divide that separates city from country to strengthen Illinois through more expansive broadband Internet access statewide.”
“Internet access has profound impacts on opportunities in education, jobs, health care and nearly every other aspect of daily life,” said Assistant House Minority Leader Keith Wheeler (R-Oswego). “Expanding broadband access to every corner of Illinois, particularly rural communities, is vital to move Illinois’ economy forward. I applaud the Governor for making this critical investment that will lift up students, families and job creators. Together we will build broadband infrastructure across Illinois that is second to none.”
“Investing in a secure technology infrastructure, such as the Illinois Century Network (ICN), brings the world to the fingertips of teachers and students,” said Mary Reynolds, Group CIO for Education at the Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT). “Illinois students will have equitable access to digital learning opportunities as a result of broadband expansion through Connect Illinois.”
“What makes Connect Illinois sing is its historic investment in infrastructure coupled with meaningful community engagement in broadband planning and capacity building,” said Adrianne Benton Furniss, Executive Director, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. “Community leaders of all stripes should play an important role because they are closest to local needs and have earned peoples’ confidence and trust. Their voice in the creation of local broadband access, adoption, digital inclusion, and utilization strategies will help to ensure the success of Governor Pritzker’s long-term economic development plans for the state of Illinois.”
“Broadband access is a critical component of modern agriculture, but far too many Illinoisans are missing out,” said Richard Guebert, Jr., President of the Illinois Farm Bureau. “Not only can broadband access improve the economic well-being of farmers, but it can also help revitalize rural Illinois and boost our economy.”
“The Partnership for a Connected Illinois looks forward to partnering with the Office of Broadband to leverage this broadband investment to increase access to services delivered via telehealth, and therefore, improve equity and health outcomes for patients in need,” said Nancy Kaszak, Director of the Illinois Telehealth Initiative at the Partnership for a Connected Illinois. “I applaud Governor Pritzker for his leadership on this issue. This historic investment into broadband will allow Illinois to become a leader on telehealth. This opens the door for to healthcare in rural and underserved communities, particularly for opioid addiction recovery and behavioral health care for children around the state.”
“Broadband connects people, stimulates entrepreneurship, and helps close the skills gap in rural and disadvantaged communities,” said Bill McBride, executive director of the National Governors Association. “Our research and work with governors’ offices on broadband shows that investments in this critical infrastructure pay social and economic dividends for years to come. We applaud Governor Pritzker for his leadership in bringing high-speed, affordable broadband access to the people of Illinois.”
“The Connect Illinois Broadband Strategic Plan rightly recognizes that ubiquitous broadband usage is a necessary part of delivering Illinois’ future progress in agriculture, energy, health care, information, manufacturing, and transportation,” said Jonathan Sallet, Former General Counsel, Federal Communications Commission. “That’s why it’s so important that the Illinois broadband plan seeks progress on deployment, plus digital skills and equity.”
“Broadband grants will help extend quality, high-speed service to hard-to-reach areas of the state,” said Josh Shallenberger, CEO of the Shelby Electric Cooperative. “Like rural electrification a century before, Connect Illinois will drive progress throughout meaningful partnership.”
Rural electrification is not a bad analogy. Illinois has to do things like this to get ahead of other states because it can’t or won’t do other things that make us less competitive. So, more like this, please.
* Gov. Pritzker earlier today while speaking with reporters…
I want to be clear with everybody. This state is a diverse state in so many ways, in ways that Iowa and New Hampshire are not. Our state is more representative of the United States of the, you know, rural, suburban, urban environments of the entire country, of the technology industry and the farming industry, the agriculture industry.
We represent every aspect of the United States in Illinois. And I think it is appropriate for us to put ourselves forward as the first in the nation. If you can win in a state like Illinois, with so many different regions, so many different types of people from all over the state. If you can win in a state like this, then you’re worthy of being the nominee of your party.
We’ve discussed it twice already, but let’s put it to a vote since he continues making this a thing.
* The Question: Do you agree with the governor that Illinois should host the first in the nation primary? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
The Illinois House Transportation: Vehicles and Safety Committee today advanced legislation State Representative David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) is sponsoring to ban red light cameras in non-home rule communities in Illinois. House Bill 322 would prohibit non-home rule units of government from enacting or enforcing red light camera ordinances. McSweeney passed the same bill in the House in 2015 and it was killed by former Senator Martin Sandoval.
