Capitol Fax: Remembering #hotdoggate

I wasn't paying attention to this four years ago. A Rauner staffer - back before he became governor of Illinois - wanted ketchup (catsup) on their hot dog. The staffer in question later started working for President Donald Trump and almost four years ago wrote this memorable tweet that Rich Miller remembered back when.

Hey, that hot dog with ketchup was for me. What happened to a woman's right to choose?

— Lindsay Walters (@LWalters) October 28, 2014

I didn't know this until recently and Miller explains. In general with hot dogs it's not at all expected to eat hogs dogs with catsup. Since I don't know about this local culinary peculiarity, it's possible that I would've made that same gaffe also.

In general though I don't even use catsup for Polish sausages (I generally don't eat hot dogs). I have little issue eating sausages with relish or mustard or both. Of course why does putting catsup on a hot dog have to create drama?

I like to eat a Maxwell Street Polish sausage smelling the strong scent of grilled onions with such a dish should create social media drama. Imagine if any politician in Illinois or Chicago did that and had the breath to prove it! 

Capitol Fax: Cross concedes

The last bit of business of concluding the 2014 elections was the treasurer's race and it seems for a while that former state House Republican leader Tom Cross would remain in the lead. After all the counting of all ballots (mostly votes in Cook County) have given state Sen. Mike Frerichs the win for state Treasurer.

So not that it's a big deal, but three statewide offices are in Republicans hands and three are in Democrat hands. Governor & Lt. Governor (this is the first election both offices are elected on the same ticket in the primary) and state Comptroller are Republican. Secretary of State, Attorney General and now Treasurer are in Democrat hands.

Cross has conceded the race.

There is one last race that hasn't been decided yet...

And that race is for state treasurer. This turned out to be the closest race in this state this cycle. The Republican former state house leader Tom Cross is leading against his Democrat challenger state Sen. Mike Frerichs. They're still counting ballots and it appears Mr. Frerichs might be gaining some votes.

I always thought the race for governor in 2014 would be close and appears this was the race every should have their eye one. State treasurer isn't an office that would lead a ticket anyway. Consider four years ago that the closer races was for Governor and US Senate both races were very close.

Think about it Democrat Pat Quinn barely got elected Governor in 2010 and so did Republican Mark Kirk find himself in President Obama's old US Senate seat. This time the close race was down ballot.

Fascinating!

Is Illinois difficult to poll?

I try not to pay attention to polls at all, but as we head towards election day tomorrow they're hard to ignore. There are lots of predictions going around and we'll know for sure whether they'll hold true in Illinois or around the nation tomorrow.

One thing we can ask is how Illinois has been so difficult to poll. Now that we're in the 2nd decade of the 21st century things have changed. That means polling in general has to change with the times.

And that might explain why Illinois has been so difficult to poll this year.

BTW, early voting seems to be stressed more and more these days. I didn't early vote so I will be going to the polls tomorrow. If you haven't early voted already I also hope you cast a ballot tomorrow as well!

2014 election in Illinois

To be honest I haven't really written about the elections coming up next Tuesday. There hasn't been much interest on my part this year primarily because of other priorities.

In 2010, I certainly built that election up as an important election. Of course that's not to say all elections aren't important and important could be said of this year.

Just like the 2010 gubernatorial election neither candidate looks great to me. I chose one regardless as I will this year.

I'm still not sure Pat Quinn deserves another term this year as I knew he shouldn't have a full term in 2010. He won and it was a close election as I suppose most people in this state wasn't feeling Quinn and they really weren't feeling his then Republican challenger Bill Brady.

This year another wealthy Republican Bruce Rauner - Brady was portrayed as a wealthy central Illinois businessman in addition to being a state senator - is running to be Governor of Illinois. He's looks much better than Brady, but I get the sense that most people in this state aren't feeling him either.

It's often stated - and very true - that where Chicago goes so does the rest of Illinois. The Chicago area is where most of the votes are. And you definitely have to cut into totals in Chicago in order to win statewide as a Republican. And look no further than the 2010 election totals for Governor and US Senate to see how true it is!


