Illinois Democrats and Hypocrites Quinn, Madigan(s), Political Mafia Tell Voters to Buzz Off and Pressure Pawnbroker Candidate Scott Lee Cohen to Withdraw | Aurora Alderman Stephanie Hypocrite Kifowit Runs and Hides

From now on, if you want to run for public office, you must meet the standards of the media and political mafia in Illinois.  That's one of the lessons from the Scott Lee Cohen political tragedy that unfolded in recent days until the pressure by hypocrites Michael Madigan, Pat Quinn, Dick Durbin and others finally caused the pawnbroker candidate for Lt. Gov to throw himself off the political cliff and announce he will "resign."

Illinois, which already has sunk to become the laughingstock of the United States for its reputation as power-hungry, control freak, corrupt and unethical politicians, may have made things even worse, if that's possible.

From former U.S. Senate candidate Jack Ryan to this situation involving Scott Lee Cohen, one thing we have learned is that while many in the media and political mafia look the other way on corruption, sleazy backroom deals and other misconduct, you must play the political game and be prepared to commit political suicide if asked.

Meanwhile, Aurora Alderman Stephanie Kifowit, who had been aggressively supporting Cohen before the election, has been hiding from the issue and sources say she was ready to throw him under the political bus because she put political power ahead of whether it's right or wrong to force him out.

Kifowit joins the list of expert hypocrites, in addition to other recent failures.

We say she and the other hypocrites of Illinois should learn something from Mr. Cohen and get out.

SuperBowl XLIV 2010 New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 17 | The Who Halftime Show, Google Commercial, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, The Making of the Boost Mobile Remake of the 1985 Chicago Bears SuperBowl Shuffle

The Google Commercial of SuperBowl XLIV 2010


Our Choice for Best Commercial of SuperBowl XLIV 2010


Boost Mobile Remake of 1985 Chicago Bears Shuffle


Making of the Boost Mobile Shuffle Commercial

Election 2010 Illinois Lt. Governor Pawnbroker Controversy | Meet Amanda Enemam, Scott Lee Cohen's Former Girlfriend (aka "Massage Therapist")

Introducing Amanda Enemam, the girlfriend of Democrat Illinois Lt. Governor Pawnbroker candidate Scott Lee Cohen, who was allegedly charged with prostitution when she was 24 and is at the center of the post-election controversy.

Mr. Cohen says when he met her, it was for "massage therapy" services and she later lived with him for some period.

Election 2010 | Pawnbroker Lt. Governor Candidate Scott Lee Cohen Says No Way to Dropping Out; Forget the Personal Issues...What Were Democrats Thinking About When Electing a Pawnbroker?

The Scott Lee Cohen controversy raises lots of interesting issues ranging from why we have a Lt. Governor in the first place to how the system is setup to run on your own in a primary but then get paired up with the candidate for Governor in the general election, like it or not.

Much is being made of Scott Lee Cohen's personal life and problems that may or may not be all accurate, including some that may be related to marital issues. Given the possibility of false allegations and divorce motives, we aren't interested in Scott Lee Cohen's past personal life and we strongly caution politicians, the public and media not to go down the slipperly slope of personal politics..at the same time most politicians, public and the media look the other way on corruption, taxpayer exploitation and the various abuses of power.

However, we do think it's a fair question to ask Democrats (both politicians and the public) as to why they ignored Mr. Cohen's biggest claim to fame, being a pawnbroker.

We understand owning a pawn shop is lawful in Illinois.  So, is being a stripper in a strip club, but that doesn't mean that's the best choice to be a heartbeat away from becoming Governor.

Is Mr. Cohen's business that may exploit the vulnerable and weak partly a result of a dysfunctional system where you have to be someone like Tony Rezo or a mobster to get a loan at a bank like Alexi Giannoulias' family bank?  Which situation is worse?