Rep. McSweeney has long been a proponent of banning red light cameras. He believes that red light cameras are more about revenue than public safety. He said the bribery charges against former State Senator Martin Sandoval provide even more evidence of the need to ban red light cameras.
“These cameras are nothing more than a get rich scheme for the companies that install the cameras and the politicians who profit from protecting the companies behind this scam,” McSweeney said. “It is time to end this corruption once and for all.”
More than $1 billion in fines have been collected from red light cameras and multiple people have been indicted for crimes connected to the red light camera industry.
“It is time to end this madness,” McSweeney said. “These cameras are not about making communities safer. They are about producing more revenue for local governments and padding the pockets of political insiders. It is another example of the culture of corruption in Illinois. My legislation is big step forward in fighting Illinois corruption.”
The committee approved the measure by a vote of 11-0. House Bill 322 now advances to the House floor for further consideration.
Looks like it may have some wings. We shall see.
* This bill may not sprout wings, however. HB4484 is sponsored by Republican Rep. Deanne Mazzochi of suburban Elmhurst…
Creates the End Aldermanic Privilege Law in the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that, in the City of Chicago, a property owner, or a developer or contractor having the written permission of the property owner, shall not have any approvals under the Zoning Division denied because of an aldermanic hold, objection, extra-judicial or extra-legal request, or for any law or ordinance enacted or adopted after the date on which the property owner, developer, or contractor: (1) participated in a concept meeting for construction with representatives from the City of Chicago regarding the subject property; (2) filed a building permit application with the City of Chicago for the subject property; (3) presented a proposed development plan to a city council for the subject property; (4) substantially invested resources in the preparation of building plans, concept drawings, or securing building contracts for a preceding period of one year for the subject property; or (5) otherwise gave sufficient notice of an intent to develop to the pertinent regulatory authorities for the subject property. Allows suit against the State or the City of Chicago that seeks to enforce or impose a more restrictive law, regulation, ordinance, or resolution against the property owner, developer, or contractor and allows for a $5,000 civil penalty and other damages if the property owner’s, developer’s, or contractor’s claim is successful. Limits home rule powers.
* Press release…
More than 100 hospital workers and community health advocates joined Illinois lawmakers Wednesday morning at the Capitol to show support for new legislation HB 4533 and SB 3010 that would fix the broken Medicaid Assessment funding formulas to make them equitable for community hospitals.
In introducing the legislation, Senator Omar Aquino and Rep. Chris Welch, the bill’s chief sponsors, raised concerns that urban and rural communities with the lowest levels of life expectancy have far more limited access to healthcare services and good paying jobs.
“Despite a distance of just nine miles, residents of two Chicago neighborhoods – Englewood and Streeterville – experience a 30-year difference in life expectancy,” said Representative Chris Welch. “The African-American community has been denied equitable resources for healthcare. As representatives of the community, we cannot stand by and let this inequity persist. We demand fair funding now.”
Hospital workers from around the state joined the lawmakers to show their support, holding signs that read “Fair Funding for Community Hospitals” and “We Are Worth More.”
“We want to stop the suffering in our neighborhoods and in the hospitals where we work—the suffering caused by unfair funding,” said Wellington Thomas, an ER tech at Loretto Hospital. “Community hospitals are closing because they don’t have the funding they need. I can tell you that the difference between a four-minute ride to a hospital and an eight-minute ride can be the difference between life and death.”
“It is my job to take care of patients and make sure they recover,” said Kim Smith, a patient care tech at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “But sadly, Northwestern doesn’t always seem to put patients’ care first, saving the money it gets from property tax exemptions for managements’ paychecks instead of putting it back in community care. I know this isn’t how we should treat the patients who come to us in times of need, and that’s why we’re calling on the state legislature to adopt this new bill as soon as possible.”
Workers said they hoped to draw attention to the process through which hospitals in Illinois are allocated federal Medicaid dollars meant to compensate them for treating low-income and under or uninsured patients. The new legislation would make a $1 billion investment in payments specifically to hospitals dependent on Medicaid, private hospitals in high-need communities, and rural critical access hospitals.
