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* The Republicans did their best yesterday to look like a governing party and not a collection of angry outsiders. State Sen. Bill Brady even walked away from reporters when he was asked whether he thought Pat Quinn was corrupt…
But, not everybody read the memo…
Unsuccessful candidate for governor Dan Proft took a shot at Kirk’s Democratic opponent for the U.S. Senate, Alexi Giannoulias, saying, “Getting a lecture from Ali Giannoulias on honesty in government is like getting a lecture from Drew Peterson on domestic violence.”
Oof. That was a bit more than just tossing red meat at the base. But, Proft is Proft. Last year, the Republicans barely allowed anybody to speak. This year, they probably let too many take the podium.
*** UPDATE 1 *** The Giannoulias campaign wants you to see this statement from Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky…
“Did Mark Kirk think Dan Proft was being clever and funny? If not, he should immediately repudiate Dan Proft’s offensive and misogynistic rhetoric that makes a joke of violence against women. Every one of the Illinois Republicans that shared the stage with Proft should do the same.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Proft responds…
“Of course Jan Schakowsky rallied to the defense of Alexi Giannoulias. One Chicago Democrat crime family trying to protect another. What else is new? Rep. Schakowsky bailed out a bank (Shore Bank) that aided and abetted her convicted felon husband’s illegal check kiting schemes and Mr. Giannoulias’ bank (Broadway) was seized by federal regulators because he couldn’t figure out how to make loaning money to mobsters a self-sustaining business. Those two deserve each other and Illinois doesn’t deserve either one of them.”
* Tea party favorite Cedra Crenshaw also strayed a bit…
Cedra Crenshaw, who fought a Democratic attempt to kick her off the ballot in November, is now blasting “the Chicago machine,” which initiated the petition challenge. Crenshaw is running in a traditionally Democratic district, but has become a cause celebre among Republicans nationally.
“What rational business would want to expand or locate in a state with $130 billion of debt?”
As I noted to subscribers this morning, Crenshaw was making her comments at about the same time that Boeing announced an expansion into the Metro East. The Republicans probably ought to avoid looking like they’re running down their state while they criticize the party in power.
* But for the first time in years hope was in the air at the Illinois State Fair...
“We’re going to have a great new governor in Bill Brady, but he is not going to have success if Mike Madigan remains the Speaker,” said Rep. Tom Cross, the House Minority Leader. “We need 12 seats to retake the House.”
Cross said he had 20 seats in play and with the crowd’s help he could retake the house.
“People are as angry as I’ve ever seen them,” Cross said. Kirk agreed.
Voters are quite angry, but I’d like to see what “in play” means before agreeing with Cross that’s he’s that far in the hunt.
* Mark Kirk predicted an absolute disaster if he’s not elected to the US Senate…
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk stressed the importance of winning not only a six-year term this fall but also the special election on the same Nov. 2 ballot for the remaining two months of the Senate seat held by Blagojevich-appointed Democratic Sen. Roland Burris.
Kirk, a five-term North Shore congressman said the special election “could mean all the difference for the economic future of the United States.” Kirk contended Democrats in a post-election, lame-duck congressional session will try to approve a massive spending bill that would “shock” the stock market and the economy.
No embellishment there. [/snark]
* Republican Day speeches…
Judy Baar Topinka on merging the comptroller’s and treasurer’s office…
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:09 am
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Twenty House seats “in play”? What a fantasy. Cross has to defend two seats — Coulson’s and Bassi’s — and he lacks the funds to seriously compete in 20 districts.
A more accurate assessment would be 12-14 seats in play. Cross is unlikely to bat 1000.
Comment by Reformer Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:15 am
I’m all for merging the comptroller’s and treasurer’s offices…
But a savings of only $12 million a year? That’s a week-to-week fluctuation in interest rates…
I could see if there was an argument to be made that it would allow the State to get more of a return on its fund investments, or cut down its interest rates, etc. But the bureaucratic savings, if any, doesn’t quite do much to compel. Also, I highly doubt that you would really see that $12 million in savings. If that is office space, it would be used for something else. If it is personnel, they would be given other jobs, etc.
Comment by George Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:20 am
Kirk was on MSNBC Morning Joe and he was very good.
not at all the slow-pause talking-folksy but not really
folksy talker but the very attractive, clear and punchy
more washington talker, a role I’ve never seen him
take. but what do I know, Hoffman was my guy……
Comment by Amalia Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:31 am
Brady did the right thing by walking away. He really does seem to be learning more quickly than I ever thought he would.
