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*** UPDATE 1 *** I’m told that Sen. Biss will announce his running mate choice tomorrow. I wasn’t told who that will be.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Hearing the same and I do believe she is a much better choice for Biss than his previous pick…
NEW: Several sources say @LitesaWallace is @danielbiss new choice for LtGov #ILGov18, anncmt Friday
— Mary Ann Ahern (@MaryAnnAhernNBC) September 8, 2017
* I asked Congressman Brad Schneider’s campaign if the Democrat would be re-endorsing Sen. Daniel Biss for governor, now that Biss has dumped his controversial running mate, who caused Schneider to pull his backing. A campaign representative e-mailed this reply…
Hey Rich - Brad’s not planning on making any endorsements until at least after petitions are filed.
That’s probably prudent.
* This didn’t occur to me, but we apparently have a new record…
Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa adds another asterisk. Youngest member of Council now also shortest lieut. gov. candidacy. https://t.co/HgqeACRuXz
— Scott Fornek (@sfornek) September 7, 2017
* The Daily Line‘s Mike Fourcher was on WGN Radio yesterday talking about how Biss had dumped his running mate…
It makes it very clear that Daniel Biss changed direction in a big way because of a particular interest group, and that’s a terrible narrative. I mean, basically, you’re no longer able to say ‘I’m a man for myself and I stand for my ideas.’
So… people who oppose what essentially amounts to an economic blockade of Israel are members of an “interest group”? And, um, Biss is no longer able to stand up for himself because of who, exactly?
Look, this pick was a terrible idea from the beginning, but if he’d stuck with his choice he would’ve destroyed his candidacy and he probably would’ve never been able to look his mom (the daughter of Holocaust survivors) in the eye ever again. He definitely hurt himself, but there’s still plenty of time to mend fences.
* From the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform…
Biss’ endorsements from political figures include U.S. Representative Robin Kelly, Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner, and at least seven Democratic members of the General Assembly.
Biss may want to dump Renner…
Questions about a plane ticket to Japan for the girlfriend of the mayor of Bloomington point to just the latest case of questionable spending at city halls in Illinois.
The Edgar County Watchdogs, John Kraft and Kirk Allen, said Bloomington is not the only city where it appears city leaders are misspending city money or misusing city assets.
Kraft said the available facts for the Bloomington case don’t answer all of the questions. Mayor Tari Renner is accused of buying a nearly $1,900 plane ticket for his girlfriend to go to a Sister Cities event in Japan – or at the very least “floating” her airfare on the city’s credit card.
Kraft said that’s against the law, and he thinks Renner knows it. He believes Renner claimed his girlfriend would reimburse the city for the ticket only after he was caught.
“To us it’s more [a question] of the actions that Mayor Renner and some of the City Council members took after it was publicized what happened,” Kraft said.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 5:03 pm
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Renner is also taking a LOA due to unspecified ‘health reasons’
http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/renner-takes-leave-of-absence-from-mayoral-duties/article_b9a7a3c0-237c-5fda-93bb-bf38acf02b9c.html
Comment by pundemonium Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 5:06 pm
I missed it. What does Biss have to do with Renner?
Comment by Chicago Cynic Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 5:14 pm
—I missed it. What does Biss have to do with Renner?—
—Biss’ endorsements from political figures include U.S. Representative Robin Kelly, Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner, and at least seven Democratic members of the General Assembly.—
Comment by pundemonium Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 5:24 pm
when was the last time Congresswoman Kelly appeared in public with Daniel Biss?
Is she WITH him or just “with him”?
Comment by Thomas Paine Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 5:31 pm
The problem is there are too many ethic rules campaign rules hiring rules. Office holders are spending too much time filling out forms and watching their backs to actually get their jobs done. Back in the day Paul Powel got me license plates and the budget was balanced and schools opened
Comment by DuPage Saint Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 5:44 pm
Rich, are you truly not aware of any pro-Israel special interest groups that might overlap with Biss’ base?
Also I don’t think anyone who rises to Chicago alderman in his midtwenties is a terrible candidate, but an egg head professor who doesn’t vet his running mate…
Comment by DrurysMissingClock Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 5:51 pm
Bliss needs to appoint a woman who lives south of I-80.
Comment by Mama Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 5:53 pm
Biss, I really don’t think this is your time to run for governor. Please stay in the Senate a few more years before running for governor again.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 6:25 pm
Sheila Simon, come on down. Tan, rested, ready and has held the job before. Can’t possibly miss.
Comment by Moe Berg Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 6:27 pm
Biss was right to dump her. Anti-Israel politics is a no go. BDS is tainted and not something serious progressive candidates should belong to.
Suppose he could have vetted her better.
Comment by Mr B. Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 6:43 pm
Renner is a weird story. The plane ticket controversy is related to him sending late night emails to a constituent who he dodn’t like criticizing him at council meetings. And soon after the council denied his request that the city hire an assistant for him and this ticket controversy came out, he announced a temporary leave of absence from his mayoral duties for unspecified medical reasons even as he keeps his full teaching load at il wesleyan.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 6:52 pm
DrurysMissingClock,
Even before the Israel issue, a lot of us were saying that a 28 year old alderman was a terrible choice.
“Alderman” is bad. “28 year old Alderman” is worse. “28 year old Alderman who belongs to a group calling itself Socialist” is even worse.
So, before we even get to Israel, we are already in Palin territory when it comes to running mates.
Comment by Gooner Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 6:57 pm
Mama,
I hear Sheila Simon is available. That may be it, as I can’t see anybody with a serious political future signing up.
Comment by Gooner Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 7:01 pm
Those Edgar County Watchdog guys are interesting!!!!! they are looking at issues far from their home and they are detailed!