Specifically, the bill would establish a changed Fair Provider Tax, reversing the current problem of small and community hospitals being taxed at a higher rate than wealthy, high volume medical facilities, call for a Larger and More Effective Transformation Fund allowing hospitals serving high-need populations to better serve their communities, provide for Well-Targeted Payments to ensure funding goes where it is most needed and allow for Transitioning of Supplemental Payments when Federal regulations phase out payments to reduce impact on smaller community hospitals.
“Currently the laws in Illinois benefit the big and rich hospitals at the expense of the community and safety net hospitals,” said Kathrine Jones of South Austin Community Coalition. “It’s the safety net hospitals that provide care to those most in need but get the least support. I’m happy to be speaking out today with all others throughout Chicago who are fighting to end this offensive system.”
Wednesday, Feb 5, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
To highlight the needs of people with kidney disease, organizations from across our state have banded together to create the Illinois Kidney Care Alliance (IKCA), a coalition of health advocates and professionals, community and patient groups, and providers and businesses. The coalition will focus on raising awareness of the needs of people who suffer from End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), a condition also known as kidney failure. The stark fact is that people whose kidneys no longer function properly have only two options for survival: dialysis or a kidney transplant.
Currently, more than 650,000 Americans suffer from kidney failure, including over 30,000 in Illinois. Of these, about 70 percent are on life-sustaining dialysis, while the rest are able to survive with a functioning kidney transplant. The incidence rate of ESRD is expected to rise in the U.S. over the next decade – and is higher among African-Americans, Latinos and people of color than among whites.
Kidney disease in its early stages often has no symptoms and therefore remains undetected until it has reached an advanced stage. For this reason, some call it a “silent disease.”
Wednesday, Feb 5, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Last night, we heard more of Trump’s campaign of lies and deceit. We also saw the Democratic Party fall apart in Iowa.
Democratic voters want someone with the courage, the chops, and the track record to go toe-to-toe with Donald Trump. They want someone who can build on our blue wave, someone who can expand the map, and bring new voters into the fold. The results in Iowa tell us that there is only one candidate who can do that - Mike Bloomberg.
While other presidential hopefuls focus their energy and investments on taking each other down. Mike is taking the fight to Trump everyday, picking up endorsements and drawing huge crowds in Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Denver.
Talk is cheap. We need a leader who will fight back against Trump’s lies. We need a leader who will get it done.
Check out Mike’s first gubernatorial endorsement from Rhode Island’s Gina Raimondo, Farm Aid’s John Mellencamp, and read more about his reaction to Trump’s State of the Union lies here, here and here.
As corruption scandals worm through the establishment Democratic Party, Gov. J.B. Pritzker finds himself with new and unexpected leverage. He can push for meaningful ethics reform in Illinois government by removing the barricades his own party’s leaders erected in the past. Those Democrats are wounded. He is not.
So will he lead on real reform?
“Restoring the public’s trust is of paramount importance,” Pritzker said during last week’s State of the State address while his two chamber leaders — House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President Don Harmon — stood at the dais behind him. “Let’s not let the well-connected and well-protected work the system while the interests of ordinary citizens are forgotten. There is too much that needs to be accomplished to lift up all the people of Illinois.”
That effort starts with drawing a fair map of legislative districts after this year’s federal census. It could happen through constitutional change. […]
Pritzker said as a candidate for governor he supported amending the Illinois Constitution to take the process out of the hands of lawmakers: “We should amend the constitution to create an independent commission to draw legislative maps.” More recently, he said he would not sign into law an unfair map.
But that’s not as strong a position as his call for an amendment. It gives him wiggle room to backtrack. Who defines “unfair”?
* OK, let’s start with the end of the above excerpt and work our way up. Before the 2018 primary, I asked all candidates this specific question…
Will you pledge as governor to veto any state legislative redistricting map proposal that is in any way drafted or created by legislators, political party leaders and/or their staffs or allies? The exception, of course, would be the final official draft by LRB.