I don’t recall that Quinn’s name even came up in the Blago trial. If it did, it was very minor. Portraying Quinn as corrupt is a nonstarter.
The problem with Quinn is that he and his crew are inept. They mean well. But they do the same old stuff. Smoke and mirrors budgeting. Tax increases on the middle class. Pander to employee unions with huge campaign contribution chests. No innovation. It’s the 21st century. They are in the 20th…some would say the 19th with respect to the Chicago Democratic Machine component.
Comment by cassandra Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:31 am
I always love when Dan Proft of Cicero fame gets on the soapbox to preach about good government and cleaning up corruption. I get my science fiction fix for the week.
And some may remember Topinka ran on merging the two offices when she ran for Treasurer in 2002. Of course after she was reelected, not a peep. Same deal now. No way would she ever risk having to sacrifice her own gig. Total scam.
Comment by just sayin' Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:31 am
Rich, that still of JBT on her video link is a bit too much to handle. Was the person filming her trying to give her a dental check up? Come to think of it, was David Miller holding the camera?
Comment by anon Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:37 am
–Kirk, a five-term North Shore congressman said the special election “could mean all the difference for the economic future of the United States.”–
What’s wrong with this guy?
Proft with the Drew Peterson jokes. When it comes to comedy, domestic violence doesn’t kill.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:45 am
RICH SAID,
“No embellishment there. [/snark]”
You obviously do not believe that there may be mischief afoot in a lame duck Congressional session. Here is a short list of possible lame duck items:
VAT
Card Check
New START Treaty
Federally mandated universal voter registration system to override state laws
Budget resolutions to lock in stimulus increased agency spending
Cap and Trade
Pork barrel spending they were afraid to pass before November
Single payer healthcare
The Democrats in Congress have several times this session shown their willingness to push an agenda unwanted by a vast majority of voters.
I predict the Alexi supporters on this board will deflect/obfuscate/twist/spin and call Kirk a liar. But nobody can deny these are all priorities of the Obama/Pelosi/Reid triumvirate.
Kirk is right.
Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:48 am
were there democrat day speeches video recorded?
next year it would be good if brady’s office reviewed speeches before they were spoken at the podium.
Comment by shore Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:52 am
Cincinnatus, we are all laughing at you right now.
Comment by George Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 10:56 am
I’m glad I could amuse you, George. Here’s something else you may find funny, the special election theme will be the one that lets Kirk squeak by Alexi. I have been to a few voter forums in the past week or so. It is a powerful issue that resonates with voters. It is simple to understand, easy to create ads, and taps the very anger that everyone acknowledges as a primary driver of voters this cycle: government over reach.
Let’s see if Kirk hones this message over the next few days. I predict a big ad by in mid-October on this theme.
Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 11:01 am
Proft was just showing that his true calling is a talk radio host not as a politician. Hes made for WLS.
He’s not relevant anymore people, move on.
Comment by davE Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 11:01 am
That is what always happens. The ball goes over to the other team, and it forces them to handle it. With the GOP, this means a lot of fumbles moving it down the field.
Proft has a problem commonly found in many public personalities in this field. He is more clever than he is intelligent. He so enjoys looking clever and so enjoys displaying his wit, he forgets to think. He is a guy in love with the one-liners, the put-downs, and the insults because he still believes he is a David against Goliaths. This effect presents Proft as a bloviating and insecure know it all, a guy who can’t play on a team, and an assassin. As long as he continues to focus on impressing himself, he will not find a lot of love on the campaign trail.
Mark Kirk is reminding me that if we elect him, he will be in office for six years. No - that isn’t the right way to say this. It is similar to finding the right car, then being reminded you will be paying on it for six years during the sale. What Kirk needs to tell listeners he will be serving “a term” without mentioning how long that commitment is. Braun was in for one term, Fitzgerald was in for one term, Obama was in for a half term, Roland Burris was in for a couple years, so we are now currently conditioned to seeing this Senate seat being filled without a lifetime commitment. Kirk needs to recognize that. Kirk is also stumbling over how to describe the Lame Duck Congress. Maybe for him it is a real term, but it is a silly expression that should be avoided. Does he want us to think this job is important? Then stop telling us about damn ducks! Mark, this is almost September and you aren’t sounding like you know what to say.
