Public Affairs

Kirk complains that dog bites man? Giannoulias and Brady pay only the required income taxes

2010-07-06T23:57:00.011-05:00

Alexi Giannoulias, meet Bill Brady

The big issue in the U. S. Senate and gubernatorial races in Illinois continues to be why didn't the candidate pay more in taxes than he was legally required to pay. Doesn't John Q. Citizen do that? Not really, but it is argued that your average taxpayer has salaried income and no business losses, so he can't understand how a pol who gets a salary doesn't pay income taxes on that salary.

A few months ago it was State Senator and Illinois Republican Gov nominee Bill Brady who was taken to task by Gov. Quinn and the pundits for paying little or no income taxes in certain years because his business losses offset salary income received for his state senate duties. He had no net income so he paid no income taxes. What a sin! Brady could have imitated Steve Martin and said: "Well, excuuuuse me."

A few days ago, State Treasurer and Democratic U. S. Senate nominee Alexi Giannoulias disclosed that he paid no income taxes because his big time losses from the Broadway Bank failure swamped his State Treasurer salary, meaning like Republican Brady, he had no net income for 2009, and therefore owed no income taxes.

Mark Steven Kirk: Better than your average pol or just not a businessman?

Cong. Mark Kirk (Republican nominee for U. S. Senate) tried to be "fair and balanced" by stating in yesterday's news conference that both Brady and Giannoulias should have found a way to pay income taxes on their government salaries. Yes, I suppose they both could have sent a check to Illinois and the Feds (or not asked for a refund) for the taxes that would have been due on their government salaries, had they incurred no business losses.

But, then logically, shouldn't Kirk have examined Gov. Quinn's income tax returns and if Quinn had taken say, a deduction for charitable contributions in excess of that taken by the average taxpayer, shouldn't Kirk have gone after Gov. Quinn, too.

Further, what if Cong. Kirk had taken a mortgage interest deduction in excess of that of the average taxpayer, should Senate Candidate Kirk have gone after Cong. Kirk for not paying more in income taxes that he was legally required to pay.

Now is the time?

Or, do you suppose voters would rather hear Cong. Kirk and Treasurer Giannoulias talk about their specific positions on past, present and future tax increases or tax decreases? I mean now that Kirk has almost dropped, sort of, for a while, his attacks on Giannoulias' Broadway Bank sub-par lending performance and Giannoulias has almost dropped, sort of, for a while, his attacks on Kirk's misrepresentations of his military and teaching experience, is it time to start focusing on national issues such as unemployment, tax rate change, government spending, illegal immigration, Iran's acquisition of a nuclear capability, etc.?

I mean I am just asking. Is it time?

Once again, moving on up to ChicagoNow.com

2010-03-05T19:24:00.000-06:00

For the forseeable future, I will be blogging at the ChicagoNow.com platform [A Tribune Companies owned platform for more than 100 independent blogs] and you can go there by going to ChicagoNow.com/PublicAffairs.

This site will be available for archive searches and you can use the links on recent posts and this one to take you to the Public Affairs youtube page, which will continue to house our new weekly TV shows, as well as those from the last two years, or so.

Jeff Berkowitz
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More than 120 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming is a 45 second clip of Berkowitz questioning Obama; and our most recent shows including a show w/ State Rep. Julie Hamos; a show w/former State Senator Steve Rauschenberger, (R-Elgin)State Senator and State Treasurer candidate Dan Rutherford (R-Pontiac); a Berkowitz exchange w/10th CD Republican Primary Candidate Beth Coulson [Clip from 2000] and Berkowitz exchanges with the Republican Primary Candidates for Governor; Pat Hughes (Hinsdale), U. S. Senate Candidate in the Republican Primary; Republican Primary Gov Candidate Dan Proft; Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans; 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park); Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis; Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Should Carol Marin have challenged Alexi Giannoulias’ facts last night? Did she?

2010-03-04T01:51:00.003-06:00

The Carol Marin interview last night on Chicago Tonight seemed, on its face, to cover all bases. You wouldn’t say that Marin was throwing softballs at Alexi Giannoulias, State Treasurer and the Democratic Party's U. S. Senate Candidate nominee. But, as you watched the twenty-three minute interview, you had the impression something was amiss.

Do Giannoulias’ facts hold up?

And, that something is this statement by Alexi,

Less than 9% were loans that were initiated [by me] during the time…I think it’s in the realm of twenty million dollars worth of loans that are now non- performing…so approximately twenty million dollars [of our family bank’s current non-performing assets were initiated by me] …the non-performing assets are in the range of $240 million dollars. [Emphasis Supplied]

Questions Berkowitz would have asked if he had been co-hosting with Carol

Berkowitz: So, let me get this straight, Alexi, It was reported last December and in January:

From 2002 to 2006, Alexi Giannoulias increased Construction & Development loans from $80 million to $356 million – expanding such risky investments from 25 percent to 46 percent of the bank’s total loan portfolio. (Chicago Reader, Alexi’s Albatross, 12/3/09)

From 2002 to 2006, Alexi Giannoulias increased the bank’s brokered deposits (also known as “hot money”) fourfold to $640 million. The typical bank at this point was growing brokered deposits at about 9 percent a year. (“As Lender, Senate Candidate Impacted Bank Woes,” New York Times, 1/30/10)

When Alexi Giannoulias left the bank, the ratio of brokered deposits to total assets at Broadway was 68 percent, according to FDIC records. The average for all federally insured banks nationwide was 4.5 percent. (Chicago Reader, Alexi’s Albatross, 12/3/09)

[Hat tips for all of the above to Rich Miller’s Capitolfax blog, Kirk for Senate Press Release and of course the Chicago Reader and the New York Times].

Berkowitz: So, Alexi, how do you square those facts with your assertion that you “initiated only 9% of your family bank’s current, non-performing loans.” I mean the risky Construction and Development loans more than quadrupled during your tenure as chief loan officer, right?

Berkowitz: And, during your tenure as the Chief Loan Officer, Alexi, the hot money brokered deposits increased fourfold, right?

Berkowitz: Further, if you were going to be able to pay higher interest rates to attract the hot money, you had to issue riskier loans to get the higher rates of return, right?

Berkowitz: So, it doesn’t make any sense that you could be responsible for only 9% of the bank’s non-performing loans, does it? I mean, when were all the bad loans made? In 2007 and 2008? I mean, the Bush bailouts started in fall, 2008, so your family bank only had nine months, at most in 2008 and all of 2007 to make those bad loans.

Berkowitz: Unless you are telling me the bad loans were made prior to 2002? Is that your argument?

Berkowitz: Or, are you saying that you weren’t really the chief loan officer in 2002 to 2006? But, didn’t you say you were when you ran for State Treasurer in 2006?
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Challenge, Probe and Follow-up

Well, maybe Alexi Giannoulias has good answers to the above. And, maybe the questions are based on erroneous premises.
But, if so, the only way to find out is to ask the questions. Challenge, probe and follow-up. Isn’t that what Medill teaches?
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The secret to a good interview

About a decade ago, I asked the late John Callaway, the original host of Chicago Tonight, “What’s the secret to a good interview.” Mr. Callaway said,” Start with a script. If the guest gets engaged, throw away the script.” Words to live by. I try to follow them every week on “Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz.”

Well, when Alexi came up with that 9% statement, that was the big number of the night. Whatever I had planned or scripted, I would have tossed that out. Because the guest had become engaged with the 9% number. So, engage Alexi. That should have been the show. I think that’s what John Callaway would have done. At least for five minutes. I mean, we had twenty-three.

Carol Marin and I would make a good team. That’s what I think. A good cop and a bad cop routine. I’m not sure if we would always play the same role. Perhaps we could take turns. But one thing is for sure, the show would be engaging. Don’t you agree?
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More than 120 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming is a 45 second clip of Berkowitz questioning Obama; and our most recent shows including a show w/ State Rep. Julie Hamos; a show w/former State Senator Steve Rauschenberger, (R-Elgin)State Senator and State Treasurer candidate Dan Rutherford (R-Pontiac); a Berkowitz exchange w/10th CD Republican Primary Candidate Beth Coulson [Clip from 2000] and Berkowitz exchanges with the Republican Primary Candidates for Governor; Pat Hughes (Hinsdale), U. S. Senate Candidate in the Republican Primary; Republican Primary Gov Candidate Dan Proft; Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans; 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park); Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis; Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Moving on up to ChicagoNow.com

2010-02-08T00:47:00.007-06:00

Better than Rachel Maddow w/ Cong. Mark Kirk: Berkowitz w/ Republican Primary U. S. Senate Candidate Pat Hughes:Cable & Streaming

2010-02-01T02:15:00.010-06:00

The City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs w/Jeff Berkowitz features Pat Hughes, U. S. Senate Candidate in the Republican Primary, airing tonight throughout the Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21
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Also, our show w/ Republican Senate Candidate Hughes (R-Hinsdale) is now streaming.
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Team Hughes is betting on tea party and other activists cheered on by field marshall Charlie Johnston and rising up in righteous indignation.
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For more commentary and analysis about the Senate race , please go here.
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Public Affairs airs on all cable outlets into the above referenced areas, but we do not air on satellite transmissions, e.g., Dish and Directtv.
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More than 120 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows including a show w/State Senator and State Treasurer candidate Dan Rutherford (R-Pontiac); a Berkowitz exchange w/10th CD Republican Primary Candidate Beth Coulson [Clip from 2000] and Berkowitz exchanges with the Republican Primary Candidates for Governor; Pat Hughes (Hinsdale), U. S. Senate Candidate in the Republican Primary; Republican Primary Gov Candidate Dan Proft; Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans; 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park); Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis; Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Better than Game Change w/John Edwards:Berkowitz w/ Hughes, Hoffman, Coulson, Dillard, Proft, Brady, McKenna, Ryan, and Andrzejewski; Cable/Streaming

2010-01-30T17:05:00.014-06:00

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"Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz," continues with its special election airings in ten North Shore suburbs this week-end.All of these shows, which include this coming Monday night's regular airing at 8:30 pm, can be seen on Comcast Ch. 19 in the North Shore suburbs of Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka. and on our youtube page. See below for links.
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Tonight

5:30 pm, Pat Hughes, U. S. Senate Republican Primary Candidate [Watch the show w/Pat Hughes]

6:00 pm, David Hoffman, U. S. Senate Democratic Primary Candidate [Watch the show w/ David Hoffman].

6:30 pm, Video Clips of Berkowitz questioning State Rep. Beth Coulson (R-Glenview) in September, 2000 about her non-endorsement of George Bush and Mark Kirk [Coulson is now a 10th CD Republican Primary candidate and clips of Berkowitz and others questioning Jim Ryan, Andy McKenna, Dan Proft, Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard, Adam Andrzejewski and Robert Schillerstrom at individual pressers held on January 13, 2010. [Watch the entire 30 minute show streaming].
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Sunday night, Jan. 31:

7:30 pm, Senator Kirk Dillard, Gubernatorial Republican Primary Candidate

8:00 pm, Dan Proft, Gubernatorial Republican Primary Candidate

8:30 pm, Video Clips of Berkowitz questioning State Rep. Beth Coulson (R-Glenview) on September 14, 2000 about her non-endorsement of George Bush and Mark Kirk [Ed. Note: Coulson is now a 10th CD Republican Primary candidate] and clips of Berkowitz and others questioning Jim Ryan, Andy McKenna, Dan Proft, Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard, Adam Andrzejewski and Robert Schillerstrom at individual pressers held on January 13, 2010.

Monday night, February 1, 2010

8:00 pm, David Hoffman U. S. Senate Democratic Primary Candidate

8:30 pm, Video Clips of Berkowitz questioning State Rep. Beth Coulson (R-Glenview) in September, 2000 about her non-endorsement of George Bush and Mark Kirk [Coulson is now a 10th CD Republican Primary candidate and clips of Berkowitz and others questioning Jim Ryan, Andy McKenna, Dan Proft, Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard, Adam Andrzejewski and Robert Schillerstrom at individual pressers held on January 13, 2010. [Watch the entire 30 minute show streaming].
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The "Public Affairs," show featuring State Rep. Beth Coulson interviewed on September 14, 2000 by Jeff Berkowitz and the seven Republican Primary Gov candidates (as of Jan. 13, 2010) questioned by Jeff Berkowitz, Joe Ryan [Daily Herald], Jim Anderson [Illinois Radio Network] and others can now be watched in individual segments by going to the Public Affairs YouTube page and scrolling to and clicking on the politician of your choice. Please note that clicking the picture of Coulson labelled Beth Coulson, IL 10th CD Cand. (R) will pull up the three and a half minute clip of Coulson and that clicking the picture of Coulson labelled Coulson, 10th CD Cand.(R) and 7 IL Gov will pull up the entire thirty minute Public Affairs show, airing this week in the suburbs. ************************************************************************
More than 120 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows including a show w/State Senator and State Treasurer candidate Dan Rutherford (R-Pontiac); a Berkowitz exchange w/10th CD Republican Primary Candidate Beth Coulson [Clip from 2000] and Berkowitz exchanges with the Republican Primary Candidates for Governor; Pat Hughes (Hinsdale), U. S. Senate Candidate in the Republican Primary; Republican Primary Gov Candidate Dan Proft; Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans; 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park); Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis; Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Six IL Republican Primary Gov candidates and 10th CD Republican Primary candidate Coulson featured this afternoon in Chicago; Cable/Streaming

2010-01-30T03:29:00.008-06:00

The Public Affairs show featuring the six IL Republican Primary candidates for Governor and State Rep. Beth Coulson, a 10th Cong. District Republican Primary candidate, will be cablecast in a special election week time slot this afternoon throughout the City of Chicago at 5:00 pm on Cable Ch. 21.
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This afternoon's Public Affairs show in Chicago features the IL Republican Primary Gubernatorial candidates being questioned by Jeff Berkowitz on January 13, 2010 and an interesting clip from September 14, 2000 of State Rep. and now 10th CD Republican Primary candidate Beth Coulson explaining to Jeff Berkowitz why she was declining to endorse George Bush for President and Mark Kirk for Congress, in the general election. The program also airs in ten North Shore 10th CD suburbs this evening at 6:30 pm on Cable Ch. 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka
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The above discussed show with the IL Republican Primary Gov candidates and 10th CD Republican Primary candidate Coulson is now streaming.
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This afternoon's show featuring State Rep. Beth Coulson interviewed on September 14, 2000 by Jeff Berkowitz and the seven Republican Primary Gov candidates (as of Jan. 13, 2010) questioned by Jeff Berkowitz, Joe Ryan [Daily Herald], Jim Anderson [Illinois Radio Network] and others can now be watched in individual segments by going to the Public Affairs YouTube page and scrolling to and clicking on the politician of your choice. Please note that clicking the picture of Coulson labelled Beth Coulson, IL 10th CD Cand. (R) will pull up the three and a half minute clip of Coulson and that clicking the picture of Coulson labelled Coulson, 10th CD Cand.(R) and 7 IL Gov will pull up the entire thirty minute Public Affairs show, airing this afternoon at 5:00 pm in the City of Chicago.
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State Rep. Beth Coulson (R-Glenview), now an IL 10th CD Candidate in the Republican Primary, declines to endorse, on Public Affairs, in a show taped on September 14, 2000, George Bush for President and Mark Kirk for Congress. Mark Kirk, at that time, had won a ten candidate March, 2000 Republican Primary and was involved in a close general election with then State Rep. Lauren Beth Gash (D-Highland Park) to replace then Cong. John Porter (R-Wilmette), who had decided not to seek re-election after holding the seat for 21 years. Cong. Porter's endorsement of Mark Kirk was thought to be a significant factor in Kirk's primary win in 2000. Cong. Kirk is now seeking the Republican nomination for the U. S. Senate in Illinois that was previously held by President Obama.

As noted by the host, Jeff Berkowitz, in an introduction taped on Jan. 17, 2010, Republican Beth Coulson followed her non-endorsements in 2000 with similar statements on Public Affairs on August 22, 2002, in which she declined to endorse in the general election then Republican candidates for Governor, Jim Ryan, and for Attorney General, Joe Birkett. In what may be considered an odd twist, Cong. Porter has recently endorsed Beth Coulson in her bid for the 10th CD seat. Of course, Coulson is now touting the significance of the Porter endorsement, even though in 2002 she argued her voters were sophisticated and knowledgeable and didn't really need her advice on who to support for President and for 10th Cong. District Congressman in the general election.

State Rep. Coulson also discusses, in 2000, her "Pro-choice," views on abortion, parental notice and "Republicanism."

Andy McKenna, IL Gov. Candidate in the Republican Primary, discusses issues regarding alleged illegal campaign contributions received by his campaign; and his views on tax increases, school choice, charter schools, the size of the state budget deficit and dealing with the state budget deficit.

Dan Proft, IL Gov. Candidate in the Republican Primary, discusses issues regarding alleged illegal campaign contributions received by McKenna's campaign, the IL GOP "getting its brains beat out by voters," Proft's assessment of McKenna and Proft's proposed income tax cuts.

Sen. Bill Brady, IL Gov. Candidate in the Republican Primary, discusses issues regarding his views on school choice-school vouchers, tax credits for a parent's school tuition costs and dealing with the state budget deficit.

DuPage County Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom, who withdrew on Jan. 22, 2010 as an IL Gov. Candidate in the Republican Primary, discusses zero based budgeting, his willingness to sign the Americans for Tax Reform pledge not to support net increases in taxes and dealing with the state budget deficit.

Former two term Attorney General Jim Ryan, IL Gov. Candidate in the Republican Primary, discusses his 2007 statement to Jeff Berkowitz that he favored increasing Illinois taxes by more than five billion dollars; his current position that he would not increase taxes in Illinois; whether he is willing to pledge not to increase taxes for four years and the impact of the state of the economy on his views about increasing taxes. Ryan also discusses his historical relationship with Stu Levine, who was convicted of public corruption; his views about people trying to "smear him," why Sen. Bill Brady wanted Ryan's endorsement in 2006 for Governor and whether or not "Ryan brought Levine to then Gov. Jim Edgar," and "would it matter if Ryan had."

State Sen Kirk Dillard, IL Gov. Candidate in the Republican Primary, discusses issues regarding his proposal for meaningful tax credits for a parent's school tuition costs, his opposition to tax increases and why he thinks he would be the best Republican to take on the Democratic candidate for Governor in the general election.

Adam Andrzejewski, IL Gov. Candidate in the Republican Primary, discusses issues regarding his views on how to deal with the State's budget deficit without raising taxes and in particular how he would cut state spending in the range of ten billion dollars.

All of the above discussions by the seven candidates for Governor in the IL Republican Primary consist of video clips from press availabilities on January 13, 2010 that took place in the ABC-7 Chicago studio after a debate sponsored by ABC-7 Chicago, the League of Women Voters of Illinois and the Better Government Association. Bob Schillerstrom, Chairman of the DuPage County is included in this afternoon's program even though he withdrew as a candidate for Governor, subsequent to the taping on January 13, 2010.
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The Public Affairs show featuring the IL Republican Primary candidates for Governor and State Rep. Beth Coulson, a 10th Cong. District Republican Primary candidate, airs this coming Monday night, Feb. 1, 2010 throughout the City of Aurora and surrounding areas at 7:30 pm on ACTV-10. The program also airs at 3:30 pm on next Tuesday (Election day) in Aurora on ACTV-10 and surrounding areas. The Aurora station, ACTV-10, aka Aurora Community Television, Comcast Cable Ch. 10, reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery.
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The Public Affairs show featuring the IL Republican Primary candidates for Governor and State Rep. Beth Coulson, a 10th Cong. District Republican Primary candidate, is being cablecast in a special election week time slot throughout the City of Chicago on this afternoon at 5:00 pm on Cable Ch. 21.
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Public Affairs airs on all cable outlets into the above referenced areas, but we do not air on satellite transmissions, e.g., Dish and Directtv.
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More than 120 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows including a show w/State Senator and State Treasurer candidate Dan Rutherford (R-Pontiac); a Berkowitz exchange w/10th CD Republican Primary Candidate Beth Coulson [Clip from 2000] and Berkowitz exchanges with the Republican Primary Candidates for Governor; Pat Hughes (Hinsdale), U. S. Senate Candidate in the Republican Primary; Republican Primary Gov Candidate Dan Proft; Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans; 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park); Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis; Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Quinn puts Hynes away at WVON: Game, Set and Match

2010-01-29T04:57:00.003-06:00

If Gov. Pat Quinn has any competence and any discipline left in his tired bones and intellect, notwithstanding what Harold Washington said to Joel Weisman twenty-two years ago about that, Pat Quinn will be the Democratic nominee for Governor this fall. You can take that to the bank, maybe even Alexi Giannoulias' Broadway Bank, and still collect interest.
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In what was apparently the final debate of the Democratic Gubernatorial Primary, Illinois’ current accidental Governor, Pat Quinn, caught a break yesterday and probably will ride it home to victory on Tuesday. Neither of these candidates has a lot of charm, but Quinn showed what he had yesterday. Rich Miller cites to ABC-7's Charles Thomas, in yesterday’s Capitolfax blog post by Miller about the 4:00-5:00 pm debate at the black owned and largely black run [with black talent] radio station on the south side of Chicago, WVON, for the proposition that the host, Cliff Kelley, is a big time supporter of Governor Quinn. Kelley didn’t mind letting his bias show, as he tag teamed with Quinn—leading the pounding of State Comptroller Dan Hynes pretty good.

The below is a transcript only of one segment toward the end of the show, but it probably was enough to carry the day with a substantial, but not exclusively, African-American audience. For most of the remainder of the debate, Kelley was a more balanced host.

ABC-7's Charles Thomas gives Hynes credit for showing up to a debate that Hynes knew would be a two on one, at least for part of the time. I also give Hynes credit for showing up. But, I give him and his staff low marks for preparation. Yeah, Comptroller Hynes faced tough and biased questioning from Kelley. But, he could have come up with much better answers. Hell, my cats could have come up with better answers.

After this, Quinn should do very well with the black vote on Tuesday. With four days left, no matter what the polls say, this election is still Pat Quinn’s to lose. He still could lose it. But, if Quinn has any competence and any discipline left in his tired bones and intellect, notwithstanding what Harold Washington said to Joel Weisman twenty-two years ago about that, Pat Quinn will be the Democratic nominee for Governor this fall. You can take that to the bank, maybe even Broadway Bank, and still collect interest.
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Dan Hynes: I laid out a proposal when I started this campaign to eliminate the deficit over three years. The deficit has grown under Quinn from 9 to 13 billion dollars under one year.

Cliff Kelley: [Analogizing Hynes argument, above, to what they say about Obama, Kelley argued], “You’ve got to spend some money to get out of a recession.”

Illinois needs large deficits to grow its economy?

Pat Quinn: Yeah, they say the same thing about President Obama and I think he defended himself very well [last night]. President Obama asked me out to the White House when I was sworn in because he was happy I became the Governor. You know, we work very well together. Just today we got 1.2 billion dollars for high speed rail, some of which will be spent right here in Englewood and put a lot of people to work.

Pat Quinn: The same with Thomson Prison, the President asked me to allow his officials to inspect it to buy that prison from Illinois. It will create 3800 jobs, I’m working with President Obama on that and it will bring a billion dollars of new income to our state. I was down there this week with Rev./Senator Meeks when Ford picked Illinois as a place to create 1200 new jobs.

Quinn, the name dropper?

Dan Hynes: Anybody keeping count of how many names the Governor drops. He is breaking a record.

Pat Quinn: How about the Defender, they endorsed me today. Since 1905 the Defender has been the voice of the African-American community, not only in Chicago, but in the south during the bad days. The Pullman porters would throw the Defender off the train in order to get people the truth down in the south.

Kelley asks Hynes: you agree your TV ad is horrific?

Cliff Kelly: we have gotten so many calls and so forth…in addition to all three of our congressmen and Jackie Grimshaw and they just thought it was horrific that you would [run this ad about what Harold Washington said about Quinn]. Do you agree—well, just comment on the piece itself.

Hynes: Well, its natural for the question to come up because it’s a powerful message and the words of Harold Washington are very powerful. They speak to the fact that the Governor was fired from his job for his inability to do his job. Mayor Washington …spoke of Quinn’s inability to run the Dept. of Revenue and that he was more concerned about public relations than solving problems. And the reason that it is relevant is because that’s exactly what we’ve gotten in the last year under the Governor—an inability to deal with problems—and rather a focus on public relations.

Hynes tries to explain away his “youthful indiscretion.”

Kelley: Now, if that’s true, I think that Dan the people have a problem because your dad was certainly not a supporter of Harold Washington and you ran against Barack Obama [for the U. S. Senate Democratic Party nomination in 2004]. What I am saying is [was] the intent to try to divide the Black community or to draw votes from people who are racists [and] who didn’t want Washington in office in the first place?

Dan Hynes: No, the intent was to explain to people the governor’s inability to solve problems and his lack of competence…

Kelley tries to minimize what Washington thought about Quinn

Cliff Kelley: But that was years ago.

Dan Hynes: It is not just a one-time situation. That’s the reason he was fired by Mayor Washington at the City of Chicago Department of Revenue.

Cliff Kelley: Twenty years ago.

Dan Hynes: A job that’s very similar to the job he has now. You brought up my father and let me just speak to it. …when he ran for Mayor, I was 18 years old, and I support my father and I love my father. But, my father is not running for Governor. I’m running for Governor.

Cliff Kelley: You were in the commercial.

Dan Hynes: Pardon me.

Cliff Kelley: You were in the commercial. Your father’s commercial.

Dan Hynes: Right, like I said, I support my father.

Cliff Kelley: Right. Right. But, you were in the commercials where he was attacking Mayor Washington.

Dan Hynes: Right, I was 18 years old and I love my father and I loved him then and I support him, but the point of this commercial and the powerful nature of Mayor Washington’s words are very clear. It is about the fact that: Pat Quinn was fired from his job. Because he wasn’t able to do his job and he was more concerned about public relations and that’s exactly the problem we have now in his one-year in office.

Cliff Kelley: Well, he’s had a number of offices since then and he’s done very well at them so I’m just saying to go back—

Dan Hynes: And, people can factor that in and make a decision for themselves.

Kelley asks Quinn to respond after Kelley responded for him

Cliff Kelley: …Governor, you want to respond?

Pat Quinn: Well, I did a good job, an honest job and that’s what the people want in the governor….this is a divisive commercial, and he knows it. I was 18 years old…I worked for Bobby Kennedy—he was trying to bring people together when he ran for President…and I believe when you are 18… you make up your own mind. The fact is that Dan Hynes left the Democratic Party to go and try to unseat Harold Washington as Mayor …I worked for Harold Washington in every single election he was in…now Mr. Hynes’ father who [Dan Hynes] supported and campaigned for… called Harold Washington sleazy and I think that was just plain wrong…we’re not going to let anyone go back to those days of 1980 …when people were divided… and I always was with Harold Washington and [Dan Hynes] never ever voted for Harold Washington nor did his father who was calling Harold Washington terrible names.

