Items by Rich Miller

• Prosecutors may bring new indictments against Blagojevich

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Not unexpected, but it’ll be fun to see what they do… Federal prosecutors are promising to bring a new indictment against former Gov. Rod Blagojevich to avoid issues connected to an appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court on the scope of the federal “honest services” statute under which Blagojevich has [...]
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  Posted: December 07, 2009, 12:26pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Question of the day

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * The news reports on how the Chicago police came to the conclusion that Michael Scott’s death was a suicide contained an interesting little tidbit… Much of that investigation involved public surveillance cameras that recorded Michael Scott over a roughly 45-minute time period as he drove to the location along the [...]
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  Posted: December 07, 2009, 11:29am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Endorsement season kicks into high gear

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * The Sierra Club endorsed Gov. Pat Quinn the other day, but don’t expect any endorsement like that for Republican US Senate candidate Mark Kirk… Environmental groups who champion cap-and-trade say Kirk has now cost himself general election support in a decidedly Democratic state. Cap-and-trade tops their agenda and appears to [...]
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  Posted: December 07, 2009, 11:24am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Our ever-worsening budget problem

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * This is just a small example of how the state budget deficit is hurting employers… More than $80 million [in state reimbursements] is owed to 259 agencies surveyed by Metro Chicago United Way during the last fiscal year, which ended June 30. Sixty percent of the groups surveyed said they will [...]
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  Posted: December 07, 2009, 10:18am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Reform and Renewal, Part 247,968

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Rep. Mike Zalewski (D-Chicago), the son of a Chicago alderman, was appointed to his seat last year. He has a no-name challenger, but the Machine, as usual overreacted. Somebody allegedly obtained drivers license photographs of Zalewski’s opponent and the opponent’s father to circulate door-to-door. The Zalewski folks believed that [...]
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  Posted: December 07, 2009, 9:50am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Quinn better - and worse - than expected

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * My syndicated newspaper column takes a look back at the events of last week and puts it all into the context of something I’ve been mulling for quite a while now… For the past several weeks, I’ve been confiding to friends that I think Gov. Pat Quinn has turned out [...]
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  Posted: December 07, 2009, 9:08am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

  —Capitol Fax

  There is no excerpt because this is a protected post. [...]
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  Posted: December 07, 2009, 8:27am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Reader comments closed for the weekend

  —Capitol Fax

  * Yeesh, what a week. Glad that one’s over. The Giannoulias folks just told me that there would likely be no decision tonight on whether to approve the governor’s short-term borrowing plan, so I’m done for the day. Adriana Colindres went to Cuba like most of the rest of us Statehouse [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 5:40pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Break-in at Blagojevich lawyers’ office

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * The easiest wisecrack is to suggest he did it himself, but I would never dare make such a suggestion. Still, it is Chicago… Chicago police are investigating a burglary at the law offices of the attorneys for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, sources said, and are trying to recover computers containing [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 3:05pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Hynes decision at 1 o’clock

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * 12:48 pm - Comptroller Dan Hynes will announce his decision on whether to sign off on a $500 million short term state loan at 1 o’clock this afternoon. I’ll update this post shortly thereafter. While we wait, take a look at this Trib story which I missed earlier today… When Gov. [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 12:49pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• The dying media is an embarrassment and Durbin needs to be stopped

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * You’ve often seen me complain about the Peoria Journal Star’s political coverage - mainly their silly columnists who don’t seem to know much about politics. But you’ve never once seen me complain about Adriana Colindres, the PJ Star’s Statehouse bureau reporter. Colindres is top notch all the way. She’s one [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 11:44am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Question of the day

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Democratic State Rep. Julie Hamos has a new TV ad in her race for the open 10th Congressional District seat. Take a look… * The Question: Rate it? [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 10:57am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Oops x5 and a campaign roundup

