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Capitol Fax

  • Reader comments closed for the weekend

    * 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 [...]
    Posted: November 20, 2009, 4:59pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • eVoter.com: Where Candidates and Voters Connect

    [The following is a paid advertisement.] eVoter is the first site dedicated exclusively to helping candidates and political organizations share their message, receive donations and reach voters. At a minimal cost, candidates on any level of the ballot will have a unique web URL and a one-stop web spot to communicate with [...]
    Posted: November 20, 2009, 2:33pm EST
    by Capitol Fax Blog Advertising Department

  • More GOP township endorsements for Proft, Andrzejewski

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 20, 2009, 1:55pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Action hero moment for state Senator

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 20, 2009, 1:49pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Question of the day

    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? [...]
    Posted: November 20, 2009, 12:36pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • The furor and the damage done

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 20, 2009, 12:03pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Viewership of ad-supported cable continues to surge . . . .

    [The following is a paid advertisement.] People are watching more television than ever. As the audience grows, the percentage watching ad supported cable television grows even more. Cable is no longer a secondary medium; rather it has become an essential marketing medium. Smart political campaigns are realizing that local news alone [...]
    Posted: November 20, 2009, 11:20am EST
    by Capitol Fax Blog Advertising Department

  • Fighting the fantasies

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 20, 2009, 11:17am EST
    by Rich Miller

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

    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, [...]
    Posted: November 20, 2009, 10:25am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Morning Shorts

    Number of comments: 7
    * Missing juniors: Illinois officials to crack down on testing loophole Taking aim at a loophole used to exclude academically weak 11th-graders from state testing, Illinois education officials said this week they want to create a single standard to determine when students are counted as juniors and therefore must take the [...]
    Posted: November 20, 2009, 10:18am EST
    by Mike Murray

  • Quinn [gently] shoots back

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 19, 2009, 2:21pm EST
    by Rich Miller

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

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 19, 2009, 12:56pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • 2010 campaign updates

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 19, 2009, 12:56pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Question of the day

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 19, 2009, 12:18pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Asleep at the wheel?

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 19, 2009, 11:21am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Sacia explains reasoning behind prison support

    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, [...]
    Posted: November 19, 2009, 10:08am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Let the man rest in peace

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 19, 2009, 9:54am EST
    by Rich Miller

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

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

  • Question of the day

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 18, 2009, 12:35pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Andrzejewski poll has Jim Ryan way out in front

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 18, 2009, 10:54am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Quinn and Hynes face off in first debate

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 18, 2009, 10:22am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Attempting to lower the decibel level

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 18, 2009, 10:02am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Morning Shorts

    Number of comments: 10
    * Schaumburg giving in to a property tax One of the largest holdouts against a municipal property tax in the Chicago area is caving to new financial pressures. Schaumburg trustees Tuesday recommended imposing the village’s first property tax. Officials say they need a new funding source to make up for a $17.6 million [...]
    Posted: November 18, 2009, 9:28am EST
    by Mike Murray

  • Volume control, please

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 17, 2009, 4:40pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Afternoon poll and campaign updates

    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% [...]
    Posted: November 17, 2009, 2:01pm EST
    by Rich Miller

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

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

  • Viewership of ad-supported cable continues to surge

    [The following is a paid advertisement.] People are watching more television than ever. As the audience grows, the percentage watching ad supported cable television grows even more. Cable is no longer a secondary medium; rather it has become an essential marketing medium. Smart political campaigns are realizing that local news [...]
    Posted: November 17, 2009, 10:33am EST
    by Capitol Fax Blog Advertising Department

  • Question of the day

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 17, 2009, 10:20am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Take a breath and stick to the facts

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 17, 2009, 9:29am EST
    by Rich Miller

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

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 17, 2009, 8:54am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Morning Shorts

