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As I wrote in the Capitol Fax this morning, I’ll bet this story gets a lot of play today.
In a move certain to stir controversy in the closing days of the campaign for the Republican nomination for governor, Judy Baar Topinka labeled her rivals “morons” Thursday night before municipal officials in Proviso Township.“It’s nice to be in a friendly crowd after last night,” Topinka, the state treasurer and a Riverside resident, said of a debate Wednesday that included her opponents in the March 21 race. “It’s hard to have a debate when you have to debate a bunch of morons. I’m sorry, but that’s the way they acted.”
Topinka’s comments to the Proviso Township Municipal League at the Riverside Country Club reflected the growing personal bitterness in the contest, even though the debate held by the League of Women Voters of Illinois was considered civil.
Later, Topinka said she did not mean to include state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington in her critical remarks because Brady had largely avoided any attacks. During the previous night’s debate, Topinka said she would support Brady if she were not a candidate because he had avoided a campaign featuring personal attacks.
UPDATE: Almost forgot to link to my first Sun-Times column. It’s about the governor’s race, rich white guys and Peter Fitzgerald. This will be a monthly thing.
I ran into my buddy Korg last week. Korg is a lifelong Democrat but he told me he was switching to the Republicans. Why? I asked.“Because if a Republican shoots somebody in the face, the other guy has to apologize.”
Not in Illinois, I said. Republicans here just shoot themselves in the foot.
UPDATE 2:Topinka apologizes.
Judy Baar Topinka apologized Friday for saying her opponents in the Republican gubernatorial race are “morons.”A Topinka spokesman said she called the other candidates Friday morning to say she was sorry.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 7:03 am
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I don’t know about Gedwitz but on Obie she missed it by a bunch.No I won’t use those kind of words here.
Comment by DOWNSATE Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 7:12 am
So what if she was blowing a little steam after what those clowns (Brady excepted) have been doing to her?
And yes, she was right on the mark with Oberwies, especially after his comment about Kimme.
Comment by Rick Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 7:18 am
It could have been worse. She could have said they were lacking testicular virility.
Comment by Shallow Pharnyx Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 7:26 am
As someone who was there last night, rest assured that Judy brought down the house. The “moron” comment went over well - appreciated by a crowd that has to deal with a fair share of morons themselves. She did catch herself when she realized that there was press in the room, but too late. Her comments on Blago weren’t reported, but they were priceless.
Judy always entertains, but she is a very serious, direct person. And that’s very refreshing. JBT deserves to win it all.
Comment by Phocion Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 7:43 am
Well, I think Judy shouldn’t whine, after claiming the boys (except Brady) were picking on her because she’s a girl. She’s been the front runner, it’s the norm to get hit with more attacks.
I do agree tho, that personal attacks are out of bounds, they need to be issue-based,and substantive. (Which Oberweis, grouping himself with the loony Martin, has failed to do.)
Comment by Backyard Conservative Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 7:43 am
Welcome to the ranks
Comment by C.S. Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 7:50 am
Phocion, what did she say about the guv?
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 7:55 am
Rich–congrats on the Suntimes gig. How often will it appear?
Comment by Poltical Hack Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 8:15 am
Rich- good article, As for JBT she said what most of us were thinking…I’m really starting to believe Obie has no control whatsoever of the dairy company which bears his name, if he did I feel it would be bankrupt. But lets face it the way a majority of these candidates have handled themselves and their campaigns is pretty idiotic.
Comment by ISU REP Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 8:21 am
Well, when she gets into the general, and says it again about her Dem opponent….she’ll be right on.
Comment by Cassandra Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 8:38 am
So, when the Governor refers to legislators as “drunken sailors” it’s childish and devisive, but when the Treasurer calls other candidates “morons” behind their backs, it’s perfectly okay?
I give up, what exactly is the GOP’s definition of “leadership”?
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 8:47 am
YDD, I can’t speak for anyone else, but I never thought that the Gov was childish and devisive for his insult on the GA (or anything else)….I think it was actually right on the money. I think he is immature as a leader for many other reasons, but I actually give him props for that one.
And I think Judy’s comments were right on the money too, and I am especially glad that she did offer a retraction in regards to Brady.
Rich, congrats on the Sun-Times column. Is it going to be a regular thing?