Comment by Amalia Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 7:04 pm
Biss can find a replacement in 48 hours and Kennedy is still waiting to find his Lt. Gov candidate. Good week for Pritzker
Comment by Almost the weekend Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 7:17 pm
===*** UPDATE *** I’m told that Sen. Biss will announce his running mate choice tomorrow. I wasn’t told who that will be.===
This will be super-interesting.
This also might give a clear indication where Biss is and where Biss may want to go politically/philosophically from tomorrow forward.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 7:25 pm
Mr. B: dump “her”? Vet her? What is that supposed to mean?? I certainly hope you are not calling a gay man her on purpose.
Comment by Lakeview lawyer Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 7:44 pm
Why does Team Biss not understand the Friday news dump? Should that tell us anything about his LG 2.0? I sure hope not, but then, if this was an exciting announcement, why not wait until Sunday?
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 8:21 pm
47, I think they’re just between a rock and a hard place. They don’t want to lose the first weekend of petitions.
Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 8:27 pm
I still don’t understand Illinois state government’s involvement with Israeli/Palestinian issues. What’s Pritzker’s position on the IRA, FARC, or the Kurds in Syria and Turkey?
Comment by JackD Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 8:32 pm
Fair point Arsenal. But geez, they have until December to file, don’t they? And didn’t we recently cap the number of required signatures? If the next 48 hours is crucial for collecting signatures, then Kennedy might as well drop out. Team Biss should be able to get enough signatures in a couple of weeks or he shouldn’t be running.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 8:35 pm
It could be that Biss wants a reset-reboot ASAP.
It’s necessarily about the worry of organizing, but it is about getting past, resetting and on a Friday kinda gives it a “soft open” feel… Like… “Biss and ‘X’, yeah, they announced like last week or something” to those not paying that much attention(?)
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 8:43 pm
Yeah, for the most part I agree that it’s a little arbitrary. You should be able to get the sigs even if you start on the second weekend (though I can also see an argument that Kennedy is a little better suited to do that than Biss). But I still think most campaigns would rather not waste the first weekend, and you gotta move on sometime. May as well do that as soon as possible.
Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 8:51 pm
Ahern reports that it’s Litesa Wallace. She probably should’ve been the choice the first time. But I think a lot of damage has been done already.
Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 8:54 pm
And while setting the aside if BDS is meritorious or not it is a state issue, but not one that couldn’t be avoided, because if you believe in Divestiure then there are investments the state, and related institutions and agencys, possibly need to change.
It is a minor issue either way.
Comment by Red tower Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 9:06 pm
And in regards to petitions doesn’t the order of how you are placed on the ballot depend somewhat on when you file your petitions, I seem to remember something like that.
Comment by Red tower Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 9:12 pm
Good pick if true, and fast reset.
One side effect of all this - far more people know Daniel Biss’ name today than did three days ago. For someone whose main challenge is getting his name out, a little controversy may not have been the worst thing in the world.
Comment by Teddy Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 10:16 pm
He should have picked Dunk. It would have been hilarious to read the ILGOP press release.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 11:06 pm
Red Tower,
Yes, it matters when you file but you can’t file for months. So to 47s point, the only urgency is political and the narrative of a disastrous pick. Thus the need to move past Rosa.
Comment by Chicago Cynic Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 11:32 pm
Will Biss-Wallace be the first G-LG ticket where they both have Ph.D’s?
Comment by jake Thursday, Sep 7, 17 @ 11:37 pm
Why didn’t he go with Wallace in the first place? Do we want *ANOTHER* governor who can’t put together a staff on the first try?
Comment by CatAttack Friday, Sep 8, 17 @ 8:13 am
I am not sure how Wallace helps Biss put together a winning coalition.
It is a long way from Winnebago County to Cook County, so it seems unlikely she is going to be stumping for the ticket where the actual votes are.
She is not going to bring out Sanders voters, not appeal to the anti-machine vote. She went from legislative aide to being appointed state rep. Doesn’t get more Machine than that.
Worst of all for Biss: she has never really faced a competitive race, so she hasn’t really been publicly vetted. Biss cannot afford another bombshell.
Ammons could have delivered votes in Central Illinois. Gordon-Booth too. I am not sure Wallace can even deliver Winnebago County. Organized labor is still pretty dominant there, and while Wallace has union ties, they prefer front runners.
Comment by Juvenal Friday, Sep 8, 17 @ 8:31 am
Does this mean she won’t file for State Rep? Can we get Doug Scott back?
Comment by Thomas Paine Friday, Sep 8, 17 @ 8:47 am
==I am not sure how Wallace helps Biss put together a winning coalition.==
The mantra of picking a running mate is “First, do no harm.” That’s certainly even more important for Biss right now.
If Wallace campaigns well, you can see her appealing to African Americans and women. She could also make unions and regular Democrats look at Biss as “acceptable”, if not their first choice. So that could be valuable.
But really, right now Biss just needs to fill out a ticket with someone credible and start passing petitions. While I think you’re right to worry about Wallace’s oppo, as an initial matter she fits the bill.
Comment by Arsenal Friday, Sep 8, 17 @ 9:22 am
Women are probably a much more powerful organizing/voting bloc post-2016 than Bernie supporters. Everyone forgets this because the Bernie people are so loud, but women are leading “the Resistance”. Biss was already doing a good job appealing to women at the grassroots (the Ramirez-Rosa choice actually jeopardized that). A woman of color with Wallace’s life story is a good pick for a good part of his base.
Comment by Periwinkle Friday, Sep 8, 17 @ 10:07 am