Maine 207 District Race: One Fatally Flawed Candidate Running Again

Over at West Cook News, they take the local journalist from the Journal & Topics to task for claiming that some are inserting partisan politics into a supposedly 'independent' election process.  It all stems from a few candidates having their nominating petitions challenged recently including a multiple-time loser (at least four-time loser, right?) Aurora Austriaco, who is complaining about someone having the gall to see if she followed the rules.  How dare they?!?!?

We say:  How dare Aurora Austriaco run for school board.  Doesn't she get it?  The voters don't want her.  She's a loser that keeps losing elections.  And, based on all the facts that are out there regarding her history (property taxes, missing meetings, pay-to-play with Blagojevich, being Speaker Mike Madigan's stooge), we're frankly surprised that she's decided to throw her hat in the ring again.

We're certain that the voters of Maine Township need to know the record of Aurora Austriaco and why anybody else on the ballot would make a better school board member than her!

Wheeler: Rod Got Too Many Years

Over on Illinois Review, they point to a post by Illinois Republican State Representative Barbara Wheeler on Facebook regarding Rod Blagojevich's 14 year sentence.  Wheeler - some might be surprised - argues that Rod didn't 'deserve 14 years'.

Screengrab via Illinois Review

 
With just hours left to go, will President Barack Obama shorten things up for former Governor Rod Blagojevich?  Not likely, right?

But one thing we *are* sure of is that Barbara Wheeler is probably right:  Rod got too many years.   Good on Wheeler for saying it publicly.

Having Guaranteed Customers Is the Problem With Schools

Over at the National Review, they've posted a cheekily-titled piece called: "How Dare Betsy DeVos Give American Families an Educational Choice" where they point out some of the things that fell out of Devos' confirmation hearing yesterday.  But it seems it all boils down to this:

School reform is a complex and multi-faceted issue, but there is at least one relatively clear divide between left and right: With few exceptions, the Left wants to improve and reform American education by doubling down on financial, moral, and intellectual support for public schools with a unionized work force; DeVos and other conservative reformers, by contrast, want to improve and reform education by introducing market competition and giving families as many viable educational options as possible.

Market competition.  That's big.  What businesses do you know that have "Guaranteed Customers"?  Meaning...customers they don't have to market-to or lure into their business?  Besides government.  And besides public schools?

There really aren't any.  And that's why schools are suffering.  They don't have to compete for students.   Maybe they will soon.  And that's a great start.

New Illinois House Republican Leadership for 2017

Just like we covered the leadership changes with the Illinois Senate Republicans yesterday, the House GOP has made some changes, too.

Over on their site, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin has announced his new team and they've posted a nice little grid of the new Leadership team:

• Chad Hays, Assistant Republican Leader
• Patti Bellock, Deputy Republican Leader
• Tom Demmer, Republican Caucus Chairman
• Mike Unes, Assistant Republican Leader
• Michael McAuliffe, Assistant Republican Leader
• David Reis, Assistant Republican Leader
• Norine Hammond, Assistant Republican Leader
• Bill Mitchell, Assistant Republican Leader
• Dan Brady, Deputy Republican Leader

Just 75 Days Until Municipal Elections

This is it, folks.

And, yes we know there's primaries in February in some places (hello, Aurora!).

But for most of us?  Our local government is being formed in just 75 days.

Let's get after it.

2017 IL Municipal ElectionsCountdown

Susana Mendoza's Priorities As Illinois Comptroller?

Over on Facebook, our newly sworn-in Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza just posted this doozy:

Curious use of the word 'official' in that post isn't it?  Either, she's just simply confused and didn't REALLY mean to say that one of her first 'official' events as the Illinois Comptroller is a fundraiser that she's throwing in her own honor...or....we, the taxpayers should interpret her use of 'official' to be a way of knowing her priorities.  As in....as the official IL Comptroller, she's officially jazzed to be able to raise boats of money for her campaign. 

Which do you think it is?  

New IL Republican Senate Leadership Announced

Over at the Illinois Review, they covered how Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno has rolled out her new(ish) leadership team.  Their post is here.  Great to see some fresh folks taking on new challenges down in Springfield.

Via Illinois Review


Serving as Senate Republican leadership for the 100th General Assembly are:

• Senator Bill Brady (44th District – Bloomington), Deputy Republican Leader
• Senator Dave Syverson (35th District – Rockford), Assistant Republican Leader
• Senator Sue Rezin (38th District – Peru), Assistant Republican Leader
• Senator Chapin Rose (51st District – Champaign), Assistant Republican Leader
• Senator Jason Barickman (53rd District – Bloomington), Assistant Republican Leader
• Senator Pam Althoff (32nd District – McHenry), Senate Republican Caucus Chair
• Senator Karen McConnaughay (33rd District – St. Charles), Senate Republican Whip

Attention Tammy Duckworth Team: It's Baghdad, Not Bagdad

You'd think that the staff at Tammy Duckworth's US Senate campaign would catch something like this:  the spelling of Baghdad on her announcement.  After all, this moment is SOOOOOOOO central to the Tammy Duckworth story and campaign.  

You'd think they'd spell the city where the incident occurred properly.

But...alas...they didn't get it right.  From her campaign site comes this screenshot:

Fumbled announcement.  Spelling errors.  Seems like we're going to have plenty to cover on this race.

Tammy Duckworth Fumbles US Senate Rollout

All this 'yes she is', 'no she isn't', doesn't portray the Tammy Duckworth for United States Senate campaign in the best light.  Clearly...NOT the *worst* campaign rollout (ahem...Mike Frerichs), but not a good start for her campaign.  Why would you give her dough when she can't even get this straight?

Rich Miller, over at CapitolFax, labels this fumbled campaign announcement 'somewhat odd' and we have to agree.

Duckworth, will be facing off against Senator Mark Kirk - who is seeking re-election.  We'll be watching the Duckworth/Kirk race closely as we hope it will give us as much material as the Frerichs for Treasurer race ever did.

For Shame, Rahm. Earmuffs On Election Day? Really?

As we all know, real men don't wear earmuffs, Mr. Mayor.

What were Rahm Emanuel's handlers thinking?  Sending him out to greet voters sportin' a sweet pair of 'muffs?  That's bad.

But, then boasting about it on Twitter?  Come on.  Haven't seen State Treasurer Mike Frerichs sporting them since last winter.  He learned his lesson.