Wednesday, Sep 9, 2009 - Posted by Capitol Fax Blog Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
On September 26th – 27th, 2009, Grainger Terry, Inc. and Campaigns & Elections’ Politics Magazine, will sponsor a campaign training in downtown Chicago. This all inclusive training will include workshops that address the vital components of running for public office including fundraising, field, policy development and media. Our classes will be taught by renowned leaders in the political industry and guest speakers include Rich Miller, founder of the Capitol Fax Blog. If you’re a fan of the Capitol Fax Blog, you can use discount code, RM, to get $75 off!
Whether you’re new to politics or have years of experience, you will benefit from our training. Featured topics include Earned Media: Make Your Money Go Farther, Winning Your Online Campaign, Using Twitter, Facebook and Blogs to Get Your Message Out, Fundraising During a Recession, Field: Winning the Ground Game and Campaign Materials 101.
* MAP grants have been cut in half, which has outraged many college students and administrators. But Gov. Pat Quinn now wants to raise cigarette taxes by a buck a pack to cover the shortfall…
More than 200,000 college students are facing the loss of their state grants, but now Gov. Pat Quinn has a plan to prevent that – by raising the already-steep cigarette tax even higher.
As CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery reports, Quinn said he will ask the Illinois General Assembly next month to raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes by one dollar.
There is a political angle outside of the need for more MAP grant funds, of course.
Quinn’s Democratic primary opponent Dan Hynes wants to raise the price of cigarettes by a dollar a pack to pay down the backlog of old bills. If approved, this Quinn idea would gut Hynes’ $300 million bill-paying proposal and force the challenger to come up with another plan.
Also, there’s a $200 million shortfall in the MAP program. Quinn’s proposal would raise $100 million more cash than necessary to close the gap - perhaps making it even more politically suspect. …Adding… The Quinn people say the $300 million would all be used because of the strong need for the grants.
* Quinn also said his income tax hike push may be delayed until after the primary with Hynes…
The governor told Flannery he would postpone his plan to raise Illinois income taxes until next year. He said the General Assembly probably wouldn’t even debate it further until after the Feb. 2 primary election.
The governor also wants a new but so far unexplained “jobs plan” as well as ethics reform approved during next month’s veto session.
We should know more about all of this after today’s leadership meeting, which was scheduled to begin at 1:30 this afternoon.
* Once again, the national media is massively failing to press Rod Blagojevich on his lies.
For instance, Blagojevich is now repeating his claim that the tapes released by the FBI regarding the alleged sale of Barack Obama’s US Senate seat were taken “out of context.”
The ousted former governor used the same “out of context” phrase during his last media tour, but never really explained what he meant. This time, he has a cover story.
Blagojevich’s new explanation is that he wasn’t trying to sell the Senate seat, but was instead attempting to put together a “political deal” involving the appointment of Attorney General Lisa Madigan to the seat in exchange for her father’s agreement to passing a capital bill and expanding health care…
Blagojevich said he might subpoena White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, Senate Democrat Majority Leader Harry Reid and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Robert Menendez to back up his version of what happened.
He said he discussed his [Madigan] plan with all of them.
Well, sure, that was Blagojevich’s final plan. But that plan existed solely in his head. It wasn’t as if the plan would’ve or could’ve become reality.
Illinoisans know that Speaker Madigan did not trust Blagojevich at all, refused to be in the same room with Blagojevich and hadn’t returned his calls in months. But the national press isn’t bringing up that important problem with Blagojevich’s cover story.
Also, there’s that little problem of Blagojevich saying on tape that he wanted to make money off the appointment, either via an appointment to the Obama administration, a big union job or a sweet deal for his wife.
Neither of those all-important points were brought up when Blagojevich was interviewed this week by Harry Smith on CBS News’ The Early Show. Instead, Smith responded…
“So, you’re not corrupt. There’s no corruption. There was never any corruption in your administration.”
Great follow-up there, Harry. I’m sure you’re now in line for an Emmy.
Smith even chuckled at Blagojevich’s “funny” lines and complimented him on his spin.
Unreal.
* Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren was more interested in talking about Blagojevich’s father-in-law than pressing him on the blatant inconsistencies in his main argument. But she did bring up a good point to Blagojevich when he blamed the US Attorney’s office for not releasing all the surveillance tapes…
VAN SUSTEREN: Here’s an idea, here’s an idea — file a motion that says now that you have the tapes, because that was before, but file a motion to have the protective order lifted, because there are certain rights that you have, as well. So you might convince the judge to release it now.
BLAGOJEVICH: I do not know if you have any free time on your hands. We’d love to have you — add you to our legal team, Greta.
But I should tell you that the media has made those requests, and thus far they have been unsuccessful.
VAN SUSTEREN: But that’s not the media. That’s you. It’s different if it comes from you than the media. But that is for another day.
That’s for another day? Great.
Note to Van Susteren: Blagojevich isn’t at all interested in the full truth. He’s interested in selling books.
