Illinois GOP

Manzullo: Islam Is A "Savage Religion"

Adam Doster — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:05:27 -0800

The rhetoric offered up by the Illinois GOP in response to the proposal to transfer detainees from Guantanamo Bay to the Thomson Correctional Center in Northwest Illinois has so far been irrational and irresponsible. After all, Illinois already houses 35 inmates arrested on terrorism charges. Since put behind bars here, they have gone "totally unnoticed," writes the Tribune editorial board today. "They have shown there are no special risks from confining suspected terrorists in the Land of Lincoln."

Responding to the rash letter penned by GOP Rep. Mark Kirk and signed by numerous Illinois Republicans, the Sun-Times editorial board adds:

What troubles us is the fear-mongering among those who oppose the plan -- beginning with U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, whom we once viewed (and repeatedly endorsed) as a moderate and thoughtful fellow.

Kirk and other excitable Illinois Republicans are warning that Illinois "will become ground zero for jihadist terrorists plots." Can we get real here?

But none of the comments were more unreal -- and reprehensible -- than those from U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, whose congressional district includes the Thomson prison. Speaking to WREX about the plan to sell the facility to the federal government, Manzullo said of the detainees, "These are really, really mean people whose job it is to kill people, driven by some savage religion." Watch it:

A "savage religion," Rep. Manzullo? Care to say that to the face of any of the 2.35 million Muslims currently living in America, thousands of whom serve in the military that carries this country's flag into battle? Or how about the 1.57 billion Muslims worldwide, the vast majority of whom practice peacefully and reject Islamic extremism?

Granted, horrible acts have been carried out in the name of Islam. But the same is true of Christianity. Yet somehow we don't think we'll hear Rep. Manzullo using inflammatory generalizations to describe that particular religion.

(H/T commenter "Marcus Agrippa")

The GOP Loses It Over Thomson/Gitmo Plan

Adam Doster — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:49:49 -0800

Illinois' prison system is finally making major headlines. But not for the reasons we had hoped.

Over the weekend, the White House announced that the near-empty Thomson Correctional Center in rural northwest Illinois has emerged as a potential candidate to house terrorism suspects from the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Federal officials, at the behest of the White House, are scheduled to inspect the facility today. Gov. Pat Quinn and Sen. Dick Durbin will hold a series of press conferences outlining the potential plan, which they argue would spur the local economy. If approved, the federal government would purchase the 1,600-cell, maximum-security prison and fill it with regular inmates. They would then set aside a section for the less than 100 Gitmo detainees as a way to help close the controversial prison in Cuba.

Yesterday, like clockwork, GOP lawmakers pounced on the issue, unleashing a barrage of attacks on Quinn and the White House for even considering such a move.

In a letter signed by the seven-member GOP congressional delegation, Rep. Mark Kirk warned that "our state and the Chicago Metropolitan Area will become ground zero for Jihadist terrorist plots, recruitment and radicalization." Not to be outdone, Rep. Peter Roskam suggested that 'terrorists have no place on American soil." Rep. Judy Biggert added a similar thought, suggesting that "these detainees pose a unique threat to America's security" and they should be "kept away from our shores, and far from America’s heartland." Later this morning, Kirk, Roskam, Biggert and Rep. Don Manzullo will air their grievances at a joint press conference. And they've already circulated a petition calling on President Obama to "stop Al Qaeda terrorists from coming to Illinois." Even two Republican gubernatorial candidates, Dan Proft and Andy McKenna, got in on the action, the former releasing a statement that calls the plan "a terrible idea that threatens the safety of Illinois residents" and the latter telling the press he opposed "efforts to move Gitmo detainees to our neighborhoods."

This is a serious issue that deserves serious scrutiny. For example, AFSCME Council 31, which represents Illinois prison guards, is angry that the state would sell off Thomson instead of using it to ease overcrowding at the state's maximum security prisons. But before pols get all hysterical, it's important to understand what exactly is being proposed.

Here are a few facts. (Capitol Fax has a helpful compendium of links that offer some context.)

First, Roskam is just flat-out wrong when he said that terrorists "have no place on American soil." In fact, many are currently residing in U.S. prisons. Federal facilities currently house 216 international terrorists and 139 domestic terrorists. Thirty-five of those inmates are housed in Illinois. U.S. Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Traci L. Billingsley says that none of them have ever escaped. And Durbin -- one of only six senators to vote to fund the closure of the Guantanamo detention facility -- made a salient point on the Senate floor in May: Those who think our prisons can't handle these detainees "ought to have a little more respect for the men and women who are corrections officers."