Comment by grand old partisan Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 9:12 am
As I wrote in the post, it’s a monthly.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 9:15 am
I am sick of this crap. Her reputation was that she was “above it all.” But then she gets even more childish than Obee. For the love of God, there is nobody better to run for Guv? She is a hypocrite… I really wonder if she would endorse Gidwitz, Obee, or Brady if she lost the primary…
Comment by Lovie's Leather Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 9:22 am
She said she would endorse Brady if he were the nominee instead of her, and I see no reason to not take her word for it.
As for her endorsing Gidwitz or Oberweis, I can’t really say….but if I were her, I wouldn’t. Besides, do you think either of them will endorse her after she wins? Probably not.
That being said, I am disappointed that she dropped herself down to their level….she is better than that.
Comment by grand old partisan Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 9:35 am
Rich, your article was insightful and refreshing. The sun-times is my paper of choice… they are slanted to left, but I love the style of the paper and it’s writers. It is not some hoity toity crap that the trib writes. It is the paper for average people who don’t want to use a dictionary to read it. Once again, great writing.
Comment by Lovie's Leather Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 9:37 am
Rich
Great launch of the column. Nice tight prose and no attempt to ‘load every rift with ore.’
Comment by Pat Hickey Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 10:09 am
Lovie’s Leather,
Could not agree more with about the Sun Times as the only choice for news: Fran Spielman has TWO hot stories on the mensa chapter at City Hall. Great Columnists, Brown, Steinberg, Mitchell, Washington, and the great Sports writers like Mulligan and Steve Tucker. Now, they got this new guy Miller. . .
Comment by Pat Hickey Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 10:14 am
Calling rich people who have nothing better to do with their time or money morons and running fake newspaper headlines with wild accusations are two VERY different things…Shes just calling a spade a spade. For once I agree with Rod Captain Madigan and Admiral Jones have turned the GA into a poor rendition of the HMS Pinafore…
Comment by ISU REP Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 11:50 am
Rich, congrats on the Sun-Times gig. They’ve needed you at least since Steve Neal passed.
I completely agree about Obee but…what about Gidwitz, too? His “qualifications” are thin indeed and based ENTIRELY on his ability to give money to people who then put him on boards and commissions. Another rich guy who’s never been elected to anything before.
What is it with the R’s these days? They put up the constitutionally-weakest Governor in the 50 states, with no national security experience whatsoever, and he becomes…the worst President ever with a foreign policy catastrophe as his most enduring legacy. What do folks expect with a (hard to even type this) Governor Gidwitz? Tax breaks for the rich, open season on public schools and state regulation of utility, consumer and environmental protections. What you’d expect from Just Another Rich Guy.
The only saving grace may end up that Gidwitz ran Helene Curtis, which to some Republican ears may sound too gay for their comfort.
Comment by Eric the Red Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 1:15 pm
Do you feel better for getting that dig in about Bush? Not sure how that fits into this blog Eric the red.
You’re going to have to deal with the same problem the right wing had to deal with when Clinton left office and that is the “who do we blame now” mentality.
Comment by Proud RINO Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 1:20 pm
I don’t recall any of the Three Stooges apologizing for anything.
Comment by Bubs Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 1:25 pm
Just checked in Rich…not sure why people are complaining about Judy’s comment since they didn’t hear the whole thing - which was mostly Blago- bashing.
JBT said people in Sprinfield think Blago’s in Chicago all the time, and people in Chicago think he’s in Springfield - basically, no one knows where the guy is (big laughs).
Then she said (paraphrasing) “When I’m Governor, people are going to know where I am. And they’re going to know that I live in the Governor’s mansion (applause). And I’ll get to enjoy that $1 million heated driveway that Blagojevich installed for a house he never uses (laughs)….”
She then talked about having parties in the Governor’s mansion, and having a party in the basement, which she could relate to because she’s Bohemian (big laughs - kinda wacky).
Anyway, it was a fun night. The posters here need to lighten up. She apologized anyway. But hey, if the “moron” shoe fits….
Comment by Phocion Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 1:34 pm
I believe the heated driveway actually cost about $800,000 (which included other improvements). You would think a “treasurer” would be more accurate with numbers. $800,000, $1,000,000, I guess it’s all the same to her.