    Number of comments: 7
    * County Board set to try again today to lower sales tax rate After months of watching the volley between a majority bloc of county commissioners trying to roll back the tax and Board President Todd Stroger opposed to the giveback, the game may end today. Commissioners supporting the rollback have [...]
    Posted: November 17, 2009, 8:40am EST
    by Mike Murray

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

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

  • Afternoon videos and Gitmo/campaign updates

    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. [...]
    Posted: November 16, 2009, 12:25pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Question of the day

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

  • Strange happenings in Cook County

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 16, 2009, 8:13am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Fireworks aplenty at Rockford debate

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 16, 2009, 7:55am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Morning Shorts

    Number of comments: 4
    [Since I had an exam during the day on Thursday, and was incapacitated on Friday morning, I have responded in the comments section to all of your kind B-day wishes from last week. ;) Thanks a bunch everyone] * State Rep. Annazette Collins Robbed In Woodlawn - Courtyard Where Robbery Happened [...]
    Posted: November 16, 2009, 7:17am EST
    by Mike Murray

  • Doom and the embarrassment of desperation

    [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 [...]
    Posted: November 15, 2009, 2:12am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Reader comments closed for the weekend

    * 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 [...]
    Posted: November 13, 2009, 4:53pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Question of the day

    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. [...]
    Posted: November 13, 2009, 11:06am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Blagojevich wants trial date moved to election season

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 13, 2009, 10:40am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Viewership of ad-supported cable continues to surge

    [The following is a paid advertisement.] People are watching more television than ever. As the audience grows, the percentage watching ad supported cable television grows even more. Cable is no longer a secondary medium; rather it has become an essential marketing medium. Smart political campaigns are realizing that local news [...]
    Posted: November 13, 2009, 10:24am EST
    by Capitol Fax Blog Advertising Department

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

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 13, 2009, 10:21am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • We need help and we need it now

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 13, 2009, 9:36am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • They got very little right, as it turns out

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 13, 2009, 9:25am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Morning Shorts

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 13, 2009, 9:05am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Your morning video

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 13, 2009, 8:51am EST
    by Rich Miller

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

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

  • PAR scholarship fundraiser this Saturday

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 12, 2009, 5:07pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Afternoon political roundup

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 12, 2009, 2:11pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Question of the day

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 12, 2009, 10:28am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Sixteen tons

    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 [...]
    Posted: November 12, 2009, 9:55am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Cross endorses McKenna - Plus: AP notices tea party debate

    Number of comments: 10
    * House GOP Leader Tom Cross is endorsing Andy McKenna for governor… “This election is about jobs,” Cross said in a separate telephone call on Wednesday. “It’s about the economy. Andy has demonstrated the ability to run a company and really has taken a regional company to a global company. … [...]
    Posted: November 12, 2009, 9:30am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Hodge: I did nothing wrong

    Number of comments: 10
    * This is not what I’m hearing, but I should have more for subscribers soon… Carolyn Brown Hodge said Wednesday that she resigned last month as deputy chief of staff to Gov. Pat Quinn to avoid any “cloud” over his administration, but she’s hopeful that an inspector general’s probe will clear [...]
    Posted: November 12, 2009, 9:12am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Morning Shorts

    Number of comments: 10
    [Note from Rich Miller: Today is Mike Murray’s birthday. Please, wish him well in comments. Thanks.] * Outlook rough for holiday job-seekers People looking for part-time work over the holidays can blame an unemployment rate of more than 10 percent and a cautious retail sales outlook if they find the sledding a [...]
    Posted: November 12, 2009, 9:05am EST
    by Mike Murray

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

    There is no excerpt because this is a protected post. [...]
    Posted: November 12, 2009, 9:01am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Veterans’ Day news roundup

    Election 2010 * Candidate’s disinvitation stirs debate A spokeswoman for Quinn denied comment on whether the Quinn campaign was behind the challenge to Walls’ petitions. Quinn’s Downstate campaign director did request copies of Walls’ petitions. * Quinn won’t say if he’s behind effort to remove only African-American candidate from governor’s contest? Gov. Pat [...]
    Posted: November 11, 2009, 9:58am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Afternoon odds and ends