It's also very important to remember that these detainees would be isolated from the general population. Other high-security prisoners would have no contact with these terrorists. No words would be exchanged and no ideologies discussed. They will be monitored very closely. Perhaps that's one reason why locals aren't too nervous about accepting the transfers.

Kirk will be sure to flaunt his military expertise at the press conference today, warning that he truly understands that threats posed by the Thomson proposal. But his inflated rhetoric on this issue proves he doesn't care about subtlety or thoughtful policy when a political point can be gained.

"It's hard not to wonder if these guys are even listening to themselves," writes Steve Benen. "Locking up terrorists is bad for security? Federal prisons are 'ground zero for Jihadist terrorist plots'? It's like listening to children."

Four GOP Guv Candidates Deny Evidence Of Man-Made Climate Change

Adam Doster — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:28:22 -0800

It's no secret that Illinois conservatives hate the Democrats' cap-and-trade legislation with a passion. Indeed, their intense opposition is likely what led U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk to backtrack from his earlier support for the House climate bill. So it's not surprising that the Republicans running for governor in Illinois would express reservations about the proposal in front of a packed "tea party forum" in Homer Glen last night.

But the GOP candidates didn't simply criticize cap-and-trade as the wrong way to address climate change -- four of them denied that humans have even contributed to global warming.

When asked whether they believe "climate change is caused by human activities," State Sens. Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale) and Bill Brady (R-Bloomington), DuPage County Board Chair Bob Schillerstrom, and commentator Dan Proft responded by rejecting that premise. Watch thevideo (pardon the shaky camera work):

Apparently Proft thinks that the 2,500 scientists and other climate experts who make up the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) qualify as "enviro-terrorists." In 2007, they wrote their first report on the physical science of global warming. They found that the evidence of climate change is "unequivocal" and it is 90 percent certain that the "net effect of human activities since 1750 has been one of warming." The IPCC further warned that, without taking serious steps to curb emissions, devastation awaits.

With displays like this, it's no wonder the Republican Party can't gain ground in Illinois.

IL-GOV: The McKenna/Murphy Combo

Progress Illinois — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:35:53 -0700

Some interesting news on the GOP side of the 2010 contest: Capitol Fax and others confirm that former state Republican Party chairman Andy McKenna has announced that he will run for governor with State Sen. Matt Murphy as his running mate. In recent months, Murphy had been ramping up a gubernatorial campaign of his own, but apparently was convinced by McKenna to lower his sights to lieutenant governor.

So what do we know about McKenna? Well, in attempting to trump up allegations of voter fraud in Lake County last October, he shamelessly advanced the false claim that a goldfish had been "registered to vote" there. He also has a knack, in Aaron Chambers' words, for "taking rhetoric to an extraordinary height." Case in point: At the state fair last year, he suggested that the Democratic infighting in Springfield is "more outrageous" than the struggle over slavery during Abraham Lincoln's time. The quote:

“Abraham Lincoln was famous for his House Divided speech. If he were here today, he would have to tell a story of a house divided that’s even more outrageous than the one that lived in his time.”

This may give us some idea of what to expect from his gubernatorial campaign.

Health Care Round-Up: Durbin Says Public Plan Still An Option, Senate To Unveil Bill, IL GOP's Anti-Reform Talk

Adam Doster — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:21:52 -0700

Durbin: The Public Option Is Not Dead

Is the public option dead in the U.S. Senate? Not according to Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, who denied moderator David Gregory's assertion on NBC's Meet the Press yesterday that votes in the upper chamber aren't there to pass a bill that includes a government-run health insurance plan. Watch it:

At the beginning of the clip, Durbin also says that he "can't presume any Republican senators at this point" will support the reform bills working through the Senate. Even though Democratic senators went well out of their way to include the GOP in their negotiations, it's become painfully obvious that the minority has no real interest in compromise. Even the two most open-minded Republican lawmakers, Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, are backing away from the table. Over the weekend, both expressed reservations about a public option trigger, which was Snowe's idea in the first place. "There's nothing wrong with moving toward a compromise," blogs Ezra Klein today. "The problem comes when the compromise starts moving, too."

Medicaid Expansion And State Budgets

The other big news in the Senate is that Sen. Max Baucus' Finance Committee's will release its long-anticipated reform bill Tuesday. The Hill reports that there are still a few bugs to be ironed out, including a key issue we've written about before: Medicaid expansion. One of the Democrats' primary mechanisms for expanding coverage is raising the threshold on Medicaid eligibility to include anyone earning 133 percent of the federal poverty level or less. In Illinois, that provision would provide insurance to an estimated 500,000 additional adults. The only problem is payment. Because state governments finance up to 43 percent of Medicaid and can't deficit spend, requiring them to add more people to the public rolls could put too much stress on their already beleagured budgets.

