This week has made me that much more confident that Blagojevich will win.
Memo to Topinka's Campaign: This is not the Treasurer's Office you are running for. This is Governor. You already have a problem because JBT comes across as a looney tune and no where near gubernatorial. With her flip-flopping positions daily she is seen as not having her act together. With Gidwitz and Rauschy sending a little signal to Topinka and IL GOP this week, her road to the mansion is looking shakier everyday. This is not even to mention that hard time that she is having to raise money. George W and Rove will almost certainly back away from their commitment to fund her campaign.
The truth is that no one wants to run as LG with her. NO ONE. She is a loose cannon and not ready for primetime. No one wants to be associated with the shadows from her past.
Blagojevich will be fine come November. Democrats will be victorious again!
Anon
· 4 years ago
Judy is taking everything one step at a time and not listening to the meaningless chatter and other background noise. Everyone in every race has baggage. Its all about getting 50% +1 in the general and a plurality in the primary.
Her most important undertaking is winning the primary. After that is behind her then its unifying her party to a degree and then on to the main event.
Birkett helps in unifying the party if nothing else.
Anon
· 4 years ago
Picking Joe was a Brickhead move.
Topinka is lying to us all when she says she cares about downstate. All she cares about is the collar counties - namely DuPage! My bet is that Rove and Kjellender told her to pick Birkett and she followed suit just like the puppett she is... Do we really want another administration that only cares about the GOP stronghold of DuPage County????
I know Blago gets a bad rap for living in Chicago with his family, but he has made a sincere effort to help southern IL.
Tertius
· 4 years ago
Bad moive, IMHO. His whole handling of the Jeanine Nicarico murder was a travesty. I can imagine how the Democratic camp will spin it - the commercials will be ugly.
He'll be a dead weight around the campaign if he accepts - hopefully, he'll refuse and JBT will get a second chance.
RU NUTS?
· 4 years ago
5:06 Blago's only sincere effort as guv has been to find contracts for his campaign donaters. If he ever helped downstate, it had everything to do with polls and NOTHING to do with sincerity.
Question: Is Birkett the guy that persuaded Ryan to open the State Disbursement Unit (SDU) in DuPage county and made a total mess of it? A legit question cause I may be wrong. If he was JBT just lost my vote- because that was such a fiasco/mess.
reddbyrd
· 4 years ago
Another homerun for GRod --- if the BrickheadJoe climbs on the AccordinanGal bandstand. Can't wait for that press conference. Can't wait for The Brick to talk "reform" while the Hired Truck Guy wanders the DuPage Co. building. Should be great fun. Looks better fo ChopperJim all the time.
right of right
· 4 years ago
Didn't he just recently have a press conference saying that he would not be a candidate for statewide office this cycle? Is Topinka trying to get a bigger flip flopper to make her appear to be a smaller flip flopper? Also, good idea for a candidate under federal investigation to have the DuPAge County State's Attorney as her running mate. Is this some sort of a pay off, or hush money of some sort?
Topinkett will be the flip flop ticket who, if they win, will, as previously mentioned, continue the good ole' years for DuPage County. Downstate will be returned to the crumbs that they received in previous administrations as the DuPage republicans pillage the state once again.
This is an ugly move if true. She is floundering real bad and right out of the gate.
shelbyville
· 4 years ago
Oh, man. I have been Republican all my life, but I will not vote for Judy with Birkett on the ticket. He is not a straight shooter. My gosh Judy, it is no longer necessary to have to deliver DuPage County.
JSM
· 4 years ago
This continues to prove that Topinka does not have the necessary tools in place to make a run for Governor. She does not have the organization nor the right people around her to advise her (and, no, I do not count Karl Rove as a good advisor).
For the IL GOP to criticize the Dems as being Chicago-centric... the same arguement can be made for the Republicans being DuPage-centric. The IL GOP doesnt give a damn about downstate or any other county other than DuPage.
With this ticket we will be reverting back to the Pate Phillip - Lee Daniels era. Those were dark days for women and the working families of Illinois.
Anon
· 4 years ago
Conservtive Expert A: Crazy, man. This would make a great Art Bell story.
It doesn't make sense that Peter F. tells Patrick F. to not attack W, but then tells him to go after JBT.
Andy Martin must be pulling a lot of behind the scenes strings here.
Anon
· 4 years ago
Rich, that guy is highly entertaining!
Bluefish
· 4 years ago
This is one of the worst moves JBT can make. Having Birkett on the ticket may help with the primary but will really drag her down with the moderates in both parties in the general. His baggage, i.e. his continuing role in the Nicarico travesty of justice, will serve as an anchor to JBT's campign at a time when she will need to take off.
Reconsider this Judy before it is too late.
illrino
· 4 years ago
Brady choose a running mate? Given that Bill can't find any money to run his campaign outside of his friends in McLean County, why would anyone want to sign up on as LG on a Brady-led ticket?
Anonymous
· 4 years ago
Here's what I don't get, how do you get 10,000 signatures in a week? Both Rauschenberger and presumably Birkett would have to file next week. And given that these two would be at each other's throats they would need good clean signatures that won't get knocked off. That's not easy to do.
Cassandra
· 4 years ago
Is it clear that Birkett had a lot to do with the Nicarico case fiasco. I heard one argument that the case was transferred from his authority early on. If he had little to do with the case , he probably needs to explain it clearly and it might not be such a problem vote-wise.
My impression was that he was a good vote getter and although it might be better to have a younger more conservative running mate in the primary, the number of far right Illinoisians is relatively small (we're a Blue State, remember), so that young conservative could be a drawback in the general.
anon
· 4 years ago
With all the negative posts on here about Judy and Joe it is clear that the right wingers must be shaking in their little boots because they know they are up against a powerhouse now.
Rod McCullough's Attorney
· 4 years ago
They have until the 19th of Decemver to file ... 10 days with some sort of organization can get 10K signatures
Beowulf
· 4 years ago
I have a "what if" question for you Rich. What if Steve Rauschenberger is elected as Lieutenant Governor in the GOP Primary, Judy Barr Topinka is elected Governor in the GOP Primary, and then Rauschenberger decides to resign rather than serve with Judy. How is it legally decided who gets to run with Judy Barr Topinka as the GOP Lieutenant Governor in the General Election? Is the Lt. Governor position given to the candidate for Lt. Governor that got the second highest vote count in the Primary? Or, does JBT get the option of deciding who she wants as her running mate for Lt. Governor? Or, does the Illinois GOP Central Committee get to choose who her running mate shall be for Lt. Governor? I am confused. The way I understand it, Rauschenberger will agree to serve with any candidate elected Governor in the GOP Primary as long as they also want him to. The possible exception may be Rauschenberger agreeing to serve with Judy Barr Topinka if she is chosen in the GOP Primary. How would this play out Rich? I ask this because this is a very likely scenario. It would seem that Rauschenberger is very likely to be chosen for the GOP Lt. Governor slot in the Primary. What say you?
Penny Lane
· 4 years ago
You only need 5,000 signatures to get on the ballot, but can turn in up to 10,000.