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * When you used to work for Rod Blagojevich, and you’re now running statewide, it’s probably best to make extra sure you file your ethics forms… CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery on Thursday talked with Democrat Cheryle Jackson, who completely missed a deadline several months ago to provide a list [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 10:43am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Gloom and doom and no relief in sight

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Yesterday, House Speaker Michael Madigan disclosed one reason why he isn’t thrilled about a tax hike right now… “For those that think that tax increases are the answer, it’s a partial answer,” Madigan told an audience gathered for a panel discussion at the annual Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation meeting [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 10:01am EST
  by Rich Miller

• A brave heckler

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * More like this, please… As Daley began to speak, he quickly was interrupted by a heckler at the rear of the crowd. “What about the parking meters?” the man shouted, referring to the controversial long-term lease of city meters that sent rates soaring this year. Daley took it all in stride, [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 9:41am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

  —Capitol Fax

  There is no excerpt because this is a protected post. [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 9:11am EST
  by Rich Miller

• This just in… IFT to endorse Hynes

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * 6:08 pm - It hasn’t been officially announced yet, but the Illinois Federation of Teachers’ executive board just voted to endorse Dan Hynes for governor. That’s a significant boost to the campaign, especially ahead of the IL AFL-CIO’s endorsement session early next week. The teachers union has been upset [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 6:09pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• This just in…

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * 4:17 pm - Mark Doyle has withdrawn from the treasurer’s race. This isn’t much of a surprise to subscribers. As I told them earlier this week, Doyle, a Democratic campaign operative, had serious petition problems. Doyle’s withdrawal leaves Robin Kelly and Justin Oberman in the Democratic primary. UPDATE: Doyle’s [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 4:20pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Borrowing follow-up and various campaign news

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * We spent a lot of time yesterday talking about Gov. Quinn’s false claim that Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias had signed off on a $500 million short-term borrowing plan and that Dan Hynes was the lone holdout. Giannoulias hadn’t signed off and Hynes said the governor’s office changed the plan several [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 2:01pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - This just in…

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  There is no excerpt because this is a protected post. [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 12:45pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Giannoulias up with new TV ad

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Democratic US Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias is going up on TV for the first time. Here’s the ad… As I’ve told you, rival Democrat David Hoffman is already on the air [refresh your memory and watch it again by clicking here]. He’s reportedly spending in the neighborhood of $250K a [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 11:46am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Question of the day

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * If you’re an angry Republican and you live in the 10th Congressional District, you might love candidate Dick Green’s new TV ad… I’m not sure I’ve ever heard people repeatedly yelling “Yeah!!!” at the end of a campaign ad before, but it may be right for these “town hall” times. [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 11:06am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Heaps of praise for LIS

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * It’s not often that I praise a state entity, but one surely deserves it today. As most of you know, we started posting a whole lot of videos on the blog during session days last spring. The videos, most of which contained timely and important news, were warmly received [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 10:39am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Cullerton: No slots and tracks, will push for higher cig taxes again

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Senate President Cullerton is turning at least an initial thumbs down on slots at tracks… The president of the Illinois Senate cast doubts Wednesday on thousands of slot machines sprouting up at Arlington Park and other horse tracks. “I don’t think there’s a need for that right now,” Chicago Democrat John [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 10:12am EST
  by Rich Miller

• New poll released in Senate Democratic primary

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * I’m not sure why anyone would release a poll that showed themselves at one percent, but whatever… To: Jacob Meister Campaign Team From: Dave Fako, Fako & Associates, Inc. Re: Meister for Senate Benchmark Survey The U.S. Senate Democratic Primary election is wide open, without a dominant frontrunner and Giannoulias in a weak [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 9:28am EST
  by Rich Miller

• *** UPDATED x3 *** Fire, ready, aim

  —Capitol Fax

  Enclosure: [download]

  Number of comments: 10
  * Gov. Pat Quinn went off on Comptroller Dan Hynes today, claiming that his rival in the Democratic primary was dragging his feet on approving a $500 million short-term borrowing plan. Quinn also claimed that Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias had signed on… “I’m ready to go, Alexi Giannoulias is ready to go, [...]
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  Posted: December 02, 2009, 1:24pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Question of the day