On Cross - “I want you to all think just for a second, everybody here, have you in some way, in your life, at home, in your business, in some not for profit you run, change the way you do business? Have you maybe decided you are not going to go on vacation, maybe you’re not going to buy a new car, maybe you’re buying fewer clothes, maybe you’ve had to let some people go in your business, what you’ve done is, you have adjusted, you have adapted, you have restructured to survive in some very difficult times this state is going through. And then we say to ourselves, ‘Why are we so angry at government? Why are we so frustrated?”
Wait! Wait! Wait! In some way? In my life? At home? Wait! What? “Changed the way I do business?” “Is he talking to me?” “Have I maybe decided?” “Maybe?” “Maybe?” “Maybe?” “What I’ve done is what?” “Adapted?” “Adjusted?” “Restructured to survive?”
What are you saying Tom!? I can’t follow you! Good god man! You said you wanted me to think, but then bombarded me with a butt-load of conditional statements, that MAYBE apply to me?
Rutherford - Thank you for showing Proft and Cross how to do a stump speech! He is a happy man who wants to party and earn something, and that is what I want to hear! Just remember to pronounce each syllable in the job you want.
Judy does a good job too. She looks like she knows what she is talking about.
Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 11:06 am
Cinci,
Only in your bizarro GOP fantasy world is this scariness a real possibility. Do you really think the GOP Senators will all fail to show up for a lame duck session? Do you really think Ben Nelson and Max Baucus are more inclined to vote for single payer during a lame duck session when they wouldn’t ever consider voting for it before? None of this stuff is even being considered by anyone other than you, Kirk and Fox News.
Kirk is making this up to scare people. Again. It’s really getting tiresome. Can’t you guys come up with anything else?
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 11:06 am
===Cincinnatus, we are all laughing at you right now.===
No, seriously, ALL of us. Single payer? This isn’t the Daily Herald comments section. “Mom! I can’t sleep! Obama is in my closet! I’m scared!”
VanillaFriend, I think you are spot on with Proft’s compulsion to display his wit. Sometimes it is pretty funny too like when he made the comment on Chicago Tonight during the primary about McKenna not being there because his daddy grounded him for spending all of his McMoney. But a domestic violence joke at the state fair? Oof.
What is the response from the SLC camp on the domestic violence joke by the way?
Comment by Obamarama Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 11:14 am
I’m not a fan of Proft in the least, and he has many skeletons of his own…but that was a pretty good response. Predictable, but good.
Comment by Anon Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 11:19 am
Is it just me, or does Kirk remind anyone else of a toned-down version of an early version of Dana Carvey’s old George Bush impersonation on Saturday Night Live?
Comment by Anon Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 11:25 am
47th and Obamarama,
It is a long list, wanna be one or more are advanced? I didn’t say that anything would pass, did I?
You do have to acknowledge that the two Maine ladies move back and forth, Scott Brown will also move around, Nelson (cornhusker kickback) and Baucus are normally reliable Dem votes, they could be swayed on some of the issues.
And even if there was zero possibility of lame duck passage of anything. The voters are rightfully afraid of the Congress based on its recent past behavior.
Can’t a hard left liberal like yourselves at least realize the common voters’ fears and further understand that these issues carry weight? If you don’t get out among the voters from time to time, like I do regularly, I can see how your insulated views can lead to your trepidation.
Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 11:25 am
Congress created this political environment with their poor political skills. We are all surprised at how badly they have handled things over the past two years. I have never seen a Congress so willfully suicidal. I don’t recall having a majority of voters repeatedly told off and insulted by Congressional leadership. Pelosi and Reid have behaved in such way that contradicts normal political behavior, how can it be surprising that many voters would imagine such a scenario? It should not be a surprise that many voters have lost any trust in them. Don’t call them silly. They have gotten used to being called silly and are now just angry.
The Senators up for re-election this November can end this by pledging not to pass major legislation during the Lame Duck Session. It is a simple solution for an understandable and unusual concern. Hopefully we will see new Congressional leaders capable of acting normal in 2011 - regardless of political party.
Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 11:25 am
VM, I don’t want to hear Senators up for election this year make such a pledge, I want to hear Senators up for election in two years make such a pledge. What motivation would someone up in November have to keep such a pledge? If they lose, going back on their word wouldn’t matter. If they win, voters have 6 years to forget…which they likely would do.