I'm learning in Rich Miller's recent column that some ads were shown in Chicago that wasn't shown in the rest of the state. That lets us know that in this state candidates will target the voters they seek.

Either way, I've already decided this will be a close election. Neither Rauner nor Quinn could possibly run with this election and I'd be surprised if either did. Time will tell if Rauner's reaching out to "minorities" in this state will gain him any benefit or that Quinn will actually barely pull out another victory.

See you on Tuesday!

Capitol Fax: Shooting for viral

[VIDEO] So it's campaign season here in Illinois. So Rich Miller is taking a look at campaign videos that could go viral. He starts with videos produced by the gubernatorial campaigns of Gov. Quinn & Bruce Rauner and shows that Rauner has more views on his videos although not to viral levels. The video above is what Miller hopes to go viral.

And that begs the question for anyone involved with political videos. What does it take to make a video go viral?

Term limits

Now that I find out that Gov. Quinn is on board with term limits at least for statewide officials. His Republican opponent Bruce Rauner already worked to get signatures for a term limits for members of the state legislature onto the November ballot. Generally I'm not a huge fan of term-limits although I understand why it gains traction, that is it seems incumbents are difficult people to dislodge in this state especially in the legislature.

Either way, this makes me wonder if the Governor running for re-election this year is only attempt to outflank Rauner. Rauner wants to shake things up in Springfield and may have some support for his message and that support could be at the expense of Quinn. Think about it Quinn is unpopular and also remember the Governor barely eked out a win four years ago!

So far it appears that the Senate President - one John Cullerton - is not on board with term limits even with Gov. Quinn's support.

ADDING: If we remain with this idea of incumbents being at times difficult to dislodge people have been passing petitions for changing the way redistricting is done in Illinois. As illustrated in this post from CapFax we see who's attempting to protect what from this necessary reform.

Really? Rauner has the support of Black Democrats...

If I may explain this story posted on Twitter before going to bed last night. Bruce Rauner won the GOP nomination for Illinois Governor on Tuesday beating out three other candidates. Barely eking out a victory over state Senator Kirk Dillard who was largely boosted by money from teacher's unions who endorsed him. If not for that it's entirely possible that Mr. Rauner could have ran away with the recent primary election.

So Gov. Pat Quinn, who only faced token opposition by anti-violence activist Tio Hardimon although it seems he'd have gotten support in downstate Illinois. All the same Gov. Quinn still isn't very popular in this state and his last election - 2010 where he got his full-term as Governor - barely eked out a victory against his Republican opponent Bill Brady. As a matter of fact what probably saved the Governor was overwhelmingly winning the stat's most populous county - which is Cook County.

So, let's not count Quinn out it's already predicted that this campaign could get nastier probably nastier than any past gubernatorial campaign. Rauner is a wealthy man who made his money as a venture capitalist - that is he provides money for small firms. Also it's reported that he hired Mayor Rahm Emanuel once-upon-a-time and they still share a close relationship. In spite of the report you see above, I'm sure Quinn - who in the past was reported to not be able to get along with the Mayor - could use that against him.

Why is because Emanuel currently isn't very popular in the Black community. It doesn't help when you close 50 schools in primarily Black & Latino communities in Chicago to start with. To be sure, I'm sure Rauner's Republican opponents have brought up his relationship with the Democratic Mayor of Chicago.

So it appears from the above story and this list of Democrats backing Rauner this year that he may have some support in those communities who generally doesn't support Republican candidates. The question we should ask is whether or not Rauner and his new allies can deliver significant votes to him in November to beat out the incumbent Governor.

Happy New Year!

Sooooo, we are about to conclude the first day of the new year 2014. Here's hoping the rest of the year proves to be a great one for everyone. It began cold and snowy here in Chicago, but spring & summer will be just around the corner. Since we just got past the first day of winter on Dec. 21st, the days will only get longer from here. Let's make the most of it! :)

Resolutions

It's that time of year and while Christmas is always fun, I always look forward to New Year's. Now more than ever that day is representative of new beginnings.

