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Back and forth among the Repubs

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* Sen. Kirk Dillard questioned the ethics of two of his Republican gubernatorial primary opponents today. From a press release…

“Unfortunately, we have candidates in our own party who lack ethical judgment,” Dillard continued. “I’m proud to say that as Chairman of the Du Page County Republican Party, my central committee never found me guilty of ethics violations. My opponent Andy McKenna, the ‘insider,’ cannot say the same.”

The Illinois Republican Party announced Friday that McKenna, the former state GOP Chairman, inappropriately used party funds while he was Chairman. McKenna admitted to the allegation.

Dillard also questioned the ethical judgment of Jim Ryan. During Ryan’s previous, unsuccessful run for governor, he received campaign contributions from convicted influence peddler Stuart Levine, including more than $150,000 after the election. A New York Times article recently referred to Levine as ‘the convicted swindler and Blagojevich buddy who was a former aggressive Ryan fund-raiser.”

But Dillard also came under fire by Sen. Bill Brady, who claimed at today’s City Club event that Dillard was Jim Edgar’s chief of staff when the corrupt MSI contractor was hired.

Hmmm. I hadn’t thought of that one.

Brady said later that he was just pointing out electability problems with Dillard, and said the Democrats would most likely use the MSI issue in November if Dillard was nominated.

Brady also went after Jim Ryan’s ties to Stu Levine. More about Brady’s remarks from the AP…

State Sen. Bill Brady blasted McKenna for using state party resources when he ran the Illinois Republican Party to conduct a poll that questioned voters about McKenna’s potential as a statewide candidate.

And Dillard questioned Brady about a campaign contribution he’d received.

Afterward, Illinois GOP chairman Pat Brady said he isn’t concerned the GOP sniping would hurt the party’s chances in the fall.

I talked to Jim Ryan at a different event today in the south suburbs and I’ll have more for subscribers tomorrow about that conversation. He made some excellent points about his campaign and about his opponents.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 1:27 pm

Comments

One thing Sen. Brady apparently forgot is that it was the Edgar Administration with Governor Edgar and COS Dillard in the lead who called in the State Police to investigate at the outset. That’s a big difference in ethical behavior.

Comment by Commonsense in Illinois Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 1:34 pm
And we wonder why good honest people are not willing to put their reputations on the line to seek public office. Dillard, McKenna and Brady are like three year olds knocking each other down on the playground.

Comment by Good Lord Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 1:49 pm
Dillard seems to be thinking he isn’t going to win since he went from being Mr. Edgar’s COS in the ads and allowing Little Jim to do his talking, to now taking swats at McKenna and Ryan. I’m still waiting for Kirk Dillard to tell us why he ought to be governor - from Kirk Dillard’s own fleshy mouth.

Brady is throwing stuff at the walls like he never ran a gubernatorial campaign before. He shouldn’t be relying on these kinds of attacks if his previous 2006 campaigning had any effect.

Ryan is running like folks know who he is, which he should.

Winning candidates for governor:
Hynes - would win over anyone running.
Dillard - can beat Quinn
Ryan - can beat Quinn
Quinn - can beat Brady or McKenna
Brady - can beat a dead horse
McKenna - can pay for it all

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 1:54 pm
MSI finally rises up to snag someone….

Comment by Vote Quimby! Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 1:57 pm
I was at the City Club event this morning with a couple old friends. Proft is a good speaker and can actually articulate his policy proposals, while others offer the same old rhetoric. Things were pretty civil until the end. Dillard talked about his economic plan, which he needs to do more of. I didn’t know that tidbit about Brady giving a legislative scholarship in exchange for a 10k contribution. That was a good zinger. Stu Levine might not stick on Ryan because of his own personal story/biography. I am surprised no one hit Jim Ryan for outsourcing $188 million in legal work over the tobacco settlement. All of these guys, including the moderator were too light on McKenna for ditching the event.

