CapitolFax.com - Latest Comments in This just in…

Re: This just in…

collar watchdog — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:11:15 -0000

LINK - The People want an income tax increase NOT an expansion of gambling!!

Re: This just in…

Squideshi — Sun, 24 May 2009 11:27:53 -0000

It doesn't really matter WHEN the contributions are solicited--it's legalised bribery either way.

Re: This just in…

Watcher — Sat, 23 May 2009 19:30:17 -0000

My dog ate my homework? I forgot my lunch money? I bet Blago wish he would have thought of this? A mistake? What a crock. Blago's running mate has proven huimself to be as crooked as his old boss.

Re: This just in…

Arthur Andersen — Sat, 23 May 2009 19:03:16 -0000

Cassandra, right on. Pat Quinn, the reformer is yesterday's tomatoes. His sidekick Collins has just about ticked down his 15 minutes of Capitol fame and ticked off everyone he needs to move his agenda, make that the Commission's agenda.

Six, that's a great question. Can't say that I'm sad to see the Peotone Airport zeroed out, but he does owe folks an answer.

Re: This just in…

siriusly — Sat, 23 May 2009 18:14:19 -0000

nice attempt to make this story go away, but there are so many parts of it that are disturbing - I siriusly wonder if Patrick Collins old boss shouldn't look into this

Re: This just in…

Rich Miller — Sat, 23 May 2009 18:13:10 -0000

Anonymous, the only postponed consideration roll calls posted here were of photos taken of the Big Board. No such photo was available to me for this one.

Re: This just in…

Johnnyc — Sat, 23 May 2009 14:25:18 -0000

The one part not picked up by the press is that she was scheduling meetings with the Governor while asking for money. Face time for campaign donations. I'm not sure you can define it any other way than using your public office for private gain.

Re: This just in…

Oh, please.... — Sat, 23 May 2009 14:04:28 -0000

To "The Fox": Lesson learned, Mr. Know-it-all, don't make a smart-alec (see, no profanity in any form) comment when you don't know what you're talking about. Hilarious comeback, Rich.

And I have pretty much had it with Patrick Collins. What makes him the arbiter of all things good, ethical and moral? I don't recall for voting for him, and I don't think anyone did for that matter. I am tired of his holier-than-thou smug attitude. Enough, already!

Re: This just in…

Zora — Sat, 23 May 2009 11:56:26 -0000

"She made calls to other groups in the legislative directory asking if whether they would want to have events,â€ Quinn tells the Trib.

Because when you data mine for political purposes, you need to start with the right source.

I'd rank "you would probably like to have face time with the governor to talk about your industry concerns, and we're making time available" as the most disturbing aspect of this.

Making Quinn available to discuss "industry concerns" for a $15,000 donation smells like pay to play.

Re: This just in…

Six Degrees of Separation — Sat, 23 May 2009 09:46:51 -0000

A little off topic-

How do you square Quinn's previous support of the Peotone Airport ("as fast as humanly possible")with his new push for high speed rail (requesting $400 million for it) and nothing for the airport in the capital bill)?

The A-A caucus is waiting for an answer.

Re: This just in…

Bookworm — Sat, 23 May 2009 09:37:12 -0000

Upon reading the accounts of the contacts Copeland made to the trade associations, it seems to me that this is PROBABLY more of a case of misunderstanding and bad timing than a genuine scandal.

Of course Quinn or any other gubernatorial candidate has to fundraise to get elected. The kind of event Copeland was trying to organize -- a fundraiser sponsored by trade associations -- isn't inherently evil, provided, of course, that individuals or groups aren't REQUIRED to take part in it as a condition or prerequisite for getting any kind of consideration with the governor or legislators.

Where Copeland went wrong was in 1) calling while the GA was still in session (and in the most critical period of session to boot), and 2) suggesting or mentioning a specific amount to donate. These are the things that give the appearance of Blago-style pay to play, which I would think any politician, but especially Quinn, would be bending over backwards to avoid.

Re: This just in…

Lulu — Sat, 23 May 2009 09:28:18 -0000

this quinn story is a distraction from the more important budget question and reform bill. it's too bad because change needs to happen - esp serious campaign finance reform (i.e. transferring $$ between committees)

Re: This just in…

wordslinger — Sat, 23 May 2009 09:27:26 -0000

Cold-calling interest groups for money at the end of the session? That's an ethical blind spot, at the very best. Inexperience doesn't explain it.

