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* Republican Ethan Hastert, the son of former US House Speaker Denny Hastert, has begun raising money for a congressional bid. His performance to date isn’t exactly impressive. Hastert raised $86,600 in the second quarter of the year for his campaign against Democratic incumbent Bill Foster, who pulled in $384,173 and had $592,702 on hand.
Hastert’s fundraising expectations were quite high, considering his bloodline, but this report won’t impress anyone.
* Political quote of the day goes to GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Proft…
The 37-year-old graduate of Northwestern University and Loyola Law School spoke fondly of his years caddying at Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton and the people he met on the job.
“Caddying was a fantastic experience … I developed a work ethic and learned to respect my elders,” Proft said.
Apparently, Proft does not believe that his fellow Republican candidates are his “elders,” even though they’re all older than him. He’s fast getting the reputation as the junkyard dog in the race.
* Proft does provide a glimpse into the future for Comptroller Dan Hynes, though, with this new press release…
While Burr Oak Was Robbed, Dan Hynes Raised $900K
Illinois government has basic responsibilities to its citizens. The Chicago 9 routinely ignore these core duties and meddle in areas where government has no place, while amassing political war chests for the next political stepping stone. In a Proft Administration government will fulfill its promises and focus on its core mission.
The Burr Oak Cemetery crime reveals in plain view that the Chicago 9 – in this instance Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes – are more concerned with perpetuating their power than with fulfilling their duty.
It would not surprise anyone that grave-robbing is illegal. But the response of Mr. Hynes, the constitutional officer who is responsible for cemetery oversight, is to pass a new law, grab a headline, move out, and move up. Cemetery oversight is the duty of the comptroller; outside of the constitutional responsibility to order state payments from funds maintained by the State Treasurer, oversight of cemeteries is one of the few other core duties of that office and Mr. Hynes has failed to fulfill his duty.
* Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney lays out the campaign ahead…
And with the wind of a faltering state legislature at his back, Whitney said his chances are good. While he acknowledged the failures of state lawmakers in Springfield who, for the third consecutive year failed to pass a budget on time, Whitney said that won’t be the focus of his campaign.
“Such an argument does carry some force and it may be one reason to vote for me,” he said. “But I will not base this campaign on the simple notion that, true as it is, I’m not one of them. This campaign will be about demonstrating to the voters that I am one of you.”
Whitney said he embraces a long-proposed measure that would lower property taxes in favor of an increased income tax as a means of both closing the state’s $11.5 billion deficit and providing more equal education funding across the state.
Among his other proposals Whitney endorsed a single-payer health care system, budget reform and measures to reduce the clout of special interest groups and big-business donors.
* State Sen. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) has endorsed Peoria native Raja Krishnamoorthi for comptroller. From a press release…
“Raja Krishnamoorthi has proven his commitment to a more transparent and efficient state government,” Senator Koehler said. “It will be a great honor that the next State Comptroller has deep roots in Peoria. I cannot think of another candidate that could better serve this state than Raja.”
The last person with Peoria roots to hold statewide constitutional office is believed to be John Edward A. Cassidy, who was Illinois Attorney General from 1938-1941, according to the Illinois Attorney General’s website.
* Democratic Cook County Commissioner Joan Murphy sponsored the 1 cent sales tax hike, but her Democratic primary opponent, Nick Valadez of Oak Forest, thinks there are other issues…
“It’s the anger and frustration of people who couldn’t park their commercial vehicles in the driveways of their own homes that convinced me to get in the race,” Valadez said.
“They swarmed my office begging me to run. I have 150 of them willing to campaign for me. They want to give me money for the campaign. They convinced me to get into this race. And that’s going to be one of my key issues in the campaign.” […]
Of course, Valadez is still going to criticize Murphy for backing that sales tax hike and later voting on an unsuccessful motion to repeal that law.
“She represents a district that borders Will County and Indiana,” he said. “If she was representing her constituents, she would have voted against that tax increase.”
Murphy also “stood up with Crestwood Mayor Robert Stranczek and tried to defend the village’s decision to distribute water that was poisoned,” Valadez said.
Target-rich environment.
Murphy reported raising almost $45,000 the first six months of this year and had about $25K in the bank by June 30th.
* I didn’t know this, but Sen. Kirk Dillard, an announced GOP gubernatorial candidate, threw out the first pitch at Rickett’s Field before Sunday’s game against the Cardinals…
If you listen carefully, you’ll hear that the announcer referred to Dillard as “Kurt.” Also, notice that he didn’t throw from the mound. His pitch did make it to the plate, though.
