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Cross spreads rumors about tax hike, death penalty repeal

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Illinois

* I heard this rumor the other day and ran it down pretty darned thoroughly over a couple of days. As far as I can tell, it’s bunk…

Tom Cross said he’s hearing Quinn made a deal to get votes for the big tax hike in exchange for promising to sign the bill abolishing he death penalty.

“You know, they were having a tough time getting the votes in the House and the Senate, so I’m told, and in exchange for a number of folks voting in exchange a number of folks voting who were in support of the death penalty abolition, he said he would sign it,” Cross said.

In response, the governor’s office says, “Baseless political attacks do a great disservice to the elected members of the General Assembly who had the courage to take the action necessary to bring economic recovery and budget reform to Illinois.”

First of all, re-read that Cross quote. It makes no sense.

I first heard the rumor from opponents of the death penalty abolition bill. Republicans were also spreading it. At the time, the rumor was that some abolition proponents were threatening to withhold their votes from the tax hike unless Quinn signed the death penalty bill. Some had heard the rumor, but nobody - and I do mean nobody - involved with the tax hike (or the abolition bill) were involved in such a plot that I could discern.

This is just irresponsible on Cross’ part. He’s passing along rail gossip to undermine both bills with this story, and, of course, WLS trumpets whatever nonsense that fits their meme.

* And I’m sure the Republicans, including the four Senate Republicans, who voted for the abolition bill are pleased as punch with his rumor mongering…

The four Republican senators who switched ideological sides were more intellectually honest. They included Dan Duffy of Lake Barrington, who was a small-business owner and political neophyte when he won an open 26th District seat in 2008.

Mr. Duffy is an ultra-conservative and, when tracked down, he was fuming about the big tax increase that also passed at the end of the legislative session. He calls it “the nuclear bomb of jobs bills,” adding, “It will destroy all jobs in Illinois.”

He said he was pro-death penalty until he started researching the issue recently and morphed into a late co-sponsor of the legislation to bar it. […]

Another Republican vote came from Senator Tom Johnson, both a former prosecutor and House member picked by the Republican Party to fill the seat of Randy Hultgren, who was a west suburban senator and is now a new congressman. Mr. Johnson has served on the Illinois Prisoner Review Board since 2004 and was a proponent of the death penalty.

But over time, he said, he discerned a system whose application made it “impossible to rationally use as an effective tool,” especially with state’s attorneys in 102 counties making separate decisions on which defendants were “death eligible.”

* Roundup…

* Judge denies Coleman’s request to delay murder trial: Judge Milton Wharton today denied a defense motion to delay the Feb. 15 start of Chris Coleman’s murder trial until Gov. Pat Quinn decides whether to sign a bill to abolish the death penalty.

* Will Quinn end Illinois’ death penalty? We look at his past comments.

* House lawmakers roast blunt wraps ban: Rep. Jim Sacia, a Republican from Pecatonica, said the legislation is part of a dispute between Chicago-based Republic Tobacco and Kentucky-based National Tobacco Co.

* Editorial: What lawmakers did right

* Some new lawmakers newer than others

* Why did the gambling plan die?

* No vote on gambling expansion bill leaves horsemen unhappy

* Area schools look to comply with moment of silence

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 1:20 pm

Comments

Cross is a classless hypocrite.

Tom Cross was prepared to trade everything that wasn’t nailed down with Rod Blagojevich, in order to triangulate Madigan.

I don’t believe the rumors either, but mainly because I never believed Pat Quinn when he said he opposed repealing the Death Penalty. Advocates never would have pushed so hard and successfully, nor would the bill’s sponsors have laid it all on the line, unless they’d had atleast SOME inkling that Quinn was going to sign the measure.

P.S. Why isn’t the Tribune spending Ink ripping Republicans who opposed the Death Penalty repeal?

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 1:33 pm
Tom Cross is one of the least credible and least respected people in Springfield. No idea why anyone would listen to him on something like this especially.

Maybe Cross can put on his tinfoil hat and also come up with a crazy theory about who stole his alternative budget bill. Oh that’s right, he never had one.

Comment by just sayin' Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 1:35 pm
Yeah, just an FYI on Cross: a few years ago when he was flirting with a statewide run for Attorney General, he introduced legislation that would have effectively abolished the Death Penalty in an effort to win the support of the Chicago Tribune.

When Madigan decided to run for re-election, Cross decided to cut-and-run.

He’s a hypocrite to criticize anyone on the death penalty, the budget, or backroom deals.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 1:48 pm
A Tom Cross sighting — that’s a relief. He’s been on the milk carton for some time.

I hope he didn’t lose his four-page budget-cutting plan during his long silence. Was he working undercover on the forensic audit?

So he’s making the radio interview rounds AFTER the tax bill passed?

Gee whiz, you think if he was really against it, he would have been doing the media rounds 24/7, all across the state, last weekend before the vote.

I’m not a statewide leader like him, but that would be seem to be a more effective strategy, if you’re sincerely against something.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 1:50 pm
More wise words from wordslinger.

Comment by just sayin' Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 1:55 pm
If hyperbole were a capital offense, Duffy’s motivation would seem more self-serving.

Comment by Bill F. Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 1:56 pm
YD-there is a big difference between abolishing the death penalty and requiring a higher burden of proof. Furthermore, in a post about rumors, you may want to hold off on your own.