One didn't even need to get into his personal life to figure out his candidacy was a bust just from the pawnbroker aspect, but anyone who uses "leadership that listens" clearly is destined to fail, as illustrated by Cohen's close friend, Aurora Alderman Stephanie Kifowit, who used the same slogan last year in her last-place finish in the race for Mayor of Aurora.

It's up to Scott Lee Cohen and only up to him to decide if he continues his candidacy.  Pat Quinn, Dan Hynes and the rest of the Democrats knew about these issues long ago and ignored it.  We assume various "pressure" will be applied to Cohen to leave, but if he sticks to his current stance, he will remain the candidate and force Quinn to consider running as an independent.

Democrats made some choices on Tuesday ranging from Scott Lee Cohen to Alexi Giannoulias to Pat Quinn, but be careful what you ask for...you might get it.

Election 2010 | Brady Leads By 400+ Votes for GOP Nomination of Illinois Governor; Interview with Bill Brady and Kirk Dillard

Post-Election Interview with Bill Brady and Kirk Dillard

Bill Brady currently leads Kirk Dillard in the race for the Republican nomination for Illinois Governor by about 400+ votes and it appears we won't know if that lead will hold or not until various provisional and absentee ballots are counted over the couple weeks before results can be certified.

As Democrats implode in various ways even though Dan Hynes has conceded to Pat Quinn's narrow victory, it's becoming more likely that either Bill Brady or Kirk Dillard has a strong opportunity to become the next Governor of Illinois.

Which would best be able to change Illinois?

Democrat Illinois Lt. Governor Candidate Controversy of Pawnbroker Scott Lee Cohen's Issues with Prostitute Hits Aurora Alderman Stephanie Kifowit As Endorsement Backfires

In Tuesday's Illinois primary, Democrats elected Scott Lee Cohen as their nominee for Lt. Governor after many say he "bought" his place by spending chunks of his own money on television commercials.

Cohen is at the center of controversy as its learned by many he made his money as a pawnbroker, exploiting those in need and desperate.

Then, if that weren't bad enough, he was arrested for threatening a woman with a knife, who was found guilty of being a prostitute.  She didn't testify in the case of the knife threat, so that was dismissed.  What was the pawnbroker doing with a prostitute?  We note the arrest was five months after his wife had filed for divorce.

Many public officials are saying his personal life is not relevant if this were a personal issue, but prostitution is unlawful, even without the issue of the alleged threats.  For many others, the bigger issue is the pawnbroker business and its exploitation of the vulnerable.

However, that didn't stop Aurora Alderman Stephanie Kifowit from spending time to get to know him and being the ONLY west suburban elected official to endorse him.

In fact, Kifowit was so impressed with Cohen, a pawnbroker, she repeatedly spread her support for him to everyone she could think of (excerpt of email blast above and text below):

"I have met with Scott and found him, in my opinion, to be the best candidate for Lt. Governor.  We need jobs and Scott has always understood that a job is more than a pay check but a source of dignity and respect for men and women doing their best to care for their families."

She also says:

"In talking to Scott, I have found that we have a lot in common."

-Aurora Alderman Stephanie Kifowit about Lt. Governor Candidate Scott Lee Cohen

But wait...it gets even more odd.

Cohen, the pawnbroker who ended up in a "relationship" with a prostitute 15 years younger than him, says he didn't hide any of this and openly disclosed the allegation and arrest that he threatened the woman.

However, this is not simply a domestic dispute of "he said, she said" where people can and frequently do make up false allegations.  In this case, the woman was treated by paramedics for scars and "mild abrasions from knife wound."

In addition to Kifowit, the pawnbroker also lists Planned Parenthood Illinois and Personal PAC as among those who endorsed his candidacy.

Even more strange is he proposed ethics changes for candidates by requiring everyone to have a "character test" in order to run for political office as part of the candidate filings.

What about Pat Quinn and Dan Hynes?  What did they know and when did they know it?

