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The Tribune hits the Chicago angle first.
The sounds of “We Are Family” blared over the Democrats’ annual rally at the Illinois State Fair on Wednesday as leaders of the state’s ruling party sought to play down any election-year discord that could threaten their recent success at the polls.Gov. Rod Blagojevich, backed by a rare state fair visit by Mayor Richard Daley, urged rank-and-file Democrats to keeping working through the Nov. 7 election. And Daley denied that separate federal investigations of his administration and the governor’s had put a damper on the festivities.
One thing I noticed was the paucity of downstaters on the dais. It was pretty much a Chicago event.
More from CBS2:
While striking workers from a Downstate prison picketed outside on Wednesday, more dramatic tension was supplied by those inside the Governor’s Day rally.There was the bizarre spectacle of Illinois Democratic Chairman Mike Madigan reluctantly sitting on the same stage with the party’s nominee for State Treasurer, Alexi Giannoulias.
Madigan won’t endorse Giannoulias, whose family-owned bank has loaned money to alleged mobsters. But the sometimes media-shy Madigan declined to discuss it.
Afterward, Madigan refused to tell reporters whether he is backing Giannoulias, the Chicago banker who defeated the party’s slated candidate, Paul Mangieri of Galesburg, in the March primary.“All finished for today,” Madigan snapped as members of the media surrounded the golf cart that whisked him away.
The reporters wouldn’t let him drive away at first. It developed into a war of wills, which Madigan won, of course. I’ll post a photo later.
AP:
About 4,000 people attended the Governor’s Day rally, the majority of which was paid for by the Blagojevich campaign, including about 60 buses that helped ferry people to the event from around the state, spokeswoman Sheila Nix said. Nix could not immediately say how much money was spent by the campaign.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 9:22 am
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I was there and could sense tension in the air, though the event was made out to be jovial. I’m very surprised busses were used given the propensity of key witnesses (some seen in the crowd but known to only a very few) throwing their former friends and present cohorts under the bus. I sure love a good “put on your best fake smile†event. Rich, please contact Joe Lieberman as soon as possible and give them the name of your tech. Seems they need one. Nice system recovery.
Comment by Justice Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 9:39 am
That Chicago Tribune Metro front-page photo cries out for a caption contest.
Comment by ZC Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 9:51 am
I love the photo with Blago and Obama. Looks like those acting classes are paying off for Rod. The photo in the Tribune. Rod doesn’t look too happy. Looks like he’s giving the press the evil eye.
Comment by Chinaman Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 9:59 am
The entire staged event is further proof that elections are not won - they are bought and paid for.
Please, voters, see through the political smoke screen here. All the pomp and supposed unity, etc. will only serve the ones campaigning; once in office, more promises will be made and more bills won’t be paid.
Comment by Jack Blades Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 10:06 am
>Madigan refused to tell reporters whether he is backing Giannoulias
Tsk…Tsk…another example of the voting public getting it wrong. Don’t they know what they are doing will upset the established power base we are all benefitting from?
Comment by Leroy Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 10:09 am
A Chicago event? How about this tidbit from the Daily Herald?
Jones, a smoker, headed out of the Springfield hotel that hosted a brunch for Democratic leaders so he could have a smoke. Passing reporters, he noted that the capital city is about to enact a local law banning smoking in public places, including restaurants and bars.
“We’ll have to move it out of here,†Jones quipped about the Capitol.
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/illinoisstory.asp?id=217632
Comment by Dan Vock Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 10:57 am
I rode a bus from Benton and I actually really appreciated the governor providing transportation for me and me grandpa. I have to give it to the governors staff. This was the best democrat day that I have ever been too. Better setup, better backdrop, better music, and you could actually HEAR the speeches this year. I would estimate that there were a little of 5000 people there. Most of them had on Blagojevich shirts, but I saw some Obama, Durbin, and Gianulias people too. Everyone was in there element. Best speeches were Obama, Rush, and Blagojevich. Gianulias did well too, but he is still learning.
Great day all around. I didn’t really notice any dissension. Its gonna be hard for the GOP to top today.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 11:02 am
Looked like another great day for the Dems. A little turmoil helps give the Dems that special edge to ensure victory.
