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* A conference will be held soon to discuss former Gov. Jim Edgar’s legacy…
As the subject of a conference that will essentially be a retrospective on his political career, former Gov. Jim Edgar is in a unique position. He’s alive.
“Usually the person is dead when they do these. I probably shouldn’t even go,” Edgar joked recently, adding that his presence might intimidate people who will be speaking about him at the “Governor’s Conference on the Jim Edgar Administration,” scheduled for April 15-16 at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library.
* The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum’s “Illinois Statecraft” oral history project has done an extensive oral history of Edgar’s political career. Go check it out.
* I’ve started watching the interviews, and I may excerpt more in the future, but I clipped out a few TV ads from Edgar’s 1990 gubernatorial campaign for today. Have a look…
Nowadays, 90-second spots are unheard of. Times change.
* The 1994 campaign interview is not yet on video. I’ll post ads from that one if they’re featured. It was one brutal campaign.
…Adding… A couple more, one of which features Speaker Madigan…
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 12:48 pm
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I can’t remember any Edgar ads but I remember Dawn Clark Netch’s playing pool in the “straight shooter” ads.
Comment by Objective Dem Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 12:58 pm
“We’re MSI, and we approved this message.”
Comment by just sayin' Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 1:00 pm
Wow. Makes you wish he’d run today.
Comment by Time Keeps on Ticking, Ticking Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 2:01 pm
Yeesh, that Prof. Corey spot was hopelessly dated in 1990. His career went downhill after Jack Paar replaced Steve Allen. Jim Edgar was too hip to even know who he was.
What’s even stranger is that Corey had been a member of the American Communist Party who got himself kicked out of the Army after he was drafted by pretending to be gay. I doubt if Edgar’s folks knew that when they signed him up. He took Edgar’s money, though, lol.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 2:08 pm
I wonder if they’re covering the impact of Edgar’s legacy using Sec. of State employees for campaign and fund-raising purposes. I believe, George Ryan might have a few comments to make about the employee culture he found upon taking over from Edgar in 1991. During the 1990 campaign for Governor, there wasn’t a parade in central Illinois that Edgar didn’t have at least 30 Secretary of State employees attending on his behalf. One of his employees told me, they were expected to sign up for campaign activities within a 75 mile radius of their SS worksite. We know now how that campaign pressure ultimately worked out.
Comment by Louis Howe Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 2:13 pm
I never understood Edgar’s clean image. It’s true he doesn’t drink alcohol. But otherwise he was pretty much like other politicians. His record as Sec. of State showed that he was not immune to extorting ticket sales.
When he became Governor I have personal experience to go by. I had to purchase two tickets ($50 each) to Edgar fundraisers each year he was governor in order to keep my job. His political liaison with our agency was very frank about the consequences. With Thompson it was only one ticket per year.
The kicker was his final year where he extorted the money then decided not to run for re-election. I requested a refund from his campaign committee. You should have heard them laugh.
As I understand campaign finance law at the time, Edgar was allowed to keep all of his campaign cash for his personal use. If that’s not true, someone please correct me.
Comment by DuPage Dave Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 2:20 pm
LOL at the “Democaratic” typo at 1:50 in the second YouTube.
Also, anyone else think the narrator on the first ad in the first YouTube is the same narrator voice of the ’80s Domino’s “Noid” campaign?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5oo3i38K2g&feature=related
Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 2:34 pm
Seriously, thanks for sharing that story DuPage Dave. It’s consistent with others I’ve heard over the years.
Thompson, Edgar and others were just lucky they were pre-Patrick Fitzgerald. Of course good luck trying to get that across to a fawning Illinois press corps.
Comment by just sayin' Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 2:34 pm
“I never understood Edgar’s clean image.”
I think it’s as simple as Downstaters thinking he as a fellow Downstater wouldn’t cheat them like the Chicago politicians and suburban voters thinking he’s just a dumb hick from Downstate who isn’t smart enough to rip them off like the Chicago politicians.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 2:37 pm
Typo on last ad. Democratic is not spelled correctly.
Comment by Edmond Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 2:42 pm
Edmond, I think those ads are from a private collection, so it may be a rough draft not sent to TV stations. That happens.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 2:52 pm
Notice how St. Jim admitted they would not run the Chicago bashing ad in Chicago…there he was busy handing out library grants to help suppresss and co-opt black votes.