Reports say another Lt. Governor candidate, State Sen. Terry Link, met with representatives of both campaigns to advise them of the situation, but neither campaign was interested in pursuing the matter.

"We tried to warn the Governor beforehand and they didn't want to listen to it."

Kifowit, who thought so highly of the pawnbroker, listened to him very carefully and he was only one of a few candidates she endorsed.

Scott Lee Cohen's campaign slogan was "Leadership that Listens."

Turns out that's the same slogan Stephanie Kifowit used her failed mayoral campaign last year where she finished in a distant last place.

As Illinois Democrats implode over the Scott Lee Cohen controversy, we wonder if Stephanie Kifowit is listening...probably too busy going to parties at taxpayer expense.

City of Aurora's So-Called Corporation Counsel Advocates Censorship and Restriction of Speech for Staff and Public with Facebook | Help is on the Way...

Just when you didn't think the City of Aurora's so-called corporation counsel, Alayne Weingartz, could cause yet another problem, controversy, adversarial situation or complication out of thin air, she's done it again.

This time, Weingartz, a chronic nominee for most incompetent, unprofessional and foolish employee in the history of Aurora, has gone after the city's own public information officer and the public for having the audacity to post and share information, photos and events on Facebook.

Amy Roth, the city's public information officer (one of several PIO staff), created the Facebook page and has been interacting with various members of the public to share information over the last six months without any signficant problem, but Weingartz, in her typical fashion of creating a problem where none exists, ordered Roth to recently post a note saying that all comments from the public would be blocked except for those posted by the City of Aurora staff.

Weingartz's excuse was because there could be a legal issue involving an "official city forum."  This is coming from the same person who has been responsible for numerous violations of the Open Meetings Act, failure to respond timely to FOIA requests and engaging in conduct that has attempted to thwart discussion, questions and attempts to control anyone who speaks, thinks or breathes without her expressed consent.

Neither Roth nor the public appears to happy about the unprovoked situation created by Weingartz.  Several, including David Lewis, curator of the Aurora Regional Fire Museum and which has its own Facebook page, have made their feelings clear that such communication is not only okay, but mutually beneficial for everyone, including the city.

Unlike controversial and edgy "hotspots" like here at OpenlineBlog, the city's Facebook site is about mostly mundane things like events happening, photos and some periodic propaganda trying to make the city look good.  No city business, big deal or "sensitive" matters are being discussed.  No controversy until Weingartz created one.

Sources at the City of Aurora confirm that part of the reason for the knee-jerk reaction by Weingartz is due to her fear of the new law and statute, effective January 1st, that give the public significantly more power for Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests.

The new law gives sweeping power to the public to force anti-public officials like Weingartz in public entities into compliance with serious penalties and accountability for failing to do so, including criminal prosecution.

Anyone familiar with how Weingartz operates (i.e, anyone who has had the misfortune to deal with her on even the most simple matter) understands she would prefer to eliminate the public from any role, knowledge or participation in anything related to city government (that's partly where she gets the "I hate people!) but we agree with both the administration and the public that she's not only barking up the wrong tree, but she may actually be violating the law herself by restricting the public's right to speak.

Weingartz has run into a stumbling block thus far in her attempt to restrict comments thanks to Facebook's policies and technology itself, so she is contemplating yanking the city's Facebook page completely.

OpenlineBlog has not had a Facebook page previously since we already have an open system of free-flowing communication here and we encourage everyone to express themselves, going back to the 2005.  In other words, we've been doing social media with public interaction long before Facebook existed.

However, given the situation, our team has reviewed with our other content partners the unfortunate predicament Weingartz has created.  We've decided to go ahead and launch OpenlineBlog's brand new Facebook fan page, where you will not only get stories, information and content from our blog, but also from other media partners.

Most importantly, just like here on OpenlineBlog, you will be able to post your comments and content and we will include the "normal stuff" the City of Aurora would otherwise include as well.  Everyone can be...happy!