“Rod Blagojevich continues to be a disgrace and an embarrassment to the people of the State of Illinois,” said Terry Ekl, attorney for Blagojevich’s former chief of staff, John Harris, who recently pleaded guilty to corruption charges and plans to testify against his old boss. “There’s no reason to believe anything that either comes out of his mouth or is contained in his book.”
Amen to that.
* Also, if you want to know what’s in Blagojevich’s book but refuse to spend money on it, Eric Zorn has blogged the entire thing. Go read it.
* Related…
* Wis. court disbars Hurtgen, figure in Blagojevich probe: The Wisconsin Supreme Court says Hurtgen was not acting as an attorney in the pay-to-play scheme, but his actions violated the public trust.
* Marin: Decision time for Blago fund-raiser Kelly
The poll found that 58 percent of voters would vote against legalized video gambling in a local referendum, while just 34 percent would support it. Opposition was about 60 percent from voters in suburban Cook County, the collar counties and Downstate, while 49 percent of Chicago voters said they would vote against it and 42 percent for it.
But…
Overall, voters were split on the question of whether Illinois’ various forms of gambling have been good for the state, with 40 percent saying it had indeed been good and 37 percent saying it had been bad.
And…
The poll found that 48 percent of those surveyed disapproved of legalizing video gambling anywhere in the state, while approval was voiced from 40 percent of voters. Though those numbers suggest video poker is still broadly unpopular, it is nonetheless gaining in acceptance. Six years ago in a similar Tribune poll, only 19 percent of those surveyed said they approved of allowing video poker machines into Illinois restaurants and bars. Back then, 71 percent said they were opposed.
Maddeningly, Mother Tribune refuses to publish full toplines and crosstabs, so there’s no way of knowing exactly how the question was phrased nor where it was placed in relation to other gaming, capital bill or budgeting questions.
Gov. Pat Quinn has a 3:30 p.m. meeting in his Chicago office [today] with fellow Democrats House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton to “set an agenda” for the fall legislative session. Quinn told reporters yesterday the meeting will focus on campaign finance and state funding.
Hopefully, we’ll have live audio of any post-meeting press availabilities.
* Related…
* Illinois Juvenile Justice Dept. Missed out on Thousands: The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice won a $330,000 grant to buy computers but failed to buy the computers and therefore lost the grant. That’s one of the findings detailed in a new audit of the agency.
* Chief Justice wants budget cuts reversed: State funds for community-based probation programs were cut 44 percent in the current budget. This same area was cut 13 percent in 2005 and, Fitzgerald said, the money was never restored. “The practical effect … is that probation officers must be laid off, criminal offenders sentenced to probation receive inadequate or no supervision, and the public safety is thereby severely compromised,” he wrote.
* 3rd St. fight imperils high-speed rail in Illinois, rail official warns: Springfield officials’ public fight against additional train traffic along the Third Street corridor could derail the entire plan to provide high-speed rail service between Springfield and Chicago, a vice president of the Union Pacific Railroad says.
Mayor Richard Daley came within striking distance Tuesday of securing a final endorsement to make an unlimited financial guarantee for the 2016 Summer Olympics — a critical step in his effort to win the international competition to host the Games.
The City Council’s Finance Committee recommended that the full council grant Daley the open-ended authority Wednesday. The sign-off is part of an ordinance that also would impose reporting requirements on the panel that runs the Games.
Ald. Manny Flores (1st) negotiated some of those oversight requirements with Daley’s office, but he lost a battle to ensure that the city’s inspector general and an independent advisory group get to review the Olympic organizing committee’s quarterly reports.
“Tomorrow, no matter which way we look at it, … Chicago shall stand behind the bid, and we will all be there, and we want to make it clear,” Ald. Robert Fioretti (2nd) said.
The Sun-Times reported in Friday’s editions that heroin and marijuana were seized in a May 7 police raid on an apartment in a West Side building owned by Heard and her husband. She had told the Sun-Times that the mayor learned about the case while flipping through a stack of reports on properties deemed drug and gang houses.
When a reporter asked Daley to clarify Tuesday when and how he learned of the incident in the 5300 block of West Adams, Heard strode to the microphone instead.
“This had the very real feel of vendetta journalism,'’ she said. “I don’t even think journalism is the word.”
As press secretary, Heard said she is the person “tasked with calling out the people at your paper who routinely write unfair headlines . . . and I don’t think they like it.'’
Oak Lawn and its firefighters reached an agreement on cost-cutting concessions Tuesday night, saving about a dozen firefighter jobs and putting an end to a bitter dispute over ways to close the village’s budget shortage.
The Chicago investor group, led by banker James Tyree, agreed to pay about $5 million in cash and assume $20 million worth of the Sun-Time’s liabilities. Tyree’s group would get the media company’s 59 newspapers and websites including the Chicago flagship tabloid paper. The deal still needs court approval.
* 3:44 pm - Chris Kelly has pled guilty to two counts. It’s unclear from early press reports if he has agreed to cooperate in the investigation against former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Kelly was a close Blagojevich friend, mega campaign fundraiser and administration fixer.
* Jeff Coen of the Tribune Tweets that Kelly pled guilty in exchange for 57 months. …Adding… That’s on top of the 37 months he got in his tax case.