Dan Hynes: …I think that, again, we’re not trying to be divisive. We have presented these words of Mayor Harold Washington, which are directly relevant to the fact that the Governor today has allowed our problems to get worse. He was fired from his job because he was not competent and he wasn’t doing a good job and that’s exactly what’s happened today.

Cliff Kelley: But, since then he has been elected to two statewide offices…

Dan Hynes: So, people can evaluate that. They can-

Cliff Kelley: They have, I just wish—

Dan Hynes: They can listen to the words of Harold Washington and then they can discount it or factor in…but that doesn’t mean that the words of Harold Washington shouldn’t be heard. And, I certainly don’t think that what my father did has anything to do with it.

Pat Quinn: I think it is important that Comptroller Hynes doesn’t put his picture on those commercials that he was running…the reason is that the Hynes family fought Harold Washington every step of the way in the 1980s when we made progress…I’d rather lose the race for Governor than divide the people of Illinois along the lines of race. That’s what my opponent is doing…

Kelley to Hynes: Have you ever done anything of note?

Cliff Kelley: …this question comes from an email from someone asking [Dan], what have you done in the past? [Pat Quinn] has already mentioned the Citizens Utility Board, which we all agree has helped a lot of people. …but the point is that [Pat was also] able to reduce the size of the legislature through referendum—there are a number of things that Pat has done, tell us, Dan, what you have done?

Dan Hynes: I have been the comptroller for 11 years. I have been the lead voice of fiscal responsibility in this state…[Many of the newspapers agree] I have the better plan to get us out of this budget mess that is growing worse under Pat Quinn… we are unable to make the investments [we need to] in education, in healthcare, in human services and these are the real consequences for a budget deficit that I warned about for many, many years…

Quinn, 11% unemployment and he is the jobs Governor?

Pat Quinn: In eleven years, he hasn’t created one job. …And, today, with the announcement of President Obama…helping me as Governor, I think its 5500 jobs that are going to be created by the high speed rail…we passed a job recovery bill to rebuild our schools…and to rebuild our water systems and healthcare and so on, that’s going to create 439,000 jobs; I’m the jobs governor…
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Reflections on the WTTW, Channel 11 Republican and Democratic Gubernatorial Primary debates: winners, losers and media bias?

2010-01-27T03:21:00.005-06:00

Links to short videos of questioning of McKenna, Ryan and Proft added at 2:00 pm on Wednesday.
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There were several clear winners coming out of the last two nights of debates held by WTTW—Ch. 11, one of the two public TV stations in the Chicago metro area. Monday night the debate was for the Democratic nomination for Governor between Governor Pat Quinn, who moved into the position from Lt. Gov. in early 2009 when Rod Blagojevich was removed from office by the impeachment process. Tuesday night it was for the Republican nomination for Governor, with the candidates being Senator Bill Brady, Senator Kirk Dillard, businessman Adam Andrzejewski, former AG Jim Ryan and media personality/political consultant Dan Proft.

Winning format

The first winner was the WTTW format: No League of Women voters stuffy “we all take turns answering the same question,” with formalized time limits for the answers. No silly openings and closings. Much more of a conversation between the moderator and the candidates, and sometimes the candidates threw questions at each other, sometimes the moderator would follow up—sometimes the follow-up would be by the moderator of a candidate’s spontaneous question.

Carol Marin moderated on Monday night and Phil Ponce on Tuesday night. I can quibble with some bias in some of the questions and would have liked to see much more follow-up, especially by Marin. But, that is a criticism on the margin. Over-all, WTTW, Marin and Ponce get a big thumbs-up for a much better format than that of the League of Women Voters, which sadly has almost a monopoly on these debates. I understand one exception to that monopoly is the debate among the Republican Gov candidates which Thom Serafin moderated a few weeks ago in the western suburbs. I have not watched the video yet but have been told by many it was suburb, and like WTTW, its format was a free flowing, much less formalized conversation.

Winner Jim Ryan

The second winner was probably Jim Ryan. Putting aside the content of his and his competitor’s answers, the man just has a strong presence that commands respect both by his competitors and no doubt, the TV audience. [But, watch Ryan questioned by Berkowitz for four minutes on taxes- a little bit like trying to pin jello on a tree].

Winner Dan Proft

The third winner was Dan Proft. The polls, money raised and name recognition put Dan in the second tier in the Republican Gov Primary race. However, the consistency, logic and thoughtfulness of his ideas put him in the first tier. He also is developing a stronger presence and softening his hard edges. When the five candidates were asked who they would support if they couldn’t vote for themselves, Jim Ryan got two votes, Proft got one and there were two no votes. That vote by the candidate’s peers may tell us something. [But watch the sharp tongued Proft rip McKenna for two minutes for having been part of the dysfunctional IL GOP political establishment and for having accepted illegal campaign contributions]

McKenna, a big loser

The big loser of the evening was Andy McKenna, who was a no show. Phil Ponce reported that McKenna said he could not be there due to a conflict, i.e., McKenna was campaigning in Central Illinois at the time of the debate. However, Ponce noted that the invitations for the debate went out on November 13, 2009.

During the debate, McKenna’s opponents ripped him for his ethical violations as State GOP chair, which the Republican State Central Committee determined occurred and for which McKenna publicly apologized. McKenna was also ripped for not campaigning with the voters and for not showing up at other forums, as well. McKenna was further ripped for accepting illegal campaign contributions and not returning them. You wonder if any of McKenna’s opponents has the money to turn those debate segments into an ad blasting Andy. Ripping McKenna was perhaps the best example of the common ground reached by McKenna’s opponents. [Watch McKenna questioned for five minutes by Berkowitz and others-- this performance could be why his handlers kept him off WTTW last night].

Liberal media bias appears again?

The oddest part of the two debates was that on Monday night Quinn and Hynes both discussed their plans to raise taxes by about four billion dollars. Marin questioned them about the differences in their tax hike plans. And Hynes lamented that Quinn would not say he would support Hynes if Hynes won, with Hynes worrying about the cuts in spending the Republicans would make. Hynes noted that those cuts provided a good reason for Quinn to say he would support Hynes, if Quinn lost.

Quinn, in another part of the debate, defended his efforts to deal with the deficit, saying he had made the cuts he could make in spending, about 2.5 billion dollars and that he could cut no more. Hynes didn’t seem to differ with Quinn on that.

The question Marin omitted

So, why didn’t Marin say to both Hynes and Quinn, if the deficit is 13 billion dollars as they argue, and each would raise taxes by only 4 billion dollars, how would they fix that nine billion dollar deficit, without “hurting real people.” Borrow nine billion dollars? If not, make cuts of nine billion dollars? Wouldn’t that be a lot of pain? Marin never asked. Certainly she never pressed them on it.

But, Ponce led with that question

Yet, Ponce, on Tuesday night, virtually led by asking the Republicans how they could deal with that 13 billion dollar deficit “without hurting real people.” Each of the Republican candidates tried to discuss the cuts in spending that were necessary to deal with the deficit, and Ponce essentially belittled the responses. Of course, there was none of that on this issue by Marin with Quinn and Hynes.

I’m not saying there was liberal media bias in the different treatment of the issue by Marin and Ponce. I’m just saying.
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More than 120 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows including a show w/State Senator and State Treasurer candidate Dan Rutherford (R-Pontiac); a Berkowitz exchange w/10th CD Republican Primary Candidate Beth Coulson [Clip from 2000] and Berkowitz exchanges with the Republican Primary Candidates for Governor; Pat Hughes (Hinsdale), U. S. Senate Candidate in the Republican Primary; Republican Primary Gov Candidate Dan Proft; Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans; 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park); Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis; Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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The perfect chaser to tonight's WTTW GOP Gov debate: Jeff Berkowitz questions IL GOP Gov candidates & 10th CD Coulson; Cable/Streaming

2010-01-26T17:44:00.021-06:00

Included below is the "Public Affairs," airing schedule for the show we taped with IL Republican Primary Gubernatorial candidates being questioned by Jeff Berkowitz on January 13, 2010 and an interesting clip from September 14, 2000 of State Rep. and now 10th CD Republican Primary candidate Beth Coulson explaining to Jeff Berkowitz why she was declining to endorse George Bush for President and Mark Kirk for Congress, in the general election. Note, the airings start this evening, at 8:30 pm or 9:00 pm (depending on the suburb) with Comcast cablecasts into 35 Chicago Metro suburbs, mainly in suburbs north and northwest of Chicago, and continue in ten North Shore 10th CD suburbs up to the election. The program airs on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 or Cable Ch. 35, depending on the suburb, as listed below. The program also will air in Aurora, Rockford and Chicago (Special airing), as listed below. The program is also streaming, now.
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The above discussed show is now streaming.
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Our show with clips of our 2000 interview with now 10th CD Republican Primary candidate Beth Coulson and clips of questioning of the IL Republican Primary candidates at January 13, 2010 pressers is airing tonight in 35 Chicago Metro suburbs; on this Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun., and Mon., in 10 of those suburbs again; and on this Thur. night throughout Rockford and surrounding areas; next week in Aurora and surrounding areas; and on this Saturday afternoon throughout the City of Chicago, as listed below for all of these airings. We may have some supplemental airings of this show and we will advise you of those as they occur.
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This week's Chicago Metro suburban show featuring State Rep. Beth Coulson interviewed on September 14, 2000 by Jeff Berkowitz and the seven Republican Primary Gov candidates (as of Jan. 13, 2010) questioned by Jeff Berkowitz, Joe Ryan [Daily Herald], Jim Anderson [Illinois Radio Network] and others can now be watched in individual segments by going to the Public Affairs YouTube page and scrolling to and clicking on the politician of your choice. Please note that clicking the picture of Coulson labelled Beth Coulson, IL 10th CD Cand. (R) will pull up the three and a half minute clip of Coulson and that clicking the picture of Coulson labelled Coulson, 10th CD Cand.(R) and 7 IL Gov will pull up the entire thirty minute Public Affairs show, airing this week in the suburbs.
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State Rep. Beth Coulson (R-Glenview), now an IL 10th CD Candidate in the Republican Primary, declines to endorse, on Public Affairs, in a show taped on September 14, 2000, George Bush for President and Mark Kirk for Congress. Mark Kirk, at that time, had won a ten candidate March, 2000 Republican Primary and was involved in a close general election with then State Rep. Lauren Beth Gash (D-Highland Park) to replace then Cong. John Porter (R-Wilmette), who had decided not to seek re-election after holding the seat for 21 years. Cong. Porter's endorsement of Mark Kirk was thought to be a significant factor in Kirk's primary win in 2000. Cong. Kirk is now seeking the Republican nomination for the U. S. Senate in Illinois that was previously held by President Obama.

As noted by the host, Jeff Berkowitz, in an introduction taped on Jan. 17, 2010, Republican Beth Coulson followed her non-endorsements in 2000 with similar statements on Public Affairs on August 22, 2002, in which she declined to endorse in the general election then Republican candidates for Governor, Jim Ryan, and for Attorney General, Joe Birkett. In what may be considered an odd twist, Cong. Porter has recently endorsed Beth Coulson in her bid for the 10th CD seat. Of course, Coulson is now touting the significance of the Porter endorsement, even though in 2002 she argued her voters were sophisticated and knowledgeable and didn't really need her advice on who to support for President and for 10th Cong. District Congressman in the general election.

State Rep. Coulson also discusses, in 2000, her "Pro-choice," views on abortion, parental notice and "Republicanism."

Andy McKenna, IL Gov. Candidate in the Republican Primary, discusses issues regarding alleged illegal campaign contributions received by his campaign; and his views on tax increases, school choice, charter schools, the size of the state budget deficit and dealing with the state budget deficit.

Dan Proft, IL Gov. Candidate in the Republican Primary, discusses issues regarding alleged illegal campaign contributions received by McKenna's campaign, the IL GOP "getting its brains beat out by voters," Proft's assessment of McKenna and Proft's proposed income tax cuts.

Sen. Bill Brady, IL Gov. Candidate in the Republican Primary, discusses issues regarding his views on school choice-school vouchers, tax credits for a parent's school tuition costs and dealing with the state budget deficit.

DuPage County Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom, who withdrew on Jan. 22, 2010 as an IL Gov. Candidate in the Republican Primary, discusses zero based budgeting, his willingness to sign the Americans for Tax Reform pledge not to support net increases in taxes and dealing with the state budget deficit.

Former two term Attorney General Jim Ryan, IL Gov. Candidate in the Republican Primary, discusses his 2007 statement to Jeff Berkowitz that he favored increasing Illinois taxes by more than five billion dollars; his current position that he would not increase taxes in Illinois; whether he is willing to pledge not to increase taxes for four years and the impact of the state of the economy on his views about increasing taxes. Ryan also discusses his historical relationship with Stu Levine, who was convicted of public corruption; his views about people trying to "smear him," why Sen. Bill Brady wanted Ryan's endorsement in 2006 for Governor and whether or not "Ryan brought Levine to then Gov. Jim Edgar," and "would it matter if Ryan had."

State Sen Kirk Dillard, IL Gov. Candidate in the Republican Primary, discusses issues regarding his proposal for meaningful tax credits for a parent's school tuition costs, his opposition to tax increases and why he thinks he would be the best Republican to take on the Democratic candidate for Governor in the general election.

Adam Andrzejewski, IL Gov. Candidate in the Republican Primary, discusses issues regarding his views on how to deal with the State's budget deficit without raising taxes and in particular how he would cut state spending in the range of ten billion dollars.

All of the above discussions by the seven candidates for Governor in the IL Republican Primary consist of video clips from press availabilities on January 13, 2010 that took place in the ABC-7 Chicago studio after a debate sponsored by ABC-7 Chicago, the League of Women Voters of Illinois and the Better Government Association.
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The Chicago Metro suburban episode of "Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz," featuring the IL Republican Primary candidates for Governor and State Rep. Beth Coulson, a 10th Cong. District Republican Primary candidate is airing
tonight, Tuesday night, Jan. 26 at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Wilmette

and tonight at 9:00 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.

and tonight at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.

and on Wed. night at 8:30 pm, Fri. night at 8:00 pm, Sat.. night at 6:30 pm, Sun. night at 8:30 pm and Mon. night on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka
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The "Public Affairs," show featuring the IL Republican Primary candidates for Governor and State Rep. Beth Coulson, a 10th Cong. District Republican Primary candidate, airs throughout the City of Rockford (and in surrounding areas) this Thursday night, January 28 at 8:00 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 17. The surrounding areas reached by Comcast Cable Ch. 17, in addition to Rockford, include Byron, Cedarville, Cherry Valley, Loves Park, Machesney Park, Mount Morris, New Milford, Portions of Ogle County, Oregon, Polo, Stillman Valley, Winnebago, Portions of Boone County and Poplar Grove.
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The Public Affairs show featuring the IL Republican Primary candidates for Governor and State Rep. Beth Coulson, a 10th Cong. District Republican Primary candidate, airs this coming Monday night, Feb. 1, 2010 throughout the City of Aurora and surrounding areas at 7:30 pm on ACTV-10. The program also airs at 3:30 pm on next Tuesday (Election day) in Aurora on ACTV-10 and surrounding areas. The Aurora station, ACTV-10, aka Aurora Community Television, Comcast Cable Ch. 10, reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery.
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The Public Affairs show featuring the IL Republican Primary candidates for Governor and State Rep. Beth Coulson, a 10th Cong. District Republican Primary candidate, will be cablecast in a special election week time slot throughout the City of Chicago on this Saturday afternoon at 5:00 pm on Cable Ch. 21.
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Public Affairs airs on all cable outlets into the above referenced areas, but we do not air on satellite transmissions, e.g., Dish and Directtv.
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More than 120 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows including a show w/State Senator and State Treasurer candidate Dan Rutherford (R-Pontiac); a Berkowitz exchange w/10th CD Republican Primary Candidate Beth Coulson [Clip from 2000] and Berkowitz exchanges with the Republican Primary Candidates for Governor; Pat Hughes (Hinsdale), U. S. Senate Candidate in the Republican Primary; Republican Primary Gov Candidate Dan Proft; Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans; 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park); Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis; Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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The 10th CD race: Could Coulson's Sep. 14, 2000 failure to endorse Bush and Kirk on TV be the deciding factor? Watch and you decide. Cable/Streaming

2010-01-25T22:37:00.015-06:00

I know that Coulson's non-endorsement of Kirk was way before his moderation was demonstrated, but still, Republican Primary voters might ask, Mark Kirk, that's the guy Republican Coulson thought was "too conservative," for her to risk endorsing him over Democrat Gash in Coulson's liberal state house district, and Coulson wants us to support her as the Republican nominee for Congresswoman from this District?
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September 14, 2000 and Republican Beth Coulson hadn't picked between Bush and Gore?

Jeff Berkowitz: I assume you are supporting George W. Bush as the Presidential Candidate

State Rep. Beth Coulson [R-Glenview, IL., 57th Dist.]: I am not supporting any particular Presidential candidate. Watch the Coulson-Berkowitz clip here

Berkowitz: You are not? You are not supporting the Republican candidate in the presidential election?

Coulson: I didn’t say that.

Berkowitz: All right, what did you say?

Coulson: I haven’t picked. It is my private vote; just like it is your private vote. I have to wait and see where they are on some of the issues that are important to me, and, that is my personal opinion, but I also need to wait and see, and my attitude is my voters have the decision to make, so I don’t think I should endorse any particular candidate.

Berkowitz: And you don’t think you will prior to Nov. 7.

Coulson: No, I don’t.

Sep. 14, 2000 and Republican State Rep. Coulson hadn't picked yet between Lauren Beth Gash (D) and Mark Kirk(R)? She didn't know where they stood?

Jeff Berkowitz: And, in the 10th Cong. District race, where Mark Kirk is the Republican candidate and Lauren Beth Gash is the Democratic candidate, are you making an endorsement or your preference known publicly there?

Coulson: Once again, I don’t know exactly where they stand on some very important issues that are important to me and important to my constituents. So, I can’t say that I won’t, but I have not yet [as of Sep. 14, 2000].

Berkowitz: But you might, before Nov. 7 [2000]?

Coulson: I suppose I might, if it would really make a difference. I am not sure that it would.

Berkowitz: Well, Beth, you carry a lot of clout in this area. I think you are underestimating what you could do. I am serious.

Coulson: I feel we have very sophisticated, educated voters and they usually want to make decisions for themselves.
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September 14, 2000 and Beth Coulson (R) couldn't decide between Bush and Gore because she was "not privy to the Federal Budget."

Jeff Berkowitz: I think George W. Bush—here is a little secret—I have heard him speak, I know you have and it sounds to me, if you have to pick between George W. Bush and Al Gore, and one of your criteria is whether the candidates believe in limited government, then, you know, it is somewhat of a joke, but it is somewhat true, people are saying-- Al Gore wants a trillion dollar spending program and George W. Bush wants a trillion dollar tax decrease. Pretty stark choice there, so if you believe in limited government, as you said, less government, I assume less spending, less taxes, everything else equal, then I would think you would favor George W. Bush.

Coulson: I think that may be true, but I don’t know what he [George Bush] wants to spend it on and what they want to cut and I am not privy to the Budget in the federal government...again, to me, it is a private vote that I am going to be making. I don’t think I need to endorse a particular candidate.

From "Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz." The interview with State Rep. Beth Coulson (R-Glenview), transcribed, in part, above, was recorded, live to tape, on September 14, 2000.Watch the Coulson-Berkowitz clip here
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Beth Coulson: Shockingly neutral on party identification or loyalty?

Well, you have to admit, no matter who you support in the 10th CD or even if you are indifferent to who wins in the 10th CD, the above exchange is quite shocking. Most, if not all, officeholders or people seeking office in the general election support or endorse members of their own party, and most of them support their party's Presidential or Congressional candidates for the district in which they reside. At least, this journalist thinks they do.

Of course, the context here is that Coulson got elected and re-elected six times in an increasingly, liberal Democratic District. First, it was the 57th State House District and then it was re-districted in 2001-02 as the 17th State House district by long time Speaker Mike Madigan, and his worker bees, to be even more Democratic.

Coulson kept getting re-elected. One thing she did, which many Republican candidates do in Democratic districts, was to send out, often, campaign literature without a party identification. Another thing Coulson did, at least while on our "Public Affarrs," show, was to decline to endorse Bush for President in the general election, and much more shockingly, she declined to endorse Mark Steven Kirk, a slightly right of center but clearly socially liberal, even in September, 2000, 10th CD nominee of the Republican Party. Further, Coulson(R) declined to endorse in the general election, on August 22, 2002, on "Public Affairs," Republican Jim Ryan for Governor and Joe Birkett for Attorney General.

Yes, Kirk was less socially liberal then than he is now, but still, do you think any other Republican State Rep. candidates in or around Kirk's Cong. District at the time would have declined to endorse him for congress in a general election? As I wrote in 2002, "we discuss- you decide."
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A close race between Dold and Coulson

Reliable sources in the 10th CD say next Tuesday's election is likely to be a close one between thirteen year State Rep. Beth Coulson (R-Glenview) and Kenilworth small businessman Bob Dold. Dick Green has put almost a half million dollars of his own wealth into this race, but the other ingredients for a win don't seem to be there. Dr. Arie Friedman has an impressive style, personality and background but he probably started too late to be competitive on the fund raising and organization side of things. Paul Hamann doesn't have the required style, personality, resources and organization to be competitive.

Although Coulson said on "Public Affairs," in 2000 she doesn't get any support from the Republican Party, it looks like times have changed. Beth has much of the establishment wing of the Republican Party supporting her now. Lots of elected officials in the Illinois Legislature and Congress are stepping up for Beth, and some of those folks may have some resources to throw her way in the 10th CD primary.

Dold, on the other hand, has a lot of the rank and file giving him a hand, e.g., the powerful New Trier Township Republican Organization and the Vernon and Elk Grove Republican Township organizations, have lined up behind him. When Mark Kirk won a close general election in 2000 over State Rep. Lauren Beth Gash, it was by the razor thin margin of two points, and New Trier gave Kirk a good chunk of that margin, a 3300 vote spread, or about 60% of the 5500 vote margin.

Edgar and Porter

Coulson has the last former Illinois Governor not to be indicted, Jim Edgar, supporting her. And, more seriously, Edgar is a very popular guy across Illinois and no doubt in the 10th CD. Even more popular in the 10th CD, as of nine years ago, when he gave up the 10th CD seat, is former Congressman John Porter. Both have endorsed Beth Coulson and that helps. But, political assets, like all others, deteriorate with time. Neither Edgar nor Porter has spent much, if any, time in the 10th CD during the last nine years. Porter, intentionally so, as to not infringe on Cong. Kirk's "ownership" of that district. Indeed, both Edgar and Porter made essentially "in absentia," endorsements. So, how much do the Edgar and Porter endorsements help? They are positive, no doubt. But, clearly Porter's endorsement of Kirk in his 2000 Primary helped Kirk much more than this one helps Coulson.

Lugar, Quayle and the Tribune

Both Senator Lugar (R-IN) and former Senator Quayle (R-IN) and the Chicago Tribune have endorsed Dold. Those folks and that entity are quite influential in the 10th CD Republican Primary.

Rep. Beth Coulson has always been a personable, smart and tenacious campaigner. She has had at least two very tough general elections (2002 and 2008), and she won them both, the earlier one by less than 700 votes.

Bob Dold has demonstrated during this campaign he is no slouch on the campaign trail. He also is smart, articulate and polished. He knows how to take a mike and wade into the crowd. He has a law degree and an MBA.

Both Coulson and Dold can handle themselves in forums and walking precincts. It's a race.

Mark Kirk, the guy who, like Bush, was too conservative for Coulson to endorse?

It could come down to what do Republican Primary voters think about a Republican State Rep. who declined to endorse her Party's nominee for President and for Congress. Even when the nominee was the quite moderate, if not liberal, Mark Steven Kirk. The guy who turned out to be so Pro-choice, pro gun control, pro environmental, pro Israel, pro gay rights, pro public school teacher that he kept the 10th CD seat, even though the 10CD had gone Democratic long ago and the Republicans had extremely tough years in 2006 and 2008. And, ultimately Kirk was so moderate that he opposed Bush's surge in Iraq and he was one of eight Republicans to vote for Speaker Pelosi's Cap and Trade, a bill that barely passed the House.

I know that Coulson's non-endorsement of Kirk was way before his moderation was demonstrated, but still, Republican Primary voters might ask, Mark Kirk, that's the guy Republican Coulson thought was "too conservative," for her to risk endorsing him over Democrat Gash in Coulson's liberal state house district, and Coulson wants us to support her as the Republican nominee for Congresswoman from this District?

That might just be a too tall drink, as Cong. Peter Roskam (R-Wheaton, 6th CD) might say, for 10th CD Republican voters to swallow. But, as this journalist wrote in 2002, we discuss, you decide. But, first, before you decide Watch the Coulson-Berkowitz clip here
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Better than Chris Wallace w/Robert Gibbs: Berkowitz w/ IL Gov Candidate Dan Proft on solving the long term deficit by cutting taxes; Cable/Streaming

2010-01-25T20:02:00.005-06:00

Dan Proft [Republican candidate for Governor][Watch Proft here]: ...[My proposal to cut Illinois income tax rates 50%]is not an academic exercise. The only time that structural tax cuts and statutory spending caps, which I've also proposed, work is every single time they're tried and that means in real world examples: California in the 80s, Colorado in the 90s, the Hancock Amendment in Missouri and what Gov. Mitch Daniels has done in Indiana. This is not some kind of an ethereal suggestion about what could happen. This is a looking around, picking our heads up and looking around the world-- [Watch Proft's one minute pitch on this issue]
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The "Public Affairs," show featuring Dan Proft, Republican Primary gubernatorial candidate, is airing throughout the City of Chicago this evening at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21. *************************************************
The "Public Affairs," show featuring Dan Proft, Republican Primary gubernatorial candidate, is also airing this Wednesday afternoon on cable in Aurora and surrounding areas at 3:30 pm on ACTV-10. The Aurora station, ACTV-10, aka Aurora Community Television, Comcast Cable Ch. 10, reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery.
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You can also Go here to watch Dan Proft in the fastest half hour streaming on the web, a far ranging interview by show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz with Republican gubernatorial candidate Proft.
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If you live on the North Shore and surrounding areas, you can also watch Gov candidate Dan Proft on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 in the suburbs of Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka:

Tonight at 7:00 pm

Tomorrow (Tues.) night at 8:00 pm

Wednesday night at 7:30 pm

Friday night at 8:30 pm

Sunday night at 8:00 pm
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For an additional partial transcript and a summary of the Proft show topics, please go here.
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This week's Chicago Metro suburban show featuring State Rep. Beth Coulson interviewed on September 14, 2000 by Jeff Berkowitz and the seven Republican Primary Gov candidates (as of Jan. 13, 2010) questioned by Jeff Berkowitz, Joe Ryan [Daily Herald], Jim Anderson [Illinois Radio Network] and others can now be watched in individual segments by going to the Public Affairs YouTube page and scrolling to and clicking on the politician of your choice. Please note that clicking the picture of Coulson labelled Beth Coulson, IL 10th CD Cand. (R) will pull up the three and a half minute clip of Coulson and that clicking the picture of Coulson labelled Coulson, 10th CD Cand.(R) and 7 IL Gov will pull up the entire thirty minute Public Affairs show, airing this week in the suburbs.