That's what that means now more than ever. Since last year I've resolved to find another job, but it seems this past year I can't help but run into some type of disappointment. It's still a resolution that is achieveable this year and it just means that there's a way to make it happen.

Is that the only? Of course not, as there are other goals I hope to achieve this year.

Being healthier for one thing and that means better maintenance of my body in more ways than one. Healthier eating, more exercise and a trip to a doctor couldn't hurt either.

Also going back to the job, what do I expect to achieve. Benefits and better pay that will always be important to me. And something that has been elusive unfortunately.

Also, is it time for me to go back to school? At the very least learn some more skills that I hadn't learned in my years at a community college and at Morehouse. It's time to consider taking some business course starting with some accounting at least.

There are other resolutions that I may come up with as the time comes for New Year's. I do sincerely hope that you will resolve the many goals you may have for 2014.

Oberweis for US Senate

[VIDEO] There was once an ice cream man known as Jim Oberweis. He's an infamous figure in Illinois politics having run for US Senate, Governor, and a US House seat only to lose all of those races. In the first two he proved to be controversial his Senate race involved lots of talk of illegal immigration and his race for Governor well didn't help the GOP side at all.

He actually won a race recently, he's now a sitting state senator in Illinois and now he wants to be a US Senator. While I'm not sure he's a shoo-in he may well be a better candidate than many other's who have ran against long-time US Senator Dick Durbin in recent years.

BTW, I forgot to note earlier this year he was in charge of a push to oust a state party chairman for the GOP. While ultimately he appeared to back off the state GOP has a new chairman anyway and this was to enforce adhearance to the state GOP platform. All the same this state now has gay marriage anyway and it took a few Republican votes to get there as well.

Via CapFax!

So who loses politically with Obamacare?

Since it seems the recently concluded shutdown didn't seem to make Republicans look good I can only wonder if this assessment of the issues with "Obamacare" will actually pan out in next year's congressional elections. Time will only tell because the elections are in the next year. This Big Government piece is a good read, however, we won't know until American's are ready to vote in 2014.

Via Newsalert!

AP: 2014 candidates for gov. to choose running mates

Not long after the 2010 elections the rules were changed with regards to the top gubernatorial ticket in Illinois. It helped that back then, an unknown man was the Democratic nominee for Lt. Governor and then it came out that he had beat his girlfriend up years before that election. He later resigned however he decided to mount an unsuccessful independent campaign for Governor.

Anyway what about next year:

For the first time, candidates for governor - who until now have run separately from candidates for lieutenant governor - must select running mates and be on a ticket with them. Several campaigns say they'll announce their 2014 picks on or around Sept. 3, the date when candidates may begin circulating petitions to get on the March primary ballot. Others plan to wait until later in the fall.

Just as in a presidential election, the choice will have the potential to help or hurt a campaign, so candidates say they're considering their options carefully. They also say running as a ticket will help them better define their priorities for voters and cover more ground as election season gets underway.

"Two voices are stronger than one," said state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington, one of four Republicans seeking the GOP nomination.
...
The new way of doing things gives candidates a chance to round out their ticket by choosing someone who could appeal to a certain demographic or who brings a particular expertise they may be lacking. That could mean several of the all-male field of candidates will choose women as running mates, or that downstate candidates could look for someone from Chicago's suburbs, and vice versa.

But the candidates or their spokespeople all insisted that those kinds of political calculations weren't driving their decision-making. They said they're looking for balance and someone who can help run the state and step in and replace him if needed.

Well back in 2010 Gubernatorial and Lt. Gov. candidates ran separately in the primary and then run as a ticket in the general. When the Lt. Gov Dem nominee removed himself from the ballot Gov. Quinn had to choose a new nominee however she's elected not to run again with the Governor and is running for another office. I'd be very curious to find out who the Democrats and Republicans in the Governor's race would choose as their running mates for next year.

A catchy political slogan???

What you see @ http://www.michaelscottcarter.com/

If I recall correctly when I was in elementary school me and a group of friends at the time started a clique that was named for the Nickelodeon Network. And our "leader" was also named Mike, but somehow we created a slogan for him "I like Mike". Not sure who created it, but it was catchy.

