The Spin: As Biden nears VP decision, Duckworth’s in the national spotlight | Illinois weed sales soar | CTU vs. Lightfoot | Obama’s endorsements
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is expected to announce his running mate by week’s end, the candidate told reporters. Illinois U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, reportedly a finalist, has been making the national media rounds and at one point she said the notoriously grueling veep vetting process wasn’t as tricky as thought while offering, as The New York Times put it over the weekend, “political self-assessments that might dishearten the left.” (Read: fiscal conservatism.)
The conventional wisdom is that amid an equal playing field of distinguished finalists, Biden will choose an African American woman as his running mate given the renewed calls for racial equality across the country.
Meantime Biden’s old boss, former President Barack Obama, today announced his endorsements for Democratic candidates in tougher down-ballot races, including here in Illinois. Presidential election years offer a chance for the balance of power to shift to either party in the White House and Congress — that’s particularly true as one of the postelection priorities will be redrawing congressional maps, based on U.S. census data, and the ruling party can hold sway. Same goes for state legislatures.
And closer to home, Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker was pressed in Springfield this morning during a news conference about whether he’d donate money to embattled House Speaker Michael Madigan’s various campaign funds.
Pressure is mounting on Democrats, who have long relied on the House speaker who doubles as the state’s Democratic Party chairman, to cut ties with him amid the alleged ComEd bribery and influence scheme that implicated Madigan.
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Duckworth’s getting her moment in the national spotlight as a contender to be Biden’s running mate.
Late last week, Duckworth stopped mincing words and told the Washington Post: “I have been interviewed, yes,” Duckworth said, confirming during a Washington Post Live interview with reporter Bob Costa that the Biden camp has interviewed her to be his running mate.
OK, so it was the worst-kept secret.
But she told the Post’s Costa that the grueling experience of being vetted, was “positive” and The New York Times that it wasn’t all that complicated.
While the Times piece offered some reruns — a combat veteran with a seemingly endless well of determination and grit with limited legislative experience — reporter Matt Flegenheimer captured her sometimes difficult-to-peg politics: “In the interview, Ms. Duckworth by turns explained why the vetting process had been uncomplicated (“I was a soldier for 23 years, and I don’t have a lot of money”), said she remained a fiscal conservative (with an aside about wasteful defense contracts) and appeared to acknowledge that her coordinates on the ideological spectrum were difficult to track.”
Flegenheimer’s piece also offered a window into her sometimes blistering sense of humor: When a top aide was about to join South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign last year, she recorded a fake news interview — an intern played the part of reporter — and blasted Buttigieg for luring away her staffers.
An excerpt from the Times: “The file was sent to the departing aide, Sean Savett, who called the Buttigieg team in a panic.
“Soon, Mr. Savett was summoned to the Illinois senator’s office, where she fumed theatrically, stalling as other staff members filed in quietly for the reveal: It was all a ruse. Ms. Duckworth handed him a parting gift — a Smirnoff Ice, the centerpiece of a viral drinking game known as “icing” — and gave a final senatorial directive:
“‘Get down on one knee and chug.‘”
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Former President Barack Obama released a list earlier today of Democrats he’s endorsing in down-ballot races across the country — many, according to an aide, who are in tight reelection battles during the coronavirus pandemic that has curbed some of the traditional rituals of campaigning, from walking in parades to door-knocking.
In Illinois, he’s backing two first-term Democrats in the Chicago suburbs and exurbs who each flipped a Republican seat, a third who beat a conservative Democrat representing the city’s Southwest Side and suburbs and another downstate Dem giving the Republican incumbent a challenge.
They include:
U.S. Rep. Sean Casten, a freshman representative from Downers Grove, who flipped a longtime Republican-leaning seat in the west and northwest suburban Illinois 6th Congressional District in 2018. He’s facing former state Rep. Jeanne Ives of Wheaton, an ardent Trump supporter who narrowly lost to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner in the 2018 primary.
