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Reformers cut deal on campaign finance reform

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* 7:40 pm - As I’ve been telling subscribers this evening, the reformers have agreed to a compromise with the Democratic legislative leaders over campaign contribution caps. Contributions by leaders and parties will only be capped during primaries, not general elections.

Click here for the press release announcing the agreement and more details.

We also have some video. As of this writing, the Madigan video is still processing, so give it a few minutes.

* Speaker Madigan talks to the press…

* Campaign for Political Reform director Cindi Canary talks about why she and her cohorts decided to cut a deal…

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Oct 29, 09 @ 7:41 pm

Comments

The bill Quinn called “Landmark” legislation, right before he vetoed it, had caps on leaders of 90K. This new bill has none. This bill has more reporting of contributions but they raise the amount from $500 to $1,000. How is this reform if the bill got worse and empowered the leaders more? It is to bad the “REFORM” groups got rolled. Once again Madigan showed why he is the Supreme Don of Illinois politics.

Comment by So much for Reform Thursday, Oct 29, 09 @ 7:53 pm
I am reminded of Cindi Canary in August at a press conference with Cullerton, Madigan, Netsch, Quinn and others, saying that people were being too cynical, and to just give the reform effort a chance. I am reminded of Governor Pat “you ain’t seen nothing yet” Quinn too at that same August press conference.

In the youtube video posted on this thread cindi canary is very subdued in tone and rhetoric, whereas she was a bit over the top back in August at the press conference. Reality has a way of bringing people [back] down to earth, I guess.

oh well.

Comment by Will County Woman Thursday, Oct 29, 09 @ 8:09 pm
Wow. Free speech takes a hit in Illinois.

Comment by Elin Thursday, Oct 29, 09 @ 8:44 pm
Is it just me or is Mike Madigan whispering?

Comment by Will County Woman Thursday, Oct 29, 09 @ 8:52 pm
Nice job Cindy and reformers —- way to sell out. Reform? What a joke! You can drive a truck through this bill.

Comment by Anon Thursday, Oct 29, 09 @ 9:03 pm
What a sellout!! I think it was Canary who called the leadership BRAVE in August. Guess she likes the media attention more than anything else.

Comment by fgs Thursday, Oct 29, 09 @ 9:08 pm
Cindy is only going to be as courageous as the board of the organization she works for. If she goes too far out, she’s out of a job.

So I guess the board fell for the old something is better than nothing routine. Not exactly cutting edge reform but the powers won’t be mad at them either. And if the powers aren’t mad, you haven’t accomplished a darn thing.

Comment by cassandra Thursday, Oct 29, 09 @ 9:11 pm
Hb7 had unlimited in kind contributions from
leaders and parties. Think unlimited staff, unlimited tv ads, unlimited mailings. Educate yourself before saying something so Ill informed.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Oct 29, 09 @ 9:16 pm
Anonymous - I think it is you you needs to become “informed.” Where are these caps in the new bill? Oh, Im sorry you’re right there are limits on leaders and parties during, and only during, the Primary. However, the last time I checked the GENERAL Election is the election which determines the elected official.

Comment by Anon Thursday, Oct 29, 09 @ 9:44 pm
Tom Cross and his hapless GOP house caucus look like fools once again.

Cross’ only “plan” was to rip on the Dems for not passing reform. Now the Dems are going to pass reform and Cross whines more.

If the Repubs really don’t think the plan goes far enough, then why don’t they just agree to self-regulate. Why not just self-agree?

Answer, because Cross and his fellow GOP bush-leaguers don’t want reform. They were just counting on having a campaign issue.

Tom Cross even fights his own Republican voters. Cross won’t even give them a vote in their own state party. We saw how out of control Cross was on SB600 two weeks ago. He goes nuts when real reform is discussed.

Put your tails between your legs and slink home Republicans. You got beat again. You guys don’t know what you’re doing.

Comment by Too funny Thursday, Oct 29, 09 @ 10:05 pm
madigan stonewalls, canary folds and Rod wins. 11 months after he is arrested and still no meaningful reform. How hapless are these “reform” groups that they couldn’t even capitalize on a guy like Rod. Unreal.