* Deputy House Majority Leader Art Turner will announce his lieutenant governor’s campaign soon. He has a website, but nothing’s there yet. And his FaceBook page announced his appearance on WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight” yesterday. No talk about campaigns, though. Just the budget…
* Yesterday, we posted a Pat Quinn campaign video featuring his attentiveness to southern Illinois. Today’s video is from the recent Gay Pride Parade in Chicago…
* Related…
* Retired Illinois judge to run for US Senate seat: Sixty-two-year-old Don Lowery of Dixon Springs in Pope County says he’ll be running as a Republican for the Senate seat now held by Roland Burris.
* Blagojevich Closes Campaign Office
* Family of dead Burris ally-turned-critic seeks answers: “There’s not any paint transfer from another other vehicle, car marks or skid marks,” Kendall Sheriff’s Cmdr. Scott Koster said. Koster said there were no defects in the car and no drugs or alcohol involved. The accident was likely caused “by a few moments of inattentive driving,” Koster said.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 10:31 am
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The Tribune is in love with the guy, but apparently the scoreboard operator never heard of him. In the video, you can see his name as “Kurt” Dillard in the background. Nice.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 10:39 am
As far as calling ‘Kirk’, ‘Kurt’ our President renamed his favorite ball park ‘Cominsky Field’ in an interview with Bob Costas the other day so merde does happen. Kurt may have thrown from in front of the mound but he threw a definitive strike, as opposed to the rather moon ball floater of the Caminsky Field baseball fan.
Comment by walter sobchak Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 10:44 am
“Caddying was a fantastic experience … I developed a work ethic and learned to respect my elders,” Proft said.
He doesn’t sound like anyone I ever knew who caddied - including my own VanillaDad, who caddied at Olympia Fields Country Club during the 1950s. VanillaDad was classy and conservative, but as a caddy, he knew how to be a guy and got in plenty of trouble being a guy.
Proft’s caddy quote scares the crap out of me. He sounds like an idiot.
Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 10:47 am
Proft could make a great spot about what he learned from his elders caddying.
Maybe…. something like this:
“So, I tell them I’m a pro jock, and who do you think they give me? The Dalai Lama, himself. Twelfth son of the Lama. The flowing robes, the grace, bald… striking.
So, I’m on the first tee with him. I give him the driver. He hauls off and whacks one - big hitter, the Lama - long, into a ten-thousand foot crevasse, right at the base of this glacier. Do you know what the Lama says? Gunga galunga… gunga, gunga-lagunga.
” So we finish the eighteenth and he’s gonna stiff me. And I say, “Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know.” And he says, “Oh, uh, there won’t be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.” So I got that goin’ for me, which is nice.”
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 10:52 am
Gee - Hastert is proving once again why Republicans don’t do as good a job as Democrats in establishing political fiefdoms and dynasties. Hastert in Congress was no Lipinski when it comes to abusing political connections to pass political power down to his son.
Republicans are going to have to emulate the Democrats better if they want to keep their family in political power. But then, Republicans make better democratic government, than Democrats do.
Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 10:54 am
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/morning-fix/071709morning-fix-winners-and.html?wprss=thefix
kirk is going to raise 25 million between now and election day. we’ll see.
Comment by Shore Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 10:54 am
I see that Oberweis kicked $1,000 into Hastert II’s campaign. Guess he won’t be running for that seat this time around.
train111
Comment by train111 Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 10:54 am
Walter, Be careful on Cap Fax Obama is a god any such refrence to an Obama mistake will get you a bit me from Rich and a few hours of being forced to watch Oberman at night to be re educated.
Comment by fed up Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 10:57 am
the Comptroller’s Office oversight of the cemetery industry is essentially the tracking of endowment funds kept for “perpetual care”. That office has tried to broaden its jurisdiction over cemetery management simply because no other state agency does so, with varying legislative acceptance across the last decade.
If the state regulates abandoned mines and other businesses, it can regulate cemetery management for the common good.
Was the Hynes proposal held back simply becasuse it was a “new initiative”, and there are not supposed to be any new initiatives during this remainder of FY 10? Or did the Quinn alternative make the issue not quite “ripe” for implementation one way or the other?
But I should stop trying to be rational — politics trumps good government considerations in Illinois.
Comment by Capitol View Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 11:01 am
Word, I think Proft would be more Tony D’Annunzio than Danny Noonan.
