* This story has been going around all day, but the Tribune confirmed it…
Stephen Paddock, the gunman who fatally shot 58 people and wounded nearly 500 in Las Vegas Sunday night, rented two rooms in August at Chicago’s Blackstone Hotel overlooking the Lollapalooza music festival in Grant Park, according to a law enforcement source.
Paddock reserved the rooms on the park side of the hotel with a clear view of the outdoor festival, but he never showed up, according to the source, who asked for anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to publicly disclose the details.
The dates of the reservations covered the four-day event, which drew hundreds of thousands of music fans, including former President Barack Obama’s daughters Malia and Sasha, as well as Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
The Blackstone, in a statement, said a Stephen Paddock reserved rooms at the hotel but no one by that name stayed there.
The National Rifle Association on Thursday endorsed tighter restrictions on devices that allow a rifle to fire bullets as fast as a machine gun — a rare, if small, step for a group that for years has vehemently opposed any new gun controls.
Twelve of the rifles the Las Vegas gunman, Stephen Paddock, had in a high-rise hotel suite when he opened fire on a crowd on Sunday were outfitted with “bump stocks,” devices that allow a semiautomatic rifle to fire hundreds of rounds per minute, which may explain how he was able to shoot so quickly, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds of others. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has ruled that bump stocks do not violate laws that tightly limit ownership of machine guns, and some lawmakers have called for them to be banned.
The bureau should revisit the issue and “immediately review whether these devices comply with federal law,” the N.R.A. said in a statement released Thursday. “The N.R.A. believes that devices designed to allow semiautomatic rifles to function like fully-automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations.”
* The Question: Should “bump stocks” be banned in Illinois? Click here to take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
A day after the two Democratic primary frontrunners bickered over attendance at a forum, all seven candidates for governor kept things civil at a debate hosted by Whitney Young Magnet High School on Wednesday evening on the city’s Near West Side. […]
State Sen. Daniel Biss (9th) and Ald. Ameya Pawar (47th) were in lock-step with Pritzker and Kennedy in calling for a progressive income tax, changing the funding formula for Chicago Public Schools, raising the minimum wage, reinstating funding for mental health facilities, protecting DACA recipients and banning assault weapons.
Bob Daiber, regional superintendent of schools in downstate Madison County; anti-violence activist Tio Hardiman; and small-business owner Alex Paterakis joined the other candidates in hammering Gov. Bruce Rauner as a crony of President Donald Trump pandering to corporate interests. […]
The only time Pritzker called out Kennedy by name was to agree with him that the state should increase investment in Argonne National Laboratory and Fermilab to improve the state’s renewable energy prospects.
Democratic governor candidate Ald. Ameya Pawar released a new nearly 5-minute long digital ad as he was scheduled to begin on Thursday the second leg of his “Don’t Close Our Communities” tour.
The ad called “Unity” shows the Chicago alderman on previous bus visits across the state. The latest leg of his tour is supposed to take him to 14 cities in four days. He’ll be joined by his running mate, Cairo Mayor Tyrone Coleman.
“It’s easy to prey on people’s economic anxieties and turn other communities into the ‘other’ when people feel like they haven’t been listened to. That economic violence is how we get to a place where bombast and ugly political rhetoric is the same as political authenticity,” Pawar says in the video.
“We need to fight back against that. But the only way you fight that is with a positive agenda that brings people together,” he says.
* Hyper-local, but still interesting, considering the history there…
In these troubled times for the nation, it was touching to see peace break out this week in a Far North Side neighborhood long plagued by political conflict.
It was only this summer that a daughter of the 50th Ward’s late, long-serving Ald. Bernie Stone, Ilana Feketitsch, lashed out at the current alderman, Debra Silverstein for what she thought was Silverstein’s delay in naming a park in Stone’s honor. Wounds inflicted during Silverstein’s 2011 election victory over Stone clearly hadn’t healed.
