Judy Baar Topinka Endorsed By Chicago Tribune

Judy Baar Topinka joins Tom Cross in picking up the endorsement from the Chicago Tribune.  In her race for Comptroller against Sheila Simon here in Illinois, the Tribune commends her work and says she deserves four more years:

Republican Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka has served in the legislature and as state treasurer. She ran for governor in 2006 when Illinois, regrettably, re-elected Rod Blagojevich. She has served as a healthy check on Democrats' broad control of government. 

As comptroller, she has the duty of managing the checkbook of a state that is perpetually behind in paying its bills. People who provide services to the state tell us Topinka has done a good job assisting social service and health care providers that don't have deep pockets. They move to the front of the line for payments so deadbeat Illinois doesn't sink them. 

Topinka also deserves praise for transparency. She has instituted an online ledger of state finances that includes everything from employee salaries to state contracts.
...Simon presents some solid ideas on streamlining the comptroller's office. But then, Topinka makes a compelling case that she has streamlined. Theory, meet practice. Topinka is endorsed.

Tribune: Mike Frerichs Protects State Government Over Taxpayers

The Chicago Tribune calls out Mike Frerichs for voting record and sums it up thusly:

But Frerichs' record on state spending gives us pause. He voted to increase the state income tax, but he voted against the bipartisan pension reform bill that became law, voted against reducing state retiree health care costs and voted against closing costly and unnecessary state facilities. He does a better job of protecting state government than protecting state taxpayers.

(Emphasis, ours.)

Illinois can't afford a guy who does a better job of 'protecting state government than taxpayers'.

Illinois can't afford Mike Frerichs as our next State Treasurer.  

Tom Cross Endorsed By Chicago Tribune For Treasurer

Tom Cross - candidate for Illinois Treasurer - continues his string of endorsements from newspapers today with his fifth-straight endorsement:  The Chicago Tribune.

The Tribune picks Cross over Mike Frerichs and says that his record and experience are important assets he'll bring to the office of the Treasurer:

From the Tribune:

Treasurer Dan Rutherford ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary for governor. Democratic state Sen. Mike Frerichs and Republican state Rep. Tom Cross want to succeed Rutherford as treasurer. The Tribune today endorses Cross.

Cross is a collaborative leader who has promoted more efficient government and a lower burden on taxpayers. He would bring that perspective to the treasurer's office.

... But he, more than Frerichs, could be counted on to use the office to keep the pressure on reducing state government costs.

Over the course of his career he has been a consistent fiscal conservative and he has worked in bipartisan fashion. His overall record as House minority leader was admirable. We're confident he would protect taxpayers' investments and continue to push for lean, effective government.

Dick Durbin Hems & Haws On IRS In Front Of Trib Ed Board

US Senate Candidate Jim Oberweis had Senator Dick Durbin on his heels when it comes to Durbin's office involvement with the IRS as it relates to Karl Rove's Crossroads organization.

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin was caught lying today at the Chicago Tribune editorial board session when asked about his role in the IRS scandal.

Durbin was asked unequivocally whether he or his U.S. Senate staff had ANY contact with the IRS during the IRS scandal other than the well-publicized letter he wrote asking the IRS to target Crossroads GPS on Oct. 10, 2010. 

Durbin responded that there was no other correspondence upon questioning by opponent Jim Oberweis, a Republican state senator from Sugar Grove. 

Oberweis then produced an email from a Durbin staffer to an IRS staffer two days after the Crossroads letter. The email was first revealed by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in its June 16, 2014 report titled, "How Politics Led the IRS to Target Conservative Tax-Exempt Applicants for the Political Beliefs." 

"Dick Durbin flat-out lied to the Tribune editorial board. This is important because we don't know how deep Dick Durbin's role was in the IRS scandal that he himself characterized as reminiscent of the worst abuses of the Richard Nixon era," Oberweis said.

The Tribune Gets Cute With The Timestamp On Their Rahm Grass Story

Someone over at Tribune Tower working on the social team got cute yesterday and we're sure shared some giggles around the newsroom.

Posting their Mayor Rahm Emanuel decriminalize marijuana statewide piece on their Facebook Wall right at 4:20 pm was a nice touch.

Perfect Placement: Bruce Rauner Display Ad on Tribune Mobile Homepage

Those of you folks tuning into the new Chicago Tribune homepage on your mobile (BTW...what do you think of the new Trib site?  We're just getting used to it, but aren't in love...), you likely saw this perfectly placed 300x250 display ad right below a locked-down story about the race between Pat Quinn and Bruce Rauner for Illinois Governor.

It wasn't remarket-ed to us, as far as we can tell, so it is either contextually relevant or direct buy.  Nice work by the Rauner folks to show up at the right place/right time/with a strong message.  Especially for folks who aren't all into Tribune+.  They get locked out of the story...have a very convenient place to click right below.

David McSweeney and Darrin LaHood: Get Rid of the Lt. Governor NOW

In an opinion piece, State Representative David McSweeney and State Senator Darrin LaHood are out this morning calling on the Illinois Senate leadership (ahem...Senate President Cullerton) to put their proposed constitutional amendment up for a vote in the Senate.

From the piece:

To say that the state's No. 2 office is not exactly essential is an understatement. 

Last year, the Illinois House approved our proposed constitutional amendment to give voters the opportunity to eliminate the office of lieutenant governor. To get the amendment on the November ballot, the Senate has to pass the proposal by May 4. 

Voters will have the option in November to consider constitutional amendments dealing with victims' rights and voters' rights. Illinois law allows the legislature to place up to three constitutional amendments covering different sections of the Illinois Constitution on the ballot in each general election. Two amendments are already on the ballot. We urge our colleagues in the Senate to make our proposal to eliminate the office of lieutenant governor the third. 

