In a normal year and/or against a better candidate, Blagojevich would go down in a big way. (Judy Baar Topinka - supports the answer to the above question)
Lando 
Posted on 10/31/2006 7:47:53 AM PST by Lando Lincoln
How stupid does Rod Blagojevich think the voters of Illinois are? There's a concept called "conflict of interest" which the public understands pretty well and most politicians treat with a certain amount of seriousness. Entering public life doesn't mean that a person and every member of their family has to quit everything else or stop doing business altogether, but it does mean that they should reevaluate any business relationships that might be called into question or give off the appearance of impropriety.
So it's especially insulting that Rod Blagojevich, who is careening his way to reelection amid a flurry of prosecutions and guilty pleas for corruption among some of his biggest political boosters, responds to inquiries about his wife's business dealings by assailing the questions as "Neanderthal and sexist." The Chicago Tribune has the story:
The governor's comments were his first on the matter since the Tribune reported First Lady Patricia Blagojevich received more than $113,000 in real estate commissions through a woman who holds a long-standing no-bid state contract and whose banker husband has business pending before state regulators. [snip]
"You know, there's a sexist quality to that story--somehow moms who have their own businesses, who are women, can't do things that way--that's implicit in that story," said Blagojevich, who is seeking re-election and is being challenged by Republican Judy Baar Topinka. "My wife is a professional. She's a licensed real estate appraiser, a licensed real estate broker who works real hard and does a real good job for her clients. ... There's absolutely no connection of one, at all, of one or the other."
The governor then jumped into a black SUV and shut the door, but seconds later climbed back out to continue making his point.
"Working women are very much a part of the real life experience today for families across our state. And to suggest she doesn't have the right to have her own business and pursue her own business is Neanderthal and sexist," Blagojevich said before getting back in the SUV.
The four real estate deals involving the Chicago couple, Anita and Amrish Mahajan, account for the only commissions Patricia Blagojevich received this year.
That's some "professional business" Rod's wife is running: 4 real estate deals worth $113K in commissions, all from the same couple who both have ties to state business. Nope, nothing worth looking at there you knuckle dragging, sexist reporters. The guy really is shameless.
Republicans thought they had fielded a halfway decent candidate in Judy Baar Topinka. Elected Treasure three times, Topinka was the only Republican with enough appeal to hang on when the GOP was swept out of statewide office in 2004. But she's been a surprisingly weak and truly uninspiring candidate. Granted, she's faced an unprecedented crush of negative TV ads as Blagojevich has emptied his huge war chest over the last few months.
But even with all the negative headlines and scandal issues surrounding Blagojevich she's been unable to gain any traction at all. Blagojevich's unfavorable rating in the latest poll is a ridiculous 57%, but Topinka is still pulling only 38% of the vote, while Green Party candidate Rich Whitney is rising into double-digits.
In a normal year and/or against a better candidate, Blagojevich would go down in a big way. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like that's going to happen this year.
In a normal year and/or against a better candidate, Blagojevich would go down in a big way. (Judy Baar Topinka - supports the answer to the above question)
Lando
Looks like Illinois is the New Jersey of the midwest - incredibly corrupt Dems, but a GOP too weak to capitalize.
What a shame there are no candidates to vote for in the Illinois Governor election.
My in laws are live in IL 6 and IL 8. They are enthusiastically supporting Roskam and McSweeney. However, they are writing in Randy Stufflebeam forthe governor. Topinko has stabbed conservative statewide candidates in the back repeatedly (Fitzgerald, Jack Ryan, O'Malley, Oberwies). Buh bye Judy. Blago will be indicted and forced to resign within two years. The reason I am predicting this is Rezko will flip in a big way.
How stupid? They voted him into office didn't they? That's about stone stupid there...
Good grief...
I hear ya, we've got pretty much the same thing north of the border...8^)
A lot of Blago's success has to do with money his pals extorted from everyone doing business in the state of Illinois. He even tried to shake down Clint Eastwood. Judy Baar Topinka has a minute percentage of his money. Blago has been blasting the airways for a year with "what's she thinking" ads to the point that people in Illinois have been brainwashed with that phrase and now use it all the time. Blago is a dirty politician who will waltz back into office. His new ad doesn't even mention Topinka, it's a blast Bush and the Republicans ad. I'm embarrassed to live in this state where people don't care, don't bother to find out facts and believe everything in Blago's ads.
Until the old guard Republicans get run out of the party in Illinois, we are destined to suffer with mediocre candidates. They put up George Ryan when they knew he was a crook because it was his turn. Then they cut and ran from Jack Ryan when he could have beaten Obama like a drum. Then these same people, Judy included, throw in Alan Keayes just to add insult to injury. I think one of the lesser known "conservative" candidates that Judy beat in the primary would be fairing better against Blago right now.
When I read candidate Judy saying, "if you are in favor of tax cuts, I might be the candidate for you," as she was quoted in the Southern IL newspaper I just lose hope.
I don't like the current Gov. and there is no way I would vote for him. I just wish there were a Conservative running.
The alternative to the 2 candidates is a fellow from here in Southern IL who is running on the Green Party ticket. A nice fellow, to be sure, but he points out in his campaign literature that he met his wife at a Socialist convention. I am sure she is a nice woman and I wish them the best. But, I am not voting for anyone who attends a Socialist convention.