Comment by Anon Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 11:31 am
==Only in your bizarro … fantasy world is this scariness a real possibility==
47th, I don’t mean to single you out, but you have good political radar and you make a valid point about scaring people purely for political purposes. I assume you feel the same way, and say so, when scary bizarro statements are made that if Brady is elected governor it will mean the undoing of womens’ reproductive rights for generations? It’s all really just two sides of the same tactical coin, isn’t it?
Comment by Responsa Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 11:31 am
VM,
In early August, just such a proposal, limiting the lame duck session, was defeated on the floor of the House of Representatives, on a mainly partisan line.
Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 11:33 am
Cincinnatus is right. The comments about being laughed at are childish. Name calling won’t silence people anymore.
Comment by Belle Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 11:43 am
“…Dan Proft’s offensive and misogynistic rhetoric that makes a joke of violence against women”
Oh, for the love of……
Fine, let’s play the PC game out a bit more:
While the specific incident Proft alluded to was a case in which the victim was female, and, admittedly, the majority of (reported) domestic violence cases are male on female, Proft explicitly identified the issue as “domestic violence,” generally, not “violence against women.” There are many cases (vastly underreported, it should be noted) of men being abused by women.
So, maybe someone should call on Alexi to repudiate Congresswoman Schakowsky for her insensitive disregard for the male victims of domestic violence.
Comment by grand old partisan Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 11:46 am
Don’t tell StateWideTom that has has more than Coulson/Bassi to defend — it is a big secret
AND he might want to tell Skip to quit assuring all the wise guys that he will be majority leader…Kass the the Trib Edit Board don’t find that comforting.
BTW CommandoMakeItUp thought he was doing his manly man imitation…he will be crushed like wrinkled velvet to hear about Dana Carvey
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 11:48 am
I’m sorry, my laughter was mainly due to having Single Payer and VAT on that list. The only place that is being discussed in on Glenn Beck’s show. I would bet that 90% of Congress doesn’t even know what a VAT is. And somehow Single Payer will pass in days when the watered-down, attract the moderates HCR legislation took a year? Sorry, no.
However, the following things would all be great to have passed, whether its next week, lame-duck time, or next year:
Card Check
New START Treaty
Budget resolutions to lock in stimulus increased agency spending
Cap and Trade
Get going on those!
Comment by George Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 11:52 am
Occassionally, I read the thoughts of a gentleman who has recently used an analogy of being afraid of boogiemen in closets. It is a very good analogy and I would like to borrow it for a moment.
There are two things we have to do when a child is afraid of someone or something in their closet. We tell them. We show them.
So, when voters are afraid of the boogieman in the Lame Duck Congress, we need to see those in power do both, just as we would with any other fear.
But all I ever seem to hear or read is the telling. No showing. No actions that would take place to show that the fear is unfounded. Then, when they’ve failed to convince by telling, they get louder. When they’ve failed by being louder, they start insulting. So we end up listening to someone with unsubstantiated fears being loudly insulted instead of being shown that their fears are unsubstantiated.
What happened here? At what point have those in power grown so politically tone-deaf that they have turned what is a normal action into an insulting argument? How can a political person expect to win over support with loud insults?
How about just doing what is normally done and assure those concerned over this unsubstantiated fear by taking steps, like opening up the closet door, and showing everyone that there are no boogiemen? Why fight and insult folks with this concern?
I don’t see Democrats winning by insulting folks who have unfounded fears. I don’t know how this basic political fact has gotten lost. What ever happened to voter empathy? Lord knows Bill Clinton would have never treated folks in this manner. How can any bridges be built with insults?
Mark Kirk can get away with this stuff because the political environment exists. Get rid of it by opening the closet doors and showing everyone that there are no boogiemen waiting to jump everyone with unwanted life-changing legislation. People would appreciate the empathy and appreciate the fact that those in power recognize the continual need to build trust.
Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 11:57 am
Cinci,
Neither Kirk nor the GOP is offering an agenda of what they would do for the country. Instead, they are inventing scary things that Democrats will do and claiming we must elect Republicans to stop those. They should try offering an agenda beyond tax cuts and saying no to the Democrats if they want to win.
Responsa,
I agree with you about the shameful abortion scare tactics being used against Brady, but only to a point. Unlike VAT or single payer, where there is no evidence (like pending legislation) that Democrats are moving forward on these, Brady repeatedly proclaims his pro-life bona fides. He has recently said, and I agree, that Governors don’t have a whole lot they can do to roll back abortion rights. But his voting record and past statements are somewhat suspect and worth questioning.
