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Â· The owners of the Chicago area’s horserace tracks have always hated each other and constantly tried to one-up the others. That’s a big reason why it’s always so difficult to pass any riverboat legislation - because the tracks can never seem to agree on how to divvy up their cut. Now, though, it looks like Mr. D has Bidwell very close to a checkmate situation.

Â· “In the wake of allegations about Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s hiring practices, several high-profile Republicans are flocking to Illinois to stump for Republican challenger Judy Baar Topinka.”

Â· Feds keep their word, seek leniency for Fawell’s fiancee

Â· Geils insists on no talks with Chicago

Â· Illinois 4-H sponsors food drive

Â· “Exelonâ€™s proposed takeover of New Jersey utility PSEG continues to run into opposition”

Â· Daley welcomes Gay Games

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 4:47 am

Comments

Smart move by Duchossois. By running Bidwell out, Duchossois’s voice in Springfield gets much louder.

The risk of Duchossois’s assuming the private loan will no doubt be offset by further taxpayer subsidies. Pretty sweet!

Comment by Leroy Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 6:32 am
The National Republican Party smells “blood in the water” much like a shark does. They can feel and sense Blagojevich is vulnerable and wounded by the Feds current (and more importantly upcoming) investigations into illegalities and improprieties that have and are taking place in Illinois government. Mehlman and Karl Rove are sending the GOP heavyweights to Illinois to assure Judy Barr Topinka will enable them to paint the state of Illinois red.

In the past, Illinois was lucky to be recognized by the National Republican Party. This time they feel that Judy can pull off a win for them with “just a little help from her friends”. My theory is that the National Republican Party feels confident that something big (like a Federal investigation of Judy’s opponent) is going to go down before election day. The Illinois Democrats should have run Lisa as their contender and they would never have had the GOP heavyweights like President Bush, Giuliani, and John McCain in Illinois to push Judy over the top. Big mistake regarding political strategy by the Illinois Democrat Party leadership.

I wonder if Mayor Daley (not a big Blagojevich lover) cut a deal with President Bush when he was in Chicago and gave George W. (for his birthday present) an “understood agreement” that Daley would NOT try very hard to get Rod reelected?

Comment by Beowulf Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 6:53 am
Let’s see Bush get about 32%, Rudy polls under 30% as does McCain. If these are the “big guns”…well Mr Wulf, as the old saying goes if these are her friends who needs an enemies?
My guess these visits drive all the right wing nutballs further into retreat.
And of course GRod still leads.
p.s. any word on how much help Rudy was to Ralph Reed in GA last week?

Comment by Reddbyrd Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 10:44 am
I love the Sun Times headline today. “It wasn’t all a sham!” proclaims Daley.

Fitzgerald response should be, “It wasn’t all a sham, just most of it.”

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 10:57 am