Latest Post | Last 10 Posts | Archives
Previous Post: News, overlooked
Next Post: How can we miss you if you won’t go away?
Posted in:
* After calling around about this the other day, I have my doubts that Daniels will actually pull the trigger…
Former House Speaker Lee Daniels is weighing a political comeback after a federal investigation into the misuse of state-paid House Republican staffers on legislative campaigns sank his government career.
Those close to the longtime House Republican leader have made it known that Daniels is interested in succeeding DuPage County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom, who is considering a run for governor next year.
Polling is under way to measure Daniels’ popularity in a race for chairman against other potential candidates, including state Sen. Carol Pankau (R-Itasca).
“I know he is interested, and I think he and others are exploring the possibility of him coming back out of retirement to help reform county government in DuPage,” said Sen. Dan Cronin (R-Elmhurst), chairman of the county GOP.
There is a major local move afoot to block Sen. Pankau from running in that race. Daniels is being used. We’ll see if he takes the bait. Again, I’m not sure he will. The lede in that Sun-Times story ought to be enough to remind him that political retirement would be preferable.
* Speaking of DuPage County, board chairman Bob Schillerstrom says he’s in the race for governor…
Schillerstrom hasn’t made an official announcement, but he is making the rounds, raising the money and talking the game. He has a staff in place and a Web site up.
“This is very much for real,” says campaign spokesman Brad Hahn. “This is what we are doing.”
* The list of people interested in lieutenant governor is quite long on the Democratic side. Expect the same for the GOP…
State Rep. Dave Winters (R-Rockford) has apparently decided to run for the GOP 2010 bid for Lt. Governor. […]
And Chicago’s 42nd Ward GOP is hosting a wine tasting party on June 24, and they’re announcing Rep. Winters as their featured guest, as well.
* Ugh. US Sen. Roland Burris was paid to appear in TV ads against the con-con last year…
The fee from ASK Public Strategies was paid to Burris for appearing in a political TV ad in which he urged Illinoisans to vote against a new state constitutional convention in a referendum, said Jim O’Connor, a spokesman for Burris
* And while we’re kinda sorta on the subject of Blagojevich…
During an episode aired Wednesday of NBC’s “I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!,” Patti Blagojevich said her husband’s good friends “just weren’t strong enough to stand against the tide or speak up for him.”
“People that he’s known for 17 years, they had to vote to impeach him …” she said.
They “had” to vote to impeach her husband because he was crooked and the case was ironclad. Plain and simple.
* Related…
* Top Ten Political Tweeters in Illinois
* Delmarie Cobb: Roland … Has Made Dick Durbin A Better Senator: Delmarie Cobb, adviser to Sen. Roland Burris, said that she “jokes with Roland that he has made Dick Durbin a better senator than he ever was.” She also asserted that Durbin “is so busy trying to show Roland up that he is suddenly running all over town at ribbon-cuttings and groundbreakings.” Hanania asked in response, “Is it really him leveraging Roland’s problems to make himself look better?” “Oh, that’s exactly what it is,” Cobb responded.
* Ethan Hastert explains run for Congress
* GOP Hopes Hastert Will Return District to the Family
* Illinois’ Revolving Door Senate Seat Up for Grabs
* Rep. Shimkus Offers Full Disclosure: The congressman’s diligence extended to recording his receipt of an “I’m a Bush Republican” button sent tauntingly to members of Congress ahead of President George W. Bush’s final State of the Union Address by the liberal advocacy group Americans United for Change.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 10:44 am
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
Previous Post: News, overlooked
Next Post: How can we miss you if you won’t go away?
WordPress Mobile Edition available at alexking.org.
powered by WordPress.
Absolutely they had to vote against him — Patti’s complaint rings hollow. But her complaint about the security guards is well founded — had something bad happened to the Blago family Quinn’s spiteful move would have been seen for what it was. Blago’s kids didn’t warrant a couple extra days protection while the frenzy wound down? It was my second eye-opening on Pat Quinn, who I had respected as a reformer. Then he opossed a senate special election and threw the reform comission under the bus.
Comment by lake county democrat Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 10:48 am
I watched the Pitty Patti party last night, it made me sick. I actually got on and voted to send her packing!
It is a shame that people on the show don’t know the truth on how SHE acted as the first lady. She would not allow staff to look at her children while talking, telling them they were “the help”.
Comment by He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 10:57 am
They “had” to vote to impeach her husband because he was crooked and the case was ironclad. Plain and simple.