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * A supporter of Adam Andrzejewski’s GOP gubernatorial campaign e-mailed me earlier today to remind me that I hadn’t yet posted his new TV ad. Here it is… * The Question: Rate it? [...]
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  Posted: December 02, 2009, 12:05pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• The beginning of the end

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Cook County Board President Todd Stroger was not a happy man yesterday when the board overwhelmingly overrode his veto of the partial sales tax rollback. He lashed out at Gov. Quinn, who has been patting himself on the back for signing the reduced override threshold bill into law… “Governor Quinn [...]
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  Posted: December 02, 2009, 10:41am EST
  by Rich Miller

• It’s the jobs, stupid

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * The Chicago Tribune’s questionnaire for gubernatorial candidates poses just one question about job creation, and it’s way down the list. Odd, considering the state’s unemployment situation. Some candidates offer a few specifics, like Sen. Bill Brady… I am proposing a $2,100 tax credit to businesses for every new job they [...]
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  Posted: December 02, 2009, 9:43am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Morning political videos - McKenna, Hoffman

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Republican gubernatorial candidate Andy McKenna has a new TV ad. Rate it… The Pat Quinn quote used in the spot is from this Tribune story about McKenna’s earlier ad… Quinn responded to the ad by defending his use of the phrase “missions accomplished” to describe his progress on the budget and [...]
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  Posted: December 02, 2009, 8:35am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

  —Capitol Fax

  There is no excerpt because this is a protected post. [...]
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  Posted: December 02, 2009, 8:30am EST
  by Rich Miller

• *** UPDATED x3 *** Hynes slams Quinn; County board overrides Stroger; Krislov in the clear

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Dan Hynes threw a big punch at Gov. Pat Quinn today. He claimed the governor played politics with the capital bill so long that the state missed the construction season… “Pat Quinn had the opportunity — and the responsibility — to put the people of Illinois back to work, but [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 1:49pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Today’s online and social media roundup

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Yesterday was Cyber Monday, when online sales really start to kick off during the holiday season… Cyber Monday sales rose 14% this year compared to 2008 and consumers also bought nearly 30% more items per order versus last year, according to research firm Coremetrics. Also, the firm said shoppers bought 10% [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 12:46pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• This just in… Rep. Mell survives petition challenge

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * 11:45 am - As I’ve told you before, Joe Laiacona is running against Rep. Deb Mell (D-Chicago) in the Democratic primary and challenged Mell’s nominating petitions because she wasn’t registered to vote at the address she used on her sheets. A hearing officer recommended that Laiacona’s challenge be rejected [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 11:45am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Question of the day

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * The photo below is of Sen. Roland Burris posing with Michaele and Tareq Salahi, the couple who allegedly crashed the White House State Dinner… Back story here. [This photo is from a previous event, by the way. Ironically enough, the Salahi’s are now being accused of crashing that one, too.] [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 10:45am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Quinn claims federal hiring probe continues

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Interesting… Despite no charges yet filed, a federal probe into alleged hiring fraud under impeached ex-Gov. Blagojevich remains active, Gov. Quinn’s office confirmed Monday. This is the statement released by Quinn’s office late yesterday… “There is an ongoing federal criminal investigation into unlawful acts by persons associated with the Blagojevich administration. The [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 9:23am EST
  by Rich Miller

• No commission for you

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Gov. Quinn has appointed countless blue ribbon panels since he took over the state’s top job in January. He created an ethics commission, a budget commission, a cemetery commission among others. He’s now looking at a new one… Gov. Pat Quinn says he may consider a special commission to look [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 9:06am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

  —Capitol Fax

  There is no excerpt because this is a protected post. [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 8:36am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Not so “minimal”

