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*** UPDATE *** From Giannoulias’ state office…
We applaud the policies that our fellow constitutional officers have already instituted for GLBT employees such as insurance coverage, sick time or bereavement leave.
However, we do not believe any others have a similar policy for unpaid FMLA leave, which was the basis of our Executive Order. FMLA allows an employee to take unpaid time off to care for a sick spouse, child or parent. What the State Treasurer’s Office did was to make “domestic partner” the equivalent of “spouse.”
As a result, in practice FMLA-like benefits were extended to GLBT employees so they could take unpaid leave to care for a sick domestic partner, just like a married employee could do to care for a sick spouse. Taking unpaid leave to care for a state employee’s domestic partner is not currently covered by the FMLA. We believe we are the only office to have done this and have it as a written policy –as opposed to leaving it open to interpretation.
Additionally, while FLMA can presently be used for maternity/paternity issues like the birth or adoption of a child, we do not believe that the state employee would qualify for leave to care for a newborn child related to the employee’s domestic partner. Similarly, if the employee’s domestic partner adopts a child but the state employee does not, under most maternity/paternity leave policies, the employee would not qualify for leave. Our policy now extends these benefits to cover such instances and do not believe it is covered in other state offices.
[ *** End of Update *** ]
* Another day, another embellishment claim in the US Senate race. But this one’s on Alexi Giannoulias. Last week, the state treasurer made a big announcement…
Gay and lesbian employees of the Illinois Treasurer’s office with domestic partners will have the same benefits as married employees under an executive order signed by state treasurer and U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias Sunday.
They’ll get the same family and medical leave benefits, be able to take time off to have or adopt children and take bereavement time on par with married workers. That is in addition to health care benefits that same-sex partners already received.
The order makes the office the first constitutional Illinois state office or state agency to adopt such a policy and one of only nine states and the District of Columbia to implement leave-related benefits for domestic partners, Giannoulias said.
Trouble is, the attorney general beat him to the punch by about four years…
Attorney General Lisa Madigan has had benefits in place for same-sex couples since July 2006. Spokeswoman Robyn Ziegler said the change was made after CMS extended benefits to include domestic partners working for the governor’s office a couple of months earlier. […]
Ziegler said Madigan changed her office’s employee insurance coverage to include same-sex couples and bereavement leave. She said the maternity and paternity leave did not need updating because it covered people regardless of their sexual orientation.
Ziegler said she is unaware of any employees that have been denied rights under the Family Medical Leave Act because of their sexual orientation.
The Illinois Republican Party pounced with a press release detailing nine false claims. Here are a few. Click to read them all…
1. Falsely claimed to serve on the Board of Directors for a distinguished banking group. “Democratic Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias corrected a claim on his website that he served on the board of a banking group when he didn’t…‘Alexi was not that intimately involved to be candid,’ Wingert said.” (Associated Press, “Giannoulias Fixes Bankers Association Board Claim,” 6/9/2010)
2. Falsely claimed to chair a defunct charity. “Giannoulias is currently the state treasurer of Illinois. And, according to his official website, ‘He founded and chairs the AG Foundation, a not-for-profit charity that donates money to treat child-related illnesses, curb poverty and assist disaster relief organizations.’ The problem is, the charity no longer exists. According to the AG Foundation’s tax return, ‘The organization was in existence only for the two-year period from 2005 to 2006.’ So, why is Giannoulias still claiming to be the ‘chair’ of this defunct organization? According to the same tax return, Giannoulias’s formal position with the foundation was ‘president.’ In this capacity, the ‘average hours per week devoted to position’ was 0.15, which amounts to 9 minutes per week and an average of 39 minutes per month.” (Weekly Standard, “Giannoulias’s Embellishment,” 6/3/2010)
3. Falsely claimed Bright Start only lost $85 million. “The losses in a mutual fund that was part of the Illinois Bright Start college savings plan totaled about $150 million in 2008, more than double what the state had previously disclosed. As a result, families will recoup about half of what they lost, where six months ago some expected to recover a higher percentage of their losses.” (Chicago Tribune, “Illinois Bright Start college fund settlement less than expected,” 12/23/2009)
Again, click here to read them all.
* Meanwhile, do you remember that story last week about how a Republican tracker got manhandled a bit at a Giannoulias fundraiser? Marathon Pundit has identified the person who most vociferously insisted that the tracker leave as Washington, DC lobbyist Michael Kosmas. Here’s his video…
But there’s a catch. Another conservative Internet guy, Doug Ibendahl, looked into Kosmas and saw that he may lean Republican…
But before joining his current law firm, Michael worked for nearly a decade for former U.S. Congresswoman Helen Delich Bentley – a Republican from Maryland.