Scare tactics are used by those who are devoid of compelling arguments. I think there are plenty of compelling arguments to be made against Bill Brady’s campaign that have nothing to do with abortion or scaring people.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 12:03 pm
Scare tactics only work when a plan is offered to balance. I like Proft, but VM was accurate in his assessment. he can say quippy little things because no one takes him seriously.
Just sayin’, yes he works/worked for Cicero. The preisdent is from Chicago. your point
Comment by Wumpus Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 12:12 pm
“Neither Kirk nor the GOP is offering an agenda of what they would do for the country”
Untrue. Period.
The GOP does have an agenda beyond obstruction and tax cuts. It is admittedly unfortunate that their constructive, proactive ideas are not given the same attention, but it’s also not surprising. The party out of power must first convince the electorate that (a) things are not as good as they could be, and (b) the policies and actions of the incumbent party are to blame. If they can’t sell those two propositions first, then (c) this is what we will do differently, is irrelevant. Now, you can argue that they have already accomplished (a) and (b), and the polls indicate that may be true. But it would be very surprising to see the Dems make that argument because it would require them to concede points that are embarrassing for them.
Comment by grand old partisan Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 12:14 pm
47th,
Familiarize yourself with the Road Map by Paul Ryan of WI, which has begun to gain Republican support. 50 Republican legislators (out of 219 currently serving) have endorsed it.
Several other initiatives (e.g. YouCut) are ongoing that are mapping out the Republican agenda.
Since these efforts get little or no mainstream media attention, I am not surprised you haven’t heard of them.
Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 12:20 pm
Mark Kirk reminds me of Mighty Mouse, you know, “Here I Come To Save The Day”. Elect me or this whole country will fall apart. A little full of himself, but that’s nothing new.
Still see Proft is up to his usual charm when making a comment.
Comment by Wensicia Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 12:28 pm
Proft makes a joke about a person who allegedly murdered one wife and mother of his children and who has another wife and mother of his children missing who many believe is also murdered and the crowd cheers. SICK
Comment by (618) Democrat Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 12:30 pm
===Since these efforts get little or no mainstream media attention, I am not surprised you haven’t heard of them.===
Maybe that’s because the GOP leaders like Boehner and McConnell aren’t on-board yet. Maybe it’s because Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh never mention this stuff. Maybe it’s because Mark Kirk is too busy talking about mobsters, bad loans and lame ducks.
I’m not the one you need to convince Cinci.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 12:33 pm
==Neither Kirk nor the GOP is offering an agenda of what they would do for the country==
Ah yes, the fall back, last resort argument of the Party in power when their ideas have failed to gain approval of the voting public. It’s nothing new, and rarely stops the momentum train of the majority and minority party switching spots. The exact same arguments were made by the GOP prior to the 2006 elections (”The Democrats are just obstructionists”)
Comment by Anon Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 12:53 pm
GOP,
An agenda? Get real. Brady won’t even answer the one real issue — how to balance the budget without raising taxes — much less come up with a real agenda.
With regard to Proft — I’m tired of all these “demands for apologies” and “demands to repudiate.” Grow up, Jan. We are not in second grade. You don’t always have to say you are sorry. If you don’t like his comments, say so. But stop this whining.
Comment by Skeeter Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 2:04 pm
I am searching the CapFax archives, could someone show me a link where, during Rod’s and the Democrat majority’s run up to the past election and reelection said they were going to bankrupt the state?
Using the logic on some of the posters, they should have done so. Hopefully Brady’s plan, when he unveils it after election, will prove to be something different than these links that I’m sure someone will provide…
Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 2:15 pm
Cincy,
No he didn’t say that.
However, Brady DID say that he can balance the budget without raising taxes.
But he’s keeping the details secret.
I guess some people might believe him.
Comment by Skeeter Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 2:27 pm
Skeeter,
So did Chris Christie. He did it.
Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 2:44 pm
With massive cuts to schools.
In any case, if Brady thinks he’s got a great plan, he should put it out there.
What’s he afraid of?
Comment by Skeeter Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 2:49 pm
Domestic violence against men is “vastly underreported”? According to whom? Drew Peterson? Because, GOP, that was the idiotic analogy that was drawn - to Drew Peterson, accused killer of one wife, suspected killer of another wife. And if you think that men and women are victims of domestic violence in anything close to equal numbers then you are VASTLY mistaken.