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * The other day, Alexi Giannoulias tried to explain what happened to his inheritance… llinois Treasurer and U.S. Senate hopeful Alexi Giannoulias said Tuesday that a “minimal” amount of the $70 million he and his siblings received in 2007 and 2008 dividends from Broadway Bank, the troubled Chicago lender the family [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 3:27pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Dillard up with Fox News cable ad and some other campaign news

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Republican gubernatorial candidate Kirk Dillard has a new cable TV ad which features former Gov. Jim Edgar. Rate it… It’s a $50,000 buy on Fox News for the week. The ad will be running throughout the day and evening on the cable channel. *** UPDATE 2 *** As some [...] [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 11:30am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Question of the day

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Treasurer and Democratic US Senate hopeful Alexi Giannoulias released his tax returns last week… The first-term treasurer has been criticized by Democratic Senate opponent David Hoffman for large Broadway Bank payouts to him and his family. In all, there were $70 million in payouts in 2007 and 2008. Giannoulias’ campaign [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 10:21am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Get your mind outta the Beltway, dude

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * My latest Sun-Times column talked about Congressman Kirk’s rightward lurch and what it may mean… I try hard not to hate. Hating is bad for your health. Plus, the holiday season has officially begun, so hating should be put off until at least after New Year’s Day. But I have to [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 9:57am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Things that make you go “Hmmm….”

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Ryan can’t shake ties to corrupt player Stu Levine. The Sun-Times take a look at some contributions to Ryan’s last gubernatorial campaign while Levine was the finance director. The contributions seem curiously timed to some investment votes by the Teachers Retirement System, on which Levine [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 9:22am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Fixing a hole in the ocean

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Economists from the University of Illinois’ Institute of Government and Public Affairs say Illinois needs to increase taxes… With a roughly $11 billion budget gap of its own, Illinois can only duck a similar meltdown by raising taxes, says Daniel McMillen, an economist with the U. of I. Institute of [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 8:43am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Reader comments closed for the holiday weekend

  —Capitol Fax

  * I just found out that Kent, a good friend of mine, volunteered to work on Thanksgiving Day so his co-workers with children can have some time off. I love my friends because almost all of them are as cool and kind as Kentola. I don’t spend my off-hours hanging [...]
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  Posted: November 25, 2009, 2:06pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Wednesday news and video roundup

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * It’s the day before Thanksgiving, so we’re just gonna do a roundup this morning. If news breaks I’ll post it. Comments are open. * SIU payroll picture improves… Southern Illinois University has $16.5 million to go before it can fully cover its Jan. 1 payroll, President Glenn Poshard announced [...]
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  Posted: November 25, 2009, 8:48am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Afternoon campaign roundup: Giannoulias questioned, McKenna backtracks, Hoffman endorsed, Hynes wants ACT adjustment for vets, New Hamos ad

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Democratic US Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias unveiled his financial services reform plan today and, as expected, was peppered with reporters’ questions about his own family’s bank… But he immediately was hit with questions about Broadway Bank, which faces huge defaults on loans for high-profile real estate deals, many of [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 2:44pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Question of the day

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * The setup… Fifty-three percent (53%) of Americans say they are more thankful this Thanksgiving than they were last year at this time. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 11% are less thankful, while 35% are about as thankful this year as they were last year. * [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 11:54am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Unsolicited advice

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Dear spammers, This is definitely not your best work… Goodday, I require a partner to transfer $8.6m that belonged to a dead customer of my bank. Reply for more information on the procedure. Regards, Liu Yan. Yeah. I’ll get right on it - just as soon as I finish writing a very large check to Rod [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 11:42am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Taking a breath and looking closer

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * One of the better responses I’ve seen to this Thomson prison situation was from state Sen. Tim Bivins (R-Dixon)… Bivins said much more information is needed before a decision is made. “At the briefing and tour Monday … I asked the Governor’s (Pat Quinn) chief of operations Jack Lavin if there [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 11:05am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Rate the responses

