10 Jan 2007

Attorney General Could Be on Both Sides of Legal Dispute

By Rich Miller

The Better Government Association (BGA) filed a lawsuit last week that could create lots of fireworks. The BGA wants to force Governor Rod Blagojevich to release federal grand- jury subpoenas his administration has been served between January and July of last year.

The BGA initially filed a Freedom of Information Act request last year to pry loose the subpoenas. The Blagojevich administration had made it a standard practice to disclose subpoenas until the feds started nosing around the governor's office itself about a year ago, then all cooperation stopped.

06 Dec 2006

Three Departing Legislators Did the Job Right

By Rich Miller

Political columnists usually focus on the dark side of politics, but indulge me today while I say goodbye to three of the best legislators I've ever had the pleasure to know.

All three are hard-working, honest pioneers. Senator Adeline Geo-Karis (R-Zion), born in Tegeas, Greece, was the first woman in Illinois history to become a member of Senate leadership. Senator Miguel del Valle (D-Chicago), born in Puerto Rico, was the first Latino elected to the Illinois Senate and the first Latino to make it to a leadership slot. Senator George Shadid (D-Peoria), born to immigrant parents from Lebanon, was the first Lebanese-American ever elected to the Senate and was also the first Lebanese-American to make it to a Senate leadership position.

Geo-Karis ("Geo" to her friends) lost her primary last spring, del Valle was appointed Chicago City Clerk last week (another Latino first), and Shadid is retiring.

31 Oct 2006

Feds Might Be Closing in on Governor

By Rich Miller

Corrupt political insider Stu Levine was hit with so many federal indictments earlier this year that he was literally facing a life sentence behind bars.

Last week, he copped a plea that will let him walk free after five years and seven months in what will probably be a minimum-security prison - in exchange for his cooperation.

We can discern one of two things from this: (1) Much of the federal case was weak, and letting Levine off relatively easy was a face-saving move by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald; or (2) Levine has agreed to help the feds reel in some very big fish and used that prospect to negotiate a much better deal.

24 Oct 2006

Gubernatorial Candidates in Uncharted Waters

By Rich Miller

We had yet another strange polling surprise when Rasmussen, a national pollster, decided to take another poll on the governor's race because its last one had been conducted just before Tony Rezko's indictment.

As expected, Governor Rod Blagojevich's support dropped since his pal, confidante, and mega-fundraiser was indicted by the feds. Blagojevich went from 49 percent in the pre-indictment Rasmussen poll down to 44 percent a week later. But Judy Baar Topinka's backing dropped even more, from 43 down to 36. Rod fell five and Judy fell seven. What the heck?

17 Oct 2006

Governor Appears Willfully Ignorant on Corruption Issue

By Rich Miller

As with George Ryan before him, I'm really finding it difficult to believe that Governor Rod Blagojevich is as clueless as he claims.

Blagojevich says he had absolutely no idea that Tony Rezko was up to no good. Rezko is a very close friend of the governor who raised millions of dollars for his campaign, put lots of people into important positions in Blagojevich's administration, and was a business partner with Mrs. Blagojevich for eight years.

10 Oct 2006

Special-Session Bid Reeks of Democratic Desperation

By Rich Miller

If you were wondering how worried House Speaker Michael Madigan is about election day, last week's special session gambit should have answered your question.

03 Oct 2006

Paper Should Clear Up Check Confusion

By Rich Miller

Governor Rod Blagojevich and his staff have attempted to muddy the waters on the question of that now-infamous $1,500 check from his friend by seizing on the flip-flopping of the friend's wife, Beverly Ascaridis.

Mrs. Ascaridis, you will recall, got a state job about the same time that her husband, Mike Ascaridis, wrote the governor a check for $1,500. The governor has admitted to directing his chief of staff to find Mrs. Ascaridis a job, but claims that the check was for his daughter Amy's college fund. He has so far refused to provide any supporting documentation that the check was ever deposited into a college fund, however.

26 Sep 2006

Lots of Questions but Few Answers on Federal Investigations

By Rich Miller

If you think Governor Rod Blagojevich gets bad press now, imagine how harsh the coverage would be if we knew what he was hiding.

For instance, we know from sources that the governor's own office and his various agencies have been served with dozens of federal subpoenas involving countless criminal allegations, but Governor Blagojevich won't even confirm receiving a subpoena. He won't say how many subpoenas he's received. He won't say what the FBI is looking for.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan is supposed to issue a legal opinion on whether the governor has to comply with reporters' Freedom of Information Act requests on the subpoenas. As of this writing, though, her office has been silent.

12 Sep 2006

With a Stacked Deck Against Her, Topinka Hangs on

By Rich Miller

After spending millions of dollars on unanswered television ads, Governor Rod Blagojevich has only an eight-point lead over Judy Baar Topinka, according to the latest poll.

The Research 2000 poll of 800 likely voters was conducted August 28 through 31 and had a margin of error of 3.5 percent. The poll found that Blagojevich was leading Topinka 47-39.

05 Sep 2006

Democrats: Prepare to Be Tarred with Blagojevich

By Rich Miller

As President George W. Bush's job-approval ratings continue to slump, Republican incumbents almost everywhere are running away from him as fast as they can. It's gotten so bad that even U.S. Representative Tom Reynolds, the chairperson of the National Republican Congressional Committee, doesn't have the word "Republican" on his campaign Web site's front page.

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