Also, I don’t think the Chicago Golf Club would allow the Lama on the premises. It’s one of the most exclusive clubs in the country.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 11:04 am
Did Hynes even have the authority to do ANYTHING that would have prevented this Burr Oak debacle? I am assuming not since Proft was implying that he did.
As for Hastert, I live in 14 and his last name is not going to help him. Between his old man’s shady real estate deal, the page scandal, and his Abramoff ties, it would be wise for him to make a concerted effort to differentiate himself. That being said, facing a 10:1 $ disadvantage, it will be difficult to get that message (or any other for that matter) out.
Comment by Obamarama Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 11:17 am
Chicago Golf Club, exclusive as in money? or excluding, as in disciminating?
Comment by Amy Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 11:28 am
Mark Kirk plans to raise $25 million?
Does this mean he has a grant application for federal stimulus money?
Comment by Illinois Eddie Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 11:30 am
47th, that was Carl Spangler. Cinderella story, at Augusta… it’s in the hole!
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 11:38 am
CGC is both Amy, exclusive and excluding.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 11:43 am
At least Dillard managed to get the ball to the plate on the fly. I remember going to a game back in 2001 when Dale Earnhardt, Jr. bounced a first pitch in like a Little League reject.
Comment by fedup dem Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 11:43 am
Proft works with WLS…All Blago all the time!
Nough said
Comment by Hank Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 11:57 am
I wonder if the Quinn rainbow spot would go over well in portions of Downstate Illinois.
Comment by doc Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 12:06 pm
Doc, no gay people in Downstate Illinois? What, it’s like Iran? (Ahmanijed joke).
It won’t go over well with some people everywhere, and it will be fine with some people everywhere.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 12:08 pm
$25 million? Wow.
Word had it that McKenna was going to put in $3 million, and Kirk only had commitments for $2 million.
At the time, that was enough to have Kirk say he would get out of the race if McKenna ran.
Very strange…
Comment by Broadsword Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 12:11 pm
Quiin’s gay pride video ought to help him in Southern Illinois - NOT!
Comment by RedTrack Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 12:13 pm
Let’s stop stereotyping and insulting Southern Illinoisans, OK?
Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 12:23 pm
Fed up: even the great and wonderful Oz is re-evaluating his entire world view after the devastation of President Obama’s high waisted jeans (with a White Sox jacket!), inability to name Comiskey Park without a teleprompter, and throwing ability reminiscent of a French soccer player. Rich’s emotional state might be so fragile, given these recent public events, that we faithful readers of Capitol Fax Blog might have to mount an intervention.
Comment by walter sobchak Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 12:33 pm
Dillard should show Carlos Marmol how to throw a strike.
Comment by Down the Middle Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 12:34 pm
===inability to name Comiskey Park without a teleprompter===
Please. You haven’t ever heard a Southsider say “Cominskey Park”?
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 12:36 pm
like i posted yesterday, the republicans fear dan hynes, but not pat quinn.
i saw rep. art turner on chicago tonight lastnight, and i would not vote for him for a statwide office. he is intellectually dishonest.
would he pay his amex with his mastercard indeed.
could’ve sworn that rep. franks was a republican the way he lit into the budget bill that was signed, and those who supported it (primarily the gov).
hopefully dan hynes will just take the high road to quinn. hynes needs to look at the obama method of always taking the high road and remain vigilant in outdoing and overestimating his political opponent. that is assuming hynes will run for governor.
Comment by Will County Woman Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 12:44 pm
Wordslinger, You sir are NO gentleman or CADDYSHACK fan!! C’mon ’slinger–the name was: Carl Spackler, not Spangler…next thing you might say Eli, instead of Elihu. Dan P just wants the attention, it is soooo obvious
Comment by vito Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 1:06 pm
I like the guy who shouts “VIVA QUINN!” in the rainbow video.
Comment by Chubs Mahoney Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 1:15 pm
MLB teams usually don’t let people throw from the mound after its been “manicured” for the game. Same reason Obama threw from in front of the mound.
Dillard threw 1000 percent better than Obama. Maybe it was the ghost of Haray Carey doing the pronounciation!
Comment by profiles in courage Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 1:17 pm
Wow! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a peppier campaign commercial than that Quinn one. Very uplifting.
Comment by Cheswick Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 1:26 pm
47th, thanks, Proft will have to wear the rep of the course.