Kelly still faces trial on charges with the ex-governor — his third indictment. Kelly pleaded guilty in a separate tax scheme earlier this year.
The plea deal was finalized at the last minute, with Kelly initialing portions of it outside the courtroom minutes before court. At one point, Norgle recessed because Kelly said he hadn’t read the whole document.
…Adding… If you’re reading the plea deal and having trouble remembering who “Co-Schemer A” is, this Sun-Times story from March will refresh your memory…
George M. Criel is a roofing consultant who has worked for Chicago’s Merchandise Mart as well as American Airlines and United Airlines.
Criel has another identity, too. He’s “co-schemer A'’ — the previously unidentified consultant who federal prosecutors say got $450,000 in kickbacks for helping former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s top adviser, Christopher Kelly, get $8.5 million in rigged contracts from American and United, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
Between 1998 and 2006, Criel and Kelly allegedly ran a scheme to steal from those airlines by inflating the cost of roofing projects and making sure that Kelly’s company — BCI Commercial Roofing — submitted the lowest bids for the work, according to prosecution court filings in the Kelly case. Their actions “guaranteed profits'’ for Kelly and kickbacks for “co-schemer A,” who was working for the airlines, according to prosecutors.
* Two things made the 1994 GOP landslide so devastating for Democrats: 1) A huge chunk of their base was discouraged and embarrassed and didn’t bother to show up to the polls; and 2) Republican voters were energized and did come out to vote.
So, while the latest round of “tea parties” has received little coverage in the state’s mainstream media, Monday’s New Lenox rally turnout ought to force another look…
About 6,000 people packed the hillside venue at The Commons Performing Arts Pavilion for the protest, part of a nationwide Tea Party Express tour that includes speeches, musical performances and updates from a traveling Fox News correspondent.
Monday’s audience was the largest yet, organizers said.
Tea party organizers claim 10,000 people showed up, citing the Will County Sheriff’s office. New Lenox police estimated the crowd at 8-10,000…
The unexpectedly large crowd caused traffic to be backed up a quarter-mile on Interstate 80 as well as forcing some participants to park one-half mile away from the Commons Performing Arts Pavilion in New Lenox.
* At least some of the GOP base appears to be fired up. For now, at least, that has translated into a possible uptick in the number of primary challengers against Republican legislative incumbents. Eventually, though, attention will turn to Democrats. Whether the intensity will last through next November is anyone’s guess.
But what about the Democratic base? The Rod Blagojevich trial, the ineptness of the Quinn administration and a potentially nasty primary against Dan Hynes, the general Democratic Party position in favor of an unpopular tax hike, the ethics debate, the U of I “scandal,” the Todd Stroger meltdown and his upcoming primary, etc., etc., etc. won’t exactly energize Dem voters.
You may be surprised — or not — to learn that Berrios has a close relationship with property tax attorneys, whose business depends, of course, on how successful they are getting tax breaks for clients from the board of review.
The relationship is so close, in fact, that those attorneys have been major contributors to Berrios’ political funds and to those of his daughter, Maria Antonia “Toni” Berrios, a Democratic state representative from the Northwest Side. […]
And did we mention that the board of review is under investigation by the Cook County state’s attorney’s office? (No one has been charged with wrongdoing.)
Or that Berrios is known for his skill at helping family and close friends get government jobs?
Or that he’s a Springfield lobbyist?
A great lobbyist, in fact. Berrios was a key player in getting video poker passed in this state — one of the worst ideas in the history of state government.
Berrios owes his success as a lobbyist in part to House Speaker Mike Madigan. Madigan’s law firm, in turn, specializes in getting property tax breaks for Cook County businesses.
As I’ve been saying for weeks, we can expect a whole more on this topic as the campaign progresses. A lot more. A lawsuit by political operative Victor Santana won’t make things any easier, either.
While some Latinos may be fired up about the Berrios run, the Berrios slating is almost guaranteed to bring the heat on party leaders in a big way, which could further depress the rest of the Democratic base.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: This Berrios slating could be Michael Madigan’s Waterloo.
* Related…
* Fox Chicago: Who’s Giving Toni Berrios Money and Why?
* Zorn: Remind me again why this sign isn’t sickeningly ominous
* Quinn renames board chairman despite alleged Rezko ties
* Budget cuts to reduce nursing home advocate program
* The other Mrs. Blagojevich speaks - Ex-gov’s sister-in-law, a former teacher, had led a ‘quiet, private life’ — until now
* ADDED:Chicago attorney running for Senate: Jacob Meister announced his candidacy Tuesday. Meister practiced law in Chicago for nearly 20 years, focusing on banking regulation, interstate commerce and telecommunications.
A new study says that taxing services such as haircuts, plumbing repairs and storage facilities could generate more than $7 billion for Illinois’ depleted budget.
The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, which provides revenue forecasts for the General Assembly, estimates that up to 100,000 businesses could be affected by adding such a tax, which is used in other states but is sparingly deployed in Illinois.