But at an official ribbon-cutting Wednesday at the newly unveiled Berny Stone Park in West Ridge — attended by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and dozens of friends and family of Stone — it was all so much water under the bridge.
A smiling Feketitsch (who previously said of Silverstein’s successful campaign to unseat her father that she was “shocked” at how “some people” would “just dig their claws into you”), and Silverstein (who fired back through gritted teeth in June, “I’m sure she’s very happy”), hugged it out in front of the mayor.
* Heh…
* Related…
* Republicans picnic in Palos Park without Gov. Rauner: “When Gov. Bruce Rauner ran three years ago he said he had no social agenda, and here we are,” said David Dewar who attended the picnic in the character of Uncle Sam. “He promised a lot of pro-life religious organizations that he wasn’t going to do this,” Dewar said. “I believe in the right for babies to decide, not in reproductive rights. Now, they’re forcing me to take my tax dollars to fund something I don’t believe in.”
The veto is self-explanatory. We discussed the “nothing short of a miracle” quote from the governor’s new TV ad yesterday. It was actually used to compliment Sen. Andy Manar for his work on the education funding bill.
* The “Illinois is worth fighting for” slogan in Rauner’s new TV ad was used by US Rep. Cheri Bustos during her 2016 campaign from beginning…
Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos released the first ad of her reelection campaign… “I’m running for reelection because, just like the hardworking men and women across our community, I know that Illinois is worth fighting for.”
Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos released her final TV spot of the 2016 campaign… “Just like the hardworking families I serve, I’ll never give up because I know Illinois is worth fighting for.”
Chris Kennedy’s campaign continues to build a groundswell of support from people throughout Illinois, as evidenced by this quarter’s fundraising results.
The campaign announced today that it’s raised more than $2.75 million, with more than $1.05 million of that coming in the third quarter.
“For far too long, our political system has benefited a wealthy few and left too many behind,” Campaign Manager Brendan O’Sullivan said. “As our campaign progresses, we see the power of the people coming together to support a candidate who will challenge the status quo to bring fairness and opportunity back to everyone throughout Illinois.”
Kennedy’s grassroots approach is reflected in the campaign’s fundraising results:
* Nearly 8,000 contributions have come from about 5,300 individual contributors.
* Nearly 80 percent of third quarter contributions came in at $100 or less.
* Contributions to the campaign have come from donors in 90 of Illinois’ 102 counties.
In addition to thriving on the power of the people throughout the state, Kennedy made his commitment clear by making a $250,000 personal contribution to the campaign this quarter.
[Emphasis added]
“We’re right where we need to be,” says a Kennedy person.
For context, Sen. Daniel Biss raised that same amount during the second quarter. Kennedy raised just $700,000 in the second quarter. JB Pritzker has put $21.2 million into his own campaign.
…Adding… The “Nearly 80 percent of third quarter contributions came in at $100 or less” refers to the number of actual contributions, not the amount raised.
* Greg Hinz reports something that’s being discussed widely in Cook County Democratic circles. Voters are refusing to sign the Democratic slate petitions because they have Toni Preckwinkle’s name on them…
Democratic Organization precinct captains are running into something they rarely face as they pass candidate nominating petitions this fall: rejection. […]
“Voters aren’t just refusing to sign, they’re providing their own, not-so-kind editorial opinions” about Preckwinkle and County Assessor Joe Berrios, said one Democratic ward boss who asked not to be named. “The bulk of the comments are about the pop tax and county sales tax,” which Preckwinkle returned to level raised by her predecessor, Todd Stroger. […]
“It’s a huge problem,” said one source close to the matter who asked not to be named. Some precinct workers are resorting to folding over the top line of the nominating petition so that Preckwinkle’s name, which is listed first, is not visible when voters are asked to sign. […]
Dart has been advertising for volunteer petition passers on his Facebook page. Earlier this week he emailed supporters saying, “In order to get on the ballot we need your help circulating petitions and collecting signatures,” and directing them to a sign up page.