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Gov. Pat Quinn has responded to Andy McKenna’s new TV ad, which accuses the governor of “hiding the truth,” via a press release… [Yesterday], former Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna launched an ad that claimed Governor Pat Quinn is attempting to hide the state government’s deficit from taxpayers, citing [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 10:18am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Backlash, hinky numbers, conservative questions, and questionable promises

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * At least one Tribune reporter is not pleased with Andy McKenna’s new TV ad. A mid-morning Clout St. article, “McKenna’s misleading campaign ad on Quinn,” makes some of the same points that I did with subscribers earlier this morning… It’s not the first time that a Republican statewide candidate for [...]
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  Posted: November 23, 2009, 12:02pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Question of the day

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * We spent much of last week discussing the governor’s controversial plan to sell the Thomson prison to the feds so that the Gitmo detainees can be moved there, along with hundreds of other inmates. * The Question: Do you support or oppose this proposal? Explain thoroughly, please. And try to [...]
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  Posted: November 23, 2009, 10:40am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Budget horror stories

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Cook County Board President Todd Stroger has said he wants to stem the flow of out-of-county patients to Stroger Hospital. As of last year, they were still streaming in… In 2008, 26,000 patients came from the Collar Counties; 25,000 were from downstate counties; 1,800 came from Indiana; and 5,200 were [...]
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  Posted: November 23, 2009, 10:07am EST
  by Rich Miller

• McKenna’s new ad; Hynes in the dark

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Andy McKenna’s campaign has a new TV ad. Rate it… It has already sparked controversy… This time, McKenna goes after the man who replaced Blagojevich, Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn. The ad says the state budget deficit is growing quickly while Quinn “hides the truth.” The ad cites the Chicago Tribune to support [...]
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  Posted: November 23, 2009, 9:11am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax

  —Capitol Fax

  There is no excerpt because this is a protected post. [...]
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  Posted: November 23, 2009, 8:46am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Reader comments closed for the weekend

  —Capitol Fax

  * My old buddy Hank Sinatra puts on some fantastic shows down in Austin - in his back yard. I gotta get myself back down there one day soon. This is from one of those shows. It’s the Flyin’ A’s… * Also, don’t forget Bob Waldmire’s last art show… “Bob’s Last Art [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 4:59pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• More GOP township endorsements for Proft, Andrzejewski

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Conservative GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Proft has received yet another endorsement from a Republican township organization… Last night the Southern Will County Republican Organization (SWCRO) which comprises six rural townships in Will County endorsed conservative Republican candidate Dan Proft for Governor. ]…] “By endorsing my candidacy, the Southern Will County GOP [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 1:55pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Action hero moment for state Senator

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Sen. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) is the epitome of a gentle soul. But his public demeanor may just be a Clark Kentian cover. Check it out… A state senator from Peoria says he fought off an armed robber who interrupted him while he was doing some remodeling at his business. Democratic [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 1:49pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Question of the day

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * It’s Friday, we’ve had a long, emotional week, so let’s lighten it up a bit. The Question: Will you miss Oprah Winfrey’s Chicago-based TV show when it ends in 2011? Why or why not? [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 12:36pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• The furor and the damage done

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * I’m glad to see that the state’s GOP congressional delegation is finally starting to act like grownups… Illinois’ Republican congressional delegation attempted to tone down their rhetoric Thursday over housing detainees from Guantanamo Bay at a state prison by issuing a series of questions to Gov. Pat Quinn. “As we move [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 12:03pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Fighting the fantasies

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Perhaps the dumbest report I’ve seen in years was former Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman’s “analysis” of the city’s parking meter lease deal. According to Hoffman’s report, if the city had just increased parking meter rates on its own, it would’ve reaped twice the amount of money of leasing [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 11:17am EST
  by Rich Miller

• This just in… Senate Ethics Committee blasts Burris, but finds no “actionable” law violations

