Ginning up the base
Thursday, Oct 30, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the IL GOP…
The Illinois Republican Party sent a second “voter fraud alert” robocall to Illinois Republicans this afternoon, following a new round of questionable issues at polling locations, including an admitted “vote buying” attempt by a Chicago Alderwoman.
“This election is far too important for the Democrats to get away with their attempts to rig the election for Pat Quinn,” said Tim Schneider, Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party. “We deserve a change from the Democrats’ corruption and ‘same-old, same-old’ failures in our state.”
* Robocall script…
Hello, this is Chairman Tim Schneider calling Republicans with another important voter alert. Across the state we’re seeing electronic voting machines that automatically switch a vote from Republican to Democrat. We’re also seeing news reports of Democrats offering money and prizes for votes. Tampering with voting machines and vote-buying is illegal - it’s a felony, and we’re going to make sure anyone who does it gets prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But we need your help. If you see something, say something. If you suspect your voting machine was mis-calibrated or you see offers of money for votes, call our voter fraud hotline at 312-201-9000. Don’t let the Democrats steal this election - get out and vote, and help us stop voter fraud. This call was paid for by the Illinois Republican Party. 312-201-9000.
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Cool new online stuff
Thursday, Oct 30, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* We Ask America has a new turnout effect calculator. It looks pretty cool, and it ought to because I had a little input into how it was built. From the explanation…
The calculator splits Illinois into four regions (Chicago, Suburban Cook Co., Collar Counties and Downstate) and we preset the turnout in each of those areas to match the 2010 midterm turnout. Of course, you can change those anyway you want. We’ve also populated the vote splits with our latest poll results, but you can wipe that out and put your own numbers. After you twiddle the numbers, click the submit button to see what it does to the final results. The whole thing is designed to fit on an iPad, and we included a RESET button to put all the numbers back to presets.
With the Illinois governor’s race as tight as it seems, this shows how tweaking a few numbers effects the final result. Instructions are on the page (just click on the INSTRUCTIONS button).
Have fun.
Click here to try it out. Post your result in comments and the person who is the closest to all three candidate results will win a steak dinner with Gregg Durham.
Just kidding.
Or not. We’ll see how Gregg reacts to this post.
* Meanwhile, subscribers already know that I’ve endorsed TrackBill, a really well-designed bill tracking system. It constantly scans everything over at LIS and will text or e-mail you right after any sort of legislation is introduced or moves that relates to your interests.
Very cool stuff, but - and this is important - make sure to click on their ad in the center column or click here so this website gets the credit. I love the product, but a guy’s gotta eat.
* Back to politics, the folks at Bing.com would like you to know that they have a fancy new election forecaster. Click here to see how their system sees the Illinois governor’s race playing out.
Have you seen any cool new political apps out there?
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It’s just basic mathematics
Thursday, Oct 30, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Bond expert states the obvious…
In Illinois, which has the most underfunded retirement system among U.S. states with a $100 billion uncovered pension liability, incumbent Democratic governor Pat Quinn wants to turn a temporary income tax rise enacted in 2011 into a permanent one.
His Republican opponent Bruce Rauner wants to phase it out and suggests savings instead, such as ending the practice of ramping up state employees’ pay before they retire to boost their pensions.
“The permanence of that tax increase would make it a better credit,” said Peter Hayes, Head of BlackRock’s Municipal Bonds Group, which holds a variety of Illinois-based debt. Hays said that could potentially make the group notch up its exposure to the state’s debt.
* And now, let’s clean out my in-box. AP…
Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn and Republican challenger Bruce Rauner picked up additional endorsements from newspapers around the state.
The (Carbondale) Southern Illinoisan endorsed Quinn on Wednesday, while The Quincy Herald-Whig endorsed Rauner on Thursday.
The Southern described its choice of Quinn as “the devil you know.” The endorsement says Illinois is a “mess” but questions Rauner’s proposals to reduce the state’s income tax and freeze property taxes.
The Herald-Whig says it backs Rauner because the state needs “bold, decisive leadership.”
* Pat Quinn’s latest 15-second TV ad…
* Tribune…
First lady Michelle Obama will appear Saturday in Moline at a get-out-the-vote rally for three Democrats: Gov. Pat Quinn, Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Cheri Bustos.
All three are running for re-election Tuesday and face Republican challenges.
* BND…
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, will attend a rally Sunday in East Alton for GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner.
* Not playing well in the sandbox…
In a press release today, the Illinois Conservatives Facebook page announced they are recommending that Illinois conservatives vote for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner in Tuesday’s election.
The announcement caused division within the Facebook page’s leadership. Two longtime conservatives on the board - Downstate businessman Brian Milleville and attorney Sharee Langenstein - resigned after the board voted by 70 percent to endorse Rauner.
* I’ve been warning the GOP about this for a while now. Sending voting reminder notices to Democrats is not a good idea…
* Speaking of the twitters…
Heh.
* Other stuff that’s keeping my browser tabs open all day…
* Bernard Schoenburg: Bell accuses Scherer of ‘illegally’ taking tax break while he got same exemption
* Even with GOP pushback, Libertarians optimistic in final stretch
* Chicago ad execs on the Bruce Rauner and Pat Quinn ad campaigns
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
“Exelon Corp. is urging state utility regulators to press for changes in power markets that would boost revenue at the company’s Illinois nuclear power fleet by about $580 million.” [Crain’s Chicago Business, September 24, 2014]
Exelon wants a $580 million rate hike!! $580 million…for what??? Even if ratepayers bail out Exelon’s plants with $580 million every year, they won’t even guarantee to keep the plants open.
Illinois’ businesses and citizens are still struggling and the last thing we need is a massive rate increase to bail out Exelon nuclear plants built during the Nixon administration and already paid for several times by ratepayers.
Even ComEd, Exelon’s own sister company, doesn’t agree with subsidized generation at above-market prices:
“ComEd has long believed that competitive markets will work in the best interests of our customers…so we are concerned about the negative impact on our customers from a requirement that would force utilities to buy subsidized generation at above-market prices.” [Crain’s Chicago Business, November 20, 2013]
Yet now Exelon is demanding an annual 580 million dollar bailout from ratepayers—industrial, commercial and residential—because they don’t want to face the risks of the market they championed when it helped Exelon. So much for the “best interests of our customers.”
Just Say No To Exelon’s $580 Million Rate Hike!!
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* An uproar developed earlier this week when Bobby Schilling released a secretly recorded conversation with a Cheri Bustos congressional district office employee. The employee made some racist remarks about Rockfordians, and then resigned when Bustos found out.