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More than 120 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Pat Hughes (Hinsdale), U. S. Senate Candidate in the Republican Primary; Republican Primary Gov Candidate Dan Proft; Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans; 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park); Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis; Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Better than Marin w/Quinn & Hynes: Berkowitz w/Proft & the other Republican Gov candidates; Arie Friedman & Beth Coulson;David Hoffman;Cable/Streaming

2010-01-25T17:26:00.018-06:00

State Rep. Coulson declined on "Public Affairs," on Sep. 14, 2000 to endorse candidate George Bush for President and candidate Mark Kirk for Congress. Watch the Coulson-Berkowitz clip here or watch the Coulson-Berkowitz clip as part of a broader cablecast show, listed below. [State Rep. Coulson is now one of five candidates in the IL 10th Cong. District Republican Primary].
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"Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz," continues with its regular and special airings in ten North Shore suburbs this week.

All of these airings, which include tonight's, Wednesday's, Thursday's and Friday night's regular airings at 8:30 pm, are on Comcast Ch. 19 in the North Shore suburbs of Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.
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Tonight

7:00 pm, Dan Proft, Gubernatorial Republican Primary Candidate

7:30 pm, Arie Friedman, M.D., 10th CD Republican Primary Candidate

8:00 pm, David Hoffman, U. S. Senate Democratic Primary Candidate

8:30 pm, Video Clips of Berkowitz questioning State Rep. Beth Coulson (R-Glenview) in September, 2000 about her non-endorsement of George Bush and Mark Kirk [Coulson is now a 10th CD Republican Primary candidate and clips of Berkowitz and others questioning Jim Ryan, Andy McKenna, Dan Proft, Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard, Adam Andrzejewski and Robert Schillerstrom at individual pressers on January 13, 2010. [Watch the entire 30 minute show streaming].
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Tuesday, Jan. 26:

7:00 pm, Raja Krishnamoorthi, State Comptroller Democratic Primary Candidate

8:00 pm, Dan Proft, Gubernatorial Republican Primary Candidate

8:30 pm, Video Clips of Berkowitz questioning State Rep. Beth Coulson (R-Glenview) on September 14, 2000 about her non-endorsement of George Bush and Mark Kirk [Ed. Note: Coulson is now a 10th CD Republican Primary candidate] and clips of Berkowitz and others questioning Jim Ryan, Andy McKenna, Dan Proft, Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard, Adam Andrzejewski and Robert Schillerstrom at individual pressers on January 13, 2010.
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This week's Chicago Metro suburban show featuring State Rep. Beth Coulson interviewed on September 14, 2000 by Jeff Berkowitz and the seven Republican Primary Gov candidates (as of Jan. 13, 2010) questioned by Jeff Berkowitz, Joe Ryan [Daily Herald], Jim Anderson [Illinois Radio Network] and others can now be watched in individual segments by going to the Public Affairs YouTube page and scrolling to and clicking on the politician of your choice. Please note that clicking the picture of Coulson labelled Beth Coulson, IL 10th CD Cand. (R) will pull up the three and a half minute clip of Coulson and that clicking the picture of Coulson labelled Coulson, 10th CD Cand.(R) and 7 IL Gov will pull up the entire thirty minute Public Affairs show, airing this week in the suburbs. ************************************************************************
More than 120 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Pat Hughes (Hinsdale), U. S. Senate Candidate in the Republican Primary; Republican Primary Gov Candidate Dan Proft; Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans; 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park); Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis; Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Better than Meet the Press: Special airings of Berkowitz w/ Kirk Dillard, Dan Proft, Pat Hughes and Arie Friedman, M.D., Cable and Streaming

2010-01-20T18:26:00.006-06:00

"Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz," had been off the air during December in ten North Shore suburbs as we transitioned from a Comcast operation of those cablecast facilities to operation by the Village of Highland Park. We started airing again in those suburbs in January, 2010 and we now have some special airings, as we did last week, to make up for lost time. We did have some technical broadcast problems last week, but those seem to be fixed.

Those special airings of "Public Affairs," start tonight, Wednesday (see below). All of these airings, which include tonight's and Friday night's regular airings at 8:30 pm, are on Comcast Ch. 19 in the North Shore suburbs of Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.
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Tonight, Wednesday, January 20, 2010:

7:00 pm, Dan Proft, Gubernatorial Republican Primary Candidate

7:30 pm, Kirk Dillard, Gubernatorial Republican Primary Candidate

8:30 pm, Pat Hughes, U. S. Senate Republican Primary Candidate.

Th. Jan. 21:

5:00 pm, Arie Friedman, M.D., 10th CD Republican Primary Candidate

5:30 pm, Pat Hughes, U. S. Senate Republican Primary Candidate.

8:30 pm, Dan Proft, Gubernatorial Republican Primary Candidate

Fri., Jan. 22:

7:30 pm, Dan Proft, Gubernatorial Republican Primary Candidate.

8:00 pm, Kirk Dillard, Gubernatorial Republican Primary Candidate

8:30 pm, Arie Friedman, M.D., 10th CD Republican Primary Candidate

Sat. Jan. 23

5:30 pm, Pat Hughes, U. S. Senate Republican Primary Candidate

6:00 pm, Kirk Dillard, Gubernatorial Republican Primary Candidate

6:30 pm, Arie Friedman, M.D., 10th CD Republican Primary Candidate

Sunday:

7:30 pm, Arie Friedman, M.D., 10th CD Republican Primary Candidate

8:00 pm, Dan Proft, Gubernatorial Republican Primary Candidate

8:30 pm, Kirk Dillard, Gubernatorial Republican Primary Candidate
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More than 120 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Pat Hughes (Hinsdale), U. S. Senate Candidate in the Republican Primary; Republican Primary Gov Candidate Dan Proft; Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans; 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park); Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis; Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Better than the Quinn-Hynes ABC-7 Dem Gov candidate Debate tonight: Berkowitz w/ Republican U. S. Senate Candidate Pat Hughes; Cable and now streaming

2010-01-19T18:21:00.006-06:00

The below is the "Public Affairs," airing schedule for the show we taped with Pat Hughes, U.S. Senate Candidate in the Republican Primary. The show was taped on January 10, 2010. Note, the airings start this evening, at 8:30 pm with Comcast cablecasts into 35 Chicago Metro suburbs, mainly in suburbs north and northwest of Chicago. The program airs on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 or Cable Ch. 35, depending on the suburb, as listed below.
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Also, now streaming is our most recent show, featuring Pat Hughes (R-Hinsdale), U. S. Senate Candidate in the IL Republican Primary;
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Our show with Pat Hughes, U. S. Senate Candidate in the Republican Primary, is airing tonight in 35 Chicago Metro suburbs; on this Wed., Thur. and Sat. in 10 of those suburbs again; and on this Thur. night throughout Rockford and surrounding areas; next week in Aurora and surrounding areas; and on Monday night, Feb. 1 throughout the City of Chicago, as listed below for all of these airings. We may have some supplemental airings of our show with Pat and we will advise you of those as they occur.

This show gives viewers a good, complete view of Patrick Hughes and the issue contrasts with Hughes’ major opponent, Cong. Mark Kirk, the nine year Republican incumbent from the 10th CD, which includes Chicago’s North Shore, and areas to the north and west of there.

Also running in the Republican Senate Primary are John Arrington, Kathleen Thomas, Don Lowery and Andy Martin. Hughes, Arrington, Thomas, Lowery are all conservatives and Kirk is quite “moderate,” some would say liberal, for a Republican. Andy Martin is, well, Andy Martin, or is that Anthony Martin Trigona. Other than Hughes and Kirk, nobody in the race is thought to have enough resources to run a true statewide race.

Although Cong. Mark Kirk has more than three million dollars in cash on hand and Hughes will probably be trying to compete with, at most, the 700K, or so, he has probably already spent, the Hughes supporters think they can do it, with each activist supporter rounding up 25 votes, or so. That’s why they say the early December, 2008, Chicago Tribune poll that had Kirk winning over Hughes and the others by more than thirty points, and with everyone other than Kirk in low single digits, is wrong.
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The Chicago Metro suburban episode of "Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz," featuring this week's guest, Pat Hughes, a Republican Primary candidate for U. S. Senate airs:

tonight, Tuesday night, Jan. 19 at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Wilmette, Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.

and tonight, Tuesday night, Jan. 19 at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.

and on Wed. night, Jan. 20 at 8:30 pm, Thur. night, Jan. 21 at 5:30 pm, and on Sat.. night, Jan. 23 at 5:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka
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The "Public Affairs," show featuring Republican Primary U. S. Senate candidate Pat Hughes airs throughout the City of Rockford (and in surrounding areas) this Thursday night, January 21 at 8:00 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 17. The surrounding areas reached by Comcast Cable Ch. 17, in addition to Rockford, include Byron, Cedarville, Cherry Valley, Loves Park, Machesney Park, Mount Morris, New Milford, Portions of Ogle County, Oregon, Polo, Stillman Valley, Winnebago, Portions of Boone County and Poplar Grove.
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The Public Affairs show featuring Republican Primary U. S. Senate candidate Pat Hughes airs this coming Monday night, Jan. 25, 2010 throughout the City of Aurora and surrounding areas at 7:30 pm on ACTV-10. The program also airs at 3:30 pm on next Tuesday (Jan. 26) and next Wed. (Jan. 27) in Aurora on ACTV-10 and surrounding areas. The Aurora station, ACTV-10, aka Aurora Community Television, Comcast Cable Ch. 10, reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery.
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The Public Affairs show featuring Pat Hughes, a Republican Primary U. S. Senate candidate, airs throughout the City of Chicago on Monday night, Feb. 1, 2010 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21.
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Public Affairs airs on all cable outlets into the above referenced areas, but we do not air on satellite transmissions, e.g., Dish and Directtv.
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More than 120 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Pat Hughes (Hinsdale), U. S. Senate Candidate in the Republican Primary; Republican Primary Gov Candidate Dan Proft; Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans; 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park); Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis; Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Better than Schieffer w/Arne Duncan: Berkowitz w/Vallas on Race to the Top, Education reform, Stimulus spending and much more, Cable and Streaming

2010-01-18T22:08:00.008-06:00

Revised on Tuesday morning at 12:37 am to add links to an additional partial transcript and a summary of topics discussed on the show with Vallas.
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Jeff Berkowitz:Why did President Obama and Sec. Duncan shut down a successful School Voucher program?

Paul Vallas: Well, I support vouchers, so I would not have closed down that program. I probably would have expanded it. [Watch show with Vallas]

Jeff Berkowitz: Was President Obama accommodating too much to the [teachers’] unions?
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Jeff Berkowitz: If you run again for office, you would be running as a Republican as opposed to a Democrat.

Paul Vallas: I would. Yes, Yes. If I run for public office, then I would be running as a Republican.
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Tonight’s City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs features Paul Vallas, CEO of the Chicago Public Schools from 1995-2001 and currently Supt. of the Recovery School District in New Orleans, LA. The program airs at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 throughout the City of Chicago.

Paul Vallas came in a close second to Rod Blagojevich in the 2002 Democratic Primary for Governor in Illinois [Roland Burris was a close third].

Interestingly, Republican Paul Vallas recently endorsed Democrat David Hoffman in a contested primary race for a U. S. Senate seat in Illinois, and Vallas made it clear that his endorsement was not just for the Democrat primary. Further, when this journalist questioned Vallas after the endorsement presser, Vallas said the Republican's likely nominee for the U. S. Senate seat, Cong. Mark Kirk, was an excellent candidate, but that Hoffman was "more excellent."
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You can now watch “Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz,” featuring Paul Vallas, Superintendent of the Recovery School District of New Orleans, streaming here.
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For an additional partial transcript of the Vallas show, please go here. For a summary of topics discussed on the show with Paul Vallas and another partial transcript of the show, please go here.
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Paul Vallas, now a Republican

Jeff Berkowitz: Are you now officially a Republican?

Paul Vallas: I will probably register as a Republican in the next Primary

Jeff Berkowitz: But, you don’t register in Illinois [as a party member].

Paul Vallas: Well, you have to enter the primary-

Jeff Berkowitz: You have to take a [party] primary ballot [to vote in that primary]. You are saying you would take a Republican primary ballot.

Paul Vallas: I would take a Republican primary ballot.

Jeff Berkowitz: You think of yourself as a Republican.

Paul Vallas: I am more of a Republican than a Democrat now, but I-

Jeff Berkowitz: If you run again for office, you would be running as a Republican as opposed to a Democrat.

Paul Vallas: I would. Yes, Yes. If I run for public office, then I would be running as a Republican.
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School Vouchers: Successful in Milwaukee, Cleveland and DC?

Jeff Berkowitz: When you look around at the big picture, they’ve tried school vouchers in Milwaukee, they’ve tried them in Cleveland, they’ve tried them in DC, would you say they’ve been successful in those three cities?

Paul Vallas:…I think in Milwaukee they were successful. I think the voucher program that they unfortunately closed down in Washington was successful.

Jeff Berkowitz: In Washington, DC. [Secretary of Education] Arne Duncan closed that school voucher program. He said the students who were in the program could continue but no new students [could participate] even though the evidence was clear it was improving quality, the kids were better, as Barack Obama put it, the kids were better off. And, yet, Barack Obama let Arne Duncan close that down by not standing up to the [U. S.] legislature. They just closed it down. What do you think?

Jeff Berkowitz: Why did President Obama and Sec. Duncan shut down a successful School Voucher program?

Paul Vallas: Well, I support vouchers, so I would not have closed down that program. I probably would have expanded it.

Jeff Berkowitz: Was President Obama accommodating too much to the [teachers’] unions?

Paul Vallas: You can draw your own conclusions on that. I would have kept the program open and probably expanded it.

Jeff Berkowitz: Because it was good for students.

Paul Vallas: Because it was good for students. Again, I think there are different ways of expanding choice. I think the money should follow the kids, whether it’s a voucher or whether its- [show ends].
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This episode of Public Affairs was recorded, live to tape, on December 27, 2009.
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More than 120 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Pat Hughes (Hinsdale), U. S. Senate Candidate in the Republican Primary; Republican Primary Gov Candidate Dan Proft; Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans; 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park); Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis; Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
******************* .
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Better than Dan Hynes on ABC-7's NewsViews, Berkowitz w/Republican Gov candidate Dan Proft; Cable and Streaming

2010-01-18T18:50:00.008-06:00

Getting to know 10th CD Republican Primary candidates Bob Dold (now streaming), State Rep. Coulson and Arie Friedman, M.D.

2010-01-18T03:23:00.010-06:00

Revised on Tuesday at 12:28 am
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Jeff Berkowitz: And, in the 10th Cong. District race, where Mark Kirk is the Republican candidate and Lauren Beth Gash is the Democratic candidate, are you making an endorsement or your preference known publicly there?

State Rep. Beth Coulson [R-Glenview, IL, 57th Dist.]: Once again, I don’t know exactly where they stand on some very important issues that are important to me and important to my constituents. So, I can’t say that I won’t, but I have not yet [as of Sep. 14, 2000].
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If you missed listening to 10th CD Republican Primary candidate Bob Dold discuss the issues with Tom Roeser and Jeff Berkowitz on Roeser’s radio show a few weeks ago, not to worry, you can listen to the entire program here.

“I am against partial birth abortion, I am against any form of federal funding [of abortion], I am for parental notification and I do not believe that Roe v. Wade should be overturned.” Dold pounded home his summary position on abortion a few times during the show. When this journalist pushed Dold on whether he would have voted for the specific congressional ban on partial birth abortion that passed Congress and was not overruled by the U. S. Supreme Court in the last few years, he couldn’t get an answer. Dold said simply that he had not read the legislation yet and therefore couldn’t say.

This journalist advised candidate Dold that the congressional ban on partial birth abortion provided an exception for the life of the mother but not the health of the mother. But, that was not enough to get an answer from Dold. There will be those that will be critical of Dold for not being more forthcoming. But, those folks should know that two of Dold’s major opponents (Dick Green and Beth Coulson) apparently have no interest in appearing on Roeser’s show, so we get even less of an answer from them. Also, neither Green nor Coulson will appear on “Public Affairs.” Dold did not appear on Public Affairs, but he did give this journalist a ten minute interview. See here and here.

Arie Friedman, M.D. said on Public Affairs that he is a a strong opponent of federal funding of abortion; supports parental notification laws and he would support bans on “late term abortion,” so long as they had exceptions for the life and health of the mother. [Watch here].

State Rep. Coulson committed to appear on Public Affairs in late November, 2009, but then cancelled the day before her scheduled appearance and declined to re-schedule her appearance. However, when this journalist asked Coulson on Public Affairs on Sep. 14, 2000 whether she supported parental notice, Coulson said, “I have voted as a pro-choice candidate all along. If you look at my record, I don’t believe the Government belongs in this issue…but again, I’m saying [the minor pregnant female] needs to have an adult helping them make a decision, but it may be the healthcare provider…here’s my Republicanism coming out, I really truly believe the Government should not be in those kinds of decisions in any way, shape or form.”

We also discussed on the Roeser show State Rep. Coulson’s unusual position on endorsing other Republicans, as stated here:

Jeff Berkowitz: I assume you are supporting George W. Bush as the Presidential Candidate.

State Rep. Beth Coulson [R-Glenview, IL., 57th Dist.]: I am not supporting any particular Presidential candidate.

Berkowitz: You are not? You are not supporting the Republican candidate in the presidential election?

Coulson: I didn’t say that.

Berkowitz: All right, what did you say?

Coulson: I haven’t picked. It is my private vote; just like it is your private vote. I have to wait and see where they are on some of the issues that are important to me, and, that is my personal opinion, but I also need to wait and see, and my attitude is my voters have the decision to make, so I don’t think I should endorse any particular candidate.

Berkowitz: And you don’t think you will prior to Nov. 7.

Coulson: No, I don’t.

Berkowitz: And, in the 10th Cong. District race, where Mark Kirk is the Republican candidate and Lauren Beth Gash is the Democratic candidate, are you making an endorsement or your preference known publicly there?

Coulson: Once again, I don’t know exactly where they stand on some very important issues that are important to me and important to my constituents. So, I can’t say that I won’t, but I have not yet [as of Sep. 14, 2000].

Berkowitz: But you might, before Nov. 7 [2000]?

Coulson: I suppose I might, if it would really make a difference. I am not sure that it would.

Berkowitz: Well, Beth, you carry a lot of clout in this area. I think you are underestimating what you could do. I am serious.

Coulson: I feel we have very sophisticated, educated voters and they usually want to make decisions for themselves.
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Berkowitz: You are a very unusual Republican candidate. I thought that… you know, the Republicans in this area tried to run, if you will, as a party; the Democrats do that, don’t you think? Do you know any Democrats who are taking the position that you are—that they have to wait and perhaps they are not going to say whom they support?

Coulson: No, see I think that I am a Republican who believes in smarter, smaller government. I believe in less regulation, less bureaucracy. If other Republicans have that same philosophy, I can probably endorse them. But not all Republicans do that.

Berkowitz: I think George W. Bush—here is a little secret—I have heard him speak, I know you have and it sounds to me, if you have to pick between George W. Bush and Al Gore, and one of your criteria is whether the candidates believe in limited government, then, you know, it is somewhat of a joke, but it is somewhat true, people are saying-- Al Gore wants a trillion dollar spending program and George W. Bush wants a trillion dollar tax decrease. Pretty stark choice there, so if you believe in limited government, as you said, less government, I assume less spending, less taxes, everything else equal, then I would think you would favor George W. Bush.

Coulson: I think that may be true, but I don’t know what he [George Bush] wants to spend it on and what they want to cut and I am not privy to the Budget in the federal government...again, to me, it is a private vote that I am going to be making. I don’t think I need to endorse a particular candidate.

From "Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz." The interview with State Rep. Beth Coulson (R-Glenview), transcribed, in part, above, was recorded, live to tape, on September 14, 2000.
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Special Airings of "Public Affairs," w/ Republican Gov Candidates Dillard & Proft; 10th CD Republican candidate Arie Friedman,M.D.,Cable/Streaming

2010-01-15T19:49:00.011-06:00

Public Affairs had been off the air during December in ten suburbs as we transitioned from a Comcast operation of those cablecast facilities to operation by the Village of Highland Park. We started airing again in those suburbs in January, 2010 and we now have some special airings to make up for lost time.

Those special airings of "Public Affairs," start tonight, Friday (see below). All of these airings, which include tonight's and Monday night's regular airings at 8:30 pm, are on Comcast Ch. 19 in the North Shore suburbs of Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.
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Tonight, Friday, January 15, 2010:

7:30 pm, Kirk Dillard, Gubernatorial Republican Primary Candidate

8:00 pm, Arie Friedman, M.D., 10th CD Republican Primary Candidate

830 pm, Dan Proft, Gubernatorial Republican Primary Candidate

Saturday:

5:30 pm, Dan Proft, Gubernatorial Republican Primary Candidate

6:00 pm, Arie Friedman, M.D., 10th CD Republican Primary Candidate

6:30 pm, Kirk Dillard, Gubernatorial Republican Primary Candidate

Sunday:

7:30 pm, Kirk Dillard, Gubernatorial Republican Primary Candidate

8:00 pm, Arie Friedman, M.D., 10th CD Republican Primary Candidate

8:30 pm, Dan Proft, Gubernatorial Republican Primary Candidate

Monday, January 18, 2010

7:30 pm, Kirk Dillard, Gubernatorial Republican Primary Candidate

8:00 pm, Arie Friedman, M.D., 10th CD Republican Primary Candidate

8:30 pm, Dan Proft, Gubernatorial Republican Primary Candidate
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More than 120 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Pat Hughes (Hinsdale), U. S. Senate Candidate in the Republican Primary; Republican Primary Gov Candidate Dan Proft; Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans; 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park); Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis; Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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What happens if you have a televised U. S. Senate Candidate Debate and the front-runner is a no show? Welcome to the Illinois Republican Party

2010-01-15T05:31:00.006-06:00

The split among the Republican base

It has been, to say the least, a peculiar Republican Primary U. S. Senate race. The conservative Republican Party base in Illinois is supposed to dominate the primaries [But, see the Topinka 2006 Gubernatorial Republican Primary win]. Yet, the base couldn’t come up with one major, conservative office-holder to take on nine-year, very moderate, North Shore Republican Congressman Mark Steven Kirk (R-Highland Park, 10th CD). Instead, the conservative movement is split among four candidates: Pat Hughes, John Arrington, Don Lowery and Kathleen Thomas.

None of these conservatives has a political base or currently holds a political office. Hughes is the only one with some significant money to spend, having raised about 140K in the third quarter and self-funded to the tune of about 260K in that quarter. The other conservatives appear unlikely to have more than 15 K, collectively, to spend. Hughes is the only conservative with a real statewide organization and his supporters claim he will give Kirk a run for his money on February 2, 2010, Election Day.

Who is Andy Martin?

Then there is Andy Martin, who defies easy categorization. He has traveled a good part of his life under another name. He has a law degree but he was found unfit to practice law. He ran for Governor in the Republican Primary in 2006, receiving about 1% of the vote. When this journalist asked him last night what percentage of the vote he had received in the 2006 election, he said, “I don’t know.”

It is said Martin has a history of making anti-Semitic comments: including calling a federal judge “a crooked, slimy Jew.” Andy Shaw, Executive Director to the Better Government Association asked him about that comment during the debate and Martin declined to answer. This journalist asked him, in a presser after the debate, if he made that comment and he refused to answer with a yes or a no, saying somewhat lamely he had answered the question.

The Martin radio ads about Cong. Mark Steven Kirk

Martin has been running a radio ad with a sequel. The first ad says there is a “solid rumor,” that Cong. Kirk is a homosexual.” Apparently in response to that ad, Cong. Kirk was asked by AP recently if he is a homosexual and Mark Kirk said no. Martin said during the debate that he had no problem with Kirk being a homosexual, but that he has a problem if Kirk is not being “open,” about it. Martin said that Jacob Meister, running for the U. S. Senate in the Democratic Primary, is openly gay and that Meister and Martin are essentially friends.

A Kirk led boycott of the Debate?

For whatever reason, Cong. Kirk decided to pull out of last night’s televised debate, sponsored by ABC-7 in Chicago, the League of Women Voters and the Better Government Association. Also not showing up were Kathleen Thomas and Don Lowery, a former circuit court judge and State’s Attorney.

In the Chicago Tribune poll (the only public poll in this race), conducted early last December, it was Kirk with 41% to Hughes and Thomas with 3% each, respectively, followed by Arrington and Martin at 2% and Lowery at 1%. Hughes claims that he has done a more recent internal poll that shows him to be closer to Cong. Kirk.

Hughes and the voting issue

During last night’s debate, Arrington spent a lot of time attacking Hughes for often not voting, especially during primaries (a charge Hughes seemed to concede). Arrington declined to say much critical about Martin, other than if his radio ads about Kirk were not true, then they “would be an outrage.”

Arrington, African-Americans and Republican values

Arrington, Harvard educated and African-American, asserted last night at a media availability after the debate that the African-American community shared many of the values of the Republican Party, including being socially conservative on abortion, gay rights and gun rights and in favor of school vouchers-school choice, all views to which Arrington subscribes.

School vouchers-school choice, blocked by the Democrats?

Arrington said he is a strong supporter of school choice, as is Rev, [State Senator] James Meeks. In the post-debate presser, Arrington said he wished he had had a chance to talk about vouchers and service learning during the debate, which is what he is writing his dissertation on at Western Illinois University. Arrington noted, “A lot of African-Americans and Hispanics don’t really understand that the Democratic Party is the one [who is saying no on school vouchers-school choice.]“ Arrington called that “an outrage.” [Ed. Note: Cong. Kirk has been strongly anti- School Voucher in the past]

Arrington said, at the presser, that Rev. Meeks supported him as a city councilman but he is not sure “where Meeks is,” with respect to the Senate race.

Pat Hughes, the anti-Kirk?

Pat Hughes, 40, is a former practicing lawyer who has apparently done quite well economically as a real estate developer. Hughes is married to Susan Hughes, a partner at Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal, a major international law firm located in the Loop. Pat and Susan live in Hinsdale with their three children.