Betsy Dirksen Londrigan of Springfield, who’s trying to unseat four-term incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis of Taylorville in Illinois’ 13th Congressional District. She narrowly lost to him in the 2018 election.
Marie Newman, who beat incumbent U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski in the Democratic primary for the state’s 3rd Congressional District House seat earlier this year. Newman, a businesswoman from La Grange, will face Republican Mike Fricilone, a Will County Board member who campaigned as a fiscally conservative candidate opposed to abortion rights, in the Nov. 3 general election. With the district heavily skewing toward Democrats, Fricilone’s bid may be an uphill climb.
U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood of Naperville, the other Democrat who flipped a suburban seat in 2018 when she defeated GOP Rep. Randy Hultgren of Plano in the suburban and exurban 14th Congressional District, which stretches from the far southwest suburbs to the north and northeast to the Wisconsin border. She’s running against dairy magnate and state Sen. Jim Oberweis of Sugar Grove.
The criteria: According to the former president’s political team, Obama “selected candidates because their election would advance key goals: winning control of the U.S. Senate and holding the majority in the U.S. House; electing Democrats who will support fair redistricting in 2021; supporting alumni of his campaigns and Administration; and promoting diverse, emerging leaders for this time.”
Read the rest of the endorsements, which the former president says calls the “first wave,” here.
Pritzker on donating to Madigan campaign funds: ’not something I intend to do’
The call — particularly from Republicans — is growing louder for more Illinois Democrats to disavow their embattled leader, Madigan, who is not only speaker of the House but also the state’s Democratic Party chairman.
Today Gov. Pritzker was asked whether he’d commit not to give money to the four campaign committees Madigan controls, where incoming and outgoing donations are viewed not just as a barometer of loyalty but often which Dems get elected and which are ignored.
But in recent weeks Madigan’s power has been called into question, after ComEd agreed to pay a $200 million fine and cooperate with federal prosecutors who alleged a near-decadelong bribery and influence scheme involving the utility trying to win favor with Madigan. The Southwest Side Democrat has not been charged with any crime and Madigan denied any wrongdoing, saying in a statement last week “I have never made a legislative decision with improper motives and any claim otherwise is unfounded.”
Pritzker, a billionaire who bankrolled his own gubernatorial bid to the tune of $170 million, offered a self-deprecating chuckle as he said he wouldn’t be accepting donations. Pressed during a Springfield news conference today about whether he might in turn give to the campaign funds Madigan controls — and doles out money to Democratic candidates that are loyal to him — the governor begged off.
“That’s not something I intend to do,” Pritzker said.
History: State election board records show that Pritzker has not donated to any of the four campaign funds Madigan controls including; Friends of Michael J. Madigan; the 13th Ward Democratic Organization; Democratic Majority and Democratic Party of Illinois account.
Conservative group launches new attack ad against Pritzker over ComEd, Madigan, ethics reform: The conservative Illinois Rising Action, a 501(c)4 group, is on TV and social media with another ad going after Gov. Pritzker, suggesting he’s sitting on the fence over ethics reform.
“When it comes to standing up against corruption, Governor Pritzker chooses political rhetoric over real action on much-needed ethics reforms,” Kayleen Carlson, executive director of Illinois Rising Action said in a statement. “The time has come to put an end to the cronyism and corruption that has plagued Springfield for decades.” Pritzker’s political team has blasted the organization as a group of Trump allies out to bash a Democrat. You can watch the ad, called “Worse,” here.
While Pritzker opened the year with a state of the state address talking about ethics reform, the ComEd case has prompted lawmakers to call for a more rapid response. Pritzker has been non-committal about calling a special session to address ethics but also said he didn’t expect Madigan to call a special session on the issue.
Chicago Teachers Union vs. Lightfoot on COVID-19
As Chicago Public Schools parents face a deadline just days away to opt in or out of in-person classes this fall, parents and teachers are rallying in Chicago and across the country for schools to open safely or not at all.
Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey today said it’s not appropriate to have in-person learning “in an environment with raging contagion,” and that the union won’t stand for it.
“The mayor does not have the guts to close the schools,” Sharkey said outside CTU headquarters. “They’re putting it on us to close the schools. That’s what we feel like is happening.”
The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. (Hannah Leone, Christen A. Johnson and Alice Yin)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration shuts down weekend warehouse event as city looks again at cracking down on large parties: The Tribune’s Gregory Pratt has the details here.
Chicago bars now can add outdoor service on sidewalks, if they partner with a restaurant to provide food: The Tribune’s Phil Vettel has the details here.
Cook County recommends further COVID-19 restrictions for suburban bars, other businesses to voluntarily follow: The Tribune’s Alice Yin has the details here.
Suburbs didn’t want to be linked with Chicago over coronavirus restrictions. Now many areas are showing positivity rates higher than the city: The Tribune’s Robert McCoppin has the details here.
Related-Pritzker: If Congress doesn’t act to give states, cities new round of COVID-19 bailout money, expect more layoffs – As Congress continues to debate over a new relief package, the question on the minds of state and local elected leaders is: “how much are we getting?” With tax revenues continuing to tank, Pritzker said he’s been on the phone telling elected leaders that this is a bi-partisan issue they need to address.
“I continue to do my part, to make calls, to make sure that people understand that Democrat-led states and Republican-led states all have this challenge of revenues that fell off a cliff because of COVID-19. There’s certainly damage that will be done all across the nation, there certainly will be significant cuts that will have to be made to life-safety, to education to so many things that I care really deeply about,” Prtizker said.
Without significant aid, “there are going to be layoffs all over the country, not just related to state government,” Pritzker said, explaining that government belt-tightening may mean mothballing projects that supply jobs to the private sector, hurting those businesses.
State launches $5 million campaign to promote masks: Gov. Pritzker said the multimedia campaign, including ads on TV and social media, will focus on cities and counties in the state that “have the most work to do.” The Tribune’s Jamie Munks has the details here.
Some good news for state and local government coffers: Illinois marijuana shops sold almost $61 million in recreational weed in July, beating the previous record set in June by $13.4 million.
In all, dispensaries have sold about $300.1 million in recreational marijuana since sales started in Illinois on Jan. 1.
The sales figures have set records every month since May. July’s sales were a 75% increase over February, the month with the lowest sales at $34.8 million.
New marijuana markets typically see increasing sales for the first several years, as customers stop buying from their illicit drug dealers and start shopping at legal dispensaries instead.
But weed sales in many states, including Illinois, got an extra boost during the second quarter of the year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, said John Kagia, chief knowledge officer at Washington, D.C.-based research firm New Frontier Data. (Ally Marotti)
ICYMI: Hawthorne Race Course in the western suburbs gets preliminary OK to build casino at horse track, would be state’s first racino: The Tribune’s Robert Channick has the details here.
From the Tribune’s Abdel Jimenez: “First Women’s Bank, which received conditional approval this month from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., would be the first financial institution startup in the Chicago area in more than a decade. Organizers are raising the necessary funds and aim to launch early next year.
“The idea for the bank grew from a discussion among the three co-founders — Lisa Kornick, Melissa Widen and Amy Fahey — on how female entrepreneurs still trail their male counterparts in accessing loans even as more women start their own businesses.
Names in the game: Kornick, co-owner of DMK Restaurants, which operates Ada Street and DMK Burger Bar in Chicago, will serve as the bank’s chief experience officer. Fahey, who spent about 29 years with JPMorgan Chase, holding different senior positions, will be chair of the board of directors, and Widen, a former Chicago attorney, will be vice president and chief administrative officer. Marianne Markowitz, who led the U.S. Small Business Administration as acting administrator under former President Barack Obama, will be president and CEO.
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