Yes, I will pledge to veto. We should amend the constitution to create an independent commission to draw legislative maps, but in the meantime, I would urge Democrats and Republicans to agree to an independent commission to handle creating a new legislative map. That designated body should reflect the gender, racial, and geographic diversity of the state and look to preserve the Voting Rights Act decisions to ensure racial and language minorities are fully represented in the electoral process.
* To the editorial’s main point, does Pritzker now have the “leverage” to get this done? The editorial board cheered Rauner’s “leverage” for two solid years of budget impasse. Can Pritzker pass this with the bully pulpit alone, or will he have to do something more drastic? And if he does take drastic action, will the ends justify the means? What happens to the rest of the governor’s agenda if he goes all-in?
These and more questions should be pondered before rushing off to yet another potentially ruinous legislative war.
The Tribune roundly mocked the concept of “doable” agendas back in 2015 and we saw how that ended. Doable doesn’t mean nothing, it means bending the curve beyond where it’s been. Fiery populist thinking got us into a big mess during three straight administrations.
* All that being said, reformers are absolutely right to do their jobs and push the governor on this point. He has been awfully mum and the deadline to get this on the ballot is approaching. Pritzker should absolutely take some legit heat. I mean, the guy helped fund remap reform efforts for years. Put your agenda where your money was, governor.
Pritzker said during the campaign that the state should amend the constitution to enact redistricting reform. He’s actually been pretty good at keeping his campaign promises. But this one stands out as almost completely unaddressed.
I think the trick here is to not over-learn the mistakes of the populist past, while still maintaining an even-enough keel.
* McLaughlin & Associates does a lot of polling for a lot of GOP candidates and entities, but keep in mind that this is a quickie two-day poll of 300 likely Republican primary voters with a +/- 5.6 percent margin of error. Even so, this lead is way outside even that high MoE…
Survey Summary: The Republican Primary Election – Jim Oberweis has an overwhelming lead.
The results of our recently completed survey in Illinois’ 14th Congressional District show that with only 6 weeks to go and even with more candidates in the race, Jim Oberweis maintains a 30 point lead over his closest competitor. Jim Oberweis is in a very strong position to win the Republican Primary election for U.S. Congress. Almost half of voters polled, 46%, say they would vote for Oberweis, while only 16% say they would vote for Sue Rezin, followed by 6% for Catalina Lauf, then just 2% for both Jim Martel and Ted Gradel.
If the Republican primary election for U.S. Congress was held today, for whom would you vote?
The majority of Republican primary voters in Illinois 14 are favorable to Jim Oberweis, 55%, with only 20% unfavorable. Sue Rezin, who lives outside the district and has said that she will not move into the district, is still widely unknown among Republican primary voters with, 59%, who have never heard of her, only 19% are favorable towards her, 5% are unfavorable, and 17% have no opinion. This explains why State Senator Rezin’s first campaign mail has been an attack on Jim Oberweis.
The vast majority of Republican primary voters in Illinois 14 have never heard of the other three candidates in the race, Catalina Lauf, Jim Marter and Ted Gradel. 72% have never heard of Catalina Lauf, 74% have never heard of Jim Marter, and 77% have never heard of Ted Gradel.
Now, I am going to read you a list of names. Will you please tell me if you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of each person? If you have no opinion or have never heard of each person, just say so.
In contrast to Senator Rezin’s attack on Jim Oberweis for losing past elections to Senator Durbin, Republican Primary voters are actually more likely to vote for Jim Oberweis because he ran against liberal Democratic Senator Dick Durbin.
Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for Jim Oberweis if you knew that in his race for U.S. Senate, he defeated Liberal Democrat Dick Durbin in each county in your congressional district and came the closest of any Republican to beating Dick Durbin?
Conclusions:
With only 6 weeks to go, Jim Oberweis is the clear frontrunner in the Republican Primary in Illinois Congressional District 14 with the highest and most favorable name recognition of any Republican candidate in the district. His opponents have a long way to go in a mere 6 weeks in a very expensive media market. Jim Oberweis is clearly the best Republican to unseat Pelosi Democrat Lauren Underwood and win back an important Congressional seat for the Republicans.