It’s probably no surprise, but the person who made the recording once worked for Schilling’s campaign…
Austin Quick, 33, was paid a $3,792 salary in 2009 to work for Schilling’s 2010 congressional campaign, records show. He currently is a seminary student at Mundelein Seminary in the Chicago suburbs. […]
[Schilling campaign spokesman Jon Schweppe] said no one from the campaign asked Quick to make the recording. In a Facebook post dated the same week the recording was made, Quick posted a photo of Schilling and his wife and remarked on having had dinner together.
Contacted by phone Thursday, Quick would not say why he made the secret recording. Asked whether he was denying having covertly recorded Bustos’ district director, Heidi Schultz, he replied, “I’m saying there’s no proof to that.”
Schultz, who resigned her post Monday, said she was provided a photo of Quick and is certain he is the man who appeared in her Rock Island district office late last year, asking about her boss’ position on abortion.
* Now, there’s no defense for what that employee said. Zero.
However, the story also notes that the guy gave the Schilling campaign the recording three months ago.
Let’s revisit Schilling’s press release from earlier this week…
This recording is particularly revealing and Cheri Bustos has a lot to answer for. The views stated on the recording are a window into a cynical operation that does not respect the people she serves.
But it’s in no way “cynical” to sit on this until a week before the election?
C’mon.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Oct 30, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Two of the three gubernatorial candidates bumped into each other today…
* The Question: Caption?
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Dold campaign celebrates Sabato ratings change
Thursday, Oct 30, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a press release…
Adding to the growing momentum leading into Election Day behind Bob Dold’s (R-10) candidacy for Congress, Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball – the nationally recognized nonpartisan Congressional rating system that is housed in the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, upgraded its race rating from “Toss-Up” to “Lean Republican.”
Sabato’s move marks the second time that the leading political handicapper shifted the race in Dold’s direction. View the rating’s change here. The Roll Call newspaper has consistently listed Congressman Schneider as one of the 10 most vulnerable incumbents in the U.S. House of Representatives.
* They did change the rating, but this is what Sabato’s managing editor wrote…
Finally, Reps. Brad Schneider (D, IL-10) and Rick Nolan (D, MN-8) are perhaps the best bets to survive on this list, but strong challengers could very well do them in, even on Democratic turf.
* By the way, he also wrote this…
We have long said that Rep. Nick Rahall (D, WV-3) is in deep trouble, and we continue to believe that he is the most endangered Democratic House incumbent in the country. Right behind him is Rep. Bill Enyart (D, IL-12), whose southern Illinois seat is trending GOP.
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Rate “K Text”
Thursday, Oct 30, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Remember the College Republicans’ “Say Yes To Bruce Rauner “ online ad? Despite huge publicity nationally and locally for the political spoof of a popular cable TV show, it has received fewer than 15,000 views, less than any other state where the ad appeared.
The Quinn campaign’s “Wolf of Winnetka” online ad, which y’all absolutely hated and which got zero earned media, has more than twice as many views as the College GOP ad, 32K+. The follow-up to that “Wolf” ad has almost 24,000 views so far, more than half again as many as the “Say Yes To The Dress” spoof.
I guess there’s no accounting for taste.
* Here’s the new College GOP ad for your amusement. It’s called “K Text”..
Hat tip: Illinois Review.
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Today’s quotable
Thursday, Oct 30, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From last night’s debate between Congressman Bill Enyart and Republican challenger Mike Bost Here’s Bost answering a question about corporate personhood…
“I believe that corporate…corporate…corporations that are making up this United States are also individuals, that those individuals have rights and therefore the corporations have rights to establish what they believe because if you go…and and we’re talking about Hobby Lobby, but how about if we go down to the family farm which is also incorporated? When we start telling them that, okay, you’re incorporated, now you can’t follow your own religious beliefs. I don’t agree with it and I’m…I’m just adamantly opposed.”
If you watch the video, he received significant applause for that one.
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* From a fundraising pitch by the Frerichs campaign…
Yesterday, the Koch Brothers-backed American Future Fund bought attack ads on 12 downstate radio stations in an attempt to rescue Tom Cross’s Treasurer bid.
This is the same PAC that spent millions to limit labor rights in California and has backed extremist conservative candidates across the nation.
This should come as no surprise, as Tom Cross has time and again put the Koch brothers and other big business interests ahead of Illinois residents. Cross voted against legislation to warn parents of contaminated drinking water and against a bill to protect Lake Michigan from waste dumping, siding with corporate interests.
Don’t let the Koch Brothers buy the State Treasurer’s race! Donate $10, $25, or $30 today so Mike can reform the State Treasurer’s office so that it works for the people of Illinois instead of the special interests!
Thank you!
Team Frerichs
The Koch ties are somewhat tenuous, but, whatever, it’s a fundraising e-mail. You can’t fire people up by screaming “Nick Ryan!”
* Listen to the ad…
* The AFF press release…
The American Future Fund Political Action issued a new radio advertisement in support of Illinois Treasurer candidate Tom Cross. The ad focuses on Cross’ experience, bipartisan record, and reform-minded approach to clean up Springfield, stand up to the Governor’s deficit spending, and protect the hard-earned tax dollars of Illinois families.
The ad, titled “Clear Choice,” is airing on radio stations statewide.
Nick Ryan, Chairman of the American Future Fund Political Action, said: “The Illinois state government has become a pool of corruption that is wasting tax dollars for the benefit of corrupt politicians. Time has come for a change in Springfield. There is one candidate in the race for Illinois Treasurer who will stand up and fight this corruption and stand with Illinois voters – and that choice is Tom Cross.”
* The official Frerichs campaign media statement…
Across three decades, when energy companies and polluters have needed a friend in Springfield, Tom Cross has been their man. Tom Cross was one of only a handful of lawmakers to oppose bipartisan legislation backed by Mark Kirk, Barack Obama and even Jim Durkin to prevent toxic sledge from being dumped near Lake Michigan, and Tom Cross voted to allow toxic mercury into the drinking water of millions. Its no surprise the Koch Brothers, who are leading the charge against the environment in Illinois, are coming to rescue their friend Tom Cross.
The group has not yet filed a report with the State Board of Elections.