We will help the City of Aurora with their page and provide whatever assistance.  We strongly believe the best interest of the community is to have the most information freely available and accessible, so even though the so-called corporation counsel wants to restrict speech and make it difficult, we say help is on the way!

Join OpenlineBlog's new Facebook fan page

Note:  For the first 100 fans who join today, a randomly selected fan will receive a special gift.

Aurora's Political War(s) Become Ground Zero of Kane County Board Shuffle

On paper, there were a few "upsets" in Tuesday's 2010 primary election that will result in big changes involving districts on the Kane County Board after November, but in terms of politics, there were some huge battles won in what has been a brewing political war.

Not a war of Republicans vs. Democrats, but rather a war within Republican and within Democrats in Aurora.

THE DEMOCRATS

There's the old-guard of Democrats that tends to pick-n-choose based upon who's who, who sent who and who gives consent on candidates.  That group has had increasing friction with a younger generation of Democrats led by Alex Arroyo, who have been doing things differently and engaging more active candidates based upon their ideas and efforts, rather than who's who.

There have battles before, but Tuesday, thanks to a convergence of circumstances, there were contested primaries for county board districts that involved serious political combat and stakes.

Jennifer Laesch, who's husband is John Laesh (who previously ran for Congress), ran for Kane County Board District 3's seat, which she was appointed to recently on an interim basis to replace Arlene Shoemaker.  She faced a primary challenger, Juan Reyna, with the winner to face the Republican's unopposed nominee, Dennis Burgin, in November.

Reyna, helped by Arroyo, not only didn't back down despite Laesch being appointed to the seat and getting interim "incumbent" status, but went full-steam ahead to defeat Laesch with everything from door-to-door campaigning to robocalls.

Laesch says this is retaliation for her decision to run against Linda Chapa-LaVia for state central committeeman and not so much about the county board race (note:  while Laesch did not win overall, she defeated Chapa-LaVia in Kane County 48 to 36%).

Chapa-Lavia, who was running unopposed in her Illinois State Rep race, has been floating several ideas in recent months to try and seek another office.  In mid-2009, she was contemplating running for Lt. Governor and many say she wanted to run for Congress, if not for Democrat Bill Foster.

More recently, Chapa-LaVia has been talking about running for Mayor of Aurora, even if it current Mayor Tom Weisner wants to continue.  While Weisner has not given any indication if he will continue beyond his current term, there is widespread support for other potential candidates with direct experience with the city's challenges, including Alderman Rick Lawrence and possible interest from people like former alderman Chuck Nelson.

Other county board races affected on Tuesday by the political war include a still-yet-to-be-finalized District 7 battle between old-guard Gerald Jones and challenger Lorena Cundari.  Jones has a slim 13 vote lead, but additional absentee and provisional ballots could change that.

In addition, old-guard incumbent Sylvia Leonberger was knocked out by challenger Myrna Molina for Kane Board District 1.

THE REPUBLICANS

State Sen. Chris Lauzen cruised to a landslide win over challenger Sean Michels, the Village President of Sugar Grove.  Why did Michels go after a sitting state senator?

Sources say it's part of the fued that involves the "establishment" of Aurora and Kane County Republicans that has been dominating in the past, but losing elections more recently.  Lauzen, who didn't back the Hastert-Cross candidate, Boyd Ingemunson, son of longtime GOP power broker Dallas Ingemunson, for Kendall County State's Attorney and instead supported the challenger who won.

Then, when Hastert stepped aside, creating a need for a special election for Congress, instead of backing Lauzen, who was considered the most obvious candidate, the Hastert-Cross power structure threw their support behind Jim Oberweis, who eventually won a hotly-contested primary battle, but lost the special and general election to Democrat Bill Foster.

Fast-foward to the 2010 election.  Lauzen gets challenged by Michels.  Kane County Board Member Bill Wyatt, who also is the outgoing Chairman of the Aurora Township Republicans reportedly helped orchestrate the challenge to Lauzen.