They “had” to because even though his long-time allies believed the “Madigan Triangulated to Get Him” theory–and still do today–they still have to face a volatile electorate who most likely will see and hear lots of TV and radio spots with them on record as supporting him. I venture to say, though, that one vote–or even a couple–against their friend will not erase years in the trenches defending him.
Comment by Narcoleptic Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 11:04 am
What’s the point in blocking a Pankau campaign?
Comment by Joe Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 11:04 am
In case there are any democrat operatives that read this blog, ethan hastert’s reason for running for congress-massive washhington spending was thoroughly debunked yesterday in the new york times where they pointed out that 50 percent of the deficit is due to bills passed while his father was speaker.
When he starts complaining about foster/obama spending, you might take that article out and inform his potential future voters that it was his father rather than foster that’s responsible f or the mess.
As a GOP I’m not thrilled with dillard running. The guy cut an ad for obama which to me is just as bad as LaHood’s RINOism in taking a job in the obama administration, and I’m a pro-choice moderate.
Comment by shore Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 11:05 am
I don’t think former governors get protection very long after they leave office do they…
For some reason Patty’s comments made me think of that sceene from Caddyshack
“I’ve sent boys younger than you to the gas chamber Danny, I didn’t want to but I felt I owed it to them”…
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 11:08 am
During an episode aired Wednesday of NBC’s “I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!,” Patti Blagojevich said her husband’s good friends “just weren’t strong enough to stand against the tide or speak up for him.”
“People that he’s known for 17 years, they had to vote to impeach him …” she said.
Comment by Curious Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 11:14 am
Axelrod payed Burris to badmouth Con-Con? That’s change (jingle, jingle) you can believe in.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 11:14 am
You don’t get reform from a zombie - tell Mr. Daniels, thanks but no thanks.
Just as I have had enough with Chicago Democrats running Illinois, I have had enough with DuPage Republicans running Illinois. I don’t trust either locations or organizations to provide the new insights Illinois needs to advance. We cannot expect any political insider to lead us away from our broken political system.
Delmarie Cobb is as good a PR spokesperson as her boss is as US Senator. Only those two would interpret that comment as a compliment. Burris has hobbled Durbin and Illinois as a national buffoon being handled by national buffoons from a state full of them.
We are discovering that a long public career of eating crow enables one to easily down a tarantula. Patti Blagojevich has obviously choked down worse things than exotic menu items. What she seems to be unable to stomach, however, is the truth.
My only questions to Ethan Hastert is, “why can’t you use one of your other dozens of family-connected career options?” and “does Illinois need another political dynasty?”
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 11:14 am
Patti also said that the worst part of the whole thing was finding out people you thought were your friend were just around for what they could get from you
Comment by Curious Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 11:16 am
shore…
Yeah that’s is sins of the father….
Big recent spending is going to resonate better than what someone’s dad was involved in several years ago.
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 11:23 am
===What’s the point in blocking a Pankau campaign? ===
If I am Cronin and I want the seat, I get Lee to “explore his options” in an effort to scare Pankau away so that I don’t have to deal with a primary.
Comment by Obamarama Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 11:24 am
Ethan can holler at foster all he wants but the bush administration he worked in, and his father’s congress did a lot more damage as the nytimes points out than foster did. Also I’m sure working for cheney,the least popular republican in the country is going to play well with the dui. And I say this as a former U.S. Senate staffer.
Comment by shore Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 11:27 am
=== If I am Cronin and I want the seat, I get Lee to “explore his options” in an effort to scare Pankau away so that I don’t have to deal with a primary. ===
I get that. But when I read “There is a major local move afoot ” I understood it to be more than just Dan Cronin wanting the seat.
Thanks for the clarification.
Comment by Joe Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 11:33 am
Lee who?
Seriously, as a long time DuPage resident I, too, am skeptical of some who come out of the county seeking statewide office. The GOP power structure is firmly entrenched in DuPage and there is the danger of just moving that mindset to Springfield. Are there no GOP in other parts of the state who can move up to the statewide level who have some ethics? Is DuPage the only GOP stronghold that can field statewide candidates? Sheeesh.
Comment by dupage dan Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 11:55 am
“I know he is interested, and I think he and others are exploring the possibility of him coming back out of retirement to help reform county government in DuPage,” said Sen. Dan Cronin (R-Elmhurst), chairman of the county GOP.
Wow. Cronin thinks Daniels is a “reform” candidate. Makes me question his grasp on reality.