The key issues in the Republican U. S. Senate Primary

Hughes said the ads being run by Martin that question Kirk’s sexual orientation are “reprehensible.” However, Hughes emphasized that the key issue that should be discussed at the debate is what he viewed as Cong. Kirk’s liberal voting record, citing Kirk’s support for Cap and Trade, hostility to gun owner rights, support for partial birth abortion, support for the financial sector bailouts and opposition to the U. S. military surge in Iraq.

Reagan v. Pelosi-Obama ?

Hughes argued to the panelists asking questions that Andy Martin was not a serious candidate, so he wasn’t going to discuss him. Instead, Hughes tried to focus on his own views as a Ronald Reagan conservative, i.e., he is in favor of limited government, less spending, low income and capital gains tax rates and less economic regulation to stimulate economic growth and jobs.

During a post debate presser, Hughes emphasized again to this journalist that the choice for Republican U.S. Senate primary voters is between Hughes, “A Reagan conservative who believes in limited government, fiscal responsibility, low taxes and our traditional social values,” and Mark Kirk, who “sides with Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama on major policy initiatives in our government.”

Andy Martin: Pro Life or Pro Choice

Andy Martin, during the post debate presser, told this journalist that he was pro-life and that he was “concerned with the rights of the unborn,” but that he would not like to see Roe v. Wade overturned. Martin appeared unable or unwilling to explain the apparent contradiction.
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More than 120 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Republican Primary Gov Candidate Dan Proft; Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans; 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park); Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis; Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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ABC-7 Chicago, Illinois Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Debate: It’s all about reform and resisting tax increases

2010-01-14T04:06:00.002-06:00

ABC-7 Chicago, League of Women Voters (“LWV”) and the Better Government Association (“BGA”) sponsored a televised debate last night for the seven Republican Primary gubernatorial candidates.

All in, nobody out

The powers that be decided to invite all seven candidates to participate in the debate and they all accepted. Of late, the apparent front-runner, Jim Ryan, has declined some of the forum and debate invitations. So has Andy McKenna, Jr., who has the most money to spend on paid media.

80,000 votes could win this race.

However, unlike last night’s Democratic Senate candidate debate, there was little basis to exclude anybody from this forum. In 2006, the Republican Guv Primary drew almost 700, 000 votes. With the possibility of severely cold weather on the “moved up primary election day,” February 2, 2010, some knowledgeable pols are suggesting as few as 500,000 voters will turn out for the Republican Primary. If the candidates end up with a relatively equal split, which is a distinct possibility, 80,000 votes, or so, could win the Primary.

Everybody has a shot, but for some it is a long shot.

Given the Chicago Tribune polling results of early December, which had Jim Ryan at 26% and McKenna, Brady and Dillard at 12, 10 and 9 %, respectively, all of those folks had to be included. Further, although Andrzejewski, Schillerstrom and Proft could be viewed as “2nd tier,” with 6%, 2% and 2% respectively in the Tribune poll, the reality is that each of those candidates has a shot, albeit a long shot, of winning.

First, each of these candidates has a legit campaign organization and is presenting issue positions within the mainstream of the Party. Second, Adam’s substantial net worth [said to be about 10 million dollars], Proft’s smart, well presented ideas and Schillerstrom’s successful experience as DuPageCounty Board Chairman all argue for inclusion of these candidates in the debate.

The one minute candidate impressions

Although the essentially League of Women Voters format [See here, with Joe Ryan of the Daily Herald substituting for Laura Washington of the Sun- Times] didn’t allow for a very lively discussion, viewers of the program‘s array of candidates did get a sense of what the candidates would be like as Illinois Governor.

Jim Ryan would be solid and tough, with a tendency for his answers to drift off topic. Andy McKenna is an improved version of his 2004 Senate run—more relaxed and comfortable with a camera. Senator Brady has a good command of the issues and his TV presence has improved over his 2006 run for Governor. Senator Dillard also has a good command of the issues.

Andrzejewski and Proft had the most to gain from their inclusion of the debate. As both lack prior political experience and a political base, their mere inclusion in the debate elevates their perceived political experience. Further, being the “idea guy,” and being very good at bantering, this kind of event is made to order for Dan Proft, especially if he can harness and contain the anger [and he did so last night], much of which is motivating Proft’s campaign.

Opposition to a general sales or income tax increase

As they have stated before, each of the candidates, except Proft, emphasized he would oppose any increase in the general sales or income tax. Proft went further and argued for a 50% decrease in the individual and corporate income tax. Moreover, if an increase in the sales or income tax occurred prior to their coming into office, they would seek a repeal after being elected. Finally, each Republican candidate for Gov claimed to be the candidate for reform, with each having his own twist.
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Berkowitz anticipates blogging further on this topic, including the press availabilities that followed the debate, later today,
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Illinois U. S. Senate Dem Candidate Debate: A missed opportunity for sponsors,Hoffman and Jackson;Giannoulias another step closer to being the nominee

2010-01-13T04:36:00.008-06:00

--ABC-7 Chicago fumbles again

ABC-7 Chicago, League of Women Voters (“LWV”) and the Better Government Association (“BGA”) sponsored a televised debate last night for the Democratic Primary U. S. Senate candidates. It was a missed opportunity all around.

This is not unusual. The past LWV-ABC 7 Chicago combination has not produced high quality debates. Adding the BGA did little to improve things.

Three Democratic U. S. Senate candidates

First, there are only three major candidates in the Democratic U. S. Senate Primary: State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, Former Chicago Urban League President Cheryle Jackson and former Ass’t U. S. Attorney and Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman. The Chicago Tribune poll of about five weeks ago puts Giannoulias at 31%, Jackson at 17% and Hoffman at 9%. By LWV standards that require 5% in an impartial poll, Hoffman barely made it. Dr. Robert Marshall and Jacob Meister, with 1% or less, weren’t even close. Meister claims to have “an internal poll,” that qualifies him. We know about the accuracy of the internal polls. I don’t know what the argument is from Marshall to include him. He is a doctor?

Simply put, neither Meister nor Marshall has a political base, an organization or any demonstrated substance to their campaigns. Including them in the debate simply makes it harder for voters to get a sense of the knowledge, the abilities and the issue contrasts of the real candidates.

The problems with a panel of questioners

Second, dispersing the responsibility for the debate questions among three people—ABC 7 Political Editor Charles Thomas, Sun-Times columnist Laura Washington and BGA Executive Director Andy Shaw—only serves to make the debate topics and issues covered almost incoherent. The lack of follow-up obviates the need to have journalists participating. You could have robo-journalists and get the same result

A single journalist

A much better result would be to find one journalist who knows the issues and knows how to examine the candidates in a lively, thoughtful, challenging and fair manner. Of course, that journalist would be allowed to ask follow-ups, especially when the candidates filibuster and duck and dodge, of which we had quite a bit last night. Further, the format should promote and allow for some spontaneous conversation among the candidates.

The above-suggested modifications would make for a more informative debate, better TV and better ratings. A win-win all around. In all modesty, I follow this kind of model weekly on my TV show.[Watch here]. Yes, it is a bit less of a challenge because we usually have only one guest. But, I tried it a few years back with multiple candidates in the Libertarian Presidential Primary and it worked fine.

An off night for David Hoffman

Third, last night was a missed opportunity for Hoffman and Jackson to close in on Giannoulias’ lead. Hoffman, who excelled a few weeks ago at the Union League Club of Chicago debate [see here] was off his game last night. Apparently, Hoffman needs someone to take a few verbal punches at him before he can get his adrenalin going. At the Union League Club debate, Giannoulias, the leader in the race, stupidly obliged by going after Hoffman.

Last night, Giannoulias was disciplined and constrained his behavior to a few light jabs in response to Hoffman’s punches. Further, Giannoulias had his laundry list economic plan at the ready and he reminded voters, often, about the 600 jobs he “saved,” at Hartmarx. You would think Hoffman might have said 600 jobs are nice, but if you want to be a U.S. Senator, Alexi, you need to learn something about macro-economic policy so you can help all the unemployed people in Illinois get jobs, not just 600 over three years. But Hoffman never challenged Giannoulias on that aspect of his “job performance,” as Treasurer. In the words of lawyers, Giannoulias opened the door and Hoffman never shut it.

Hoffman fails to connect the dots to Alexi's family bank

Hoffman stayed on message mostly with his allegations that Giannoulias was asleep at the switch in his oversight of Oppenheimer’s management of the Bright Start Fund. Hoffman also placed a parent in the audience who lost a lot of her kid’s college investment fund, due to Giannoulias’ alleged negligence. Those were nice efforts by the former federal prosecutor, David Hoffman, but they fell short of the mark. Hoffman needed to connect the dots from the Bright Start mess to the mess at Giannoulias family bank. He never did it. This journalist touched on that issue in the post debate presser with Giannoulias, but it is doubtful many voters will see that exchange.

Hoffman fails to connect the dots to the job losses

Further, Hoffman needed to argue that voters can’t trust Giannoulias’ economic plan because Giannoulias engaged in the same irresponsible lending at his family bank [Broadway Bank] as did the Big banks, which Hoffman could have argued is responsible for the job losses in Illinois and across the county. Notice those dots: Bright Start to Broadway Bank to job losses. But, Hoffman fell way short of making that connection.

Moreover, Hoffman’s opening statement and close were awkward and his words were jumbled. He appeared to be looking for a teleprompter, but there wasn’t one. For much of the evening, former federal prosecutor Hoffman seemed unprepared and simply out of sync. Giannoulias, on the other hand, seemed relaxed, unruffled and personable. Advantage Giannoulias.

Cheryle Jackson, above the fray

Cheryle Jackson played the school marm. Why are you boys fighting? Why don’t you behave? Sure, she said, she along with millions of voters was fooled by Rod Blagojevich’s lofty goals and promises to help the people. So, it took her almost four years of working for then Governor Blagojevich to figure out what a “corrupt, pay for play on steroids,” kind of guy he was. Jackson seemed to see no difference between her being a part of Blago’s inner circle and some poor schlep who voted for Rod. Really?

Neglected debate topics

Then there were the topics that were virtually completely omitted from real discussion at the so-called debate: Healthcare reform; the significance of the war on terrorism, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia; bailouts, 1.5 trillion dollar deficits as far as the eye can see, the failures of the $800 billion economic stimulus plan to keep unemployment below 10%, as the Obama Administration had promised, the sub-par economic performance of Illinois in the last eight years, the nuclear threat posed by Iran, education reform, closing Gitmo and opening the Thomson Correction Center to detained terrorists, the 700 billion dollar financial sector bailout, NAFTA, CAFTA and similar free trade agreements, Card Check and social/ cultural issues (with the exception of Cheryle Jackson telling us a woman’s right to choose trumped healthcare reform)

Post debate pressers

The pressers with each candidate after the debate were interesting and fun, but most people won’t see or hear much about them, so they can certainly wait for another day, in terms of this journalist’s report.

Hoffman, no strategic plan?

With twenty-one shopping days left for Hoffman, it looks like his campaign is content to fight this out with paid media—probably not a wise strategic decision. If I didn’t know better, I would say Hoffman is taking a dive. I mean, he threw some good punches, and jabbed nicely, but there seemed to be little in the way of a grand strategic plan.

Jackson, building a small coalition?

Cheryle Jackson appears to be focused on mobilizing her African-American base by staying above the Giannoulias-Hoffman slugfest and continuously reminding her bases how much she cares about helping them find jobs and re-structure their mortgages. Perhaps Jackson thinks she can meld together a 90% turnout in the African-American community with enough white women to squeeze past Giannoulias. However, she needs a strong showing by Hoffman, but not too strong, to propel her past Giannoulias. Good luck.

Still Alexi’s to lose?

In short, unless Hoffman or Jackson come up with a new approach or Giannoulias stumbles badly, on his own, in the next three weeks, the Democrats are going to find out in November if they can keep the Senate Seat, even though the Blago-Rezko corruption issue is still on the table.

The perfect chaser to a Demcratic U. S. Senate Candidate debate: Republican Gov candidate Dan Proft on tax and spending cuts, cable and streaming

2010-01-12T15:11:00.004-06:00

Jeff Berkowitz: …You talk about cutting the income tax rate by 50% for individuals and corporations, and [Illinois' citizens] keep hearing there is an eleven billion dollar [state budget] deficit and so they are trying to put those two things together and they are thinking how does the state get the revenue to cover the deficit in the short run, when you are going to be cutting income tax rates.

Dan Proft [Republican candidate for Governor][Watch Proft here]: And, eliminating the estate tax, too, which is also a tax on business, particularly family businesses. Look, I think there are a few things you can do in the short-term to address the budget shortfalls, and leverage medium-term system change, which is really what’s required. I’ve outlined about four billion dollars in cuts [in state spending]; I’ve talked about re-purposing federal stimulus funds, we’re still scheduled to receive the majority of the 8.8 billion dollars in federal stimulus funds…; …I don’t think the state government should be in the business of gambling- I think we’ve run enough numbers games without trying to do it professionally. So, I’ve talked about sale or lease of the Illinois lottery, which is an eight to ten billion dollar asset; this is something similar to…what [Governor] Mitch Daniels did in Indiana, where he leased the Indiana toll roads to provide him the short-term resources he needed to leverage medium term system change.
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Start your political viewing tonight at 7:00 pm by watching on Comcast Cable Ch. 217 or Digital Ch. 7.2 on DirectTV in the Chicago Metro area the ABC-7 and League of Women Voters jointly sponsored hour long debate with the U. S. Senate Democratic Primary candidates. [The program repeats tonight on ABC's broadcast Ch. 7 at 11:05 pm]. Take a half hour break and come back to politics and public policy by tuning in at 8:30 pm to the suburban edition of Public Affairs w/ Jeff Berkowitz, featuring Republican Primary Gov candidate Dan Proft.

The program with Gov candidate Dan Proft airs:

tonight, Tuesday night, Jan. 12 at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Wilmette, Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.

and tonight, Tuesday night, Jan. 12 at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.
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You can also Go here to watch Dan Proft in the fastest half hour streaming on the web, a far ranging interview by show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz with Republican gubernatorial candidate Proft. Topics discussed include, without limitation, why it is important to cut taxes and why Proft thinks his competitors can’t be trusted not to raise them; what cuts in spending candidate Proft would make and how he would make them; how Proft would reform the big ticket state systems of healthcare and education; Proft’s views on banning machine guns and abortion and who should be allowed to marry; The Chicago Nine- who they are and why they are a barrier to reforming Illinois.
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More than 120 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Republican Primary Gov Candidate Dan Proft; Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans; 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park); Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis; Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Better than Giannoulias on ABC-7's NewsViews:Berkowitz w/10th Cong. Dist. Republican Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. on Israel & more;Cable & Streaming

2010-01-11T15:28:00.014-06:00

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Here is why I think we absolutely have no choice. Even if we didn’t want to, the instant [Israel] launches an attack [on Iran], we’re involved in a war [with Iran]. The Iranians have made it very clear that they’re going to mine the straits of Hormuz. The primary purpose of the U. S. Navy in that area is to prevent exactly that situation. We would establish a no fly zone over the straits of Hormuz and keep it open and that’s a war.

Jeff Berkowitz: Beth Coulson, have you heard her say the same thing you just said?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: No.
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Jeff Berkowitz: You would endorse Republicans, generally?

Arie Friedman, M.D. [10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate]: Absolutely.

Jeff Berkowitz: Because [State Rep.] Beth Coulson [R-Glenview], when she was given the chance on this show in 2000 [Sep.14] to endorse George Bush, said she didn’t know [enough about the positions of Gore and Bush], her district [had] sophisticated [voters], she wouldn’t endorse [in the Presidential race]; you would have endorsed George Bush?

Arie Friedman, M.D. [R-Highland Park]: I would have endorsed George Bush.
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The "Public Affairs," show featuring Arie Friedman, M.D., 10th Cong. District Republican Primary candidate, is airing tonight throughout the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 and on cable in Aurora and surrounding areas at 7:30 pm on ACTV-10. The program also airs at 3:30 pm tomorrow and Wednesday in Aurora on ACTV-10 and surrounding areas (all are regular slots for "Public Affairs" in Aurora). The Aurora station, ACTV-10, aka Aurora Community Television, Comcast Cable Ch. 10, reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery.
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Our show with 10th CD Republican Primary candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. is NOW streaming here.
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Go here for more about our show with Arie Friedman and for an additional partial transcript of the show. Go here for more about the 10th CD race and candidates.
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Arie Friedman, M.D.: Here is why I think we absolutely have no choice. Even if we didn’t want to, the instant [Israel] launches an attack on Iran , we’re involved in a war. The Iranians have made it very clear that they’re going to mine the straits of Hormuz. The primary purpose of the U. S. Navy in that area is to prevent exactly that situation. We would establish a no fly zone over the straits of Hormuz and keep it open and that’s a war.

Jeff Berkowitz: Beth Coulson, have you heard her say the same thing that you just said?
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Removing Iran’s nuclear capability

Jeff Berkowitz: Should the Israelis try to take out the nuclear capability from Iran?

Arie Friedman, M.D. [10th Cong. District Candidate in the Republican Primary]: They may very well have to. The reality is that we should be the ones to do it.

Jeff Berkowitz: Do you think we will?

Relying on Israel to deal with Iran

Arie Friedman, M.D.: I don’t think we will. I think the Israelis will be forced to.

Jeff Berkowitz: And, if they do, do you think the United States will stand by them and support them?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: We won’t have any choice.

Jeff Berkowitz: Is that a yes- they will?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Yes, because we won’t have any choice.

Jeff Berkowitz: Your recommendation is that [the U. S.] should?

The U. S. goes to war with Iran?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Here is why I think we absolutely have no choice. Even if we didn’t want to, the instant [Israel] launches an attack, we’re involved in a war. The Iranians have made it very clear that they’re going to mine the straits of Hormuz. The primary purpose of the U. S. Navy in that area is to prevent exactly that situation. We would establish a no fly zone over the straits of Hormuz and keep it open and that’s a war.

State Rep. Beth Coulson- Where is she?

Jeff Berkowitz: Beth Coulson, have you heard her say the same thing you just said?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: No.

Jeff Berkowitz: Do you think [Beth Coulson] would be supporting Israel if it came to them taking out the taking capability… of Iran.

Arie Friedman, M.D.: I can’t answer that question.

Jeff Berkowitz: We don’t know. Beth, we’d like to have you here…
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Dr. Friedman and physical therapist Coulson on abortion

Jeff Berkowitz: Differences between you and Coulson on [abortion]?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: …She described herself as strongly pro-Choice at one of the forums.

Dr. Friedman, Coulson and Green on parental notice
Jeff Berkowitz: Do you think she is more pro-Choice [on abortion] than you are? [pause, no answer] Does she support parental notice?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: I don’t know the answer to that question. [Ed. note: This article by the Daily Herald would seem to suggest Coulson does not support parental notice, but we don't really have enough information from Coulson to know her views on tnat matter].

Jeff Berkowitz: Do you support parental notice [about a minor daughter having an abortion]?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: I do.

Jeff Berkowitz: Dick Green? Do we know where he stands?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: I don’t.
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More than 120 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Republican Primary Gov Candidate Dan Proft; Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans; 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park); Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis; Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Guv candidate Sen.Dillard on Blago-Quinn administration,Jim Ryan’s privatization of toll roads,no net tax increase pledges and McKenna's public record

2010-01-07T16:13:00.021-06:00

Revised on Friday morning at 1:45 am to add a video link for Gov. Quinn; and a tax link for Jim Ryan.
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Republican gubernatorial candidate State Senator Kirk Dillard (Naperville) had a press availability this morning at the Union League Club of Chicago. It was timed, apparently, to take advantage of the fact that many media were in the building, having just concluded covering an event by Cong. and Republican Primary Senate Candidate Mark Steven Kirk (R-Highland Park, 10th CD).

Prison early releasegate: What did Quinn know and when did he know it?

Senator Kirk Dillard [Watch Dillard here] indicated that there are “unanswered questions,” about the State’s and the Governor’s “early release program,” for those serving or about to serve time in the State’s prisons. He called for a “more detailed inquiry in the legislature of what’s going on,” and noted that the inquiry should be conducted with subpoena power. Dillard said the most important unanswered question is “what did Governor Quinn (and his staff) know and when did they know it.” [Watch Gov. Quinn].

In particular, Dillard said, “I’d like to know—was it really a secret early release program, and it goes to the leadership of Governor Quinn… the buck stops, especially with respect to public safety, with the Governor.” Senator Dillard said he “would hope that [Senate President Cullerton and House Speaker Madigan] would …be concerned that there was clearly a breakdown in protocol as to minding the store with respect to the release of violent criminals. Dillard said, “I bet you Senator Cullerton has raised eyebrows in private about this.” Senator Dillard referred to the early release program as “an abomination,” and “a mockery to the victims of crime.”
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Contrasting Blagojevich-Quinn with Dillard

Senator Dillard re-capped his plans to restore growth to, stimulate jobs in and revitalize the Illinois economy. His program, called “Making Illinois a Destination Economy,” is discussed here. Dillard emphasized, “We must reduce the cost of doing business in Illinois,” but that “there is no one single answer to economic development in Illinois. Gubernatorial candidate Dillard said his economic development plan has “many, many, many different answers,” including venture capital, main street capital and “looking at all of the billion dollars of new fees and taxes that were put in under the Blagojevich-Quinn Administration, the first year of their Governorship or their Administration on Illinois businesses.”
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Dillard discusses privatizing the Illinois toll roads and compares his ideas to those of Jim Ryan

Senator Dillard said he would consider privatizing the Illinois toll roads but that he would want to make sure “that money stays for infrastructure—that it is not going, as I think Jim Ryan wanted it to do, to close the state’s general budget hole-- that’s welfare spending, it’s monies for other projects…and if the suburbanites have paid the lion’s share of it, there needs to be a good distribution formula and last, but not least, every motorist needs to be aware that wherever they have privatized tolls, tolls have skyrocketed.” Dillard said if he were the Governor, he would have a system “that didn’t lead to fare increases.” Otherwise, he would “never be for the privatization of the toll way”

Commenting on Guv candidate Dan Proft’s proposal to privatize the state lottery

Dillard was asked by this journalist how he felt about Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Proft’s proposed sale or lease of the lottery [Watch Proft here] to obtain an injection of funds to help [along with spending cuts and “re-purposed,” economic stimulus funds] deal with the current state deficits, until the economy recovers. Senator Dillard noted the differences between the lottery and the toll way and said, “I’ve always thought we should look at leasing the lottery or privatizing the lottery as long as we guarantee…that education continues to get the lion’s share—we don’t want to lose that source of revenue for our schools--- and also we need to make sure that one governor doesn’t benefit or frontload all the money on privatization of the lottery—keep it all for himself…”
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Responding to McKenna’s argument that Dillard can’t be trusted on taxes

Senator Dillard was asked by this journalist about Andy McKenna’s argument that Dillard can’t be trusted not to raise the income tax or general sales tax rate because he won’t sign the Americans for Tax Reform (“ATR”) pledge not to support a net increase in taxes. This reporter noted that Republican gubernatorial candidates Senator Brady, Dan Proft and Andy McKenna, Jr. have all signed the ATR no net tax increase pledge. Senator Dillard noted that “he has no design to raise taxes.” He argued further that his middle class status, background, expertise and experience make him the best gubernatorial candidate “to get us through,” without a tax increase. Dillard stated that in his attempt to reform and make taxes fairer, he wants some flexibility and he thinks tax pledges and forms are “gimmicks,” that might inhibit or constrain things like inflationary or tax fairness adjustments, and he said that he was not talking about tax swaps or general increases in taxes. [Ed. note: In addition to those identified above, Republican primary candidate for Governor Adam Andrzejewski has also signed the ATR no net tax increase pledge].

The ATR form and fairness and inflation tax adjustments

This journalist followed up and noted that the ATR pledge allows for inflation adjustments and other reforms. It simply prevents the signer from supporting net increases in overall tax rates. Thus, Dillard was asked: wouldn’t signing the ATR form prevent McKenna from raising the tax argument about Dillard every day of the campaign until February 2? Also, wouldn’t signing the ATR form prevent McKenna from putting Dillard in the same camp as Jim Ryan, who also refuses to sign the ATR form and did support, two years ago, a tax swap that would also have been a six billion dollar net increase in taxes?

Dillard compares his record with that of McKenna

Dillard responded, “I’ve been in the General Assembly for fifteen years, I’ve never voted for a general tax increase. I have a record. The only record Andy McKenna has is during his public time as Republican Chairman of this State we lost three congressional seats, we lost five state senate seats…a slaughter of suburban senators under Mr. McKenna’s reign. As the State Party Chair, he lost five State House Republican members and he leaves that office, the only public record he has, under an ethics investigation…”
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More than 120 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Republican Primary Gov Candidate Dan Proft; Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans; 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park); Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis; Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Better than the entire Chicago press corps w/Jim Ryan-Curry in Elmhurst: Berkowitz w/Dan Proft on cutting tax rates and growing jobs;Cable & streaming

2010-01-06T02:43:00.009-06:00

Jeff Berkowitz: …what people want to know from you Dan Proft is you talk about cutting the income tax rate by 50% for individuals and corporations, and they keep hearing there is an eleven billion dollar [state budget] deficit and so they are trying to put those two things together and they are thinking how does the state get the revenue to cover the deficit in the short run, when you are going to be cutting income tax rates.

Dan Proft [Republican candidate for Governor][Watch Proft here]: And, eliminating the estate tax, too, which is also a tax on business, particularly family businesses. Look, I think there are a few things you can do in the short-term to address the budget shortfalls, and leverage medium-term system change, which is really what’s required. I’ve outlined about four billion dollars in cuts [in state spending]; I’ve talked about re-purposing federal stimulus funds, we’re still scheduled to receive the majority of the 8.8 billion dollars in federal stimulus funds…; …I don’t think the state government should be in the business of gambling- I think we’ve run enough numbers games without trying to do it professionally. So, I’ve talked about sale or lease of the Illinois lottery, which is an eight to ten billion dollar asset; this is something similar to…what [Governor] Mitch Daniels did in Indiana, where he leased the Indiana toll roads to provide him the short-term resources he needed to leverage medium term system change.
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The suburban edition of Public Affairs w/ Jeff Berkowitz, featuring Republican Primary Gov candidate Dan Proft, debuts this weekend in special airings on the North Shore, airing this Saturday at 6:30 pm, this Sunday, next Friday and next Sunday at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.
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Go here to watch Dan Proft in the fastest half hour streaming on the web, a far ranging interview by show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz with Republican gubernatorial candidate Proft. Topics discussed include, without limitation, why it is important to cut taxes and why Proft thinks his competitors can’t be trusted not to raise them; what cuts in spending candidate Proft would make and how he would make them; how Proft would reform the big ticket state systems of healthcare and education; Proft’s views on banning machine guns and abortion and who should be allowed to marry; The Chicago Nine- who they are and why they are a barrier to reforming Illinois.
***************************************************
More than 120 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Republican Primary Gov Candidate Dan Proft; Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans; 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park); Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis; Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Better than the Orange Bowl: Berkowitz w/Paul Vallas on Obama’s Race to the Top educational program and much more; Cable and now streaming

2010-01-05T19:30:00.011-06:00

Tonight’s Chicago metro suburban edition of Public Affairs features Paul Vallas, currently CEO of the Recovery School District of New Orleans and previously CEO of the Chicago Public Schools . The Chicago Metro suburban airing schedule is included, below.
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You can now watch “Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz,” featuring Paul Vallas, Superintendent of the Recovery School District of New Orleans, streaming here.
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Does Obama’s “Race to the Top,” promote charter schools?