Comment by girllawyer Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 2:52 pm
Skeeter,
If you list all of the items that are off the table to balance the budget, like school funding cuts, what’s left? I’ll tell you; a $13B deficit, that’s what. More interesting than Christie’s budget balancing act will be how he proposed to handle NJ’s pension funding shortfall. Watch this space in September, I’m pretty sure you’re not going to like that either.
As far as his efforts to cut school spending, there is not an iota of data that says his plan won’t work. We shall see what we shall see.
Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 2:57 pm
Cincy,
The way you describe it, it sure sounds like Brady’s got a great plan.
One question though — if it is so great, why is Brady so afraid to tell us the details?
Comment by Skeeter Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 3:05 pm
This might be why Brady is afraid to talk about the details:
“The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged the state of New Jersey with securities fraud for failing to tell bond investors it was underfunding its pension funds, the commission said today.”
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/08/sec_finds_nj_acting_negligentl.html
The Hero of Trenton got his hand slapped for omitting some of the details of how he balanced his budget. Does that sound like something Illinois would do, or what?
Yeah, and Brady wants to be the Chris Christie of Illinois.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 3:11 pm
C’mon, Skeeter. You know how the system works. If he lays out specific proposals, all he will be doing for the rest of the campaign is defending minutia. In an election, a politician must show he has an overriding vision for the future, and instill confidence in the voter that he will carry the vision out. Citing a 10% across the board cut is more than enough for him to demonstrate that he has a general idea of where to take the state.
Just last week, Brady was complaining that Quinn doesn’t really even have a budget plan that he can review to start defining a specific plan. We both know he has whatever was available as a Senator, and whatever the professional state employees have provided the campaign. I’m pretty sure that Brady has a staff of guys sitting on tall stools wearing eyeshades figuring out just the plan you want to see, and will keep working on it through and after the election so that he can hit the ground running.
If he doesn’t, he is a bigger fool than most of the posters on this blog say he is.
If Quinn was able to figure out his own plan for the state, that could be stated as simply as Brady’s, we might have a race.
Instead, I dropped by a store a few days ago to pick up a fork. I’ll send it to Quinn, he’ll need it ’cause he’s done.
Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 3:13 pm
47th,
From that article:
“The state failed to include information about benefits, including a 9 percent increase granted in 2001, in information provided to investors who bought $26 billion in bonds, the state attorney general’s office said. After the inquiry began in 2007, the state updated its disclosure practices, the attorney general’s office said.”
Sounds like this lies in the lap of the Democrat, Job Corzine to me. Waddya think?
Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 3:17 pm
Let me get this right, Cincy. You are now saying that Brady’s budget would be BAD for Brady, once the voters here about it?
That’s a shocker.
And Quinn should havea a plan as simple as Brady’s? I don’t have a clue what Brady is proposing Cincy, and neither do you. You see, he hasn’t made it public yet. None of us know. He hasn’t told us yet. Sort of reminds me of Nixon 1968 and his “secret plan to get us out of Vietnam.” I’ve been around long enough that when I hear that a Republican has a “secret plan” my instinct is that the guy will do the exact opposite.
And you talk about vision — so far the only vision I’m seeing is “too afraid to talk about his plans.” Great. Four years of a Gov. too terrifid to let the voters know what he thinks. Sounds like a wonderful leader.
Comment by Skeeter Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 3:23 pm
Here is what I don’t get. Everyone is demanding that Brady release a “detailed” budget plan for next year. Fine, but why not demand that Quinn do the same?? Yes, we’ve seen the budget he put forward this year - and it ain’t nothing to brag about. It was largely a place-holder, let’s-get-past-November-and-deal-with-the-real-problems-later budget. So, where’s his grand plan for straightening this mess out if he get’s re-elected?? No where on his campaign website, that’s for sure – even though he has a “Days without a Brady Budget Plan” time-clock on there.
Comment by grand old partisan Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 3:25 pm
Good argument GOP.
You are claiming Brady is doing the same thing as Quinn?
That sounds like a great bumbersticker:
“Vote Brady: Just Like Quinn, but Spelled B-R-A-D-Y”
Comment by Skeeter Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 3:28 pm
Skeeter,
No, that’s not what I’m saying. Brady has put forward a budget plan - it’s just not as “detailed” as some people would like. His plan is to cut 10% from every department, agency, program, etc. I’d argue that is a detailed plan by virtue of being exhaustive, but whatever. Now, where is Quinn’s plan, “detailed” or not. Is he going to raise taxes next year? On who? By how much? Is that going to be mixed with cuts? On which programs or agencies? How much?