Comment by Burrito Bandit Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 2:05 pm
And how well did ISP investigate MSI? Wasn’t there some scandal about excess Medicaid payments to hospitals during the Edgar administration, too?
Edgar just hired better paper shredders than Ryan and Blago.

Comment by really? Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 2:28 pm
where isthe forum online?

Comment by shore Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 2:47 pm
I just read the Sun-Times article about the event. I got a kick out of Andrzejewski saying he was going to cut all funding to Chicago until Daley let the Andrzejewski administration audit the TIF funds. Yeah right. I am looking forward to Rich’s post tomorrow, but McKenna seems to be getting more contributions in (even without his wife’s money) than anyone else. If McKenna goes nuclear on Ryan on tv, will Ryan have the funds to fight back???

Comment by Big Policy Nerd Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 2:54 pm
Republican in-fighting. Gotta love it!!!!

Comment by Deep South Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 3:01 pm
This is why there will be a huge upset this primary. The tea parties and 9/12 movement are here because of candidates like Dillard, Ryan, Brady, Schillerstrom and McKenna there’s not a dimes worth of difference between any of them. Proft is too risky. That leaves only one place to go. Adam. Blago showed how much a Governor can do with executive orders so his every dime online and audits are easy promises to live up too.

Comment by conservative Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 3:03 pm
Slight tangent: Am I the only one who thinks that Andy MARTIN’s bigoted ads could really hurt Andy McKENNA at the polls? Could “Andy M____” be the “_____ Ryan” of 2010?

– MrJM
http://twitter.com/misterjayem

Comment by MrJM Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 3:12 pm
Cool. We haven’t seen Dillard have to dance yet. This should be fun.

Comment by Amuzing Myself Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 3:42 pm
Conservative: Keep drinking that Kool-aid. It must never rain in your world. Amazing.

Comment by Amuzing Myself Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 3:44 pm
Was Dillard not the Chief of Staff when the Tollroad honcho Hickman got indicted and subsequently sent to prison. Was Ryan not the one who sent him there?

Comment by showmethemoney Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 3:46 pm
The only thing that keeps Illinois Democrats electable is the dismal quality of Illinois Republicans. I hate to sit out a primary but I am absolutely in shock over the lack of a respectable choice in either party.

Comment by Skirmisher Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 4:17 pm
Bill Brady should be ashamed of himself. I’ve seen the pathetic letters to the editor obviously written by his campaign slamming Edgar/Dillard for MSI.

Be careful, Bill. That is as fair as blaming you for the legislative scholarship that went to your contributor that was allegedly determined by a committee.

I think I may have finally made up my mind for whom I’m voting in the GOP primary for Governor after reading this.

Comment by LincolnLounger Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 4:20 pm
Too bad these sad sacks are wasting so much energy tearing each other down rather than articulating thoughtful policies that would address the state’s issues.

Captain, is that an iceberg up ahead?

Comment by Where's Reagan When You Need Him? Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 4:44 pm
McKenna is on TV a lot up north, the others, not so much.

Can McKenna speak? I know he can nod his head and walk up and down the street. But I have yet to hear him speak in his spots, walking or otherwise.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 4:53 pm
Seriously? MSI? That is such a stretch. It was way after Dillard left the administration.

Bill Brady is like like a fat lady in a Milk Shake shop. He’s grasping for straws.

Bill Brady should realize that after 8 years of running for office, he’s not relevant. Pack it in. Dillard is the only GOPer who can win in 2010.

Comment by SWAP MEET Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 5:02 pm
I early voted for Jim Ryan today, and in this primary I only see Ryan & Schillerstrom as the two who could handle running the state of Illinois.

Comment by scoot Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 5:14 pm
Dillard is the only GOPer who can win in 2010. You think Brady with all of his talk about being the “downstate” candidate wouldn’t come to the Chicago media market and take shots at Dillard. He should have saved them for McKenna and Ryan. McKenna can’t take numbers from Brady down state, but Jim Ryan sure can and probably will.

