What Is Off-Limits?
ArchPundit
Child custody records. I was wrong, there is a public document that has no business in a campaign for office.
Cattle Call Comment Period
Up tomorrow–I swear–where are they, what are they doing?
Hit both parties for me here. This is one of the first times I wasn’t quite sure where everyone was falling.
We’ll be doing this everyday next week until the 16th.
Spoof Endorsements
There are several candidates deserving of spoof endorsements this year. That Collored Fella has an idea for one so I want to see if we can get some more going. So TCF? How about it? The rest of you? Let me know if you want to and then I’ll post or link to it once it is done. I have at least one I’m going to do.
Endorsements….
Okay, so Hull, Hynes and Obama I believe are taken care of, but I’m still looking for any Republicans or Chico, Skinner, Washington (sort of) and Pappas so if you are a supporter let me know and I’ll include yours. The target is Monday.
Also, for those who are Obama, Hynes or Hull supporters, but not in touch with me yet–I’d love to link to your site with another endorsement (or add yours to here if you don’t have a site) for another endorsement. Given I’m not operating with paper, there is no reason for just one. Let me know who is interested and get writing.
Pile On!
Okay, Hull’s problems may be deeper than I thought when the Republican Candidates are piling on him.
Zorn has the details of that and other Hull news. On top of that coverage of the Republican debate where a bunch of weenies tried to use Ryan’s divorce records for innuendo.
On the postive side, Steve Rauschenberger was wrong, but in a remarkable move, took a clear position on Social Security while steering for the Center of the Sun. When everyone complains about how politicians only tell people what they want to hear–point to Rauschenberger and what happens when you are brutally honest.
Berkowitz picks up some great quotes from the debate:
Borling:
Now, as you know, the empty chair on my right, here, which we hoped had been filled but is normally absent in these kind of debates
Me: Empty Chair, or empty suit?
And I’m looking for the Rauschenberger quote on Hummers.
Let Me Assure You
The great thing about campaign season is it brings out favorite memories. Currently there is a heated race between Republicans for the seat once held by Pate Philip. Carole Pankau did not receive an endorsement, and the Trib said about her, ”
Pankau is an energetic campaigner, but her 11-year record in the House is modest.”
This is true, but a little anecdote tells the full degree of the problem with Pankau. Pankau filed HB 0584 during the 90th Legislative Session. The Bill would have eliminated the observance of Daylight Savings Time in Illinois.
Lots of bills are filed and don’t get much attention and this was one of them, until some guys in a softball league heard about it. You see, softball leagues play at night and someone has to pick up the tab for lighting after dark. If daylight savings time was eliminated, costs for softball leagues would skyrocket.
Now we have an issue. The concern goes up the flagpole to the House Democrats who have lots of softball playing constituents. A random legislative analyst gets the bill plopped on his desk and can’t figure out what the hell is going on. So he chats with the softball people and figures out it is a problem. Fair enough–it affects them if it passes, but they don’t for the life of them, know why the bill has made an appearance.
So random legislative analyst calls up the Bill’s sponsor, one Carole Pankau. The following is a paraphrase of the conversation.
RLA: Hello, I’m curious about this bill you’ve sponsored to eliminate daylight savings time. We are getting a lot of flack from softball leagues because of the increased cost to them if it were to pass. Why are you sponsoring the bill?
Pankau: Really, I’m just curious who would oppose it. I don’t know who is for daylight savings time so I thought I’d run this up the flagpole and see what happened.
RLA in his mind: No big deal, Lege members do this sort of stuff when they are bored. It is far from the dumbest question he’s heard lately.
RLA: Okay, so, ummm….well the softball players are against this so we’d really like to maybe take care of it if we could.
Pankau: Well, it’ll work its way through the process.
RLA: Yeah, but see we’d like to see it just go away. Could you withdraw it from consideration since you don’t have a compelling interest in the issue?
Pankau: No, I’d like to see what happens in committee.
RLA: Are you going to push the bill?
Pankau: No, but I want to see who opposes it.
RLA: Well, softball players and parks people are very upset about it.
Pankau: Yes, I understand.
