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* Mark Kirk says he is looking forward to running with Bill Brady on the ticket…
Kirk said he’s looking forward to running alongside Brady “if he’s the nominee” because “Bill wants to spend less money.”
Geographically, with Brady hailing from downstate Bloomington and Kirk representing the northern suburbs, the two could compliment each other.
“I should do well north of I-80, he will do well south of I-80, it will be a good team,” Kirk said.
More…
“On some of the social issues, (Brady and I) don’t agree, but this is part of the big tent,”
HuffPo takes a look at the ideological differences between the two men…
The differences on social issues are quite stark. Brady wants an all-out ban on abortion, even in cases of rape and if the mother’s health is at risk. Mark Kirk is largely pro-choice, and had received a 100 percent rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America before his vote for the Stupak Amendment. The National Right to Life Committee gives Kirk a 9 percent rating, another pro-choice indicator.
Bill Brady also wants to change the state Constitution to ban gay marriages and civil unions. Mark Kirk voted against several such amendments to the U.S. Constitution during his tenure in the House, and his 75 percent rating from the Human Rights Campaign indicates a favorable stance toward gay rights.
Lastly, and maybe most bizarrely, Brady wants to allow Illinois schools to teach creationism. Kirk has come out strongly against creationism, saying that the theory of Intelligent Design “appears to be neither.”
There’s been a bunch of talk elsewhere about how Sen. Brady is a creationist and wants creationism taught in public schools. Not quite. First, he appears to believe that evolution is real, albeit after God created earth…
“I accept the theory of creation, as I was taught, and believe the world has continued to evolve since.”
And his position on teaching creationism in schools is a bit more nuanced than what some may have you believe…
When this reporter asked Brady about teaching evolution and/or creationism in the public schools, Senator Brady said, “Curriculum ought to be left to local school boards.” When this reporter followed up and asked if Brady would be okay with a local school board deciding to teach creationism, not evolution, Brady said he believed most school boards probably would choose not to do that, but he supported leaving local control in the hands of the local school boards.
He does deny that climate change is caused by human activities, however…
* Meawhile, a few days ago the Chicago Tribune editorial board parroted national GOP talking points and demanded that Alexi Giannoulias fess up about his family bank…
Now that Alexi Giannoulias is the Democrats’ nominee for U.S. Senate, he’s got an answer for everything: Jobs, jobs, jobs. That’s not what people are asking about, though, and Giannoulias knows it.
Voters want to know about his role in his family’s struggling Broadway Bank, and Giannoulias promised he’d provide those details after the Feb. 2 primary election. “If I’m fortunate enough to make it out of the primary, we can have that conversation,” he said. His plan now seems to be to stonewall until November. Or forever. Jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs… […]
Giannoulias says the payouts were triggered by his father’s death in 2006. The senior Giannoulias’ will called for estate taxes to be paid through dividends. But $70 million? Really? Can someone show us the math? That’s one of the questions Giannoulias refused to answer before the primary.
He did say he got about $2.5 million, half of which went to pay taxes. He holds only a 3.6 percent share in the bank and has no voting rights, so he’ll play no role in deciding how the family deals with the situation. So as far as he’s concerned, it’s all been asked and answered. Time to change the subject, and what topic could be safer than jobs? Someone needs to remind him that worked for Scott Lee Cohen, until it didn’t.
The GOP has sent out at least 10 e-mails in recent weeks demanding that Giannoulias answer questions about the bank. Trouble is, he has been answering questions, at least to the Sun-Times…
Most recently in December, Giannoulias spent 12 minutes before Sun-Times editorial board members answering questions about the loans. […]
One question the e-mails from the Republicans and the Tribune editorial say Giannoulias should answer is whether he plans to give back any of the dividends paid out after his father’s death. That was $70 million to $86 million the Giannoulias family took out of the bank as it was struggling. Giannoulias said that money went to cover taxes on his father’s estate and the administration costs of handling that estate. Only $2.5 million of that went to Alexi Giannoulias and about $1.5 million of that went to taxes Giannoulias campaign has said. Will Giannoulias give back any of that $1 million?