Jeff Berkowitz: Let me raise the other point that the Wall St. Journal raises: Race to the Top …no longer discourages states from capping the number of charter schools; the school system can ban charter schools, as long as the system has something called “innovative schools.” Isn’t that an accommodation with the teachers’ unions?

Paul Vallas: Well-

Is Arne Duncan accommodating the teachers’ unions?

Jeff Berkowitz: Is Arne Duncan accommodating? Just as his boss, Barack Obama would say, “Well, you know Arne, sometimes you should play politics, be an accommodator.”

Paul Vallas: Well, I think they have made some sacrifices. But, let me point out that schools, that states that do embrace charter schools and that do promote school choice and that do establish value added assessment systems, which hire teachers, promote teachers, reward teachers based on their performance, based on data driven performance in the classroom—those districts are most likely to get “Race to the top,” dollars as opposed to other districts—

Jeff Berkowitz: Even if they don’t have more charter schools?

Paul Vallas: That’s right.

Jeff Berkowitz: Even if they ban charter schools?

Paul Vallas: Yeah.

Is “Race to the top,” true to the spirit of charter schools?

Jeff Berkowitz: You trust them. You don’t think they are just getting around charter schools? They are remaining true to the spirit of charter schools?

Paul Vallas: Well, I think that they will not get as many points as they are getting in Districts that have, for example, an intervention arm, districts that are actually transforming schools. Because there are provisions in the application that require that you take over schools that are failing, that you transform them. And, whether they become an innovation school or a charter school, or whether or not you privately contract out for that school to be managed by an outside entity, for profit or not for profit, those are all things that get you points in the application [for “Race to the Top,” federal funds].
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New Orleans' Recovery School District CEO Paul Vallas interviewed on Sunday, December 27, 2009 on "Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz, and airing this evening in 24 Chicago Metro North and Northwest suburbs on Comcast Ch. 19 or Ch. 35, as indicated, below.
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For an additional partial transcript and more about Paul Vallas and our show with Paul Vallas, please go here.
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The Chicago Metro suburban episode of "Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz," featuring this week's guest, New Orleans' Recovery School District CEO Paul Vallas, airs:

tonight, Tuesday night, at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette

and tonight, Tuesday night, at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.

The Chicago Metro Suburban edition of "Public Affairs," usually airs, as well, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.

Due to a transfer this month of control of broadcast facilities from Comcast to the Village of Highland Park for the above referenced ten suburbs, the airing of Public Affairs in those ten suburbs ceased for the month of December, but will resume, on the same airing schedule, on January 6, 2010, [and with same extra airings planned for this Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, as well].

We anticipate airing the Public Affairs show featuring Republican Primary gubernatorial candidate Senator Dillard on Jan. 6 and Jan. 8 in the aforementioned ten suburbs, in the same time slot we have previously aired, i.e., Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19. This Thursday night's show, at 8:30 pm, in the same ten suburbs on Ch. 19, will feature 10th CD Republican Primary candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. The special airings on this coming Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 pm will feature Paul Vallas.
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The Public Affairs show, featuring New Orleans' Recovery School District CEO Paul Vallas also will air on Monday night, January 18, 2010, throughout the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans, 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park), Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis, Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Better than ABC's This Week w/Terry Moran: Berkowitz w/IL Gov candidate Sen. Kirk Dillard on taxes, McKenna-Ryan and much more; Cable and Streaming

2010-01-04T20:06:00.009-06:00

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Republican Primary Gubernatorial candidate and State Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Naperville):...[I]t’s ridiculous for anybody to talk about a tax increase. I’m not for a tax increase and I believe I’m the best candidate, with my managerial skills, to stop a tax increase…
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Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Naperville): The stealth candidates [McKenna-Ryan] don’t show up. You know, if you want to be the Governor of Illinois, you’d better go out and meet people.
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The "Public Affairs," show featuring Kirk Dillard, State Senator (R-Naperville) and 2010 Republican Primary gubernatorial candidate is airing tonight throughout the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 and on cable in Aurora and surrounding areas at 7:30 pm on ACTV-10. The program also airs at 3:30 pm tomorrow and Wednesday in Aurora on ACTV-10 and surrounding areas (all are regular slots for "Public Affairs" in Aurora). The Aurora station, ACTV-10, aka Aurora Community Television, Comcast Cable Ch. 10, reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery.
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You can now watch our show with IL Republican Gov candidate Senator Kirk Dillard (Naperville) streaming here.
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Go here and here for more about the show and for additional partial transcripts of the show.
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Dillard: The best Gov candidate to stop a tax increase?

Repubican Primary Gubernatorial candidate and State Senator Kirk Dillard: …I think if there is one candidate that is best suited to make sure that Illinois doesn’t have a tax increase, it’s me. I am the only middle class person running in this race with children at home. Who best, what profile do you think is going to protect [best] the working families of Illinois and I don’t know how anybody can talk about a tax increase when you’ve got a state that needs reform, culturally and ethically. There’s got to be massive school reform, so it’s ridiculous for anybody to talk about a tax increase. I’m not for a tax increase and I believe I’m the best candidate, with my managerial skills, to stop a tax increase…

Jeff Berkowitz: …Folks might legitimately turn to you and say, how are you going to cover that deficit of eleven billion dollars, if you don’t raise taxes at all?

Dillard on the difference between Republicans and Democrats?

Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Naperville): Well, I’ll be happy to tell them. First of all, the difference between Republicans and Democrats is the two Democrats who are running for Governor are both for major tax increases. I mean that’s the worst thing that could happen during a recession…I don’t believe that it’s a twelve billion dollar deficit. I think it’s probably closer to six to eight billion dollars…

Jeff Berkowitz: Real quick then, give us-- are you talking six to eight billion dollars in spending cuts?

Kirk’s cuts in spending

Senator Kirk Dillard: I’ll give you and I urge people to look, every week I put out another Kirk’s cut of the week, but Medicaid fraud, $1.3 billion- the New York Times estimates… ; Medicaid Management…if you manage Medicaid, there’s another billion to two billion

Jeff Berkowitz: So, conservatively, we’re up to two and half billion dollars, total, now

Senator Kirk Dillard: The Civic Federation of the Commercial Club says that if we manage our mentally ill population a little differently, we’d be eligible for another 700 million dollars in federal matching money for that population

Jeff Berkowitz: So, now we are up to 3.2 billion dollars

Senator Kirk Dillard: Right. Improved records and accounting and processing. Again, Civic Federation and business groups say that we could save… half a billion a year.

Jeff Berkowitz: 3.7 billion dollars, total.

Senator Kirk Dillard: Pension reform, we must have a new pension system…for state employees. That’s 162 billion dollars [in savings for state government] over thirty years.

Jeff Berkowitz: Yeah, but for the first year, you don’t really save much, do you?

Senator Kirk Dillard: But, over time, you can…re-prioritizing and zero based budgeting, I believe I can obtain another billion to two billion dollars, there, but most importantly…I have a plan… to make Illinois a destination economy…we need to grow our economy…I can whittle that hole down…I can do it without an income tax increase

More than six billion dollars in Dillard spending cuts?

Jeff Berkowitz: But, that totals up to abut 4.7 billion dollars, so you are saying you are close to the 6 billion dollars?

Senator Kirk Dillard: It’s way more than 4.7 [Ed. note, to be fair, it is 4.7 to 6.5 billion dollars, and that is not putting a number on first year pension reform savings, of which there might be some].
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McKenna trying to buy the election?

Jeff Berkowitz: McKenna’s got some money behind him, he’s got his father’s money…but are you suggesting [Andy McKenna] is trying to buy the election…?

Senator Kirk Dillard: His whole strategy, Jeff, you know he won’t appear on your show and he doesn’t really travel much in the state of Illinois, his whole thing is geared toward TV. He wants to be like Rod Blagojevich and—

Jeff Berkowitz: Paid TV. Is that what you’re saying?

Senator Kirk Dillard: And buy it with paid television. I would submit [McKenna] ought to get out among the state and meet people, like I do every day.
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Did McKenna-Ryan promise voters a Rose Garden?

Senator Kirk Dillard: Both of those guys [McKenna-Ryan] filed for the Governor’s race the very last day. They are both running sort of Rose Garden campaigns. You don’t see much of them. The rest of these gentlemen, who you mentioned [as doing your show-- Brady, Proft, Andrzejewski and Dillard], we’re everywhere. We’re in Metropolis, We’re in Pinckneyville. We’re in Carbondale. But, the stealth candidates [McKenna-Ryan] don’t show up. You know, if you want to be the Governor of Illinois, you’d better go out and meet people.
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans, 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park), Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis, Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Better than Alabama v. Texas, Berkowitz joins Bob Dold (not Dole) on Roeser's Sunday nIght radio show. You can call in and join us, too.

2010-01-02T22:28:00.010-06:00

Aren't the voters in the 10th CD "as sophisticated," as Coulson's constituents were in her State Rep. District? If so, why would they want or need former Cong. John Porter's guidance, when Coulson said her then 57th Dist. voters didn't want her guidance [in 2000] as to voting for George W. Bush or Mark Kirk? I mean, fair is fair.
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After all the Holiday treats have been eaten on Sunday and there is a break in the college football action, don't despair, you will still have one big treat in store for you on Sunday.

Jeff Berkowitz will join Bob Dold, most likely the front-runner in the 10th Cong. District Republican Primary, as a guest this Sunday night on Tom Roeser’s often edgy, breaking news Sunday, call-in radio show, Political Shoot-out, on WLS 890 AM Radio, from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
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You say you don't live within the WLS broadcast area? Not to worry. You can go here to listen to the program, live, on the web.[You may encounter some technical problems in signing on-- allow five minutes, or so, for following the prompts for technical difficulties, and you should be able to hear WLS live on the web] See here for Tom’s Blog which has Tom's thoughts on a great many matters, political and otherwise.

Upset with something Berkowitz said on his show, Public Affairs, something he wrote on this blog or just the way he looks? Tom Roeser’s show on Sunday night is your chance to fire back. A free fire zone, so to speak. Also, you can help shape the show and its topics by calling in with your questions and comments—312-591-8900.

Tom Roeser usually covers a broad range of national, state and local issues but I anticipate we may focus on national issues and to some extent on the 10th CD Republican and Democratic primaries, due to the presence of Bob Dold in the studio.

The four major candidates in the 10th CD Republican Primary are pest control small business owner Dold (Kenilworth), investment services entrepreneur Dick Green (Winnetka), State Rep. Beth Coulson (Glenview) and group practice pediatrician Arie Friedman, M.D. {Highland Park).

The major players in the 10th CD Democratic primary are State Rep. Julie Hamos (Evanston) and consultant Dan Seals (Wilmette), who lost two close races to Cong. Mark Kirk (R-Highland) in 2006 and 2008.

There are 31 days left until the Feb. 2nd Primary, so Monday is kind of the kick-off of the post Holiday closing segment of this abbreviated primary season.

The buzz in the 10th CD is that former 10th CD Republican Congressman John Porter might endorse in this race, and if so, the conventional wisdom is that he would endorse State Rep. Beth Coulson. But, is that correct?

Beth Coulson declined, on "Public Affairs," on Sep. 14, 2000, to endorse George Bush for President and Mark Kirk for Congress. She said she didn't have enough information about them on some of the "issues that were very important to her," and anyway, her voters were very sophisticated and "they usually want to make decisions for themselves."

But, if that is the case, how much does Cong. Porter know about Rep. Coulson? After all, Cong. Porter left the District in 2001 and moved to Washington, DC. How much could he know about Coulson's performance in the last nine years? And, aren't the voters in the 10th CD "as sophisticated," as Coulson's constituents were in her State Rep. District? If so, why would they want or need Porter's guidance, when Coulson said her then 57th Dist. voters didn't want her guidance as to voting for George W. Bush or Mark Kirk? I mean, fair is fair.

Perhaps Rep. Coulson will want to call in to answer those questions. She was supposed to appear on "Public Affairs," in November, 2009, but Coulson lost her voice and then her will. Perhaps she found them, by now.

Maybe Dick Green will want to call in and answer some questions. He has been ducking Public Affairs for five months. Maybe Dan Seals will want to call in and answer some questions. He has been ducking Public Affairs for four years.

Both Arie Friedman, M.D. and Rep. Julie Hamos have not been ducking Public Affairs. You can watch Arie Friedman, M.D. here and State Rep. Julie Hamos here.

Of course, the above are just some guesses by this journalist as to some of the topics that this Sunday night's show might touch on. The ultimate choice is up to the show's host, Tom Roeser, his lovely and brilliant wife, Lillian and his listener call-ins.

This journalist's surmise as to the political (and other) personalities who might be discussed this Sunday night include, without limitation, President Obama, Vice-President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, Senate President Reid, Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, Minnesota Gov. Pawlenty, General Petraeus, Mayor Guiliani, Former Alabama Governor Huckabee, Wisconsin Cong. Paul Ryan, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney; Illinois Republican Primary Gov. Candidates Proft, Andrzejewski, Brady, Dillard, Ryan, McKenna and Schillerstrom; Democratic Guv candidate and State Comptroller Dan Hynes, Democratic Governor Pat Quinn; Republican U. S. Senate Candidates Cong. Kirk, Pat Hughes and John Arrington; Democratic U. S. Senate candidates David Hoffman, Cheryle Jackson, Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and Jacob Meister.
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"Public Affairs," is a weekly political interview show airing in Chicago on CANTV, in the Chicago metro area, Aurora and Rockford on Comcast and also often on the Illinois Channel. You can watch the shows, including archived shows going back to 2005, here.
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans, 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park), Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis, Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Better than a New Year’s eve kiss: Berkowitz w/Paul Vallas on school vouchers-school choice and w/ an Obama-O’Reilly cameo;Cable & NOW streaming

2009-12-31T21:40:00.010-06:00

Important links added at 1:25 pm on Monday, January 1, 2010 regarding Barack Obama's "evolution," on school choice during the last eight years.
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Jeff Berkowitz: … You have said, “you can’t be against school choice and be for kids.”

Paul Vallas: That’s right.
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You can now watch an upcoming edition of “Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz,” featuring Paul Vallas, Superintendent of the Recovery School District of New Orleans, streaming here.

The show with Mr. Vallas, former Candidate for Governor in Illinois and Supt. of the Chicago Public Schools as well as the Philadelphia Public Schools, covers a broad range of public policy topics, including local and national education issues, e.g., the importance of school vouchers and charter schools to school reform, government reform, the Obama Administration’s “Race to the Top,” and economic stimulus program, supply side and demand side macro-economic policies, social issues and much, much more.
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School Vouchers- School Choice in Philly and New Orleans

Jeff Berkowitz: Would you say it is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition, to have school choice to reform schools… especially in the inner cities?

Paul Vallas: …Let me preface my remarks by saying I support [school] vouchers and I support a voucher program that is not limited, or that is not targeted. But, by the same token, I think there are different ways of expanding school choice. Also, [there are] charters. In Philadelphia, a third of our schools, when I left, were either run by charter [school] providers or private managers, and, of course … two-thirds of the children who are educated in schools in New Orleans are being educated in charter schools. And, of course the City [of New Orleans] actually has a voucher program for primary grade kids.

Jeff Berkowitz: …The number of kids who are attending voucher schools [in New Orleans] would be roughly how many?

Paul Vallas: The number of my kids, kids in the [New Orleans] Recovery School District, attending [voucher schools], I would say it is about five or six percent.

Jeff Berkowitz: … you have said, “you can’t be against school choice and be for kids.”

Paul Vallas: That’s right.

Jeff Berkowitz: I got that quote right?

Paul Vallas: That’s right. Absolutely. Anything that expands educational opportunities for kids, I’m going to support…
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Barack Obama's accommodation on school vouchers-school choice?

Jeff Berkowitz: Barack Obama, in 2002, sat where you are sitting, on “Public Affairs,” June 27, 2002

Paul Vallas: I know. I saw him. You showed me the tape.

Jeff Berkowitz: It was the date of the U. S. Supreme Court decision [declaring school vouchers constitutional], kind of one of the ironies of life. He didn’t know he was going to be President but he said at that time, “I would support anything that is going to be better for the children of Illinois [including school vouchers].” …in 2003, when he is running for the U. S. Senate [Obama] said [on Public Affairs], “I am not for school vouchers, Jeff, I am for charter schools.” What happened to change Barack Obama’s mind from June, 2002 to July, 2003?

Paul Vallas: You would have to ask him.

Jeff Berkowitz: He became a serious candidate for the U. S. Senate and he realized in the Democratic Primary nobody can win that race…if they are going to oppose the teachers’ unions and support school vouchers. I mean, that’s a fair reading of that, right? I’m not denigrating Barack Obama. He’s a good politician. [For a discussion of Barack Obama's "evolution," on the school choice issue, with extensive direct quotes from Obama's appearances on "Public Affairs w/Jeff Berkowitz," go here. For a discussion by John McCain's presidential campaign advisors of how they planned to use Obama's changing views on school choice during the 2008 campaign, go here].

Paul Vallas: All candidates. All candidates when they enter those primaries—sometimes they undergo a metamorphosis. Sometime they make adjustments and sometimes they make compromises…obviously in order to get elected…

Obama the Accommodator

Jeff Berkowitz: To accommodate. Would that be the word? Barack Obama, the accommodator. He is an accommodator. [Watch relevant footage of Obama in 2002, discussed by Berkowitz with Bill O’Reilly].

Paul Vallas: Well, who doesn’t accommodate when…

Jeff Berkowitz: I am not saying it to denigrate [Obama].

Vallas is not an accommodator?

Paul Vallas: There are a few exceptions. I like to think that I am not an accommodator.

Jeff Berkowitz: You would not accommodate during an election?

Paul Vallas: Look, I held my same position on school choice during the election that I kind of staked out before the election in front of an American Federation [of Teachers gathering].

Jeff Berkowitz: In 2002? [Paul Vallas ran for Governor in the 2002 Democratic Primary, coming in a close second to Rod Blagojevich, and finishing slightly ahead of Roland Burris, who was appointed by Rod Blagojevich at the end of last year to replace Barack Obama, after Blago was arrested on charges of public corruption, but, of course, before Blagojevich was impeached]

Paul Vallas: Yeah.

Jeff Berkowitz: You went to the union and said you are for school vouchers?

Paul Vallas: I said that I would not oppose vouchers.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, you didn’t say you were for vouchers?.

Paul Vallas: If you remember, I said I went from being—

Jeff Berkowitz: An evolution, now you are in favor of school vouchers.

Paul Vallas: That’s right. That’s right…when I ran in 2002, I staked out my position as not one opposing school choice, and not one opposing vouchers…
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Paul Vallas, taped on December 27, 2009 and as airing in twenty-f our select Chicago Metro North and Northwest suburbs this coming Tuesday night.
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Paul Vallas, Supt. of the Recovery School District of New Orleans, 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park), Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis, Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Better than Proft and McKenna on ABC-7's NewsViews: Berkowitz w/10th CD Republican Primary candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. on Cable and NOW Streaming

2009-12-29T19:32:00.014-06:00

Updated at 12:05 am on Wedmesday: Our show w/ 10th CD Republican candidate Arie Friedman, M.D., is now streaming from our youtube page here.
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Jeff Berkowitz: You would endorse Republicans, generally?

Arie Friedman, M.D. [10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate]: Absolutely.

Jeff Berkowitz: Because [State Rep.] Beth Coulson [R-Glenview], when she was given the chance on this show in 2000 [Sep.14] to endorse George Bush, said she didn’t know, her district is sophisticated, she wouldn’t endorse. You would have endorsed George Bush?

Arie Friedman, M.D. [R-Highland Park]: I would have endorsed George Bush.
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Arie Friedman, M.D.: I think that most of "security theater," started up after 9/11. I mean there were private organizations in charge of security before that. And, after 9/11, it became primarily the TSA. And, since then, it’s been what we’ve just seen, which is now we’re going to tell everybody to sit still and not move, not out of their seat for the last hour strong>[of a flight]. How does that fix any of the problems that we’ve dealt with?
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Jeff Berkowitz: So, what do you think about Coulson? Is she, as some people say, a RINO, a Republican in name only?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Yes.

Jeff Berkowitz: Unequivocally, yes?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Unequivocally, yes… I have been running against [Beth Coulson] for a few months now and know a little bit about her positions and I don’t see any other way to describe her.
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Tonight’s Chicago metro suburban edition of Public Affairs features 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Dr. Arie Friedman. Dr. Friedman resides in Highland Park and he has done so since he was six years old. The Chicago Metro suburban airing schedule is included, below.
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Our show with 10th CD Republican Primary candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. is NOW streaming here.
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Arie Friedman, the newest kid on the block in the 10th CD Republican Primary, started his campaign late but he could surprise his three major competitors. He has a strong background for Congress in the domestic and foreign public policy arenas. After graduating from the University of Chicago college, Arie Friedman became a naval flight officer, flying fixed and rotary wing aircraft. His seven years of active and eleven years of reserve duty in the navy had multiple deployments, including Operation Desert Storm.

Further, on the domestic public policy side, Arie Friedman is not without ideas on healthcare, having graduated from University of Illinois’ Medical School at the top of his class and has had a group pediatric practice for the last nine years.

Apparently, Dr. Friedman is the only Jewish candidate in the race, which could be significant in the 10th CD, with its significant Jewish population. Increasingly, those voters are taking a Republican Primary ballot as the Democratic Party continues its drift to the left on healthcare, Israel and national security, in general. On the other hand, Friedman may not have enough time to raise money and build the coalitions necessary to win.

However, unlike Republicans Coulson, Dold and Green, Dr. Friedman is willing to be questioned, in depth, on important issues of domestic policy, foreign policy and cultural issues, as well as give his views about his competitors. Take a listen, watch the show tonight and watch the show now streaming here.
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Has Beth Coulson historically been reluctant to endorse other Republicans?

Jeff Berkowitz: You would endorse Republicans, generally?

Arie Friedman, M.D. [10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate]: Absolutely.

Jeff Berkowitz: Because Beth Coulson, when she was given the chance on this show in 2000 to endorse George Bush, said she didn’t know, her district is sophisticated, she wouldn’t endorse. You would have endorsed George Bush?

Arie Friedman, M.D. [R-Highland Park]: I would have endorsed George Bush.
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Is Beth Coulson a RINO?

Jeff Berkowitz: So, what do you think about Coulson? Is she, as some people say, a RINO, a Republican in name only?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Yes.

Jeff Berkowitz: Unequivocally, yes?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Unequivocally, yes… I have been running against [Beth Coulson] for a few months now and know a little bit about her positions and I don’t see any other way to describe her.
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Is there substance to Dick Green?

Jeff Berkowitz: Dick Green does an ad …and he says yeah, yeah, yeah. Is that basically what he says?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Yes.

Jeff Berkowitz: I mean, Dick…people think the 10th is a fairly sophisticated District, they need people who say more than "yeah, yeah, yeah."
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Can the United States win in Afghanistan?

Jeff Berkowitz: Would you have sent the 40,000 troops that [General McChrystal in Afghanistan] wanted?

Arie Friedman, M.D.[R-Highland Park]:I would have sent him whatever he wanted...[O]n the people that we have in the military, from the Generals on down to the Lance Corporals, they are extremely intelligent people, highly trained. They spend their lives doing this work. We shouldn’t be micro managing how they fight any more than you’d micro manage your surgeon as he is performing an operation. What really makes me angry as a former military officer is the idea that we can’t win [in Afghanistan].
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Is the Obama Administration getting airport security right?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: I think that most of "security theater," started up after 9/11. I mean there were private organizations in charge of security before that. And, after 9/11, it became primarily the TSA. And, since then, it’s been what we’ve just seen, which is now we’re going to tell everybody to sit still and not move, not out of their seat for the last hour [of a flight]. How does that fix any of the problems that we’ve dealt with?

Jeff Berkowitz: What should they do?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: What they should do is start being more intelligent about who they focus on. There are a lot of resources here to be used. Somebody who comes from Nigeria. Somebody whose father has reported him [to the U. S. embassy as a possible security threat]. Somebody who is on various no fly lists is somebody who should be targeted very carefully for investigation.

Jeff Berkowitz: This guy [the Christmas day bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab] wasn’t on a no fly list. He was on some sort of list that had 500,000 people on it.

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Right, he was on a security list of some sort. A watch list.

Jeff Berkowitz: A watch list, but not where you could do much about it.

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Right.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, he probably should have been on the “no fly,” list?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Certainly.

Should we try to profile potential terrorists?

Jeff Berkowitz: At least based on what we knew. And, is it the reluctance to profile people…

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Of course, it is.

Jeff Berkowitz: As some people say, we can profile objects…because it is more than security theater. It is about political correctness because somebody is going to say not everybody getting on a plane in Nigeria is a security risk-- but somebody getting on a plane in Nigeria whose father is a well established guy, big time banker…he thinks somebody should keep an eye on his son [and tells the U. S. Embassy in Nigeria that], that should be a tip-off…and then [the son] got on the plane—was it in Amsterdam or Nigeria-- that he bought a one-way ticket

Arie Friedman, M.D.: A one-way ticket.

Jeff Berkowitz: [paid for in] cash?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Yes.

Jeff Berkowitz: Are we starting to build a profile here? The Obama Administration said we were going to use science…so, if you are using science, shouldn’t they be building this profile, tracking these things and say, when enough of these factors pile up…

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Right

Jeff Berkowitz: Then, what you want to do is…talk to the person. Ask him a few questions. Do we have anybody in this country who is experienced in- what do we call it- intelligence operations? So, we want somebody to talk with him or her and see whether that person is a risk and if they decide that person is—they don’t go on the plane.

Arie Friedman, M.D.: Right.

Are some foreign airports doing improper screening of security risks?