• In 1975, money spent on services made up approximately 46% of total consumer spending. By 1995, money spent on services had grown to 58% of consumer spending. Service spending has remained around this rate since then. In 2008, consumers spent over $6.0 trillion on services in the U.S.
• Similarly, the Illinois service sector has been growing in recent decades. In 1977, service related industries accounted for approximately 32%, or $37 billion, of the $115 billion Illinois economy. The service sector accounted for $271 billion (43.9%) of the $617 billion Illinois economy in 2007.
• Illinois’ economy is more dependent on services than the other Great Lake states primarily due to the increased importance of the 1) Finance and Insurance industry 2) the Professional and Technical Service industry, and 3) the Information industry in Illinois.
* The Question: Should Illinois impose a broad tax on services? Explain fully, please.
Without a substantial injection of new equity capital, Broadway could be fighting for survival and facing regulatory action during the heat of Mr. Giannoulias’ Senate race next year. On his Web site, the Democrat touts his experience as a former banker at Broadway.
The reason? The bank’s “high-octane growth strategy collided with the housing meltdown,” and that trouble was only made worse when the owning family took a gigantic dividend…
The Giannouliases, who own 100% of parent Broadway Bancorp Inc., appear to have exacerbated their predicament by vacuuming $70 million in dividends from the holding company in 2007 and 2008, double the bank’s profits during that period. The next-highest dividend total for a local bank Broadway’s size during that period was $39 million. Most banks in the category paid less than $15 million.
“Those (dividends) are appalling,” says Bert Ely, a Virginia-based banking consultant. “They basically were sucking capital out.”
* Speaking of the Senate race, the Democratic Senate Campaign committee just sent out a press release claiming that Republican US Senate candidate Mark Kirk omitted a key item from a bullet-point list of his recent voting record. The DSCC has a July 20th screen capture from Kirk’s old campaign website which includes in his voting record his “Democratic Position” on the so-called Cap & Trade issue, while a flier Kirk distributed in a recent Downstate swing left that out. Click here to see the original list from July, and click here for the more recent Downstate flier.
The congressman says he wants a higher standard of care in county health facilities, and he says he wants to streamline county operations and, hopefully, cut taxes.
However, Davis refused to say whether he would have favored the recent increase in the county sales tax.
State Sen. Rickey Hendon, Reps. Annazette Collins and LaShawn Ford and others, including Darlena Williams-Burnett, business owner Jim Ascot and pastor Marshall Hatch.
* And our political quote of the day goes to Illinois GOP chairman Pat Brady…
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady said it is appropriate for Obama to address the nation’s school children – but not to encourage them to help him.
“At first blush, this is something you would see at a far-left regime like Cuba or North Korea,” said Brady, of St. Charles. “Oppressive regimes do this to their children.”
* Related…
* Hynes, Quinn march with unions, but who will get backing? Sources in SEIU and in Quinn’s camp say the union is leaning toward Quinn. That endorsement could translate into a six-figure infusion into Quinn’s primary battle.
* Another Evanstonian joins race to succeed Hamos: Robyn Gabel, executive director of the Illinois Maternal & Child health Coalition, confirmed… she was very serious about running for the seat and planned to file shortly to run in next February’s Democratic primary.
* Get ready for some intense action in Illinois governor race
* Crowded, boisterous field seeks Illinois governor’s chair, Senate seat
As expected, former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s new book paints himself as the hero of Illinois politics and blames everyone but himself for his troubles.
He also tries to settle an old score. Blagojevich’s longtime enemies House Speaker Michael Madigan and Attorney General Lisa Madigan are both attacked.
“I believe the two Madigan’s are not the people they pretend to be,” Blagojevich writes in his new book, “The Governor.”
“Both of them are surrounded by conflicts of interest and indiscretions in their public and private lives.”
Blagojevich doesn’t detail any “indiscretions” about either Madigan’s personal lives, but he does allege that Speaker Madigan’s property tax law practice is “unethical” and “very well may be illegal.” And if it’s not illegal, it should be, Blagojevich writes.
The irony of Blagojevich’s use of the word “indiscretion” is obvious and undoubtedly intended. Speaker Madigan once said of Blagojevich “I could talk about some of his indiscretions, but I don’t plan to do that,” after Blagojevich had singled Madigan out for criticism during his first gubernatorial campaign.
Blagojevich also alleges that Mike and Lisa Madigan sabotaged his legislative agenda because Blagojevich refused to contribute money to the Democratic Party of Illinois, which Mike Madigan runs.
The former governor asserts that both Madigan’s and others met with Blagojevich to persuade him to contribute to a fund for Democratic candidates. Blagojevich described the meeting as “an effort to muscle me for nearly $400,000 in campaign funds.”
Blagojevich added that Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s presence at the meeting was “incredibly unethical” because she had subpoenaed his campaign fundraising records.
After noting the details of the seating arrangements, Blagojevich wrote this of Speaker and Attorney General Madigan, respectively: “While dear old dad is literally and figuratively putting the arm on me from the left side, she is subtly holding a gun to my head from the right.”