“If my family asks me, sure,” he told the Sun-Times. […]
Giannoulias said he had no role in approving loans to convicted influence peddler Tony Rezko, a close confidant of Giannoulias’ “mentor,” Barack Obama. Broadway loaned $10.9 million to Chicago Hudson LLC, which was Rezko and his partner Daniel Mahru. Broadway Bank got back $9 million of the loan.
Asked if he may have been involved in servicing those loans, Giannoulias said yes, but added, “I’m one of the few elected officials who never received any contributions from Tony Rezko.”
Referring to his opponent, Rep. Mark Kirk, Giannoulias said, “Some Republicans did. My opponent took contributions from Tony Rezko.”
* Lynn Sweet brings both statewide campaigns together by looking at Sarah Palin’s impending visit to central Illinois…
She is as polarizing as she is popular. Last year, the winning Republican gubernatorial candidates in Virginia and New Jersey never had her stump for them. Illinois Democrats last week continued to pound U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, the Republican Senate nominee, for soliciting Palin’s backing last year. As Pete Giangreco, an adviser for Democratic Senate nominee Alexi Giannoulias, put it, Kirk was the author of “a covert memo trying to beg for her endorsement.”
But several Illinois Republican leaders said if Palin is agreeable — and used in targeted areas — she could be a help, especially in the governor’s race, where either state Sen. Bill Brady or Sen. Kirk Dillard will face Gov. Quinn.
Pat Brady, chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, says Palin “energizes people.” State Sen. Dan Rutherford (R-Pontiac), the Republican nominee for state treasurer — Washington is in his district — says, “I think she does invigorate a certain constituency.”
Palin probably wouldn’t play well in Cook and DuPage counties, but, in central and southern Illinois, her stardom could get out the vote.
* Related…
* Kirk Touts National Security Credentials
* State GOP pressures Giannoulias to answer bank questions
* Kirk opposes U.S. military in Iran
* U.S. Senate hopeful Giannoulias stops here
* Giannoulias to return millions to Northern and Southern Illinois
* For the Tea Party Movement, Sturdy Roots in the Chicago Area
* Sweeny: People unhappy with parties hold their own party
* Schoenburg: Macoupin Democrats need a leader — again
* Not big fans of red light cameras
* Lobbying intensifies in red light camera fight
* White House unveils plan to clean up Great Lakes
* Great Lakes rescue blueprint unveiled; will cost $2.2 billion
* City’s parking ticketers are crossing the line: Viverito not only confirmed this is a long-standing issue in Central Stickney but also that he’d received reports that very morning about Revenue Department employees ticketing more local residents in their driveways.
* Area gets ‘call to action’ as federal prison nears: Even if the prison plan doesn’t become a reality, northwest Illinois communities need to be prepared for other economic development opportunities by analyzing their readiness in areas such as housing, education, infrastructure and broadband availability, Prasse said.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 1:21 pm
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While I am not a fan of Palin’s I do wonder what fuels the anti-Palin left so much? Could be it be sexism? Intimidation?sarah palin is stong-willed woman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind. Or, is it her looks. So far as republican women, or at least to which we have been accustomed, Sarah Palin is by far the most attractive we’ve seen.
I think women on the left are bothered by Palin because of the way she looks and the way men look at her. I think women on the right are bothered by Palin for the same reason, but I also believe women on the right when they suggest that they don’t like her because she lacks intellectual substance.
I think Palin should have sit the year out to work on re-branding and re-defining herself. she should have studied up on policy issues. Had she done that I would probably be more receptive towards her. The fact that she is attractive and that so many men are attracted to her doesn’t bother me. She should use her looks to her advantage, so I don’t begrudge her that at all. I just wish she was more articulate about policy matters. The fact that she isn’t is the only reason why I won’t listen to her or take her seriously when it comes to issues.
Comment by Will County Woman Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 1:35 pm
===Palin probably wouldn’t play well in Cook and DuPage counties===
Are you kidding, Sweet? If she comes out to DuPage they will probably throw her a parade and build a bronze statue of her outside the courthouse. This year’s keynote speaker at the DuPage GOP shindig is Karl Rove for crying out loud!
