After seeing that day-old Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, D-Not Impeached, wants to stall next year's primary elections until September, The Hound started humming the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again". You know, "meet the new boss, same as the old boss."
Who is Gov. Quinn kidding? Pushing back the primary, especially a Democratic primary, from the normal March date (except in 2008 when it was advanced to February to aid President Obama's successful primary bid) to September gives him the advantage of building constituencies, a campaign network and reaching out to campaign contributors. Let's face it, for seven years, Pat Quinn has been in the shadow of ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich, D-Impeached.
Quinn's campaign war chest, like the Illinois treasury, is fairly bare, while one of his likely opponents, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, has probably several million in the bank. Ad buys for television are expensive in the Chicago market. Right now, filing for the 2010 March primaries is set for December this year.
If delayed, Quinn would would be able to really run as an incumbent; if not, he'd just be seen as a temporary governor. So far, potential Democratic rivals haven't endorsed Quinn's proposal, but the Legislature would have to change the date. Madigan's father, House Speaker Mike Madigan, D-Chicago, would have a lot to say about that. It also would give any Republican challenger a lot more time to hit the hustings.
In the meantime, the new boss maintains that backing up the primary "gives us a whole year to repair the damage" of the Blagojevich/Quinn administration. Or perhaps the new boss forgot he was buds with the old boss.
In the end, it was really a simple solution for the political blood of Illinois. Get rid of a pest, sweep out the old, get a transfusion and in comes the new. Rod Blagojevich is gone; Pat "The Mighty" Quinn is in. The Hound wonders if things will change or Illinois will continue with this "wink and a nod" way of doing business in the Land of Lincoln.
The Hound also wonders how those who voted predictably Thursday to convict the ex-governor on the impeachment articles will square why they campaigned with him in 2002 and 2006. Many were the Lake County Democrats who embraced Rod Blagojevich. The Hound remembers two of them who cast votes Thursday to unanimously remove him. Well, that's why politics makes strange bedfellows.
The Hound still thinks there's a Lifetime channel movie in the trials of Rod Blagojevich. This country is all about second acts, so how 'bout a book, "Six Crises"? Oops, already been written by someone who resigned before getting impeached.
Next stop for the former governor, a date in a federal courtroom in the Dirksen Building in Chicago's Loop, perhaps an appearance on "Oprah" and a notation in the Political Boneyard. He is not riding off into the sunset, quietly or quickly.
Pat Quinn, the state's lite governor (less filling, tastes better to Illinois lawmakers), is primed to be the next governor once the Senate votes to convict Gov. Rod "I'm not a crook" Blagojevich as early as today or Friday, after Blago begs forgiveness. What then?
Well, for one thing, Quinn the Conqueror will probably live in the Governor's Mansion in Springfield, something Blago eschewed since taking office in January 2003. That always irked the folks in Springfield, like Blago was dissing them for being corny downstaters and not urbane Chicagoans.
Secondly, Quinn brings his own baggage to the office. After all, he was Blago's running mate in 2002 and 2006 and was a good campaign soldier for the governor. But, he waffled on the special Senate election which ended with Blago appointing Roland Burris to President Obama's upper chamber seat. Also, while painting himself as an outsider to his fellow Democrats, how will that play in what is expected to be a crowded Democratic primary in 2010?
Outside of (finally) naming an ethics panel (after the governor was arrested by the FBI), Quinn has occupied himself with working on behalf of veterans and their families, especially ones with tours of duty or returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. That's about all The Hound can remember Quinn has done the past seven years.
When asked if Blago is right and the lite guv and lawmakers want to raise taxes, Quinn says he's not sure how deep the red ink is flowing in Illinois government. Like, he couldn't call up fellow Chicago Democrat Dan Hynes, the state comptroller, or fellow Chicago Democrat Alexi Giannoulas, the state treasurer, to find out? Is he a milquetoast, or what?
We'll see if Gov. Quinn has the fortitude to stand up for the people of Illinois, or will continue to be a go-along guy as he did when he campaigned with and for his one-time pal, Bad Rod.
This traveling theme park --- Blago's World --- that Illinoisans have introduced to the rest of the nation continues its journey with the last stop in Springfield as state legislators continue on message to boot Gov. Rod Blagojevich to the curb.
Blago opened Monday on NBC's "Today" show, which trumpeted the Peacock Network had the first interview with the (battling, embattled, fighting, combative, struggling, wacky, contentious, brawling --- you choose the adjective), Illinois governor. Then he journeyed to "Good Morning America" to be interviewed by one-time Nixon administration functionary, Diane Sawyer. Is that irony, or what?
Then it was on to the ladies of "The View." Blago was scheduled Monday night to be on "Larry King Live" on CNN and "Nightline". Everybody has promoted his appearances. What, these TV folks think Blago is going to boost ratings?
The Hound can't figure why his handlers didn't try to get him on "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart or the "Colbert Report" or Leno or Letterman. Wouldn't those guys have fun? Guess Jimmy Kimmel already was booked with too many guests for the governor to squeeze in. Could "Dancing with the Stars" or "The Mentalist" be next?
