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GOP hoping voters issue their own “Blagojevich verdict”

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Blagojevich Trial

* Tom Cross said something yesterday about the Blagojevich verdict that’s on many minds right now…

“I think maybe in their minds they can say, I’ll send my own guilty verdict so to speak and my own message by voting for Republicans in the fall,” said Illinois House Republican leader Tom Cross. “I don’t know that we need to say that. It’s not like Rod Blagojevich is going to be hiding in the back room over the next two months.”

I don’t know if he’s right, but I do know that this “voter verdict” should be one of the Democrats’ biggest fears. It’s certainly one of the Republican’s greatest hopes. But they can’t actually come out and say it. But they can’t stay away from the topic, either.

My intern Barton Lorimor asked state party chairman Pat Brady yesterday about his statement the other day on WBEZ that he wouldn’t make political hay out of the verdict. Brady said he had changed his mind and blamed it on the Democrats. Watch…

Chairman Brady also talked about Blagojevich to the AP…

A federal jury’s failure to reach a verdict on most of the charges and the government’s intention to retry him means Blagojevich will be in the news for months to come.

“That was probably the worst day for the Democrats since this race started,” said Illinois GOP chairman Pat Brady. “It’s going to keep this issue alive.” […]

Democrats argue they deserve credit for removing Blagojevich from office after he was arrested. Republicans scoffed at that, saying Democrats knew years earlier that Blagojevich was behaving unethically, if not criminally.

“Those guys sat on their hands until the U.S. attorney’s office came and yanked the guy out of his house,” said Pat Brady, who is not related to GOP nominee Bill Brady.

* The Post Dispatch’s take is pretty good…

Illinois Republicans say they don’t intend to spend the next 10 weeks hitting voters over the head with reminders of Rod Blagojevich.

But they have no intention of letting them forget, either.

That was the mixed message emerging Thursday as GOP organizers from across Illinois, gathering in Springfield for their annual “Republican Day,” pondered how to get the most out of the political gift that dropped into their lap this week — without appearing to relish the state’s ongoing trauma.

Details…

“They ran arm in arm with Rod Blagojevich for his re-election. Just as there’s accountability in the courtroom, there ought to be accountability at the polling booth,” said U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria. Schock represents parts of Springfield in Congress.

While he talked mostly about the need to create jobs, Bill Brady stopped short of pledging not to use Blagojevich in campaign advertising.

“I have no idea what our experts are going to run,” Bill Brady told reporters at the morning event. “Make no mistake, this election is about winning. … But we’re going to do it honestly. And we’re going to give them something to believe in.”

From ABC7…

“This is going to keep the issue on the front burner. People will be asking Pat Quinn, ‘where were you when all this was going on,” said Pat Brady, the Illinois Republican chairman. “The Democrats haven’t had any accomplishments other than making us one of the worst financially-run states in the country.”

Thoughts?

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 9:41 am

Comments

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-wwlCnwMNM&feature=player_embedded

That is how they think about it in Taiwan Truly funny.

Comment by Pat collins Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 9:43 am
That clown continues to suck all the public policy air out of the room. What about the budget? What about infrastructure? What about public safety? What about education? Instead, it’s all Blago, all the time. I’ve got a headache.

Comment by Ray del Camino Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 9:46 am
Rich-

I see you found your bucket.

Comment by John Bambenek Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 9:48 am
If either party thought those issues were winners, you would hear them talk about it more.

Have you tried explaining the nature of this states debt to anyone? It’s so big and so bad it just does not register anymore.

Comment by OneMan Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 9:49 am
I love how the classy Pat Brady disrespectfully pretends that Barton is some kind of fake reporter that does whatever Rich says.

Barton deserves more respect than Pat Brady does.

Comment by dave Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 9:53 am
It appears Gags Brady — the guy who shut down all talk at the 09 fair — promised about 48 hours ago the GOP would not push Blagoof.
Then Gags gets the open mike and ….
“Welcome if you have had enough of the public corruption and incompetent management of our state from the Chicago Democrat machine, Rod Blagojevich, (Gov.) Pat Quinn and (House Speaker) Mike Madigan,” state Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady told hundreds of sweaty Republicans during the fair’s annual GOP Day rally…..”

Perhaps he is getting like COmmandoMakeItUp and misremembered his position.

It is also good to see the GOP turning to old hands like Ron Gidwitz —- the Chicago Cellini— to run the show, according to Capt. Fax Too bad CampaignMasterJerry got shunted aside.