Cook on the other hand, can’t disagree with Sweet there.
Comment by Obamarama Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 1:40 pm
===Cook on the other hand, can’t disagree with Sweet there. ===
I dunno about that. NW ‘burbs would be friendly territory, I imagine.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 1:42 pm
SW burbs too!
Comment by Bill Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 1:44 pm
Would you be willing to post a picture of yourself WCW? it might clarify your remarks.
Look, the GOP needs to unite to win anything this election. Like VM said in another post, the GOP needs a sexy martian. LOL
Comment by really? ? Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 1:48 pm
I don’t think I need the image of them sitting in a tree in my mind. Although it looks like Kirk is at least interested in working with Brady as a part of the state GOP ticket. It’s a good sign, but let’s see as time moves forward.
Comment by Levois Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 1:48 pm
On Brady and creationism:
Catholics (Brady=Catholic) are not creationists. We do not deny scientific theories of evolution. We also consider intelligent design, however. Where one ends and the other begins, the Church does not say. In the Catholic mind, the ideas of evolution and creation are not incompatible, unlike some evangelical belief systems.
Comment by Peggy SO-IL Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 1:50 pm
Big deal. We all know that Mark “but it was good for my district but not the state so I would have voted the other way” Kirk will say anything to get elected. Where’s the story?
Comment by OdysseusVL Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 1:53 pm
Wow, Alexi spent a whole 12 minutes answering questions about the disasterous management of Broadway bank that could leave taxpayers on the hook for hundreds of millions? Twelve minutes on the banking career that was his sole supposed qualification to be Treasurer? Well I, for one, am totally satisfied. Case closed.
Now let’s pencil in 12 minutes for Alexi to explain everything he knows about foreign policy, health care, defense, trade, and global financial markets. He’ll still have about ten minutes left over to continue his pandering on the jobs issue.
Take away his canned talking points from his media consultants and Dem staffers and Alexi can barely finish a sentence.
Comment by E Pluribus Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 1:55 pm
===I dunno about that. NW ‘burbs would be friendly territory, I imagine.===
It probably doesn’t matter whether it is Cook or DuPage or Will or Lake, etc. People within driving distance who dig her will show up.
“If you betcha, they will come.”
Comment by Obamarama Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 1:55 pm
Somebody “needs to remind” the Tribune that Cohen won the nomination precisely because the Tribune and other media utterly failed (or deliberately refused) to report on his history prior to the election.
Comment by Coach Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 1:57 pm
really, i think nancy pelosi is attractive, especially for her age. she looks FABULOUS!!!!! and she’s a really smart dresser. I love her style. to me she is far more of threat because she is attractive and smart on policy issues, even though I don’t agree with her on most issues.
my only point with palin is that we , most people, understand that she isn’t all there with repsect to being smart/articulate about policy issues, so I don’t understand why she threatens or bothers people so much. i don’t understand why the media, particularly the left-leaning media elements give palin the time of day; why not just ignore her? she’s popular because they keep giving her attention.
Comment by Will County Woman Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 2:00 pm
Brady makes Kirk look very centrist. It is a plus for Congressman Kirk. Take a look at the DNC’s attack against Kirk using Palin. So, painting Kirk as an extremist seems to be their mission. With Brady for comparison, this kind of DNC attack is a waste of time and money - but good for Illinois’ economy.
I love the Palin talk. Just discussing a visit from her opens up deranged attacks from my fellow Democrats. Then they start to furtively link all the GOP candidates to her like she is a small pox virus. They denounce the hate speech that only they can seem to hear from the voices within their heads, but end up sounding like the only ones doing the hating. If Palin really is the Succubus her deranged critics claim she is, then she is the worse one around, because obviously the Democrats aren’t seduced by her.
Brady doesn’t need Palin. And neither does Kirk. That is why the DNC is bringing up her name. Can Palin bring out downstate voters? More than what Brady can already bring out? Nah. But again, anytime the Democrats can mention Palin and Kirk in the same sentence, they will do so while playing a Theremin.