Meanwhile, Melissa Taylor, a Sugar Grove Trustee who is close to the Lauzen family, then challenged Bill Wyatt and defeated him in a major upset and forcing him to the political dust since he also did not pursue his precinct committeeman position and had already announced his intent to resign from being Chairman of the Aurora Township Republicans.

A source says Lauzen's landslide victory and Melissa Tayor's major upset over Bill Wyatt sends a strong message to the Republicans who have been in "charge" in Aurora and Kane County, including Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay, who actively backed Wyatt.

Other sources confirm that unlike recent years when Davis Offutt, the Aurora Township Assessor, had been at the head of Aurora Township Republicans, Bill Wyatt's tenure has been mired in several conflicts with members.

CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?

The answer is maybe...maybe not.  The political wars within each party have been more of a factor than the usual partisan political war, so once November's results are shaken out and analyzed, it will be interesting to see what will change and what will be kept the same.

Election 2010 Illinois Primary Evolves Into Political Roller-Coaster | Low Voter Turnout, Razor Thin Races, Upsets, Landslides; Lauzen, Brady, Dillard, Quinn, Hynes, Giannoulias, Kirk, Hultgren, Why People Didn't Vote

The most unusual thing about Election 2010 Illinois primary was that almost all of the "usual" assumptions got thrown out the window.  The election might best be described as a roller-coaster of events and results.

* Chris Lauzen wins landslide against Sean Michels for 50th District State of Illinois Senate seat

* Randy Hultgren defeats Ethan Hastert to face Bill Foster for the 14th Congressional District seat

* Kane Co Board member Bill Wyatt and outgoing Aurora Township GOP Chairman loses

* Bill Brady and Kirk Dillard exchange leads late into the night for GOP nomination for Governor

* Myrna Molina knocks out Sylvia Leonberger for Kane Board District 1 (Dem)

* Kay Hatcher barely wins primary challenge from Keith Wheeler for 50th District State Rep race

* Alexi Giannoulias survives challenge from political newcomer David Hoffman for US Senate

* Kane Board District 3 - Juan Reyna defeats Jennifer Laesch to face Dennis Burgin in November

* Kane County Sheriff GOP race - Kramer wins by razor thin margin

* Quinn declares victory for Gov race; Hynes beats Quinn by 20 votes in City of Aurora

* Voter turnout turns out to be extremely low almost everywhere...new primary date and open primaries?

* Miller edges Raja for Dem Comptroller race

* Preckwinkle ends Stroger dynasty in Cook County

* Pawn-broker Scott Lee Cohenbuys himself win in Lt. Gov race for Dems

* 27 year old Jason Plummer looks like the Lt. Gov winner for Republicans

* Judicial races; Busch defeates Morelli while Akemann will face Dalton in other race; Funkey flunks

* Treasurer matchup:  Dan Rutherford vs. Robin Kelly this November

* Secretary of State matchup:  Robert Enriquez vs. Jesse White

* Attorney General matchup:  Steve Kim vs. Lisa Madigan

Election 2010 Illinois Primary | And the Winners Are...

25th State Senate District | Chris Lauzen wins a landslide
14th Congressional District | Randy Hultgren defeats Ethan Hastert
US Senate race | Kirk, Giannoulias win

ELECTION RESULTS (all results are unofficial unless specified):

* CITY OF AURORA (Kane, Kendall and Will Co portions of Aurora)

* DUPAGE COUNTY | KANE COUNTY |

* KENDALL COUNTY | WILL COUNTY

* STATEWIDE and COOK COUNTY (via Chicago Tribune)

* Illinois State Board of Elections

* CHICAGO TELEVISION MEDIA COVERAGE (including live streaming):
ABC Chicago | NBC Chicago 9-11pm | WGN-CLTV Coverage |  Fox Chicago

Election 2010 Illinois Primary | Insert Your Guess Here...