Seems to me that Quinn has far more questions to answer about his budget plan, and I don’t understand why all the people who are bagging on Brady’s alleged lack of a plan aren’t asking those questions of Quinn.
Comment by grand old partisan Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 3:33 pm
Sure Cinci, and Corzine paid the price at the ballot box.
Gov. Christie gets credit for cutting spending and balancing his budget. But no one likes to point out that he balanced the budget by not making a pension payment. He cut 2.2 percent of state spending, which is not exactly taking a hatchet to Corzine’s budget, is it? He also cut almost a billion in property tax rebates after promising that was a last resort. So he basically skipped a pension payment and in effect raised local property taxes.
Which pretty much sounds like Bill Brady’s plan, doesn’t it? At least, that’s what I think Brady is proposing because it isn’t exactly clear.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 3:35 pm
GOP,
First, Brady has walked back from the 10% thing.
Second, the 10% thing gets him less than 1/2 way to a balanced budget.
No wonder he wants to keep the details secret. Cincy is right. If he goes into detail, he loses.
Comment by Skeeter Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 3:39 pm
47th,
I DID point out that he has not addressed the pension funding problem… yet. I do every time I use Christie as an example. I further point out that he has promised a detailed plan in September.
Skeeter,
“Let me get this right, Cincy. You are now saying that Brady’s budget would be BAD for Brady, once the voters here about it?”
I need to reread what I said because I didn’t want to be talking about the plan itself, but that Brady would be caught up in the minutia of the plan if he released a detailed budget, which would interfere with campaign messaging. Oh, wait a second, I DID say that…
And as grand old partisan said, Brady is pretty specific when he says 10% across the board. It will obviously be up to the department heads, after the familiarize themselves with the department budgets, to identify the specific areas that will be cut.
It is unrealistic to expect Brady (or Quinn for that matter) to know about every fart blown in every state agency. The difference here is that Quinn has had is people in place for 2 years. Result = $13B deficit and no plan to make it go away.
Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 3:48 pm
Well said, Cincinnatus.
Fine, Skeeter. Just for the sake of argument, I’ll stipulate that the details of Brady’s plan are “secret.” Fine, now what is the broad outline of Quinn’s future budget plans? Tax increases? Budget cuts? Who knows – he won’t even give us that much. So why is everyone so hung up on Brady’s lack of line-by-line detail when have don’t even have the slightest idea what Quinn might do.
Comment by grand old partisan Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 3:58 pm
I think we should keep in mind the difference between a “budget” and a “plan”. Each year we pass a “budget”. We’ve yet to see a “plan” from anyone. Right now it is quite simple to summarize.
PQ says he can bring the state out of it’s financial predicament, and to do that he needs spending cuts and a tax increase.
BB says he can get the state out of it’s financial predicament, and to do that he needs spending cuts and a tax cut.
If I have misstated either side’s position, someone feel free to correct me.
And, skeeter and others, I simply remind what the learned DP Moynihan said about “facts”.
Comment by steve schnorf Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 4:00 pm
Cincy and GOP,
You both know that that 10% gets Brady to less than 1/2 of the $13 Billion.
So, where’s the other half?
Cincy, SEVEN BILLION DOLLARS is a heck of a lot more than just a few farts [using your description]. And that’s what Brady has to cut, on top of his 10% (which he’s already walked back from).
Do you think the voters will like it when Brady tells them all the rest that he’s going to have to cut? Will that play well with the voters? Or do you think he will come off as way too extreme?
He’s the one saying that he can do the impossible — fill a $13 billion hole without raising taxes. Let’s see him do it.
And GOP, once again, your argument comes down to “Brady is just like Quinn.” That’s the second time you’ve made the argument. I don’t think that’s one that will go over well with the voters.
Comment by Skeeter Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 4:12 pm
steve,
Not withstanding the brilliant Pat Moynihan’s famous qute, I’d like to point out something about facts, something I would drive home to my physics students. Facts are malleable, and only reflect the current state of knowledge. Facts may indeed be wrong because of an imperfect state of knowledge. Facts only become truth when proven beyond a doubt.
Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 4:22 pm
Whoof. I think Proft ended up winning the press release war!
Comment by Anon Friday, Aug 20, 10 @ 5:21 pm