    Number of comments: 10
    * Patrick Collins, the chairman of the now defunct reform commission, disses the new reform bill… While several important components of the bill could serve as building blocks for true reform, there is ample reason to question whether this bill will truly change the pay-to-play political fund-raising that has scarred this [...]
    Posted: November 10, 2009, 2:29pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Question of the day

    Number of comments: 10
    * What’s your latest tech purchase and how’s it working out? [...]
    Posted: November 10, 2009, 11:41am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Another major flip-flop from Mark Kirk

    Number of comments: 10
    *** UPDATE *** From Mark Kirk’s campaign… Congressman Kirk is pro-choice and opposes federal funding of abortion. That is the same position he held when he first ran for Congress in 2000 and it hasn’t changed. In 2000, the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Daily Herald all reported on [...]
    Posted: November 10, 2009, 11:12am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Things aren’t always what they seem

    Number of comments: 10
    * Petition challenges can be a murky business because we have to dive into some pretty arcane laws and court cases that only a handful of lawyers really understand. Yesterday, we linked to a story about a challenge to Rep. Deb Mell’s petitions. Mell is Rod Blagojevich’s sister-in-law and the [...]
    Posted: November 10, 2009, 10:47am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Jackson polls, Meister up with downstate TV ad

    Number of comments: 10
    * Cheryle Jackson’s US Senate campaign is distributing a new polling memo. Keep in mind that the stuff about how numbers move after the reads the candidate’s message in memos like these means little unless the candidate actually has the money to burn his/her message into voters’ brains. There’s not [...]
    Posted: November 10, 2009, 10:14am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • *** UPDATED x1 *** Ask and ye shall receive

    Number of comments: 10
    * I’ve been saying for months that Gov. Pat Quinn’s campaign has not properly publicized the work of their underpaid, over-performing in-house video guy. The young man has cranked out one good video after another in almost complete obscurity. Well, the Sun-Times picked up on his latest effort today… In the [...]
    Posted: November 10, 2009, 9:55am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Challenges and withdrawals begin

    Number of comments: 10
    * 2:11 pm - We’re beginning to see several challenges filed to nominating petitions today. You can watch them come in by clicking here. Post new challenges in comments if you’d like. …Adding… You can watch the Cook County withdrawals and challenges come in by clicking here. The petitions of Democratic lt. [...]
    Posted: November 09, 2009, 2:13pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Question of the day

    Number of comments: 10
    * Mike Lawrence vents about the lack of competitive legislative politics and state gridlock in general… Three dozen of the 118 House members have no foe, and scores have only token opposition. On the Senate side, eight of the 21 seats on the ballot apparently are uncontested, and few races loom [...]
    Posted: November 09, 2009, 9:59am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Campaign 2010

    Number of comments: 10
    * Not too much shocks me these days, but I have to admit that this development did catch me off guard… Dan Proft secured the endorsement of Schaumburg Township GOP precinct captains in his Republican primary bid for governor. The Chicago resident with suburban ties called Thursday night’s endorsement a “big [...]
    Posted: November 09, 2009, 9:41am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Davis drops out of county race

    Number of comments: 10
    * As I told subscribers this morning, Congressman Danny Davis has decided to run for reelection. Davis had filed for both county board president and congress. The AP talked to Davis… Davis tells The Associated Press that he decided to seek re-election because he and three other black candidates running in [...]
    Posted: November 09, 2009, 9:24am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • US Senate race roundup: Hoffman misfires; Giannoulias endorsed; Jackson goofs; DCCC goes off-message

    Number of comments: 10
    * This isn’t the first time that David Hoffman’s campaign has made this claim. It’s apparently false. Oops… Former Chicago city inspector general David Hoffman today proposed reforms of the financial industry, including creation of a consumer watchdog agency and curbs on interest rates. But he misfired when he used that [...]
    Posted: November 09, 2009, 9:17am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Morning Shorts

