Democrats insist party unity remains, even as tradition is broken

By Jamey Dunn

Illinois Democrats stuck to the script of party unity today during annual political events centered on the state fair, even as primary rivals gave dueling speeches and the state party chairman, House Speaker Michael Madigan, was nowhere to be found.

Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton recently sued Gov. Pat Quinn over his veto of the funds for lawmakers’ salaries. “It’s something that will be resolved in court. It’s in litigation right now. It’s a major constitutional issue. And we have a resolution probably in a month, and we’ll now what the court says,” Cullerton said this morning at the party's annual breakfast. Cullerton and Madigan have argued that Quinn’s veto of lawmakers’ pay sets a dangerous precedent that would give the governor too much power over legislators. But in his speech at the breakfast, Cullerton likened the dust-ups among members of his party to the arguments he and his eight siblings had as children. “You’re still in a family. There’s never any doubt that you’re all in it together. That’s true of the Democrats. We share the same goals and the same values.”

Madigan was notably missing from the day’s festivities. When asked about the absence, Cullerton said on his way into the event that he was not aware the speaker was not attending. Quinn brushed aside the idea that the powerful House speaker was snubbing him. “I don’t know why he’s not here. But I talked to him this week, and I think he’s fired up and ready to go for [the] 2014 [election],” Quinn said. A call to Madigan's spokesman for comment was not returned.

Musicians sit behind Quinn on the stage that has held party leaders in past years.

Sen. Andy Manar, a Bunker Hill Democrat, got a joke in about the pay freeze as he gave his speech this morning. “I saw some of my colleagues here this morning enjoying their breakfast, but I don’t think you got the memo from the governor’s folks that you’re not allowed to eat until there’s pension reform.”

But the digs that Quinn and primary opponent Bill Daley traded in each of their speeches were far from lighthearted. Daley painted Quinn as an ineffective leader and a candidate who can’t win the general election. “We have a pension crisis and a job crisis. Our most serious crisis is the crisis of confidence in Springfield’s ability to get things done.” Daley touted his experience and the connections he made while working with former President Bill Clinton and President Barack Obama “We need a leader who can call business people and labor leaders throughout the country and the world to build support for investment and job creation here in Illinois.”

Meanwhile, Quinn pointed the finger at “bankers” and “big shots” for wrecking the country’s economy. Daley has worked in the banking industry — job experience that he mentioned in his own speech.  Quinn closed his remarks with a populist appeal that has become one of his signatures on the stump. “There may be some things you haven’t agreed with me over the last four years on, but I think everybody agrees that I work as hard as I can every single day for the common good and the public interest, and that’s what we need in a governor,” he said. “We need somebody who understands everyday people, who knows how to work together with folks who don’t have lobbyists in Springfield, who don’t have necessarily big-shot friends. But they understand that they’re the heart and soul of America. They volunteer for tour military. They work hard on their job. They’re raising their kids. That’s what Illinois is all about, and that’s how we’re going to make the will of the people the law of the land.”

Quinn was greeted by enthusiastic applause and cheers from the crowd of Democratic county officials and other party members. In contrast, Daley was met with measured applause that came across as more of a courtesy than an endorsement. Daley said the reaction did not worry him. “It’s Springfield. He’s ... got a lot of people that work for the state,” Daley said after the speeches. “I think there may be a lot of people who obviously have known or worked for Pat, or work for Pat now or over the years, and they’re appreciative of those jobs.” He called Quinn unelectable in the general race. “Pat Quinn will not win if he’s the nominee of Democratic Party.”

Quinn said that many did not believe he could win in 2010, and he plans to use a similar strategy to pull off a victory next year. “I won an election in the primary in 2010, and I won again in the general election in 2010. There were a lot of folks who counted me out, but I won the election because I had everyday people on my side. And I’ve been doing that my whole life. That’s the only way you run an election: You organize your supporters and the people of Illinois and I think that we can come through again.”

Both Quinn and Daley could face another primary opponent. Chicago Democratic Sen. Kwame Raoul is considering jumping into the race. Raoul had planned to make a bid for Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s job if she ran for governor, but Madigan has decided to stay put. Raoul said people have been reaching out to him about the possibility of challenging Quinn. “There are a lot of people asking me the question, and so I have to consider those questions that are being asked, quite frankly, from all over the state.” He said the idea of running is new. “I didn’t enter this year, I didn’t enter this summer, I didn’t enter this month thinking that I was going to be running for governor or even considering running for governor.” Raoul said he thinks some people want more “options” in the primary.