A spokesman for Speaker Madigan said that the book’s publisher must have reneged on his pledge to force Blagojevich to take a lie detector test. “The guy’s a very troubled human being,” the spokesman said of Blagojevich, adding “Why anybody would pay attention to this is beyond me.”
Despite promising months ago to name names and spill the dirt on Illinois politics, Blagojevich does very little of that.
For instance, while discussing the allegations that he tried to sell Barack Obama’s US Senate seat, Blagojevich claims he never offered a quid pro quo on the seat. But, he writes that others “approached us about campaign contributions if I either appointed them or the person they were supporting to the Senate. If anyone should have been charged with a crime for this, it should have been them and not me.”
The ex-governor does provide an example of someone who mentioned campaign money in exchange for an appointment - but that offer doesn’t appear to have been direct. And he doesn’t give us the name. The former governor alleges that one of his close legislative allies who is also a “prominent” African-American state legislator brought up the subject.
Blagojevich alleged that the unnamed black legislator “intimated that his overflowing campaign fund might be available to me,” if Blagojevich ran for a third term as governor.
The legislator wanted to talk with Blagojevich in person, but Blagojevich claimed he canceled the meeting because he wanted to “avoid any conversations with anyone who could possibly be chosen as a senator who might say something that could be interpreted as improper.”
The former governor also noted that canceling the meeting probably saved this legislator from getting in trouble with the law, but that the legislator later voted to impeach him.
The book’s most useful passages imply what could be Blagojevich’s defense during his federal corruption trial. Essentially, chief of staff John Harris was to blame.
Harris was arrested the same day as Blagojevich, but he has since agreed to cooperate with the feds.
Blagojevich wrote that he intended to operate his administration, “effectively, honestly and always within the rules,” but then added he “relied” on Harris “to tell me what we could and could not do.”
“As Governor,” Blagojevich wrote, “I left those [operational] details in the hands of my chiefs of staff.”
That’s classic Rod Blagojevich. Throw everybody else under the bus.
* The former governor’s book tour has begun, and here’s a quick coverage roundup…
* Blagojevich says ‘simple truth‘ clears him: “When you’re an honest person … you want to tell the people who hired you (that) you didn’t let them down,” Blagojevich said while promoting his book, “The Governor.”
* Blagojevich goes on book blitz in New York: In keeping with his long-held position that he has been victimized by political enemies and “unethical” prosecutors, Blagojevich primarily blames his downfall on five people: House Speaker Michael Madigan, Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan, U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald, convicted influence peddler Antoin “Tony” Rezko and his father-in-law Richard Mell (33rd).
* Blago: I’m the Anti-Nixon: “I’m the anti-Nixon, asking that these tapes be heard. My accusers are the ones who went to court and are keeping those tapes from being heard by the public. Someone’s lying here, and it’s not me.”
Over half of the respondents said the university’s reputation wasn’t harmed. And four out of five think it’s a common practice throughout the country. So, there’s been damage, but not according to the majority.
And it doesn’t look like Illinoisans are sure about whom to blame, either…
Of the 700 residents surveyed, 35 percent said they blamed trustees most, compared with 26 percent for legislators and other elected officials and 17 percent for university personnel.
Also, you’d think that when about 75 percent favor a particular reform, it’d get more play instead of being buried deep in the story…
About three out of four respondents said trustees should be elected, not appointed by the governor.
…Adding… And after whacking the heck out of the U of I for months, this is the Tribune’s suggested reform of the legislative scholarship program? Really?
Putting the [scholarship] decision in the hands of the universities would make it far less likely that the scholarships would be used to buy friends or pay political debts. And educators are far more qualified to select the recipients than politicians.
* Meanwhile, deep in a story about the economy lies this little buried polling nugget…
Like Keith, 67 percent of Illinoisans say they’re either not making ends meet or making just enough to get by.
There’s a big reason to be politically afraid of raising taxes.
* And towards the end of the Trib’s “red light camera” poll story, we find this…
Just 31 percent of Downstate voters said they would like to see cameras installed where they live, while 57 percent said they would not. Illustrating the NIMBY syndrome, however, 54 percent of Downstaters surveyed also said they thought traffic cameras were a good idea.
Overall, anti-camera sentiment was strongest in the Cook County suburbs, which have experienced an explosion of traffic cameras in the last three years. More than half of suburban Cook residents surveyed said they disliked the notion of cameras, and 58 percent said they didn’t want one where they lived.
Word is that Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez’s special prosecutions bureau has issued subpoenas to the Cook County comptroller’s office as well as independent Cook County auditors.
Powerful alderman spent $45,499 in taxpayer money to build a sidewalk and fence longer than a football field that keeps teens from hanging around the railroad track behind his home
Attorneys who sue the city of Chicago say a new legal tactic is going to cost the city a lot of money.
The city recently announced a new policy backed by Police Superintendent Jody Weis and the law department. It’s going to fight small lawsuits even though it would be cheaper to settle them. The idea is to scare off lawyers who think they can get some easy money.
A special prosecutor will investigate claims that McHenry County State’s Attorney Louis Bianchi improperly ordered a secretary to do political work for him on county time, a judge ruled Friday.