Thanks to a shift of the primary in Illinois to the first Tuesday in February, ready or not, Election 2010 is here!

Who will emerge from today's election?  Unlike previous elections, there's no clear predictable winners for many races.

Predictions for Governor?  U.S Senate?  14th Congressional District?  County races?

Follow us on Twitter for updates and check back at OpenlineBlog.com after 7pm for full election results, links and live information 

POLLING INFORMATION:

* Aurora Election Commission | 630-897-4030


* DuPage County | 630-407-5600

* Kane County | 630-232-5990

* Kendall County | 630-553-4104

* Will County | 815-740-4615

* Illinois State Board of Elections

Election 2010 | Our View for United States Senator from Illinois: David Hoffman - Integrity for a Change

Barack Obama, the local political rockstar who became President of the United States, left a vacancy for his U.S. Senate seat and all kinds of weird things have since happened from Blago to Burris, but now it's time to elect someone new...who will restore integrity and independence to the seat.

On the Republican side, Mark Kirk is likely to get an easy primary victory although other candidates from Patrick Hughes to John Arrington might be better choices if the system hadn't been rigged against them.  Mark Kirk has not earned an endorsement and it's becoming clear he is not the warm-n-fuzzy choice of most Republicans even if he wins the nomination.

The other two serious Democratic contenders are Alexi Giannoulias and David Hoffman.  Gadfly Jacob Meister dropped out.  Cheryl Jackson, who's claim to fame was being the spokesperson for Rod Blagojevich, doesn't have a serious shot.

Giannoulias became Treasurer in 2006 mostly because he had the support of a guy named Barack Obama, but that endorsement is absent this time.  His campaign advisors include some of the same people that have caused problems elsewhere in Illinois but the biggest problem with Alexi Giannoulias is Alexi Giannoulias.

He hasn't kept his promises on what he would do as state treasurer, which is to protect taxpayer funds, as illustrated by his Bright Start funds debacle.  And now, it's becoming more clear his other job of being a bank VP in his family's bank is a big fat negative as the bank crumbles, but not before he extracted millions from it.

Meanwhile, David Hoffman has entered the political arena with a track record of independent thinking, public service and, most importantly, something extremely important we need for a change...integrity.

As a staffer in the U.S. Senate, former assistant U.S. Attorney under Patrick Fitzgerald and Inspector General for the City of Chicago...the FIRST time anyone had courage to stand up to Chicago's King of Corruption, Richard Daley, he's proven he has the courage to do what is right.  We don't have to agree with him on every issue, but we have to be able to trust him.  We do and we think there will be a lot of Republicans and Independent voters who will, too.

We STRONGLY support David Hoffman as the best choice for U.S. Senate.

Election 2010 | Our View for the Next Governor of Illinois

Endorsements are simply an opinion and the only one that really counts is your own when you vote. Politicians who push another politician usually have a political agenda, so we consider those endorsements fairly worthless.

Media endorsements could be relevant in some cases, but not all media are the same. Old media tends to go with the status-quo candidates more often and what will "get along" with the system while new media tends to go with the gamechangers who will shake up the system.

And, that's where we come in...we like the gamechangers, those who think different and will change things. Not just because we like change, but because the current situation is in crisis, from the fiscal catastrophe to the corruption epidemic from Chicago to Springfield and all over Illinois.

So, while we have diverse views within our own team, some who like certain Republicans, some who like certain Democrats, some who like both, some who like neither and some who like only true independents, here's our view of some of the key races in for Election 2010's Ilinois primary:

GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS - Republican Nomination

It's been a while since there was a such a large field of candidates and going into the final day, it's not clear how anyone will finish, but there's a few things that have emerged.

Bill Brady appears to be a solid candidate who is fiscally conservative and can handle prime-time, but we aren't sure he has the firepower to beat a Democrat in November with his downstate support.