The reality is that no one wants to run with Topinka. She has too much baggage and is too quircky for the top office. We are in week 2 of her candidacy and people are already seeing cracks beginning to emerge. People are bailing from the SS Topinka. She is doomed.
Anon
· 4 years ago
I am a supporter of JBT and I believe the selection of Birkett would be a horrible choice on several fronts. JBT is already a question mark with several groups of Republicans and Birkett will either push them to supporting others in the primary, or simply doing nothing.
The big money she needs may end up in other hands or may just not come out at all. This may, or may not, be critical in the primary, but it is very critical in the general election.
There are endorsements that Blago will never get, that she might get that could mean both money and votes. Selecting Birkett could send signals that will prevent her from getting those endorsements.
Much of the big money is already worried that she is too liberal and too tied to upstate. Birkett is exactly the wrong signal.
Although Poe has counted himself out on the LG race, I believe JBT could benefit from that matchup and if she endorsed him, he would stay in the LG race in a heartbeat. The clock is ticking on that choice however.
My greatest fear is if she doesn't start making some good choices now that we will face another four years of Blago
VanillaMan
· 4 years ago
Wow! I'm not the kind of guy who normally believes that fellow bloggers are just smear artists, but the comments above are so off the mark to really make you wonder...
Birkett is ideal in every way as a running mate for JBT. What they guys above seemed to have completely forgotten is that Birkett has already run as a statewide candidate and did a great job. Nicarico? Ancient history in 2006, as it was in 2002 - get over it - the voters already have.
JBT's image is one that is balanced well when teamed with Birkett. He somes off as a likeable stuffed shirt, and she comes off as a crazy-smart aunt. They complete one another image-wise.
They are also perfect for the number one issue in 2006 - statewide corruption. Illinois elects prosecutors when faced with corruption and having a prosecutor as a running mate is a huge plus.
When Birkett faced Madigan, we all knew the inside track favored Mona Lisa. Yet, Birkett made it a real race without embarrassing himself or the party. He used his 2002 campaign the right way, and won more votes than any other Republican on the ticket that year.
Finally, the ugly side of politics has to be addressed, and Birkett does this nicely. His DuPage connections and his work in Chicagoland suburbs is a must for JBT and the winning team.
It is obvious that a Topinka/Birkett ticket is a winner. So why all the gloom and doom preached above? You just gotta wonder about these guys.
If I recall, these same bloggers acted like the greek chorus in a tragedy when we learned of the Gidwitz/Rauschy ticket. For an entire morning, these guys moaned and groaned about crap that obviously didn't matter. Or perhaps their proximity to the governor is getting in the way, and they seem more interested in outdoing one another with insignificant details and trivia. They were wrong about Gidwitz, and they are wrong about Birkett.
Let's read more posts from bloggers with a voter's sense of view on this - OK?
Have a great day! VanillaMan
Tango
· 4 years ago
Alot of Topinka bashers out today, huh? This is a smart choice. I am just glad she doesnt take her advice from the yahoos on this website. Listening to your advice makes me think that you all failed Political Science 101. Stay the course Judy!
So-Called "Austin Mayor"
· 4 years ago
A co-worker said that she saw four guys collecting signatures for Birkett's Lt.Gov. petitions at the Wheaton train station this morning.
She also told me that even though she is a life-long Democrat, she had considered voting for Judy if she made it to the general election. But now that Judy is a brick-head, my colleague says she may not vote in the governor's race this time around.
So I guess that is a net gain of 1 vote for Blagorgeous.
Lovie's Leather
· 4 years ago
The problem with Birkett is... he actually has some credibility left in him. He can't accept or he would lose it... one reason is he is running with a lying, corrupt backstabber. The other reason is that he said he wouldn't be seeking statewide office. Birkett is a good guy, and he'll stay that way if he wants to.....
scoot
· 4 years ago
It's a good move because JBT & Birkett were the top two vote getters in the 2002 elections for the GOP. JBT had 48,980 more votes then blago/quinn in 02' as treasurer, and I don't think blago has won many votes over since taking office. Talk about taking the wind (if there was any) outta the sails of the Rauschy/Gidwitz announcement if this turns out to be true.
Anonymous
· 4 years ago
Anon5:06 am: The last time I looked Riverside was in Cook County.. not DuPage.. Thanks for playing.
Penny Lane
· 4 years ago
I think Karl Rove got to Vanilla Man and had him serve us a good ol' dish of spin.
BTW, Vanilla calls JBT a crazy, smart Aunt? Well, she is crazy.
clerk
· 4 years ago
Birkett was not the one who influenced Ryan to open up the SDU, that was a function of the DuPage County Circuit Court Clerk's Office under Joel Kagaan.
It did not have much to do with the State's Attorney's Office. DuPage is merely one of 14 counties that has the State's Attorney's Office enforce child support instead of the Attorney General. To maintain state grants to enforce child support, the State's Attorney's Offices must be evaluated by the Attorney General on a quarterly basis, I believe.
To attribute the problems with Child Support in DuPage County much less state wide to Joe Birkett would be laying the blame far from the source.
Thinka They're Desperate
· 4 years ago
Good Lord, these 2 will make those Dumb and Dumber guys look like the Mensa ticket.
Birkett obviously must need more help than just his pal Don Stephens to help pay off his 2002 campaign debt. It took Birkett 22 years to indict the real killer. Dugan, who long ago confessed to that crime. Will be longer than that, and a cold day in hell before these two win at the top of any ticket.
Joe, you're a SELL OUT!!!
Observing Democrat
· 4 years ago
I love how all these people are saying Judy is crashing and burning.... yet she is killing everyone in the polls.
Pollster
· 4 years ago
The only reason Topinka is ahead in the polls is because of her name recognition. People dont know alot about her, so he positives are probablyt high.
A little campaigning by her primary opponents will bring her numbers down to earth. I think Oberwiess sneaks in, but the Repub candidates are going to have to go negative on Topinka.
Downstater
· 4 years ago
Everyone who says that Birkett will keep them from voting for Topinka is forgetting that they can split their vote. You can still vote for one without voting for the other. I think Birkett would make a good Lt. Gov for Brady and would probably vote that way. If I were Brady, I would not look at this as a negative in terms of his campaign. Don't worry about a running mate. He has all he can handle with his own race.
curious
· 4 years ago
The ILGOP loves to bash the "Chicago Democrats", especially downstate; Is a "Cook/DuPage Republicans" ticket that different?
Team Sleep
· 4 years ago
For those people who have bashed JBT for wanting an "upstate" running mate, let's not forget that other people who have been considered (such as Mike Bost, Roger Eddy and Jim Watson) are from Central and Southern Illinois. When people turn down the chance to run, sometimes you have no choice but to look to people who are prominent and have the name recognition. Joe Birkett has already run a statewide campaign and lost to Mike Madigan's daughter by what? 5%? He is a good campaigner and someone who can balance the ticket. And stop saying that JBT and Joe twist the truth; Blago has done much of the same in his time. Plus, if he loses to Rauschy and JBT wins, Rauschy will resign his spot and Birkett will pick it up because there is no way Andy McKenna and the state central members will put Bill Brady or Jim Oberweis on a ticket with JBT.
clerk
· 4 years ago
As a followup to Downstater... should Birkett and Topinka actually make it through the primary, would all of you Republicans actually vote for Blago over a Topinka/Birkett ticket?