* Daley’s return, Olympics guarantee top today’s Illinois political docket
The county posted nearly $1.1 billion in visitor and tourism spending in 2008, a 3.9 percent increase over 2007, according to the Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
* Union Pacific has begun construction of a nearly $370 million, 785-acre intermodal terminal in Chicago
* The United Republican Fund and WIND radio hosted a Republican gubernatorial candidate forum today. Six candidates showed up and a straw poll of party activist attendees was conducted after the presentations…
Adam Andrzejewski - 116
Matt Murphy - 107
Dan Proft - 96
Kirk Dillard - 76
Bill Brady - 46
Bob Schillerstrom - 21
The biggest surprise, perhaps, is that Andrzejewski was so organized at that event. It’s also interesting that Sen. Brady, a conservative darling, scored lower than Sen. Dillard and Dan Proft.
* Speaking of Dillard, he announced a new campaign manager today. From a press release…
Republican candidate for governor Kirk Dillard today announced that Iroquois County native Tim Peters has accepted the post of Campaign Manager for Dillard’s gubernatorial campaign with Carol Stream native David Carlin accepting the post as Deputy Campaign Manager. […]
Peters brings a wealth of public and private sector experience to bear for the campaign including his service as Political Director to former U.S. Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert. He has held senior posts with former U.S. Representative Robin Hayes (R-NC) and U.S. Representative Jerry Moran (R-KS). Peters also served as a Senior Director at McDonald’s Corporation doing Public Affairs work both domestically and internationally.
* Conservative Republican US Senate candidate Patrick Hughes recently talked to the Illinois Channel about his campaign. You can watch the full interview here, but I’ve edited it down to his essential line of attack on Mark Kirk….
* Speaking of Mark Kirk, the US Senate hopeful told Illinois Channel that the Veterans Administration is a “great example” of how “the government should be allowed to compete” in health-related issues, which might surprise some of Kirk’s critics on both sides of the aisle since Kirk is so publicly opposed to the “public option” on health insurance…
* I physically winced yesterday when I read this Twitter post by Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica…
Here comes the race card: Comm. Sims Receives Racially Based Phone Threats
Cook County Commissioner Deborah Sims, of course, was the one who reversed her vote on repealing the county’s sales tax hike the other day.
I winced because I figured Peraica was being stupid and would have to backtrack once Sims played the answering machine audio for the media. Soon enough, NBC5 had a partial transcript of the disgusting, racist and homophobic message…
“I wish you had an email address up on your site,” the tape begins, before lurching into a profanity laced tirade.
“I understand why you don’t because you don’t want to hear anything from your constituents. I’m very disappointed in your vote. You flip-flopped. Actually, you lied. And I hope you get **** AIDS and die. I pray to God you get AIDS and die. You **** liar. You’re a **** liar.”
The tape ends with racist remarks.
And here’s both messages left by the same clown with the profanity deleted…
Sheriff’s deputies are investigating harassing phone calls aimed at a Cook County commissioner. […]
The sheriff’s department stops short of describing these calls as threats. But investigators will attempt to trace the identity of the caller on these messages. They have not said what if any crime the caller could be charged with.
And Sims and others blamed Peraica and Commissioner Larry Suffredin for creating the atmosphere which prompted the call…
“Both of them called me a liar, called me a flip flop; in the same vein of the call,” Sims said. She acknowledged that none of the other commissioners used racist comments when they criticized her.
“I think they fueled the phone call. Anytime someone feels comfortable enough they can call you and call you a “N-word” … twice,” Sims said.
Pastor Walter Turner said, “It is because of what our commissioners have done on this board to flame the fires of racism to have allowed these people to say what they want to say.”
Peraica said it was “absolutely ridiculous” to suggest his criticism of Sims sparked the racist rant against her. He also repudiated the racist messages left for Sims. […]
Suffredin also condemned the messages. He said he has fought to support civil rights and said it was absurd to put him in this situation.
* Look, there’s no doubt that Stroger’s race has played a major role in both the media coverage of his tax hike and the public’s reaction. And there’s no doubt that the same thing happened to Sims when she changed her position.
I thought both of them did a pretty good job early yesterday morning (before the messages were discovered) defending against the criticism. Watch it…
The rest of the interview, however, wasn’t so hot. Stroger, for instance, gave himself an “A+” for handling the adminstration. Yeesh.
* Anyway, my point is that it never ceases to amaze me how the Chicago area has always been on such high racial alert, both black and white. Peraica’s immediate “political correctness” assumption, Sims’ blame-game, Stroger’s insistence that the repugnant call was a direct threat and the resulting county sheriff’s investigation, the media’s outright sensationalism and Eric Zorn’s belief that everything should’ve just been hushed up is all just way over the top.
The worst part is, there doesn’t seem to be anybody in the region who regularly takes the high road and urges that calm, honesty, empathy and reason prevail.
* As I told you yesterday, Gawker has uncovered e-mails from media outlets to then Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s press secretary pleading for interviews with the governor the day after his arrest. This one from the CBS Early Show is breathtaking…
There is far too much hearsay going around and in our opinion [Blagojevich’s] perspective is clearly being ignored. We want to provide the platform for the Governor to be able to set the record straight, something he has not been able to accomplish thus far and we hope he considers coming on the program to clear his own name.