Comment by DG activist Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 12:23 pm
OneMan:
Ethan’s father was hardly some ‘backbencher’ just going along with the program during GWB’s tenure, and again the point I raised yesterday still seems germaine.
If Ethan Hastert has such dire concerns about deficits and their lingering impact on our country and the economy, why was he silent about them when his father and the Bush administration were running the candy store?
Shore:
That graphic from yesterday’s NYT and related article are excellent indeed.
How Trillion-Dollar Deficits Were Created
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/06/09/business/economy/20090610-leonhardt-graphic.html
Comment by 14th Dist Voter Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 12:43 pm
Foster also broke ranks and voted against the Obama budget, though he did vote for the stimulus package(s) previously.
He has established a rather solid and moderate record during his term, as documented at Project Vote Smart
http://www.votesmart.org/summary.php?can_id=101632
Comment by 14th Dist Voter Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 12:50 pm
Speaking of DuPage GOP pols — anyone remember James “Pate” Phillips, who the late Steve Neal reported liked to use the N-word and called Jews “hooknoses.” (I once called his office for a response - they would neither confirm or deny the quotes). Wasn’t Daniel his partner in crime, runing the house at the same time pate ran the senate?
Comment by lake county democrat Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 12:50 pm
===I get that. But when I read “There is a major local move afoot ” I understood it to be more than just Dan Cronin wanting the seat.===
Cronin is the chairman of the DuPage GOP. So the “move” would be at his behest. That being said, Pankau had like 6 people in the Wood Dale Memorial Day Parade with her last month. Not exactly a phenomenon.
Comment by Obamarama Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 1:07 pm
==people you thought were your friend were just around for what they could get from you==
Funny, that is exactly the kind of friend Rod was.
Comment by Bill Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 1:20 pm
Daniels would be an improvement over Smilin’ Bob. Methinks Cronin has someone else in mind for DuPage County Chair if Smilin’ Bob vacates the post to run for bigger and better things.
Comment by Jake from Elwood Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 1:30 pm
LCD
Pate was another one of those Illinois pols who (like MJM now) had too much power concentrated in his hands. He got out before the walls crashed down but has his hands covered in the cr*p along w/Big Jim Thompson and George Ryan. A crude man, he was.
I suppose we tolerate the corruption more when things are going better but the I hope the fury builds and is unleashed on the entrenched in both parties when the polls open again. Will there be much of a state left then?
Comment by dupage dan Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 1:56 pm
==Axelrod payed Burris to badmouth Con-Con? That’s change (jingle, jingle) you can believe in==
Diet Pepsi on the screen, word! Excellent! Why does every new bit of news about Roland Burris just drop my opinion of him. Has he done ANYTHING right in the last 15, 20 years? I can’t wait to see that $800 US Senate campaign kick off so we can get rid of him…
Comment by Vote Quimby! Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 2:02 pm
Cronin would be excellant as a County Board Chairman and would be able to beat anyone else in the race. Come on, Pankau didn’t even carry DuPage when she ran for comptroller. If her opponent( Tom Cullerton- yes Senate President’s cousin) last year would have been able to stay on the ballot, she would have probably lost
Comment by Reform Now Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 2:15 pm
At least the DuPage organization generated some political winners through the years, and at least it led and maintained a solid GOP majority in the Senate (and briefly in the House). Not sure the sour sounding comments about DuPage are all that relevant. Now the GOP is mired in division caused by those on the political extreme. Makes those DuPage-dominated legislative days look pretty good from the current vantage point. At least the budget got passed, and yes, there were even proposals and GOP votes for things like temporary tax increases, when the business of the State needed to get accomplished. As for Lee, his years were poisoned by the negative influence of one now-imprisoned former chief of staff. I Lee comes out again, he needs to keep that kind of darkness at a distance.
Comment by Chad Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 4:37 pm
my scandal is smaller than your scandal! delmarie should be ashamed that a defense is that a bribe isn’t a bribe unless it is golden, unless the Daley boys commit the scandal. the committee members did not ask Roland the right questions? roland comes to committee meetings and his colleagues appreciate it? good god.thanks for setting the bar so low for public officials.
and, while we all know Durbin has long since said he would not vote for Roland, Dick and his wife Loretta are two of the nicest people in politics and their good work speaks for itself so be quiet about your silly opinion of Dick. Roland just has his tombstone.
Comment by Amy Thursday, Jun 11, 09 @ 5:39 pm