Even if they are not your first choice, it is a much better choice than another Blago term.
LittleEgypt
· 4 years ago
My interpretation of how our Illinois Constitution is written is the Gov. and Lt. Gov. do not formally pair up until after the primary, and then for the general they become a team we vote for. At the primary, the two offices run independently. I can't see the big picture on this so I'm not sure what was in the minds of those who wrote the constitution like this. That being said though, I would not support ANY person who runs in the primary as either Gov. or Lt. Gov. on the basis that they will continue the race only with their personal choice of candidate. That's not the way our state constitution is written. There's enough manipulation in politics but that is one that I have a personal choice to support or not and I choose to not support that attitude. So for me, Rauchy is not a box I will check. Nor would I for Joe if he places a condition like that on his candidacy. Looks like I won't be checking any boxes for Lt. Gov. but, oh well, that won't be the only time I've left an office empty when voting
LG legal question
· 4 years ago
Regarding the LG legal question...if there is a vacanacy after filing, before or after a primary, the state central committee would appoint a replacement. So if Rauschenberger wins and resigns, the state party appoints. Could they appont Birkett, if he lost? A somewhat unsettled legal question, but probably not.
Petey Pal
· 4 years ago
Teaming a curly-haired Irish boy up with a firey Bohemian is probably just the ticket the GOP needs to beat Blago...unless Blago's can of hair mousse begins weeping blood and reciting the beatitudes.
Gidwitz is a gun grabber who will never get anywhere down south. Rauschenberger has apparent problems with the 1st Amendment and his assertion that teachers should carry firearms in class will make him a hard sell in the collar counties.
With Birkett on board, I'll spot Blago 9 points.
Reagan Democrat
· 4 years ago
Observe Since she is the only person elected on the statewide ticket she should be way above 50% she started in the high 30's and is dropping to the low 30's in less than a week. Mike Flannery on CBS gave the last numbers he saw at 30%, the day Giditz and Rauschy teamed up. If that is the case Judy is in TROUBLE. To Quote Flannery " With Judy at or around 30% and Gidwitz at 4% that makes 34% and that is the moderate vote in the GOP primary. A Coservative if he can get the support of the grassroots to rally behind him could win this race easily"
BTW Burkett will not bring conservatives with him, it does not work that way. Conservatives will back a conservative Governor not someone who is anti 2A, pro child killing, and who will not pledge to not raise taxes. Why should they?
Mr. Smith
· 4 years ago
Burkett is a bad idea. Just another blunder from the ILGOP.
In the land of Cows and Silos
· 4 years ago
The jbt/Birkett ticket is a much better balancing act than the less than genuine #2 Rauchenberber who keeps telling everyone he is fine with being #2 while crowding the podium and using "rauchenberger/Gidwitz" in describing the ticket. You need balance, not "convenience of cash", You need credibility, not a publicity stunt. This is for the 2 highest offices in the state of Illinois you are running for, not the "golly, you have cash, i don't ... we are opposites and running at about 9% together ... lets shake it up for some publicity" It's the difference between real candidates for the betterment of Illinois and a reality show of opposites running together for the betterment of their egos being outside looking in.
The spinning today is incredible. If this is the best stuff the various campaigns can come up with, it's pathetic.
Since the attacks seem to be coming from both Blago's people and the far right, I'd say it's good news for the Topinka-Birkett ticket, because almost every one of the attacks has been transparent, shallow and not credible with the voters.
Give the voters more credit than this please. Nobody cares about most of the garbage you folks are spinning. Even your numbers are patently ridiculous.
And, NO, I don't work for Topinka, Birkett or their campaigns and never have. I'd just like to see some halfway intelligent discussion instead of the silly spinning.
Brian
· 4 years ago
I know JBT wants to take my guns. I dont know about this Birkett guy, but I am sure that as a high and mighty State Attorney in rich, WASPy Dupage County, he cant be for guns either.
Anon
· 4 years ago
Voice of Reason - Amen. Methinks they doth protest too much. Translation: scared out of their wits by the prospect of defeat.
Anon
· 4 years ago
I heard Mike Wilson is going to be a black operative for the democratic side. Might just be enough strength to push Blago over the top.
Limerick
· 4 years ago
Judy has brought back a Joe, After he said he was going to go. There is a chance he could lose On an issue called Cruz, It could be a tough row to hoe.
Papa Legba
· 4 years ago
I'll say it again, VanillaMan hit it right on the head. Good job!
Penny Lane. I'd rather have a crazy, smart Aunt than a crazy, dumb, son-in-law.
I can see Birkett pulling enough of the righty's over to make the ticket very viable for the primary. Maybe JBT is hoping he loses the LG spot so she won't be saddled with him for the general. Sounds like a crazy smart move to me.
reddbyrd
· 4 years ago
Very amazing that no one seems to have mentioned the obvious issue the GOPs( as in MOPEs) just gave away. GRod and the Demos don't care about downstate. The boys and girls from south of I80 and west of 355 don't much care in the pols are Ds or Rs, they just know they are no one of them. GOPs could have snatched the issue, but the AccordianGal's dingbat idea to tap BrickheadJoe as her dance partner gives it away. Wonder if she still wants W to make a campaign stop! If ChopperJim snatches up Ray Roe they will walk away with the primary faster than you can say 2 scoops please!
Anonymous
· 4 years ago
curious 10:56 am: yes it is different.. JBT actually goes to Springfield.
DuPage Dem
· 4 years ago
Well, I was excited about JBT running. I voted for Blago last time, but will not vote for him again, so it's a choice between sitting it out, going 3rd party or voting GOP. JBT would have been my choice...
But Joe Brik is a horrible running-mate. He wins here becuase the GOP dominates locally, and he's so machine he's a primary shoo-in. But every time I think about the way he postured and puffed himself up on the Nicarico/Cruz fiasco [God, I still feel sorry for the poor parents...] I can still see him refusing to admit Cruz was not the killer, and telling the parents that releasing Cruz would be "Letting their little girls killer run free..." Admit you made a mistake, man... don't play off people's grief for your own political career.
Absolutely no cross-over vote for a JBT/JoeB ticket from this Dem. I'll vote Green or Libertarian...
Randall Sherman
· 4 years ago
Topinka/Birkett would probably mean that we would be able to see telvised clips of the State Treasurer hobnobbing at festive political campaign stops with Birkett's brother-in-law, actor George Wendt. That should be entertaining.
Unfortunately, I suspect that voters in the Republican Primary will not be voting on March 21 like they were weeding out contestants on "American Idol." If that is the case, Topinka is in real trouble.
anon
· 4 years ago
Birkett has Lt. Gov petitions on www.joebirkett.com. Also, remember for those of you who like Judy and not Joe...you can vote for one and not the other in the primary.