Oy.
There were several pretty straightforward requests submitted to Blagojevich’s press office. Not everyone was so much of a suck-up. But, still…
The most pathetic request comes from Pat Curry, the news assignment editor for WGN, a local Chicago station. He wasn’t even asking for an interview with Blagojevich—he wanted Guerrero himself to come on, and delivered a masterwork of flattery and faux sympathy. “I wouldn’t expect you to be able to comment on a federal investigation, and could easily brush that off,” Curry wrote, signing off with, “Humbly, Pat Curry.”
And, of course, there was the “incredible offer” from Don & Roma’s producer.
So far, it doesn’t appear that any “news” stories have been written about this Gawker piece.
* The Question: It’s December, 2008. Rod Blagojevich has just been arrested. You’re a TV news producer. What would your e-mail to the Blagojevich press office say?
* The Sun-Times scores an exclusive interview with Rob Blagojevich, the former governor’s brother, and his wife. You have to scroll way down to get to the meat of things…
“I am frustrated with the [federal] government because I believe he is being held hostage by them,” Julie Blagojevich said of her husband. “I believe that they indicted Rob to get his brother to plead.”
But it won’t work. At least it hasn’t yet…
“I do not plan to plead guilty. I plan to go to trial. We’re co-defendants, and we are not guilty on those charges,” said Rob Blagojevich, who was paid $12,500 a month as fund-raising chairman. “I would not testify against my brother.”
Apparently, the Rob and his wife didn’t see this coming, even though they knew about the investigations…
“We knew about allegations, and we knew about investigations,” Julie Blagojevich said. “Rod assured us that he was not doing anything wrong. We understood that the allegations were really behind him, the investigation was really behind him.”
Wow. Talk about no due diligence. The probes were heating up with a fury by the time Rob signed on to the campaign. Then again, that’s his brother we’re talking about. He probably saw what he wanted to see.
Rob was brought in as Rod’s fundraising committee chairman because Rod needed somebody he could trust without question. Plus, nobody else wanted the job. At the time, pretty much everybody around the governor with half a brain knew that it was only a matter of time before the feds closed in.
The two men were not close at all during their adulthoods, so Rob and his wife saw this fundraising gig as an opportunity to rekindle the brotherhood. It’s sickening to me that Rod would put his brother in such a no-win position.
* Rob defends himself…
On tape, Rob Blagojevich presses Burris to donate to his brother. But, regarding the Senate seat, he’s heard essentially telling Burris: Get in line, that others also were seeking the appointment.
“How I conducted myself with Burris is how I conducted myself with everyone when no one was looking,” Rob Blagojevich told the Sun-Times.
* Teamsters Joint Council 25 has endorsed Pat Quinn. That’s big. The Joint Council represents 22 Teamsters locals throughout Illinois. Quinn is an honorary member of Local 786. From a press release…
“As an advocate of Illinois labor, Gov. Quinn has the experience of fighting for working families and the support of the Teamsters to continue the fight into a full term,” said John T. Coli, President of Joint Council 25. “Joint Council 25 represents more than 100,000 men and women statewide who deserve the deference and protection our governor has shown he can deliver.”
Other than signing the capital bill, this is the reasoning behind the endorsement…
— [Quinn] Signed an amendment to the Labor Relations Act to expedite contracts for public employees;
— Signed a Teamster initiative requiring responsible bidding on school bus contracts; and
— Signed a recent bill establishing the state’s first Teamster specialty license plate.
* John Patterson notes in a Daily Herald blog post entitled: “Courting the AFSCME vote,” that Dan Hynes’ budget plan doesn’t ask AFSCME for pay reductions, even though the gubernatorial candidate proposes to roll back operating spending to 2005 levels.
* Sneed reports today that state Sens. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston) and state Sen. Susan Garrett (D-Lake Forest) have endorsed former Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman for US Senate.
* As I’ve already told you, Sneed also reported today that JB Pritzker is being recruited to run for state treasurer on the Democratic ticket…
Word is Pritzker is being considered a Dem boomlet now that Kip Kirkpatrick has dropped out of the race.
• Background: Pritzker, an heir to the Pritzker hotel fortune, was also an early supporter of Hillary Clinton and a major thrust behind the creation of the Illinois Holocaust Museum.
* And Congressman Mark Kirk’s lawyers have convinced Univision Radio to at least temporarily pull an ad by Illinois Immigrant Action slamming the Repbublican US Senate candidate’s immigration positions. You can read the entire letter by clicking here. Progress Illinois has an excerpt…
As reported by today’s Sun-Times, this advertisement falsely claims that Congressman Kirk advocated “condoms” as a solution to illegal immigration. … This is patently false. … There is no record of Kirk ever mentioning “condoms” or “birth control” in connection with immigration or Mexico. … [I]f your station airs this advertisement after gaining knowledge that it contains false and misleading statements, you are subjecting your station to potential liability. […]
We also note that Cong. Kirk is a fluent Spanish speaker who went to school in Mexico. As a Congressman, he worked to improve the lives of Latino constituents by sponsoring a family reunification program (Project Abuelita) and securing a grant to teach English to young Latina mothers to boost their ability to help their kids with schoolwork.