A spokeswoman said Dart is passing both the joint petition and one for himself alone. He has done that in the past, but did not do so four years ago, she said.
Sometimes, I’m told, voters are writing “messages” to Preckwinkle on the petitions.
Cook County Board Commissioner John Daley has decided to vote to repeal the controversial soda tax, boosting the chances for repeal next week.
“I am going to vote to repeal,” Daley told the Chicago Tribune. “I listened to the community, the residents I represent, and there’s been a strong outcry.
“It’s a lot of taxes they’ve been hit with,” added Daley, referring to city property taxes, garbage fees and the recent increase in the state income tax. “It’s every economic group. It’s every ethnic group. It’s every part of the district.” […]
Several commissioners said Daley’s flip on the issue could cause a domino effect among the other seven commissioners who originally supported the tax. But Daley said he won’t try to sway anyone and that commissioners have to make the best decisions they can in the interest of the people they represent.
* Related…
* Preckwinkle: County has ‘reached moment of truth’ on budget, pop tax: Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Thursday struck a defiant tone defending the controversial soda pop tax as she delivered her 2018 budget address, telling commissioners to back the tax or make severe cuts to county services.
* Sen. Jason Barickman had been one of Gov. Rauner’s staunchest allies. But check out his interview with Eric Stock at WJBC…
State Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, said he believes some in the GOP have lost faith in Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner after he told them and other pro-lifers he would veto a bill to fund abortions before he signed it.
“In our house, that’s a lie,” Barickman said. “You certainly don’t want to do that to the public, to (Chicago) Cardinal (Blase Cupich), a representative of the Catholic church. I think his credibility really got tarnished on this.” […]
“He had already been identified as one of the most – if not the most- vulnerable governor in our 50 states that was up for election next year, This issue, I think, makes him more vulnerable.”
I’ve been talking to rank and file Republicans this week and their anger is so real you can almost feel the heat through the phone.
Some Republicans are floating their names. Rep. Ives is certainly one of them… And I truly believe what they’re doing is looking for someone to commit to them some large campaign contribution to make them a viable candidate.
I would guess that if someone had $5 million bucks they’d put a credible challenge to Bruce Rauner in the primary. […]
It could be someone from Texas, you know, calls ‘em up and says, ‘I’m so angry that Bruce Rauner did this, I’m going to write you a check for $5 million, 2 million, 10,’ I don’t know. And then, suddenly, you’ve got a real primary going. And as much as Bruce Rauner has unlimited money, I don’t see that unlimited money as quite as impactful in a primary when he’s a known quantity.
* Barickman said Rauner would use much of his own money to attack the other candidate…
The fundamental question will be is there a match. A match between some wealthy contributor and some candidate who could withstand the negative scrutiny… That’s a really ugly election to go through.
Rauner and Pritzker have fundamentally changed politics in this state. I’m not trying to pick on Sen. Barickman here because what he said is being said by lots of others. But Republicans have become so addicted to their BVR ATM that they are currently looking for a magical replacement rather than doing the work of raising that money on their own. Raising $5 million in this climate is not insurmountable, particularly since the caps are off.
The Democrats should keep this predicament in mind. What happens when their sweet cash machine becomes too toxic or simply goes away?
As Domestic Violence Awareness Month begins, JB Pritzker released a domestic violence plan to help children and families break the cycle of violence across Illinois. State Representative Sara Feigenholtz has worked tirelessly to ensure survivors and their families have the resources they need. Rep. Feigenholtz, a longtime supporter and friend of JB Pritzker, endorses JB’s plan and pledges to stand with him to break the cycle of violence in the lives of these families.
While more than 53,000 Illinoisans receive support from community-based providers each year, Bruce Rauner did long term damage to the tools domestic violence survivors need to build a path toward self-sufficiency. JB’s plan would put Illinois children on a path to success and give parents the tools they need to build better lives. As governor, JB will:
* Implement evidence-based screening, detection, and prevention models to identify and help children who witness domestic violence.