Raoul and Quinn have publicly disagreed about some of Quinn’s recent headline grabbing moves, such as trying to use his veto pen to rewrite a bill dealing with concealed carrying of firearms. The General Assembly voted to override Quinn’s changes. “I like him as a person. I just wish he would embrace a different leadership style," Raoul said of the governor.

Raoul has been a key player in some of the biggest pieces of legislation to come out of the General Assembly in recent years, including the abolition of the death penalty and concealed carry legislation. He is now the chairman of a special committee working to hammer out an agreement on changes to public employee pension systems that can pass in both legislative chambers. He said that job comes first. “The top priority is pension reform. It’s the most important issue that our state is facing.”

Raoul said he does not want his political considerations to interfere with the committee’s work. “It’s a very delicate balance. You don’t want to do anything to undermine the work that we’ve done in a bipartisan, bicameral basis.” He said that there is a possibility that the committee’s timeline on presenting a recommendation to lawmakers could keep him from running for higher office. “There are time challenges, and certainly I anticipate the conference committee will be coming out with something soon,” he said. “We’ve moved the ball way forward from where we were as a legislature at large in a stalemate in June.”

Cullerton said that he has talked to Raoul about a potential bid for governor but is not encouraging him one way or the other. He said that he expects that neither he nor Madigan will endorse any primary candidate. But he said he does think that Raoul is up to the job. “Kwame’s very capable. He’s qualified to be the governor. There’s no question about it.” Raoul said he will not run unless he thinks he can be a viable candidate. “I wouldn’t put myself out there on a political suicide run.”

So far, Quinn has not received endorsements from any prominent Democrat — not even Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon, who will not be Quinn’s running mate for 2014. Simon’s own race for the state comptroller office got a little bit easier today when her primary opponent, Will County Auditor Duffy Blackburn, announced in his speech this morning that he was suspending his campaign and endorsing her for the office. There are no other Democrats running for comptroller, but Simon faces a difficult race against well-liked and well-funded incumbent Judy Baar Topinka.

Instead of giving more stage time to a group of Democrats who have not endorsed him, and potentially even his challengers, Quinn opted to break tradition at the Governor’s Day rally at the Illinois State Fair after the breakfast. The governor made a brief speech, and the rest of the time was filled with musical acts and entertainment. Historically, party leaders have given speeches at the event. However, their addresses were often just shorter versions of the remarks they gave at the morning event.  Quinn said that the political breakfast, which lasted about three hours today, provides plenty of time for public speaking. “I don’t think we need to double up on political speeches at the state fair,” he said. “I think it’s a great opportunity to have fun.”

Despite vetoes, gaming supporters still hope for compromise

By Jamey Dunn

As expected, Gov. Pat Quinn today vetoed a gaming expansion bill that was sent to his desk more than a year and a half after the measure passed.

The Senate approved Senate Bill 744 on the last day of the spring legislative session in 2011. The proposal called for five new casino licenses, along with slot machines at horse racing tracks and the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Senate President John Cullerton put a procedural hold on the bill because Quinn had made his distaste for the plan public, calling it "top heavy." Quinn voiced a particular disdain for allowing slot machines at the fairgrounds. Cullerton and supporters of the plan had hoped to work out a compromise with the governor. But Quinn called for them to send the bill and let him rewrite it with his veto power. Instead, proponents of a gaming expansion backed away from SB 744 and threw support behind another bill that they viewed as a compromise. Legislators approved SB 1849 on the last day of the regular spring session of 2012. Quinn vetoed that bill, and lawmakers did not take a vote to override his veto.

“Everybody, including us, knew that he was going to veto [SB 744]. It was just when he was going to veto it,” said Waukegan Democratic Sen. Terry Link, who sponsored both bills. Quinn’s complaints about SB 744 and SB 1849 are similar. Quinn said in today’s veto message that he would not sign off on any gaming plan without “strong ethical standards, comprehensive oversight and dedicated resources for education.” According to the message, Quinn liked SB 744 even less than the gaming plan he previously vetoed. “Senate Bill 744 is even more significantly flawed than SB 1849. Senate Bill 744’s most glaring deficiency is the total absence of comprehensive ethical standards and regulatory oversight. The bill also lacks a ban on campaign contributions by gaming licensees and casino managers, which is essential to keeping corruption out of the gaming industry.”

Link said he plans to propose new legislation that he believes will meet Quinn’s requirements. “We will be introducing a bill that we feel that answers most of the governor’s requests or desires.” However, Link said he and other supporters have been trying all along to get a plan approved that Quinn could accept. “When the goal line keeps moving every time, it’s kind of hard to get to the goal line.”

SB 744 was kicked to Quinn when the 97th General Assembly ended in January. Because the two-year legislative session of the 97th General Assembly is over, lawmakers have no opportunity to try to override today’s veto.

