Saturday, July 01, 2006

Blago Roasting on an Open Fire

Thinking about Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s having made public the letter she received from United States Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald had the Christmas song

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire
going through my head when I awoke.

And, looking at Chicagoland’s two major papers in my driveway today tends to verify the song’s relevance to this year’s gubernatorial campaign.

Before, he was just in the toaster.

The story has another Christmas aspect.

Lisa Madigan has given herself a Christmas present, that gift being a strong possibility that Governor Blagojevich will not be sworn in for a second term come January, 2007.

If that happens, she won’t have to thank just herself, because, obviously, Fitzgerald is on Blagojevich’s case.

However, she will go down as the first Illinois Attorney General who has not turned a blind eye toward corruption in the governor’s office within my memory.

Then, in her one term, Governor Judy Baar Topinka can raise the income tax, disgusting Republican voters, leading the way to Lisa Madigan's winning the state's top spot in 2010 having money to spare. Topinka, of course, will by then have reached the same honored status among opinion leaders like the Sun-Times and the Tribune that Governor Richard B. Ogilvie achieved after instituting the state's income tax.

More about politics at McHenry County Blog.

19 comments:

Anonymous,  11:55 AM  

Cal, I normally agree with your analysis but I don't buy the Topinka conspiracy theorizing. She won't pave the way for a Democrat. Despite the rhetoric from her political opponents (you know, the ones she's defeated), she has Republican interests at heart.

If anything, win or lose, she's already paved the way for Joe Birkett, Lisa's 2002 opponent, to be the next Republican cheerleader. Say what you will, that's not very pro-Madigan.

Anonymous,  12:04 PM  

Cal

If you had to release something that is bad news when would you do it? Friday afternoon of a long 4 day weekend when everyone is going out of town? The only better day would be Christmas eve! Very Clinton dministration like.

Both of those papers are the Saturday version, by the time people focus it will pass. Everyone knew there was an investigation into Blago by the feds this will be nothing in the campaign. Unless of course someone gets charged before the election.

Anonymous,  12:08 PM  

Downstater

Lisa teaming up? What are you talking about she released a letter telling her to back off! It proves the feds don't trust her to do any investigating of other Democrats! WOW not capable of doing her job what a endorsement. She can go back to consumer advocating

Cal Skinner 12:32 PM  

Joshua-

If Judy had the interests of fiscal conservatives at heart, she would pledge not to raise the income and sales tax.

She has steadfastly refused to make that pledge.

My prediction is that she will be praised as a "responsible Republican" when she signs the tax hike bill.

I certainly hope I am wrong, but nothing from her lips promises otherwise.

Anonymous,  12:46 PM  

Ya know what, Cal? You can fool the fans, but you aint fooling the players. If anything comes of this, it’ll be years before it happens. Today’s articles change nothing. We all knew that the feds were sniffing around.

If it were anyone other than Judy on the GOP ticket; I’d be more worried. She’ll lose in November.

People don’t care; it’ll be old news next week.

Cal Skinner 2:31 PM  

Well, deal "player," it does help explain the governor's relentless negative ads about Judy.

Anonymous,  2:41 PM  

hate to rain on your parade, but without an indictment, i still don't see how rod loses. he's raising money, judy's whining about a *common* campaign tactic, and fitzgerald doesn't have a history of caring about elections. i'd be shocked by an indictment before november 7. then, if one comes, you're talking about governor quinn, not judy, judy, judy!

the funniest thing is that voters still associate corruption with republicans in illinois.

as for the negative ads, what else can he do? he didn't exactly keep his campaign promises, his accomplishments are trivial and he's pissed off half the state. it's really the only campaign strategy available to him -- and it has a proven track record. it must be hurting topinka's fund-raising, or she wouldn't be whining...

Anonymous,  3:31 PM  

Mix the kool-aid any way you want, Cal. It aint gonna change the taste in the voter’s mouths when it comes to Judy. She hasn’t got what it takes to beat Rod.

Illinois is as blue as it can get. If the Democrats turn out, which they will, she’s roasted. The ticket looks real pretty in Chicago. Let’s see, Hynes, another Stroger, Dart, White, Blagojevich. Hmm, I think that you’ll see a big turnout in the city.

Don’t go popping any corks yet.

Anonymous,  4:49 PM  

“It is a very, very rare occasion when information like what came out yesterday is released to the public without accompanying indictments.”

