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* Greg Hinz…

Why did the Giannioulias bandwagon suddenly have a flat?

Part of the reason is Giannoulias himself. Already considered by some party pros as someone who’s a little too eager to move in and up, efforts by Team Giannoulias to spread the word that he was a sure victor you’d better get behind while you still can sparked more than a little blowback.

Only White knows for sure if that blowback affected his decision. After all, Valencia is a member of his 27th Ward Regular Democratic Organization. But nobody likes to be pushed.

Whatever the impact, there almost certainly is a bigger reason: Insider after insider tells me that other people on this year’s Democratic ticket, most definitely including Pritzker, are petrified at the thought that Republicans will seize on the collapse of the Giannoulias family’s Broadway Bank and use hedge fund mogul Ken Griffin’s wallet to tarnish the entire statewide Democratic slate with tales of tawdry taxpayer bailouts and the like.

* Relevant excerpt from a Senate Republican press release…

Noting the importance of a strong education system for the future of the state, the members of the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus are working to advance legislation that promotes greater transparency and accountability, and offers hope for struggling students.

The Senators’ legislative package aims to empower parents with new bills designed to allow them greater access to school curriculums and a voice in statewide educational decisions.

The first bill, Senate Bill 4180, adds five new positions to the Illinois State Board of Education. Currently, all members of the state board are appointed by the Governor, meaning the individual members aren’t held directly accountable to voters. Those members make far-reaching decisions on school curriculums, health and safety requirements, and how mandates affect schools.

The new legislation creates one board member per judicial district, elected by voters and thus directly accountable to families in local districts.

“The Illinois State Board of Education, whose members are hand-chosen by Governor Pritzker, sets rules and standards for all public schools. Unfortunately, this system minimizes the voices of families, doesn’t provide any sort of accountability to the public, and creates a situation where members are more beholden to the Governor than Illinois families. That’s not right,” said State Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro). “Parents of our state deserve to have a voice in the education of their children. One of the ways we can begin to give them back their voice is to allow for the public to choose the individuals that are making crucial educational decisions on behalf of our children.”

This from the same caucus that voted lockstep against an elected Chicago school board.

* Amanda Vinicky at WTTW…

An additional 111,000 voter registration applications have been processed at Illinois Secretary of State facilities annually thanks to a 2018 state automatic voter registration law, according to an analysis by Illinois PIRG.

“We believe that democracy works best when everyone is involved in it,” said the report’s author, PIRG Democracy and Civic Engagement Associate Keegan Hollyer. “Of course, given our system, that requires that people be registered to vote. Obviously, the report shows that automatic voter registration has boosted the number of people registered to vote.”

* Alexi Giannoulias campaign…

I’m excited to share my new campaign video for Secretary of State that addresses the frustration that many of us have experienced waiting in long lines at driver’s license facilities.

My new Skip the Line program will reduce wait times, increase efficiencies, curb redundancies and adhere to protocols and precautions to ensure the health and safety of customers who need to make in-person visits to renew their driver’s licenses or obtain other services. Check out our new campaign video below outlining Skip the Line!

The video is here.

* Media advisory…

Attorney Richard Boykin, who previously served on the Cook County Board of Commissioners (2014 - 2018), and served on Capitol Hill for 11 years, including time as Chief of Staff to Congressman Danny Davis, will be joined by several prominent supporters when he officially announces his run for President of the Cook County Board. Specifically joining Attorney Boykin will be his Campaign Chair, the legendary Coach Dorothy Gaters, the winningest high school basketball coach in Illinois history, and retired Cook County Sheriff Kenneth Jones who lost his 29-year-old son to gun violence.

* Pritzker campaign…

Today, U.S. Representative Jesús “Chuy” García joined Alderman Mike Rodriguez and supporters in Little Village to endorse Governor JB Pritzker and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton for reelection.

“I proudly endorse Governor JB Pritzker in his bid to continue leading Illinois,” said Congressman García. “Under Governor JB Pritzker, Illinois emerged as a national leader in the fight against COVID-19 and also became the most welcoming state in the nation. He has been a champion for protecting and defending Latino and immigrant communities. Through his compassionate and effective leadership, he has forged partnerships across parties, regions, caucuses, and community stakeholders to secure resources for millions of families. We must continue on our path to serve the diverse people of Illinois while uplifting our state as a national model — and that is only possible with Governor JB Pritzker.”