I don’t get the digs about the driveway. He doesn’t use the mansion, so it wasn’t done to benefit him or his family. The stated purpose was to melt ice so that the many tourists who visit won’t slip and injure themselves. Would it be cheaper to pay a judgment after somebody cracks their head open?
And why was JBT so quiet when Edgar and Ryan were running up huge deficits? Is it only when a Dem spends money?
Comment by Not So Fast Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 3:10 pm
Thanks to the Sun-Times column, I cannot get the picture of Blago biting the heads off kittens out of my mind. Thanks Rich.
Comment by Bluefish Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 3:15 pm
Rich, I was at the event and I believe that those comments were off base. One , she is the front runner and two weeks before the election she should have known she was going to be attacked!
Two,she has not campaigned hard enough to deserve a vote, all she says is “you know me” , ” so vote for me”!
Third, she apears to be extremely thin skinned by her statements against her opponents!
Fourth, the room was full of the same “Democrats and Republicans” or better said “Repcrats”, where she is most at home, cutting deals to elect Democrats over Republicans!
It is a shame that we Republicans in this state can’t find a true Republican to run against the Democrats! When corrupt mayors and individuals of dubius backgrounds are and were at this event(also three individuals who are currently under fedral investigation,were present), and are supporting here and she is hugging them at this event, it just makes you wonder and realize why Illinois is considered the most corrupt political state in the Union!
Rich , last night was an embarrassement, for all honest voters in Illinois who won’t have any one to elect for Governor if both Topinka and Blagovich win there primaries!
Comment by offended Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 3:32 pm
My bad. It wasn’t around $800,000, it was $719,000 according to the Sun-Times, making Judy’s exaggeration even greater.
Comment by Not So Fast Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 3:52 pm
Wow, offended!
Better not see anyone getting their picture taken with Mayor Daley either, then, huh?
Seriously, though. I do agree that Proviso Township has more than its fair share of “characters.” It would be nice if Fitzgerald had enough hours in the day…
Comment by Phocion Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 3:52 pm
Proud RINO, first off, yes, but then again that’s about all a LDAPOI (liberal Democrat and proud of it) is left with these days in terms of the national stage. I’d thought Barack might start shaming them into some sense of honor and civility but evidently he’s keeping his powder dry until he knows if he’s on the ticket or not.
But the only way I’d be in the same boat as you all after the smirking chimp leaves office would be if Laura decides to take on Kay Bailey for the Senate. Otherwise, yes, we won’t have a home for our disdain (we’ll be too busy fixing George Jr’s. messes). In your case, after 2000, the unmitigated hatred that formerly went to Bill quickly found a home with Hil without a hiccup or other pause for breath.
That said, as a LDAPOI in IL it will be fun to watch the R’s frustrations from now ’til November. Gidwitz and Obee have spent huge trying to rip Judy a new one and have only succeeded in saving our guy the trouble of digging up what we need to bury her over the summer. Remember when Edgar slammed Dawn Netsch by, in his case, telling a half-truth about her tax swap plan (which he later hypocritically adopted himself)? As I recall he then had the good timing to get laid up with heart troubles and Dawn was too much of a fair player to fire back until after Edgar’s distortion had hardened into conventional wisdom.
Well, what goes around comes around. Judy is going to get torched, and early, but in this case by G-Rod laying out the facts on her as they are on the record. No need to fabricate when the truth is so plentiful. By the time she regroups after a costly and tiring primary she’ll already be Alan Keyes all over again.
And yes, that felt good, too.
Comment by Eric the Red Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 4:00 pm
That being said, I am disappointed that she dropped herself down to their level….she is better than that.
Nope.
Comment by T.J. Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 4:50 pm
Just when I was starting to get “a little” respect for Judy with her moron quip, she backtracks and says that she really didn’t mean it. Give me a break! She meant it. She was simply worried about the press blowing out of proportion so she called each of the candidates to apologize.
I would have thought more of Judy for refusing to backdown on her statement and instead, simply called the other candidates and said, “I still stand by what I said and believe. However, I am sorry I said it because I should have used better political judgement than to say it publicly.” That would have been the more sincere and truthful answer.
Comment by Beowulf Saturday, Mar 11, 06 @ 7:18 am