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McKeon upset by “hatchet job”
Thursday, Oct 30, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From pollster Mike McKeon regarding my opinion of yesterday’s Sun-Times poll story…
Rich, hadn’t seen your hatchet job before I talked to you. If you even bothered to check the cross tabs you would have seen that the reporter was referring to the Southern Illinois section of my poll (below) and not downstate out side the collar counties. If you are calling an area that has St Clair, Madison and Jackson counties in it a traditional Republican strong hold then - I fear- you are snorting pixie dust..
If you believe that social issues - which is all the Dem super pacs are pushing -are more important to women then jobs, good luck. And you think Frerichs is a much more traditional ballot name than Cross? Also the Rauner spokes person is a moron, he has a chance to say Rauner is doing well with women talking jobs and he blasts the down state numbers instead?
As for the “controversial” women’s vote I go with what is there. Whether it is Madigan (see attached) to LaRouche, to Duke in Louisiana, to the recall elections in Colorado last year or showing that Rahm was not viewed favorably - that is what I do - show what’s there when I poll. I know I will take heat when I come out with things like this. Been taking heat for a long time, no problem.
As for your offer to kiss my ass if I am right I will pass- would not be able to tell if your mooning or kissing.it.
All the best Mike
* OK, first of all, I excerpted the Sun-Times story on the Downstate numbers. If he has a beef with that, he should take it up with the Sun-Times.
Secondly, here’s how McKeon explained the highly unusual poll result showing women favored Rauner 55-38…
But McKeon stands by the numbers, saying the high percentage of cellphone interviews in his polling captures a better cross-section of women of all ages than other surveys that are more dependant on traditional land lines.
And McKeon said women want to hear more about good-paying jobs and the economy and believe that the Democratic message has been too focused on social issues and the minimum wage.
“Women are in bad shape in the work force and the Democrats, all they’re doing is pushing social issues, overwhelmingly,” McKeon argued.
* Thirdly, notice how he never explains why Quinn is supposedly leading Rauner among men by 23 points, 53-30. I mean, that’s more unusual than the women’s preference. By far.
From the 2010 exit poll…
* And lastly, I did indeed tell him yesterday that I would publicly kiss his behind if the exit polls show Quinn winning men by a huge margin and losing women by a huge margin while still managing to win the race. I figured it was a safe bet.
* Also, the attachments he sent are here…
* Regions defined
* 1983 letter from Mike Madigan
* 1980s era article on the LaRouchies
* 1991 articles on David Duke race
* 2013 Colorado recall press release and article
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Run away! Run away!
Thursday, Oct 30, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rep. Marty Moylan debated his Republican opponent Mel Thillens yesterday…
In response to a question from debate moderator Joe Campagna, past president of the Park Ridge chamber, only one candidate said who he is supporting for governor.
“Bruce Rauner’s got to be the guy who goes to the governor’s mansion next,” Thillens said. “We’ve got to change the conversation in Springfield.”
Moylan didn’t declare.
“I’m concentrating on my election. … I’m worried about Marty Moylan.”
* The Rauner campaign react…
“Independent suburban voters are rejecting Pat Quinn and his plan to raise taxes right after the election. You know Pat Quinn’s in serious trouble when members of his own party won’t admit they support his re-election with under a week to go.” - Rauner spokesperson Mike Schrimpf
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* From a press release…
“With five days left before a close election, Pat Quinn is so bankrupt of ideas he has to steal one of Bruce Rauner’s accomplishments to get positive press coverage.” – Rauner spokesperson Mike Schrimpf
Fact: Bruce Rauner was an early supporter and helped create the plan for the recently launched UI Labs, a research and commercialization collaborative. The Chicago Tribune reported on it in January 2013:
“Some students and researchers prefer the city to a smaller community … so this could increase the quality of the faculty,” said Bruce Rauner, a prominent Chicago venture capitalist who has worked on the development of this plan. “This can drive better research.”
The intent is to develop a “junior year abroad program” as well, with the aim of attracting top students from overseas.
Fact: With five days left before a close election, Pat Quinn is so bankrupt of ideas he has to steal one of Bruce Rauner’s accomplishments to get positive press coverage. #desperate #shameless #timeforchange
But that Tribune story also noted…
The goal of this project, supported by Gov. Pat Quinn and Mayor Rahm Emanuel, is to retain the next generation of Illinois-trained innovators.
* From February, 2013…
The University of Illinois is taking its second big step in a month to sharply increase its involvement in a Chicago-area economy that arguably could use some help.
Gov. Pat Quinn will announce today in his State of the State speech that the Urbana-Champaign school, in partnership with its National Center for Supercomputing Applications and private companies, will be forming an Illinois Manufacturing Lab likely to be located in the central area of Chicago.
* From December, 2013…
Plans for Chicago to become a hub for advanced manufacturing technology are moving down the assembly line with people, money and pilot projects.
Gov. Pat Quinn, who laid out the idea for a manufacturing lab in February, is expected to announce this morning that it will be the first assignment for UI Labs and will begin pilot projects with 10 manufacturers.
Mr. Quinn’s Illinois Manufacturing Lab was launched with a $5 million commitment from the state. University of Illinois trustees are expected to vote today on providing matching funds for the project. Chicago manufacturing consultant Scott Miller has been named interim director of the IML.
More here.
…Adding… If Quinn did steal it, and he may have, he’s been stealing it for almost two years now.
…Adding More… From Quinn’s press release…
Governor Pat Quinn today was joined by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and leadership from UI LABS to break ground on UI LABS’ future headquarters and the new Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII). The event is part of Governor Quinn’s agenda to create jobs and drive Illinois’ economy forward.
“I’ve made this facility a major priority for Illinois by personally making our case to both the White House and Secretary of Defense, as well as securing key private sector partners because I know how important this institution will be to revitalizing our manufacturing industry,” Governor Quinn said. “The Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute will help keep Illinois’ economic comeback going. I’m pleased to break ground on this facility that will solidify Illinois’ position as a high-tech manufacturing hub, support our growing technology and innovation sectors and create jobs across the state.”
The Governor personally petitioned the Secretary of Defense twice and made the case to key White House officials about the benefits and importance of DMDII. The Governor also worked to bring key private sector partners into the initiative, including CAT, Deere & Company, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and many more.
…Adding Still More… The Rauner folks have been pushing back on this all morning and moments ago sent me a link to this Greg Hinz piece…
Mr. Rauner put out a rather overblown press release today terming today’s news “one of Bruce Rauner’s accomplishments.” That’s a bit overstated, and I’ll put that down to an overeager press aide. But it is an absolute fact that the first person I heard about UI Labs from a year and a half ago was Mr. Rauner, who had been quietly pushing the concept for some period.
