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* Pearson…
Democratic U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth and the state may have settled a potentially politically problematic lawsuit alleging workplace retaliation last week, but Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk’s campaign is trying to make voters feel very unsettled about it.
A one-minute radio ad that Team Kirk said will air in Chicago and Springfield goes on the attack against Duckworth, calling her a “partisan pawn.”
“The crooked Democratic machine in Springfield spent tens of thousands of tax dollars to defend Duckworth in court, so you paid the price,” a female narrator says. “The Democratic machine protected Tammy, not the whistleblowers … and not our veterans. Haven’t we had enough of Blagojevich’s corruption?”
On Friday, Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office announced the case, which had gone on for years, had been settled for the “nuisance value” of $26,000 and “no finding of a violation of the law.”
* Click here to listen to the ad.
* Script…
Fighting for her political career, Tammy Duckworth finally settled a seven-year lawsuit because she tried to silence whistleblowers who exposed Duckworth’s poor record as Rod Blagojevich’s veterans’ chief.
Duckworth settled the lawsuit so she wouldn’t have to testify in open court about her shameful record – humiliating workers who reported shoddy care for veterans, and telling them to keep quiet.
When one employee blew the whistle on abuse of veterans, Duckworth even told her to quote shut her mouth.
Why? Voters will never know.
The crooked Democratic machine in Springfield spent tens of thousands of tax dollars to defend Duckworth in court, so you paid the price.
The Democratic machine protected Tammy, not the whistleblowers… and not our veterans.
Haven’t we had enough of Blagojevich’s corruption?
Illinois can’t afford to send a partisan pawn like Tammy Duckworth to the US Senate.
That “crooked” machine would be led by Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
Interesting choice there. But, as I’ve told you before, the GOP is already gearing up to challenge her in two years.
…Adding… MrJM in comments…
“Crooked”?
Team Kirk is desperately trying to distance themselves from their party’s presidential nominee, but still can’t resist using Trump’s trademark divisive language.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 10:14 am
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Is there a crooked Democratic machine in Springfield? Sounds fun. I want to ride on it. Will it be at the State Fair?
Comment by IllinoisBoi Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 10:23 am
“Crooked”?
Team Kirk is desperately trying to distance themselves from their party’s presidential nominee, but still can’t resist using Trump’s trademark divisive language.
Sad.
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 10:26 am
What do you expect with Bruce Rauner running Kirk’s campaign?
Comment by Winnin' Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 10:33 am
A Democratic Senator is what we’ll need in the Senate when Trump becomes President. Sorry Mark.
Comment by Baruch Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 10:41 am
Yeah, desperately “fighting for her political career” with a ten point lead in the polls………
Comment by Michael Westen Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 10:41 am
Nope. Still won’t vote for him. Ad didn’t change my mind.
Comment by Huh? Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 10:41 am
He’s losing by 20 points in November.
Nice try though.
Comment by Chucktownian Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 10:43 am
Kirk’s in a tight spot.
He can’t run like he did last time, which was to tout his military record (real and imagined) against someone who never served.
That got him a narrow victory in a GOP wave year against a weak candidate.
What can he do now? Make up stories, again, about flying under enemy fire in Iraq?
Against Duckworth?
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 10:46 am
So Kirk would have rather Duckworth refuse to settle so the state could pay more legal bills in order to give her an opportunity to testify? Is that what Kirk wanted?
Comment by Concerned Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 10:47 am
With an election in a few months, suddenly another “nuisance” case is settled. Pattern developing here amongst all you collectivists?
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 10:50 am
If Kirk is so concerned about this $26,000 settlement, I can only imagine his consternation about the $82,000 the state owes of utility bills for the corrections facility in Peoria.
Comment by Soccermom Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 10:54 am
I can understand his panic, but what’s he thinking here?
His policy and history pretty much disses every conservative in the state, and the Dems have a compliant candidate running to capture their votes, the military vote, and has the charisma and sympathetic disability to get much of the independent vote.
the failure here was in the GOP leadership to let this guy run, unless of course they’re just using him for cannon fodder in a down GOP year.
Comment by Illinois Bob Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 11:15 am
=The Democratic machine protected Tammy, not the whistleblowers … and not our veterans. =
-The State has always protected its malefactors, not the whistleblowers … and not our veterans.- There, fixed it.