* Ensure that schools and community-based providers help children who witness domestic violence rebuild their lives by utilizing trauma-informed treatment models.
* Ensure families have access to the tools they need to rebuild their lives by stabilizing state investment in domestic violence shelters and services that have been hurt by Governor Rauner’s budget crisis.
* Work with community-based programs to help them build and maintain a trained workforce able to fully address the needs of domestic violence survivors.
“Trauma-informed intervention services for survivors of domestic violence can change lives,” said JB Pritzker. “These services help survivors and children break cycles of violence to pursue safe and healthy futures. As governor, agencies and the survivors and families they serve will have a real advocate in Springfield.”
“JB’s plan to break the cycle of violence prioritizes screening, detection and healing for children and families experiencing domestic violence,” said State Representative Sara Feigenholtz. “I am proud to stand with JB, and I know that as governor he will be a partner in efforts to empower survivors and do whatever it takes to help them rebuild their lives.”
I’m told by the campaign that the plan won’t cost additional money. The idea on the spending side of the equation is to stabilize the system by reliably funding it for a change.
In his latest political ad, Pritzker opens up about how his mother, Sue Pritzker, coped with the death of Pritzker’s father and how it shaped his own life. Pritzker was 7 when Donald Pritzker died of a sudden heart attack. […]
Before the new ad hit the airwaves, Pritzker talked to me about how it came about. It wasn’t something he planned to include in his campaign to unseat Gov. Bruce Rauner. “Someone turned a camera on me and asked me some questions,” he said in an interview this week. After wrapping up the Q&A, Pritzker told staffers that that portion of the video “wasn’t usable in any way.”
But the campaign staff saw a human side of a man who has the world by the tail. They convinced him to share it. The ad explains what Pritzker’s friends see – a man empathetic to issues that cross wealth and class.
When I was 7 years old, my dad passed away, and my mother was left with three young children. She lost her job as my father’s partner in business. She lost her life partner, and she was afflicted with alcoholism.
She struggled valiantly to overcome a disease so she could take care of her own kids, and even though she lost the battle, she ultimately won because although she passed away, all three of us survived.
I think that when you watch somebody struggle, you develop a kind of empathy and understanding. It becomes your responsibility to step in.
I’ve tried to do that during my life wherever I could. I think it’s, in a way, a way for me to honor my mother. She needed help. We needed help. When I have the ability to do it, I should do it.
Pritzker’s campaign also has a fairly recent TV ad featuring his wife. Click here for that one.
Grundy County State’s Attorney Jason Helland is preparing to announce his campaign to run against Democratic Secretary of State Jesse White.
“I met with Governor Rauner’s campaign staff,” Helland told WCIA Wednesday night, “and after thorough discussion, ultimately, I made the decision to go for it.”
Helland is supremely confident his campaign will secure the public support and financial backing of the Republican Governor and the state party.
“I have reason to believe [Rauner’s endorsement] is a done deal,” Helland said.
I’m not sure tying himself so closely to Rauner is gonna help in these trying times, but he may wind up being the only Republican who gets on the ballot.
And still we wait for Republicans to float their names for treasurer (against a not well known incumbent Democrat) or comptroller.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Thursday will launch a three-week advertising campaign against Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, who occupies one of three Republican-held congressional seats in the St. Louis region that Democrats say they will target next year.
The others are the Metro East district held by Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville; and the Missouri 2nd District seat held by Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin. […]
The campaign committee, a national congressional election arm of the Democratic Party, said it will spend an unspecified amount — “sizable six-figures,” a spokesman said — attacking Republicans in a dozen districts around the country. Incumbents in those districts include Bost, who is in his second term of office.
