• Bush Fundraiser Raises $1.2 Million for Topinka
• Zogby Poll Finds Blagojevich/Topinka in Dead Heat
• US Attorney Provides Glimpse into Blagojevich Hiring Scandal
• Cronyism Alleged in $100 Million Contract
• PI FYI: Races to Watch - IL House District 101
• Editorial of the Week: Chicago Tribune - "A Fraud on Cook County Voters"

Bush Fundraiser Raises $1.2 Million for Topinka

President Bush spent two days last week in Chicago visiting a number of business sites, commenting on international issues such as North Korea as well as issues closer to home such as the growing economy.  Bush also took some time to appear at a luncheon fundraiser for GOP gubernatorial nominee Judy Baar Topinka.

"I am proud to be here. I proudly stand with Judy Baar Topinka as the next governor of the state of Illinois. She's a good, fine, honest person who knows what she's doing. She's got a track record. She can get the job done," President Bush said at the Friday event.  Treasurer Topinka said that the event "sends the message, I think to everybody, that this is a race that is not only very important, it's eminently winnable."  The fundraiser poured over $1.2 million into Topinka's campaign war chest.

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Zogby Poll Finds Blagojevich/Topinka in Dead Heat

Respected national pollster John Zogby reported early last week that Blagojevich and Topinka are virtually tied as they head into the dog days of summer campaigning.  The poll conducted June 13 - 19 shows a 41% - 38% lead by the incumbent.  Zogby notes that while there is a "tenuous lead" for Blagojevich it is within the margin of error and that his lead "has been cut in half since late March."

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US Attorney Provides Glimpse into Blagojevich Hiring Scandal

Recently, a letter from U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald to IL Attorney General Lisa Madigan complimenting the AG's office hiring investigation into the Blagojevich administration and requesting that the state investigation be folded into the growing federal investigation, was made public.  Fitzgerald's letter indicates that the Feds have "developed a number of credible witnesses" regarding "allegations of endemic hiring fraud" related to the investigation into the Blagojevich administration.

The revelation, made public immediately before the long July 4^th weekend, indicates that Fitzgerald's investigation has grown rapidly in the past year and now includes possible violations of the Rutan ruling barring political hiring in Illinois.  Last week, Blagojevich sources revealed that a sweeping request for personnel information has been made of 15 state agencies.  Spokesmen for Blagojevich attempted to paint this turn of events as the result of a "few bad apples" and part of the administration's on-going struggle to reform state government.

In other hiring scandal news, a report by the administration's former Inspector General has surfaced indicating the Illinois Department of Employment Security has been skirting hiring laws during the past three years.  An employee who was hired at IDES through a process that may have violated veteran's hiring preference has been a conduit to hiring many other state employees by circumventing state law.  Additionally, an administrative judge in Springfield dismissed administration charges that two fired CMS employees rigged personnel exams.  The administration plans on re-filing the charges.  And, finally, 18 fired IDOT employees filed suit against Blagojevich claiming that they weren't fired because of a reorganization but because they were all Republican.

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Cronyism Alleged in $100 Million Contract

The Blagojevich administration had been hoping for banner headlines with a state fly-around to coincide with the official launch of the "All Kids" state-run health insurance plan.  Instead, it appears that another large state contract was awarded to the sister of a Blagojevich insider.  In addition to the revelation of the escalating federal probe, it was reported that another state contract was awarded to a company with close connections to Blagojevich.

Pacificare won the $100 million contract to administer the Dept. of Human Services' "Illinois Cares Rx" program, another foundation program begun by Blagojevich.  Pacificare's vice president of government relations is Nancy Monk, the sister of Lon Monk, close friend, former chief of staff and current campaign manager for Blagojevich.  The administration says that neither Ms. Monk nor Mr. Monk had any involvement with the contract.  As it happens, DHS awarded two $100 million contracts, one to Pacificare and one to United Healthcare.  The two companies have now merged.

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PI FYI: Races to Watch - IL House District 101

Background:  Bob Flider almost lost his first run for the office he had been appointed to in 2003.  A district that includes most of the City of Decatur was expected to be an easy lock for Democrats, but just a few weeks out from the 2004 election, polls showed Republican Scot England neck and neck with Flider.  Republican England had received virtually no help from the state party. 

Republicans are hoping lightning strikes twice, and that some early work can make this a competitive race.

The district includes Decatur, and parts of Macon, Moultrie, and Shelby counties.

District voting patterns:

Blagojevich won in 2002 with 51%

George W. Bush won in 2004 with 52.9%

Flider won in 2004 with 53.1%

Candidate Profiles:

Bob Flider (D-Mt. Zion)

Flider is a former employee of then Decatur based Illinois Power.  His elected office experience includes Mt. Zion trustee and mayor.  He was appointed to the House seat in 2003 to replace Rep. Julie Currie who took a job with the Blagojevich Administration.  Flider had a 64% voting average with the Illinois Chamber in 2003-04.  He was endorsed by Chamber PAC in the 2004 campaign.

House Democrats pumped nearly $500,000 into the race in 2004 to save Flider's campaign.  Most of this came in the form of brutal television attack ads against his opponent.

Website:   www.repflider.com

Dick Cain (R-Decatur)

Decatur restaurateur Dick Cain will take on Flider this year.  Cain is a veteran, former school teacher, and businessman. 

Website:  NA

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Editorial of the Week: Chicago Tribune - "A Fraud on Cook County Voters"

"For 117 days since he suffered a stroke, Cook County Board President John Stroger has been incommunicado, with aides and family members asserting that they are relaying his wishes. The record suggests that those surrogates have misled citizens about Stroger's health.

The plain goal of this unethical--if not illegal--fraud on voters and taxpayers is for Democratic politicos to keep control of the county patronage and contracts that cement their own power. The surrogates and politicos have exploited John Stroger, manipulating information about the infirmity of a man evidently unable to speak publicly for himself. They've said whatever they had to, first so a reform challenger wouldn't beat the impaired Stroger in a Democratic primary race, then to discourage any third-party candidate from running in the November general election."  Read the whole thing...

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