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * 10:24 am - Read the Senate Ethics Committee’s report on Roland Burris by clicking here. From the report, which is technically a “Public Letter of Qualified Admonition”… The Committee found that you should have known that you were providing incorrect, inconsistent, misleading, or incomplete information to the public, the Senate, [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 10:25am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Quinn [gently] shoots back

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Earlier today, I showed you a video of Gov. Quinn nodding off during a question asked by a woman whose pregnant daughter-in-law died because she had no health insurance. Well, the Quinn campaign has countered with a video of their own. Apparently, the governor approached the woman after the event [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 2:21pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• And while we’re all talking about silly campaign stuff…

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 7
  * Oof… Unemployment in Illinois jumped to 11 percent in October of this year, the highest it has been in 26 years. The Illinois Department of Employment Security said the unemployment rate for October was 11.0 percent, up from 10.5 percent in September, and up from 6.8 percent in October of [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 12:56pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• 2010 campaign updates

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Sen. Bill Brady thinks the GOP gubernatorial race is a two-person battle… Jim Ryan “is really the only competition we see in this race,” Brady said. But then goes on to make two points about why Ryan can’t win… “His name ID is good and bad, and we all know why,” Brady [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 12:56pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Question of the day

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * The setup, from the Sun-Times… A Cook County judge today set a Dec. 18 date for Buffalo Grove Trustee Lisa Stone to learn the name and address of the person who allegedly made nasty — and anonymous — comments about Stone’s teenage son on the Daily Herald’s Web site. But an [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 12:18pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Asleep at the wheel?

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Gov. Pat Quinn appeared to nod off several times during yesterday afternoon’s debate with Dan Hynes while a woman explained how her pregnant daughter-in-law died because she didn’t have access to health insurance. The Hynes campaign sent me this video which they call “Asleep at the Wheel.” Have a [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 11:21am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Sacia explains reasoning behind prison support

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Rep. Jim Sacia (R-Pecatonica) represents Thomson, Illinois. Sacia pens a regular column for newspapers in his district, but I thought you might like to read his latest work, which, of course, is about the proposed sale of the Thomson state prison to the feds… At the request of Governor Quinn, [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 10:08am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Let the man rest in peace

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * The late Chicago School Board President Michael Scott had gunshot residue on his left hand (he was left-handed), his own gun was found under his body, his money clip - with his cash, ID and his credit cards - were found in the water of the Chicago River, yet [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 9:54am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax

  —Capitol Fax

  There is no excerpt because this is a protected post. [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 9:08am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Question of the day

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * I’ve avoided posting about Chicago School Board President Michael Scott’s apparent suicide because a very good friend of mine killed himself recently and it’s just been too painful to deal with this story. I had talked to him less than a week before. Another friend had talked to him [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 12:35pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Andrzejewski poll has Jim Ryan way out in front

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * GOP gubernatorial candidate Adam Andrzejewski has released the results from a statewide poll of 500 likely Republican primary voters. Wilson Research Strategies conducted the survey November 15-16. It has a margin of error of +/-4.38 percent. Here are the head to heads, which shows former attorney general Jim Ryan [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 10:54am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Quinn and Hynes face off in first debate

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * This interpretation of Gov. Pat Quinn’s comment during a debate with Dan Hynes this morning is a bit of a stretch, but it may come back to haunt Quinn… But it was Quinn’s use of the term “missions accomplished” that was unusual for a Democrat. For years, Democrats nationally used [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 10:22am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Attempting to lower the decibel level

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Congressman Don Manzullo has clarified and apologized for his remarks… In an interview with television station WREX in Rockford, Ill., Republican Rep. Donald Manzullo said of terrorism suspects: “These are really, really mean people whose job it is to kill people, driven by some savage religion.” An aide said Tuesday [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 10:02am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Volume control, please

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * This morning, the Rockford Register Star wrote that Congressman Dan Manzullo is “normally a rational, deliberative lawmaker.” Well, Manzullo was interviewed on WREX TV in Rockford the other day and had this to say about moving the Gitmo terrorists to Thomson prison… “These are really, really mean people whose job [...]
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  Posted: November 17, 2009, 4:40pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Afternoon poll and campaign updates