The ads — on radio, national television and social media — will target Republicans for their efforts to overturn the Affordable Care Act and argue that they will not stop doing so until they lose control of Congress. Bost voted for a repeal and replacement of the law, often called Obamacare, that, so far, has failed to pass the Senate.
Since entering in late July, Democratic candidate and first time candidate Erik Jones raised approximately $220,000. “That’s an average of over $3,150/day in his first 69 days in the race. As a first-time candidate, Erik’s ability to raise money shows that his message and campaign are resonating,” his campaign says. Others vying for the seat now held by Republican Rodney Davis are Democrats, Jonathan Ebel, David Gill, Betsy Londrigan and Benjamin Webb.
* And the GOP incumbent issued this press release today…
U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) today released this statement after signing onto a letter to asking the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to review the law regarding bump stock technology that was reportedly used in the Las Vegas shooting earlier this week.
“Fully-automatic weapons have been illegal in the U.S. for the last 30 years, but recent technology has made it easier to legally simulate a fully-automatic weapon. Until this week, I had never even heard of a bump-stock so we are asking the ATF for more information – to be educated on the issue and current law. There is no place for politics in this debate or knee-jerk reactions, but I believe we can have a thoughtful, non-partisan discussion about the facts. To be clear, those who believe that gun control or one law is going to put an end to mass shootings are, unfortunately, severely shortsighted. As someone who experienced gun violence a few months ago, I know all too well that this is a much larger issue of hate, of mental illness, and of evil and we cannot lose sight of that.”
* “Our Revolution” is billed as “the next step for Bernie Sanders’ movement.” Here’s a press release from the Illinois chapter…
On October 8, Our Revolution Illinois, Chicago Teachers Union, MoveOn, Progressive Democrats of America, United Working Families, Reclaim Chicago, National Nurses United, Indivisible Illinois, Kane County Progressives, Will County Progressives and over 50 progressive organizations across Illinois will be holding the first-ever Progressive Gubernatorial Forum. All announced Democratic candidates for Governor have confirmed their attendance (see below).
The forum will be moderated by Mary Ann Ahern, political reporter for NBC 5 (WMAQ-TV) and will cover issues important to Illinois working families. The forum is open to the public and press. More information and a list of sponsoring organizations can be found here.
WHAT:
The first-ever Progressive Gubernatorial Forum in Illinois.
WHO:
Illinois progressive organizations and labor unions
Daniel Biss
Bob Daiber
Tio Hardiman
Chris Kennedy
Robert Marshall
Alex Paterakis
Ameya Pewar
J.B. Pritzker
Moderator: Mary Ann Ahern
WHEN:
12:45 PM CT
WHERE:
Chicago Teachers Union Hall
1901 W Carroll St
Chicago
So far, much of the Democratic primary has been a race to the left. Looks like that trend will continue for a while. Holding it at the CTU hall is a nice touch, too.
* Meanwhile, this isn’t much of a surprise since the former congressman is also a Madigan guy…
Former metro-east congressman Jerry Costello is backing J.B. Pritzker in the race for the Democratic nomination in next year’s gubernatorial election.
“I have met with leading candidates in the race, both J.B. and Chris Kennedy. I believe J.B. Pritzker is the type of person who will bring people together to get things done for the metro-east, Southern Illinois and the state,” Costello said Wednesday.
“Also, (he is) the only candidate who has released a jobs plan to help the economy, rebuild our infrastructure and help rural Illinois as well. I just think, too … he’s a uniter, not a divider. He has a plan to help our economy that we sorely need at this time.”
Costello said he also met with Madison County Regional Office of Education Superintendent Bob Daiber before making his decision.
* WCIA’s Mark Maxwell and Raquel Martin heard that Speaker Madigan would be attending a fundraiser in Decatur yesterday and got several minutes of his time. Nothing really earth-shattering here, but definitely worth a look because Madigan doesn’t often do this…
We tracked down Speaker Madigan at a private fundraiser in Decatur. Here's what he had to say:
