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Raoul launches new ad while both candidates say wait and see on AG Madigan’s Quincy probe

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* Script…

You won’t believe what Republican Erika Harold believes. Just like Trump, Harold pledged to eliminate Obamacare, leaving a million Illinoisans without coverage, denying lifesaving care to children with pre-existing conditions.

As a cancer survivor, Kwame Raoul believes that everyone deserves access to affordable, quality healthcare. That’s why he took on the special interests and expanded Obamacare.

[Raoul]: Healthcare should not be a privilege; it should be a human right. I’m Kwame Raoul. This is the work of my life, and I’m just getting started.

* Meanwhile, from the Tribune…

Rauner’s campaign gave Erika Harold’s bid for attorney general another $500,000 last week, state campaign finance reports showed. Rauner’s campaign gave her $1 million in August and previously paid for $305,000 worth of ads in the March GOP primary. She is facing Democratic state Sen. Kwame Raoul to replace retiring Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

Raoul received $500K from JB Pritzker last week and another $200K from the Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC.

* Tribune…

Both candidates vying to replace Attorney General Lisa Madigan said Friday they don’t know enough about her investigation into Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration’s response to deaths from Legionnaires’ disease at the Quincy veterans home to say whether it’s appropriate.

Republican attorney Erika Harold, who has been backed by Rauner, said investigating circumstances surrounding the government-run home and the outbreak itself is appropriate. Fourteen residents have died of Legionnaires’ at the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy since 2015.

“Without knowing what laws that she’s looking into and what evidence she has, I’m not able to comment whether it’s appropriate for her to open that particular probe,” Harold said at a good-government forum downtown. “But I am able to definitively say it is very appropriate for us to have an investigation about what happened and what we can learn.”

* Excerpt from post-debate Raoul campaign press release…

While Raoul spoke openly about his legal and advocacy goals for the office, Harold tried to have it both ways.

She stated that her personal views don’t matter since she will simply defend Illinois law, yet throughout the debate, she advocated for changes to state law in select areas and even touted her ability to exercise discretion in litigation.

I asked which law changes she spoke of.

* Response…

She mentioned grand jury power, sexual harassment (including non-legislators on the ethics commission), legalization of marijuana, sentencing reform, other types of criminal justice reform

She’s referenced other topics in previous interviews, but then says choice and marriage equality are “settled law” so therefore her opinion is not important to share with voters.

* Related…

* Illinois attorney general candidates talk priorities in upcoming election - 3 share thoughts on opioid epidemic, gun control ahead of Nov. 6

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Oct 9, 18 @ 11:12 am

Comments

===…so therefore her opinion is not important to share with voters.===

What?

Laws change. Lots of “settled law” been changed over the years.

“so therefore her opinion is not important to share with voters.”

Or maybe this…

“Sharing her opinion will hurt her, so we decided not to publicize it”

Yikes.

Not a great response. Nope.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Oct 9, 18 @ 11:35 am
===so therefore her opinion is not important to share with voters.===

“We are against informing voters as to who she is”

Better… but is it better?

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Oct 9, 18 @ 11:36 am
Can’t have it both ways.

Comment by DuPage Bard Tuesday, Oct 9, 18 @ 11:39 am
Glad to see both candidates cooled their jets over the Quincy criminal probe. Lisa Madigan does not have the ability to conduct anything close to a real criminal probe without collaboration from the local state’s attorney.

Comment by Roman Tuesday, Oct 9, 18 @ 11:53 am
What will Harold’s response be to Raoul’s “health care” ad? That the Affordable Care Act is “settled law”, and therefore her personal opinion and past policy positions don’t matter?

Comment by DarkHorse Tuesday, Oct 9, 18 @ 12:42 pm
Where’s Erika going to move next when she loses this campaign?

Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Oct 9, 18 @ 3:22 pm
===Where’s Erika going to move next…?===

If she is unsuccessful, Erika will become the female version of Jason Plummer, and end up running for the Illinois state Senate… and win… after wasting years, like Jason.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Oct 9, 18 @ 3:25 pm
Dear Oswego Willy,

While I’m not a member of the Harold fan club, don’t you think she’s raised her profile enough to make another statewide run for the GOP? Assuming she gets 42% or so this time?

Comment by DarkHorse Tuesday, Oct 9, 18 @ 5:33 pm
- DarkHorse

Honest. With respect. Sincerely.

No.

If she is unsuccessful, again, she needs to think more realistically… and win a race.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Oct 9, 18 @ 5:43 pm
Dear Oswego,

I hear you. I was thinking that she made nice with the statewide GOP, took one for the team in a tough GOP year, maybe they reward her. But as you say, she’ll have lost either twice or three times (if you count ‘12), you gotta win sometime.

Comment by DarkHorse Tuesday, Oct 9, 18 @ 6:18 pm
Dear Oswego (Part II),

My apologies. Forgot to mention. If Davis loses to Londrigan next month, wouldn’t surprise me if there’s (another) Davis-Harold primary, this time in 2020.

Comment by DarkHorse Tuesday, Oct 9, 18 @ 6:38 pm
===…wouldn’t surprise me if there’s (another) Davis-Harold primary, this time in 2020.===

Probable.

Harold would still lose.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Oct 9, 18 @ 6:39 pm
It is quite tiresome to listen to AG candidates advocating for causes that the office routinely has nothing to do with.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Oct 9, 18 @ 7:32 pm
I’m sure its crazy, but what if a candidate for attorney general of Illinois campaigned on actual areas of law the office has pursued? Or disagree with the current/past AG choices as to which areas to pursue?

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Oct 9, 18 @ 8:07 pm
Harold should have said she is glad that Madigan discovered the ability to investigate criminal misconduct in Illinois, after 16 years on the job. Then say that she will investigate any misconduct, not just political opponents.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Oct 9, 18 @ 8:10 pm