The Little Red Porsche in the Illinois Governor's Race

Has to be tough for a candidate when one of the top reporters covering the race can't even seem to manage to get his story straight.

In a question in last night's debate, the four candidates were asked what their biggest 'splurge purchase' has been.

From the Quad City Times:

The four Republican candidates running for Illinois governor are revealing their biggest personal purchases during a campaign that's focused largely on the state's fiscal problems. 

Businessman Bruce Rauner says he splurged during a trip to Italy and bought his wife a nice dress. State Treasurer Dan Rutherford says his home in Chenoa. State Sen. Bill Brady says he bought his wife a red Porsche convertible, while state Sen. Kirk Dillard says his was a crystal chandelier.

The Sun-Times Natasha Koreki took note of the Brady purchase.  And Tweeted it.

 And...if you look closely, you'll see that she got an enthusiastic Re-Tweet from her editor Jim Kirk.

The problem?  Pat Brady isn't running for Governor.  That would be Bill Brady.

Sun-Times: "Rutherford’s Reasoning on Withholding Report Doesn’t Hold Water"

Photo from Robert Feder's column on political reporting

Natasha Koreki - who 'Expert Chicago Media Watcher' Robert Feder pointed to as a key asset for the Sun-Times in a story this week about the expansion of political coverage in the mainstream media - is really putting the screws to Governor's Candidate Dan Rutherford.

Rutherford’s reasoning on withholding report doesn’t hold water http://t.co/SR2uAMqSnT via @suntimes #TWILL
— natasha korecki (@natashakorecki) February 14, 2014

She's been all over this Rutherford story (and the entire 2014 campaign like nobody else at the Sun-Times) from day one.   And, unfortunately for the Rutherford campaign, the political beat she's currently on isn't her first assignment.

What did she cover before state government and politics?  Federal Court for 8 years.  She knows what happens in terms of press conferences and federal litigants.  Good for her.  Not great for the campaign, we're thinking...

From her piece where she's doing her job as a journalist and not letting the campaign, nor the attorney off the hook easily:

Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford’s reason for not releasing a taxpayer-funded report looking into sexual harassment allegations just doesn’t track. 

“There is a federal lawsuit that has been filed — under federal rules, we are not supposed to be talking to the whole world about the case — we are supposed to be talking about it in the courtroom,” Rutherford attorney Peter Andjelkovich told me last night. 

I told him I’ve covered federal court for more than eight years — and watched litigants routinely hold press conferences on their cases. 

“Then you’re familiar with federal rules?” he asked, following up that federal judges may slap a gag order on parties in a case for talking. 

You mean like Rod Blagojevich? He talked and talked for years before his trial. 

We aren’t even that far along in the Rutherford case yet.

Has Spelling Criticism Become The New "Attack Ad"

We've been known for throwing around a post or two about spelling and grammar errors, and it looks like that hasn't gone unnoticed.  Could we here at the Truth Team have started a trend?!?

Governor's candidate Bill Brady seems to be trying that line of attack against Speaker Madigan.

From Natasha Koreki of the Sun-Times:

RT @natashakorecki: @Bill_Brady "I said we need pension reform before Mike Madigan knew how to spell it." // Updates: http://t.co/EL4mmVyMfn
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) February 4, 2014

Our tongue is firmly planted in our cheek.  But if people want to keep talking about politicans and spelling, we're game!