After compromising with the fiscally-conservative Blue Dog Democrats, who wanted states to carry a heavier burden so the price tag of their bill could be lowered, House leaders agreed to shoulder the additional cost in the short-term as long as states would agree to foot 7 percent of the bill in future years. But Baucus originally had a different plan in mind, agreeing to pay for the total expansion for five years and then revert to the common 57/43 percent funding formula. After the (justifiable) protestations of governors nationwide, Baucus now seems to be hedging. Igor Volsky explains at the Wonk Room:

Today, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) hinted that he has worked out a deal in which “the Medicaid costs with expansion are not going to cost states nearly as much as was originally feared.” The Committee is hoping to expand the program to all Americans below 133% of the federal poverty level (FPL) and cover approximately 1/3 of the uninsured.

We'll find out more specifics tomorrow. But this is an encouraging development.

GOP Reps In DuPage

At a health care rally in DuPage County's Villa Park this weekend, Republican congressmen made a point of bashing the president's push for reform. Press reports indicate that Reps. Judy Biggert, Mark Kirk, and Peter Roskam all hit on their usual talking points: Roskam warned that the public option represents a" big-government attempt to control our lives"; Kirk pushed malpractice reform and interstate health insurance pools; and Biggert blamed the president for failing to reach across the aisle. But the language Biggert used was particularly inflammatory and misleading. From the Daily Herald:

"The president had an opportunity to start anew, but he didn't," said Biggert, a Hinsdale Republican. "Instead, he delivered an eloquent speech full of myths."

Biggert said that contrary to what Obama said, the reform plan would add more than $200 billion to the national deficit, endanger citizens' freedom to choose their own doctors and make it easy for illegal immigrants to receive taxpayer-subsidized health insurance.

It's just demonstrably false that the undocumented will receive "taxpayer-subsidized" insurance under the current bills, even if it is good policy to provide it. And coming from Biggert, who intentionally distributed literature to constituents that contained massive distortions about "end-of-life euthanasia," it's tough to take.

A Shallow Pool

Adam Doster — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:38:14 -0700

Over the weekend, Illinois Review posted a series of short interviews with five prospective GOP gubernatorial candidates asking how each would solve Illinois' budget crisis. As you might expect from Republicans fighting it out in a primary, all five advocated in favor of holding the line or cutting tax rates. They also blasted the Democrats for what they characterized as out-of-control spending. But when it came to specifics, the candidates largely violated what we refer to as the "Civic Fed Rule"; i.e, they failed to sufficiently explain how they would close an estimated $10 billion deficit next year.

You can head over to Illinois Review to watch all of the videos (excluding Sen. Matt Murphy, who didn't participate). In the meantime, we've transcribed excerpts from each segment where the candidates provided the most specificity. Here's what they had to say:

Sen. Kirk Dillard:

We are going to manage this state. We’re going to get a handle on Medicaid, which is now our state’s largest expenditure by cracking down on fraud. I’ve just spend two different sessions with former Speaker Newt Gingrich of the United States House … And Speaker Gingrich believes that 10 percent of all Medicaid is fraud. It’s our state’s largest expenditure and I’m going to work with my colleagues like Sen. Dale Righter of Matton and certain professionals to manage the care we are doing in Medicaid.

Let's just entertain the unsubstantiated claim that 10 percent of Medicaid spending in Illinois constitutes waste. After all, it's not like some abuse doesn't occur. In 2007, the state spent $12.6 billion on the program. Trimming the program by 10 percent would net the state an additional $1.26 billion in revenue -- a substantial number, but not nearly enough to cover the state's bills.

Sen. Bill Brady:

I’ll give you one example. Recently, Gov. Quinn has attacked our correctional institutions and he has attacked the very front-line workers, the correctional workers throughout the state, when really he should be addressing the political patronage, high-paid jobs that he and Gov. Blagojevich put in place in the Department of Corrections … And there’s positions running rampant. We’ve called for Gov. Quinn to fumigate those high-paid appointees, not only because the resources could be better spent at levels of entry or lower levels in terms of salary but because it’s time to do away with the politics of corruption and the political patronage associated with the Blagojevich/Quinn years.

We don't disagree that some of these political appointees can be fired. But there are only about 1,600 employees who earn more than $70,000 on the state payroll. Eliminating half -- as Democratic candidate Dan Hynes proposed yesterday -- will only save about $100 million dollars.

