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Novak Loses His Mind

ArchPundit April 7, 2004 No Comments

He claims Obama weakens the Jacksons. I spit up my soda on that one.

Chicago Democratic enemies of the Rev. Jesse Jackson and his son the congressman are claiming that the landslide nomination for the U.S. Senate of state Sen. Barack Obama means the Jacksons are washed up in Illinois politics.

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. vigorously denies that, contending he and Obama support each other. Nevertheless, anti-Jackson Democrats are delighted that Jesse Jr. has been supplanted by Obama as the top African American among Illinois Democrats.

The word has been spread in Chicago Democratic circles that the Jacksons plan to relocate in California, but the congressman told this column that there is absolutely no truth to that report.

This assumes the Jacksons couldn’t have kneecapped the guy. The reality is they handed him their machine for the election. The cost of that is unclear to Obama, but given he is known for independence one can expect he’ll primarily be called on for favors in upper chamber regarding pork.

UPDATE: Note to self–read the Hotline if you aren’t going to sift through Letters to the Editors.

One of the most satisfying aspects of the March 16 primary was that voters throughout Illinois rejected the worn conventional wisdom that said we could not build a multiethnic, multi-racial coalition for a responsible new direction in Washington.

Now, in his April 4 column, Robert Novak has spun another myth. Novak suggests that my victory in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate was a defeat for the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. Novak advances this flawed theory, despite the fact that both Rev. Jackson and Rep. Jackson were early, strong and enthusiastic supporters of my candidacy, and despite the fact that their records of service helped pave the way for my own success.

Novak apparently believes that if one leader from the African-American community succeeds, it somehow diminishes others. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Leadership is not a zero-sum game. All our voices and talents are needed.

I look forward to working closely with Rep. Jackson, Rev. Jackson and leaders throughout the state to address issues of importance to all our people.

State Sen. Barack Obama

(D-Chicago)

IOW–I’m his man for pork!

You Mean Ideology Doesn’t Matter?

ArchPundit April 7, 2004 No Comments

One of the funnier claims about the 1994 takeover of Congress was that the Republicans wouldn’t be pork driven. To anyone who studies the institution this was pure hogwash because pork isn’t some moral restraint issue, it is an issue of institutional incentives. Mayhew argued that one could not design a better institution to serve the reelection neds of its Members than the US House and pork is an integral part of that.

Novak launches into a broadside against pork in one of his recent columns,

The highway bill marks the absolute termination of the Gingrich Revolution ushered in by the 1994 sweep. In the face of Bush’s repeated veto threats, Republicans are determined to pass a bill filled with earmarked spending for individual members of Congress. The 1982 highway bill contained only 10 earmarks. The 1991 bill, the last highway bill passed under Democratic leadership, contained 538 such projects. But the addiction for pork has grown so large that the current bill contains at least 3,193 earmarks.

The addiction is bipartisan, thanks to the policy of the House’s reigning king of pork. While House Transportation Committee Chairman Don Young has packed the bill with money for his state of Alaska, he makes sure Democrats are allocated their share of money for roads and other goodies in order to build a bipartisan majority on the floor.

Overdoing pork, such as in this case, is bad. But pork also produces a way to govern done in moderation. Without it and with generally weak parties, pork provides a manner to create majorities where they might not exist.

Make no mistake, that pork will not go away. However, if one is truly upset about it, one should consider institutional change, not just a party change.

That Didn’t Take Long

ArchPundit April 7, 2004 No Comments

The Comptroller returns to duty without having to worry about G-Rod backing an opponent.

Comptroller Dan Hynes said this past year’s sources of one-time revenue — like the lease of the Thompson Center — won’t be available and the state will be short $3.8 billion. Blagojevich’s budget predicts a deficit of only $1.7 billion.

“We are basically saying this challenge the governor and legislature will have to deal with as they begin budget negotiations,” said Hynes spokesman Allen Henry. “One way or another, they have to come up with something.”

Now, if G-Rod is paying attention, he needs to take this seriously because it gives one of his likely opponents the best line of attack for 2006 (we here at ArchPundit rarely contain ourselves to election at hand)

State Sen. Steve Rauschenberger (R-Elgin) picked up on Hynes’ warning and wondered if the governor’s plan to close the deficit will be enough.

“Why would a Democrat exaggerate Rod’s problems?” Rauschenberger said, referring to Hynes. “Unless, of course [the higher numbers] were right.”

Rauschenberger, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, noted that the state is negotiating new union contracts, which could throw off the governor’s estimates.

“The bills are not going away. And this administration is proposing $7 million in additional spending,” Rauschenberger said.