DuPage Doyen
· 4 years ago
Joe gets the yips before a big decision. This is a real crisis of conscience--take the money to chisel away at the debt or keep the promise not to run so justice is finally done in the Nicarico case.
This whole episode is adversely effecting moral in the SA office in DuPage. My bet is that he doesn't do it.
PDIDDY
· 4 years ago
At least Topinka isn't acting like a cash cow for Birkett. Rausy is using the Slumord and I love it!
The Colonel
· 4 years ago
This whole running-mate "team" concept is ridiculous. It's an exercise in WEAKNESS. Midgets tossing midgets.
You can't run on the ballot as a "team" until the general election. I hope Oberweis doesn't fall for this "teaming" concept.
As far as Birkett goes, I generally had suspicions about any politician from DuPage because of the horribly botched Nicario saga.
When he said just about a week ago that he wasn't going to run for anything in '06, that his plate was full I thought:
'Well, here is a guy who is going to buckle down and clear up this Nicario mess and forgo politics.I really admire the guy.'
And then all of the latest and how irresistable the Lt. Gov. position suddenly is... and of course the deal wold include erasing his $500K 2002 campaign debt.
What does that tell you?
The Devil
· 4 years ago
Most people go their entire lives without knowing the true cost of their soul. If Joe takes my offer, he and all the rest of us will know his is $657,000.
BH
· 4 years ago
"I'm a public servant first," Birkett, the DuPage County state's attorney, said in a phone interview Tuesday. "I can't put politics above the job."
Hmmmm, I guess politics does come before the job.
Bubs
· 4 years ago
Nice to see from the Colonel that that the Oberweis campaign intends to run on the real issues confronting Illinois, like the Nicarico case.
"Say Milo, NICARICO spelled backwards is . . . OCIRACIN! How 'bout that."
Since Obie wouldn't sign the Good Conduct pledge proposed by McKenna, though Topinka and Brady did, we can take all the shallow moralizing from the Oberweis / Roeser crowd and throw it in the garbage can from now until March.
Royal
· 4 years ago
I'm from Southern Illinois, the deep South. Near Carbondale. I have been on here just about every day from the beginning and have yet to write anything until now. JBT is being spoke of that she doesn't care about the Southern tail of the state. NOT TRUE. I attended a two day workshop that she sponsored and yes she was in attendance both days. She also came to the National Guard Armory and spoke to the soldiers. Note either time was election year. She does care about us in Southern Illinois, the part of the state that everyone seems to forget. But once you have visited our parks and our tourists sites, you won't want to go back to the windy city of talk biting get ahead no matter who you step on city. That is what I hear anyway from those who live in that city and visit our beautiful area. Merry Christmas and yes it is Christmas.
fearless freep
· 4 years ago
It is important to remember the target audience: the average voters do NOT vote for Governor based on who the Lt. Governor nominee is anyway. This is fun stuff for political junkies but come on... have you ever heard somebody say, "Boy I was going to vote for Jim Ryan, but not with that darned Carl Hawkinson on the ticket!!!" Or how about "Jim Edgar is doing a great job as governor, but that Bob Kustra is a disater and he will drag down the whole Republican ticket!!"
I am all for JBT and I was gladly for Birkett for AG and yes I will vote for him for LT Gov just because he was chosen. However, this flip-flop of his in light of what he said 2 weeks ago is "bothersome" to me. She could have picked somebody better. But if this is what the "experts" say what must be done to win then that is what we must do.
What will Raymond Poe do now, after campaigning all summer, with the BBQs and the 18-Wheeler? If JBT had picked him, it would have been a lot easier.
Old Elephant
· 4 years ago
Fearless,
As far as Poe goes, I don't think his feelings will be terribly hurt. He's said from Day One that his primary goal is to get rid of Blagojevich (Can't stomach what the guy has done to Springfield) and he'd do anything he could to defeat the guy. My sense is he either runs for re-election and helps the GOP in Sangamon County or he takes the show on the road and concentrates on energizing the base for whomever the GOP candidate is.
If JBT happens to win, the state will get a great Secretary of Agriculture in Raymond. If Blago wins, he gets to spend his winters relaxing in Florida.
Reagan Democrat
· 4 years ago
Bubs Who has been attacked twice sine Judy got in the race? Oby! Coincedence? Why take a pledge? There has been a race going on since April and nobody attacked, all the sudden she gets in and it gets dirty. If it looks like a duck....
IwearShoes2
· 4 years ago
Almost EVERY post on here has been from a political hack, and not from the general Republican proletariat.....If you were to ask the general voting public about the candidates, you could possibly hear these responses......Gid WHO? Who is this Brady guy? (Excluding a few Central Illinois Counties)...Oberweis...(Springfield folks would say...."Isn't that the new Dairy company that just opened its doors down here?)..>Rauschenberger.....(I'll have fries with that). I would not hesitate to say that Topinka is the ONLY candidate in the field to have not only visited every county in this state, but also left a very positive impression on them as well........her opposition is going to try to beat the living hell out of her for the next few months.....But, mark my words.....she has something that none of these other candidates have....THE BASE, and the ORGANIZATION....I would not be surprised to learn in the next few days that The GidBurger Team has offered to pay circulators a certain amount of $$$ for each signature garnered so that R Giddy can get enough signatures for his LT Guv Candidate.......(Just an observation)
BH
· 4 years ago
And you're not a political hack, Iwearshoes2?
Come on Nancy!?
Silas
· 4 years ago
kind off the topic. Word has it that State Senator Tony Munoz is shaking in his boots b/c of his future opponent former alderman Ray Frias. Talk about Karma! What goes around comes around!
fearless freep
· 4 years ago
You are right, shoes, you are right. Sometimes all of us forget to see the big picture through the eyes of the "typical" voter who doesn't follow all the play-by-play minutae.
Sometimes I think we'd be better off following the advice of the proverbial Joe Sixpack in the breakroom who says "I don't need no politicians Theyre all a bunch of damned crooks!" Do any of you know someone like that? Would you like to, just for one day, put stock in that person's shallow, dimestore philosophy?? I do because just 6 months ago, our own Joe Schmoe at work said "This Blagojevich has GOT to GO!" (after he raided our pension) And now, I use this quote as a talking point wherever I go.
"Governor-Elect Topinka" Just by saying that, I already feel better already. So bring on the primary. Bring on the primary! Let's silence the critics and show'em how to win elections.
Anon
· 4 years ago
>Old Elephant - Friday, Dec 9, 05 @ 5:23 pm:
>As far as Poe goes, I don’t think his feelings will be terribly hurt. He’s said from Day One that his primary goal is to get rid of Blagojevich (Can’t stomach what the guy has done to Springfield) and he’d do anything he could to defeat the guy. My sense is he either runs for re-election and helps the GOP in Sangamon County or he takes the show on the road and concentrates on energizing the base for whomever the GOP candidate is.
Bubs
· 4 years ago
Reagan Democrat,
You really can't be serious. The ICIRR is a Topinka front acting on her orders? Good lord, the paranoia!
If you want some perspective, check out the never-ending stream of attack pieces on JBT that have come out of Jack Roeser's people and their various front "organizations" (in reality nothing more than websites) over the last six months. That stuff is just the Oberweis Campaign by a different name, for all practical purposes. Joe Wiegand is Obie's Campaign Manager, for Pete's sake.
Anon
· 4 years ago
rest of post didn't show. Is that the deal Poe made in your opinion? After election he resigns to take Sec of Ag and puts Lance in the bucket? I don't think Sangamon would ever settle for Lance.
Lactose Intolerant
· 4 years ago
Has there been an official "pairing" of JBT and Birkett yet? How close is this to a done deal?
And who has kept Rod so quiet the last few days? That is a hard task and someone should be commended.
Old Elephant
· 4 years ago
Anon 7:51: I don't know of any deal and did not mean to imply that there is any deal. I do know that the conventional wisdom was that if Jim Ryan had been elected Governor, Poe would have become Secty of Ag. I'm just assuming that the interest would still be there. As for Lance, I have no idea what's going on there. Figuring out the Sangamon County Republican Party has always been beyond my comprehension. I'd rather stick to state politics.
Anon
· 4 years ago
To RU NUTs question...Answer is no, the Circuit Clerk led that train wreck. See: http://www.ag.state.il.us/opinions/2000/00-010.... Expert" Following presentations by all interested circuit court clerks, the Illinois Association of Circuit Court Clerks unanimously voted to endorse the selection of the DuPage County Circuit Clerk's office to serve as the State Disbursement Unit. On September 24, 1998, the Illinois Department of Public Aid sent a letter to Joel A. Kagann, DuPage County Circuit Court Clerk, setting forth the intent of the Illinois Department of Public Aid to enter into an agreement with Mr. Kagann "* * * for the implementation of the State Disbursement Unit * * *". ... As used in the SDU AGREEMENT, the term "DuPage" refers to the office of the clerk of the circuit court of DuPage County."
El Conquistador
· 4 years ago
It's done. JBT & Birkett.
Thinka They're Desperate
· 4 years ago
Sell Out Joe is actually asking people to spend time in the freezing cold getting his petitions right now, even though he's not sure if he's running!!! What an arrogant ass!
Get your own butt out there Sell Out Joe, and take your puppetteer Topinka with you. You guys are SO done.
DuPage Doyen
· 4 years ago
Schillerstrom, Zaruba, and several DuPage County Board memebrs are saying Birkett should resign as States Attorney if he is going to do this. A whole generation of officeholders have been haunted by the Nicarico prosecution and the current gang doesn't want another foul up based on politics. Look for more in Sunday Tribune on this.
no more
· 4 years ago
A lot of what is bloged here will not have any effect on the people when it is time to vote because they don't follow or have any idea of the inner workings of politics.Just like all those mom and dads that are signing thier kids up for ALLKIDS have no idea that Blago's people are going to use that list for mailing election stuff telling them they owe Blago a vote for the free insurance.
George Dickle
· 4 years ago
Is this a sign or what?
I just heard two back to back songs on the radio: Hey Joe, followed by Hey Jude.
Shortly after that, Train Wreck by Sarah McLachan came on.
reddbyrd
· 4 years ago
BrickheadJoe is setting new standards for dopiness. The following mush is posted on the official BRickheadJoe website:
Dear Friends, As you may have read, I am giving serious consideration to joining the statewide ticket as running mate to state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka.
I had decided earlier not to run for Governor. In the last 36 hours, prominent Republicans such as former Governor Jim Edgar and Congressman Ray LaHood have called and urged me to make the run and I've had positive discussions with the Treasurer. They all believe that I can play an important role in helping to defeat Rod Blagojevich.
Although the decision is not final, time is short to circulate petitions should I decide to enter the race. Please help me circulate these petitions for Lt. Governor and stay tuned for more definitive word on this decision soon. Thanks for your help.
Sincerely,
Hard to imagine how anyone can be impressed with three quitters who get together to foist themselves on AccordianGal. And to think how pissed all Salukis will be that she may grab the BrickHead over Asbestos Doug Whitley. That will be another A nail in the box
Baby Doll
· 4 years ago
Edgar didnt even want Birkett. Thought it was a bad idea...
Quizzical
· 4 years ago
I agree with Friday 10:11 am This is a terrible move for JBT as far as the general election goes I don't know anybody who wants to vote for Blago and there's a large anybody-but-Blago crowd out there JBT needed to remain palatable to those people to win the election In general, Judy is palatable to moderates and even left leaners Bringing on a bitter, angry and maybe (or maybe not) archconservative Joe Birkett will send many Dems and Independants very reluctantly back to Blago.
Anonymous
· 4 years ago
Judy is palatable to moderates and even left leaners.
Where do you get your information?
Quizzical
· 4 years ago
I get my information talking to moderates and left-leaners. Judy isn't anti-abortion or anti-gay. More to the point, just at people in Springfield managed to live with George Ryan, they are willing to overlook policy differences to find somebody other than Blago to be Governor.
Blago is so consistently lacking in sincerity and intelligence that people are not comfortable having him as governor
Gimme a Break
· 4 years ago
This is just what Topinka needed, more baggage.
Birkett's a sell-out and Topinka's an embarrassment.
Blago and Quinn would beat them like a rented mule.
fearless freep
· 4 years ago
Quizzical, How many people in the general voting public cast their vote for Governor based on his/her choice for Lt. Governor?! (not political junkies, mind you...but the average joe schmoes) NOBODY! That's who. That is why whoever gets picked for Lt. Governor is largely irrelevant. Birkett and the DuPage County organization will help deliver the primary for JBT and after that, he will be largely invisible. If you think that the Lt. Governor's post is a big factor, then ask the average "man on the street" if he can correctly identify such luminaries such as Carl Hawkinson, Bob Kustra, Dave O'Neal, Mary Lou Kearns.. heck, even Corinne Wood for that matter.
no more
· 4 years ago
GIMME A BREAK you need a break from that stuff your smoking.Your boy AROD has beat himself with all the idiot moves he has made since being elected.
Political Hack
· 4 years ago
may I remind everyone what the hack has learned doing years of campaigns? Not a sole votes for someone for gov. based on who their Lt. gov. It is beyond me what Nancy and Carter see in this guy. I guess they need him for Dupage in the primary, but again, see sentence number one above. Hack that!!
BeenThere
· 4 years ago
Feerless has some very valid points with which I agree. However, there is a more politically aware crowd out there with money, in the middle and usually voting democratic, but very much in the anybody but Blagojevich camp/mode. The possible selection of Birkett has caused great dismay and damaged her standing with this crowd. As it was put to me, it would have been one thing if Birkett had won the LG primary and JBT got him, it is entirely different matter (and a poor reflection on her judgment) to affirmatively choose him as her running mate. As a JBT supporter, I recognize that this is mostly about getting past the primary, but it is causing damage for the general. That being said, it is a long time to November.