The press release said Quinn stole Rauner’s “accomplishment.” That implies that Rauner did the whole thing, which is completely bogus. He didn’t say that Quinn stole his idea. He was most definitely in on the original idea. But the record is obvious that he did not “accomplish” this thing entirely on his own. Period.
Greg also wrote this…
Credit also goes to Mr. Quinn, Michael Sacks at World Business Chicago, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and — legitimately — Mayor Rahm Emanuel. All were heavily involved in lining up companion state and local funding, and in pushing the Obama Administration to just say yes.
In 30 years of covering this kind of thing, I’ve not seen anything that’s drawn this much potential. Try working together some more, gang. And don’t blow it.
Exactly.
…Adding Quinn Response… From a press release…
Quinn Communications Chief Responds to Bruce Rauner’s Arrogant “It Was All Me” Claim
As Governor Pat Quinn stood with Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Senator Dick Durbin this morning to break ground on a new digital manufacturing hub that they worked together to make possible, Quinn for Illinois communications director Brooke Anderson responded to billionaire Bruce Rauner’s false and arrogant claim that this hard-fought manufacturing win for Illinois was all about Rauner:
“Only billionaire Bruce Rauner - who couldn’t name a single one of his companies that created any jobs - would resort to arrogantly taking credit for the Governor’s work and partnership with other leaders to bring this advanced manufacturing hub to Illinois.
“All week, Mr. Rauner has complained about good economic news that he views as detrimental to his doomsayer campaign. Fortunately for the people of Illinois and unfortunately for Mr. Rauner, Illinois is making a comeback and currently leading the Midwest in job creation.
“Given that Mr. Rauner’s whole career has been about eliminating jobs, making millions at other people’s expense and always passing the buck when things go wrong, we’re not surprised that he’d be exemplifying this behavior down to the very end. ”
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* Bruce Rushton at the Illinois Times writes about his good friend Dave McKinney…
Reporters get lied to every day. It’s part of the job. But if you’re a journalist with any gumption, you can’t work with people you can’t trust, and so McKinney had no choice but to quit after this bizarre shell game with his livelihood in the finishing weeks of a white-hot gubernatorial race.
McKinney will land on his feet somewhere, but maybe not in journalism. All newspapers talk a good game, but lots of editors are afraid of someone like McKinney who, naively or not, demands as much integrity from his employer as he does from himself. […]
In the end, then, we have learned nothing about either Rauner or McKinney. We have, however learned a great deal about the Sun-Times. The only thing that can salvage a shred of the newspaper’s credibility now is an explanation that makes sense coupled with a rolling head or two. You can’t suspend a reporter, then say you have that reporter’s back, then yank his byline, all the while proclaiming that everything is on the up-and-up. If McKinney’s marriage was going to cost him his job, he should have been told before the wedding. Instead, the Sun-Times told him that everything would be fine, then cut him off at the knees on the back end.
* McKinney’s former Sun-Times colleague Neil Steinberg had his own take…
The news was nauseating when it first hit, but now it’s settled down a bit. I don’t know all the intricacies of what occurred, just what I’ve gleaned from the buzz going around. So my take is both half-informed and skewed from someone who has worked at the Sun-Times for 27 years and did not quit on the countless occasions when I ran into aspects of the business that made me wince.
A previous owner, David Radler used to push for all sorts of squishy stories to benefit his pal, Rod Blagojevich; the trick was to accept the assignment, and then quietly bury it into a Dumpster and forget about it, so ethics weren’t compromised. It worked; Radler’s long gone and Rod’s long gone—both men wound up in prison—but I’m still here. To me, the still-being-at-the-paper part is important. Rauner getting Dave fired and Dave quitting are functionally the same thing—he’s gone either way—and while I admire Dave as much as anybody, I can’t fight the creeping feeling he played into the hands of the Evil We All Oppose.
A few things to keep in mind: A) the newspaper that many are castigating for supposedly caving to Rauner is the same newspaper that just last week was happily publishing McKinney’s sharp pieces shredding Rauner; B) the endorsement of Rauner, though regrettable, is a different beast entirely than the supposed pressure he put on reporters. Every owner in the history of newspapering ballyhoos candidates he likes, a little or a lot, though no one is arguing that this was smoothly done; C) Rauner’s accusations that McKinney’s wife, a Democratic operative, was somehow driving the stories, while ridiculous—a story either is solid or it’s not; it hardly matters who suggested it, not that I have any reason to doubt Dave’s version of events—had a veneer of seriousness that justified investigation, and being nudged off your beat for a week is not, in itself, a big deal. I was suspended for a week last year for what struck me as a truly tenuous reason. But I didn’t tell anybody and few noticed (sigh) making it a whole lot easier to come back and start doing my job again, which is the route I wish Dave had chosen to take since while it is courageous to make a stand for journalistic integrity, you can only self-immolate once, there’s a dramatic flash and then ashes but what have you accomplished? The bottom line is, D) I sincerely believe that had McKinney managed to just step around this mess and gone back to doing his job, an important life skill in journalism, instead of pouring gasoline over himself, and the paper, and striking a match, the whole thing would be over by now and he’d be back to kicking Rauner’s ass, which is what this is supposedly all about; E) I wish this were “The Front Page” era so everybody involved could just go out and get drunk together, shake their heads at their collective stupidity, and go back to work the next day. But F) it’s not. The only upside I see in the real world is that G) Bruce Rauner revealed himself even more starkly as the ruthless, vindictive creature that he most certainly is, eager to try to squelch a story by leaning hard on the little folk reporting it. I can’t imagine anybody wanting that as governor. So maybe it’ll do some ultimate good, though the sting will linger on this one, and now we have to find somebody who thinks it’s a good career move to spend time in Springfield.
Thoughts?
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Rauner with 2-1 money lead over Quinn
Thursday, Oct 30, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Republican Bruce Rauner and Democrat Pat Quinn are on pace to spend more than $100 million on the Illinois governor’s race, doubling the state’s previous record in a closely watched contest featuring heavy investment by business and labor.
As of Wednesday evening, Rauner had collected $63.75 million and Quinn had raised $29.3 million — the balance tilted to the Republican side largely because the Winnetka equity investor has dipped into his own fortune for $26.1 million. […]
Campaign disclosure reports show Rauner has raised his money from more than 8,500 separate donations. But 23 individuals or groups account for donations of $100,000 or more, generating more than $47 million of the $63 million he’s raised. Rauner sits atop the list with his own $26.1 million — nearly as much as Quinn has raised overall.
