Mike Frerichs: You Are Preposterous

Mike Frerich's hometown newspaper, the Champaign News-Gazette called him out for his shenanigans today.  In an editorial they say:

Here's a little history lesson Frerichs hopes people don't remember. Illinois is a solid Democratic state. Democrats control the governor's office, both houses of the Legislature with veto-proof majorities, and the Supreme Court. 

Republicans last controlled both houses of the Legislature in 1994. They last controlled one legislative chamber, the Senate, in 2003. They last had a Republican governor — George Ryan — in 2003. They're out of power and out of luck, hoping somehow to win back public confidence and begin playing a significant role in the formulation of public policy. 

But they're not there yet. In fact, they're not even close. That's why Frerichs' characterization of Cross is preposterous. 

That's not to say that Republicans wouldn't have messed up the state as badly as the Democrats if they had held power over the past 10 years. After all, voters turned their backs on them for a reason. 

But Cross and the GOP didn't create the current mess because they didn't have the opportunity to do so. They were out, and the Democrats, of whom Frerichs is one, were in. Cross has his flaws. Most politicians do. But Frerichs' rhetoric was so over-the-top that he must have been confusing Cross with Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Bob Grogan for Treasurer: Stuffing the Bank Account (Temporarily)

Rich Miller in Capitol Fax writes that Illinois Treasurer candidate Bob Grogan has been inflating his own campaign bank account for many a year and he's at it again.  (If you haven't subscribed to Cap Fax, you should right now.  Go click here to subscribe.)

PUMP IT UP Republican state treasurer candidate Bob Grogan hasn’t reported raising much money in large contributions this past quarter, but he did loan his campaign $50,000. That might usually be a sign that he’s willing to spend some of his own cash in his GOP primary battle against Rep. Tom Cross, but then again, maybe not. Grogan has often appeared to use loans to temporarily inflate his bank account. Grogan is the DuPage County Auditor.Since 2007, Grogan’s campaign has spent a total of $92,000, but most of that, $78,000, was used to pay back his own loans to himself, often not long after he loaned his campaign the money.But without those loans, he wouldn’t have had much to campaign on. Grogan has reported raising a grand total of $186K since 2007, according to a search of the State Board of Elections’ website, but $156K of that was via loans, mostly to himself.

This guy wants to the be Treasurer of the State of Illinois?  Sounds a lot like what that woman out in Dixon was doing.  Playing "Where's Waldo" with the money?

Dem Watch: Tax Hike Mike Frerichs Seeks Big Money from Unions

Tax Hike Mike Frerichs - Democrat for Illinois Treasurer - was in the news this weekend based on the amount of money he's been raising for his campaign from Union Bosses and Trial Lawyers.

From the Champaign News Gazette:

Mike Frerichs has reported labor union-related itemized contributions (more than $1,000) from: Illinois AFSCME, $10,000; the South Central Illinois Laborers Political League, $10,000; the Cook County College Teachers Union, $5,000; and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 841 in Terre Haute, Ind., $5,000. Non-union contributions included $2,500 from the Illinois Trial Lawyers and MidAmerican Energy, an Iowa-based electric and natural gas utility.

Is this who we want running the Illinois Treasurer's Office?  Someone beholden to Unions and Trial Lawyers?  On the take for thousands of dollars from these guys?  

Not so fast, my friend!

Tom Cross for Illinois Treasurer

Tom Cross is running for Illinois Treasurer and has his new campaign website up:  www.jointomcross.com.

If you think it's time that we require the Governor and General Assembly to uphold the constitution by honestly balancing the state's budget, then Tom Cross need your help.