Kirk has no other choice than Brady. He might as well go on the carnival circuit with him. The longer Kirk hangs with him, the more normal Kirk is going to appear to voters.
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 2:15 pm
===The longer Kirk hangs with him, the more normal Kirk is going to appear to voters.===
Agree unless/until the you-know-what hits the fan. Anything is possible with Brady. Someone catches him mutter something derogatory, he comes out in support of some insane policy stance, he gets a DUI, the possibilities are endless.
Kirk has to make a risk/reward analysis: How much more normal can rational can I look standing next to Brady vs. what are the chances my association with him is going to end up my own personal albatross?
Comment by Obamarama Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 2:26 pm
Mr. Miller, I commend you for noting that Bill Brady is not a creationist.
Comment by Conservative Republican Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 2:27 pm
===
I dunno about that. NW ‘burbs would be friendly territory, I imagine.
===
You betcha! *wink*
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 2:28 pm
===
Would you be willing to post a picture of yourself WCW?
===
Please, don’t encourge WCW.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 2:29 pm
Mr. Miller, I commend you for noting that Bill Brady is not a creationist.
He does deny that climate change is caused by human activities, however…
Yeah - those are linked, right? Anyone who believes in the Theory of Evolution, just absolutely has to believe that global warming is caused by man too, right?
Remember the Holocene Epoch about 14,000 years ago? Thanks to Al Gore, we now know it was caused by monkeys driving HUMMERS.
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 2:38 pm
==Brady said he believed most school boards probably would choose not to do that, but he supported leaving local control in the hands of the local school boards==
Don’t we have state standards? Granted, they aren’t perfect, but here is 12.A.4c ==Describe processes by which organisms change over time using evidence from comparative anatomy and physiology, embryology, the fossil record, genetics and biochemistry.==
Plus, the courts have ruled that teaching creationism as science is not allowed.
“Local control” does not allow a school to teach creationism as science.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 2:50 pm
Denying evolution and denying humans are a cause of global warming both fit in the category of denying science when it indicates something you don’t want to believe might be true.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 2:53 pm
The middle of the road GOP establishment is sweating bullets over Bill Brady. The first comments he made after the primary focused on the need for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, causing major league heartburn among the legislative and other party leaders who want to run on the economy. Once Bill opens the door on his social issues positions, he’ll get killed in Cook and the collars. Radogno and Cross must be pulling their hair out.
Comment by ilrino Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 2:57 pm
Denying evolution and denying humans are a cause of global warming both fit in the category of denying science when it indicates something you don’t want to believe might be true.
Don’t go there. Last year, you could have gone there. Not this year. Not after Copenhagen.
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 3:12 pm
Denny K, are you blind or a freaking moron?
Look around the blog today. No less than three posts discuss the budget and taxes.
What is wrong with you?
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 3:28 pm
Obamarama – yes, anything is possible….with anyone, I would say. But just what are you trying to imply about Brady? Your comments look like the beginnings of an ugly smear campaign to me. Care to clarify or elaborate?
Comment by grand old partisan Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 3:30 pm
“I think women on the right are bothered by Palin for the same reason, but I also believe women on the right when they suggest that they don’t like her because she lacks intellectual substance.”
I assume you mean women on the right like Beth Coulson? I rarely generalize, but I know an awful lot of women on the right, and not a one of them dislikes Sarah Palin.
Comment by T.J. Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 3:34 pm
Grand Old Partisan:
Sure thing. What I mean is that Brady’s stances on some issues, mostly social issues in this context, are extreme in terms of the ideological spectrum. When you position yourself at the very edge of the line, it becomes a lot easier and more likely that you might end up crossing it.
That’s where I’m coming from.
Comment by Obamarama Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 3:38 pm
T.J., I consider myself a Moderate, adore Sarah Palin, and have been one of her biggest fans since before most knew who she was. I don’t know a single Moderate or Conservative woman who doesn’t like her.
I’d ignore it; WCW will be comparing and generalizing next re: the shoes Republican women wear. Wonder why, as a “Conservative Democrat” she doesn’t comment more on Nancy Pelosi.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 3:47 pm
Wonder why, as a “Conservative Democrat” she doesn’t comment more on Nancy Pelosi.