Not sure how it came about, but it almost certainly matches another famous slogan - "I like Ike!" - created in time for a past US Presidential campaign. It's possible that this was an inspiration for that back then or even now.

Truth be told, I wonder if the Mike of "I like Mike" - in this case Michael Scott Carter - is the same as the one that I knew. Haven't seen or spoken to him in years, but it would be cool to know that I once went to school with someone who is making moves on the state level here in Illinois.

Alas, Mike got my attention today finding a statement of his on the Capitol Fax this morning. An e-mail he sent to supporters noted that Illinois has 110 counties as opposed to the 102 it actually does have. Rich Miller quipped.

I wasn’t aware that Illinois had annexed southern Wisconsin. The “Illinois Dells” somehow just doesn’t have the same resonance, but I suppose I could get used to it.

Heh, and the comments weren't very kind to Mr. Carter either. They roasted him for that gaffe in his e-mail and then noted that they don't trust a man with three first names.

Well I'm trying not to go full on negative here. He would definitely be a different face to the 2014 race as it's noted that he's reportedy a Black Conservative Republican running for state treasurer. Also he's said to have worked with the Chicago Urban League. He's ready for the attack of the "liberal attack machine" in this race.

As for the screenshot up top, it would be great if it went viral and it just had to be preserved for posterity. Who knows how far this gent will go in politics?

Capitol Fax: This just in… Lisa Madigan announces reelection bid

When I saw this logging on my iPhone to check out the Capitol Fax it sort of surprised me. It shouldn't have though since Lisa Madigan the Attorney General of Illinois has done this before. People expected her to either run for Governor or US Senate only to see her stay where she is. Of course doing so will put a wrench in the plans of many who hope to move into this office.

Madigan is the daughter of the powerful Michael Madigan who is the Speaker of the state House of Representative. That relationship has proven to be an issue as many seems to not like the idea of a Governor and a player in the state legislatures being from the same family.

You may have read my thoughts on Madigan here from time to time. When Rod Blagojevich was Governor it was safe to say Michael Madigan appeared often to be the only adult in the room. Although while Madigan is known for his political acumen he hasn't been without his own controvery.

A story broke last week that involved a worker at a local transit agency and Madigan using his pull to get that worker a raise. Apparently this spat may have resulted in the ouster of the head of this agency.

Depending on who you read this may not prove to be a big story, but it seems when it comes to Lisa Madigan moving up in Illinois politics there are some machinations in this. It has always been a concerned that Speaker Madigan's dealings may adversely affected the political future of his daughter.

Time will tell if Madigan's decision to stay put as Attorney General will prove to be a good one.

Obamacare provision delayed...

There's a lot to that has been written about a recent announcement that a provision of the Obamacare law passed in 2010 will be delayed one more year from January 2014 to January 2015. Basically what's being pushed back is the provision where employers who have at least 50+ employees who work over 30+ hours per week would be forced to provide health insurance.

Having to quickly scan any articles about this shows that many of the talking heads out there are looking at this with political eyes. Think about it next year is not only state elections but congressional elections. Not that I've been paying attention to any forecast on how either of our major parties look in both houses of Congress.

Think about this however. When Obamacare was passed in 2010 who could've anticipated the trouncing the President's party would take at least in the Congressional elections with the Democrats losing control of the US House of Representatives. Would maintaining this provision prove precarious for Congressional Democrats heading into 2014?

Also another aspect which interests me is the lens through businesses will look at this announcement. Without a doubt this legislation is well meaning intended to help many Americans gain access to health care that was beyond their reach. It's already expensive to go see a doctor or to get care for any ailment and of course many employers aren't exactly able - if not willing - to provide any sort of health care coverage for their employees.

As a matter of fact an article that I have read on this subject suggest that this delay will prove beneficial to those who would in the food service, retail, and hotel industries. Hopefully responsible employers who value their employees will be able to do what they can to provide health insurance for their workers. Because of this law and its well meaning implications we may have heard where some employers were already talking about cutting worker's hours in advance.

