As I mentioned in the Capitol Fax today, that video of Judy Baar Topinka dancing the polka with George Ryan has become a favorite hook of Chicago reporters this week.Latest Post | Last 10 Posts | Archives
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As I mentioned in the Capitol Fax today, that video of Judy Baar Topinka dancing the polka with George Ryan has become a favorite hook of Chicago reporters this week.
· Daily Herald:
Of all the obstacles Republican governor candidate Judy Baar Topinka faces in trying to win this November, perhaps none looms larger now than a piece of videotape.The footage features the Illinois treasurer dancing the polka at a state fair with Gov. George Ryan, who was convicted Monday on all 18 counts in his federal corruption trial. The tape provides her opponent, Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, with a powerful image to use this fall in what so far has been a close contest in the polls. […]
Blagojevich campaign spokeswoman Sheila Nix said the campaign had “no immediate plans†to start airing a similar ad. His camp might not have to in the short term — TV newscasts are featuring it in the wake of the verdict.
· John Kass:
Topinka ran away from her friend Ryan, something a loyal Tugboat Annie wouldn’t have done, and now says she has no friends in politics, but that she does have two dogs.“It has an effect on all politicians,” she said of the Ryan conviction. “I think the public gets very sad about it all and thinks all politicians are bad.”
Especially if they’re on video, dancing a polka with a felon.
· CBS2:
Though she once danced a polka with him, and they sometimes campaigned together, Judy Baar Topinka insisted Tuesday that George Ryan was an occasional ally, but not a friend.
Etc., etc.
And Topinka’s response:
“I dance the polka with everyone,” she said. “I think people realize I dance with everyone. If there’s polka music and there’s someone around, I will dance with them. I’ve made Vice President [Dick] Cheney dance with me.“You’re ruining my dance card,” she said to reporters. “Everybody is going to be so fearful to dance with me that they’re going to be in a commercial, I’m not going to have any polka partners.”
Are reporters making too much of this? And how do you think Topinka is handling the issue?
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Apr 19, 06 @ 7:42 am
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In 1974, Nixon landed at Meigs Field and the only elected official to greet the President was Mayor Richard J. Daley. By this time in Nixon’s second ( abreviated term) even Bob Hope was making fun of Nixon; but, a member of the opposing Party had enough old-school respect for the Office and displayed an example of personal dignity not seen in public life for many years.
John Kass’s post-conviction hat-dance on George Ryan was capped with a Royko-esque ( ‘Hey, it’s possible it happened . . .’) account of a Bike messenger taunting Ryan. That says it all about the last tatters of grace allowed to elected officials. Sejanus Ducitur Unco.
George Ryan’s troubles began before the Willis babies died in that horrible accident. They seem to have really snowballed when Peter Fitzgerald felt hurt and uninfluential when his overtures for the now Lincoln Library were in incubation. Jim Edgar was big help to peter Fitzgerald, as I recall, and George Ryan was not.
Politics ain’t teddy-bears.
Kass’s flaminco stomps are to be expected, but let’s take them for what they are - good prose.
Kristen McCreary’s column is a much better analysis of the Ryan story.
JBT and the other political animals are heading for the brush. Its too bad those who would dance with George Ryan do not have the energy to stand with him. Leave the gambols to great hoofers like John Kass.
cwww.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/columns/Acurrent/mcqueary.htm
Comment by Pat Hickey Wednesday, Apr 19, 06 @ 8:15 am
does topinka have video of her dancing with cheney?
Comment by bored now Wednesday, Apr 19, 06 @ 8:24 am
She danced a polka with Ryan in front of a (I am guessing Republican Day)crowd at a state fair! And it was taped! Horrors! How will this soap opera end! She probably ate something that was deep fried while watching the people walk by too. Talk about giving significance to a nothing event. Every politician has public pictures of themselves with friends, strangers, and people they may dislike or later want to distance themselves from. It is simply part of the business. I am sure every reader of this blog maintains a close friendship with EVERY co-worker they ever had or sat next to at a company event. I am equally sure every reader has never backed off a work based relationship when the co-worker got in serious trouble on the job. There are probably pictures of Rod and Mell (or Daley, or insert your preferred name)smiling with their arms around each other while drinking a beer at some local event. Is that equally important?
Comment by zatoichi Wednesday, Apr 19, 06 @ 8:38 am
That videotape is similar to those photographs taken with politicians during fund raisers. You stand in line, walk up, shake his/her hand, pose for the camera and . . . I have a few myself taken, some with politicians who either barely know me or didn’t (and still don’t) know me.