This can not be the best we can do. It just can't. I love this State, I just hope things improve.
My Dad doesn't know what to do between Doyle and Green........
How stupid does Blago think we are? Well, the fact that he was ever elected to anything evidently assures him that he has the mentally-challenged vote locked up. I think he is crooked, unprincipaled bum who needs to go; a man who might fall into the "stupid" category himself, considering he runs a blatently corrupt administration even while his immediate predecessor is getting ready to go to the Big House.
Recently there was a survey that said a substantial number of Illinoisans are not satisfied with either candidate. Which could mean two things:
1. There are Illinois voters who are not stupid at all, but just realize that, this time out, they are pretty much sh*t out of luck. And,
2. If this dissatisfaction can be sustained and built upon, there might be hope for us yet; not this year, but some time in the future.
Me neither, but I'm leaning toward Green.
I do know the state cannot handle another four-year Doyle train wreck...
And as a UW system student, I can't afford it either. Uncle Jim lowered tuition for everyone except state residents (raised in-state tuition by over 55%) and tried to give illegal immigrants in-state tuition.
Not to mention that if you want anything done, you have to buy him...
Green isn't perfect, but he's shown he's sufficently conservative IMHO that he'd work as WI governor.
In Illinois the Republicans are just as corrupt as the Democrats, i.e. George Ryan.
Is there any reason not to write in Randy Stufflebeam?
chicagotribune.com
Blagojevich win just what GOP needs
John Kass
November 5, 2006
Can Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich save the Illinois Republican Party from itself by winning re-election on Tuesday?
Yes.
Heresy, you say? But of course. I plead guilty. So boil me in oil or something, but please wait until next week, after I've had a nice steak at Gene & Georgetti on Election Day.
Only a heretic would suggest that Blagojevich--the Chicago machine pol whose administration is swimming in federal subpoenas--could save the state GOP from self-inflicted wounds.
But Illinois Republicans might wish to think hard about what would happen to their party if Republican State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka ekes out a victory:
No chance at GOP reform. A likely state tax increase to be pinned on Republicans. And Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan, the Democrat, becoming governor in four years.
But if Blagojevich wins, Republican activists could call for a restructuring to allow the grass roots to take their party back from the boss hogs and Combine masters who've destroyed it.
That's not a popular sentiment, especially around here. The popular attitude is to thwack Blagojevich some more. The thing is, he deserves thwacking, so I don't mind if I do.
Our unreform governor oozes sincerity, even through that hard hair of his, his eyes shining bright as he bobs his head and smiles, through scandal after scandal, high and low.
From the tawdry episode of the $1,500 check given to his child by the husband of a woman who received a state job to the recent unraveling by federal prosecutors of the massive state pension fund kickback scheme involving Republicans and Democrats, the governor refuses to blush.
But I'm not worried about his long-term prospects. As I've said already, with so many investigations swirling about him, Blagojevich's future seems federally inevitable, almost Ryanesque, if you will.
If that were to happen, then Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn would succeed Blagojevich. This would give Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan fits, since he wants to install his daughter, Lisa, in the governor's mansion, but only if the state has tax revenue to burn.
A Blagojevich-to-Quinn succession would ruin so many long-range plans, to the delight of a certain columnist. But since we're spinning scenarios, what if Topinka wins? One scenario being bandied about goes like this:
Topinka will be "forced" to raise state taxes--with Michael Madigan's help, as long as he's able to pin a tax increase on a Republican governor. She'll be booted out of office after one term. And Illinois government, flush with new tax revenues, will be given to Lisa, to rule us for ages unto ages.
Will all this happen? Who knows? But here's what we do know.
The state is under siege, financially and federally, as the mounting guilty pleas tell us in that pension fund scandal, the one involving bribes, kickbacks and muscling of hundreds of millions of dollars in state pension-fund investments.
While there are Democrats close to Blagojevich listed in the documents, there are Republicans too. It's the Combine revealed, including boss Republicans, like the Springfield power couple William Cellini and Big Bob Kjellander, the treasurer of the National Republican Committee.
Neither Cellini nor Kjellander has been indicted, nor have they been charged with any crime. Not yet, anyway.
But Cellini is "Individual A" in the documents and Kjellander is "Individual K," and they've made fortunes managing and consulting on state pension-fund investments under Blagojevich, the Democrat.
It's not illegal for Republican Party bosses to make millions upon millions of dollars with unreform Democratic administrations. That's Combine politics for you. They're always on the inside.
And that's why neither Topinka nor Blagojevich, or their assorted mouthpieces, ever bring up Bill and Bob. It's mutually embarrassing.
Bill and Bob also pick Republican candidates, fashioning Republican political slates, making Republican policy.
And Topinka, while not implicated in the pension fund deals, served as their political handmaiden.
As chairwoman of the Illinois Republican Party a few years ago, Topinka refused to endorse the re-election of former U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, the maverick Republican who took on corruption and the Combine.
That Topinka, as GOP chairwoman, would refuse to endorse the incumbent senator of her own party who fought corruption is astonishing.
Fitzgerald defied the Combine by bringing independent federal prosecutors to Illinois, including U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald (no relation), who has been digging at the fat roots of political corruption in Illinois.
So the Combine showed Sen. Fitzgerald the door. And Judy helped walk him out.
Now she's the candidate for governor of a broken party that may be saved, but only if the other unreformer wins on Tuesday.
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