Bob Schillerstrom:

Well the first thing I’d do is quit talking about raising taxes. You know, the first thing we really hear coming out of Gov. Quinn’s mouth is that he wants to have this big income tax increase. And what I say to that is that’s the typical, Springfield easy way out. You raise taxes because then you don’t have to make any tough cuts.

Schillerstrom's interview was a bit shorter than the others, so there's a chance he expounded later in the conversation. If not, "tough cuts" is a pretty slim platform.

Dan Proft:

The second thing: statutory spending caps. No more politicians’ promises. No more hopes and dreams hoping that Springfield politicians will grow backbones and exercise some fiscal courage … Year over year, state spending -- by law -- cannot increase by any more than population growth plus inflation.

Proft deserves a bit more credit -- at least he proposes something concrete. Unfortunately, his solution won't work. Check out how a similar policy (PDF) enacted in Colorado damaged public services before voters loosened budget restrictions in 2005. Colorado ranked 47th in K-12 education funding by 2006, the state had eliminated all of its affordable housing and grant programs, and the percentage of low-income Colorado children who lack health insurance rose from 15 percent in 1991-92 to 27 percent in 2002-03.

Adam Andrezjewski

A University of Illinois Chicago professor did a study of state spending. And he said 5 percent … is just out and out wasteful spending. That nearly, for fiscal year 2009, would balance the budget. This was another area to look … Another place that I think has been properly identified by the Republicans in the Senate caucus is to privatize Medicaid and Medicare delivery stystem. They said that could save $2-3 billion on the budget.

A quick Google search could not turn up the UIC report Andrezjewski cites. Nor is the report linked on his website, which is pretty comprehensive compared to those of his colleagues. And the claim that privatizing Medicaid could save $3 billion has been widely dispelled, including by the Taxpayer Action Board, which pegged the potential savings at $100 million.

2010 Grab Bag: Giannoulias Snags More Endorsements, Republicans Unravel, and Meet President Preckwinkle? (UPDATED)

Angela Caputo — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:11:00 -0700

Here's our latest roundup on 2010 political news ...

Giannoulias Snags More Endorsements

Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias racked up a few more endorsements this week, including one from the Illinois Democratic County Chairman’s Association (ILDCCA) on Wednesday. ILDCCA's President Alan Pirtle explained in a statement why the local chairs are ready to throw their political organizations behind his Senate primary campaign:

"We feel that Alexi Giannoulias has the vision, work ethic, and skill to lead efforts to invest in American jobs and American workers [and] not give tax breaks to companies that ship our jobs overseas from a seat in the United States Senate. He has shown tremendous commitment to the people of Illinois and their values such that he will serve all of Illinois in an effective and honorable way."

Meanwhile, the executive committee and 48 local affiliates of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) voted unanimously to back Giannoulias as well. In his endorsement, LIUNA Vice President and Midwest Regional Manager John Penn made it clear that labor hasn't forgotten how Giannoulias went toe-to-toe with Wells Fargo when the bank tried to liquidate Hartmarx, Inc. and send its employees packing. From a statement:

"When a bank that does business with our state threatened to pull the plug on 1,000 Illinois jobs, Alexi told them they could forget about managing $8 billion in state money. The bank relented and the jobs were saved because Alexi stood up for Illinois workers. That’s the kind of leader we need in the U.S. Senate."

UPDATE: Not all Democrats are convinced Giannoulias is the best candidate, according to Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed. Today, Sneed quotes an anonymous "top Dem" who says the party is trying to field Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart to run for the state's junior Senate seat. Stay tuned for Dart's response.

Biden Stumps For Halvorson

Framing the 2010 congressional election cycle as a crucial moment for President Obama's agenda to reform health care, the financial services sector, and environmental policy, Vice President Joe Biden stumped on behalf of Rep. Debbie Halvorson's (D-11th) bid to reclaim her seat Thursday afternoon. "If you're ever going to be in this business," Biden said at a Chicago fundraiser, "this is the moment."

Is Preckwinkle The "Last Candidate Standing?"

With most of the serious contenders for the Cook County Board presidency either dropping out or hedging on next year's race, Steve Rhodes asks if Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th Ward) might end up the "last candidate standing long before the race even arrives." He runs down the latest developments on his blog over at NBC and concludes:

It's still early, but it looks like the pieces are falling into place for a President Preckwinkle.

Go read the whole thing here.

The Republican Party Changes It's Face

Illinois Republicans tried to brush their intra-party squabbles under the rug during Republican Day at the state fair. But it wasn't easy to spin the surprise many felt Thursday when Republican Party Chair Andy McKenna abruptly stepped down from his post only to be quickly replaced by national committeeman Pat Brady.