Rauner’s top six donors, excluding himself, account for $15.2 million: the Republican Governors Association with $8.6 million; Chicago hedge fund CEO Ken Griffin with $4.6 million; longtime conservative donor Richard Uihlein and his Uline Corp. with $640,000; the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association with $565,000; and Rauner former equity firm business partner Edgar Jannotta Jr. and Elizabeth Christie, another donor to GOP causes, with $405,300 each.
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Waukegan school strike finally ends
Thursday, Oct 30, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Things got tense in Waukegan Tuesday night when an angry audience confronted the local school board over a three-week teachers strike…
Tempers flared in the north suburbs Tuesday night as anger and frustration over a three-week teachers’ strike boil over.
Despite extra security, metal detectors and barricades for crowd control, the Waukegan school board abruptly ended its meeting. […]
When the school board announced the time allotted for public comment would be shorter than expected, tempers flared.
Board members tried to conduct the meeting, but the crowd shouted them down. What happened next eliciting even more anger.
And…
In response to jeers, school board member Victoria Torres leapt off the stage and into the crowd, where she scolded teachers and parents.
“Alright, let’s go! I’m a parent too! Yeah, sit down and shut up. Yeah, shut up!” Torres told the crowd. […]
“Her conduct was unacceptable, unnecessary, unprofessional; and I think the only thing she should do now is resign her position,” Waukegan Mayor Wayne Motley told a local CBS outlet. “I will contact the board members. I think that she set negotiations back two weeks.”
Raw video is here. Torres apologized the next day.
This strike has torn open some major wounds, as teacher strikes usually do. But quite a few politicians embraced the striking teachers, putting even more pressure on the school board.
* Yesterday, Gov. Quinn dispatched his state school board chairman Gery Chico to help mediate and the strike was finally settled last night. From a joint statement from the Board of Education and the Waukegan Teachers’ Council…
Shortly before midnight tonight, the Board of Education for Waukegan Community Unit School District # 60 and the Waukegan Teachers’ Council reached a tentative agreement on a three-year contract.
All schools will remain closed on October 30 and October 31, as both parties review the agreement. Pending a ratification by teachers on Thursday, teachers will return to work on Friday to help prepare schools for re-opening to students on Monday, November 3.
“This tentative agreement represents not only a compromise between the Union and the Board, but an end to what was a long, trying process for all parties involved,” said Waukegan Teachers’ Council President Kathy Schwarz. “We are grateful to the entire Waukegan community that struggled with us through these difficult times. We would also like to thank Governor Pat Quinn and Illinois State Board of Education Chairman Gery Chico for their assistance during the conclusion of contract talks. After years of instability, we are hopeful that this agreement will be the first step in giving our students the schools they deserve.”
“It is with great delight that we acknowledge having reached a Tentative Agreement with our teachers that will return our students to their classrooms. These last four weeks have been difficult for everyone involved. Both the Board of Education and I have witnessed first hand a great passion for education from parents, students and community members.
We eagerly look forward to working together as a community for the betterment of our students,” said Waukegan Superintendent Dr. Donaldo R. Batiste, and we thank the many community partners who came forward to offer invaluable support and assistance. Particular gratitude is extended to Governor Quinn, ISBE Chairman Chico, State Superintendent Koch, and Regional Superintendent Wood,” said Superintendent, Dr. Donaldo R. Batiste.
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* Ted Siedle at Forbes…
In short, I learned from my experience with Rauner that you don’t have to be brilliant to be successful in the silly business of buying and melding together established businesses—businesses you really know very little about—using state workers’ retirement savings. Access to public pension assets is the key prerequisite.
Trust me, any money manager with workers’ monies committed to funding his professional development for a protracted period of time, eventually—assuming he’s reasonably intelligent and capable of learning from his mistakes—will stumble upon a winner. Worse case, he’ll lose much of the workers savings over the course of the standard ten-year lock-up commitment period and pocket millions in asset-based management fees along the way.
Just being around all that pension cha-ching, tweaking purchase and sale agreements and engaging in thinly-disclosed rampant self-dealing virtually guarantees the manager blessed with Other People’s Money under his care will end up wealthy himself. Call it a “wealth transfer.”
Better still, thanks to private equity secrecy agreements, your clients may never know just how much you profited potentially at their expense.
Read the whole thing.
*** UPDATE 1 *** The Rauner campaign responds by attacking the author…
EDWARD SIEDLE IS A UNION ATTACK DOG
Siedle Wrote Articles Attacking Rhode Island Treasurer Gina Raimondo For Investing In Private Equity Funds. “In an online column for Forbes on April 4, Siedle blasted Raimondo for dramatically increasing both risk and fees by steering a sizable chunk of Rhode Island’s $7-billion state pension fund into ‘alternative investments,’ including hedge funds. He accused her of enabling a ‘Wall Street feeding frenzy.’” (Mike Stanton, “Former SEC Watchdog Edward Siedle Criticizes Rhode Island Treasurer’s Pension Strategies,” Providence Journal, 6/30/13)
Shortly After Attacking Raimondo, Siedle Was Paid $20,000 By A Union Hostile To The Treasurer. “A month later, he was having lunch in Providence at Capriccio with Rhode Island union officials and retirees who had read his columns, including two top officials of the state’s largest public employees union, Council 94 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Shortly thereafter, Council 94 hired Siedle for $20,000 to investigate Rhode Island’s pension funds. Siedle declined to reveal his fee, but Council 94 president J. Michael Downey confirmed it after questions from The Providence Journal.” (Mike Stanton, “Former SEC Watchdog Edward Siedle Criticizes Rhode Island Treasurer’s Pension Strategies,” Providence Journal, 6/30/13)
Forbes Forced Sielde To Stop Writing About Rhode Island. “Raimondo immediately attacked Siedle’s credibility and motives. ‘This was a bait and switch,’ said Raimondo spokeswoman Joy Fox. ‘He sold himself as a journalist while pitching a local union for business.’ Raimondo complained to Forbes, which says it has asked Siedle, an unpaid contributor since 2006, to ‘cease writing about Rhode Island.’” (Mike Stanton, “Former SEC Watchdog Edward Siedle Criticizes Rhode Island Treasurer’s Pension Strategies,” Providence Journal, 6/30/13)
*** UPDATE 2 *** The author has responded to the Rauner camp’s claims…
While Gina Raimondo, Democratic Treasurer of Rhode Island (and candidate for Governor) did indeed complain to Forbes about my writings exposing her Wall Street agenda, Forbes never asked me to stop writing about her. I have written a dozen articles on Forbes about her since her complaint which have been read by hundreds of thousands.