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * The Illinois GOP just sent out a news release about poll results that I shared with subscribers today. Illinoisans oppose bringing those Gitmo prisoners to Thomson, according to the poll. From the release… Survey Shows Only 32% of Illinois Voters Support Quinn/Durbin Plan to Move Gitmo to Illinois, 57% Oppose 60% [...]
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  Posted: November 17, 2009, 2:01pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Gitmo poll crosstabs; Miller poll; NW suburbs

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 1
  There is no excerpt because this is a protected post. [...]
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  Posted: November 17, 2009, 11:20am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Question of the day

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * The Illinois Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday over whether former Gov. George Ryan should be able to keep part of his pension benefits. An appellate court has already ruled in Ryan’s favor… Earlier this year, an appeals court ruled that Ryan could keep part of his state pension, as [...]
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  Posted: November 17, 2009, 10:20am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Take a breath and stick to the facts

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * As I told you a while ago, one of Congressman Mark Kirk’s most important bases of support has been the Chicago-area media, which practically cooed over his reputation as a liberal, independent Republican. But just about every passing week has seen a dramatic erosion in that base. The Sun-Times [...]
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  Posted: November 17, 2009, 9:29am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Rob Blagojevich to judge: Get me away from that brother of mine

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Rob Blagojevich doesn’t want to go down with his brother’s ship… An attorney for Blagojevich’s brother, Robert, said Monday that he would seek a separate trial, citing the prejudice his client could face by sitting next to such a controversial figure. […] “It was basically his decision, not mine,” attorney Michael [...]
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  Posted: November 17, 2009, 8:54am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax

  —Capitol Fax

  There is no excerpt because this is a protected post. [...]
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  Posted: November 17, 2009, 8:32am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Afternoon videos and Gitmo/campaign updates

  —Capitol Fax

  Enclosure: [download]

  Number of comments: 10
  * I just finished a panel discussion at Roosevelt University’s Schaumburg campus. The panel was led by the illustrious Paul Green. House GOP campaign director Kevin Artl, House Speaker Michael Madigan’s press secretary Steve Brown and Daily Herald political editor Joe Ryan all sat on the panel with yours truly. [...]
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  Posted: November 16, 2009, 12:25pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Question of the day

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Here’s Pat Quinn’s new TV ad, which started airing yesterday… * The Question: How would you rate this one? [...]
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  Posted: November 16, 2009, 8:18am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Strange happenings in Cook County

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Strange days, indeed… The e-mails came about an hour apart Saturday. The first, at 12:22 p.m., from the Dan Proft for Governor campaign said, “News Release; Proft wins New Trier Township GOP endorsement.” The second one, at 1:28 p.m., from the Andy McKenna for Governor campaign said, “Press release: “McKenna wins New [...]
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  Posted: November 16, 2009, 8:13am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Fireworks aplenty at Rockford debate

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * I wasn’t able to go to the Rockford Democratic gubernatorial debate yesterday because of a previously scheduled engagement, but it appears I missed a hot one… Gov. Pat Quinn accused Comptroller Dan Hynes of crying “crocodile tears” over billions of dollars in unpaid state bills, while Hynes called Quinn the [...]
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  Posted: November 16, 2009, 7:55am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Doom and the embarrassment of desperation

  —Capitol Fax

  [Updated with related stories, bumped up for visibility and comments opened.] * A proposal to move less than 100 Gitmo detainees to the empty Thomson State Prison is setting off some extreme partisan fireworks… Rep. Mark Kirk, the leading Republican candidate for Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat, rattled off a letter to [...]
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  Posted: November 15, 2009, 2:12am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Reader comments closed for the weekend

  —Capitol Fax

  * A couple of items to close the week. First up, we still need to keep Carlos Hernandez Gomez’s spirits up, so his friends should head over to Carlos’ FaceBook page and give him some encouragement. Pat Quinn’s campaign has yet another new video. This one is is from Quinn’s [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 4:53pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Question of the day