Pankau: Let me assure you that this bill will not change the total number of daylight hours in any given day.
RLA to himself: I’m sure that wasn’t what she meant–just an awkward phrase, right?
RLA: I see your concern, but we’d really like to put this to bed.
Pankau: Let me assure you that this bill will not change the total number of daylight hours in any given day.
RLA: Well….thanks for talking to me. (hangs up phone)
The bill was then killed in a fake committee that never met, but had to be created because she didn’t withdraw the bill
(minor errors might be in the above because it relies on memory, but the money quote is dead on)
Roe V. Wade, 7 of 9, and Jack Ryan
For those who believe Roe v. Wade is safe, the bombshell release of late Justice Blackmun’s papers should be a wake-up call. A turnover of two is all it will take. Already we know that Justice O’Connor would like to step down, but doesn’t feel she can until a second Bush election. In addition, Justice Stevens is 84 years old. While still sharp as a tack, he is 84 years old. Justice Ginsburg has also had serious health problems, though she appears to be fine for now.
2 votes from overturning a 7-2 opinion from only 30 years ago. If anyone is naive enough to think Jack Ryan would be a harmless conservative who really cares, ask yourself how much he cares about women’s health and autonomy if he is supporting this President’s wish to radically alter the balance of power on the Supreme Court. Despite protestations from social conservatives, the current Court is skewed to the right with only one true liberal on the bench–Ginsburg. 7 of 9 is often linked to Jack Ryan for other reasons, but let’s link this stat to him now–7 of 9 Supreme Court Justices were appointed by Republicans. That is an unhealthy balance. Let’s make sure we even it out.
Hull On Earth
Poor guy, the name is just too much fun to play with. Anyway, going back to the Capitol Fax, Hull is reported to be dropping an $8 million media buy. That is $8,000,000.
HULL STUFF Blair Hull’s campaign is likely going up this weekend with a huge barrage of TV ads, according to insiders. Hull has reportedly committed to spending as much as $8 million between now and the end of the campaign, several inside sources said.
So far, Hull has been unable to convince his ex-wife to appear in a TV ad to defend him against allegations she, herself, made against him about domestic abuse. Hull and his aides have tried repeatedly to make the case, but the deal has not yet been sealed. Hull’s children appear in a new newspaper ad, however.
She’d have to get on TV soon because if she does it later, it’ll just drag it out. Over the weekend would probably minimize the overall damage and let him get back on message. Most of this will blow over by the end of the weekend, but it is taking valuable time and momentum from him now.
But don’t underestimate what $8 million can do to a campaign.
Hynes Internals
Rich Miller reports that the Hynes Campaign has internals showing a three way dead heat. Take it for what you will–internals are always suspect, but it is believable given the movement of the last few days.
More importantly, is Hynes is showing good judgment again in state finances.
From Miller’s synopsis of the situation
THE NEW WAY The Sun-Times broke an excellent story yesterday about how the governor is about to award a multi-million dollar contract to Accenture, which is headquartered in Bermuda. During his budget address, Blagojevich attacked companies that avoided taxes by incorporating offshore.
Comptroller Dan Hynes has been pushing a bill to stop the state from awarding contracts to offshore-based corporations, but the governor’s CMS director, who once worked for Accenture, tried to alter the bill to give the governor discretion in awarding contracts, according to the Sun-Times. One of the governor’s top campaign aides from 2002 also lobbies for the firm.
Hynes has been an excellent fiscal watch dog with both George Ryan and now Blagojevich. It is a low key, good government issue, but it is important. The problem is you can’t really attack the sitting Democratic Governor for fiscal irresponsibility when you are running for the Democratic Senate Nomination.
St. Clair County Blues II
Washington Park is considering filing for bankrupty. Apparently relying on brothe…err strip clubs for your revenue stream is not a winning strategy. Who knew?
Dan Hynes office is all over it and trying to whip them into shape. That is good news given many Comptrollers would have considered letting them slide to win favor with local pols for primary support.
How bad is Washington Park right now?
Earlier, a village worker took out a $3,500 cash advance on her credit card to complete the funding of a library literacy program when the state in December withheld the final part due to past debts.