Check the record Bruce before you embarrass yourself with bogus allegations.
What about the red flags I’ve identified at GTCR, conflicts and secret dealings? Will you make public the potentially damning evidence?
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Do you believe in magic?
Wednesday, Oct 29, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* If you believe this about the Sun-Times’ newest EXCLUSIVE POLL…
The survey also showed Quinn was hurting when it came to the women vote – with 38 percent of the women polled saying they’d vote for Quinn when compared to 55 percent of women backing Rauner.
And if you believe that Jim Oberweis is leading Dick Durbin among women 50-41…
And if you believe this…
The survey, conducted Wednesday in live telephone interviews by McKeon & Associates, shows Quinn and Rauner each with 45 percent of the Downstate vote – a segment of the state that’s traditionally loyal to Republicans.
[Actually, I think that’s supposed to be southern Illinois.]
And if you believe that Gov. Pat Quinn is leading among males 53-30…
And if you believe that Tom Cross is taking 27 percent of the African-American vote and is leading Mike Frerichs among Latinos 40-37…
Well, then it truly is silly season and I feel sorry for you.
* This is the same newspaper, you may recall, which published (on its front page, no less) the results of a 2006 poll showing Rod Blagojevich leading Judy Baar Topinka by 30 points, 56-26.
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* From Andy Stone at Facebook…
In the hotly contested Illinois governor’s race, both Governor Pat Quinn and challenger Bruce Rauner have agreed to hold Facebook Q&As and answer questions directly from the voters. Each Q&A will happen on WLS-TV/ABC7Chicago’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/abc7chicago.
Gov. Quinn will hold his Facebook Q&A on Wednesday, October 29, at 8 p.m. CT / 9 p.m. ET.
Bruce Rauner will hold his Facebook Q&A on Thursday, October 30 at 8 p.m. CT / 9 p.m. ET.
Using Facebook’s Q&A tool, people from across Illinois will have the opportunity to ask a question of Governor Pat Quinn and challenger Bruce Rauner and watch the conversation play out in real time.
More information below:
https://www.facebook.com/abc7chicago/photos/a.419473366161.196130.165583971161/10152861092066162/?type=1
* Meanwhile WTTW is planning to use social media to enhance its US Senate debate coverage tonight. From Jay Smith, Supervising Producer, Chicago Tonight…
Hi Rich,
I hope you are well. I wanted to let you know that our forum with Dick Durbin and Jim Oberweis will be live streamed on our web site [tonight.] It will also be aired on Public TV and Radio stations statewide, including:
TV: WQPT – Quad Cities, WSIU – Carbondale, WILL – Champaign/Urbana, WTVP – Peoria, WEIU- Charleston
Radio: WBEZ - Chicago, WVIK – Quad Cities, Tri States Public Radio – Macomb, WGLT- Normal, WSIU – Carbondale, WNIU – Dekalb/Rockford, WUIS – Springfield, WCBU – Peoria.
We also will have a twitter stream widget on our web site, pulling in selected live tweeted commentary. Let me know if you’re going to be live tweeting and we can pull you in to that tool. We are also experimenting with using some Twitter content during the program.
Take care,
Jay
WTTW.com. The debate begins at 7 o’clock.
* And, finally…
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Oct 29, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A friend snapped this pic and sent it to me earlier today…
Apparently, it’s one of those “mixed marriages.”
For those of you who don’t know, freshman Rep. Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines) is attempting to fend off hard-charging opponent Mel Thillens (R-Park Ridge) in the 55th House District.
* The Question: Caption?
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Circling back on guns, gay marriage
Wednesday, Oct 29, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* When I first posted this ad, it was still just a YouTube video, but some of you thought it was one of the better ads of the season. Well, the Gun Violence Prevention IE PAC (G-PAC) says it raised $200,000 to get the spot on the air in Chicago. That ain’t much, particularly since the airwaves are absolutely packed right now with campaign commercials. But it might be striking enough to stand out…
* Meanwhile, from Equality Illinois…
After the Illinois House failed to pass the marriage bill in May 2013, Equality Illinois announced its Fight Back for Marriage campaign, making the commitment to spend $500,000 by the November 2014 election in the face of threats from marriage opponents to defeat the bill and oust the legislators who supported it.
By the end of the 2014 election cycle, the organization will have spent over $610,000, including:
Over $150,000 in direct contributions to candidates by the Equality Illinois Political Action Committee, the political arm of Equality Illinois,
Nearly $100,000 in a sophisticated information campaign to educate the electorate, and
An unprecedented targeted get-out-the-vote effort, with more than 400 Equality Illinois PAC volunteers making more than 60,000 persuasion, identification, or turn-out phone calls in support of Gov. Pat Quinn and other LGBT-supportive candidates
Discuss.
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* Joe Cahill on Gov. Pat Quinn’s month-long goodies tour…
But lately Mr. Quinn has authorized some big-money discretionary grants to companies that agree to expand in Illinois. Like Amazon, many had strong business reasons to add staff here without state funding. This month alone, the governor gave a total of $22 million to four Illinois-based companies. We’re talking direct transfers of state money here, not loans or tax credits.
I know what you’re thinking, because I’m thinking the same thing: The governor is giving away our money to generate favorable headlines about new jobs in Illinois a month before voters decide whether or not to give him another term.
The commerce spokesman acknowledges a halo effect. “In most cases, I think the timing largely had to do with the companies and when they were able to go forward,” he says, but adds, “We have a good story to tell — and do I want to tell it before Nov. 4? Yes. Is that a crime?”
Joe doesn’t identify the spokesman and agrees with the spokesman that it’s not illegal.
I dunno about that. At minimum, an admission like this is bound to create an uproar over an inappropriate mixture of government and campaigning at DCEO.
And, really, what kind of a doofus admits to election day motivations for pushing state corporate subsidies out the door after the lousy year his governor has had with the 2010 NRI program? And less than a week before election day at that?
This ain’t good, campers.