However it’s Michael Kosmas’ political contributions that are really interesting. Kosmas has given to Democrats – including his mother. But check out some of his contributions to Republicans:
$500 to U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) (6/20/08)
$250 to U.S. Congressman Dan Burton (R-Indiana) (9/28/04)
$3,200 in total contributions to U.S. Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-California) (2003-2005)
$1,000 to Rudy Giuliani for Presidential Committee Inc. (11/29/07)
$500 to Elizabeth Dole Committee Inc. (7/15/02)
$4,000 in total contributions to former Republican Governor of Maryland, Bob Ehrlich (2003-2006)
$500 to U.S. Senate Campaign of Republican Rob Portman of Ohio (12/16/09)
$75 to Harford County Republican Central Committee (4/25/03)
$200 to Republican State Central Committee of Maryland (10/2/03)
If someone from Illinois had that kind of contribution history – he or she would be considered a generous Republican.
Actually, that person would be called a “lobbyist who works both sides” here in Illinois.
* Related…
* Vice President Biden to Visit Chicago
* Biden hits Chicago for Giannoulias, Seals fund-raisers
* Ill. Dems get VP fundraisers
* New York Mayor Bloomberg hosting fund-raiser for Mark Kirk
* Bloomberg for Kirk
* Kirk says work at school was ‘valuable life experience’
* Mark Kirk’s Teaching Experience ‘Overstated,’ Says School Representative
* Congressman Kirk blasted for his ties to BP Oil Company
* Alexi Giannoulias and Mark Kirk Battling Controversies In Illinois Senate Race
* “Congressman Mark Kirk And All His Amazing, Amazing Stories”
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 11:18 am
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One of the first things the Giannoulias camp said was that the guy who harassed the tracker was not from their campaign.
Tin-foil hat time…
Did Mr. Kirk send a videographer and this Kosmas guy to “harrass” the videographer just so he could change the subject?
The national GOP was very quick to nationalize the film.
Comment by Rob_N Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 11:40 am
Yeah, I’d like to know more about the videographer and his claims that he was simply visiting someone in the building, giving him a “right” to be in the area. Maybe he was a Republican “goon” sent to disrupt Alexi’s event?
Comment by Deep South Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 11:42 am
We are watching two campaigns ran by J. Edgar Hoover Mini-Mes. At what point are we going to read that one of these guys told their prom dates that they loved them, but didn’t marry them?
Anything over 20 years, except felonies and prison terms, should be considered off-limits. There is a limit to how much primary source information is available credible enough to force an attack on a candidate over 20 years ago. People die, paper gets lost, memories blur. To watch these campaigns go at it like this over this kind of crap is horrible.
We have real issues to debate and decide upon in Illinois. It would be nice if one of these campaigns would start campaigning on issues and solutions that effect us for a change.
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 11:43 am
Nice irony that serial fibber Joe Biden is campaigning for serial fibber Alexi (see Rich’s topic immediately preceding this thread).
Comment by Cincinnatus Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 11:50 am
there’s nothing worse for a candidate than footage of him at a dc lobbyist fundraiser. The image is worth 1,000 words and we may see it later this fall. It’s a big campaign fail to allow him to be videotaped in that setting.
Comment by shore Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 12:00 pm
Really, Shore. You think the campaign will be spending money to drive that message? Like they don’t have better, more effective targets. That is a fail of campaign logic.
Comment by raising kane Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 12:04 pm
I dunno, RK. Put the video in the context of the “mafia banker” claim and it makes more sense.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 12:05 pm
shore, are you serious? Kirk is your guy, right?
Kirk is Mr. Insider. I mean, c’mon. Kirk didn’t get to where he got in life by his charm and connection to the grassroots.
He was an insider from the beginning. Where he grew up. Where he went to school. His commission in the reserves. Working for the House GOP.
shore, are you gonna claim that Kirk hasn’t money–lots of money–from lobbyists and insiders?
Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 12:06 pm
Didn’t Alexi swear off “D.C. Lobbyists” earlier in the campaign? He would accept no contributions from them. He would only leave Kirk accepting such contributions from such people. So what was he doing on the roof of a D.C. building with a lobbyist host fundraiser? A lobbyist who said it was “our event” and “we own this roof”?
I don’t like stalkers in campaigns. I know everyone uses them, but it doesn’t mean I have to like them.
A devious campaign can have a stalker film a plant shaking the candidates hand? An Anthony Soprano type. Or a child molester. Or someone with a few felony convictions. Or even worse, a guy with a White Sox jersey giving a candidate a big hug outside of Wrigley Field! The mischief making is endless and with YouTube and the Internet, such dirty tricks can be immediately broadcast and spread around.
