Endorsement: Lisa Madigan for Illinois AG
Joe Birkett seems to think the voters of Illinois are stupid. His role in the Cruz case was problematic regardless of the apologists out there. The support of the DuPage 7 is as inexcusable as Robert McCollough’ s job in the Jack-In-The-Box shootings in Saint Louis County. He has hedged his positions on guns and it is simple dishonesty. The Chicago Tribune covers this issue and I’ve linked to it below. Joe Birkett shows no interest in death penalty reform and he seems to have no interest in consumer protection–something J-Ry has been decent at monitoring.
Lisa Madigan isn’t perfect. She doesn’t have the experience of her primary opponent John Schmidt who would have been a far, far better choice for the Democratic Party. His qualifications far outshine either candidate still in the race or any AG in recent history. Her inexperience isn’t as fatal as some have tried to portray it. Much of the AG’s work is civil and more and more we see a role in securities where her work is far more relevant than Birkett’s. She is smart, articulate and seems to have the makings of a good manager. She also seems to have a sense of distance from her father which is everyone’s biggest concerns. She is deeply committed to supporting a woman’s right to choose and she is supportive of gay and lesbian rights. Most importantly, she supports reasonable gun control. Illinois is a strong gun control state that still respects the average gun owner. She is clearly against concealed carry and committed to enforcing the current laws. The same does not seem to be true of Birkett. While I was initially very concerned about her campaign, I believe she and Dan Hines may make one hell of a duo as the future of a very bright Democratic Party. She is warmly endorsed.