*** UPDATE *** From the Rauner campaign…
“Pat Quinn is already under federal investigation for misusing millions in October of 2010, and now it looks like he’s pumped out half a billion dollars this month to boost his campaign once again. He’s throwing around taxpayer money in October in the hopes of raising your taxes in November. Throwing around more money in the last six days won’t change the harm Pat Quinn has caused Illinois over the last six years.” - Rauner spokesperson Mike Schrimpf
And adds…
As of today, Pat Quinn has doled out nearly $500 million in the last four weeks. In the last two days alone, he doled out $36 million.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Well, at least now we know who the doofus is. From an AP report posted yesterday…
While Amazon’s Misener said the timing of his company’s announcement was “a complete coincidence,” a spokesman for the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity said that agency had been in regular contact with Cronus Chemicals hoping the announcement would happen before the election.
“We have some good news here, and, yes, we wanted everybody to know about that before the election,” DCEO spokesman David Roeder said. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”
How brazen can he get?
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Rate JBT’s TV ad
Wednesday, Oct 29, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This is her positive ad. She’s also running a “response ad,” but I don’t yet have that one. Anyway, here you go…
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Stupidly illegal
Wednesday, Oct 29, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This is just one more reason from the mountain of reasons why Gov. Pat Quinn should never have allowed Chicago aldermen to pick which groups would get anti-violence program money in 2010. Too many aldermen really are this goofy, or worse…
A Chicago alderman may be in hot water after she offered people the chance to win prizes if they vote.
Fifth Ward Alderman Leslie Hairston has since pulled the post off her Facebook page, but not after it caught the attention of the Cook County State’s Attorney. […]
The post on the alderman’s Facebook page went up Monday telling residents they could win raffle prizes if they go to the polls.
Hairston’s instructions: “Vote–you’re eligible no matter the candidate, then put their name and contact information on the back of their voter receipt…. And stop by the Fifth Ward office and drop it off.”
Among the raffle prizes were gift cards from area businesses, including Walgreens, Potbelly’s and Starbucks. Plus, $100 visa gift cards.
* From the state election code…
Sec. 29-1. Vote buying.
Any person who knowingly gives, lends or promises to give or lend any money or other valuable consideration to any other person to influence such other person to vote or to register to vote or to influence such other person to vote for or against any candidate or public question to be voted upon at any election shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.
Pretty darned clear.
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Keep calm and comment on
Wednesday, Oct 29, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The morning videos have mostly worked as intended - giving most of us something to agree on before proceeding with the divisive events of the day.
Even so, things are starting to get a little tense in comments as election day draws ever nearer.
* I’ve enjoyed covering and watching this campaign season more than any in my lifetime. I wasn’t sure why until this morning, when I was hanging out with Oscar the Puppy. He’s kept me calm, he’s allowed me to laugh at the absurdities without getting overly worked up.
So, here’s a pic I took not long after I had that little revelation…
Feel any better?
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A big Wednesday oppo dump
Wednesday, Oct 29, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Uh-oh…
A campaign committee formed last week to support the Libertarian Party candidate for governor is headed by a convicted felon.
The Liberty for Illinois committee has sent out direct mail pieces in support of gubernatorial candidate Chad Grimm’s third party bid against Republican Bruce Rauner and Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn.
The committee, which has received all of its $200,000 in funding from the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, is headed by Michael Bonivel, of Chicago, who spent at least two years in prison on two separate drug-related convictions.
Bonivel’s involvement in the race for governor is the latest twist in a push by the Operating Engineers to dilute support for Rauner among conservative voters. The Joliet-based labor organization already gave Grimm $30,000 to help tilt a hotly contested race in Quinn’s favor.
* Yikes…
Court documents reveal that Bruce Rauner personally authorized a transaction which appears to have involved the flushing away of state pension money as part of a plan designed to allow Rauner and his fellow GTCR principals to escape liability in nursing home lawsuits.
* Hmm…
I recently briefly examined GTCR’s SEC filings. Below are my observations about the industry generally and Rauner’s firm specifically. […]
The litany of permissible conflict of interest scenarios (many of which are commonplace throughout private equity) detailed in Bruce Rauner’s firm SEC filings, should be disturbing to any so-called sophisticated investor. Unfortunately, public pensions routinely consent to such potentially harmful conflicts either because they don’t read, don’t fully comprehend the oblique disclosures, or simply don’t care that politically-connected insiders may be profiting at the expense of stakeholders.
…Adding… One more…
But this story of how someone appeared to get a job with political pull and then ended up on the payroll of the state’s Executive Ethics Commission does have a certain only-in-Illinois quality to it.
The story involves a woman named Gretchen Tucka. She was referenced several times as “Employee 218″ in a report by Illinois Executive Inspector General Ricardo Meza that absolutely excoriated IDOT, charging that hundreds of people had been improperly hired by the department under Govs. Rod Blagojevich and Pat Quinn.
…Adding… I know I said “one more,” but here’s another one…
Before entrusting anti-crime program funds in North Lawndale, the Quinn administration acted on the advice of then-Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon (24th), picking the non-profit Better Boys Foundation as the “lead agency” for NRI in North Lawndale.
In February, the Illinois auditor general’s office reviewed about $388,000 that the Better Boys Foundation oversaw and concluded that 46 percent of the money went for what “appeared to be unallowable” expenses or there was no documentation to back up what was done with those dollars.
On Tuesday — more than eight months since the auditor general’s report was completed — a state spokeswoman said the foundation provided it with documentation and “we are in the process of reviewing it to determine if any funds will need to be recovered.”
In any case, two top foundation executives are no longer in their jobs. That’s because both former executive director John Holton and LaTonya Lumpkin — whose resume notes that she directed NRI in North Lawndale for the Better Boys Foundation — have landed jobs in Quinn’s administration. They were put in positions exempt from merit-hiring, anti-patronage rules, state records show.
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Will it help or will it backfire?
Wednesday, Oct 29, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The National Journal on Bruce Rauner’s persistent outreach to African-American voters…
Democrats are perplexed by Rauner’s strategy, assuming it’s as much a play to win over moderate suburban white voters as it is to actually win over black votes. Even one in-state Republican operative wondered why Rauner was spending valuable October campaign time in overwhelmingly Democratic precincts, given that he needs to win over undecided suburbanites in more politically-competitive territory.
“What Rauner is trying to do is taking a 90-10 electorate, and making it 88-12,” said a former adviser to Rahm Emanuel about the Republican’s focus on black voters. “That’s a waste of your time when there’s a 60-40 [suburban] electorate that you can make 50-50.” […]
Even Republicans working for Rauner privately acknowledged that despite their candidate’s optimism, they’re not going to reshape long-standing voting patterns that have consigned Republicans to a sliver of the black vote. His campaign has set a goal of winning 20 percent of the vote in Chicago, something that can be accomplished with only small inroads among minority voters. But they also hope that by highlighting Rauner’s minority outreach, he’ll improve his showing among softer Republican voters—like married women in the suburbs and moderates. The Chicago Tribune poll, which showed Rauner narrowly ahead, reported that his gains had “been driven primarily by white suburban women, a voting bloc considered socially moderate but fiscally conservative.”