Guess these forgot when StateWideTom sent his northern Illinois Stalwarts off to play footsie with Blagoof in Rockford. Don’t worry we’ll past in the Sweeney stuff in a bit

Comment by CircularFiringSquad Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 9:54 am
What a joke! Tom Cross was one of Blago’s closest allies and friends, and right up until the very end. Cross was still trying to pass Blago’s big casino expansion plan for example, long after everyone knew Blago was going down and long after Madigan and his Dems had cut Blago loose.

Tom Cross was a Blago enabler of the first degree.

Comment by just sayin' Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 9:56 am
The GOP should have it easy, ironically for the same reasons that brought us Blago in the first place.

Voters don’t like to look at things in depth. In 2006, Blago had nice little clips that were easy to follow. The reality was more complex.

Right now, the reality is that Edgar’s refusal to fully fund the pensions is at least as much to blame for our current condition as Blago’s then continued failure to do so. But that’s difficult to understand. Much easier to just blame Democrats.

On an unrelated note, is anybody else having problems with this website the last few weeks? I keep getting error messages asking about running scripts.

Comment by Skeeter Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:03 am
skeeter-i have been getting the same error messages for over month.

Comment by wizard Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:08 am
To the G.O.P., this is bleepin’ golden and you don’t just give it up without making a political profit in the way of votes. I’m only disgusted by Republicans pretending to be humble about it.

@Skeeter - I’ve been getting that error message for a week now, only on this site.

Comment by Wensicia Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:10 am
A.B.
You don’t get to rewrite history. Just Sayin is right that Cross was closer to Blago during the former gov’s last year than was the Speaker. It’s a fact that Cross backed Blago’s casino expansion scheme to fund a capital plan.

Comment by Reformer Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:10 am
A.B., yes I know, facts are stubborn things, and I’m sorry to burst your bubble.

But in July of 2008, Tom Cross and his House Republicans led the charge to try and help pass the big gambling expansion Blago wanted. Would have added 3 new casinos and given Blago $34 billion more to spend. That was HB 2651, look it up yourself.

Mike Madigan is the one who put Dem no votes on that bill to kill it, thus denying Blago his wish.

Comment by just sayin' Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:11 am
The next time the error message pops up, please email it to me. Thanks.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:12 am
Blago’s corruption is the base for the GOPs fall campaign. Pile the economic dread on top of that. If your opponent gives you a sledgehammer, aim for the head.

That’s why GOP bigshots talk all day, every day, about how they’re not going to make Blago an issue, lol.

Nixon was a master at that. He’d always bring up negative points on an opponent and pledge, “we’re not going to being talking about that in a Nixon campaign.”

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:14 am
First on Pat Brady - when he told Barton he changed his mind, his face said anything we need to know. Watch again. He smiles quickly at his revelation, and it is not a pretty picture. At a time when we need someone on our side, we got him looking pleased with himself due to our misfortune. A cat who swallowed a canary. Pat, that sucked.

I suppose a person in his position is supposed to see things bloodlessly political throughout a campaign, but he needs to have someone else answer questions when he is working and not thinking about how he presents himself to reporters. Because he blew it here.

If Mr. Brady believes that voters will simply select the Republicans because they are not Democrats due to Rod Blagojevich, he is an idiot. He isn’t saying that, but his face sure as hell did.

If Pat can’t handle these questions or this issue with the level of sincerity needed to be shown in order to assure Illinoisans that the Republicans recognize our complete disgust with all politicians right now, he should hire someone else to handle it.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:16 am
From an old Clout Street posting adding Cross’ background to his impeachment comments:

House Republican Leader Tom Cross of Oswego, a onetime personal friend of Blagojevich who jogged with him in a photo op during the governor’s first week in office, said there’s no doubt the governor has violated the oath of office. Cross’ minister father also baptized Blagojevich’s daughters.

Comment by Piling on Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:17 am
SO over one piece (or a select few pieces) of legislation they are close? Come on, that is beyond ridiculous. Yes legislation makes strange bed fellows, but to try and claim that they were close allies? What a joke.

If we are going to talk about allies, might make more sense to discuss Emil Jones and Blago. At least Jones was prancing around the media circuit with Blago while Blago was trying to sell the Senate seat.

Comment by A.B. Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:18 am
What are the Illinois Republicans going to talk about in this election if you don’t want them to talk about corruption and Blagojevich?

The success the Democrats have shown in running this state completely into the ground?

Is that really the Democratic platform this year? We’re really not that bad?

As Curly Howard of the Three Stooges used to say: “I’m just a victim of circumstance!”

Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:19 am
Rich,
Error e-mail sent. Let me know if you don’t receive it.

Comment by Skeeter Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:20 am
the reality is that Edgar’s refusal to fully fund the pensions … But that’s difficult to understand.

Maybe it’s since the D’s controlled the legislature through 4 years of Ryan and 6 of Rod. 10 years to fix something, and not even a try at it??

That’s pretty easy for voters to understand, actually.

Comment by Pat collins Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:21 am
I loved how Nixon did that!
I also love how Durbin does it! Durbin does the Nixon thing, but take it to Hollywood. Dick looks down like his heart is breaking, puts out his lips like a wee little pout and then ever so softly stick the knife in. You see, when Dick has to publically kill you, he lets everyone know how horrible he feels doing it at the same time.

It’s great! I laugh and laugh! He is such a pro at this!

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:21 am
A.B., please read the 10:17 post right before yours for the personal background.

Comment by Piling on Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:21 am
The party’s decision to “stand down” on blagojevich sounds like a decision made in a lake forest country club by men in their tennis whites. As someone who has been beat like a drum with a bush stick for a decade, congressman kirk is the last person you’d think would ever let an opponent off the hook for the behavior of his party. Brady needs to realize the point of an election is to win, not play nice.

adult supervision please.

Comment by shore Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:22 am
VanillaMan’s on a roll today.

Comment by ZC Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:25 am
Pat Collins @ 10:21
Dems did not control the legislature through four years of Ryan. Pate Philip was Senate President those years. Democrats didn’t win the Senate until the 2002 elections.
So for Ryan’s years it was a GOP Gov, GOP Senate and Dem House.

Comment by Piling on Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:28 am
The replublicans have to use Blago’s corrupt record somewhat; great redmeat. The message that will resonate with most voters is the record of the democrats the past eight years. They have had control of the house, senate and gov’s office the last eight years - how has that worked out for everyone? Use the failed policies, unbalanced budgets, high unemployment, and poor leadership for the campaigns. Those are “hanging curve-balls” just sitting there to smack out of the park.

Comment by Holdingontomywallet Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:33 am
Reformer:
Did you forget that StateWidTom sent bagmen Sacia and Pritchard to press conferences with Blagoofers to tout all their great plans…check out Chuck Sweeney

Comment by CircularFiringSquad Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:34 am
I actually don’t think that Blago will be used as a campaign issue, per se. I think what we will see is the phrase, “Quinn/Blago administration” used whenever the economy is mentioned. For instance, “The Quinn/Blago administration ran up the budget deficit and now Illinois cannot pay its bills.” and variations on this theme.

Any smart Republican knows,

IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID.”

Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:35 am
I don’t think Pat Brady “changed his mind” on making hay out of the trial so much as Pat Brady got caught again making another dishonest statement, and so he just moved to damage control mode. Something of a permanent state of affairs with the gaffe prone gop chair.

Comment by just sayin' Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:41 am
Did the GOP draft and introduce articles of impeachment against Blagojevich before the arrest?

Comment by Carl Nyberg Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 11:32 am
I’d like to see a politician on either side talk straight instead out of the side of their mouths. Illinois is borrowing billions to help those who are jobless. Would it be big news if over 10k came to Illinois? Pass a lew that stops the amount of temporary visas from taking jobs such those lost in the Info Tech areas. Or how about setting a penalty when outsourcing is done when the unemployment rate is above 5%? This needs addressed but no one will talk about it. Maybe b/c too many politicians would loose contributions.

Comment by WhosRDaddy Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 12:42 pm
skeeter, if my grasp of facts was as loose as yours is, I think i might not post at all.

Comment by steve schnorf Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 12:46 pm
Steve,
Thanks for your witty and highly informative comment, which surely served well to advance the discussion.
Very truly yours,
Skeeter

Comment by Skeeter Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 12:53 pm
skeeter, if my grasp of facts was as loose as yours is, I think i might not post at all.

But then, you do. You are a clever, humble and mysterious man Steve! I don’t consider your posting, “postings” after these years, I consider them “Schnorfings!”

There! You are now a VERB. Enjoy mystery man!

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 1:05 pm
Never stand between a liberal and his unrealistic beliefs, Skeeter.

Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 1:22 pm
A.B.
There’s no question that during Blago’s second term, Cross had a better working relationship with him than the Speaker did. That’s why it’s a tad hyopocritical for Cross to now try to make House Dems bear all the blame for tolerating Blago as long as they did.

Comment by Reformer Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 1:27 pm