Not quite sure why that was needed since Pritzker has no realistic primary opposition. Anyway, an online video ad is here.

* Related…

* GOP dominates ad spending in top five gubernatorial races—except Illinois: In Illinois, Democrats are ahead of Republicans—$5.8 million vs. $3.2 million in terms of ad spending across TV, radio and digital—the nation’s third-highest tally so far.

* Lightfoot announces process for replacing convicted Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson in 11th Ward

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 12:41 pm

Comments

**The new legislation creates one board member per judicial district, elected by voters and thus directly accountable to families in local districts.**

Nice way to minimize the influence of Cook County…

Comment by SaulGoodman Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 12:53 pm
===… Insider after insider tells me that other people on this year’s Democratic ticket, most definitely including Pritzker, are petrified at the thought that Republicans will seize on the collapse of the Giannoulias family’s Broadway Bank and use hedge fund mogul Ken Griffin’s wallet to tarnish the entire statewide Democratic slate===

I’d throw in an egotistical way Alexi has been missing for years and years thinking he can come back with all his baggage that already sank him against Kirk and be welcomed as a partner on a ticket.

Alexi is perceived as toxic to an overall in a year of a Dem President’s midterm…

Alexi helps the Illinois Republicans far more than any Dem ticket Alexi is on.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 12:56 pm
“Parents of our state deserve to have a voice in the education of their children.”

Sure, if their parents are in the textbooks.

Parents are not the clients of schools, society is the client.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 1:08 pm
To the GOP idea of a newly constructed board of education…

Is this bipartisan, if not, why not?

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 1:10 pm
“Already considered by some party pros as someone who’s a little too eager to move in and up”

I wouldn’t consider myself a “party pro” but…

– MrJM

Comment by MisterJayEm Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 1:10 pm
Sure, parents deserve to have a voice in the education of their children. But as it always is in the classroom, the teacher’s voice should be the one heard most clearly.

Comment by Benjamin Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 1:13 pm
whose members are hand-chosen by Governor Pritzker, sets rules and standards for all public schools.=

So did eb=very governor before him. Why the beef now?

=Unfortunately, this system minimizes the voices of families, doesn’t provide any sort of accountability to the public,=

Your proposal minimizes the voices of the majority of Illinois voters. Decidedly undemocratic.

Parents have a voice already. Go vote.

Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 1:17 pm
Let’s be honest. Do you know what’s really gonna sink Dems this Fall? A few Cossacks changing their national identity.

Comment by Sharia Capo Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 1:18 pm
@Benjamin
Yup, parents can make their voices heard as much as they please but their critiques should never be binding.

Comment by Lake Villa Township Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 1:18 pm
===A few Cossacks changing their national identity.===

Trump called the move by Putin as savvy, and Russian TV is showing Trump as sympathetic towards Putin.

Domestic affairs and foreign affairs always change the political calculus, but even as the Russian illegal invasion of Ukraine starts and will be something, likely for years after this move, it’s not crystal clear the Republicans as a whole, as one voice, are on the right side. See: Miller, Mary.

The playing board might have been rearranged but it’s too early to see where all sit on which side of the pieces.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 1:24 pm
Is the problem with education really lack of transparency or accountability? Seems like a solution in search of a problem - they don’t care about “struggling students”, they just want to have the power to push their political agenda into schools.

Comment by The Velvet Frog Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 1:30 pm
Skip the line, can’t wait to see your name on the ballot

Comment by Rabid Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 1:32 pm
=The playing board might have been rearranged but it’s too early to see where all sit on which side of the pieces.=

It doesn’t help that they’re all looking for that singular voice to tell them how to respond and what’s coming from that person is non-sensical. How long will it be for some of those condemning this weeks’ actions to start walking back the rhetoric?

Comment by Pundent Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 1:34 pm
Is Baileys $1,000,000 PPP loan another tawdry government bailout ? Just asking because if it is them it won’t be long before that hits the airwaves again.

Comment by Long time Independent Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 1:36 pm
==How long will it be for some of those condemning this weeks’ actions to start walking back the rhetoric? ==

Is that what you meant to say? Don’t you mean those *praising* this invasion start walking back?

Comment by The Velvet Frog Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 1:36 pm
===How long will it be===

If I knew that exactly I’d also get lottery tickets.