Ag industry pushes for Quinn to sign gaming bill

By Jamey Dunn

Illinois agricultural groups are calling on Gov. Pat Quinn to sign the massive gaming expansion plan approved by the General Assembly, but Quinn does not have the option to do anything with the bill yet.

“The provisions in Senate Bill 744 are going to go a long way in the future of agriculture in Illinois,” said Margaret Vaughn, government affairs director for the Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs.

The measure calls for five new casinos in the state, including one owned by the city of Chicago. It would also allow horse-racing tracks, including the state fairgrounds in Springfield, to install slot machines and existing casinos to expand the number of gambling positions at their facilities. Opposition to the bill includes owners of existing casinos who say that gaming market is oversaturated in Illinois and, that expansion will take away their existing revenues, as well as groups who say that expansion will only drive up gambling addiction and social services costs to the state associated with gambling.

Vaughn said the plan would mean about $25 million in annual funding for agricultural, historic and conservation programs in the state, including:

• $5 million for county fairs.
• $10 million in dedicated funds for soil and water conservation districts. The money would replace general revenue funding for the districts.
• $4 million for the University of Illinois Extension program.
• $1 million for a forestry assistance program.
• $2.5 million for historic sites.
• $2.5 for the Parks and Conservation Fund.
• $100,000 for equine research at state universities.

The money for county fairs is used to reimburse the fairs for prizes they give out for livestock and agricultural exhibits and contests. “Any of the money that the county fairs receives from the state … it’s not going to entertainment or concessions. It’s going right back into the community to encourage the youth to continue into agricultural careers,” Vaughn said.

The Extension program, which in the 1980s had an office in all of Illinois’ 102 counties, recently went through a cost-saving consolidation that closed down over half of it’s 76 offices. The program is best known for administering the 4-H youth agricultural club but also offers conservation, nutrition, gardening and life-skills education programs. Soil and water conservation districts saw more than a 40 percent cut in state funds for the current fiscal year.

Sheryl King, director of the Equine Sciences program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, said that the horse racing industry in Illinois has suffered as other states have allowed slots at horse racing tracks. She said the money brought in by the slots has allowed races in other states to offer larger purses to winners, and Illinois just cannot compete.

“Part of this bill is going to reinvigorate the horse industry in the sate of Illinois,” King said referring to the provision that would allow slot machines at horse racing tacks. “Some of you may not know that Illinois used to be a pre-eminent racing state. It has lost that pre-eminence over the past decade.”

These representatives of the state’s agriculture community trying to encourage Quinn to approve the gaming bill as is, but the governor can’t do anything with the legislation yet. After the bill passed in his chamber, Senate President John Cullerton pulled a procedural move to stall sending the bill to Quinn’s desk.

John Patterson, a Cullerton spokesman, said that the Senate president made the move so that he can continue negations with Quinn about the bill, as well as better understand the governor’s intentions.

Quinn has not given a clear indication about what he will do once he gets the bill. He supports a casino in Chicago. But after SB 744 passed, he said, “I think any person with common sense looking at that bill would say it’s excessive.”

Quinn has also said he does not approve of allowing slots at the state fairgrounds, calling the fairgrounds a “family place.” Quinn could veto the bill outright, sign it as is or use an amendatory veto to try and cut out the parts he does not like.

Vaughn said of the fairgrounds: “It’s a big beautiful facility. And they’re not really utilized the other 50 weeks of the year. There are events going on but [not] compared to what they are capable of.”

Chris Boyster, Sangamon County Board member from Springfield, said slots at the fairgrounds would give the Springfield area an economic boost. He added that the fairgrounds need the money the slots could bring in for improvements. “We shouldn’t have to wait to a catastrophic electrical failure at the fairgrounds to fix the fairgrounds.”

Republican transition

By Bethany Jaeger
As a handful of Republicans toss their hats into the ring for Illinois governor, their party’s ringleader of sorts surprised top GOP officials by stepping down Thursday during a meeting in Springfield.

Andy McKenna, chairman of the Illinois Republican Party since 2005, told state central committee members he was resigning to allow the party to transition before the February 2 primary elections, rather than waiting until his term was supposed to end. “I don’t to want distract you [during] the general election race,” he said.


The State Central Committee elected Pat Brady, a national committeeman, to fill out the rest of McKenna’s term. Members will elect a new chairperson after the primary election.

Countering some speculation, McKenna did not announce a bid for another race. He previously expressed interest in a bid for the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by President Barack Obama. His actions sparked controversy within the party, as Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, a five-term representative from Hinsdale, has announced in that race and is considered the front runner in the four-way contest.