Arie Friedman, M.D.: One of the criteria should be when you are deciding whether it is a high risk airport or not is whether the airport itself will accept our security people to go and investigate what their situation is. So, you can have a high risk airport, even the airport that this guy originated from, but if were able to send our own people pro-actively forward to have it be a more secure environment, that would be one thing. If they said no, then that’s an airport perhaps we should consider [barring flights from departing there and coming into the U. S.]
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Arie Friedman, M.D. [10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate], interviewed on Sunday, December 27, 2009 on Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz, and airing this evening in 24 Chicago Metro North and Northwest suburbs on Comcast Ch. 19 or Ch. 35, as indicated, below.
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From Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz, taped on December 27, 2009
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The Chicago Metro suburban episode of "Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz," featuring this week's guest,10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Dr. Arie Friedman,M.D.,airs:

tonight, Tuesday night, at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette

and tonight, Tuesday night, at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.

The Chicago Metro Suburban edition of "Public Affairs," usually airs, as well, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.

Due to a transfer this month of control of broadcast facilities from Comcast to the Village of Highland Park for the above referenced ten suburbs, the airing of Public Affairs in those ten suburbs has ceased for the month of December, but will resume, on the same airing schedule, on January 4, 2010. We anticipate airng the Public Affairs show featuring 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Dr. Arie Friedman,M.D., discussed above, during that first or second week of January, 2010 in the aforementioned ten suburbs, in the same time slot we have previously aired, i.e., Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19
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The Public Affairs show, featuring 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Dr. Arie Friedman,M.D.,also will air on Monday night, January 11, 2010, throughout the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate Arie Friedman, M.D. (R-Highland Park), Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis, Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Better than Dillard on ABC-7’s NewsViews: Berkowitz w/ Gov candidate Sen. Dillard on Obama, Ryan, Proft, McKenna,Insiders & more;cable & now streaming

2009-12-28T14:34:00.011-06:00

Jeff Berkowitz: You knew [Prrsident Obama} pretty well. He was a state senator-you were a state senator [Ed. note, they overlapped in the state senate for eight years].

IL Republican Gov candidate Senator Kirk Dillard (Naperville): I also disagree with him on most things that he is doing as the President of the United States. But, you know, this country, this state, needs people, in a limited fashion, to be able to work across party lines, across racial lines, across geographic lines and while I disagree with the President...[Watch show with Senator Kirk Dillard here]
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You can now watch our show with IL Republican Gov candidate Senator Kirk Dillard (Naperville) streaming here.

Topics discussed include, without limitation, Obama, Gov. candidates Ryan, Proft, Brady, McKenna, Andrzejewski, Schillerstrom, Quinn and Hynes; McKenna the Insider? Stu Levine, should Jim Ryan have known more? Tax increase and tax cuts; making Illinois into a destination economy; who believes in democracy? who might be trying to "Buy the election." Who is least likely to raise taxes as governor? And much, much more

The "Public Affairs w/Jeff Berkowitz," episode, featuring IL Republican Gov candidate Senator Kirk Dillard (Naperville), also airs next Monday night at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 through-out the City of Chicago.

For more on the show with Senator Dillard, the Governor’s race and additional partial transcripts of the show, please go here.
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Did Senator Dillard endorse Obama?

Jeff Berkowitz: …they would say you endorsed Barack Obama, essentially.

Republican Gov Candidate State Senator Kirk Dillard: I certainly did not endorse Barack Obama. I was a McCain delegate, raised money for McCain. That little snippet, five [or] six seconds, twenty some works, limited-limited by agreement to a Democrat Primary, was about ethics. The President, when he was a State Senator, I was the lead sponsor, he was the co-sponsor of the first ethics changes in Illinois law in more than twenty five years, and he took immense grief from his caucus for co-sponsoring an ethics bill with me, a Republican, and anytime, Jeff, a Democrat works with me on a Republican principle like ethics, I’m going to say ..I’m going to acknowledge that they did it. And, it was limited, it had a limited scope. It certainly wasn’t an endorsement. And—

Dillard worked with Obama?

Jeff Berkowitz: But, you worked with Barack over the years on other things, too. You worked with him on capitol punishment reform, right?

Senator Kirk Dillard: Correct.

Jeff Berkowitz: You respect Barack Obama, don’t you?

Senator Kirk Dillard: I do, in limited ways. Yes, it depends on the issue.

Jeff Berkowitz: You knew him pretty well. He was a state senator-you were a state senator [Ed. note, they overlapped in the state senate for eight years].

Does Dillard disagree with Obama's Presidential policies?

Senator Kirk Dillard: I also disagree with [President Obama] on most things that he is doing as the President of the United States. But, you know, this country, this state needs people, in a limited fashion, to be able to work across party lines, across racial lines, across geographic lines and while I disagree with the President probably on 95% of what he does, when it comes to trying to fix a system that put innocent men on death row, or when it comes to passing the first ethics bill in twenty-five years, I’m going to work with the gentleman.
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From "Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz," taped December 20, 2009.
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/ Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis, Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;

Better than David Gregory w Nicole Kidman; Berkowitz w/Cong. Danny Davis on gun control and much more; Cable and Streaming

2009-12-28T02:19:00.013-06:00

Jeff Berkowitz: So, you don’t believe in the 2nd Amendment?

Cong. Danny Davis: No, I don’t.

Jeff Berkowitz: You would repeal the 2nd Amendment?
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Tonight’s City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs features Congressman Danny Davis (D-Chicago), running in a five candidate Democratic primary for the right to run for re-election to a 7th term in the U. S. House. The show airs throughout the City of Chicago tonight on Cable Ch. 21 at 8:30 pm. For additional partial transcripts of the show and more about the 7th CD race, please go here and here.
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Cong. Danny Davis on youtube:

To watch the show w/ Cong. Davis on your computer, please go here.
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Republican Guv candidate State Senator Kirk Dillard on youtube:

To watch the latest addition to our youtube page, our show with Republican Primary gubernatorial candidate State Senator Kirk Dillard, please go here.
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A right to possess a gun in your home?

Jeff Berkowitz: Should everybody in the 7th Cong. District have a right to possess a gun, if they want to, in their home?

Cong. Danny Davis (D-Chicago, 7th CD): Absolutely not. I think that guns—

Jeff Berkowitz: If somebody lives in an unsafe area, they still can’t have a gun in their home—

Cong. Danny Davis: I think that guns are made to kill people and the more guns that they are around the more people will get killed. As a matter of fact, I am of the opinion that the only people who should have a weapon are really people in law enforcement.

Cong. Davis “doesn’t believe,” in the 2nd Amendment?

Jeff Berkowitz: So, you don’t believe in the 2nd Amendment?

Cong. Danny Davis: No, I don’t.

Jeff Berkowitz: You would repeal the 2nd Amendment?

Cong. Danny Davis: Let me tell you. I think that laws are made to reflect times. And, I don’t want to see everybody running around with a handgun under the seat of their car.

No handguns even in your home?

Jeff Berkowitz: What about in their home?

Cong. Danny Davis: Or, behind the door in their house. Or, some uzis in—

Jeff Berkowitz: You don’t want to see them have a handgun in their home?

Cong. Danny Davis: I don’t want to see them have an uzi in their home.

Jeff Berkowitz: …just a handgun?

Cong. Davis and his father debate gun control:

Cong. Danny Davis: Well, I don’t want to see handguns because I think only law enforcement people—you can conceal these, too easily. And, so certainly I wouldn’t’ want to see any proliferation of handguns. And, of course, much of the way we feel about guns really has to do with what the environment produces. I grew up in the rural south and everybody there pretty much had a shotgun and a rifle. When I moved my father, he had both, as well as a Derringer. And I said, Daddy, don’t you know that I am for gun control. He said, ”well, you can be for whatever you want to be for…but I have been controlling guys from coming in my house.” [where he lived and lived alone].
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Post Game comments, December 13, 2009
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/ Republican Guv candidate State Sen. Kirk Dillard(R-Naperville); Cong. Danny Davis, Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission;

Cong. Danny Davis, running in a contested 7th CD Dem. Primary, on Abortion, ACORN and Rev. Moon: on Cable in Chicago and Rockford, and Streaming

2009-12-24T19:27:00.012-06:00

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Jeff Berkowitz: Even a partial birth abortion—you think that should be legal?

Cong. Danny Davis (D-Chicago, 7th Cong. District): I believe that a woman should have the right to decide what she does to try and protect her health and how she views it. [Watch the show here]
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Jeff Berkowitz: Rev. Moon. Did you crown Rev. Moon?

Cong. Danny Davis: No [laughing], I didn’t crown anybody.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, you brought a crown to Rev. Moon?
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Jeff Berkowitz: …I very much want to thank Cong. Danny Davis, running for re-election in the 7th Cong. District. He’s been a good sport. A lot of [politicians] won’t come on this show. He’s an incumbent. He’s got challengers. And, he deserves a lot of credit for coming here…Cong. Mark Kirk (R-Highland Park) , in the 10th CD, we couldn’t get him here when...
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The "Public Affairs," show featuring Cong. Danny Davis (D-Chicago), who is running for re-election in a five candidate 7th CD Democratic Primary, airs throughout the City of Rockford (and in surrounding areas) tonight, Dec. 24, at 8:00 pm on Cable Ch. 17. The surrounding areas reached by Ch. 17 include Byron, Cedarville, Cherry Valley, Loves Park, Machesney Park, Mount Morris, New Milford, Portions of Ogle County, Oregon, Polo, Stillman Valley, Winnebago, Portions of Boone County and Poplar Grove.
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Next Thursday night's "Public Affairs," show in Rockford features Republican Primary gubernatorial candidate State Senator Kirk Dillard.
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The Public Affairs show featuring Cong. Davis also airs this coming Monday night, Dec. 28, 2009, throughout the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21
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You can now watch the show with Cong. Davis here.
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Jeff Berkowitz: …I very much want to thank Cong. Danny Davis, running for re-election in the 7th Cong. District. He’s been a good sport. A lot of [politicians] won’t come on this show. He’s an incumbent. He’s got challengers. And, he deserves a lot of credit for coming here…Cong. Mark Kirk (R-Highland Park) , in the 10th CD, we couldn’t get him here when he was running as an incumbent, but we got Danny Davis and we appreciate that. You’re a good sport and you’re participating in democracy.

Cong. Danny Davis(D-Chicago, 7th CD): And, I’ll be re-elected on February 2nd .

Rev. Moon

Jeff Berkowitz: Rev. Moon. Did you crown Rev. Moon?

Cong. Danny Davis: No [laughing], I didn’t crown anybody.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, you brought a crown to Rev. Moon?

Cong. Danny Davis: No, I brought it to [the show ends].
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Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz, featuring Cong. Danny Davis, taped on December 13, 2009
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Rev. Moon, the Messiah and ACORN

Jeff Berkowitz: Didn’t [Rev. Moon] say he thinks of himself as a Messiah?

Cong. Danny Davis: I don’t know that he did or not. I haven’t heard him say it.

Jeff Berkowitz: If he did, would you then be more reluctant to bring him a crown, or his wife a crown?

Cong. Danny Davis: I don’t think he ever said anything about Messiah, to my knowledge. And, the ceremony that was taking place was really describing Rev. Moon and his wife as true parents. And, I think that there were people who are Moon haters and people who would deny other people the right and the opportunity to express themselves in the way that they do, just like there were people who just thought that we need to stop doing business with ACORN. Well, fortunately the courts decided—

Jeff Berkowitz: You voted against that?

Cong. Danny Davis: I most certainly did.

Jeff Berkowitz: Congress voted to defund ACORN, but you voted against that.

Cong. Danny Davis: I voted against it.
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Partial-Birth Abortions.

Jeff Berkowitz: …Third-term abortions, late term abortions, should they be banned? They are banned now. Congress has said you cannot have late term abortions, partial birth abortions. Right? Congress has said that and the Supreme Court has affirmed it. Do you disagree with that?

Cong. Danny Davis: I think that women have a right to determine to the fullest extent how they protect and deal with their health—

Jeff Berkowitz: Even a partial birth abortion—you think that should be legal?

Cong. Danny Davis: I believe that a woman should have the right to decide what she does to try and protect her health and how she views it.
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Post-game comments, December 13, 2009.
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For more about the Public Affairs show with Cong. Davis, including additional partial transcripts and links to shows with some of Cong. Davis' opponents, please go here.
***************************************************
More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Cong. Danny Davis, Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission; Democratic Primary candidates: for State Comptroller, Raja Krishnamoorthi; for U. S. Senate, David Hoffman; for 7th CD, Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon; [24th Ward]and for State Comptroller, Clint Krislov.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. *************************************************************

Better than Charles Thomas w/ Obama:Berkowitz w/Sen. Dillard, who takes a few swings at Ryan on Levine & McKenna as "insider";Cable and Soon Streaming

2009-12-22T15:23:00.016-06:00

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Senator Kirk Dillard [Republican Primary gubernatorial candidate]: …You know, many of us remember [Jim Ryan] said he was for House Bill 750 [the tax swap], which is the largest income tax [increase] in Illinois history, but you know he’s sort of dusted himself off after not having been in politics for a while to run again. And, apparently [Ryan] has changed his position with respect to where he’s at on taxes. You know, his biggest, his bigger problem is he’s going to have to explain why he brought probably the mastermind of Rod Blagojevich’s corruption scheme, a man named Stuart Levine into state government. Jim Ryan’s taken almost three quarters of a million dollars from this gentleman and Mr. Levine was one of the first people actually going to jail in the Blagojevich administration, so, you know, Jim’s got, he’s got other issues, along with...
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Senator Kirk Dillard: and I’m not criticizing him for-- but to call Andy McKenna an outsider--he’s much more inside than I am.

Jeff Berkowitz: Is his father, Andy McKenna, Sr…is he somebody who’s been involved with the Democratic Party and Mayor Daley?
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Senator Kirk Dillard [Republican Primary gubernatorial candidate] debates and discusses a broad range of Illinois public policy and cultural issues with show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz on this week’s suburban edition of “Public Affairs.”
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Senator Dillard comes out swinging

Jim Ryan, candidate for Governor in the Republican Primary, may be the only one of the seven Republican Gov candidates who joined Joe Louis as a former Chicago Golden Gloves champ, but it was one of Ryan's competitors, State Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Naperville), who came out swinging on the Sunday before Christmas, when he taped “Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz.” The show airs in twenty-four Chicago metro north and northwest suburbs tonight [See the airing schedule, below].

Ryan’s return from political retirement

Polls in primaries are notoriously inaccurate, as they seldom pick up the intensity of the activists who dominate the primaries for both major political parties. Nevertheless, Jim Ryan, who came out of political retirement recently, after a long and continuing stint in the ivory towers of academia and a few years on the board of Ralph Martire’s left wing Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, is in second place in the recent Chicago Tribune poll with 26 % of the vote, trailing only “undecided,” at 31%. Senator and gubernatorial candidate Dillard, with 9%, is in 5th place in the poll, bunched with Senator Brady and businessman [and former State GOP Chairman] Andy McKenna, Jr. at 4th and 3rd Place, with 10 % and 12 % of the vote, respectively.

Only 90,000 votes to win the Republican Gubernatorial Primary?

The 2002 Republican Gubernatorial Primary (won by Jim Ryan with 44% of the vote over conservative Senator Pat O’Malley and moderate Lt. Gov. Corinne Wood) drew around 700,000 voters statewide. With the election scheduled for February 2, 2010 instead of the usual mid-March date, making snow and ice perhaps the climate du jour, and the possibility of the vote being split relatively equally among seven candidates, it is possible that the voter turnout could drop to 500,000 votes, with the winning plurality less than ninety thousand votes. If that happens, any one of the seven candidates could win, including the wealthy, small businessman Adam Andrzejewski, media personality Dan Proft or DuPage County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom. Those three candidates polled individually at 6%, or less, in the recent Tribune poll.

Dillard, riding tall with the still popular Jim Edgar

Fifteen-year State Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Naperville) has been endorsed by perhaps the most popular Republican in the State, the last elected Illinois Governor not to be indicted, Jim Edgar. Dillard was Chief of Staff for Edgar during Edgar’s first term as Governor, a period in which Edgar and Dillard guided the state out of a recession. Senator Dillard, somewhat immodestly, recently characterized (on WBBM’s “At Issue) that 1991-94 period of governance as “flawless.”

Dillard: throwing heavy punches and sharp elbows at Ryan and McKenna; the Stu Levine story

In Sunday’s taping of “Public Affairs,” in addition to outlining the positive program Senator Dillard would put forward to promote economic recovery and make the State a “Destination Economy,” for business, Dillard threw some heavy punches and sharp elbows at his opponents. One of his targets was Jim Ryan, the aforementioned “leader of the pack.” [except for undecided, that is]. Ryan has what many pundits view as a “Levine problem,” relating to Jim Ryan’s long time close association with and receipt of campaign contributions from Stu Levine, the now convicted felon and co-conspirator with Tony Rezko in the alleged rape of the State by the impeached, arrested, indicted and awaiting trial Rod Blagojevich.

Jim Ryan’s previous support for a big time income tax increase

People have been wondering when the six trailing competitors of Ryan were going to “go negative on Jim.” Of course, each of those guys would prefer a “SOD,” action. That is, they want “some other dude,” to do it. Whoever goes negative on Ryan risks driving his own negatives up as he drives the positives of Jim Ryan down and the negatives of Jim Ryan up. In any case, Senator Dillard started chipping away at Ryan’s lead on Sunday. Senator Dillard also threw a jab, or two, at Jim Ryan’s previous support for “the largest income tax increase in Illinois’ history.” Read about it, below.

McKenna: political outsider or insider?

Another one of Dillard’s targets on Sunday was Andy McKenna, Jr., known for his recent “hair ads,” that cost a million dollars, or so, to try to persuade voters that McKenna, albeit State GOP chairman for five years, a candidate for the U. S. Senate in the 2004 Republican Primary and a part of a family that is said to have been immersed in the Chicago Civic, Business and Democratic Party establishment for decades, is a “political outsider.” Senator Dillard started stripping away, on Sunday, that “political outsider capital,” in which McKenna, Jr. has so heavily invested. Read about it, below.

McKenna and Ryan: ducking and dodging?

Both McKenna and Ryan, by the way, have declined to appear on “Public Affairs,” preferring less rigorous questioning and more of a “Rose Garden,” setting. Jim Ryan avoided the show completely during his last gubernatorial run, as well. McKenna did appear once when he ran for the U. S. Senate but he declined numerous invitations during his five year State GOP Chairman’s tenure.
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Our show with Senator and Republican Gov candidate Kirk Dillard will soon be streaming here.
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Jim Ryan’s tax problem and Stu Levine problem

Senator Kirk Dillard [Republican Primary gubernatorial candidate]: …You know, many of us remember [Jim Ryan] said he was for House Bill 750 [the tax swap], which is the largest income tax [increase] in Illinois history, but you know he’s sort of dusted himself off after not having been in politics for a while to run again. And, apparently [Ryan] has changed his position with respect to where he’s at on taxes. You know, his biggest, his bigger problem is he’s going to have to explain why he brought probably the mastermind of Rod Blagojevich’s corruption scheme, a man named Stuart Levine into state government. Jim Ryan’s taken almost three quarters of a million dollars from this gentleman and Mr. Levine was one of the first people actually going to jail in the Blagojevich administration, so, you know, Jim’s got, he’s got other issues, along with that tax increase to explain.

Jeff Berkowitz: Well, [Ryan] says he didn’t know anything about that; that was a secret life, [Ryan’s] implying even Levine’s wife didn’t know anything about it. She’s divorcing him now-divorcing Stu Levine. So, what are you holding Jim Ryan accountable for? Are you saying he did know what was going on? When he took that money?

What should Ryan have known and when should he have known it? The judgment issue.

Senator Kirk Dillard: Having been a Governor’s Chief of Staff, you better know who’s around you. I mean, we’ve seen this before and when you’re the Chief Executive of the State, you better know who’s around you, who are your friends—and, you know, [Ryan’s] going to have to answer how, as the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of this State [and before that], the State’s Attorney of my county [DuPage], how in the world could you not know that a man who when he pled said he was a career criminal since adulthood and masterminded one of the biggest corruption schemes and started to unravel the Blagojevich administration. He’s one of [Ryan’s] closest friends. You know, you’ve got to have judgment. As the Governor, you better know who’s around you. And, you know, [Ryan] can come on here and he can explain that, but, there’s a lot of us that have raised eyebrows about whether you’ve got the judgment as to who’s around you when you’re in the Governor’s office or not, when you have a friend like Stu Levine.

Jeff Berkowitz: Now, McKenna says we need an outsider [for Governor]. He would say you’re an insider. You’ve been …what do you say to McKenna. Do you concede that you are an insider? What do you say?

Dillard: Experienced or an insider?

Senator Kirk Dillard: I concede that I have very unique experience and that’s why I’m running. I was Jim Edgar’s Chief of Staff. I’ve managed the State before in a recession. Managed it well. Downsized state government and we grew manufacturing jobs, Jeff, at a rate greater than the national average …I think that experience is what Illinois needs at this time. We need a Governor that knows how to create jobs and my destination economy plan is the best of any candidate that’s out there. And, there has been nobody who has had the experience in this race of myself in managing the state like it is. You know, I kind of laugh, as do most of the pundits in Illinois—I mean, Andy McKenna was the Chairman of the [Illinois] Republican Party. He comes from a family that is as socially and civically tied in in Chicagoland as anybody, so you know I just kind of laugh when he’s-

Jeff Berkowitz: Is Andy tied in—

McKenna, Jr.: A political insider?

Senator Kirk Dillard: and I’m not criticizing him for-- but to call Andy McKenna an outsider--he’s much more inside than I am.

Jeff Berkowitz: Is his father, Andy McKenna, Sr…is he somebody who’s been involved with the Democratic Party and Mayor Daley?

The McKennas and Obama

Senator Kirk Dillard: That I don’t know. I do know that the McKennas have made contributions to Barack Obama and you know I’m sure if you look at the McKenna family donations, they probably have given money to Democrats over time.
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From Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz, taped on December 20, 2009
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The Chicago Metro suburban episode of "Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz," featuring this week's guest, Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Naperville), Republican Primary candidate for Governor, airs:

tonight, Tuesday night, at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette

and tonight, Tuesday night, at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.

The Chicago Metro Suburban edition of "Public Affairs," usually airs, as well, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.

Due to a transfer this month of control of broadcast facilities from Comcast to the Village of Highland Park for the above referenced ten suburbs, the airing of Public Affairs in those ten suburbs has ceased for the month of December, but will resume, on the same airing schedule, on January 4, 2010. We anticipate airng the Public Affairs show featuring Senator Kirk Dillard, discussed above, during that first week of January, 2010 in the aforementioned ten suburbs, in the same time slot we have previously aired, i.e., Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19
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The Public Affairs show, featuring State Senator and Republican Primary gubernatorial candidate Kirk Dillard also will air on Monday night, January 4, 2010, throughout the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Cong. Danny Davis, Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission; Democratic Primary candidates: for State Comptroller, Raja Krishnamoorthi; for U. S. Senate, David Hoffman; for 7th CD, Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon; [24th Ward]and for State Comptroller, Clint Krislov.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Better than Chris Wallace w/John McCain:Berkowitz w/Patrick Collins on Campaign Finance Reform & 21st Century Public Corruption; Cable & Streaming

2009-12-21T02:00:00.017-06:00

Jeff Berkowitz: How certain are you that Rod Blagojevich will be convicted?

Patrick Collins [Lead prosecutor in the trial and conviction of former Governor George Ryan]: I am not certain. I mean I think it is a strong case. If you compare the evidence in [George] Ryan and the evidence in Blagojevich, I would...
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From Tonight's Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz, featuring Patrick Collins [Lead prosecutor in the trial and conviction of former Governor George Ryan], airing in the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21
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Jeff Berkowitz: How certain are you that Rod Blagojevich will be convicted?

Patrick Collins [Lead prosecutor in the trial and conviction of former Governor George Ryan]: I am not certain. I mean I think it is a strong case. If you compare the evidence in [George] Ryan and the evidence in Blagojevich, I would take the Blagojevich evidence in a heartbeat. But, I also learned in the Ryan case that it takes one juror to think that the case is not strong and what I see in Rod Blagojevich in his defense is that they are going for one or two jurors who think the government is overbearing, who think the government is overzealous, who think—

Jeff Berkowitz: All the [Blago] publicity and book tour is going for that one juror, right?

Blagojevich as a victim

Patrick Collins: It is going for one or two jurors who think the government-- that Rod Blagojevich is somehow a victim of this. Some people may think that is crazy and laughable. I don’t think that is.

Jeff Berkowitz: …If the Supreme Court knocks down the “honest services,” defense, [oral argument was heard recently], do you think that makes it a much harder case against Rod Blagojevich?

Patrick Collins: I think it makes it a harder case. I don’t know about “much harder,” case. They have a case—

Will the U. S. Supremes strike down the "Honest Services," doctrine
Jeff Berkowitz: …Do you think the Supreme Court will reverse the honest services defense?

Patrick Collins: I would predict many things. That, I wouldn’t predict. They have chosen three cases on honest services. They are going to do something. If they tweak it, I don’t think there is any measurable change in the case. If they gut [the defense], the government has to change gears a little bit. But, they still have a good case.
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Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the now defunct Illinois Reform Commission and former Ass’t U. S. Attorney (N.D. IL); currently a partner heading up the Investigations and White Collar practice at the Chicago office of Perkins, Coie; post game comments made after the taping of “Public Affairs, December 6, 2009.
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For another partial transcript of the show and a summary of the topics discussed, please go here.
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To watch our show now with Patrick Collins, please go here
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Cong. Danny Davis (D-Chicago, 7th CD), Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission; Democratic Primary candidates: for State Comptroller, Raja Krishnamoorthi; for U. S. Senate, David Hoffman; for 7th CD, Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon; [24th Ward]and for State Comptroller, Clint Krislov.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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The beginning of the end for the Giannoulias U. S. Senate Campaign?

2009-12-18T02:57:00.007-06:00

The frontrunner in the U. S. Senate Democratic primary in Illinois, State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, feigned indignation Wednesday morning as he charged one of his three opponents, David Hoffman, with the “hypocrisy,” of owning stocks in some big banks at the same time Hoffman criticizes the banks’ lending/ investment behavior and drawdown of their reserves. Hoffman, a former federal prosecutor and Chicago Inspector General, seemed to relish the opportunity to “duke it out,” with his taller, but perhaps less vigorous debater, the thirty-three year old wunderkind, Alexi Giannoulias. Hoffman probably thought he was going to have to goad Alexi into a fight. Instead, Alexi was looking for an opportunity to engage the third place candidate at Wednesday morning's Union League Club of Chicago Forum.

Man bites dog

What went on here? A man bites dog story? Why would Giannoulias at 31% go after a third place candidate, Hoffman, at 9% in the polls, leapfrogging over Cheryle Jackson, at 17%.