Methodology: Republican Primary
This poll of 300 likely Republican Primary election voters in Illinois Congressional District 14, was conducted from January 28th and January 29th, 2019. All interviews were conducted via telephone by professional interviewers. Interview selection was random within predetermined election units. 41% of interviews were completed on cell- phones. These samples were then combined and structured to correlate with actual voter turnout in a Republican Primary election. This poll of 300 likely Republican Primary election voters in Illinois Congressional District 14, has an accuracy of +/- 5.6% at a 95% confidence interval.
This is the first time Oberweis has polled against Lauf, who has found momentum as the “Anti-AOC” candidate on Fox News and conservative podcasts. Her campaign was not impressed with Oberweis’ poll.
“We’re not sure why someone who’s been running for office for decades and loaned his campaign millions of dollars would push a poll showing him below 50%, but we don’t try to understand the tactics of career politicians,” Lauf’s campaign team said in a statement. “We’re seeing overwhelming enthusiasm on the ground behind Catalina’s candidacy.
“She is not only the only candidate who will stand with President Trump and the only candidate who can beat liberal Lauren Underwood, but the much needed new energy and new face for the Republican Party.” […]
“What is ludicrous is that Oberweis and his pollster contrived a question seeking to laud Oberweis for having lost to Dick Durbin,” said a written statement from the [Rezin] campaign. “What is the point? Oberweis lost that race. He has lost elections for this congressional seat twice already. “If a candidate is supposed to get credit for a previous failed campaign then, by all means, Jim Oberweis is the undisputed king of Illinois politics.”
…Adding… Rezin campaign…
Jim Oberweis and his discredited pollster can maintain their self-delusion all they want but reality will once again hit them in the head on March 17 when Oberweis loses yet another election–just like all six of Oberweis’ previous elections for Congress, US Senate and Governor.
We note, the Republican U.S. House Majority Leader lost his primary election in 2014 because Oberweis’ pollster was wrong by an astounding 45 points.
What is ludicrous is that Oberweis and his pollster contrived a question seeking to laud Oberweis for having lost to Dick Durbin. What is the point? Oberweis LOST that race. In fact, he has lost elections for this congressional seat TWICE already.
When a candidate goes out of his way to make one of his numerous election losses into a reason why he is supposedly sure to win this primary, it is evidence of him living in a parallel universe and making the same delusional mistakes that led to his losses in his previous six elections for Congress, US Senate and Governor.
Now that voters are fully tuning into this election, Sue Rezin is excited about engaging primary voters over the next six weeks and to the result on Election Day–just like all of her previous election victories—all five of them.
* Greg Hinz wrote a piece yesterday calling for Illinois to be the first primary state, or at least near the front of the line...
Now that the Iowa Democratic Party has joined and maybe even replaced the hanging-chad folks in the political hall of infamy, the moment has arrived for Illinois politicians to do something they should have long ago.
That’s to put Illinois first, or as close to first as they can get us.
It’s time to quit deferring to corn country, rocky New Hampshire and casinoed Nevada. Time to do what it takes to place this diverse state exactly where it needs to be: at the front of the presidential nomination process, somewhere it will have clout—not stuck somewhere in the meaningless middle. And think of all that sweet tourism money that flows in every four years as journos and campaign staffs and pollsters and bandwagon-jumpers eat, sleep, drink and door-knock their way through the Hawkeye state. Wouldn’t it be better if they did all that eating, sleeping, drinking and door-knocking in the Land of Lincoln instead?
I firmly believe that the nominating process should reflect the country’s diversity, and there’s no better state to do that than Illinois. Illinois has all the best features of America, with its urban, suburban and rural regions, tremendous demographic diversity and the variety of manufacturing, service and agriculture jobs throughout the state. With all due respect to Iowa . . . Democratic nominees should start out showing they can win in a state that is more like the rest of the nation. I look forward to working with other elected officials and the party to change the calendar so that Illinois’ primary comes first in the nominating process in the 2024 presidential election.
* As Tina Sfondeles and Lynn Sweet report, Mayor Lightfoot likes the idea…
Lighfoot — in Washington on Tuesday for the State of the Union address — said whether Illinois should become the first primary state is a “worthwhile question to pursue.”