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * For which lieutenant governor candidate will you be voting this February? Explain. If you don’t know who’s running, click here and do a search. [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 11:06am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Blagojevich wants trial date moved to election season

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * As if the Democratic Party doesn’t have enough problems, Rod Blagojevich now wants his trial moved to September - the heart of the fall campaign season… Lawyers for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich are seeking to delay the start of his trial next summer, court records show. The attorneys want the [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 10:40am EST
  by Rich Miller

• McKenna may continue his spending spree thru the holidays - Plus: Gutierrez endorses Quinn; Hynes zings guv; Ballot lottery results

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 5
  * Steve Huntley has a bit of news today about the GOP gubernatorial primary race. Andy McKenna may keep spending on TV ads throughout the holidays… A February primary usually means a timeout in campaigning while voters are preoccupied with the holidays. But McKenna is exploring using his money advantage to [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 10:21am EST
  by Rich Miller

• We need help and we need it now

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * My Sun-Times column today is about an issue I’ve discussed several times since the federal “stimulus” plan was first debated. The states are getting the shaft and it is hurting everyone… This winter, when you’re freezing your tail off waiting extra long for a city bus because of CTA budget [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 9:36am EST
  by Rich Miller

• They got very little right, as it turns out

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Eric Zorn takes us through the long, disgusting road that was the wrongful prosecution of Rolando Cruz and Alex Hernandez. The context is a statement by DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett during Brian Dugan’s trial in the Jeanine Nicarico case that eventually led to Dugan’s death sentence: “We [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 9:25am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Morning Shorts

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 9
  * Lawsuits cost city $136 mil. last year * City wants to end Shakman decree Mayor Richard Daley’s administration believes it has cleaned up the city’s corrupt hiring system and early next year will seek to end court oversight of its personnel practices, his top lawyer told aldermen Thursday. Mara Georges said [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 9:05am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Your morning video

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Gov. Pat Quinn’s campaign is launching a new online video series called Quinn Stories. This first video is an introduction to the series. Have a look… Keep in mind that these videos are not your normal TV advertisements. Too many of you have assumed as much when we’ve looked at [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 8:51am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

  —Capitol Fax

  There is no excerpt because this is a protected post. [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 8:42am EST
  by Rich Miller

• PAR scholarship fundraiser this Saturday

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 1
  * This is a worthwhile event, and I hope to see as many of you as possible this Saturday night. I’ll be there… A trivia night fundraiser will be held on Nov. 14 in Springfield to raise money for the Public Affairs Reporting Vu Nguyen Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship was created [...]
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  Posted: November 12, 2009, 5:07pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Afternoon political roundup

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  …Adding… GOP gubernatorial candidate Jim Ryan issues an apology… On Wednesday, Brian Dugan was sentenced to death for the murder of Jeanine Nicarico. In the case of Brian Dugan, the criminal justice system worked. In previous prosecutions, it did not. I said in interviews in 2002 that I had less confidence [...]
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  Posted: November 12, 2009, 2:11pm EST
  by Rich Miller

• Question of the day

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Back in 1996 when Dick Durbin, Pat Quinn and Clint Krislov were all running for the US Senate, Durbin challenged Krislov’s nominating petitions. Krislov eventually dropped out of the race. Durbin stomped Quinn in the primary and went on to win the seat of retiring US Sen. Paul Simon. At [...]
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  Posted: November 12, 2009, 10:28am EST
  by Rich Miller

• Sixteen tons

  —Capitol Fax

  Number of comments: 10
  * Another day older and deeper in debt… Illinois is poised to fork over a record amount of late penalties and interest payments this year to pay off vendors who are waiting months to be paid what they are owed from the state. […] All told, the price tag for being a [...]
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  Posted: November 12, 2009, 9:55am EST
  by Rich Miller