2003

Millionaires, Millionaires

ArchPundit May 23, 2003 No Comments

We haven’t even gotten to the Republican Candidates and more Democrats are jumping into the Illinois Senate Race. Trial Lawyer John Simmons joins the race promising to largely self-fund. ‘

My first reaction is Who? What? Huh?

I suppose he has a point that a fractured field could lead to an opening, but something jumped out at me,

Simmons, 35, lives in Edwardsville, near St. Louis. As the only Downstate Democrat, he could grab much of the Downstate vote, while the six Chicago candidates split the metropolitan area vote.

The problem is that Southern and Metro-East Dems are labor heavy with Hynes already having much of labor wrapped up in the region and many of the state lege members such as Vince Demuzio. Costello hasn’t committed (AFAIK), but he looks to be backing Hynes. Simmons is going to have a hard time finding daylight in Metro-East with Obama taking the African-American vote. Central Illinois is either labor or goo–goo oriented also providing Hynes and Obama advantages. Hull has as much money and closer ties to the Governor so I’m at a loss as to how Simmons comes out looking well.

I have some other developments that will be coming out over the weekend for the Senate race, but I find Simmons entry curiuos.

And I’ll be covering more on my comments about millionaires running for office. Let me say, my comments came off far harsher on Hull than I intended. I have a problem with the class of people who run for office without public experience, but that doesn’t mean all of the individuals who do so are necessarily bad. And it extends to political legacies as well.

Background on the Permanent Campaign

ArchPundit May 23, 2003 No Comments

Rich Miller addresses Blagojevich’s relationship with the Lege and offers up some details that haven’t been covered well.

Don’t get me wrong–if Blagojevich is trying to reform budgeting and change the way things are done–good for him, but he is going to have to deal with these people for some time and this strategy is bound to backfire–see Pataki getting overridden on 119 vetos.

Joyce Morrison Does It Again

ArchPundit May 23, 2003 No Comments

What is it? I don’t know, but it is pretty damn amusing to try and figure out.

Well, It Is Sorta Funny

ArchPundit May 23, 2003 No Comments

The Illinois Leader offers excruciating detail for Blagojevich leaving the Capitol.

That’s keeping the eye on the ball!

It’s All Fun and Games Until Someone is Hit with An Audit

ArchPundit May 23, 2003 No Comments

Carl Officer has opened his administration calling for two investigations. The first was one to look into the circumstances of a city officials recent death which seems a bit strange. The second is to investigate East Saint Louis’ grant making offices including Tax Increment Financing and Community Development Block Grant funds for potential improprieties.

(nervous tic)

Good for Carl.

(Did I just say that?)

(Why yes I did)

Good for Carl. I don’t know of any specific problems with these departments and it could be Officer being Officer, but a good lookover by Federal and State officials would do the town well.

Gambling and Subpoenas

ArchPundit May 23, 2003 No Comments

Two articles up at the Political State Report

It Took Prison to Make Her Look Decent

ArchPundit May 22, 2003 No Comments

For many years Betty Loren-Maltese was the crooked circus clown of Cicero politics with the huge red hair and painted face. It has taken prison to make her look like a normal human being:

The Sun-Times covers her time in prison and she has made the requisite efforts to claim a jail house conversion.

Of course, the real story is told in this line:

Loren-Maltese told Fox News her family is financially supported by her friends.

Movement on Burge Torture Case

ArchPundit May 21, 2003 No Comments

The Tribune reports that the special prosecutors investigating torture under former Chicago Police Commander John Burge.

Moreover, they have gathered 130,000 documents–a total of more than 1 million sheets of paper, they said–that chronicle the controversial legacy of one of Chicago’s most enduring police scandals.

A grand jury in the case has issued subpoenas, Egan and Boyle said, although in some instances, those subpoenaed have agreed to cooperate and have met with the special prosecutors outside the grand jury.

"Is there a reluctance to talk?" said Boyle. "For some of them, of course there is." Others, he said, have helped to move the inquiry forward.

"They’re not all saying, `I’m not going to talk to you,’" said Egan.

Egan and Boyle said that with help from attorneys and through their investigation, they have uncovered nearly two dozen new cases–bringing to 86 the total number they are investigating. They initially began work on 12 Death Row cases.

One hopes they are successful. After torturing suspects for years, Burge is now retired and living a nice life in Florida. That is wrong.

Ryan Name Confusion Much Adieu about Nothing

ArchPundit May 21, 2003 No Comments

Eric Zorn points out that near the end of the Jim Ryan for Governor campaign, Ryan name confusion was at 3 % and dropping meaning the name wasn’t the problem. The problem was the worst campaign in a long time and that Jim Ryan did nothing to make himself a strong choice for voters. The remarkable thing is how well he did despite this.

The rest of the column is a positive profile of Jack Ryan, one that he hasn’t earned. And I’ll say the same thing about Blair Hull. Being rich and the such doesn’t make one a good candidate. It makes one rich. Buying into these guys spiels is hogwash. They have never put themselves on the line in elected office. They may do well, but without a public record no one has any business building them up.

Fox overlooking the Hen House

ArchPundit May 21, 2003 No Comments

Not Amiel, the convict, but his brother Lloyd was appointed to the Courts Commission that oversees judicial behavior.

Dandy.