GOPs (as in MOPEs) have nothing to counter it.
Comment by Reddbyrd Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 11:04 am
Illinois/Cook County/ Chicago politics have typically been very Balkanized with various factions bickering and competing. So I think Obama got it right with his “Dog Bites Man” analogy. What else is new?
Downstate turnout and enthusiasm at he County Chairman’s Breakfast was excellent - the room was full without the busloads organized by the Governor’s campaign for the rally.
Gianoulias had a lot of enthusiastic supporters - not sure why Speaker Madigan is being such a “’sore loser” - possibly becsuse he fears additional revelations to come?
Lisa Madigan’s decsion not to attend the rally seems appropriate and prudent given her knowledge about some of the Governor’s legal problems. Who doesn’t remember how Rod skewered Jim Ryan for his “do nothing” approach vis-a-vis George Ryan’s corruption.
The only downer was the underlying somber realization that the Governor and his associates will have serious legal problems at some indefinite time in the future - most likely after his reelection.
Comment by Captain America Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 12:18 pm
Hilarious, from the Daily Herald:
Two gentlemen were walking to the Democratic rally. One is wearing an “Alexi Giannoulias for treasurer†shirt. He looks down, holds the shirt out and asks his pal: “What’s this guy’s name?â€
Comment by Anon Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 5:35 pm
CROOK COUNTY DAY AT THE FAIR
Comment by MIDSTATE Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 5:41 pm
I put the cost of the bus brigade at about $282,000.
Comment by Disgusted Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 6:01 pm
Well, here’s the deal folks: it costs a s— ton of money to rent all of those buses. The Dems have a candidate in Rod Blagojevich who has oodles of campaign money and how does he spend it? By bring buses in from several towns because he couldn’t get a crowd at the State Fair without the busing! Come on, guys. You Dems would be ripping a Republican who did the same thing and you would probably call for an investigation into how exactly our party could afford it. What a joke.
Comment by Team Sleep Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 6:26 pm
Do any of you remember how the Governor was treated at the State Fair? He is in deep trouble south of Highway 80.
Comment by So Blue Democrat Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 7:18 pm
jbt spent her whole campaign fund getting supporters to the fair today they were able to rent an old volkswagen van and had 8 people crammed in and got them to the front of the line at st johns breadline because thats all the dough they had folks
Comment by anon again Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 8:41 pm
anon again. Is your boss, the guv, paying for your Internet connection, too? There are crooks on both sides of the aisles at the State House, so don’t get too sanctimonious.
Comment by Disgusted Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 9:58 pm
Well heck. The gov had to bus Chicago people down to the event. Otherwise he would have had only 1/10th of the people supporting him. Of course that 1/10th are the politicals hacks who bought their jobs.
Comment by Buck Flagojevich Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 10:47 pm
last time i check north of I-80 is in illinois and they get to vote, 80% of the people of illinois live in cook and the collars shouldnt we get 80% of the money and 80% of the jobs 80% of the roads you get the picture
Comment by anon again Friday, Aug 18, 06 @ 8:03 am
I don’t have any problems with either side bringing in supporters. However, an exhibitor that I know had her vehicle towed (along with 3 rows of vehicles) so that the Blagojevich caravan o’ buses could park close. This is particularly annoying since the exhibitors paid for their parking and were legally parked when towed. The state trooper who took her to get her car told her that he couldn’t talk about it but the orders to tow came from on high in Chicago. She did not have to pay for the towing, but it shouldn’t have been towed. I would note that there are many places buses could park without towing cars of persons who were exhibiting at the fair.
My question is who authorized the towing and who paid for the towing charges. State employees were told by the Governor’s office that if the employee wanted to attend Governor’s Day (or Republican Day) they had to take time off because these were political events. The state fair official who authorized the towing of cars that were legally parked and who had paid for parking so that campaign buses could park, seems to have failed a practical test of State ethics. Further if state funds were used to pay for the towing that also seems to be an example of state funds being used to further the Governor’s campaign. Of course if Citizens for Rod funds paid for the towing, it clarifies that this was a campaign event and the towing was in furtherance of the campaign.
Comment by poor dumb farmer Tuesday, Aug 22, 06 @ 11:37 pm