Capitol Fax Tidbits

ArchPundit April 7, 2004 2 Comments

Rich Miller has several small bits up over at the Capitol Fax site.

First is more on the license for the 10th Casiono. Apparently the Gaming Board doesn’t want to talk publicly about it. There are other ways to be forced to talk publicly and none of them are pleasant so they might factor that into their consideration.

He also analyzes G-Rod’s brilliant move on gun rights which appears to be make a big fuss until you figure out what the hell you are doing and in the process hanging out your fellow party members to dry. If you are going to try and work out a deal, the time for that deal was when the legislation was in committee. Instead, the Governor got a couple cheap headlines.

Speaking of demagoguing the State Board of education appears ready to give G-Rod more material as the Auditor General reams them over poor financial oversight.

And finally, in the we don’t even know if there is a problem, but we are so used to panicking so let’s talk about who could replace Jack! sweepstakes, Edgar is reportedly open to replacing Jack! if necessary. The reports are that in initially considering the race Edgar didn’t get the support he was promised. It is hard to believe that support would be any better this time around.

Edgard would put up a tough fight, but one has to wonder what the impact of a very mobilized right wing would have on his candidacy.

Also, an interesting article on Patricia Baileys’ residency problems from Sunday.

Because It’s Been Too Long

ArchPundit April 6, 2004 2 Comments

I’m exhausted and had a surprise family visit today, but I promised Jeff Berkowitz a response and events have kept me from keeping that promise until now. One of the advantages of blogging is the quick interaction of ideas. Apparently, I’m not included in that advantage many times.

But Jeff challenged this post I made a few days ago. Jeff’s argument is that Ryan has not proposed a program that would be underfunded and do little good.

Jeff is correct. I am very wrong. From both Jeff and other sources there is nothing suggesting that Ryan would only offer a pittance and so I must say to everyone, I’m sorry, but I really screwed that one up. It would appear that Ryan is open to try just about any serious plan in regards to vouchers and while he hasn’t developed a full plan, I agree with that. Overdeveloped plans are nice for fun, but they mean very little when legislating because things will change–especially for Freshman Senators. Setting out principles is actually a more honest strategy so Ryan gets credit for that too.
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Cubs Win!

ArchPundit April 5, 2004 No Comments

More later….

Opening Day!

ArchPundit April 5, 2004 1 Comment

1:10 Game time!

Apparently there is some team on the Southside playing and some guy is holding up a bunch of traffic downtown St. Louis.

Open Thread

ArchPundit April 2, 2004 4 Comments

Slow till later–allergies killing me.

The Rest of the Nation Learns About Patrick Fitzgerald

ArchPundit April 2, 2004 No Comments

There was some concern amongst pundits on the left whether Patrick Fitzgerald would be tough enough for the Plame investigation. Given reports that he is expanding the investigation, we can put those concerns to bed.

Two important things to note. Fitzgerald is a registered Republican, but if you ever heard him talk, it is like he had to make a choice so he did. He seems far more interested in integrity than partisan politics. Interestingly, Schumer wanted him for the Manhattan Federal Prosecuter if Peter Fitzgerald hadn’t tapped him first.

Second, the expansion isn’t a willy-nilly expansion into unrelated matters, but appears focused on the Plame investigation. That is fine, but let’s make sure we don’t end up with one guy tracking down 10 different investigations. It leads to bizarre results as we’ve seen in the past.

Rauschenberger’s Future

ArchPundit April 1, 2004 3 Comments

The Illinois Leader slobbers over Steve Rauschenberger in a piece that suggests he’d be a good candidate for Governor.

That’s okay because he would be a good candidate and really the best antidote to a flip and ever campaigning Governor for the Republicans. Staying out of whether he could beat Blagojevich in general, he would seem best positioned to put up a credible challenge. The press loves him. He bridges moderates and conservatives in the Republican Party well–not alienating either group. He is a clear voice and a goo-goo. Normally goo-goos are assumed to be liberal, but Steve has certainly shown himself to believe in basic good government issues. He also has an encyclopedic knowledge of state government in general and the budget specifically.

Compared to potential rivals he’d be in the best position. Topinka is hated by social conservatives or at least enough to call into question whether she could unite the party for a general election. Fitzgerald has all sorts of problem with the public. Mostly centered on the public doesn’t know who he is and he is a sitting Senator. O’Malley is the favorite candidate of Blagojevich because the I’m Mad as Hell bit doesn’t actually work in the general election. O’Malley also alienates what is left of moderate Republicans. Though I do think the Combine wouldn’t mind him being the nominee so they could teach him a lesson by handing him one of the most lopsided defeats in Illinois history.