Progress Illinois

Last fall, GOP Rep. Mark Kirk wasn't sure that Sarah Palin had the proper qualifications to serve as vice president. But apparently he thinks she has what it takes to help him wrap up his U.S. Senate primary bid.

According to the Washington Post's Chris Cilliza, Kirk recently penned a memo to Republican bigwig Fred Malek soliciting a formal endorsement from the former Alaska governor when she swings through Chicago to appear on Oprah Winfrey's television show:

After noting that Palin will be in Chicago later this month to appear on "Oprah", Kirk writes that "the Chicago media will focus on one key issue: Does Gov[ernor] Palin oppose Congressman Mark Kirk's bid to take the Obama Senate seat for the Republicans?"

Kirk goes on to write that he is hoping for something "quick and decisive" from Palin about the race, perhaps to the effect of: "Voters in Illinois have a key opportunity to take Barack Obama's Senate seat. Congressman Kirk is the lead candidate to do that."

The Chicago media's sole focus will be on whether Palin "oppose[s] Congressman Mark Kirk's bid to take the Obama Senate seat for the Republicans?"  Really?

The only explanation for this bizarre memo is that Kirk is genuinely worried that some conservative challenger might undercut his campaign before it gets off the ground, even though no one who fits that profile has yet emerged.  But is pursuing Palin's support really worth it?  After all, she is pretty darn unpopular outside the hardcore conservative base.

Moreover, his efforts to secure her endorsement represent yet another flip-flop. Indeed, Kirk initially praised John McCain's selection of a running mate last September, only to change his mind when it became clear that she was dragging down the Republican ticket, telling the Tribune editorial board that he would have picked someone else as a running mate.  Now we've come full circle.

UPDATE (2:47 p.m.): Here's a response from Democratic Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias:

Continue reading »

With polls showing Barack Obama running way ahead of John McCain in the 6th Congressional District, GOP Rep. Peter Roskam is rightfully worried about his reelection chances.  As such, he recently created an "Obama Voters For Roskam" website that features a cherry-picked compliment from the Illinois Senator, as well as testimonials from Obama supporters in the district.  We learned this week that Roskam has also produced numerous mailers playing up his relationship with Obama in the hopes of picking off some local Democrats on Election Day.

It's surreal to see, particularly considering Roskam's full embrace of McCain at the Republican National Convention back in early September.  For instance, at one of the Illinois delegation breakfasts that week, Roskam gushed about McCain and the stakes in this election -- describing the choice between the two presidential candidates as "foundational." Roskam also asserted that McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate "was brilliant" and extolled her "centeredness" and "ease with which she communicated."  Progress Illinois was there in Minneapolis to capture Roskam's remarks.  Watch it:

I wonder if Roskam would repeat that "brilliant" claim today, with numerous polls showing that doubts about Palin's preparedness are dragging down the GOP ticket. 

A meeting of the minds:

The Wall Street Journal has the full story.

Continue reading »

The Indianapolis Star is reporting that GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will be holding an event there this Friday:

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican nominee for vice president, will hold a rally in the Indianapolis area Friday.

Jennifer Hallowell, regional campaign manager for GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, said Saturday that details for Palin's "Road to Victory" rally are still being worked out. A venue has not been determined, but Hallowell said she expects doors to open at 1 p.m. and the program to begin at 3 p.m.

Continue reading »

I mentioned this CBS News interview with Sarah Palin last night in the context of the McCain campaign's efforts to postpone Friday's debate.  It appears that part of their play is to also postpone the vice presidential debate scheduled for a week later.  And looking at Palin's responses in the segment below, it's no wonder.  She's still resorting to stock answers whenever pressed for more detail -- first on the issue of campaign manager Rick Davis' lobbying, then on McCain's purported anti-Wall Street record.  Here's the video, via TPM:

UPDATE: CBS is planning to air more of the interview tonight.  And it just gets worse.

Here's Archpundit shortly after John McCain's announcement today that he is temporarily suspending his campaign and hoping to delay Friday's presidential debate until a bailout agreement is reached:

McCain wants to cancel Friday so they have to then make it next Thursday and we, unfortunately, will have to go without a VP Debate.

And here's CNN with the kicker:

Archpundit's response?  "I told you so."

