Topinka Lifted a Finger -- To Hold Out Her Hands
Governor Blagojevich has been criticizing Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka for failing to lift a finger to stop George Ryan's corruption.
The real criticism of Topinka isn't that she failed to lift a finger, it's that she held out her hands for part of the take.
As the Sun-Times reported in 2003, Topinka's name appeared on the list of those who requested political favors from George Ryan's corrupt empire. Topinka got special license plates, jobs, even a lease for her friends.
Topinka says it's time to put George Ryan behind us. It's no surprise she wants to run like hell. But before we close the books, we should hear from Topinka who those folks were that she helped, and whether or not any of them were connected to her campaign, either as "volunteers" or contributors.
Until she answers for her own actions, reporters and editorial boards should dismiss any criticism by Topinka of Blagojevich, and any promises she makes that she is the one to clean up the system.
14 comments:
Dems were more supportive that Repubs of Ryan.
Illinois First was great for Dems.
Gays and abortion industry made out like bandits.
Gambling made out like fat cats.
Tax and spend and social programs did well.
In the election, Suarez, Lopez, Berrios, Acevedo, Munoz, ALL supported Ryan over Poshard so did Tunney, Rick Garcia, McKeon, and Ronen. Rich Daley supported Rich Daley.
YDD, according to the article you linked, the co-chairs of the Governor’s campaign are also on Ryan’s favors list….and, in fact, requested a combined 7x more favors than Judy:
Emil Jones: 22 jobs, 2 grants, 2 contracts, 1 plate
Madigan: 5 jobs, 23 contracts, 25 plates.
Topinka: 8 jobs, 2 license plates and 1 lease.
For those of you keeping score at home, that’s 80 favors for Blago’s campaign chairs and 11 for Topinka.
My question to you is, if the Governor is going to question Topinka’s fitness for office for being on the list, shouldn’t he also question the fitness of the Speaker and President. And if the press is going to dismiss criticism of Blagovevich by Topinka based on her appearance on this list, shouldn’t they also dismiss any criticism of Topinka by Blagojevich unless or until he asks Madigan and Jones to step down as chairs of his campaign?
I gotta agree with GOP on this one, YDD.
Also, by this logic, if anyone close to the current governor is ever indicted, can we say years from now that you didn't lift a finger to stop the madness? This logic is quite flawed.
GOP -
Yes, these are all fair questions to ask. Reporters should hop right on them. But last time I heard, Madigan and Jones weren't running for Governor, and they weren't claiming they didn't know Ryan, either. My bet is, based on Madigan's past record, we'll find that he did nothing wrong.
It may turn out too that Topinka did nothing wrong, and her name landed on the list completely innocently. But before we elect her Governor, don't you think reporters should atleast ask her the question?
And anonymous 2:51, there's a big difference between someone close to the governor being indicted and the Governor being indicted. But, as I've said before, I supported Paul Vallas in 2002, and I've been a frequent critic of the Governor. I've urged him to distance himself from the insiders that have generated so much cyncism from the public, and if it turns out they were doing anything illegal, I'll be in the front of the line marked "I Told You So."
Sort of a tangent, but Jim Muir gets Poshard's thoughts today.
Let me know when you've discovered Rod pointing out corruption, that'll be real news.
YDD:
Sure, it would be fair for reporters to ask all of the questions we have respectively suggested. But not the Governor. He (and by extension his partisan supporters) forfeited the right to attack Topinka for being on that list the minute he asked Madigan and Jones (who’s requests on that list are 7x more plentiful than hers) to be his campaign co-chairs.
"Gays and abortion industry made out like bandits."
Yes nonsensical anonymous one. I recall with great disdain the ill-fated Planned Parenthood Disco IL Taxpayers paid for...
First I read the article... then I decided to see who posted the article. I knew before I looked... so, enjoy that kickback YDD.
President Palmer -- I think the Governor said twice that he was not taking credit for raising alarms about George Ryan. Twice. But my bet is that when news first broke of the Operation Hired Truck investigation, he, like many other Democrats, said "About f-ing time." If you read his statement on its face, that's all he's saying.