So much is uncharted right now.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 1:43 pm
There are a lot of parallels between the debacle of Broadway Bank and Pritzker’s Superior Bank.

Comment by Stopgo Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 1:56 pm
===Pritzker’s Superior Bank===

Wrong Pritzker.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 1:57 pm
=Why did the Giannioulias bandwagon suddenly have a flat?=

Because the wagon has square wheels.

Comment by Colin O'Scopy Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 2:15 pm
=thinking he can come back with all his baggage that already sank him against Kirk and be welcomed as a partner on a ticket.=

OW, good point. But the reality is that he was welcomed as a partner when the Cook County Democratic Party endorsed him. There is no bigger “welcome back” hug than that.

Comment by Colin O'Scopy Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 2:20 pm
I think people are underestimating Alexei. He has grown since the last time he ran. He is the only one that has been proven time and time again that he can solve an pressing issue. The German bank incident is long past him. That being said I can not imagine any chance there are Valencia voters going with Brady or the Trump appointee. It is a safe seat for the Democrats.

Comment by Chris Cleveland, No not the former Chicago GOP Chairman Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 2:25 pm
Trump called the move by Putin as savvy, and Russian TV is showing Trump as sympathetic towards Putin.

Domestic affairs and foreign affairs always change the political calculus, but even as the Russian illegal invasion of Ukraine starts and will be something, likely for years after this move, it’s not crystal clear the Republicans as a whole, as one voice, are on the right side. See: Miller, Mary.

The playing board might have been rearranged but it’s too early to see where all sit on which side of the pieces.

Comment by The Bro Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 2:26 pm
=== But the reality is that he was welcomed as a partner when the Cook County Democratic Party endorsed him.===

That was yesterday… because…

===There is no bigger “welcome back” hug than that.===

* Jesse White’s endorsement enters the chat *

Stacking endorsements is great for a campaign, it cuts opponents out… but if I’m looking at Alexi now in the past… 7-10 days… does it look like Alexi is at all welcome like he was, say two weeks ago.

Campaigns, like life, move pretty fast.

We’ll see.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 2:29 pm
- The Bro -

I couldn’t have said it better myself… wait, what?

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 2:41 pm
“experienced waiting in long lines at driver’s license facilities.”

What long lines? Name the SoS offices.

Comment by Huh? Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 2:43 pm
===Already considered by some party pros as someone who’s a little too eager to move in and up===

It is very easy to join a picket line or to join a protest when you’re a private citizen and you’re not a candidate for office or an elected official. I would expect someone that was passionate about politics, political activism, or any issue who has the means and the privileges that Alexi does to have been able to do something within the public sphere in the last decade instead of just hoping that his negatives have faded from memory and having him show up to run for a statewide office out of the blue.

Endorsements can impact a lot of things, but Alexi still has to make his case to the voters and so does Anna.

Comment by Candy Dogood Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 2:49 pm
I’ll never understand how a Dem politico that lost a federal statewide race in Illinois against a Republican ever built up an aura of inevitability for a different statewide office.

Comment by TJ Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 2:54 pm
Chuy must be polling through the roof if this endorsement warranted a press conference and a video from team JB.

Comment by Trent from Coal City Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 3:07 pm
=== Chuy must be polling through the roof if this endorsement warranted a press conference and a video from team JB.===

Or…JB was looking for some free press amidst the Republican chaos.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 3:38 pm
==There is no bigger “welcome back” hug than that. ==

Eh. The Cook County Dems aren’t what they once were.

==Or…JB was looking for some free press amidst the Republican chaos. ==

Or this is specifically about the hispanic vote, where the Dems have been losing altitude.

Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 4:27 pm
Alexi G’s Twitter account is chock full of posts about global warming and foreign policy, global diversity initiatives etc etc and hardly anything about the actual Secretary of State’s Office. New video or not, his campaign seems to be floundering. I don’t think he is gonna make it thru the Primary at this rate, IMO.

Comment by BlueBird Thursday, Feb 24, 22 @ 7:31 pm
==Alexi G’s Twitter account is chock full of posts about global warming and foreign policy, global diversity initiatives etc etc and hardly anything about the actual Secretary of State’s Office.==

Maybe he’s confusing the federal SOS with the Illinois SOS? Maybe he’s auditioning for a federal SOS position but giving us a ruse that’s he’s running to succeed Jesse?

Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Friday, Feb 25, 22 @ 7:56 am