BeenThere
· 4 years ago
oops, one more thing, I think Birkett has to resign to overcome his gross flip flopping and leave the Nicarico case to the better prosecutors working the case now.
Gimme a Break
· 4 years ago
It's obvious that Birkett is the only Republican dopey enough to tie himself to Topinka. No one else would. She's a nutty loose canon that her first choices are avoiding like the Bird Flu. Birkett's reputation is just further destroyed. If that's even possible.
What's Birkett's debt remaining from the 2002 campaign? Around half a million? Topinka and her crew are doing basically what the Mob does. Taking a person who owes money to the family, and putting the screws to them.
Lots of politicians are for sale. Now we know Sell-Out Joe's price. It's around half a million dollars.
reddbyrd
· 4 years ago
lET'S SPEND SOME TIME THIS SUNDAY A..M. REVIEWING HOW BRICKHEAD JOE WILL LOOK TO REFORMERS WITH THOSE FRESH FAT CHECKS FROM ROSEMONTDON STEPHAN'S FAMILY ON THE OLD CONTRIBUTION LEDGER....DOES THIS MEAN HE IS FOR THE ROSEMONT SCAM OR ?? SHARE WITH US OLE BRICKHEADJOE FANS HOW YOUR BOY GETS OUT OF THIS LITTLE PICKLE?
anon
· 4 years ago
Jim Edgar should jump on as JBT's running mate. Money will come in faster. Dems will cross. And, as Lt. Governor candidate and office holder he won't have the stresses of the top position. Blago, pack your bags. Oops, you won't need to pack; you never moved in.
shelbyville
· 4 years ago
9:34 - not a bad idea. George Ryan always told me that being Lt. Gov. was the best job he ever had. The perks and security are there and few of the stresses. But I doubt that Edgar needs the income nor retirement nor insurance.
Anon
· 4 years ago
Kathy Salvi is now circulating petitions to run for Lt. Governor as the runningmate of Jim Oberweis.
fearless freep
· 4 years ago
As a downstater I have a question: When you pass petitions at train stations, do you ever run into petitioners of the opposing camp? What is that like? Is it competitive? Do you find the commuters to be receptive to signing or are they in a hurry and don't want to be bugged?
Just wondered. I am a veteran of petition passing but I have done it the hard way: shopping malls, bingo parlors and even door-to-door. I know how grueling it is. But I just wondered if it is any easier to work at train depots??
It sure helps if you have a candidate with name reconition (like JBT) or an opponent whom most people loathe (like Blago). My experience with candidates who are not well known is that it is a lot harder. You get a lot of rejections and reluctance. It feels like selling bedpans door-to-door.
Graydog
· 4 years ago
Anon 3:51 pm, Prove it.
Graydog
· 4 years ago
fearless freep, Most people waiting for the train have jobs and are sick of working hard and having the government tax them to death. The majority of them are quite receptive to signing a petition, because they vote. Unless they are running late for their trains, they will sign petitions, because it's something to do to kill them time while they wait.
rollingriver
· 4 years ago
Quizzical nailed it, imo. Moderate democrats will be put off by Birkett -- if JBT has no choice because he wins the primary, that's one thing, but to tap him before? a very, very bad idea.
vet69
· 4 years ago
For those that feel Judy Topinka would make a fine Governor, you better do some research on her pick for Lt. Governor. Joe Birkett, as DuPage's States Attorney has sat on indictments of the County Board back in 1998 that was over a Public Corruption Investigation. That would have cleaned up the corruption at the time of the Board. He settled for a deal to run for Attorney General in 2002, to keep Board Member from going to prison, as they very well should have. Then he was shaking down lawyer to contribute to his campaign fund at this same time. he also was wheeling and dealing on felons, including one pedophile who got 364 days at Hotel DuPage and a small fine. He was a friend of the County Administrator and Highway manager at the time. He was thought he raped a 16 year old step daughter and that was pleaded down to two counts of criminal sexual abuse. Got to the Birkett Resource Center to find quite a history this man has with corruption. I have a site that is more. http://www.tomrodeffer.com. Judy is far from perfect as she has doled out contracts to her campaign contributors. I suppose maybe she needs Birkett to show her the ropes on how to rip off the taxpayers as he has done and get filty rich in the process. I know Joe Birkett is no boyscout!
All Comments
Memo to Topinka's Campaign: This is not the Treasurer's Office you are running for. This is Governor. You already have a problem because JBT comes across as a looney tune and no where near gubernatorial. With her flip-flopping positions daily she is seen as not having her act together. With Gidwitz and Rauschy sending a little signal to Topinka and IL GOP this week, her road to the mansion is looking shakier everyday. This is not even to mention that hard time that she is having to raise money. George W and Rove will almost certainly back away from their commitment to fund her campaign.
The truth is that no one wants to run as LG with her. NO ONE. She is a loose cannon and not ready for primetime. No one wants to be associated with the shadows from her past.
Blagojevich will be fine come November. Democrats will be victorious again!
Her most important undertaking is winning the primary. After that is behind her then its unifying her party to a degree and then on to the main event.
Birkett helps in unifying the party if nothing else.
Topinka is lying to us all when she says she cares about downstate. All she cares about is the collar counties - namely DuPage! My bet is that Rove and Kjellender told her to pick Birkett and she followed suit just like the puppett she is... Do we really want another administration that only cares about the GOP stronghold of DuPage County????
I know Blago gets a bad rap for living in Chicago with his family, but he has made a sincere effort to help southern IL.
He'll be a dead weight around the campaign if he accepts - hopefully, he'll refuse and JBT will get a second chance.
Blago's only sincere effort as guv has been to find contracts for his campaign donaters. If he ever helped downstate, it had everything to do with polls and NOTHING to do with sincerity.
Question: Is Birkett the guy that persuaded Ryan to open the State Disbursement Unit (SDU) in DuPage county and made a total mess of it? A legit question cause I may be wrong. If he was JBT just lost my vote- because that was such a fiasco/mess.
Looks better fo ChopperJim all the time.
Topinkett will be the flip flop ticket who, if they win, will, as previously mentioned, continue the good ole' years for DuPage County. Downstate will be returned to the crumbs that they received in previous administrations as the DuPage republicans pillage the state once again.
This is an ugly move if true. She is floundering real bad and right out of the gate.
For the IL GOP to criticize the Dems as being Chicago-centric... the same arguement can be made for the Republicans being DuPage-centric. The IL GOP doesnt give a damn about downstate or any other county other than DuPage.
With this ticket we will be reverting back to the Pate Phillip - Lee Daniels era. Those were dark days for women and the working families of Illinois.
It doesn't make sense that Peter F. tells Patrick F. to not attack W, but then tells him to go after JBT.
Andy Martin must be pulling a lot of behind the scenes strings here.
Reconsider this Judy before it is too late.
Nicarico case fiasco. I heard one argument that the case was transferred from his authority early on. If he had little to do with the case , he probably needs to explain it clearly and it might not be such a problem vote-wise.