Adam Andrzejewski has correctly portrayed himself to be an outsider...so much so, he has demonstrated he's not as familiar with the nuts-n-bolts of state government as he could be over time. He's correctly blasted Chicago's political mafia (Daley, Madigan, etc), but we aren't sure if he's ready for prime-time and his candidacy is taking away votes that would otherwise have gone to Dan Proft. We wish Adam would have stepped back and endorsed Dan Proft.

Andy McKenna seemed to be on a roll, but the wheels have started to come off. We like his "no tax increases, cut spending" message but he's been avoiding debate, discussion and direct questions on a variety of legitimate concerns about his role as state party chairman. Ethics are critical to the next Governor of Illinois and if you can't deal with these questions head-on now, it tells us as Governor, you could choose silence over transparency.

Kirk Dillard gives us mixed feelings. Many Republicans blast him for doing an ad supporting Barack Obama for President, but that's not what bothers us most. It's the fact Kirk Dillard also "gets along" with the rest of the political mafia that controls Chicago and Springfield. He is not the type of person to stand up to his buddy, Chicago Corruption Kingpin Richard Daley or Illinois Czar Michael Madigan. We need someone who will have the courage to CHANGE things and Kirk Dillard's best hope is to just not screw up as much as the previous two Governor's.

That leaves us with Dan Proft and Jim Ryan.  And, we endorse BOTH.  They have different strengths, but after a lot of careful review, we are confident Illinois will be better with either of them as the next Governor of Illinois.

Jim Ryan, the former Illinois Attorney General, stepped away from politics after losing to Blago in 2002, but he's still got the fight necessary to change things.  He is a person of integrity and that's not something we can say about most of the leadership of Illinois.  He is a candidate that most of the Republican party and many Democrats can find themselves supporting and he has a proven track record of being able to win statewide.

Dan Proft has been the most articulate, consistent and passionate candidate about the need for a policy revolution and bold CHANGE to how we do business in Illinois.  If you watch the debates, forums and interviews with candidates, many times, it's Dan Proft's ideas that are being referred to or his initiative to take on difficult issues.  He understands how the political game is played and knows where the tricks of the political mafia will be used.  He can challenge the political mafia, expose their scams and introduce solutions that can change things.  As Governor, he would be the most bold CHANGE that Illinois desperately needs.

If you are looking for bold change, we suggest Dan Proft.  If you are looking for someone with political experience, we suggest Jim Ryan.  We trust both.

GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS - Dem Nomination

Pat Quinn became the temp Gov of Illinois and did everything he could to encourage the impeachment of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, but he seems to be a flip-flopper.  He called Blago a person of "integrity" when it was convenient.  He claimed to be a reformer, but he's relying on insider and establishment Dems to win.

Dan Hynes has been part of the Chicago political scene since he was a kid, but now portrays himself to be an outsider.  What has he done to demonstrate that when it counts?

Neither have the courage to stand up to the political mafia from Daley to Madigan.  Neither are able to come up with solutions for a serious crisis that will change how we do business, boldly cut spending and dump the bad habits of state government.  Both want foolish tax increases at the worst time possible in economic history.

Each says the other is incompetent and we agree with them.  When it comes to Pat Quinn or Dan Hynes as the choice for Governor of Illinois, we say none of the above.

Election 2010 | Who Is Alexi Giannoulias and Why Is He Radioactive?

As the problems with his family's Broadway Bank got much worse this past week, there's more indication Alexi Giannoulias could be a political disaster in November if he somehow wins on Tuesday for the Democrat's nomination to the U.S. Senate seat, formerly occupied by President Barack Obama and currently occupied by Roland Burris.

His primary opponent David Hoffman has legitimately raised job performance issues...after all, Giannoulias ran for Treasurer on those job performance promises. He has failed to keep his promises and we can't even reconsider him for Treasurer, let alone United States Senator.

We believe David Hoffman is a far superior candidate with integrity and a record of public service, but learn below about Alexi Giannoulias and drawn your own conclusions: