September 28, 2016
FOXX WILL BE YET ANOTHER "POLITICAL PROSECUTOR"
Cook County voters expect their State's Attorney to be adept at multi-tasking -- to be a politician, protector and prosecutor, but not necessarily in equal proportions. Kim Foxx, who thrashed incumbent Anita Alvarez 646,738-317,594 in the 3/16 primary, won because voters concluded that Alvarez was being too much a protector and politician, and too little a prosecutor. Alvarez's woefully inept handling of the Laquan McDonald video led to her massive repudiation, especially among black voters. She was, of course, "protecting" Mayor Rahm Emanuel, enabling his re-election, just as she was "protecting" Mayor Rich Daley's family in the Koschman case. Foxx, who is black, is a politician, bureaucrat and protégé of county board president Toni Preckwinkle, whom she will "protect." The county has a long history of politician-prosecutors, dating back to Ben Adamowski, and up through Daley, Dick Devine, and Alvarez. With crime out-of-control, and the courts and County Jail clogged to near-paralysis, Foxx -- who has negligible experience as a prosecutor -- had better be very careful in her multi-tasking. Full Article...
September 21, 2016
McAULIFFE IS ON TRACK TO SPEND $2 MILLION IN 20TH DIST. HOUSE RACE
It's nice to have $2 million of OPM-- that's acronym for Other People's Money, and State Rep. Mike McAuliffe (R-20) has got it or will get it. McAuliffe's northwest side Chicago/ Northwest suburban seat is the only one deemed flippable from R-20 to Democrat, and the Illinois Republication Party is stepping-up big time to get McAuliffe re-elected. And the Party will spend at least $1.2 million on network and cable TV ads, and will fund at least 20 mailers. Speaker Madigan (D) will fund his candidate, Merry Marwig, but now as lavishly. After a string of easy re-elections, McAuliffe reintroduce himself to voters, and Marwig must negatively define him. The McAuliffe name has been on the ballot every two years since 1972. McAuliffe's poles show him up 49-35%, but the race is a toss-up. In the contest for chief judge Cook County Circuit Court, held on 9/15, lack in cumbent Tim Evans prevailed over Tom Allen by using the "race card." Once an office goes black, it nevers goes back. Black committeemen threatened to boycott the Nov. retention slate. Evans was the status que candidate, and won 129-103. Full Article...
September 14, 2016
WITHOUT INDICTMENT, BROWN IS UNBEATABLE
No Indictment=No Win. That's the predicament of Diane Shapiro, Republican candidate for Circuit Court Clerk. She needs Dorothy Brown (D), the 16-year black incumbent, to be indicted by the feds before Nov. 8. One of Brown's 2016 primary opponents called the office a "cesspool." It's awash in paper and patronage, with 2.4 million new cases filed annually (including traffic), and 100 million pieces of paper flowing through it, being filed somewhere (not on-line). There's also about 1,800 employees, of which 1,400 are $20-30,000-a year clerks, but there's also 400-plus Grade 23 ($70,000-up) jobs to dispense among the friends and family of Democratic committeemen. A 2001 Report outlined how to make the Clerk's office paperless and efficient, and the IL Supreme Court's 2005 Rule requires ECF (electronic case filing) by 1/1/18. The federal court and all collar counties have ECF. Brown was slated in 2015, but then unslated and dumped when Democrats got antsy concerning the feds' 5-year investigation into Brown's hiring and promotion policies. One employee was convicted this year of giving a $15,000 "loan" to Brown's husband's company in exchange for a job. Brown won the 3-way primary with 47.7%, riding a wave of victimhood. Even an quick indictment might not be enough to beat her. Full Article...
September 7, 2016
MOYLAN WILL HAVE BREAKOUT, BLOWOUT YEAR IN 55TH HOUSE DISTRICT
For Marty Moylan, 2016 looms as a breakout and blowout year. The Democratic state representative's 55th District includes Republican-leaning Park Ridge, Des Plaines and Elk Grove, and was won by Bruce Rauner (R) in 2014. Speaker Madigan (D) spent $1 million to elect Moylan in both 2012 and 2014, albeit narrowly. There's another $1 million in the pipe for 2016. Moylan's Republican opponent, Dan Gott, has no money, no campaign, no credibility and no chance. Gott had $2,488 on-hand, compared to Moylan's $583,000. It's over. Moylan is campaigning frenetically door-to-door, as usual, knowing that a 60%-plus win will take the seat off the table, entrenching him permanently. Then Madigan can spend his $1 million elsewhere in 2018. Full Article...
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