Comment by Easy Thursday, Oct 29, 09 @ 10:27 pm
++How hapless are these “reform” groups that they couldn’t even capitalize on a guy like Rod.++

That is an easy thing to say when you are sitting on the sidelines watching them do the work in the trenches.

Comment by Montrose Thursday, Oct 29, 09 @ 10:36 pm
The reformers didn’t have to support this bill - aggregating the primary caps was probably a last minute throw-in to try and give them cover - and now it seems Illinois will go the way of NY. Sham regulation, loophole-ridden and no real enforcement. But hey, you can feel good about that task force which surely will solve all the problems.

Comment by MKK Friday, Oct 30, 09 @ 7:58 am
Too Funny has it right.
Cross fumbled again
Change IL did a great job to bring home a good plan

Comment by CircularFiringSquad Friday, Oct 30, 09 @ 8:17 am
Montrose–

those must be some shallow trenches because they didn’t get a whole lot done that was outside what madigan and cullerton were going to do on their own.

Comment by Easy Friday, Oct 30, 09 @ 8:57 am
Coming late to the party–need a little analysis, please. Would someone outline what has been cleaned up and what remains an open sewer. Change Illinois! web site hearlds the accomplishments but you all sound dissatisfied. In particular I’m curious about limits placed on political leadership and their ability to fund candidates.

Comment by Analysis please Friday, Oct 30, 09 @ 9:08 am
you “reformers” simply don’t get it. Money will ALWAYS find a way into the system. Look at the Federal Election Laws. Everytime they pass a law, MORE money flows in. Insanity is definted as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. That’s what “reformers” remind me of.

The solution is disclosure. Pure and simple. The state board of elections has a great website, I check it often, to see where the money is coming from and who its going to. Despite its faults, as have been discussed on this page, it is much much better than the FEC site.

Comment by this old hack Friday, Oct 30, 09 @ 9:16 am
one more criticism of Pat Collins and Cindy and “reformers” in general: campaigns cost money. Lots of it. Yet, none of your “reform” efforts talk about limiting the COSTS of campaigns. Most voters don’t read Capitol Fax; they are confused about government; therefore, campaigns must spend money to get people to focus on elections.

I wish this was not the case and that people read the newspaper, got informed, etc. but they don’t. Most people would rather watch American Idol or some other such nonsense than focus on government. As a result, campaigns must advertise candidates just as businesses must advertise any other product. Sad, but true.

Comment by this old hack Friday, Oct 30, 09 @ 9:21 am
The people who live off of us, tell us what to do, and are members of an exclusive club we elected them into, will not change the rules that got them where they are today.

They have no interest in sharing the power they have with anyone else. They have no interest in opening a door for anyone else to share power with them.

They are rich, they are fat, and they have a nice comfy nest. They have no interest in losing any of the nest eggs we give them, or even sharing them with us.

You cannot expect rule changes from the players winning the game. Reform and change has to be forced onto them, not asked of them.

It is naive and unrealistic to expect the powerful to voluntarily relinquish some of their power. “Just because” is not a reason. “It would be nice” is not a reason. Hope is not a plan. Good intentions don’t work in a world demanding cash.

If you want reform, vote them out. In 2002, our instincts were correct. We wanted reform, and the guy elected as governor, used our instincts against us to his benefit. Rod Blagojevich needs to be remembered not merely as Illinois’ worse and most corrupted governor - we have to remember that he is a man who took advantage of us by promising to be the man who will do what we so desperately needed in 2002 - reform. Worse than Ryan, Blagojevich ruined what had always been a good thing, governmental reform via party change. Now that we experienced the past decade of state corruption and scandals, our cynicism is deeper and uglier than ever.

Do not fear. Let’s do it again. Vote these bums out and clean House and Senate. Keep doing this every two years until we get more Heroes than Crooks. It is our only real way to get the reform we need.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Oct 30, 09 @ 9:29 am