Frankly, having just watched Palin's interview with CBS' Katie Couric moments ago, I'm not surprised that McCain is trying to buy her some more time. 

"Troopergate" just got a whole lot grimier.

Earlier this week, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told the press she would refuse to speak with an independent counsel about the abrupt firing of her public safety commissioner because the inquiry is "tainted" by Democrats. Let's bypass the obvious rebuttal -- that a majority of the panel are Republicans -- and get to the good stuff. Initially, it was believed Palin fired Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan because he refused to dismiss a state trooper who went through a nasty divorce with her sister. The McCain campaign and Palin responded that her efforts were not the result of any personal vendetta surrounding the trooper. Instead, they are now claiming Monegan was relieved of his duties because of insubordination on budget issues.

For what program was Monegan so interested in securing funding? Talking Points Memo's Zachary Roth has the details:

[I]t now appears that the program in question is one that most elected officials would be wary of admitting they hadn't strongly backed. According to Peggy Brown, who heads the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Monegan wanted to use the federal money to hire retired troopers and law enforcement officials, and assign them to investigate the most egregious cases of sexual assault -- including those against children.

In other words, if Palin's new story is true, she fired Monegan for being too aggressive in going after child molesters.

So let's get this straight ...

Continue reading »

In an interview on WGN's Spike O'Dell Show yesterday, Gov. Rod Blagojevich expressed his support for Barack Obama, but also chided Democrats for questioning Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin's experience. He said: "It's an executive position. And it's a position that is like what you’re going to do when you're president," adding: "[G]overnors make decisions, and I think it's a tactical mistake for the Democrats to question Gov. Palin's experience when she's been a governor of a state." Listen here (courtesy of the Tribune):

Internal mp3

Blagojevich suggests that by raising questions about Palin's experience, Democrats are somehow denigrating gubernatorial experience in general as a prerequisite for the presidency. But that misses a crucial distinction at the heart of the Democratic criticism -- the distinction between a two-year governor deciding to run for president well in advance of the election and a two-year governor being tapped as a running mate nine weeks before voters go to the polls.

Continue reading »

Most Alaskans would call it progress. But when then-Mayor Sarah Palin found out in 2000 that a new state law required her town of Wasilla -- rather than the victims -- to cover the cost of rape kits, local officials blasted the policy as just too expensive. Here's what Wasilla Police Chief Charlie Fannon told the local newspaper at the time, according to a McClatchy report:

"In the past we've charged the cost of exams to the victims insurance company when possible. I just don't want to see any more burden put on the taxpayer," Fannon said.

The additional cost of having to supply the rape kits, the Wasilla Police Department estimated, came to between $5,000 and $14,000 a year. In a conference call with reporters today, former Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles confirmed that the 2000 bill was, in fact, spurred by Wasilla's policy. From McClatchy:

Eight years ago, complaints about charging rape victims for medical exams in Wasilla prompted the Alaska Legislature to pass a bill - signed into law by Knowles - that banned the practice statewide.

"There was one town in Alaska that was charging victims for this, and that was Wasilla," Knowles said.

While the print outlets have begun reporting on this issue, it's yet to get much play on the cable networks.  Appearing yesterday on MSNBC, our own Rep. Jan Schakowsky did her part to change that.  Video after the jump.

Continue reading »

Yesterday, WTTW's Chicago Tonight hosted a discussion on how the blogosphere is affecting the presidential race with two prominent local bloggers: DailyKos contributing editor Georgia Logothetis (aka "Georgia10") and Townhall.com's Guy Benson. Interestingly enough, when asked whether liberal and conservative blogs were simply extensions of the two presidential campaigns, Benson disagreed and took the opportunity to disavow the McCain campaign's suggestion that Obama "called Sarah Palin a 'pig.' " 

Then, at the very end of the segment, Marin asked both bloggers to quickly explain the next "hot issue" on their respective sites.  Logothekis responded: "The hot issue is the fact that Sarah Palin is a liar.  Period.  She keeps repeating the Bridge to Nowhere lie and the traditional media finally picked up with it."  Watch it:

It's too bad Georgia didn't get more time to speak her mind on Palin.  Nonetheless, it was refreshing to hear someone on the mainstream local airwaves call a spade a spade.