“The dynamics of the Democratic electorate and the dynamics of the people who are going to run for president have forever been changed,” Lightfoot told the Sun-Times. “And I think we have to think, give serious consideration to starting with a state that’s diverse.”
Pritzker’s chief of staff Anne Caprara to the Sun-Times…
“We feel that we have a really strong case to make about Illinois. That it is geographically, ethnically and economically very diverse. We sit in the Midwest in the middle of a lot of states that are important to the presidential election calendar. That if you come to this state, you’re going to have to campaign in urban areas and rural areas, and all different types of communities,” Caprara said. “And that’s really a great proving ground for a presidential election.”
Pritzker would have to be willing to back moving up the Illinois primary ahead of mid-March. Illinois in 2008 moved up the primary date in order to help then U.S. Sen. Barack Obama clinch the Democratic presidential nomination. This year, Illinois’ primary is on March 17, along with Arizona, Florida and Ohio.
That 2008 February primary was murderously cold. And some of Speaker Madigan’s members ended up having closer than expected primaries because the post-holiday election season was so short and turnout for Obama was so high.
Illinois state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, said Illinois should be first instead.
“So put the complicated caucus system behind us,” Manar said. “Let’s find a state that’s more representative of the country as a whole and Illinois I think on all accounts is that state.”
Illinois’ population is culturally diverse and the state features not just major metropolitan areas but also rural areas.
State Rep. Dave Severin, R-Benton, said moving Illinois up in the national process may be worth looking at.
“That might be something to consider,” Severin said. “But I tell you what else is encouraging to me is the state of Illinois finally is not the worst debacle in the United States. Iowa just took over.”
Heh.
* We have an up-and-coming commenter named Candy DoGood and these are CD’s thoughts yesterday…
Illinois hosting the first in the nation primary would be an admirable goal.
In order to meet this goal, Illinois can demonstrate its maturity and ability as a state party to host the first in the nation primary by instituting broad reforms to make their actual party apparatus more inclusive and the leadership reflective of the active members of the party rather than being made up of mostly elected officials.
Some major issues to address:
When was the last time the Democratic Party of Illinois had a convention?
When was the last time the Democratic Party of Illinois created a concise platform?
What does the Democratic Party of Illinois plan to do or what reforms do they plan to enact to address that the chair of their party is also the House Speaker and is at the center of an organization which may have aided in retaliation against victims of sexual harassment and hostile work environments?
Are they (both parties really) prepared to address the expectation that caucus staff are required to “volunteer” or work on campaigns for a salary generally below market in order to retain their positions as caucus staff?
Are they prepared to lobby the governor to make changes so that precinct committee people, county parties, district apparatuses, and the State Central Committee are more inclusive and provide better access for people of lower incomes, mobility issues, or situations that make it difficult for them to be able to run on a ballot or fund raise to run for a party position?
I think it’d be great for the State of Illinois to shoot to be first in the nation, but we’ve got a lot of work to do before that happens.
We’re literally in the middle of a situation where the GOP super minority is fractured with ultra-right wing separatists and the Democratic Party’s dealing with State Senators wearing a wire to inform on other State Senators because of a broad sweeping federal investigation which still hasn’t ended yet and is long over due.
First in the nation isn’t the kind of microscope I would be inviting if I were a shot caller in either major party organization.
The Iowa Democratic Party messed up a reporting system by relying on an app. Okay. Well they (the IDP and the Iowa GOP both) also have a caucus every two years where precincts meet, select delegates to county conventions and submit platform planks, the county convention turns out a county platform and selects delegates to the District and State conventions which also turns out platforms and selects delegates to the national convention and or the DNC members.
Say what you will about caucuses being undemocratic, but Iowans rebuild their parties every two years and reaffirm their leadership every two years and produce platforms every two years.
And their party leaders aren’t known for whining about not receiving enough political graft or getting their people hired and Iowa’s hiring/firing scandals don’t involve decades long consent decrees that are willfully defied by folks that don’t get that this stuff is illegal.
I’m being hard on the Democrats because the Democrats are pushing this at the moment, but there’s the Illinois GOP literally just sold itself to a billionaire a few cycles ago and abandoned every principle they had to do so while also, somehow, letting a Nazi get on the ballot.