Also I associate this with the minimum wage workers. I believe in the idea of moving up in the work world getting promoted or gaining skills to be able to get better jobs in the labor market. Alas a well meaning health care mandate and a potential rise in the minimum wage seems like a good idea. Unfortunately it seems that this may have adverse effects on the workers in the short term at least as business seek a way to cope.

In any event it would be interesting to continue to read all analysis of the decision of Obama's administration to delay implementation of their landmark achievement so far. What would be the implications for those affected businesses and would this help the political prospects for either party?

Ward Room: Pride Parade a Who's Who in Illinois Politics

While I didn't actually go to this event on Chicago's North Side there were many who were on their way to these festivities Sunday morning on the CTA. I'm starting to view this as just another party, however, it appears to be a very crucial party. Ward Room noted the many politicians who were present for this.

One of those politicians were actually a Republican, that person being current State Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka. She was listed as a "gay icon" for some reason but she was the only Republican spotted at the parade. It's possible any other Republicans there weren't recognized well enough for it to matter. Come to think of it, when it comes to gay marriage in Illinois there were some Republican supporters it's a bit surprising that some of them didn't attend this parade or at least weren't spotted there.

Also let's not forget that there's an election coming up in 2014. So the Pride Parade was one event where an aspiring politician might want to get their name out there and hopefully gain some voters. Some of the other politicans on the list would certainly explain that such as Gov. Pat Quinn who may well go down for the count next year as his record as Governor still leaves a lot to be desired. Also a downstate politician State Sen. Mike Freirichs also attended away from his hometown of Champaign, IL who wants to run for State Treasurer.

You know I think I should keep an eye for such a post when it's time for the Bud Billiken Parade. Who might come out for a back-to-school parade that is also another party for the Black Community. Will Judy Baar Topinka bring any other Republicans with here to the Billiken in August?

Capitol Fax: Embrace politics and get things done

California Gov. Jerry Brown

Rich Miller at the Capitol Fax posted a piece by the IllinoisTimes' James Krohe Jr. that compared two blue-state governors. California's Jerry Brown and Illinois' Pat Quinn and the difference it's argues is both night & day. Gov. Brown so far has been plenty more successful than Gov. Quinn in handling the fiscal issues of their respective states.

Apparently Brown has been more successful in navigating the political climate of California than Quinn has in this state. It seems the Governor of California has utilized the skills of "deal making, persuasion and sheer immersion in politics".

Of the Governor of Illinois this Krohe observed, "As a citizen-advocate and later as a largely ceremonial lieutenant governor, Quinn got experience demanding what government should do but never had to learn how to do it."

As I've often stated Quinn is an honest man. He's a marked difference from the last two Governors who as a result of their political activities in office (corruption) were sent to prison. Alas when it comes to the many issues affecting this state during his tenure in office he has largely found himself inneffective. Although to be sure he has had some successes and has shown a willingness to work on these issues. Unfortunately, it appears after the end of the recent spring session of IL's general assembly some bad habits die hard.

Another observation by Krohe of Gov. Brown was that he "didn’t steer California back into deep water by being a “leader” but by assessing possibilities accurately, picking fights he could win, resorting to compromise when it was needed and exhortation only when it was likely to work."

Krohe also stated:

Illinois used to routinely produce politicians with similar gifts; its voters even elected some of them governor, the most recent one being George Ryan. But these days much of the public (and much of the Republican Party) thinks that possession of political skills disqualifies a person for public office.

The greatest politicians who just so happen to be executives whether Mayors, Governors or Presidents were those who were able to face great crises. Sometimes that means being a politician and doing what it takes to instill confidence in the government and finding ways to make the most difficult decisions. The recession starting in 2007-08 was a time to make difficult decisions and even now they still must be made.

We see the difference between two blue states. One is in better shape than the other and we're still trying to figure out how to become once again as Miller says "a state that worked". There's an election next year in Illinois, could any potential candidate on either side of the aisle be the politician who can utilize the same skills Gov. Brown has to bring this state back?

Recruitment drive for Republican candidates in Chicago...