And his portrayal of Andy of Mayberry was precious
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 2:59 pm
@Louis Howe= “I wonder if they’re covering the impact of Edgar’s legacy using Sec. of State employees for campaign and fund-raising purposes. I believe, George Ryan might have a few comments to make about the employee culture he found upon taking over from Edgar in 1991. During the 1990 campaign for Governor, there wasn’t a parade in central Illinois that Edgar didn’t have at least 30 Secretary of State employees attending on his behalf. One of his employees told me, they were expected to sign up for campaign activities within a 75 mile radius of their SS worksite. We know now how that campaign pressure ultimately worked out. ”
Exact same thing when his staff came to Public Aid and worked on the section election bid.
I think Edgar should get the “Golden Shredder” award, both as a figurative item and a symbolic one for what his staff covered up.
Comment by waitress practicing politics. . Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 3:37 pm
Edgar’s legacy is the huge pension liability caused by his infamous ramp which allowed the state to skimp on payments with the promise of paying decades down the road when he was safely out of office. I also like how he slammed Dawn for her tax plan all throughout their campaign and then advocated the exact same plan after he won.
Yep, that guy was a real prince. Currently, he is concentrating on making millions by double dipping with a six figure state pension and a six figure state job. He ranks right up there with Illinois finest public servants.
Comment by Bill Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 3:43 pm
In 1990, Edgar supported making permanent the temporary income tax hike. There’s no chance the GOP gubernatorial nominee in 2014 will do the same. Which shows how much the IL GOP has changed since Edgar’s day.
Comment by reformer Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 3:46 pm
==IL GOP has changed since Edgar’s day.==
Yeah. They were winners then.
Comment by Bill Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 4:01 pm
looks like a little bit of envy goin’ on here
Comment by steve schnorf Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 4:36 pm
Bill -
Here here!
Jim Edgar’s budgetary record was based upon the fraud of the “gradual” ramp up in pension contributions.
http://www.comptroller.state.il.us/FiscalFocus/article.cfm?ID=222
MSI has already been mentioned.
How about this whopper? Anyone remember Jim Edgar asking the US Supreme Court to repeal the Rutan decision?
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-02-21/news/9602210051_1_supreme-court-jim-edgar-politics
In contemporary news accounts the Edgar Administration said they could not figure out how to run a patronage free civil service system … .
In any state but Illinois Jim Edgar would be “just another politican” … .
Comment by Smitty Irving Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 4:46 pm
“Edgar’s legacy is the huge pension liability caused by his infamous ramp which allowed the state to skimp on payments with the promise of paying decades down the road when he was safely out of office.”
@Bill:
Hold up… is this *THE* “Bill,” CapFax Blagojevich superfan extraordinaire, talking about a governor leaving behind legacies of huge pension liabilities?
Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 5:06 pm
Here’s one of Edgar’s 1994 ads from YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEjvhvTlhCE
Comment by anon Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 5:25 pm
hisgirlfriday -
I agree with the quote you cited … and I’m not a Blago supporter.
How sad is it that the only Governor to make the pension payments called for at the beginning of his term and not change the law to reduce the amount due … was George Ryan?
Comment by Smitty Irving Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 6:05 pm
Those were some good ads except from the corey ad. Whoever’s idea that was they should’ve been fired for that. Though my least favorite was that long ad with all those people fawning over Edgar. I wonder how something like that would go over today.
Comment by levois Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 6:18 pm
I also wonder about the ‘good government’ image Edgar has managed to pull off. I encountered him in his role at U of I, and he seemed to be as knowledgable about State government as Blago.
Comment by Quizzical Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 10:43 pm
Quizzical, I had a 2-3 hour lunch with Edgar last year. He knows his stuff.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 7, 11 @ 11:36 pm
During the Edgar years, human services in Illinois started The Great Decline. We went from having a pretty respectable system to one that is sliced and diced every time the politicians decide that there is something more politically rewarding to spend the money on.
Part of Edgar’s legacy is that he started the trend that resulted in Illinois pretty much being ranked 50th in the United States for any kind of human services.
Edgar should be hanging his head in shame.
Comment by Aldyth Friday, Apr 8, 11 @ 7:26 am