Comment by Irish Eyes Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 5:58 pm
When discussing Jim Ryan’s ethics we shouldn’t forget that he was willing to have an innocent man executed to further his political career. There is no excuse for his behavior.

Comment by Objective Dem Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 7:05 pm
“Its only the Dillard people who say he can win in Nov.”

Bill Brady should be ashamed of himself? Why shouldn’t it be Dillard and Edgar Dillard that should be ashamed it happened on their watch.

Dillard was Edgars COS

http://www.sj-r.com/opinions/x135739132/In-My-View-It-s-all-about-connections-in-this-state

Edgar stands out being unscathed by the state’s corruption scandals. One pay-to-play scheme, Management Services of Illinois, did hit the papers. MSI was Edgar’s largest campaign contributor at $270,000 and received a contract that an appellate court said bilked the state out of $12.3 million.

Two figures who made important appearances in the Rezko (and Ryan) trials are major GOP influence peddlers Bill Cellini (now indicted with Blagojevich) and Bob Kjellander (identified by published reports as Individual K).

All three were involved in the Edgar administration, getting special favors just as in the Ryan and Blagojevich years. Rezko gave $18,804 to Edgar’s campaign fund.

Edgar appointed Rezko to the hospital board in 1998, though Rezko never served. Rezko was later convicted of corrupting this same board. Rezko worked with Kjellander to get his first state contracts from the Edgar administration, including $9.7 million to rehab slum apartments.

Edgar has long counted both Kjellander and Cellini not just as supporters, but as good friends. Edgar’s millions in campaign contributions have Kjellander and Cellini’s fingerprints.

Comment by Dnstateanon Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 7:56 pm
Not only did the Edgar administration call the State Police, but administration officials were found not guilty of any wrongdoing but a court of law.

Comment by Bob S Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 9:07 pm
Bob S–I think the standards have changed it’s about sending people into office that haven’t had to have Lawyers and Judges see if they pass the smell test.

We need a candidate that doesn’t have issues like this that will nullify the Democrats Corruption problems as an issue.

Comment by Dnstateanon Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 9:19 pm
Kirk Dillard is our best choice. Swap Meet - the fat lady comment is hilarious!

Comment by JIM JE Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 9:19 pm
Dillard is Edgar who is Cellini who is kejellander it is all the same and some are tired of it. which is why we have the last 10 years of GOP losses. Edgar got out just in time and left a GOP Governor and GOP Senate ie… no investigation.
The GOP will never get the base out with one of the combine, this is a left leaning site I can see why you all would want the same old same old but we now live in a different world.

Comment by conservative Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 9:43 pm
It seems to me having a former Attorney General will be very helpful against Quinn.

Comment by Alex Carbo Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 9:45 pm
Ryan couldn’t beat Blago the first time because he couldn’t bring the base with him. It is even worse now with time passing and his stands on issues being so moderate. There is no fight anymore about guns, life and marriage in the party. Mr Ryan does not realize this; he just comes back from 10 years ago and thinks everything is the same, things change.
He is trying to pull a judy barr. Enter late and hope name rec will carry you through, the problem with that stratigy is you lose the general election. There are too many candidates this time it won’t work; but as I said before it will break down the electorate enough to elect someone with a strong base.
Last summer wasn’t a fluke, it was a warning! Those people will come out and vote in droves. This has only been a blue state since 2002, (1992 presidential) it has been the infighting of the GOP that has made it that way and like all things it can and will change. it rains sometimes but not now

Comment by conservative Monday, Jan 11, 10 @ 10:37 pm
With respect to the last comment about social issues. If you didn’t know Jim Ryan was against abortion even in cases of rape or incest, you sure will know about it when the TV ad brought to you by Personal PAC appears on daytime television every fifteen minutes starting in September.

Comment by Irish Eyes Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 8:03 am
Jim Ryan may be against abortion of the unborn… he, however, was certainly not against the retroactive abortion of Rolando Cruz.

Comment by John Bambenek Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 8:48 am