[VIDEO] It's great news that Chicago's Republican organization wants to organize and recruit candidates to run for office in the city whether for not only seats in the General Assembly but also for Alderman. The questions is will this effort be sustained beyond the coming 2014 elections in this state.

All the same this process of recruiting and vetting Republican candidates are referred to as "American Idol style". Perhaps not as glitz & glamor but certainly a process needs to be in place to find credible candidates.

For those who think this hurts Republicans anywhere, the process for Chicago should involve NO litmus tests. Although this may be what works in other more solidly Republican parts of this nation, in an area which aren't solidly Republican this may be counterproductive.

Still, it's great to see some life on the other side of the aisle where it's necessary. Perhaps the number of Republicans in this city can balloon to more than the current estimated 150,000 in a city of about 2.8 million people.

And think about it this way the governor's race in 2010 was razor thin. 45.9% for Republican nominee for Governor Bill Brady, and 46.8% for current Democratic Governor Pat Quinn. A difference of roughly 31,834 votes between both candidates. Who knows the 2014 race for governor may not be so thin but it depends on the candidates and perhaps in 2010 Illinois wasn't particularly happy about both the nominees however first past the post wins in this state.

Also for US Senator in 2010 another thin race where the Republican, Mark Kirk won. Kirk won with 48% and his opponent Alexi Gianoulias had 46.4%. With 59,220 votes between them perhaps another race where voters weren't that happy with the candidates but somehow the Republican nominee for Senate won with more votes than the Republican who lost for Governor.

Perhaps Republican efforts in Chicago could make that much more difference next year. For the most part chipping away at the margins if not outright winning Chicago or Cook County could make a difference for any candidate in any statewide election.

Besides it's pretty lofty goal to state that “This project has the potential to make Illinois a red state”. For now I can just settle for Illinois being a purple or swing state.

Tribune: Quinn minimum wage hike could be tough sell

Via NBC Chicago

Raising the minimum wage is certainly a well-meaning policy goal and taking this text from today's state of the state address this is where it comes from:

Our businesses are only as good as the employees who drive their success.

Nobody in Illinois should work 40 hours a week and live in poverty. That’s a principle as old as the Bible.

That’s why, over the next 4 years, we must raise the minimum wage to at least $10 an hour.

Senator Kimberly Lightford, you are doing the right thing with your mission to raise the minimum wage.

And as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, it’s always the right time to do the right thing.

It sounds great, but this is still a tough economy. You raise minimum wage to $10/hour then what happened next? Employers could elect to cut hours so instead of minimum wage workers doing at least 40hrs it could get cut down to 30 or less. Perhaps the work week for such workers could be reduced from 5 days to 4 days. What I'm getting at is unintended consequences.

At least the question is put up in front of Gov. Quinn right now. Besides is this about boosting the prospects of low-wage workers or boosting Pat Quinn's abysmal approval ratings as we head into 2014 a gubernatorial election year:

But beyond the finances, Quinn may hope a populist pocketbook issue can boost his own low approval ratings as he prepares to fight potentially big-name Democratic challengers like Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Bill Daley, the former white House chief of staff and a high-profile heir to the Daley family legacy.

Quinn called for a minimum-wage hike during the 2010 governor’s race, while Republican challenger Sen. Bill Brady opposed it.

Following Quinn’s speech on Wednesday, Brady said he wanted to review Quinn’s plan when there details are rolled out.

Hinsdale Republican Sen. Kirk Dillard, who like Brady is eyeing Quinn’s job, said he does not support the minimum wage hike. “We need to create better jobs, not minimum wage jobs, for those who are trying to raise a family,” Dillard said.

The chief sponsor of the minimum wage increase is Sen. Kimberly Lightford, the Maywood Democrat on Cullerton’s leadership team. She has sought to negotiate with foes and backers of the legislation for eight months. She said she wants to roll out a bill in the next few weeks.

Well, time will tell if this will prove to be beneficial or not. Time will only tell if this will help Pat Quinn if he seeks another term as Governor of Illinois. Will this help the prospect of this state being able to attract more jobs?