Comment by Amy Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 1:45 pm
=Please. You haven’t ever heard a Southsider say “Cominskey Park”? =
NEVER, EVER EVER! And I am covering five decades of life in Chicagoland. If you think I’m wrong, why don’t you post a string of candid videos of “Chicagoans” mispronouncing the name?
This claim is the most shameless example of running interference for Obama’s reputation that I have seen yet. More to come, I’m sure.
Comment by Conservative Republican Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 2:12 pm
Please. You haven’t ever heard a Southsider say “Cominskey Park”? No, Rich I havent, but I dont know any southsiders that can name all 57 states either so I might not br getting out enough.
Comment by fed up Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 2:13 pm
Regarding U.S. Senate race:
Is Chris Kennedy lying low on his Senatorial aspirations to let this weekend, the 40th anniversary of Chappaquiddick, his uncle’s enduring disgrace, pass?
Comment by Conservative Republican Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 2:14 pm
CR maybe kennedy is just lying low in the hopes that his cousin the congresman most recent trip to rehab will work this time.
Comment by fed up Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 2:31 pm
To be fair Amy, according to his account, Proft was simply a caddy at CGC, not a member.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 2:58 pm
47th ward, so, Proft just makes money off people who discriminate? i still don’t think that looks very good for him.
Comment by Amy Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 4:00 pm
The President said “Cominskey Field”, Field, not Park…
Comment by walter sobchak Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 5:08 pm
No doubt Hynes shirked his responsibilities. Can you honestly believe that he properly checked their financial records, those records were in order, and yet the criminal shenannigans still took place? Hynes doesn’t want you to look behind the curtain.
Comment by Pink Tomato Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 5:12 pm
Sure Amy, some 12 year old rides his bike down the street to make a few bucks and you accuse him of discrimination. Ridiculous.
I believe the proper word is industrious.
I guess if was born with a silver spoon in his mouth like you obviously were, then he wouldn’t have to work.
Comment by Amy Is Crazy Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 9:32 pm
==========
This campaign will be about demonstrating to the voters that I am one of you.
==========
Hmmmm…With the way things are going in the State right now, he’s going to have to be very careful with that one. It could easily be “overdone”. Many can’t understand at this point why anyone would want to try to run the State.
It was a great video.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jul 17, 09 @ 10:39 pm
Maybe I fail to see see the error of Proft’s ways from his comments about caddying when he was younger because I am not from Chicago? What was it that was so bad about his comment (aka. elders?) Maybe I am missing something because I haven’t had my morning coffee yet? And, I like the “junkyard dog” label. It is funny and probably appropriate for Dan Proft. If I were Proft, I would love the new label because Reagan was referred to by some as a “junkyard dog” when he first ran for public office. It takes a “junkyard dog” to chase the pampered and spoiled “toy french poodles” out of the juckyard.
Hastert’s kid is probably a decent sort but Oberweis and Hastert dirtied up that district so badly in the last election that the Hastert name will prove to be an albatross. I have talked to fellow Republicans in that district and they say that Foster has proven to be a decent politician to them. Denny Hastert managed to throw away a normally solid Republican district to the Democrats when he meddled in the Oberweis versus Lauzen spat. Hastert should have stayed out of it. The results speak for themselves.
Comment by John Doe Saturday, Jul 18, 09 @ 7:29 am
Proft stretches the truth: “But the response of Mr. Hynes, the constitutional officer who is responsible for cemetery oversight”
…If Mr. Proft truly wants to be governor instead of a ‘junkyard dog’ picking at scraps then he better learn what existing laws actually guide the Comptroller’s office to oversee because it’s not “cemeteries” in general, it’s only some specific financial instruments related to burials and upkeep.
Comment by Rob_N Saturday, Jul 18, 09 @ 9:07 am
Hynes could not even get any serious cemetery oversight legislation passed during his whole tenure. I have absolutely zero confidence that he will get things done as governor. He looks terrible concerning this whole Burr Oak tragedy.
Comment by Anonymous Sunday, Jul 19, 09 @ 6:30 pm
I know plenty of Sox fans who say Cominskey Park ( but not field). They also say Warshington Street instead of Washington and Rus-a-velt Road rather than Rose-a-velt.
Regarding the the opening pitch and the jeans, get a clue, folks.
The dude (or president of the United States, as I like to call him) was wearing body armor, as he stood in the midst of 45,000 people in an open air field.
You pitching critics out there, measure off 60 feet 6 inches, put your armor on and give us all a report on your fastball.
Comment by wordslinger Sunday, Jul 19, 09 @ 10:24 pm