If Kirk wants to point to the AG’s expenditure of resources to support its administrators against veterans, whistleblowers , and taxpayers, he could find much more serious examples than this.
BTW - It was Blagojevich who signed the 2003 Ethics Act that the AG opposes.
Comment by Qui Tam Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 11:33 am
This from a guy who has demonstrably misrepresented his military record. #desperation
Comment by Galena Guy Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 11:42 am
Is Duckworth a strong candidate on her own merits?
She certainly has formidable backers who have provided her with endorsements, funding, and a specially tailored Congressional District to relaunch her career after losing to Roskam. She also did benefit from two political appointments that kept her career on track until she was able to run from a new district and win a seat in Congress.
While she has a unique biography, I am not sure if she has made much of a record as a legislator.
As Rich opined weeks ago, one wonders why this lawsuit was not quietly settled many years ago?
Kirk needs to find a new issue since the lawsuit is over.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 11:44 am
–With an election in a few months, suddenly another “nuisance” case is settled. Pattern developing here amongst all you collectivists? –
Louis, what are the other cases that are part of this political conspiracy?
As an experienced lawyer, you see something sinister with a settlement in which plaintiffs get nothing but out-from-under their lawyers’ fees?
What about the judge who pushed the settlement conference? Was he in on it, too?
I’m sure you have the goods, Louis. A respectable lawyer like yourself wouldn’t impugn the integrity of other lawyers and judges without having the facts down cold.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 12:04 pm
I’m confused. Kirk spends the weekend espousing Democratic positions, then slams the party as “crooked” a few days later? He’s doing his best to offend voters from both sides. Is this the plan?
Comment by Wensicia Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 12:07 pm
It is beyond funny that Kirk uses as his centerpiece Garland in his tv ads who was nominated by a person who is a product of the crooked machine. Seems like amatuer hour
Comment by Regular democrat Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 12:26 pm
If he can’t make Duckworth unelectable, he’s got no chance whatsoever because he has no rationale for reelection. The trial was the one thing that provided him hope and now it’s gone. What this ad really shows is his desperation and it’s not pretty.
Comment by slow down Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 12:28 pm
=The Democratic machine protected Tammy, not the whistleblowers … and not our veterans. =
Duckworth is not a veteran?
Comment by Cheryl44 Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 12:42 pm
Cheryl 44
Duck worth not a veteran! Where did that come from? Geese Louisa, I’m 83 yrs. old and a Korean Vet. I think I know what a Vet is!
Comment by Big Foot Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 1:02 pm
The same blah blah blah…from Kirk.
Comment by Hedley Lamarr Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 1:03 pm
Move on Senator, any sentient being knows 27 k is not a capitulation but rather, a win.
Comment by burbanite Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 1:22 pm
Is the Judge Mexican too?
Comment by Bigtwich Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 1:48 pm
Mother Earth calling Captain Kirk. Springfield Il and its Sangamon County are majority Republican areas.
Cook County and Chicago on the other hand are majority Democrat areas. So the crooked Democrat machne in Springfield is a make believe straw man because we havent had that in Springfield, its in Chicago dude. Stop running down our city
Comment by Team Warwick Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 2:26 pm
A fairly common civil lawsuit from a workplace. Was always a snoozer issue. Now the whole thing is settled, and for basically a nuisance amount. It’s all done. Just sad now Mark Kirk still trying to milk.
Note to Sen. Kirk, no one cared before, and they care even less now. Yes it’s a negative amount of caring.
Comment by too obvious Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 2:56 pm
- With an election in a few months, suddenly another “nuisance” case is settled. Pattern developing here amongst all you collectivists?
-
Is it anything like the pattern I’ve noticed in your shilling for Rauner since your household started collecting $125k annually thanks to him?
Comment by Daniel Plainview Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 8:30 pm
Divisive language? Aww, we should all aspire to unifying words Democrats reach for any time anyone disagrees with them; such as racist, hater, bigot, racist and, let’s not forget, racist.
Comment by Yobogoya Friday, Jul 1, 16 @ 1:30 am
Yobogoya-They wouldn’t be used, if they didn’t apply.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jul 1, 16 @ 3:58 am