McKenna instead told state central committee members that he would focus on building resources and getting involved in primary contests as chair of a “victory fund,” which he created to support Illinois’ GOP candidates.

The timing of McKenna’s resignation surprised party leaders, but Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno said: “There’s been speculation for a while that a change might be coming. I don’t think anyone knew it was going to happen today or in this particular venue.”

She added, however, that the timing did help to avoid a distraction leading up to November 2010. “I think that it’s important that we get this chapter closed and settled and we have a new person at the helm the minute the primary’s over so that we can focus on the Democrats and not on the internal politics.”

Governor’s Day highlights 2010 primary

By Bethany Jaeger
Democrats got a preview Wednesday of what to expect leading up to the February 2 primary election: a partial-term governor who says an income tax increase is necessary to maintain essential state services versus a state comptroller who says citizens shouldn’t have a governor by default. They should have a choice.

Comptroller Dan Hynes stood a few feet away from Gov. Pat Quinn this morning when he said Illinois needs a governor who leads with “no sugarcoating, no short-cuts, no excuses.”

“We need a governor who can provide strong and steady leadership for smart budget policies that will put us on solid financial ground, and we will need a leader who will offer a clear, consistent and compelling vision for our future,” Hynes said. “That’s what this election is about.”

He spoke to a packed banquet hall during an annual breakfast of the Illinois Democratic County Chairmen’s Association in Springfield. Many Illinois elected officials typically attend the event before the annual State Fair rally day for Democrats.

Hynes continued to say that the Democratic Party has been through too much to take the path of least resistance. “The people of Illinois have been through too much to avoid asking tough questions and facing a public debate about which vision our party will embrace. I respect Pat Quinn. I find him to be a decent man, but this nomination must be earned, not bequeathed or signed or transferred. It must be earned.”

A few moments later, Quinn in his speech countered that on March 18, he proposed a budget that would raise the state income tax as a way to balance a severely out-of-whack budget and help recover from the aftermath of a nationwide recession. “Talk about courage. Talk about not sugarcoating our budget deficit. We have to tell the truth to the people of Illinois.”

Throughout his speech, Quinn thanked all statewide officers except Hynes. He even thanked local politicians, including Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. The governor later said he would defend his record against Hynes’ statements, particularly since the comptroller has not endorsed the idea of an income tax increase. “He can stand on the sidelines and throw bricks at the guy in the middle of the arena, but I think part of the job of governor is not to be a shrinking violet, to take positions and to defend those positions and tell the people what they need to know,” Quinn said.

Hynes chose not to attend a Democratic rally at the State Fairgrounds later in the day because, he said, Quinn deserved to host of the annual Governor’s Day, a State Fair tradition. I ran into Hynes after the rally, when he said his budget plan would start with spending cuts, then find new revenues. "We have to eliminate wasteful spending and show the people that we’re doing everything we can to sacrifice and streamline before we ask them to pay more. And that hasn’t yet happened. Gov. Quinn has really been unwilling to do those tough things.”

As part of the budget agreement with the state legislature, Quinn already has cut $1 billion in spending and is charged with reducing another $1 billion before the end of the fiscal year. Among many other spending decreases, Quinn seeks furlough days and layoffs for state employees. But some of those plans require negotiations with public employee unions, who strongly oppose both ideas and instead say an income tax increase is necessary.

Governor’s Day at the State Fair
The Democratic rally completely differed from the past six years. The absence of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, as well as busloads of union supporters that Blagojevich’s campaign brought in, made a difference. For the first time, the House speaker, the Senate president and the governor sat next to each other. Even Attorney General Lisa Madigan joined the rally, which she has not attended in a few years.

There was little drama, other than jokes made about six of at least eight candidates for lieutenant governor sitting on the stage together and addressing the crowd one by one.

Democratic leaders acknowledged that their political party faces many challenges, particularly the ethical lapses and fiscal woes exposed within the last year, but they tried to frame Blagojevich’s impeachment as a result of their proactive steps.

“As we face a challenge of ethics and integrity, it was the Democrats in the Illinois House of Representatives that initiated the impeachment proceeding against their own Democratic governor,” said House Speaker Michael Madigan. “We’re not happy with what happened, but when the time came, we were more than capable to make a decision that one of our own had done wrong and must be removed from office.”

Republicans will try not to let them get away with that, however. Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, whom I stood next to in the Statehouse basement during a tornado warning, countered the Democratic message. “They can try as hard as they want, but the people of this state are smarter than that. And the fact of the matter is, people need to remember, the Democrat legislature enabled Blagojevich from Day 1. So it’s difficult for them just to walk away now.” Madigan also co-chaired Blagojevich’s reelection campaign, she added.

Republicans will have their rally day at the State Fair on Thursday.