    Number of comments: 3
    * Top cop ‘nervous’ about likely retirement surge Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis said Friday he is “extremely nervous” that a wave of police retirements next year — after an arbitrator rules on the new police contract — will stretch a burgeoning manpower shortage beyond levels he considers safe. Roughly 1,000 [...]
    Posted: November 09, 2009, 8:53am EST
    by Mike Murray

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

    There is no excerpt because this is a protected post. [...]
    Posted: November 09, 2009, 8:36am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Saturday morning update

    * Gov. Pat Quinn will sign legislation today rolling back the veto override threshold on the Cook County Board. The legislation moves the minimum required vote down from an insane four-fifths to a far more reasonable three-fifths. Cook County Board President Todd Stroger is opposed to the legislation, but as I [...]
    Posted: November 07, 2009, 10:52am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Reader comments closed for the weekend

    * Many thanks to all of you who posted best wishes to Carlos Hernandez Gomez. I’m certain that it helped both him and Randi get through a very difficult time. I love you all for that. * Man, these guys were so much fun… Dig that pearl [...]
    Posted: November 06, 2009, 5:07pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Afternoon campaign roundup: Davis to announce; Alexi blasts Kirk over Palin; Hamos goes up; Trib dings Quinn; Etc.

    Number of comments: 10
    * We’ll know Monday morning which office Congressman Danny Davis will seek - reelection or Cook County Board President. From the Davis campaign… Cong. Davis will announce his election decision at a press conference on Monday, November 9, 2009, at 10:00 a.m., at 3333 W. Arthington, Chicago. * Democrat Alexi Giannoulias [...]
    Posted: November 06, 2009, 1:24pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • A better way for political direct mail

    [The following is a paid advertisement.] You’ve done the research and bought the best direct mail list for your campaign. But do you really know if the receiver has any interest at all in your message? Are they truly engaged in reading your information? Or are you hoping your “targeted” mailer [...]
    Posted: November 06, 2009, 12:11pm EST
    by Capitol Fax Blog Advertising Department

  • Question of the day

    Number of comments: 10
    * The setup, from the Illinois Radio Network…. The Illinois comptroller says he hasn’t formed an opinion yet on the governor’s plan to borrow $900 million, because he hasn’t seen the details yet. Comptroller Dan Hynes says the state does need the cash, because it has a stack of bills worth $3.5 [...]
    Posted: November 06, 2009, 10:57am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Red meat for the masses

    Number of comments: 10
    * Another Republican gubernatorial candidates’ forum, and more red meat for the base… President Obama’s former colleagues in the Illinois state Senate used him as a punching bag Thursday in the first debate among all seven Republicans running for governor. “Just as I worked to defeat Obamamcare when he was a state [...]
    Posted: November 06, 2009, 10:02am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • More Kirk/Palin fallout

    Number of comments: 10
    * The Mark Kirk hearts Sarah Palin story has prompted an editorial in today’s Sun-Times entitled “Moving right might cost Kirk election“… Rep. Mark Kirk has long been a voice of reason in Illinois. A moderate Republican with an independent streak, Kirk isn’t known for pandering. In our endorsement of Kirk for [...]
    Posted: November 06, 2009, 9:12am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Your must-do assignment for today

    Number of comments: 10
    My good friend Carlos Hernandez Gomez is back in the hospital. Carlos, a top-notch reporter for CLTV, has cancer. I talked to Carlos last night and he was in a bad place. He had some sort of reaction to his recent treatment and I’d say it was making him miserable, but [...]
    Posted: November 06, 2009, 8:45am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Morning Shorts

    Number of comments: 10
    * Naperville businessman charged with bribing ‘city agent’ With both video and audio rolling, the businessman, Wafeek “Wally” Aiyash, allegedly offered Ald. Isaac “Ike” Carothers a $100,000 cash bribe — $10,000 of it up front — if Carothers would secure concessions contracts for him, a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday says. * [...]
    Posted: November 06, 2009, 8:34am EST
    by Mike Murray

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

    There is no excerpt because this is a protected post. [...]
    Posted: November 06, 2009, 8:26am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • What do Rudy Giuliani, Sarah Palin and Judy Baar Topinka all have in common?