At Illinois Immigrant Action, we understand why Congressman Mark Kirk does not want his embarrassing record of ugly remarks scape-goating immigrants, his refusal to meet to discuss actual workable solutions to our broken immigration system, and his mean-spirited voting record on immigrant issues drawn to the attention of Latino voters. But we are shocked that the Congressman would interfere with our free enterprise system to try to block our ad buy on Univision Radio, to use legal intimidation to prevent Illinois Immigrant Action from exercising our right to corporate free speech, and to interfere in the free marketplace of ideas.
Our ads are accurate. We denounce Congressman Kirk’s efforts to suppress knowledge of his statements to the effect that family planning in Mexico means fewer Mexicans, that the American people support helping Mexican women have fewer babies, and that fewer Mexicans mean less illegal immigration, and that this is a long term solution.
* Barack Obama won Illinois last year with about 61 percent of the vote. After he was inaugurated, his approval rating here shot up into the stratosphere. Now, it’s down to about where his election totals were, according to a Chicago Tribune poll, which has him at 59 percent job approval and 33 percent disapproval.
A Rasmussen Report poll earlier this month had the president’s approval here at 56 percent and his disapproval at 42. So, he’s actually doing better in the Trib poll than in the Rasmussen poll.
Obama’s standing with home-state voters could create problems for Illinois Democrats, if it continues into next year’s general election. Democratic officials have frequently cited their connections to and affinity for the president to try to offset the political fallout from the arrest and removal from office of disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who faces federal corruption charges.
That’s quite an overstatement. The trend obviously isn’t favorable at the moment, but he was at an unsustainable high at the start of the year. The fall was entirely predictable.
* Everybody wants to believe, it seems, that 2010 will be like 1994. There are some eerie similarities, but keep in mind that Bill Clinton tried and failed to pass his national health care plan during the election year. People freaked out, pretty much like they are now, and didn’t have time to settle down. If Obama can get that off the table in the next few months by passing something there will be a long breathing space before November.
About one-third think any health proposal will pay for abortions — even as lawmakers have stripped that measure from key bills wending their way through Congress. And one in five think the health plan will make “end-of-life” determinations for elderly patients, often referred to as “death panels” by opponents of Obama’s health-care reform proposals. This is not the case.
Graphic…
They ain’t exactly siding with the Republicans, either.
Among the potentially troubling signs for Democrats that surfaced in the survey was the fact that only about half of voters who describe themselves as independents approved of Obama’s job performance. Illinois has voted Democratic in recent elections, but independents remain a key swing block.
Additionally, 58 percent of independent voters believed that Obama’s handling of the economy had done little to help the job picture in a state that has seen unemployment rise from 6.7 percent since the presidential election to 10.5 percent in July. On health-care reform, 53 percent of independent voters disapproved of Obama’s actions. […]
The poll found Obama’s job approval remains strongest in his home base of Chicago at 85 percent, among Democrats at 91 percent, and among African-Americans at 94 percent. Voters outside the Chicago area lean slightly more toward dissatisfaction with his job performance, and he has the support of a narrow 52 percent majority of white voters.
The Tribune refuses to post crosstabs, so we’re supposed to just trust their analysis. It’s a maddening habit, but they’re the Tribune.
Thoughts?
Please, try to stay civil. National politics brings out the worst in people. Do your utmost to remain above the fray. As always, resist posting regurgitated national talking points. They’re boring and stupid, for the most part. And try to keep it focused on Illinois.
The Tribune did not release the survey’s cross tabs, so we can’t see the exact figure Pearson is referring to here. (Does “about half” mean slightly more than 50 percent? Slightly less?)
But it’s worth noting that, according to Illinois exit polls, 55 percent of self-described “Independents” supported Obama last November, compared to 43 percent for John McCain. Dropping a few percentage points is hardly definitive, let alone “potentially troubling.”
* 9:53 am - Gov. Pat Quinn has appointed five new U of I trustees. All five are graduates of the school. From a press release…
The five appointments include: Karen A. Hasara, former Mayor of Springfield; Timothy N. Koritz, Staff Anesthesiologist, Rockford Memorial Hospital; Edward L. McMillan, Principal and CEO, McMillan LLC; Pamela B. Strobel, retired Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Exelon; and Carlos E. Tortolero, President, National Museum of Mexican Art. […]
These trustees join Christopher G. Kennedy, president of Merchandise Mart Properties Inc., and Lawrence Oliver II, chief counsel in charge of internal investigations for Boeing Co., who were appointed to the Board by Governor Quinn on August 26.
The University of Illinois Board of Trustees consists of thirteen members, including the Governor. Nine are appointed by the Governor for terms of six years, and three student trustees (one from each campus) are elected by referenda on their campuses for one-year terms. One of these student trustees is designated by the Governor to have an official vote.