My impression was that he was a good vote getter and although it might be better to have a younger more conservative running mate in the primary,
the number of far right Illinoisians is relatively small (we're a Blue State, remember), so that young conservative could be a drawback in the general.
The reality is that no one wants to run with Topinka. She has too much baggage and is too quircky for the top office. We are in week 2 of her candidacy and people are already seeing cracks beginning to emerge. People are bailing from the SS Topinka. She is doomed.
The big money she needs may end up in other hands or may just not come out at all. This may, or may not, be critical in the primary, but it is very critical in the general election.
There are endorsements that Blago will never get, that she might get that could mean both money and votes. Selecting Birkett could send signals that will prevent her from getting those endorsements.
Much of the big money is already worried that she is too liberal and too tied to upstate. Birkett is exactly the wrong signal.
Although Poe has counted himself out on the LG race, I believe JBT could benefit from that matchup and if she endorsed him, he would stay in the LG race in a heartbeat. The clock is ticking on that choice however.
My greatest fear is if she doesn't start making some good choices now that we will face another four years of Blago
Birkett is ideal in every way as a running mate for JBT. What they guys above seemed to have completely forgotten is that Birkett has already run as a statewide candidate and did a great job. Nicarico? Ancient history in 2006, as it was in 2002 - get over it - the voters already have.
JBT's image is one that is balanced well when teamed with Birkett. He somes off as a likeable stuffed shirt, and she comes off as a crazy-smart aunt. They complete one another image-wise.
They are also perfect for the number one issue in 2006 - statewide corruption. Illinois elects prosecutors when faced with corruption and having a prosecutor as a running mate is a huge plus.
When Birkett faced Madigan, we all knew the inside track favored Mona Lisa. Yet, Birkett made it a real race without embarrassing himself or the party. He used his 2002 campaign the right way, and won more votes than any other Republican on the ticket that year.
Finally, the ugly side of politics has to be addressed, and Birkett does this nicely. His DuPage connections and his work in Chicagoland suburbs is a must for JBT and the winning team.
It is obvious that a Topinka/Birkett ticket is a winner. So why all the gloom and doom preached above? You just gotta wonder about these guys.
If I recall, these same bloggers acted like the greek chorus in a tragedy when we learned of the Gidwitz/Rauschy ticket. For an entire morning, these guys moaned and groaned about crap that obviously didn't matter. Or perhaps their proximity to the governor is getting in the way, and they seem more interested in outdoing one another with insignificant details and trivia. They were wrong about Gidwitz, and they are wrong about Birkett.
Let's read more posts from bloggers with a voter's sense of view on this - OK?
Have a great day!
VanillaMan
She also told me that even though she is a life-long Democrat, she had considered voting for Judy if she made it to the general election. But now that Judy is a brick-head, my colleague says she may not vote in the governor's race this time around.
So I guess that is a net gain of 1 vote for Blagorgeous.
BTW, Vanilla calls JBT a crazy, smart Aunt? Well, she is crazy.
It did not have much to do with the State's Attorney's Office. DuPage is merely one of 14 counties that has the State's Attorney's Office enforce child support instead of the Attorney General. To maintain state grants to enforce child support, the State's Attorney's Offices must be evaluated by the Attorney General on a quarterly basis, I believe.
To attribute the problems with Child Support in DuPage County much less state wide to Joe Birkett would be laying the blame far from the source.
Birkett obviously must need more help than just his pal Don Stephens to help pay off his 2002 campaign debt. It took Birkett 22 years to indict the real killer. Dugan, who long ago confessed to that crime. Will be longer than that, and a cold day in hell before these two win at the top of any ticket.
Joe, you're a SELL OUT!!!
A little campaigning by her primary opponents will bring her numbers down to earth. I think Oberwiess sneaks in, but the Repub candidates are going to have to go negative on Topinka.
Even if they are not your first choice, it is a much better choice than another Blago term.
Gidwitz is a gun grabber who will never get anywhere down south. Rauschenberger has apparent problems with the 1st Amendment and his assertion that teachers should carry firearms in class will make him a hard sell in the collar counties.
With Birkett on board, I'll spot Blago 9 points.
Since she is the only person elected on the statewide ticket she should be way above 50% she started in the high 30's and is dropping to the low 30's in less than a week. Mike Flannery on CBS gave the last numbers he saw at 30%, the day Giditz and Rauschy teamed up. If that is the case Judy is in TROUBLE. To Quote Flannery " With Judy at or around 30% and Gidwitz at 4% that makes 34% and that is the moderate vote in the GOP primary. A Coservative if he can get the support of the grassroots to rally behind him could win this race easily"
BTW Burkett will not bring conservatives with him, it does not work that way. Conservatives will back a conservative Governor not someone who is anti 2A, pro child killing, and who will not pledge to not raise taxes. Why should they?
jbt/Birket blows Rauchen ... oops ... Gidwitz/Rauchenberger away.
Since the attacks seem to be coming from both Blago's people and the far right, I'd say it's good news for the Topinka-Birkett ticket, because almost every one of the attacks has been transparent, shallow and not credible with the voters.
Give the voters more credit than this please. Nobody cares about most of the garbage you folks are spinning. Even your numbers are patently ridiculous.
And, NO, I don't work for Topinka, Birkett or their campaigns and never have. I'd just like to see some halfway intelligent discussion instead of the silly spinning.
After he said he was going to go.
There is a chance he could lose
On an issue called Cruz,
It could be a tough row to hoe.
Penny Lane. I'd rather have a crazy, smart Aunt than a crazy, dumb, son-in-law.
I can see Birkett pulling enough of the righty's over to make the ticket very viable for the primary. Maybe JBT is hoping he loses the LG spot so she won't be saddled with him for the general. Sounds like a crazy smart move to me.
GOPs could have snatched the issue, but the AccordianGal's dingbat idea to tap BrickheadJoe as her dance partner gives it away. Wonder if she still wants W to make a campaign stop!
If ChopperJim snatches up Ray Roe they will walk away with the primary faster than you can say 2 scoops please!
But Joe Brik is a horrible running-mate. He wins here becuase the GOP dominates locally, and he's so machine he's a primary shoo-in. But every time I think about the way he postured and puffed himself up on the Nicarico/Cruz fiasco [God, I still feel sorry for the poor parents...] I can still see him refusing to admit Cruz was not the killer, and telling the parents that releasing Cruz would be "Letting their little girls killer run free..." Admit you made a mistake, man... don't play off people's grief for your own political career.
Absolutely no cross-over vote for a JBT/JoeB ticket from this Dem. I'll vote Green or Libertarian...
Unfortunately, I suspect that voters in the Republican Primary will not be voting on March 21 like they were weeding out contestants on "American Idol." If that is the case, Topinka is in real trouble.
This whole episode is adversely effecting moral in the SA office in DuPage. My bet is that he doesn't do it.
You can't run on the ballot as a "team" until the general election. I hope Oberweis doesn't fall for this "teaming" concept.