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 12:22 pm
Carl,
There is a difference between insider and rich guy…
Like it or not, Alexi’s resume is light, one term as state treasurer and half of that spent running for senate. Before that working for the family bank and playing pro-hoops in Europe.
So it’s one thing to be an ‘insider’ and have done a few things, I would take that over Alexi’s resume.
At least the rich guys in the past from both parties (Hull, Oberweis, Ryan) with all of their faults did improve the status of their lives and their companies over time. Something Alexi can’t say.
At the end of the day at some level the argument against Alexi is going to be that he doesn’t get you. He has never had a worry in his life and nothing has ever been his fault.
Just wait until the tax returns come out. If they come out before the election it will be right before, with questions (see Rod) and it isn’t going to look good.
Comment by OneMan Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 12:23 pm
I am clearly a big MK guy, but at this point, I can’t wait for this race to dig itself out of the mud and start hitting the issues.
Wouldn’t it be great if the focus were on what to do about the deficit, alas that will turn back to AG’s failures in the financial world.
Maybe we could talk about the war, but that rolls back onto MK and his exaggerated military awards.
Then we can move on to civil rights…but AG will get crucified on overstating his new staff policy on sexual preference.
Maybe this race needs to focus on euthanasia for pets?
Comment by A.B. Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 12:41 pm
AFter considering Kirk and Alexi, I have decided to write in Burris…
Comment by Ghost Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 12:42 pm
Turns out the “goon” in the video is not only donating to the GOP … but his firm Squire Sanders gave $1000 to Kirk just last year.
Comment by Rob_N Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 12:54 pm
Alexi didnt get where he is by earning it his daddy gave him a job where Alexi helped destroy the family bank before his daddy bought him an election.
That being said Alexi is a definite no and Kirk is not a sure thing for my vote anymore.
Comment by Fed up Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 12:58 pm
@Rob_N
So what you are saying is that the guy is a Republican and his firm contributed to a Republican in a tier one race? What is surprising about that?
I don’t think any of us actually believe that the entire scenario wasn’t politically motivated.
What motivated the actual event and who told him to go there and film? That’s a question we will never know.
Comment by A.B. Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 1:02 pm
Oh and to simply add to the conspiracy theories… Kosmas is a fairly common Greek name. So maybe that is the connection that is being overlooked.
Comment by A.B. Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 1:06 pm
AB, ‘Cept that all the Kirk-backers are still calling this Republican guy “Alexi’s goon”.
PS all - Doug Ibendahl is wrong about Kosmas donating to “his” mother. There are actually two Michael Kosmas’ in the election records.
Michael S. Kosmas is the guy we’re talking here.
Michael N. Kosmas lives in Florida and his mom is the one who is a Florida Democratic Congresswoman.
Comment by Rob_N Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 1:09 pm
@Rob_N
The problem is that his actions speak louder than his past affiliations. On top of that, the Greek connection further solidifies the connection to the lay person.
Let’s be honest. If he were there in a manner other than as an attendee, the AG camp would be screaming bloody murder over this. Their silence on that perspective is deafening.
Comment by A.B. Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 1:15 pm
The guy is a lobbyist and from a quick peak at the FEC data-base an equal-opportunity donor, giving to both democrats and republicans. I think in general, lobbyists get a bad rap. But Alexi climbed up on a soapbox and has been preaching that he is above taking money from lobbyists - but now it looks like he’ll let lobbyists toss him a party and play bouncer - oops.
Comment by 10th Indy Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 1:27 pm
So if the Democrat Congresswoman’s son is a different Michael Kosmas, then the GOP connections of the Michael Kosmas in the video are just stronger without that particular family affiliation.
Comment by just sayin' Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 2:04 pm
I can personally attest that many Greek Americans still are supporting Alexi, myself and others excluded of course. The National Herald wrote up a New York City fundraiser hosted by some monied Greek Americans for Alexi. Endy Zemenides was introduced as Alexi “senior advisor.”
I can recall many big GA money types going goofy over Spiro Agnew when I was in college, today they pretend by asking “Spiro who?”
You know, BP Endy, who got all those BP funds as their lobbyist? While Alexi’s campaign tries to tie Kirk to BP, BP Endy remains a “senior advisor” to Alexi.
OK, then.
No one has bothered to answer the question I posed earlier. What was Alexi doing on a roof top fundraiser hosted by “lobbyists” in DC who he promised to avoid to us Illinois voters, and why is a BP lobbyist for Alexi one of his “senior advisors.”
To use a pun, is this a slick move on Alexi’s part to say one thing and then do something else?
By the time this campaign is finished I will need to transfer to some other ethnic group. Any takers?
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 2:12 pm
By “National Herald” I mean the national Greek American newspaper, “The National Herald.”
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 2:13 pm
Wow Louis, confuse things much?