These photos alone denote deep friendship and kinship? Mind you, these photos are different than a group shot taken in Jamaica with a bunch of pals.
Yet the press will jump on these meet and greet type of photos whenever it can to distort what actually took place.
Everyone is making too much of the “polka dance” just like everyone makes too much of those other type of meet and greet photos.
But the media just can’t help itself on this topic. I see no changes in behavior in the future on their part.
For my part, all I can say is keep on dancing Judy. Don’t change your personality over this issue.
Louis G. Atsaves
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Wednesday, Apr 19, 06 @ 8:47 am
So Topinka has danced with a now convicted felon and this occurring during a unity day at the state fair. Where’s the illegality of this? Although I’m sure it will play to the uninformed common electorate that vote based off TV sound bites.
Contrast this to the current Governor’s administration which has four separate federal investigations occurring into its practices and professional conduct. Then there is also one of our candidates for Treasurer that has had professional business dealings with a known convicted member of organized crime and refuses to even admit that those dealing might have been a mistake.
Compared to these two examples a polka dance doesn’t seem to be too horrible except I guess in the world of John Kass.
Comment by Sound Reasoning Wednesday, Apr 19, 06 @ 8:47 am
NEWS FLASH: Right after she danced she ate greasy fried chicken with her fingers.This will die as stupid campaign rehtoric.Why don’t this reporter jump on news that is going to reflect on the state for years to come.Of course that would take some real research and reporting.
Comment by DOWNSTATE Wednesday, Apr 19, 06 @ 9:05 am
1) Are reporters making too much of it? Yes.
How many Democrats still in office in this state probably have pictures of them socializing with Dan Rostenkowski? Does that mean every single last one of them is as corrupt as he was? Hardly.
Not only are they making too much of the story, but they are making themselves look hackneyed and lazy by letting the easy angle write itself. Kudos to Kristen McQueary for breaking the mold.
2) How is Topinka’s campaign handling it? I’d say pretty well, all things considered. There’s no positive way to spin it, so the only thing to do is downplay it and wait it out.
They have formulated the prerequisite 2 second rebuttal. They are calmly dismissing it and not ‘protesting too much.’
Comment by grand old partisan Wednesday, Apr 19, 06 @ 9:07 am
It means nothing in reality, but thats not what this is about. There is no real story about the pic, other than it exists.
The tape is damaging for what it can be made to represent. In terms of a campaign issue its huge. Its the perfect picture for the Blago campaign to use to frame the perception of Topinka in the public’s mind.
I agree with Grand Old Partisan, she’s handling it about as well as can be expected, but just wait until the commercials start to run. It is going to hurt her campaign numbers…a lot.
Comment by justmyopinion Wednesday, Apr 19, 06 @ 10:12 am
“This will die as stupid campaign rehtoric.”
No campaign is shopping it presently.
Is the actual act of dancing with George Ryan a big deal? Not really. But it is a powerful symbol of guilt by association.
How is she dealing with it?
Quoth Ms. Topinka: “I’ve made Vice President [Dick] Cheney dance with me.”
Enough said.
Comment by SenorAnon Wednesday, Apr 19, 06 @ 10:28 am
If some citizens are stupid enough to think she is tight with GRyan because she is dancing with him, then so be it. And if they re-elect GRod because of a polka they will get what they deserve, four more years of the state heading toward bankruptcy and the continuation of pay-to-play politics.
As for how JBT is handling it? How can one handle such a non-issue? It would be like asking her “Why do you color your hair that shade of red?”
With the problems Illinois is facing we focus on a dance at the State Fair? Get over it and move on to the real issues.
Comment by Papa Legba Wednesday, Apr 19, 06 @ 10:51 am
It’s April, boys, April - six and a half months still to go. There will be lots more news to come before the Big Day, and I suspect a lot of it will not be pleasant for Hot Rod.
John Kass has done a great job of attacking corruption in his column, but he is getting just a bit full of himself at the present time.
Comment by Bubs Wednesday, Apr 19, 06 @ 11:11 am
“…he [Kass]is getting just a bit full of himself at the present time.”
At the present time?
Comment by SenorAnon Wednesday, Apr 19, 06 @ 11:54 am
The polka footage is very good visual for Blago and very bad for JBT…
Comment by Remember when... Wednesday, Apr 19, 06 @ 1:03 pm