Talk about a luxury we can no longer afford: Eliminating this unnecessary position in Illinois government could save the state approximately $2 million a year. 

The fact that a former occupant of the office left the position early because he was bored and another quit — on his second try — is a clear reminder that the office is not exactly a hotbed of activity. Other than being involved in the Rural Bond Bank of Illinois, the Illinois River Coordinating Council and the Illinois Main Street program, there is little the lieutenant governor has the authority to do. 

The time has come for the Senate leadership to put the proposed amendment up for a vote. Give voters a chance to dump the office on Nov. 4.

Now We Know How The Chicago Tribune Editorial Board Really Feels

All we have to do is look at the title of the page they've given their latest piece about Speaker Mike Madigan and his "Millionaire Tax".

Have a peek at what one of our readers saw in their browser this morning.  

They sent it over with the subject line:  "Subliminal messaging from the Ed Board?!?!"

For the record, if you move things around a bit (and not have as many tabs open as we normally do), you'll see it actually says:  "Kill Speaker Madigan's Millionaire Tax".  Not just "Kill Speaker Madigan".

Stantis: Governor Pat Quinn Will NEVER Be What Bruce Rauner Is...

Scott Stantis from the Chicago Tribune punches up Illinois Governor Pat Quinn's re-election message for him.

Illinois *Can Be* Next. With the Right Candidates

With their last megaphone (The Sunday Editorial pages) here, the Chicago Tribune tried to - once again - alert Illinois Republicans to take action on Tuesday.  

There's nothing but the future of our our party at stake, guys.

From the Tribune:  

If you're a Republican, though, Tuesday's election is about nothing less than the future of your party — and of Illinois. Democrats dominate Illinois politics because they've shaped messages that attracted the most voters. Given the state of this state — its economy, its public finances — many of those Democrats should be vulnerable. But Republicans haven't consistently offered voters strong candidates pushing strong alternatives to the status quo.

We couldn't agree more.  We're reminding voters to cast their ballots for these three on Tuesday.

Ron Sandack for State Representative
Ed Sullivan Jr. for State Representative
Doug Truax for United States Senate

Chicago Tribune's Eric Zorn on ILGOP: Stop Fighting Yesterday's War

We've long talked here on the Truth Team about how we 'grow' the ILGOP and how we're supporting candidates who are doing just that:  making moves to ensure the Republican Party in Illinois survives.  There are others who aren't interested in growing the party.

Those 'platform Republicans' as they like to be called would have the smallest, most pure Republican party that would surely win a ton of arguments but loose a ton of elections.

Using the Ron Sandack/Keith Matune slugfest as the prism to examine how the ILGOP can move forward, Chicago Tribune's Eric Zorn put (pardon the usage...) a 'fine line' on it:

What's pathetic is that all the righteous venom is in the service of an ultimately lost cause. Gay marriage is here, it's fast spreading beyond Illinois, and the sooner the so-called "pro-family" groups and perpetually seething activists who have focused their money and wrath on this DuPage County district get their minds around this fact and stop fighting yesterday's war, the sooner the GOP will emerge into the 21st century.

Robling And Zorn Write The Dan Rutherford Campaign 'Obituary'

In the past 24 hours, two pieces have been posted to two different, yet distinctly important outlets that have the same basic message:  The Dan Rutherford Campaign for Governor is coming to a close.

Those aren't our words here at the Truth Team.  We've consistently said that we're standing by Dan Rutherford's statement and we believe he's innocent until proven guilty.  To reinforce that, here's what we said weeks ago and still believe.  We're not trying to pile on here.

To be clear, Dan Rutherford has categorically denied any and all of the things he's been alleged to have done. We can only operate on that assertion from the Treasurer. We have to take and trust his word until this fully plays out. Innocent until proven guilt has never been more true - especially in light of the Governor's primary race playing out over the next four weeks.

Back to the two stories.  First, it was Chicago Tribune Columnist/Blogger Eric Zorn.  In a piece titled:  Poll Position, he lays out the case for Bruce Rauner winning the primary.

And yes, bombshells can detonate around campaigns, rendering previous opinion surveys obsolete. 

But so far the only bombshell in the 2014 GOP primary has been the federal lawsuit that a former employee filed earlier this week against third-place candidate Rutherford, alleging that Rutherford sexually harassed him and pressured him to do political work on government time. 

If Rutherford's popularity falls or if he withdraws from the gubernatorial race, it's by no means clear that all or most of the 13 percent of Republican voters who backed him in our recent poll will transfer their allegiance to Brady or Dillard. Rauner had the highest favorability rating in the field at 48 percent. 

History teases us with suggestions that it ain't over 'til it's over. 

But this one looks like it's over. 

The other piece was posted on the Illinois Review this morning.  Home to the conservative discussion on the web in Illinois, he byline'd piece entitled: "And Then There Were Three...".  If it wasn't the content in the post, it was the venue it was published.  If there is a touch-stone for the traditional conservative GOP operatives in Illinois, it is on the Review.  This lede can't help the Rutherford campaign pick up support amongst the activist base:

It is time for Dan Rutherford to internalize the fact that he will never be the Republican nominee for governor, let alone governor. 

It cannot be easy for him to do so, in fact, it is probably painful. For his many supporters, it must be a flattening disappointment. 

Such is politics, and Rutherford’s own choices.

Can Dan Rutherford and his campaign recover?  We think so.  For his sake and the amount of effort he's put into his political career, we hope so.  But it will probably take something else outside his campaign to drive Bruce Rauner down so he can move up?  Yeah....Probably.