Tom Bowen, Giannoulias’ campaign manager, responded to my inquiry with this statement:

When Giannoulias was a self-funder

Alexi is laying out Mr. Hoffman’s hypocrisy, that is all. There is no disputing that [Hoffman] is using his own money in this campaign and that he has hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in banks that were bailed out by the taxpayers.

But, Tom, it is hard to see voters, or even Alexi, getting indignant over that, even if true. Yes, Hoffman is self-funding a good chunk of his campaign. Not unlike the way Giannoulias self-funded a good chunk of his first campaign [for Treasurer in 2006]. That was before Alexi had built up trust, with union donors and other special interests, that his policies would appear to be favorable to them, and thus unions and others are now funding Alexi confident that they will get a handsome rate of return for their contributions. Not an illegal qui pro quo but a quid pro quo nonetheless. [If there is hypocrisy here, it is in Bowen’s or Giannoulias’ criticism of anyone else for self-funding].

Who invests in diversified portfolios

And, what is Tom Bowen’s problem with Hoffman having a diversified portfolio that includes some banks? No doubt, Treasurer Giannoulias understands modern diversified portfolio-finance theory and employs it in his own investment decisions at the Treasurer’s office. Are you telling us, Tom Bowen, that Giannoulias is boycotting investments in banks? That would be a news story.

Hoffman triggers the food fight?

Moreover, Hoffman’s ownership of bank stocks hasn’t stopped Hoffman from criticizing banks. Indeed, what Hoffman said Wednesday morning to trigger the food fight with Giannoulias was:

We need to increase the capital requirements for the big banks and community banks who have been irresponsible, irresponsible in terms of withdrawing too much money and putting their banks in harms way.

Alexi had heard this kind of criticism before and he thought he could knock Hoffman around a bit, intellectually that is. Yes, Alexi heard it as a slap at his family’s community bank, Broadway Bank. But, the real reason for Alexi’s response was that he wants to take Hoffman out now before he can grow a base.

Hoffman’s growing support

Alexi has seen, firsthand, the positive response that Hoffman got when he gave his independent, corruption fighter stomp speech on the North Shore, and Team Giannoulias does not want that to spread [In 2004, it was the North Shore that ignited Obama’s sweeping victory in the U. S. Senate primary, and in a sense that helped catapult Obama into the White House]. A strong three- way race between Giannoulias, Jackson and Hoffman is a race that anyone could win, or lose. [See the 2002 Democratic Primary for Governor, more on that in a subsequent post].

So, Alexi feigned indignation, saying:

[Hoffman] has hundreds of thousands of dollars of stock of these big Wall St. banks that is protected by TARP and he is now using that money to fund his campaign…The hypocrisy of going after big Wall St Banks when he uses that money to fund his campaign is staggering.

Well, the moderator, Chris Robling, with a smile and quip, or two, was doing his best to ignore the “debate within the debate,” and ask another substantive question to Hoffman, which Hoffman made short shrift of and then pounced again at Giannoulias. Clearly, Hoffman was licking his chops in anticipation that Alexi, like a big bear, would take the bait, and Hoffman was ready with his response.

Hoffman pounces:

I, like many Americans own stocks…I do own stocks in two of the big banks…my holding in those banks amount to less than one ten millionth of a percent of the ownership of those banks but the person to my right owns a much greater amount of a bank where not only was he …and still is a large owner, but for three years, he helped to run that bank and let’s be clear, it has nothing to do with my work, my history or anything like that, but for the person on my right, it’s a critical part of his experience. In fact, he has only held two jobs and the job just before this one was as the Vice-President and chief loan officer of a bank that is one of the worst performing in the country, so I am happy to continue this discussion at any time. [big time applause].

Note what happened here. A third place candidate had just been given an opportunity to showcase his skills as a corruption fighter, as a courtroom lawyer. Notice the prep in that answer: the highly structured language—the person to my right [individual G]—is repeated twice; And note how Hoffman emphasizes—if you are upset with fat cat bankers [as President Obama put it], please note that “I, David Hoffman am not a banker,” but for the person on my right, banking is a “critical part of his experience.” And, further, the person on my right was a banker at “one of the worst performing banks in the country.”

And, folks, where is Giannoulias looking as he is getting berated? Right at Hoffman, and he is doing so almost cordially. He clearly has been taught that he should do that –look at the other person speaking at a debate and smile respectfully. That usually is good advice. This time, not so much.

Giannoulias captured on video tape by Team Hoffman

Further, all of this is getting caught on tape, tape that the Hoffman campaign has. So, the above choice moments are not going to be seen merely by the 250, or so, attendees of the Union League Club forum. Nope, this has the potential to be cut up into 30 second or 60-second commercials, and then portrayed in the most negative light, shall we say, for Alexi Giannoulias.

But there is more. You almost think there should be some kind of “piling on penalty,” assessed against Hoffman, as he says:

Comparing the records: Giannoulias’ bad performance

[Giannoulias] says it is not fair to talk about banking when it is about his family. What the voters …deserve is a comparison between the records….when you are thirty-three years old and you have only held two jobs and your first job was as the chief loan officer of your family’s bank, it’s worth looking at how your performance was. That. bad performance is showing up in the bad performance of the bank now. It has nothing to do with his family. It is about his bad job performance when he was at the bank. …and I don’t know how he can ask us to trust him with the nation’s business in Washington when he couldn’t even protect the people’s money in his job as Treasurer. With regard to the Brightstart program, [that is] a program that on his watch lost 85 million dollars when money was invested in risky mortgage backed securities and junk bonds after families were told that their money was safe.

Notice again the structured, well thought out repetitive language: “Bad performance, bad performance, bad performance,” of this thirty-three year old who “has had only two jobs,” in his whole life and now wants to be your U.S. Senator. Even Barack Obama, who of course is the gold standard, had at least six jobs before he became your U. S. Senator—and Alexi wants to do it with only two? Well, think about that.

Giannoulias knocked to the ground

But, wait, there is even more. Hoffman has knocked Alexi to the ground and he kicks him one more time, just for good measure:

We have to be honest about the harmful effect of money in politics. Mr. Giannoulias talked about his pledge to not take certain kinds of PAC money or lobbyist money but what he left out was that he still takes some PAC money and some lobbyist money and I am the only one who takes no PAC money and no lobbyist money...

Has Giannoulias lost the honesty issue?

Note again the language choice—with Alexi looking on—“We have to be honest.” And, again, the repetitive framing. Just the right cadence:

He takes some, I take none. If you ever get to a point in a campaign where the voters identify you with honesty and the “the man on your right,” as lacking in honesty, well, then, the campaign is over: point, set and match.

Of course, we don’t think that has happened yet. Alexi had a healthy lead in the polls on Tuesday and he still has it. But, Hoffman got a lot of very good video footage of Giannoulias and Hoffman, side by side, and Hoffman should be able to make some very good commercials. Moreover, a lot of that can be Giannoulias in his own words--- and Hoffman responding to those words, and if Team Hoffman taped this right, they will have Hoffman and Giannoulias in the same frame; they may have reaction shots, or non-reaction shots, as the case may be.

Here is the Hoffman campaign's first effort to work with video from Wednesday. It doesn't knock your socks off. But, it is a start. And, they only spent a day on it. You can’t rush genius.

AKPD Media, Axelrod's ghost

However, as is well known, Hoffman’s outside media advisers are AKPD Media, David Axelrod’s old firm. If anyone knows how to maximize the impact of Wednesday morning’s video, that would be AKPD Media.

It will be interesting to see how this unfolds. Giannoulias still has a big lead, no doubt. Cheryle Jackson is still in 2nd place, with a shot.

Team Giannoulias gave Team Hoffman some crumbs

But, the guy in the 3rd place, David Hoffman, now has a shot, too. [The candidate in 4th place, Jacob Meister, with less than 1% of the vote, is not expected to be a factor in this race]. Good trial lawyers say they are too dumb to figure out how to win a trial. They prepare their case and they do their best. But, they sit or stand attentively and watch for the crumbs that their opponents, the man on the right, will throw their way. And, then, good trial lawyers pounce, opportunistically, and pick up those crumbs and strengthen their case. And, win, often, by virtue of the crumbs from their opponents.

Well, someone on Team Giannoulias gave Team Hoffman some crumbs on Wednesday. And, if Hoffman does win this election, the political wiseguys will mark the beginning of the end for Alexi Giannoulias, the man on the right, as Wednesday, Dec. 16. You can take that to the bank, maybe even Broadway Bank-- and collect interest.
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Cong. Danny Davis (D-Chicago, 7th CD), Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission; Democratic Primary candidates: for State Comptroller, Raja Krishnamoorthi; for U. S. Senate, David Hoffman; for 7th CD, Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon; [24th Ward]and for State Comptroller, Clint Krislov.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Bill Cadigan drops out of 10th Cong. District Republican Primary: Insufficient funds to compete, a tale oft told.

2009-12-17T01:48:00.008-06:00

Updated on Thursday at 1:10 pm: Links added for Cong. Davis video, Bob Dold and Beth Coulson.
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Cadigan drops out of 10th CD

Winnetka attorney Bill Cadigan [watch here] called last night, around dinner time, to let this journalist know that he had filed a notice of withdrawal as a 10th Cong. Dist. Republican Primary candidate. Simply put, he had not raised sufficient funds to execute the plans that would be required to win the primary. As the saying goes, money is the mother’s milk of politics, and the milkman was stopping too infrequently and dropping off too little milk when he did, at Team Cadigan.

A boost for Coulson?

Cadigan, who had been endorsed by Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission and former State Senator Steve Rauschenberger, said if he does endorse any of the remaining candidates it will not be until after January 1. Bill Cadigan worked for former 10th CD congressman John Porter and Cadigan was kind of a Porter look and sound alike in terms of demeanor, style and philosophy, i.e., a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. Although it doesn’t necessarily mean he would endorse her, Cadigan seemed to view State Rep. Beth Coulson as his closest competitor in terms of the voters he was seeking to support him.

Still four major candidates in 10th CD Republican Primary

That leaves four major candidates in the 10th CD Republican Primary: Bob Dold, State Rep. Beth Coulson, Arie Friedman and Dick Green. Dold probably has the most polish, best ground game and a decent amount of money. Coulson is the only candidate with a pre-existing political organization. She has run six general elections, including at least two and maybe more very competitive contests. Green has the most monetary wealth and therefore the ability and most likely the desire to run an intense air war.

Arie Friedman joins the foursome

I had thought until recently that Friedman was not a major candidate. I thought he had the right background, experience, knowledge, smarts and style to be a contender, but that he had entered the fray too late to compete. On spending some time with him, I have re-assessed him to be a major candidate.

Friedman's coalition

Although he probably will have a similar funding problem to that of Cadigan, Friedman has a few offsetting advantages: Jewish, a former military officer and a medical doctor. The Republican Jewish population in the 10th CD is significant and growing. The number of vets is substantial, as is the number of doctors. Friedman is far from the favorite, but it looks he has a shot. Non-traditional coalitions are difficult, but not impossible, to pull together.

Cadigan and Friedman, some shared values?

Say goodbye to Cadigan. He is a good sport and a good guy. Say Hello to Friedman. He is a good sport and a good guy who, like Cadigan, believes in transparency and democracy. Proving all of those things, he is scheduled to tape an episode of Public Affairs next week. Unlike Green, Dold and Coulson, Friedman seems to think he knows the issues and he is not afraid to let the voters see and hear how he thinks about the issues. What a refreshing change from Beth, Bob and Dick.
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Cong. Danny Davis (D-Chicago, 7th CD), Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission; Democratic Primary candidates: for State Comptroller, Raja Krishnamoorthi; for U. S. Senate, David Hoffman; for 7th CD, Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon; [24th Ward]and for State Comptroller, Clint Krislov.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Better than Dellimore and Ryan w/Jim Ryan:Berkowitz w/Cong.Danny Davis on the Tamil Tigers,Afghanistan, jobs and education; Cable and now streaming

2009-12-15T17:22:00.030-06:00

Updated on Thursday at 12:45 pm: You can now watch our show with Cong. Danny Davis here.
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Cong. Danny Davis (D-Chicago, 7th Cong. District): The one thing that I did agree with and I really liked was the fact that President Obama said…we are going to have a surge and we are going to start pulling out at a time certain…but I am not enthralled that we are sending 30,000 additional troops [to Afghanistan].
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Jeff Berkowitz: Sri Lanka? You know… the Tamil Tigers [are] known as a terrorist group, right?

Cong. Danny Davis: I went to Sri Lanka.

Jeff Berkowitz: …Was that paid for by the Tamil Tigers?
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Jeff Berkowitz: We have to go on, Glass Steagall. You get criticism of that because you voted in favor of repealing Glass Steagall. Ald. Dixon [challenging Cong. Davis in the 7th CD Democratic Primary] says that compounded and caused some of the economic crisis in the country. What do you say to Ald. Dixon?

Cong. Danny Davis: Well, I think Ald. Dixon wouldn’t even know what that is. Or, wouldn’t know how to evaluate it...
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Jeff Berkowitz: You said no to those parents who want to have [school] choice.

Cong. Danny Davis: Because the few people who were going to have vouchers were only a small portion of the kids who go to DC schools?

Jeff Berkowitz: And, it only cost a small portion [of what is currently being spent on the DC schools].
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This week's Chicago Metro Suburban edition of "Public Affairs," features thirteen year incumbent Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-Chicago, 7th Cong. Dist. The Chicago Metro Suburban airing schedule for Public Affairs is included, below. The show was recorded on Sunday, December 13, 2009.
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You can NOW watch here the show w/ 7th Cong. District Congressman Danny K. Davis, , who is facing challenges in the Democratic Primary from Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon [Watch Dixon] [24th Ward], Darlena Williams Burnett [Watch Burnett], Jim Ascot [Read about Ascot] and Desmond Clemons.
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Cong. Danny K. Davis debates and discusses a broad range of domestic policy, foreign policy and cultural issues with show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz on this week’s suburban edition of “Public Affairs.” **************************************
A trip financed by the Tamil Tigers?

Jeff Berkowitz: Did you take money for a trip that was financed by the Tamil Tigers?

Cong. Danny Davis (D-Chicago, 7th Cong. Dist.): Take money?

Jeff Berkowitz: Sri Lanka? You know… the Tamil Tigers [are] known as a terrorist group, right?

Cong. Danny Davis: I went to Sri Lanka.

Jeff Berkowitz: …Was that paid for by the Tamil Tigers?

Cong. Danny Davis: I don’t know if it was or not. There have been some allegations that some of it may have been put into the trip, but the group that paid for the trip technically were not Tamil Tigers, but let me just tell you…the Tamil Tigers is a group that while they were on terrorist lists and that kind of thing, I don’t think they were anymore terrorist than the government.
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Parental Choice of Schools?

Jeff Berkowitz: What about school vouchers? You know we’re spending $15,000 per kid per year in the Chicago Public Schools (“CPS”)?

Cong. Danny Davis: No, we’re not.

Jeff Berkowitz: Yes, we are. Six billion dollars is the budget [for the CPS]. Do you dispute that? The budget is six billion dollars. 400,000 students [in the CPS]. You divide 400,000 into six billion dollars and you get $15,000 per kid per year.

Cong. Danny Davis: Then talk to Mayor Daley and the people who run the schools.

Jeff Berkowitz: Give them a voucher. Do you want to have [school] vouchers?

Cong. Danny Davis: Talk to Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education. Talk to the people who run the schools. All I do is get money into Chicago for them to use.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, would you like to …have the Federal Government encourage [school] vouchers, so parents who want to leave the public schools can do that?

Cong. Danny Davis: No, I’m not interested in extending any more vouchers.

Jeff Berkowitz: You’re not going to give [parents] choice. You don’t believe in parental choice [in schools]?

Cong. Danny Davis: I’m interested in making sure that our schools are equipped to educate all of the children. And, if the failure of the Chicago Public Schools is so bad, then talk to the people who’ve been running them. I’ve never run them. Talk to Arne Duncan. Talk to Mayor Daley.

Jeff Berkowitz: You can encourage, as a Congressman. You can encourage these things.

Cong. Danny Davis: Yeah, you can encourage but you don’t run the Chicago Public Schools.

Jeff Berkowitz: You [Congress] run DC’s schools. In Washington, DC, there’s a school voucher program, did you vote as a congressman for vouchers in DC? [The school voucher program, for new students [most of the students are minority], was terminated recently by President Obama's Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan].

Cong. Danny Davis: No.

Jeff Berkowitz: All right. That was a direct vote. You had control over that and you said no.

Cong. Danny Davis: Yeah.

Jeff Berkowitz: You said no to those parents who want to have [school] choice.

Cong. Danny Davis: Because the few people who were going to have vouchers were only a small portion of the kids who go to DC schools?

Jeff Berkowitz: And, it only cost a small portion [of what is currently being spent on the DC schools].

Cong. Danny Davis: And, there are some terrible problems.

Good idea for Cong. Davis to have supported Glass Steagall?

Jeff Berkowitz: We have to go on, Glass Steagall. You get criticism of that because you voted in favor of repealing Glass Steagall. Ald. Dixon [challenging Cong. Davis in the 7th CD Democratic Primary] says that compounded and caused some of the economic crisis in the country. What do you say to Ald. Dixon?

Cong. Danny Davis: Well, I think Ald. Dixon wouldn’t even know what that is. Or, wouldn’t know how to evaluate it, though, wouldn’t have any—

Jeff Berkowitz: She said, she said it’s—

Cong. Danny Davis: But, but—

Jeff Berkowitz: You know what Glass-Steagall is. It requires the separation of commercial banking from investment banking.

Cong. Danny Davis: Yeah.

Jeff Berkowitz: And, the repeal of that legislation said those folks could interact [in the same company]. They could do both.

Cong. Danny Davis: Well, let me just tell you about the banking system. I disagree with much of—

Jeff Berkowitz: That’s what [Ald. Dixon said], did she get that right?

Cong. Danny Davis: what is around with the banking system. But, some of that, all of that, has to do with the state of the economy. The biggest impact on our economy [is] One, we’ve been spending an enormous amount of money on war and warlike activity. We’ve had trade policies that have taken—

Jeff Berkowitz: Afghanistan. Do you support that? The 30,000 troops in Afghanistan?

Cong. Danny Davis: No, I don’t

Support Obama’s surge of 30,000 troops in Afghanistan?

Cong. Danny Davis: The one thing that I did agree with and I really liked was the fact that President Obama said…we are going to have a surge and we are going to start pulling out at a time certain… …but I am not enthralled that we are sending 30,000 additional troops [to Afghanistan].

Jeff Berkowitz: Would you have recommended to him any additional troops.

Cong. Danny Davis: You’ve got to replace troops. Yes.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, no additional troops. You wouldn’t increase the number that is there [in Afghanistan]…?

Cong. Danny Davis: …it is possible that President Obama may have known something that I don’t know…there are briefings, there is confidential information; there is information that he may have [been] privy to and so, I give him some benefit of the doubt and I still don’t agree that there ought to be 30,000—
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From Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz, taped on December 13, 2009
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The Chicago Metro suburban episode of "Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz," featuring this week's guest-- Cong. Danny K. Davis (D-Chicago, 7th Cong. Dist.) airs :

tonight, Tuesday night, at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette

and tonight, Tuesday night, at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.

The Chicago Metro Suburban edition of "Public Affairs," usually airs, as well, on

Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.

Due to a transfer this month of control of broadcast facilities from Comcast to the Village of Highland Park for the above referenced ten suburbs, the airing of Public Affairs in those ten suburbs has ceased for the month of December and will resume, on the same airing schedule, on January 4, 2010. This episode of the "Public Affairs," show will air in the above referenced ten suburbs at a date to be determined in January, 2010.
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The Public Affairs show, featuring Cong. Danny K. Davis also will air on Monday night, Dec. 28, 2009, throughout the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/Cong. Danny Davis, Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission; Democratic Primary candidates: for State Comptroller, Raja Krishnamoorthi; for U. S. Senate, David Hoffman; for 7th CD, Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon; [24th Ward]and for State Comptroller, Clint Krislov.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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Berkowitz w/Comptroller Candidate Krishnamoorthi on the State's Fleet of airplanes and assessing Senate Candidate Giannoulias; Cable and Streaming

2009-12-14T19:19:00.004-06:00

Jeff Berkowitz: But, you are not willing to make a statement here and now, saying… cut that fleet of state airplanes?

Raja Krishnamoorthi: I have to take a look at it.
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Should the State of Illinois be operating a fleet of airplanes to benefit top State Government officials and employees? Another example of the budget being cut to the bone?

Raja Krishnamoorthi (Candidate for State Comptroller in Democratic Primary): the larger point is one of what are needs, what are wants? Airplanes, a fleet of cars and vehicles. I think we have to seriously look at whether its--

Jeff Berkowitz: Can’t [the top state governmental people] take commercial flights if they have to fly? Why do they have to have the state doing it? Is that the core competency of the State to be an airline? Illinois airlines?

Raja Krishnamoorthi: I think that is a valid question. We have to take a look at it.

Jeff Berkowitz: …That is a valid question. But, what’s the valid answer? Yes or no, should they cut these things out?

Raja Krishnamoorthi: I think the valid answer is nothing is off the table. Nothing is off the table. We have to look at every single one of these expenditures.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, you are not willing to make a statement here and now, saying… cut that fleet of state airplanes?

Raja Krishnamoorthi: I have to take a look at it.

Jeff Berkowitz: When are you going to look at it? I mean the election is Feb. 2, are you going to look at it before?

Raja Krishnamoorthi: …I think the main point is that nothing is off the table. Everything is subject to cuts. Everything is subject to freezes. And, we have to take the conversation from there.
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Are Giannoulias' alleged mob ties an issue for Krishnamoorthi?
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Raja Krishnamoorthi: …[Treasurer Giannoulias] has not sought my endorsement…I am just not that prominent.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, you know there are issues raised about the Broadway Bank, [Giannoulias’] family bank-- draining funds recently. Lending money to mobsters, to people allegedly mobsters, when [Alexi Giannoulias] was VP, Loan Officer. Do you shrug those off as being non-issues?

Raja Krishnamoorthi: I know Alexi Giannoulias as a friend and as a individual, as a manager of a large state office, and what I know about him is that he is an excellent, excellent public servant. And, he is one of the best state treasurers in the nation.

Jeff Berkowitz: You have complete confidence in him?

Raja Krishnamoorthi: Yeah, I believe he is one of the best state treasurers in the nation.

Jeff Berkowitz: And, those allegations about what was going on in Broadway Bank when he was the VP, loan officer and loans were being made to some questionable individuals?

Raja Krishnamoorthi: I think the main point is that what I know about him has been extremely positive and I have no reason to believe in any of that other stuff.
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From Tonight's Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz, featuring Comptroller candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi, airing in the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21
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For another partial transcript of the show and a summary of the topics discussed, please go here.

To watch our show now with Comptroller candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi, please go here.
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/ Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission; Democratic Primary candidates: for State Comptroller, Raja Krishnamoorthi; for U. S. Senate, David Hoffman; for 7th CD, Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon; [24th Ward]and for State Comptroller, Clint Krislov.
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Better than Monday night Football: Berkowitz w/ State Comptroller Candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi (D); on cable in Chicago tonight and streaming

2009-12-14T14:11:00.005-06:00

Tonight's City of Chicago edition of “Public Affairs,” features State Comptroller Candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Hoffman Estates), airing throughout the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on cable Ch. 21

For a partial transcript of the show and a summary of the topics discussed, please go here.

To watch our show now with Comptroller candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi, please go here.
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/ Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission; Democratic Primary candidates: for State Comptroller, Raja Krishnamoorthi; for U. S. Senate, David Hoffman; for 7th CD, Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon; [24th Ward]and for State Comptroller, Clint Krislov.
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Better than Monday night football: Berkowitz with Patrick Collins on the Gov. Ryan conviction, the Blago trial and the successes & failures of reform.

2009-12-14T13:42:00.010-06:00

The "Public Affairs," show featuring Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission and lead prosecutor in the public corruption trial and conviction of Gov. George Ryan, is airing tonight, Dec. 14 on cable in Aurora and surrounding areas at 7:30 pm on ACTV-10. The program also airs at 3:30 pm tomorrow and Wednesday in Aurora on ACTV-10 and surrounding areas (recently added regular slots for "Public Affairs" in Aurora). The Aurora station, ACTV-10, aka Aurora Community Television, Comcast Cable Ch. 10, reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery.

The "Public Affairs," show featuring Patrick Collins will also air throughout the City of Rockford (and in surrounding areas) this Thursday night, Dec. 17, at 8:00 pm on Cable Ch. 17. The surrounding areas reached by Ch. 17 include Byron, Cedarville, Cherry Valley, Loves Park, Machesney Park, Mount Morris, New Milford, Portions of Ogle County, Oregon, Polo, Stillman Valley, Winnebago, Portions of Boone County and Poplar Grove.
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For more about the Public Affairs show with Patrick Collins, including partial transcripts and links to other partial transcripts and a summary of topics discussed , please go here. ***************************************************
You can now watch the show with Patrick Collins here.
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The Public Affairs show featuring Patrick Collins also airs on Monday night, Dec. 21, 2009, throughout the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. *************************************************************

Jim Ryan, Republican candidate for IL Governor, gets his soul back

2009-12-14T02:59:00.004-06:00

Jim Ryan on “At Issue.”

The below was one of a number of long, rambling, somewhat incoherent responses to questions given last night by Jim Ryan to Craig Dellimore and Joe Ryan on WBBM Radio’s “At Issue,” program.. This response was to explain why Ryan favored the Martire-Democratic proposal for a six billion dollar, or so, net increase in taxes in 2007, aka as a tax swap, but not now. The program was taped on Friday. Jim Ryan said:

The evolution of Jim Ryan: A two year flirtation with the Left’s Ralph Martire

When I was on the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability [Board for the last few years but ending a few months before Ryan began his run for Governor], Ralph Martire, who is a man I respect a lot, he sees, saw the problem at the time mainly as a revenue problem more than a spending problem. I’ve had a lot more time first of all to look at the issue. I think it is more of a spending problem than a revenue problem- certainly right now. Secondly, at the time that Board recommended that tax swap, we weren’t in the midst of the worst recession since the great depression. That’s the other act that’s changed.[But, Martire and his organization have not backed off from their tax increase proposal]. And, here’s the last one….when the economy turned bad, [Michigan] found that the most reliable revenue stream for schools were [sic] in fact property taxes, so that has kind of changed my mind. …and I was worried we wouldn’t have enough money for our children [without the tax swap]. …but on balance and given our current economic circumstances I am not in favor of a tax increase. [Emphasis supplied].