WS-I saw a ton of ink and interviews attacking the tax plan. I would suggest perusing a few other sites once in a while.

Finally, does anyone really believe deals were not cut on the tax hike? Dems like Flider, Reitz, Gordon, McCarthy campaigned against the Quinn tax hike 90 days ago. Want to bet where they will be employed by year’s end?

Comment by The Gimmees Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 1:56 pm
Thanks phil, for showing the kind of nastiness, tinged with racial profiling, that Cross’ camp exhibits when caught dead to rights being stupid.

Sore losers keeping it classy.

Comment by just sayin' Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 2:14 pm
Phil was deleted. The moron will also be deleted again if he comes back.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 2:16 pm
Gimmees - Um, my bet is that McCarthy and Reitz will be employed by the Illinois House of Representatives since they both won their respective elections?

Comment by Katiedid Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 2:20 pm
Katiedid-

I guess we will see about that once the map comes out. I doubt McCarthy and Reitz voted for their first tax hike without thinking of a parachute.

Comment by The Gimmees Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 2:28 pm
Well, Kevin may end up as a lobster. https://capitolfax.com/2011/01/14/here-we-go-again-but-without-the-cash/

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 2:29 pm
I presume that the adjective “ultra conservative” as applied to Rep. Duffy means, among other things, that he is pro-life/anti-abortion. Perhaps he was persuaded that in this case, voting for repeal would be the truly pro-life thing to do.

If I’m not mistaken, Dan Proft — an equally “ultra conservative” recent GOP primary candidate for governor — also supported legislative abolition of the death penalty (not through continuance of the Ryan moratorium, which he believed to be unconstitutional).

Comment by Secret Square Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 2:33 pm
Perhaps Cross was referring to (or at least should have been) the abrupt turnaround of Reps. Smith and Biggins.

Comment by gfalkes Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 2:35 pm
gfalkes, Biggins was a “No.”

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 2:39 pm
Gimmees - I don’t disagree with you about the remap possibilities. I literally meant just this year.

Comment by Katiedid Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 2:41 pm
This is kind of off topic, but how long are the Republican’s going to have Tom Cross as their leader? The guy just seems to get more and more ridiculous. Maybe the House Democrats felt safe with their majority because they knew they were dealing with someone who doesn’t have the brainpower to actually line up a winning ticket to beat them.

Comment by Ahoy Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 2:51 pm
More inspiring gamesmanship from the head of the feckless Republicans in the House…as my Grandpa used to say, “Honey, you’re a day late and a dollar short”…

Comment by Loop Lady Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 2:56 pm
Gordon Gekko has a great line in the Wall Street sequel that Tom Cross might want to think about:

“It’s just like 1st Grade, nobody likes a cry-baby.”

Comment by just sayin' Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 3:03 pm
–WS-I saw a ton of ink and interviews attacking the tax plan. I would suggest perusing a few other sites once in a while.–

Are you kidding me? Did you see Cross, Radogno and Brady on TV? Hear them on the radio? Lot of rallies at the Daley Center and at the Dome?

If they were really against it, they would have Cowboyed Up like a political campaign, with a comprehensive media attack plan across the state.

Individual legislators responding to local reporters’ questions by saying “I’m against taxes” doesn’t make for winning game plan.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 3:04 pm
State Sen. Duffy isn’t ultra-conservative. He’s pro-choice and anti-SB 600.

Comment by Conservative Veteran Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 3:11 pm
You’re absolutely right wordslinger. Cross, Radogno, Brady, etc. were PRAYING the Dems would pass the tax increase. Their “strategy” is only about finding the next gimmick for the next election’s campaign mailers. They couldn’t care less about the policy pros and cons. Doing the right thing for the state was the last thing on their minds, even if they could stand up for Republican principles while doing it.

I think the evidence is pretty overwhelming for this version of events. Can’t believe the GOP is largely getting a free ride on the scam thus far.

Comment by just sayin' Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 3:25 pm
On the so-called death penalty abolition swap issue, on this one, Rich, you are right on target. I, for one, greatly appreciate you thoroughly exploring the rumor as much as you did. Plain and simple: Cross was being HIGHLY irresponsible here. Whether to abolish that penalty is, needless to say, far MORE than your “run of the mill” issue. No pun intended but it is “deadly” serious and he demeans all Illinoisans, let alone legislators who EACH realized what an awesomely powerful, significant, and far-reaching vote that was…shame on him….

Comment by Just The Way It Is One Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 3:29 pm
Gotta love Sacia fronting for the pot dealers
….and he din’t even have those way to tight jeans.

Comment by CircularFiringSquad Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 3:43 pm
As for Brady praying for Quinn to raise taxes, I doubt that Brady has a future beyond his state senate district. He has run for governor twice and has nothing to show for it.

Comment by Honest Abe Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 4:04 pm
Cross’ behavior sounds like the days of Daniels and Tristano. I shudder.

Comment by LincolnLounger Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 4:10 pm
“He’s (Duffy) pro-choice and anti-SB 600.”

My mistake then. Seems to me that by most measures he would be “moderately” conservative, or maybe just plain conservative; what makes him “ultra” then?

Comment by Secret Square Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 4:20 pm
===what makes him “ultra” then? ===

His personality, I think.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jan 14, 11 @ 4:22 pm