Indeed, Rauner is part of a leading wave of candidates who are beginning to engage in minority outreach, even if it doesn’t render immediate political dividends. Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus has prioritized minority outreach in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election, and has opened field offices meant to reach African-American voters in Ohio, North Carolina, Michigan, and Florida.
* If it was all just a made-for-TV show to convince suburban women that he’s an open-minded moderate, then I might agree. But Rauner’s campaign and the IL GOP are also doing quite a bit of other outreach that suburban women won’t ever hear about, including significant amounts of direct mail, black and Latino radio/TV ads, etc.
He is, in other words, forcefully and repeatedly reminding the Democratic Party’s base that there’s an election going on. It would be akin to Democrats blanketing Wheaton with a high-dollar, shotgun-style GOTV program.
Not to mention that African-American preachers - as a class - aren’t exactly beloved by the hardcore Republican “base.” There’s some downside for Rauner here.
But, hey, maybe it’ll work. I give him credit for the outreach, at least. He has, without a doubt, forcefully expressed more high-profile concerns about the economic and social justice plights of minorities than most any other Republican we’ve seen in this state. Props for that.
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* From the Weekly Standard…
Two Illinois voters say their attempts to vote early for Republicans on an electronic voting machine were registered as votes for Democrats—and they say have the video evidence to prove it.
* The video is starting to go viral…
But scroll down through the hype and you get to this…
Eventually, both voters were able to vote for the Republican candidates, as they say they preferred. They said the screen appeared to be poorly calibrated, so that while pressing anywhere in the box for a Democrat registered a vote for the Democrat, only pressing the bottom half of the Republican box did so for the Republican. The only way to make the correct vote, they said, was to press the incorrectly checked box to “uncheck” it, then press low in the Republican’s box. The voters say they were able to figure this out without calling over an election judge for help.
If you watch the video again, you can see that the person pressed right on the line dividing the two candidates. And they figured it out without assistance.
* More…
Jon Schweppe, a spokesman for the Schilling campaign, says he called an official on the Illinois state board of elections on Friday afternoon about the voters’ complaints.
“I spoke with Bruce Brown at the Illinois State Board of Elections,” Schweppe says. “He called me back about an hour later after speaking with the Rock Island County Clerk’s office. He told me he suggested a full recalibration to fix the problem. He said it was a common problem and easy to fix.”
This really needs to be addressed by the State Board of Elections. Calibrations errors are easily overcome, but why are the machines going out of calibration in the first place? Shouldn’t there be regular testing throughout each day of voting if this is a problem?
* Also, a judge ruled against the GOP about another issue in the county…
Rock Island County Clerk Karen Kinney addressed concerns about her handling of absentee ballots after a judge ruled in her favor Monday.
Kinney’s office has been the target of a Republican Party attack that not only is she opening ballots early and counting them but that her voting machines are calibrated in such a way that switches votes from Republican to Democrat.
Rock Island County Circuit Judge Lori Lefstein denied the GOP’s emergency injunction on the counting of absentee ballots.
“There is nothing wrong in this office,” Kinney, a Democrat, said afterward.
Keep in mind that the county clerk is facing reelection, and the unions have been pushing early voting very hard in RICO, so a bit of misdirection and over-playing of relatively minor problems is to be expected, like this press release from the IL GOP…
ILGOP Demands Action After Vote-Switching Video Surfaces
In wake of shocking vote-switching video in Rock Island County, ILGOP demands clerk stop pretending voting machines are calibrated correctly
Schneider: “The Illinois Republican Party will take any and all necessary legal action to ensure that every single voter’s voice is heard.”
Rock Island, IL – The Illinois Republican Party expressed shock and outrage over a video that surfaced today showing voting machines in Rock Island County calibrated to switch votes from Republican to Democrat.
The Rock Island County Clerk had previously dismissed multiple complaints of vote-switching as false and has yet to address a plan to fix her voting machines following the incident captured in the video.
“Earlier this week, we expressed deep concerns over reports of early voting machines in Rock Island County calibrated in a way that switches people’s votes from Republican to Democrat – similar to recent reports out of Cook County,” ILGOP Chairman Tim Schneider said. “The Rock Island Clerk ignored our concerns and claimed no problem existed. Following today’s shocking video, we renew our call on the Rock Island Clerk to immediately investigate the calibration of voting machines in the county. The Illinois Republican Party will take any and all necessary legal action to ensure that every single voter’s voice is heard.”
Despite the over-heated rhetoric, it can’t be said enough that if these machines have screen calibration problems then local officials need to make sure they’re tested throughout the day.
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* Bruce Rauner was asked yesterday what risk Illinois was placed in by Gov. Pat Quinn’s refusal to support an Ebola-related travel ban. His response…
“I think its’ a very significant risk. Why should we allow foreigners coming from the three countries where the Ebola virus is widespread? It’s a massive problem. Why should we allow them to get visas and come to the United States? We should do everything we can to protect American citizens, Illinois citizens from this virus.”
* Kinda harsh language, which I then used in a question posed to Rauner’s press secretary…
Since Quinn can’t legally stop foreigners from coming to Illinois, how is his non-support of a travel ban imperiling Illinoisans?
* His response…
The citizens of Illinois expect their governor to advocate on their behalf with the federal government to improve quality of life and defend their safety. Just as he advocates for an Ebola travel ban, Bruce will advocate for many federal actions that benefit Illinois, including comprehensive immigration reform, federal disaster assistance and funding for the Army Corps of Engineers. Governor Quinn should reconsider his opposition to an Ebola travel ban.
Your thoughts on this? Would it make much difference if Quinn broke with the administration and called for a travel ban?
* Meanwhile, the Tribune editorialized for a travel ban…
But if we’re going to err, let’s err on the side of caution. Given the lethality of Ebola and the virus’ 21-day incubation period, a quarantine rule for medical professionals and others who have had contact with the disease in those high-risk countries seems reasonable.
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Good morning!
Wednesday, Oct 29, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I hope you’re ready for a rock ‘n soul morning jolt here, kids, because you just gotta crank it higher…
Feeling that should make you move
Sounds that should help you groove
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