The staffer you ask about was a former consultant for a BP/Bovis gas station joint venture in Europe. Gas stations don’t drill.
That string you’re using is mighty thin and it doesn’t cover over the fact that Kirk’s #1 industry contributor is BP’s law firm Kirkland & Ellis.
As for whether or not a fellow of Greek heritage who donates mostly to GOPs and whose law firm drop a grand on Kirk last year would be loyal to the Greek guy or the guy whose party he usually supports… you and AB have a point. It’s as clear as the mud being thrown around.
Comment by Rob_N Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 2:26 pm
No Rob, pay better attention. And “Greek loyalty” goes deeper than you realize. Those of us fighting it can attest to that.
Just “gas stations” in Europe, eh? Keep splitting those hairs.
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 2:31 pm
Rob_N,
Gas Stations don’t drill….
Last time I checked, neither do law firms….
Comment by OneMan Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 2:45 pm
One,
Fair enough…
How about “gas stations don’t try to fend off plaintiffs who’ve been damaged by BP’s alleged drilling negligence, law firms do”…
PS: I hear Republican Rep. Barton apologized to BP on behalf of plate tectonics for putting that darn Gulf Coast in the way of their man-made oil spill.
Comment by Rob_N Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 2:50 pm
To back up Louis, I am married into a Greek family and trust me, the Greek tie is stronger than political affiliation.
Sometime watch when Greek’s meet. They ask two questions: #1 What church do you go to? #2 Where are you from in Greece?
They couldn’t care less about party affiliation.
Comment by A.B. Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 2:51 pm
AB,
Has your wife invested thousands of dollars in various GOP candidates across the country…?
Comment by Rob_N Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 3:17 pm
Rob_N,
Every large law firm does stuff that people looking from the outside will go ‘how can you do that’..
That’s the way our system of laws works, everyone, be it big bad corporations or individual folks can get a defense.
We have a president who worked for Winston Strawn and his wife did as well. Winston Strawn does a lot more than just defend widows and orphans. Do you really want to play ‘who has the more ‘evil’ donor base’?
Also a donor is a lot different than a staffer.
Comment by OneMan Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 3:20 pm
Rich,
It’s your blog but consider clarifying the portion you quoted from Ibendahl.
Doug’s confusing the two Michael Kosmas donors in the FEC records, thinking they’re just one person.
The other Kosmas (Michael N. Kosmas of Florida) donated to his Democratic mother.
The one at Giannoulias’ event — who only donates to Republicans from what I’ve found (haven’t researched everything yet) — is Michael S. Kosmas of Baltimore, Maryland.
Comment by Rob_N Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 3:20 pm
One, Do you have any hair left after splitting so many?
And your man McCain would know well the difference between advisers and donors. Just ask his top foreign policy adviser Scheunemann.
Comment by Rob_N Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 3:22 pm
OK, let’s move along, please.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 3:30 pm
Party pooper.
Comment by Rob_N Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 3:31 pm
Rob_N
Seriously, you consider a donor (a donors employer more accurately) and a staffer the same way?
So using your argument aparantly Dick Durbin is a tool of BP as well
http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.php?cycle=2010&cid=N00004981
(Number 2 on his list 2005-2010)
And #5 for Bill Foster
http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.php?cycle=2010&cid=N00029139
So Republican taking money from Kirkland and Elis bad and giving to Democrats good?
Might I suggest a cream rinse for those split ends Rob_N
Comment by OneMan Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 3:33 pm
Dang it Rich, I wanted him to answer…
Comment by OneMan Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 3:39 pm
Well there ya go Onesy!
Comment by Rob_N Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 3:54 pm
Is there legislative authority for elected statewide officials to boost their labor & insurance costs by unilaterally extending benefits to non-legal-spouses of state employees–whether gay or heterosexual partnerships?
Comment by Peggy SO-IL Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 4:07 pm
Peggy, I’m not a legislator and I don’t play one on tv but I think as long as the given Constitutional Officer stays within their legislatively-approved budgets and barring any specific legislative direction to the contrary it’s their office to run.
This sort of thing happens on a Federal level too.
Comment by Rob_N Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 4:34 pm
Yes we should move along. However, if you exclude the Greek community from Alexi’s fundraising strength, those numbers aren’t nearly that strong. Whether it’s NYC, DC, or Hollywood with Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks, it’s a wonderful edge for Alexi. Louis is 100 percent correct. That community sticks together regardless of politics ideology or political id.
Comment by 22 Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 4:57 pm
After a weekend of violence in Chicago can we count on our “war hero” Commander Klink (Kirk) to head up intelligence and the counter insurgency to overcome guns and gangs in his home state or does the nation need him for more of his military B.S. If he would stop running away the press might inquire.
Comment by roscoetom Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 9:27 am