Another thing The Hound can't understand is who's advising these legislative Republicans? If The Hound was a GOP strategist there would be no hanging with the Democrats on convicting him at his impeachment trial. Senate Republicans should vote "present" when the roll call comes.
Why? Well, minority party members, Blago is a Democratic problem. Let the Democrats deal with it. They campaigned for the guy in 2002 and 2006. Let them undo the damage. Republicans could sit on the sidelines, considering they already got stung by their Dem colleagues over seeking a special election to fill the Obama Senate seat.
This is why Republicans will remain in the minority come 2010. They play ball with Democrats when they should be just fans rooting of getting rid of Blago, like the rest of Illinois. .
When last we left Gov. Rod "Tex" Blagojevich, he was holding a news conference once again offering the conspiracy theory that his impeachment trial is going forward to get him out of the way so those varmints legislative Democrats, in cahoots with their Republican colleagues, want to engage in taxation skullduggery.
To wit: The General Assembly wants Tex out of the picture so legislators can inflict taxing damage on Illinois residents. Blagojevich believes he is in a simular situation as his impeachment trial is set to begin next week as that of a cowboy accused of stealing a horse. One cowboy suggests the accused thief be hanged, with the other suggesting he get a trial first and then hang. Is that the Blago version of the "Ox-Bow Incident?"
While Tex has all the makings of a drug store cowboy, he may not be far afield from the tax hike roundup. The new president of the Illinois Senate, Chicago Democrat John Cullerton, hasn't closed the door on a possible tax hike sometime this year to help cure the state's financial woes.
Too, there are rumblings among rank-and-file lawmakers about other ways to raise revenues, including doubling the state's cigarette tax and increasing the state's gasoline tax. Lawmakers say Illinois faces a major decrease in revenue and a massive backlog of unpaid bills. They don't believe they can cut and chop their way into the black.
Even Republicans may be resigned to a tax hike, but not an increase in the income tax. Perhaps something smaller --- like jacking the cigarette tax, again. While The Hound could care less about taxing smoking materials, just how many times can you go to the well with a shrinking number of smokers?
There's only one thing Hopalong Hound can say in Tex Blagojevich's defense: "Taxes? We don't need no stinking taxes"
Yowza, President Obama didn't waste any time getting down to business on Wednesday after a night of partying at inaugural balls. Americans are getting their money's worth for a commander-in-chief ready to get to work.
The guy hasn't moved in completely to the White House, but he attended the National Prayer Service then moved on to Middle East diplomacy, signed executive orders on ethics and open government, held separate strategy sessions on the economy and America's two wars. He also read over official papers, including one that will shut down the "terrorist" detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which the president is expected to sign today. Then, he greeted 200 guests invited to an open house at his new digs.
Whew! The Hound is tired just from reading that and would need a nap. No wonder President Bush took so many vacation days.
Plus, President Obama froze the salaries of about 100 White House aides who earn $100,000 or more a year. Not a bad first full day on the job.
Inauguration Day is here so join The News-Hound from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to chat live on this historic changing of the guard for the swearing in of our 44th president.
Two million people will be in Washington, D.C., to watch the inauguration of Barack Obama. That would be a lot more than the 400,000 who attended the 2005 inauguration of President Bush. Hmm, wonder why that is?
So, you won't be in the District of Columbia? Join The Hound today in Lake County to chat about this historic event.
With all the firsts happening tommorrow (Tuesday), Inauguration Day, The Hound will be blogging live during the festivities when former Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, D-Chicago, becomes President Obama, our 44th commander-in-chief.
Join The Hound for a flurry of barking from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. as the nation and world notes this important event. If you were here for the election night live chat, you're welcome back. If you're new to The News-Hound site, you're welcome, too.
Exercise those digits overnight and get ready to chat Tuesday during the inauguration and the new day in America.
The Illinois Gaming Board rejected Waukegan's bid to put a casino at Fountain Square because of Illinois wheeler-dealer William Cellini. So who were the city officials that vetted this process and went along with the gambling consortium behind the bid? Is this a Democrat thing when it comes to failing to find out things in people's past --- like a treasury secretary nominee who couldn't figure his own taxes?
Cellini is well known in the state capital as a well-connected businessman who has done deals with Democratic and Republican administrations throughout the years from his Springfield base. He now stands indicted on federal charges of helping to shakedown a firm seeking state business for campaign contributions to Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the old "pay to play" politics so prevalent in Illinois.
According to Gaming Board Chairman Aaron Jaffee, Cellini and his family could have made deep six-figures if Waukegan had been awarded the casino. This is an odd finding since a member of the Waukegan group seeking the license contended Cellini had sold his stake in the consortium in 2007. Apparently, according to Jaffe, an associate of Cellini purchased the wheeler-dealer's investment for $32,450 and had to pay Cellini the balance of prior costs in the Waukegan project.
That's how things are done in Illinois and now we find out that's also the way it's done in Waukegan, which lost out to the lower casino bid offered by Des Plaines. If the city folks had done their homework, perhaps Waukegan's lakefront dreams could have been realized some time before the end of the 21st century.
As it is now, it appears to be another power broker gambit by an indicted political player.