Re: This just in…

Hon. Cranial Lamb — Sat, 23 May 2009 09:21:09 -0000

In case Quinn's campaign staff needs more training, let me offer this one other point. Don't call an interest group when one of their bills is sitting on the Governor's desk. Blago's people did this, and it was no accident.

Re: This just in…

Hon. Cranial Lamb — Sat, 23 May 2009 09:18:08 -0000

Clearly Pat Collins will blame this one on the legislative leaders, if they didn't have so much power than the Governor wouldn't have to call interest groups in the middle of the budget negotiations.

Beware of wolves in sheeps clothing. Also known as, beware of Blagojevich's running-mates in reformer-speak.

Clearly Quinn has himself to blame for not explaining the operating rules to his campaign staff.

Even Blago was smart enough to do most of his shakedowns 30 days before or 30 days after the budget . . . .

Re: This just in…

Princess — Sat, 23 May 2009 08:44:59 -0000

Ruh-roh, says the new guy from the dog house.

I have no doubts of Quinn when he says it was a stupid mistake, but stupid it was, especially considering the atmosphere we're currently in.

I won't for a minute believe Quinn is corrupt but he sure has a long way to go concerning the people he surrounds himself with. Blagojevich holdovers, seriously inexperienced staff, why it gives the appearance that one hand has no clue what the other hand is doing.

Gotta do better than this if you want me to keep believing in you.

Re: This just in…

2ConfusedCrew — Sat, 23 May 2009 08:18:20 -0000

Just noticed Collins is telling the media he did not know the "facts" of the Quinn pay to play scandale. Does he plan to learn them or just wander back to his la la land and blame the legislature some more?

Re: This just in…

Vote Quimby!--Latecomer — Sat, 23 May 2009 07:55:10 -0000

I agree with Cassandra....what the heck posting at 4:00 a.m.! :-)
Ignorance or ineptitude is no excuse, and it certainly will be fodder for the LMadigan campaign team. Were they not paying attention since December 9?

Re: This just in…

Cassandra — Sat, 23 May 2009 05:00:02 -0000

I agree with AA. It's his campaign. He's responsible.

Clearly, the man hasn't learned anything about governing. If you are a sitting guv running for office in the middle of a huge corruption scandal
one of the things you do is train your campaign staff really, really carefully--and you screen out the fools before they start making calls.

Increasingly, I think the guy is a fake when it comes to reform issues.

Welcome to Illinois' latest pay to play govenor.

Re: This just in…

Arthur Andersen — Fri, 22 May 2009 23:56:22 -0000

Baloney. It's his campaign, he is accountable. He doesn't have experienced pros anywhere, why would you expect them in the campaign office?

The entire premise upon which the calls were based, the hack offering to take "five or more," the repulsion on the part of those called-tell me, folks, if Rich posted the item with Blago-era names substituted for the Quiennies, what would you have thought? Yep, pay-to-play.

Pat Quinn, Lite Guv, Chapter 423.

PS: That gaming bill ain't worth the paper it's written on, pass or fail. Check the financials of MGM, Harrah's, or any of the major industry players. New casinos just can't be financed off those balance sheets.

Re: This just in…

Chicago Cynic — Fri, 22 May 2009 23:13:45 -0000

47th Ward,

I agree with you completely. I really believe it is their inexperience and the lack of experienced pros in his political operation that are responsible for this screwup. Pat didn't suddenly become corrupt. But his complete disinterest in fundraising leads to precisely this kind of thing.

His operation won't work on autopilot. He needs to fix it.

Re: This just in…

Hon. Cranial Lamb — Fri, 22 May 2009 22:20:10 -0000

Since this Quinn incident happened today, I think he should set an example and start his fund-raising from zero all over again. Oh wait, he's already at zero. Great job Governor!

Re: This just in…

Sad — Fri, 22 May 2009 22:00:35 -0000

I sure hope Quinn begins to impose caps on the campaign dollars he raises. He needs to set an example for all to follow.

Re: This just in…

Anonymous — Fri, 22 May 2009 21:49:30 -0000

Looks like Happy Hour is over. Welcome back Rich; just in time to see the Hawks blow a 3 goal lead.

I think I have seen a postponed consideration "unrecorded roll call" posted here once ortwice in the past.

The more appropriate response of course would have been "subscribe".

Switch to de-caf and enjoy the long weekend.

Re: This just in…

montrose — Fri, 22 May 2009 21:46:28 -0000

For the fundraising calls, I honestly think it was just a really, really dumb mistake. I stupendously dumb mistake, but not a concerted effort to link donation to end of session considerations. Someone did not stop to think through what they were doing and how it would look. Really dumb, but not a scheme.