As far as Birkett goes, I generally had suspicions about any politician from DuPage because of the horribly botched Nicario saga.
When he said just about a week ago that he wasn't going to run for anything in '06, that his plate was full I thought:
'Well, here is a guy who is going to buckle down and clear up this Nicario mess and forgo politics.I really admire the guy.'
And then all of the latest and how irresistable the Lt. Gov. position suddenly is... and of course the deal wold include erasing his $500K 2002 campaign debt.
What does that tell you?
Hmmmm, I guess politics does come before the job.
"Say Milo, NICARICO spelled backwards is . . . OCIRACIN! How 'bout that."
Since Obie wouldn't sign the Good Conduct pledge proposed by McKenna, though Topinka and Brady did, we can take all the shallow moralizing from the Oberweis / Roeser crowd and throw it in the garbage can from now until March.
I am all for JBT and I was gladly for Birkett for AG and yes I will vote for him for LT Gov just because he was chosen. However, this flip-flop of his in light of what he said 2 weeks ago is "bothersome" to me. She could have picked somebody better. But if this is what the "experts" say what must be done to win then that is what we must do.
What will Raymond Poe do now, after campaigning all summer, with the BBQs and the 18-Wheeler? If JBT had picked him, it would have been a lot easier.
As far as Poe goes, I don't think his feelings will be terribly hurt. He's said from Day One that his primary goal is to get rid of Blagojevich (Can't stomach what the guy has done to Springfield) and he'd do anything he could to defeat the guy. My sense is he either runs for re-election and helps the GOP in Sangamon County or he takes the show on the road and concentrates on energizing the base for whomever the GOP candidate is.
If JBT happens to win, the state will get a great Secretary of Agriculture in Raymond. If Blago wins, he gets to spend his winters relaxing in Florida.
Who has been attacked twice sine Judy got in the race? Oby! Coincedence? Why take a pledge? There has been a race going on since April and nobody attacked, all the sudden she gets in and it gets dirty. If it looks like a duck....
I would not hesitate to say that Topinka is the ONLY candidate in the field to have not only visited every county in this state, but also left a very positive impression on them as well........her opposition is going to try to beat the living hell out of her for the next few months.....But, mark my words.....she has something that none of these other candidates have....THE BASE, and the ORGANIZATION....I would not be surprised to learn in the next few days that The GidBurger Team has offered to pay circulators a certain amount of $$$ for each signature garnered so that R Giddy can get enough signatures for his LT Guv Candidate.......(Just an observation)
Come on Nancy!?
Sometimes I think we'd be better off following the advice of the proverbial Joe Sixpack in the breakroom who says "I don't need no politicians Theyre all a bunch of damned crooks!" Do any of you know someone like that? Would you like to, just for one day, put stock in that person's shallow, dimestore philosophy?? I do because just 6 months ago, our own Joe Schmoe at work said "This Blagojevich has GOT to GO!" (after he raided our pension) And now, I use this quote as a talking point wherever I go.
"Governor-Elect Topinka" Just by saying that, I already feel better already. So bring on the primary. Bring on the primary! Let's silence the critics and show'em how to win elections.
>As far as Poe goes, I don’t think his feelings will be terribly hurt. He’s said from Day One that his primary goal is to get rid of Blagojevich (Can’t stomach what the guy has done to Springfield) and he’d do anything he could to defeat the guy. My sense is he either runs for re-election and helps the GOP in Sangamon County or he takes the show on the road and concentrates on energizing the base for whomever the GOP candidate is.
You really can't be serious. The ICIRR is a Topinka front acting on her orders? Good lord, the paranoia!
If you want some perspective, check out the never-ending stream of attack pieces on JBT that have come out of Jack Roeser's people and their various front "organizations" (in reality nothing more than websites) over the last six months. That stuff is just the Oberweis Campaign by a different name, for all practical purposes. Joe Wiegand is Obie's Campaign Manager, for Pete's sake.
And who has kept Rod so quiet the last few days? That is a hard task and someone should be commended.
http://www.ag.state.il.us/opinions/2000/00-010....
Expert"
Following presentations by all interested circuit court clerks, the Illinois Association of Circuit Court Clerks unanimously voted to endorse the selection of the DuPage County Circuit Clerk's office to serve as the State Disbursement Unit. On September 24, 1998, the Illinois Department of Public Aid sent a letter to Joel A. Kagann, DuPage County Circuit Court Clerk, setting forth the intent of the Illinois Department of Public Aid to enter into an agreement with Mr. Kagann "* * * for the implementation of the State Disbursement Unit * * *".
...
As used in the SDU AGREEMENT, the term "DuPage" refers to the office of the clerk of the circuit court of DuPage County."
Get your own butt out there Sell Out Joe, and take your puppetteer Topinka with you. You guys are SO done.
I just heard two back to back songs on the radio: Hey Joe, followed by Hey Jude.
Shortly after that, Train Wreck by Sarah McLachan came on.
Dear Friends,
As you may have read, I am giving serious consideration to joining
the statewide ticket as running mate to state Treasurer Judy Baar
Topinka.
I had decided earlier not to run for Governor. In the last 36 hours, prominent Republicans such as former Governor Jim Edgar and Congressman Ray LaHood have called and urged me to make the run and I've had positive discussions with the Treasurer. They all believe that I can play an important role in helping to defeat Rod Blagojevich.
Although the decision is not final, time is short to circulate petitions should I decide to enter the race. Please help me circulate these petitions for Lt. Governor and stay tuned for more definitive word on this decision soon. Thanks for your help.
Sincerely,
Hard to imagine how anyone can be impressed with three quitters who get together to foist themselves on AccordianGal. And to think how pissed all Salukis will be that she may grab the BrickHead over Asbestos Doug Whitley. That will be another A
nail in the box
Where do you get your information?
Blago is so consistently lacking in sincerity and intelligence that people are not comfortable having him as governor
Birkett's a sell-out and Topinka's an embarrassment.
Blago and Quinn would beat them like a rented mule.
What's Birkett's debt remaining from the 2002 campaign? Around half a million? Topinka and her crew are doing basically what the Mob does. Taking a person who owes money to the family, and putting the screws to them.
Lots of politicians are for sale. Now we know Sell-Out Joe's price. It's around half a million dollars.
SHARE WITH US OLE BRICKHEADJOE FANS HOW YOUR BOY GETS OUT OF THIS LITTLE PICKLE?
Just wondered. I am a veteran of petition passing but I have done it the hard way: shopping malls, bingo parlors and even door-to-door. I know how grueling it is. But I just wondered if it is any easier to work at train depots??
It sure helps if you have a candidate with name reconition (like JBT) or an opponent whom most people loathe (like Blago). My experience with candidates who are not well known is that it is a lot harder. You get a lot of rejections and reluctance. It feels like selling bedpans door-to-door.
Most people waiting for the train have jobs and are sick of working hard and having the government tax them to death. The majority of them are quite receptive to signing a petition, because they vote. Unless they are running late for their trains, they will sign petitions, because it's something to do to kill them time while they wait.