Duh!
Because WCW thinks Nancy is pretty, especially for her age. She already posted that.
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 3:50 pm
Obamarama,
Fair enough. I’m not going to pretend that Brady is a centrist by any means, although I’d hardly call him an extremist. But I don’t see what his placement on the ideological spectrum has to do with the other hypotheticals that you listed. And I think you’re smart enough to know that’s what I’m talking about in terms of a smear campaign.
Comment by grand old partisan Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 3:53 pm
===although I’d hardly call him an extremist===
He has essentially the same positions as Glenn Poshard did, and those got him labeled an extremist by George Ryan.
Just sayin…
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 3:54 pm
lol Thank you, V-Man. You’re right again. I’ll amend that then: “Wonder why, as a “Conservative Democrat”, she doesn’t obsess more over Nancy Pelosi–and “generalize” about the women in her Party.
Perhaps she’d stand a chance of getting it right then.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 3:55 pm
“T.J., I consider myself a Moderate, adore Sarah Palin, and have been one of her biggest fans since before most knew who she was. I don’t know a single Moderate or Conservative woman who doesn’t like her.”
Thanks, Anonymous. You remind me of my friend Sherry.
Comment by T.J. Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 4:03 pm
Same page, Grand Old Partisan. The examples listed were just the first scenarios that made it from brain to keyboard.
Comment by Obamarama Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 4:07 pm
Awwwwwww…I’ll take that as a compliment. Thank you, T.J.! I’d like to meet your friend Sherry someday!
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 4:08 pm
Holy Craigslist
Comment by Obamarama Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 4:10 pm
lol What can I say? WCW has a unique way of “uniting” people.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 4:11 pm
you guys have short memories…the conservative female columnist featured in the Chicago Tribune, I think her last name is Parker. She wrote some things in 2008 about Palin lacking substance, and took some heat for it. There are there were other conservative female critics of Palin too whose names I cannot recall off the top. For example the the woman who appeared with GOP political strategist Mike Murphy on one of the pundit cable-tv talk shows when they were both overheard on open mics saying some not-so-nice things about Palin.
Our good friend Mark Kirk said somethings about Palin. If memory serves he once said that he did not think she was (intellectually) qualified to be the VP nominee.
Alexi G’s campaign should not focus so much on Sarah Palin because as a moderate dem woman, I see that as a distraction tactic. Though I am not voting for Alexi G., if I were undecided I would rather hear his defense about his family banking issues than about how Mark Kirk reached out to Palin last year.
Comment by Will County Woman Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 4:13 pm
Just tell me that many of us don’t feel even “closer” ever since she joined us here!!!
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 4:14 pm
Kathleen Parker and Peggy Noonan are not at all popular among Conservatives.
Comment by T.J. Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 4:16 pm
===
Our good friend Mark Kirk said somethings about Palin.
===
Oh! Well THAT settles that then! LOL
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 4:19 pm
Rich - I really have a hard time believing that you actually think the issues surrounding the Giannoulias family bank are just Republican talking points. Come on.
Comment by jim Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 4:37 pm
=== the issues surrounding the Giannoulias family bank are just Republican talking points.===
Um, no. I said the Trib had parroted GoP talking points on how Alexi “must speak now.”
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 4:49 pm
You would have to be bi-polar to vote for Mark Kirk and Bill Brady. They are two completely opposite people politically.
Comment by Moving to Oklahoma Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 5:12 pm
There will be a lot of people voting for actually all three Kirk/Brady/Plummer who is from further south.
I don’t think someone out of work because the Governor and the Democrat General Assembly who has decided to wait until after the November election so they don’t lose their jobs as politicians. While they wait to fund our schools and Capitol project construction job or the private/public service jobs will be too worried about Brady’s creation position. They will be wondering if Brady can fix the budget so that it can fund state programs for longer then 2 or 3 months of the budget year.
Comment by Dnstateanon Monday, Feb 22, 10 @ 6:43 pm