    [The following is a paid advertisement.] Rudy was once mayor of America’s largest city. Sarah was once governor of America’s largest state. Judy was once treasurer of our home state of Illinois. Rudy ran for President of the United States . . . . and lost. Sarah ran for Vice President [...]
    Posted: November 05, 2009, 1:44pm EST
    by Capitol Fax Blog Advertising Department

  • Question of the day

    Number of comments: 10
    * Maine voters overwhelmingly rejected a TABOR (Taxpayer Bill of Rights) referendum this week. Here are some details… * growth in annual expenditures of the General Fund, the Highway Fund and Other Special Revenue Funds are limited according to increases in population and inflation * revenues exceeding the [...] [...]
    Posted: November 05, 2009, 12:39pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Cillizza bumbles - No explicit Palin endorsement request

    Number of comments: 10
    * I probably should’ve known better than to believe the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza yesterday when he wrote… Illinois Rep. Mark Kirk penned a memo to Republican poobah Fred Malek hoping to secure an endorsement from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for his Senate candidacy, according to a copy of the [...]
    Posted: November 05, 2009, 11:21am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Repubs talk tea party issues

    Number of comments: 10
    * Illinois Review live-blogged a GOP gubernatorial debate last night. The debate was sponsored by a so-called “tea party” group in Will County. Here are a few of the questions. Keep in mind that live-blogging is a difficult thing to do, so typos are common… * “Where do our rights come [...]
    Posted: November 05, 2009, 10:46am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Don’t bother sending a postcard, just get the cash

    Number of comments: 10
    * I sure hope Gov. Pat Quinn asked for big buckaroos for the state budget when he was kibitzing in the Oval Office… Quinn, a longtime friend of senior White House advisor David Axelrod, met with him at the White House and after talking about stimulus funding Axelrod walked him into [...]
    Posted: November 05, 2009, 10:25am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Morning Shorts

    Number of comments: 6
    * Bus driver strike over layoffs an ‘option’ The union representing CTA bus drivers and mechanics is considering a strike if the agency goes ahead with hundreds of layoffs. “We’re just exploring every option,” said Darrell Jefferson, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union 241, which represents bus drivers. Nearly 1,800 Local [...]
    Posted: November 05, 2009, 9:42am EST
    by Mike Murray

  • Mark Kirk asks for Sarah Palin’s endorsement

    Number of comments: 10
    * I’ve been hearing that Mark Kirk was about to move sharply to the right, but asking for a Palin endorsement? Really? Wow… Illinois Rep. Mark Kirk penned a memo to Republican poobah Fred Malek hoping to secure an endorsement from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for his Senate candidacy, according [...]
    Posted: November 04, 2009, 12:59pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Question of the day

    Number of comments: 10
    * Politics Magazine has asked me to create a chart for them describing who the top 100 Democratic and Republican “influencers” are in Illinois (fifty for each party). The magazine’s Florida “influencers” chart is here, the New Hampshire chart is here. Notice that both charts focus mainly on people who [...]
    Posted: November 04, 2009, 11:27am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Double standards, double talk and “B-roll spray”

    Number of comments: 10
    * The Sun-Times tries to be even-handed today with its criticism of both Democratic gubernatorial candidates’ TV advertising. But the effort fails miserably. Here’s how the editorial begins… Gov. Quinn and Comptroller Dan Hynes, who are squaring off in the Democratic primary race for governor, are both smart and substantive [...]
    Posted: November 04, 2009, 11:01am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • No good news today… again