Please, give all of us some examples, professor.

Everyone thought Rove was in the bag, he wasn’t.

Do you people have any idea when the feds subpoenaed hiring records for the Sorich investigation? It wasn’t months ago--it was years ago. That case is just now going to jury.

I believe that there is still an open investigation on Judy and her use of state workers for political work, while on the clock.

Now, that would just be a toot if something came down on that. Ya never know.

Anonymous,  5:02 PM  

Hey anonymous. You sound like a Blago sychophant. You should go outside. Its a nice day. And, I think you will have plenty of time to post on blogs starting, oh, let's say November.

Anonymous,  5:35 PM  

Anon. 12:46

People DO care. We have dreck for an administration in DC. The administration kowtows to big oil and big business while allowing a totalitarian government to form under the Bushites.

The state is no better. We have a bunch of sleazy, untrained, egotists and their cohorts selling off the state and filling their own pockets and those of their friends and relatives, while sticking the voters with the tab.

The only true patriots are those young people sent to the Middle East by a bunch of draft-dodgers. There are few examples for parents to give their kids to teach them about patriotism and leadership, like their parents taught them.

People are disgusted and frustrated both in the state and at the federal level. People DO care - they just feel paralized by deep-seated corruption that can't be gotten rid of
I hope no one votes for any incumbents!

Cal Skinner 7:35 PM  

I'll have something on voter turnout on McHenryCountyBlog.com on Sunday, anon 3:31 PM.

Anonymous,  9:00 PM  

dude, you need to settle into the rasta vibrations!

i expect there to be indictments, the question is how high they'll go. karl rove deceived a grand jury, was named public official A and not indicted. and fitzgerald began that investigation before the 2004 elections. he's considered *very* deliberate (some say slow), so rod could govern another four years and be in his florida retirement home before fitzgerald indicts!

as for the tribune, who reads it? it endorsed bush in 2004. did bush win illinois?

you're simply engaging in wishful thinking here. i'm just attempting to be objective and analytical. it's ok if you don't understand...

Anonymous,  9:59 PM  

i see you're not that familiar with rove. i can't say the same...

Anonymous,  10:25 PM  

This is trouble for Rod, but more likely to be down the road.

Judy's investigation is about as active as Mike Madigan's and Emil Jones'. In other words, not active and not going anywhere. Some may wish otherwise, but it was dropped three years ago.

Anonymous,  10:38 AM  

To bored now,
I'm an independent Illinois voter who, after reading about Hired Trucks, patronage abuse trials, City of Chicago mob connections, and the first fruits from multiple Blagojevich corruption investigations, doesn't associate corruption to only Republicans (and they absolutely have their share of corruption). In Illinois, corrupt politics knows no party boundaries, but if I had to put a party tag to it, I'd probably focus on the long and storied history of the Chicago democratic machine, and the continued abuses of city and state democratic leaders.

Maybe Illinois Democrat voters are so jaded to corruption in Chicago as to see it only in other places.

Anonymous,  11:20 AM  

in all my years of conducting and collating issues canvasses, i have never been surprised at what voters really think. the fact that they think something does not make it true, it merely helps us understand factors in their decision-making process...

Anonymous,  11:17 AM  

For those giving raving reviews to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, I urge you to re-read Mr. Fitzgerald's June 20, 2006 letter.

He clears lets her no that no matter where there investigation leads, even if it leads to her and her office, he expects full cooperation from her.

Read with discernment yall, Lisa Madigan is apart of the problem and may even be indicted.

Anonymous,  11:22 PM  

As a state employee,who has to work my 40 hours a week ,like you all do. Hey there are some hard working people in this State,and this Gov.(Blago) wants to take our pensions away!,He has done harm to the state by foolishly not paying the states share of our pensions,putting it off to the future,so the debt avalanches out of control. He has painted most of us Employees like Fat cat polititians who do nothing and get these great big fat pensions,Well it aint the truth from my end!
I have to work nights ,weekends and earn my vacations like everybody else,state employees do not recieve "Christmas bonuses" or anything like that,often we get paid less than our peers in corporate america. because we do qualify for the state's pension plan. Which we pay into ourselves and the state is supposed to pay their share! From my experience in 20 years of Civil service in this State,All I can see is Judy B Topinka is the lesser EVIL!

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