After all, the corruption in the Secretary of State's Office was so widespread and so blatant, and had been for years, that statehouse reporters didn't even write about it. You just took it for granted that the reason everybody wanted to run for Secretary of State was to use it as a stepping stone for Governor or U.S. Senate, because of the patronage and fundraising apparatus that was built in.
And of course, we all know now that Ryan pumped alot of those patronage workers into the campaigns of Lee Daniels and Pate Philips. If you worked on legislative campaigns for the Democrats, you could drive by your opponent's campaign HQ anytime of day and count on seeing SoS employee vehicles in the parking lots.
You want to know why the GOP lost every state office except one in 2002? It's not because of the scandal, it's because their state patronage army was decimated. They have no field operation any more. If Bobby Rush, the Teamsters and the Operating Engineers hadn't propped Topinka up in 2002, she would've lost as well.
No one needed to raise any alarms about the SoS office. That would be like raising the alarm because the sun rose this morning. What we needed was a federal prosecutor with cajones. I hope Patrick Fitzgerald lives to a ripe old age and roots out corruption in both parties, wherever he finds it.
mike flannery -- Sure, if you can't kill the message, kill the messenger. Again, for the umpteenth time, I supported Vallas in 2002, and I didn't vote for Blagojevich this spring. I'm not on Rod's payroll, nor do I derive any benefit from my posts, other than the comedic relief of listening to Republicans explain how Topinka is a "reformer." If you guys had taken my advice and nominated Brady, you wouldn't have this problem. Sure, you would've had a hard time explaining creationism, prayer-in-schools, opposition to the assault weapons ban, and a few other issues, but atleast Brady would've had a base.
YDD-
If Rod is ripping Republicans for not speaking out, isn't it fair to point out that Quinn and Lisa Madigan haven't done a thing, haven't lifted a finger, haven't lifted a toe, haven't lifted an elbow about Rod's more blatant corruption? Rod's entire administration is under investigation. At the time, George's SOS probe started in the lower levels.
Anon 10:54 -- Sure, it's fair, people can say whatever they want. In fact, many Republicans have already done it. I think Quinn would point out that he has been critical of the Governor, and Lisa Madigan has atleast one investigation gong on into the Gov's office and has blocked some of his other moves in court, so you might not get very far.
In general, I don't think it sticks though, because I don't think that voters honestly expect that elected officeholders will criticize a member of their own party. That's why when they don't, it doesn't make the news, but when they do, it does make the news.
What I'm saying goes much deeper, though, because according to court records, Topinka not only failed to criticize Ryan's culture of corruption, she may have actively participated in it. Now, there may indeed be an innocent explanation for why she ended up on Fawell's list, as others have offered their own explanations. Fawell seems like the kind of guy who would've put you on his list if you asked him for directions to the men's room, and expected a favor in return. When Topinka explains who it was she was getting license plates and jobs and a lease for, we'll have our answer.
But to get back to your question, all's fair in war and politics. You might actually want to find opponents for Lisa Madigan and Pat Quinn before you launch your campaign against them though.
Leave it to the neophyte to point out that nothing in this discussion touches on a single important piece of policy.
The State is bankrupt (but not yet insolvent). Rod spends like there is no tomorrow, and Judy offers not one single solitary policy iniative that even close to solving the problem.
As Rod promises the moon to his naive voter base, all Judy has to offer is "Rod lite" ("I agree with all the spending in principle, but only a little less, and only on my cadre of cronies.")
This is gubernatorial debate?! It's an embarrasment. Pawlenty (MN) is offering linkagewith Federal reforms, Romney (MA)is offering new (if quesitonable) ideas, and Richardson in NM is showing ways in which Democrats can innovate while cutting taxes.
Here, we have the idiot brigade jockeying for who gets the best spin out of a former governor's conviction.
Am I the only one noticing this?
No, I notice it Bruno.
I don't think association with Ryan poses much of a threat to JBT.
I think her greatest threat is her off-the-cuff style and the best solution to it is talk issues and policy.
She doesn't. At least yet. I only saw her debate once during the primaries. It was the first debate and I was surprized how weak she sounded on nuts and bolts stuff of policy. Of telling us what should be done.
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