    Number of comments: 10
    * Oy… The University of Illinois has so far seen only $400,000 of $317 million it is owed by the state, leading to a virtual hiring freeze and the possibility of furloughs. And the state may cut even deeper. The UI has billed the state for $317 million of its current fiscal year [...]
    Posted: November 04, 2009, 10:25am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • More adventures in reform

    Number of comments: 10
    * Carol Marin points to a good reason why state parties and legislative caucus committees ought to be kept out of primaries as much as possible… [At the building housing the Chicago and Cook County election boards], an ant army of Madigan’s foot soldiers, between 35 and 40 of them, [...]
    Posted: November 04, 2009, 9:58am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Morning Shorts

    Number of comments: 6
    * Aldermen bemoan cutback in library hours Chicago aldermen today bemoaned a 20 percent cutback in branch library hours at a time when circulation is surging and neighborhood libraries are needed as safe-havens for young people. During City Council budget hearings, Ald. Ray Suarez (31st) questioned Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey’s decision [...]
    Posted: November 04, 2009, 9:19am EST
    by Mike Murray

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

    There is no excerpt because this is a protected post. [...]
    Posted: November 04, 2009, 9:15am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Sometimes, the stories just write themselves

    Number of comments: 10
    * Gov. Pat Quinn’s new TV ad accuses Comptroller Dan Hynes of going to a “spa” and taking a family vacation during July’s budget negotiations. Today, the shoe was on the other foot… Last week, Gov. Pat Quinn said he told Chicago-area public transit officials he’d meet with them this week [...]
    Posted: November 03, 2009, 3:58pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Flip-Flop of the day award: Jim Ryan

    Number of comments: 10
    * As the old saying goes, the only truly honest politician is a retired politician. Case in point: Here’s former Attorney General Jim Ryan back when he was a retired politican, in June of 2007. HB 750, by the way, was the income tax hike in exchange for property tax [...]
    Posted: November 03, 2009, 1:32pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Question of the day

    Number of comments: 10
    * As I’ve already told subscribers, Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. has filed petitions to challenge former Senate President Emil Jones for Jones’ 2nd Democratic State Central Committeeman’s seat. Considering how the two men despise each other, this could be a fun campaign. In honor of this battle, let’s have a [...]
    Posted: November 03, 2009, 1:00pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Noontime political roundup

    Number of comments: 10
    * Quote of the day goes to Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, who said this after filing his petitions late yesterday afternoon… “I feel great,” Stroger said after filing. “I feel like 150 pounds of dynamite.” I think that dynamite might be going off in his face pretty soon - cartoon-style, [...]
    Posted: November 03, 2009, 12:04pm EST
    by Rich Miller

  • Quinn mums up

    Number of comments: 10
    * Just like his two predecessors before him, Pat Quinn has mummed up about a reported investigation into his top staff… Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn won’t say why one of his top aides is stepping down. Quinn’s office confirmed Monday that Deputy Chief of Staff Carolyn Brown Hodge resigned late Friday. Monday [...]
    Posted: November 03, 2009, 11:01am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • On caps and Madigan

    Number of comments: 10
    * The SJ-R says Gov. Pat Quinn ought to sign the campaign finance bill… While recognizing that the bill failed to sever the financial umbilical cord between members and their leaders, this page urges Gov. Pat Quinn to sign it. More… Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, has expended great effort trying to convince [...]
    Posted: November 03, 2009, 11:00am EST
    by Rich Miller

  • A few filing surprises

    Number of comments: 10
    * 3:50 pm - [Surprises are highlighted.] Chicago Alderman Bob Fioretti has filed petitions to run for the 7th Congressional District seat now held by Danny Davis, who may run for county board president. * Attorney Clint Krislov has filed as a Democrat to run for comptroller. Krislov dropped out [...]
    Posted: November 02, 2009, 3:50pm EST
    by Rich Miller
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