Brady himself tried to downplay the leadership change, suggesting that nobody is really paying attention to politics now. "You know what, it's August," he told the Daily Herald. "Most people are on vacation. Most of the media is on vacation. The president is on vacation."

State Senator Matt Murphy apparently disagrees with his new party chair. That morning, the GOP gubernatorial hopeful launched an attack ad against his presumptive campaign rival in the Republican primary, state Sen. Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale). Yet the piece did not once mention his opponent by name. Watch the 60-second spot that's airing downstate:

Without GOP Support, Quinn Signs Voter Registration Extension

Adam Doster — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:30:00 -0700

The GOP loves to moralize about securing the sanctity of the electoral process. In Illinois, for example, Republicans in Lake County and in Springfield fought last year to protect against the scourge that is (non-existent) voter fraud. But when given the opportunity to extend voting rights, especially to communities largely excluded from the political process, they often stand in the way or simply sit on the sideline. A new bill Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law on Friday provides a great example.

Currently, state law requires that all registration applications be filed 29 days before Election Day. For the last five years, however, Illinois has offered potential voters a two-week grace period, during which someone who wants to participate but missed the original deadline can still sign up in person at the office of an election authority, usually the county clerk. HB 267 (now Public Act 96-0441), sponsored by Rep. Will Davis and Sen. James Meeks, extends that grace period one additional week, leaving only seven days between the final deadline and the opening of the polls.

Dan Johnson-Weinberger, who helped write the bill, originally thought it would have broad support. While the measure doesn't solve the systemic problems keeping some people from voting, election officials had no objections. And it certainly improves access for those who want a say in who governs their state and nation. And as Johnson-Weinberger asked in a blog post yesterday, "Who could oppose ending the practice of stopping citizens from voting just on principle?"

Well, the answer is the Republican Party. In the Senate, 22 nay votes (PDF) were recorded. In the House, 45 representatives (PDF) voted it down. Both roll calls were starkly divided along party lines. Weinberger described the rationale of the four Senators who voted against the bill in committee this past April. It's safe to project their justification onto the caucus more broadly:

The four Republican Senators (Dale Righter, Randy Hultgren, David Luechtefeld and Dan Rutherford) were united in opposition to the very concept that the legislature might limit the amount of time that the government denies citizens the ability to register to vote. That would lead on a very dangerous path, they said, to same-day voter registration. Besides, the idea of a herd of voters just showing up to vote that are presumably uneducated in not good government, they said.

Let's remember votes like these when Republicans whine about the need for government reform.

Roll Call: Local, National Republicans Frustrated With Kirk

Josh Kalven — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:47:55 -0700

Roll Call has an article [subscription required] up today on the frustration among some Republicans -- both at the national level and here in the Prairie State -- regarding Rep. Mark Kirk's indecisiveness on a potential U.S. Senate bid. A few quotes:

“I know the National Republican Senatorial Committee is very frustrated with Mark Kirk because he was being indecisive,” said a Republican source familiar with the situation. [...]

“The other story coming out of this is the mismanagement of Mark’s rollout,” [a separate Republican operative from Illinois] said. “The NRSC is in a bind because this was a recruitment victory for them. They were saying all along that Mark Kirk was who they wanted.” [...]

One county chairman from a rural part of the state requested a conference call with all of the state’s GOP county chairmen and the Congressman on Thursday. According to sources familiar with the conference call, numerous county chairmen throughout the state said they did not want to see Kirk run because of his vote for cap-and-trade legislation.

“I was not on the call, but my understanding was that it not go well,” an Illinois Republican said.

The article goes on to quote yet another anonymous operative asserting that the party will ultimately coalesce around Kirk. That should be fun to watch.

IL-SEN: McKenna Out If Kirk Is In

Josh Kalven — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:09:22 -0700

The "staring match" between GOP Rep. Mark Kirk and Republican state party chairman Andy McKenna seems to be over. Capitol Fax just posted this statement from McKenna:

“As Party Chairman my goal has been to build Party unity. Mark Kirk and I met last evening as part of an ongoing discussion about the U. S. Senate race. I reassured Mark that if he chooses to be a candidate, I will not oppose him.”

So what can we take away from this whole episode? Greg Hinz pretty much sums it up:

Mr. Kirk is coming across as one big indecisive baby, who won't run unless Lisa Madigan doesn't, and maybe won't run if Andy McKenna does. It's all pretty inside stuff. But Mr. Kirk is going to have to show a more solid face — and quickly — if he's to have any chance in what after all is a very blue state.