Jim Ryan: Bouncing back and forth, from Left to Right, 2002 to the present

Well, Dan Curry [Ryan’s 2002 and 2009 campaign guru] has let Jim Ryan’s soul return to Jim Ryan’s body. [For a discussion of Jim Ryan's missing soul, See here]. So, at least this is Jim Ryan being honest, and not delivering statements of Dan Curry as his own. But, this demonstrates who Jim Ryan is. Back in 2002 when he was running for Governor, it was clear Jim Ryan didn’t have much of a political philosophy. He was a lifelong prosecutor who thought the next stop from AG was the Governor’s mansion. But, state spending, taxes, budgets, education and philosophies of government were not something Jim had thought much about. So, his staff churned out white papers and Jim repeated what they said, but they were no more his than the book Sarah Palin has “written.” Since 2002, at Benedictine and perhaps elsewhere, in conversations with Ralph Martire and others, Jim Ryan has been developing, sort of, a political or governmental philosophy. And, as we can see above, it ain’t all pretty. And, it is not, as Curry would have us believe, the conscience of a conservative.

Jim Ryan: a David Souter or a Dan Curry
No, it is more like Jim Ryan could turn out to be the David Souter of the State GOP. Or, the Ralph Martire of the State GOP. Or, the Jim Edgar of the State GOP. Or, the Jim Thompson of the State GOP. Or, a Dan Curry. He could raise, lower or keep taxes the same. More likely he will raise them, eventually, if not in the first instance. We don’t know what he will do because he doesn’t know what he will do.

Are you feeling lucky?
Sure, if Dan Curry becomes Ryan’s Deputy Governor for Budget, Spending and Taxes, Jim Ryan would be a conservative on spending and taxes, if Jim Ryan chose to listen to Dan Curry. So, if you are a conservative and you are wondering if you should vote for Jim Ryan, you have to ask yourself, like Clint Eastwood in a Dirty Harry movie, are you feeling lucky? Well, are you?

Ducking and Dodging with Jim Ryan and Dan Curry

BTW, as Attorney General, and not when he was running for AG, Jim Ryan appeared on our TV show Public Affairs. But in 2002 and 2009, as a candidate, Jim Ryan, or should I say, Dan Curry, has always declined to appear on our TV show. Indeed, Curry, or should I say Jim Ryan, has not been willing to add us to his media list to receive anything about Jim Ryan. You kind of wonder what Jim Ryan, or should I say, Dan Curry, is afraid of. Must be my roundhouse right, or left jab. But, if Jim Ryan can’t handle a little, local access guy who only appears in Chicago, Rockford, Aurora and the Chicago Metro suburbs, how will he handle Quinn or Hynes? Statewide? How, indeed.!
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/ Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission; Democratic Primary candidates: for State Comptroller, Raja Krishnamoorthi; for U. S. Senate, David Hoffman; for 7th CD, Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon; [24th Ward]and for State Comptroller, Clint Krislov.
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Polling and Jim Ryan: Who is inside Jim Ryan and what did Dan Curry do with the real Jim Ryan?

2009-12-12T03:24:00.008-06:00

Revised at 2:40 pm on Saturday to add my favorite "Ryan Centrist," story about Ryan's demand for solo billing at the City Club of Chicago.
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Curry hypes the Tribune poll

So, the big news in the Republican gubernatorial primary is not so much the big lead by Ryan in the Chicago Tribune phone poll, a poll which is notoriously inaccurate from time to time. As the only previous holder of a statewide office in the race, you would expect a big name recognition edge for Jim Ryan, and the poll probably reflects that. Also, the poll questions and its associated methodology weren’t released, so we should reserve judgment for that reason alone.

What did Dan Curry do with Jim Ryan?

No, the big question being asked in the Republican Primary is who has taken over Jim Ryan’s body and what did Dan Curry, his campaign guru, do with the real Jim Ryan. Curry writes a blog called Reverse Spin, but his handling of the Ryan campaign is known as “regular spin.” Curry is matching McKenna’s Ryan McLaughlin, stride for stride, in running an opaque, as opposed to transparent, campaign. McLaughlin uses hair and money to obfuscate the real Andy. Curry uses Curry’s views to obfuscate the real Jim. Flip sides of the same coin.

Ryan tries to back into the nomination

Curry treats Ryan’s apparent lead the way an agent for a baseball player batting .406 in the last week of a season might act. He would try to have the manager pull the player from the line-up to see if his guy can “back into,” the .400 batting average, at season end.

Ryan the Centrist

The Jim Ryan we knew in 2002 was either a moderate conservative or a conservative moderate, or maybe even what the Tribune prefers for a Republican nominee—a “pragmatic moderate conservative,” which was the label they used for gubernatorial nominee Judy Baar Topinka in 2006. In the 2002 gubernatorial primary, Jim got 44% of the vote and seemed to enjoy painting himself as the centrist, yet conservative in the race, with Pat O’Malley to his right garnering 29% and Corinne Wood to his left garnering 27% of the vote. Although a former champion boxer, Ryan did complain that he felt like a punching bag at forums in 2002, getting hit from both the right (O'Malley) and the left (Wood). Ryan's solution? Just don't show up with Wood and O'Malley and get the City Club of Chicago to give Ryan his own solo lunch program. More "transparency," from Dan Curry.

Ryan the apologist

The pro-lifers were not happy with Jim in the 2002 campaign—they said he seemed to apologize to audiences for his Pro-Life views. The hero of the Pro Life Movement at that time was Senator O’Malley, not Attorney General Ryan. They [See Jill Stanek] didn’t think Attorney General Ryan was doing everything he could to go after hospitals who allegedly looked the other way when infants born alive in botched abortions were allegedly left to die in linen closets.

Jim Ryan, against school vouchers before he was for them

The Jim Ryan of 2002 did not support school vouchers-school choice, although he may have been okay with charter schools, if not a vigorous proponent. Indeed, those views were fairly similar to those currently held by President Obama. The Jim Ryan of 2007 was comfortable enough with the ideology of Ralph Martire {virulently anti-school voucher) to join, in 2007, the union dominated board of Ralph’s organization: Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. Sometime recently, Jim Ryan’s name was removed from that Board, at least on the organization’s website, without much fanfare.

Jim Ryan, for a big income tax increase before he was against it.

Yes, Jim Ryan told this journalist in 2007 that he did not have to agree with all of Martire’s views to join his Board. But, just which views of Martire did Ryan follow or like? That Martire never seemed to meet a tax hike that he didn’t like? Jim Ryan did like, in 2007, Martire’s proposed tax swap, resulting in a net tax increase at the time of about six billion dollars. A few months ago Jim Ryan told this journalist those pro tax increase views were held before the recession hit, implying that if there were no recession now, Ryan still would favor a big time tax increase. Yet on ABC-7’s NewsViews last week, Ryan tried another Curry dipsy do—arguing that we can’t raise taxes now because there is so much government waste. Jim explained, in a new revelation, that state government hasn’t been efficient since Jim Edgar. Now Jim Ryan is an Edgarian, as opposed to a Martirian.

Curry: the master spinner

So, who is the real Jim Ryan? Where is the real Jim Ryan? Perhaps only Curry knows and he ain’t telling. Will Dan Curry succeed in keeping Jim under wraps and out of the range of any tough, hard-nosed interviewers through the February 2, 2010 Primary? They don’t call Curry “regular spin,” for nothing.

Playing Hide and Seek with Dan Curry: Now you see Jim Ryan, now you don’t

If you are getting dizzy following Jim Ryan’s views, can you imagine how Jim Ryan feels? Which suit does he wear each day? So perplexing. Which persona should he wear that day? Jim Ryan might have to call Dan Curry before getting dressed. A Big tax increase or no tax increase? School vouchers or traditional public schools? Ralph Martire or Milton Friedman? Rolando Cruz, Innocent or guilty? Stu Levine, Friend or Crook?

You see Dan, you can hide some of Jim Ryan from the media all the time. Or, you can hide all of Jim Ryan from the media some of the time. But, you can’t hide all of Jim Ryan from all of the media all of the time. Of course, that won’t stop you from trying. The real question is why would the real Jim Ryan want you to? Why, indeed?
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More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/ Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission; Democratic Primary candidates: for State Comptroller, Raja Krishnamoorthi; for U. S. Senate, David Hoffman; for 7th CD, Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon; [24th Ward]and for State Comptroller, Clint Krislov.
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Better than Chicago Public TV’s Friday night show: watch Berkowitz w/Patrick Collins-on reform and prosecution of public corruption; streaming now

2009-12-11T12:35:00.006-06:00

Patrick Collins: A quid pro quo is not required under the law…21st Century corruption is not quid pro quo corruption; it’s buying a public official over time. The [Gov. George] Ryan case really was about Larry Warner, his close friend, over time, buying George Ryan, with a series of undisclosed financial benefits, never one for one- in other words, George Ryan giving out a contract and Larry Warner paying a bribe, which would be the quid pro quo- but over a six, eight, ten year period, Larry Warner providing financial, pecuniary benefits to George Ryan and his family and George Ryan steering and inserting Larry Warner into valuable contracts and leases of his governmental office. [Watch the show with Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission].
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From Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz, taped on December 6, 2009.
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For another partial transcript of the show and links to more about the show’s topics and additional transcripts, please go here.
*****************************
More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/ Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission; Democratic Primary candidates: for State Comptroller, Raja Krishnamoorthi; for U. S. Senate, David Hoffman; for 7th CD, Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon; [24th Ward]and for State Comptroller, Clint Krislov.
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A run for Governor by Patrick Collins in 2014? Berkowitz w/Patrick Collins: Streaming now!

2009-12-11T00:52:00.015-06:00

Revised on Friday morning at 11:00 am to add links to our show w/ Patrick Collins.
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Patrick Collins: [Gov. Quinn] had a budget mess. He had the politics of Springfield. He had issues about who was going to run against him. I don't--You know, he had other issues. I wish he would have supported us more. No question about that. [Watch show with Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission and lead prosecutor in the trial of Governor George Ryan]
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You can now watch here the show w/ Patrick Collins, former Illinois Reform Commission Chairman.
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Patrick Collins, former Illinois Reform Commission Chairman and lead prosecutor in the criminal case against Gov. George Ryan, and currently Perkins Coie partner and head of that firm's Chicago Office Investigations and White Collar practice, debates and discusses a broad range of public corruption, campaign finance reform and other public policy issues with show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz on this week’s suburban edition of “Public Affairs.”
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Go here for another partial transcript and a more detailed discussion of the topics discussed with Patrick Collins on this week's suburban edition of "Public Affairs."
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Governor Patrick Collins in 2014?

Jeff Berkowitz: ...a lot of people have said that you would make a good candidate for Governorin 2014. Would you consider that?

Patrick Collins: Not right now.

Jeff Berkowitz: Would you run as a Republican or a Democrat?

Patrick Collins: I will tell you this. If I ever ran, I'd run as an independent.

Jeff Berkowitz: Is that right? So, you would not run as a--

Patrick Collins: If I ever ran. That's a big if.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, you wouldn'trun as a member of one of the major parties?

Patrick Collins: I don't think so. But, I don't have any plans to run.
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Patrick Collins: Both parties have screwed up big time, in my view. Both [the] Republican and Democratic parties at the state level have screwed up big time.

Is Pat Quinn getting it right?

Jeff Berkowitz: Is Pat Quinn getting it right as Governor of the State of Illinois?

Patrick Collins: I'm honored that Pat Quinn picked me. I'm honored that Pat Quinn let us do a Report.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, he's supporting the [campaign finance reform] legislation that you don't support. He's going to sign it, almost surely. Right?

Patrick Collins: I, you know, again think-- the answers to both your questions are yes and yes.

Did Governor Quinn support the Illinois Reform Commission's Agenda?

Jeff Berkowitz: You got upset--

Patrick Collins: No, I'm not a guy who gets upset. I was honored to serve. Do I wish Pat would have supported our agenda? Sure. Absolutely, I wish.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, it was more than he could do? It wasn't in his political interests, right?

Patrick Collins: [Gov. Quinn] had a budget mess. He had the politics of Springfield. He had issues about who was going to run against him. I don't--You know, he had other issues. I wish he would have supported us more. No question about that.
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From Public Affairs, taped on December 6, 2009. <*******************************
More than 118 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Now streaming are our most recent shows w/ Patrick Collins, former Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission; Democratic Primary candidates: for State Comptroller, Raja Krishnamoorthi; for U. S. Senate, David Hoffman; for 7th CD, Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon; [24th Ward]and for State Comptroller, Clint Krislov.
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Gov. Quinn, Canary and Ranney support legislation handing more power to Madigan and Cullerton. Patrick Collins joins Chicago Tribune in dissent.

2009-12-10T03:51:00.013-06:00

Patrick Collins[Chairman, Illinois Reform Commission and lead prosecutor in the George Ryan Trial]: And, I also would argue that if you put campaign limits in place with everybody and then [as to] the powerful people before the limits [the four legislative leaders], you don’t restrict them, you’ve actually increased their power.

Jeff Berkowitz: You made it worse.

Patrick Collins: You have
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This reporter asked Governor Quinn yesterday what he would say to Patrick Collins, the lead prosecutor who worked with a team of lawyers to put former Governor George Ryan behind bars, in 2006, for public corruption. The Governor appointed Collins earlier this year to head Quinn’s Illinois Reform Commission. Collins ended up not supporting the legislation that Quinn signed yesterday morning.

Collins, now a partner in private practice at Perkins Coie, agrees with the Chicago Tribune that the legislation-- by capping campaign contributions of individuals, unions, companies and PACs, but not of the four legislative leaders—essentially made things worse, enhancing the power of the legislative leaders [See, below]. This reporter would go further and argue that most of the enhanced power falls on Speaker Mike Madigan and on Senate President John Cullerton [Watch Cullerton discuss an income tax increase in June, 2008- about 14:00 into the show], who in large part already run Springfield, if not most of Illinois. This is reform?

Yes, said Quinn, quoting from the late, U. S. Senator Paul Simon who said “We work with our fellow human beings to try to come up with important reforms that move the ball forward.” Quinn said he would continue to work to put caps on the campaign contribution of the leaders.

But Gov. Quinn, for all his years in politics, seems not to understand the basics. You don’t give Madigan and Cullerton more power today and then assume you can somehow take it away tomorrow. If Quinn, Cindi Canary [ICPR], George Ranney [Change Illinois], Democratic Senators Harmon, Steans and Garrett and any other goo goos had the stomach for a real fight to reform and change Illinois, they would have joined Patrick Collins and stood their ground. But Quinn was having none of this. In further response to this reporter’s question, Quinn said:

I don’t think it is really productive to be naysaying today. Today is a day in history, special history in Illinois where we the people came together, using the power of our democratic process, you know the idea of democracy, and we made a significant change that will make our state better and so that’s a better way to look at today.

When asked by ABC-7 News' Charles Thomas about the absence, yesterday, of the two most powerful Democrats and politicians in the State of Illinois, Speaker Mike Madigan and Senate President Cullerton, Gov. Quinn declined to “read anything into their absence,” just noting that “they’re busy guys.”

Yeah, I’ll bet they’re busy—dividing up the spoils of yesterday’s victory handed to them by Quinn, Canary, Ranney, et al. But, let’s not be doing any naysaying today.

All right, Governor. No naysaying, not today. But, tomorrow, unfortunately, Quinn has to deal with what he signed yesterday. By then, there may be numerous, nattering nabobs of naysaying negativism. And, then what will Pat Quinn say?
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Independence.

Patrick Collins: …How do we get folks to run with a sense of independence? Not that they can’t be a partisan Democrat or partisan Republican, but that they will not follow along like sheep and…

Jeff Berkowitz: Well, I don’t know because you had a lot of independents involved in the Illinois Reform Commission-

Patrick Collins: We did.

Pat Collins says no to the Campaign Finance Reform Legislation signed into law.

Jeff Berkowitz: You were working with Cindy Canary. You were working with Change Illinois. They ended up supporting that legislation that passed. You didn’t, right? [The Campaign Finance Reform Legislation that passed the legislature at the end of October was signed into law by the Governor yesterday morning, in the presence of many Democratic legislators, along with Cindy Canary [ICPR], George Ranney [Change Illinois], Andy Shaw [BGA] and others from Change Illinois and other organizations, generally viewed on the left.]

Patrick Collins: I personally don’t support that legislation.

Jeff Berkowitz: You don’t support that.

Patrick Collins: No, I don’t.

The defect in the legislation.

Jeff Berkowitz: Because they didn’t have limits on the [campaign contributions by] the Legislative Leaders, right?

Patrick Collins: Because I think the- just to pull out the—

Jeff Berkowitz: That slush fund that we talked about at the beginning of the show, that $25 million dollar slush fund

Patrick Collins: Right-

Jeff Berkowitz: It still exists. Cindy Canary said essentially, “I don’t care—we got something.”

Patrick Collins: And, I got a lot of—

Jeff Berkowitz: Change Illinois said, I don’t care, we got something.

Patrick Collins: And, I have a lot of-

Patrick Collins says no to the legislative leaders.

Jeff Berkowitz: Pat Collins said no, right?

Patrick Collins: I was never asked officially, but-

Jeff Berkowitz: I am asking you now. You didn’t support that, right?

Patrick Collins: No.

Jeff Berkowitz: You don’t support it.

Patrick Collins: I did not. I do not.

Jeff Berkowitz: Okay.

Increasing the power of the legislative leaders.

Patrick Collins: And, I also would argue that if you put campaign limits in place with everybody and then [as to] the powerful people before the limits [the legislative leaders], you don’t restrict them, you’ve actually increased their power.

Jeff Berkowitz: You made it worse.

Patrick Collins: You have.

Jeff Berkowitz: That’s what the Chicago Tribune said. They don’t even support these [campaign contribution] limits. They buy the argument that I was making

Patrick Collins: Right.

Jeff Berkowitz: but on this, they said, if you are going to do limits on individuals, companies, unions, political action committees, but you’re not going to limit Mike Madigan, the Tribune said [essentially], that’s dumb. And, that’s what you are saying.

Patrick Collins: They write with a point and I would agree with that logic.
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From Public Affairs, taped on December 6, 2009 [For more about the show with Patrick Collins and another partial transcript of that show, please go here]
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More than 116 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Our most recent shows w/ Democratic Primary U. S. Senate Candidate David Hoffman, 7th CD candidate Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon [24th Ward]and State Comptroller candidate Clint Krislov are now streaming.
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Better than Brackett w/Collins & Cavise:Berkowitz w/Pat Collins on campaign contributions,public corruption & Leaders' slush fund;Cable&soon streaming

2009-12-08T19:56:00.010-06:00

Jeff Berkowitz: ... Would you say [the four Illinois Legislative Leaders] have a slush fund of $25 million to elect people and its going to be unlimited [as to how much can be given to individual candidates] because ... but do they have a slush fund of $25 million?
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Jeff Berkowitz: When do you cross the line…when does politics become criminal?

Patrick Collins [Former Illinois Reform Commission Chairman and lead prosecutor in the criminal case against Gov. George Ryan]: In a legal sense, when a public official breaches his duty for private gain, that’s where it crosses the line…I mean that’s what the 7th circuit--
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Jeff Berkowitz: I mean if I come in, just hypothetically, and I am a congressman and I say to Rod Blagojevich, when he was Governor, “Well, I am certainly interested in this and I think we can raise money for you when it comes time for your re-election and Rod says that’s fine and he talks more about it and the Congressman also says, “It would be great to be considered …for the Senate Seat because I have all these attributes that you want.” And, they walk out. Has the law been violated?

Patrick Collins: You know, that’s a gray area and I hesitate not because I am afraid to answer a tough question but I think that’s a gray area. I think there is stuff that goes on in politics all the time where big campaign contributors are rewarded. A big question legally is, you know, was that a quid pro quo and was it discussed sort of contemporaneously. If I raise the money and then I come back and I see a list of my fundraisers… and I start rewarding them, that’s not a crime…the real practical point here, Jeff- when you’re on tape saying I have something that is golden and I’m going to barter for it, that’s quid pro quo sort of language—
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This week's Chicago Metro Suburban edition of "Public Affairs," features Patrick Collins, former Illinois Reform Commission Chairman and lead prosecutor in the criminal case against Gov. George Ryan, and currently Perkins Coie partner and head of that firm's Chicago Office Investigations and White Collar practice The Chicago Metro Suburban airing schedule for Public Affairs is included, below. The show was recorded on Sunday, December 6, 2009.
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You can soon watch here the show w/ Patrick Collins, former Illinois Reform Commission Chairman and lead prosecutor in the criminal case against Gov. George Ryan .
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Patrick Collins, former Illinois Reform Commission Chairman and lead prosecutor in the criminal case against Gov. George Ryan, and currently Perkins Coie partner and head of that firm's Chicago Office Investigations and White Collar practice, debates and discusses a broad range of public corruption, campaign finance reform and other public policy issues with show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz on this week’s suburban edition of “Public Affairs.” Topics discussed include a slush fund for the legislative leaders, the way politics works and quid pro quos; is Patrick Fitzgerald criminalizing politics; 21st Century public corruption--buying a politician over time? The licenses for sale criminal enterprise in the Secretary of State’s office and the death of the Willis family children; Did Rod Blagojevitch “take it up a notch” relative to Gov. Ryan? Gray areas in public corruption? 35 years of campaign finance reform in the federal areas, did it work? Did LBJ not seek re-election as President in 1968 because we did not have campaign finance reform at that time? Did the Vietnam War come to an end in 1975 because we did not have campaign finance reform in 1968? Is President Obama the poster guy for those who oppose public financing of elections? Will Patrick Collins run for Governor some day? If he does, will it be as a Republican or Democrat? Does Patrick Collins oppose the so-called campaign finance reform legislation that passed the General Assembly in late October, 2009? Did Cindy Canary and Change Illinois support that legislation? Why?
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The Illinois Legislative Leaders’ slush fund

Jeff Berkowitz: …Patrick Collins [you were]… Chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission, there are four legislative leaders- Speaker Mike Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton …and then the Republicans, Minority Leaders Cross and Radogno, it is said [by AP] that they have a slush fund of 25 million dollars to elect members to the State House and State Senate [and Statewide offices]. Is that an accurate statement?

Patrick Collins: I don’t know if they’ve ever said they have a slush fund—

Jeff Berkowitz: No, it is said. Would you say that they have a slush fund of $25 million to elect people and its going to be unlimited [as to how much can be given to individual candidates] because well, you can tell us why, but do they have a slush fund of $25 million?

Patrick Collins: Slush fund is obviously a pejorative term. They clearly have a fund to elect the people they want to elect. If you want to call that a slush fund…

Jeff Berkowitz: Does that number sound right, total up to about $25 million dollars in an election year?

Patrick Collins: …I don’t know the specific number but they have a lot of money to elect people of their party

Jeff Berkowitz: …in a sense, you have become a student of politics while in the U. S. Attorney’s office… would that be fair to say?

Patrick Collins: I think that is a fair statement…

Jeff Berkowitz: You know something about how people get elected, money is important, right?

Patrick Collins: Money is the mother’s milk [of politics] and I think it is way too important if you talk about it just from a pure policy standpoint…
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How long can Patrick Fitzgerald continue as U. S. Attorney (N.D. IL)?

Patrick Collins: …I’m not trying to stop anything now. I’m just doing my job at Perkins Coie, but—

Jeff Berkowitz: But, if somebody offered you to become U. S. Attorney, you’d take that badge back in a heartbeat, right?

Patrick Collins: You know, I love my job right now. Pat Fitzgerald is a close friend. I’m not a politician. But, I’m going to avoid that question because-- that’s a great job, of course, but Pat’s doing a great job.

Jeff Berkowitz: Well, he might tire of it at some point, he’s been there--

Patrick Collins: I don’t know

Jeff Berkowitz: It’s unprecedented to stay until a third [term], isn’t it?
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When does politics become criminal?

Patrick Collins: …it’s criminal, it crosses the line and I think juries—

Jeff Berkowitz: When do you cross the line…when does politics become criminal?

Patrick Collins: In a legal sense, when a public official breaches his duty for private gain, that’s where it crosses the line…I mean that’s what the 7th circuit--

Jeff Berkowitz: For private gain.

Patrick Collins: For private gain, for personal gain, for pecuniary interests, I mean we can use a lot of different terms—

Jeff Berkowitz: When there’s a quid pro quo?

Patrick Collins: Actually not, I think that’s a step further; it can be something short of a quid pro quo and I guess you know there is this “honest services.” statute that is under siege and next week’s Supreme Court is going to hear argument…21st century corruption is not quid pro quo corruption. It’s buying a public official over time and the Ryan case really was about Larry Warner, his close friend, over time, buying [Gov.] George Ryan, with a series of undisclosed financial benefits, never one for one; in other words, George Ryan giving out a contract and Larry Warner paying a bribe, which would be the quid pro quo but over a six, eight, ten year period…
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A Congressman, a Governor and a U. S. Senate Seat: a gray area?

Jeff Berkowitz: I mean if I come in just hypothetically and I am a congressman and I say to Rod Blagojevich, when he was Governor, “Well, I am certainly interested in this and I think we can raise money for you when it comes time for your re-election and Rod says that’s fine and he talks more about it and the Congressman also says, “It would be great to be considered …for the Senate Seat because I have all these attributes that you want.” And, they walk out. Has the law been violated?

Patrick Collins: You know, that’s a gray area and I hesitate not because I am afraid to answer a tough question but I think that’s a gray area. I think there is stuff that goes on in politics all the time where big campaign contributors are rewarded. A big question legally is, you know, was that a quid pro quo and was it discussed sort of contemporaneously. If I raise the money and then I come back and I see a list of my fundraisers… and I start rewarding them, that’s not a crime…the real practical point here, Jeff- when you’re on tape saying I have something that is golden and I’m going to barter for it, that’s quid pro quo sort of language—

Jeff Berkowitz: Which is what we’ve read in the papers that Rod Blagojevich has said, and maybe some of us have heard those tapes.

Patrick Collins: Correct, I haven ‘t heard them but maybe the thief who burglarized his office has…you know the words matter and the timing matters…I think there is an argument that [the Blagojevich] case is going to be not as easy as a lot of people think…
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The Chicago Metro suburban episode of "Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz," featuring this week's guest-- Patrick Collins, former Illinois Reform Commission Chairman and lead prosecutor in the criminal case against Gov. George Ryan, and currently Perkins Coie partner and head of that firm's Chicago Office Investigations and White Collar practice, airs :

tonight, Tuesday night, at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette

and tonight, Tuesday night, at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.

The Chicago Metro Suburban edition of "Public Affairs," usually airs, as well, on

Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.

Due to a transfer this month of control of broadcast facilities from Comcast to the Village of Highland Park for the above referenced ten suburbs, the airing of Public Affairs in those ten suburbs will cease for the month of December and will resume, on the same airing schedule, on January 4, 2010.
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The Public Affairs show, featuring Patrick Collins, former Illinois Reform Commission Chairman and lead prosecutor in the criminal case against Gov. George Ryan, also will air on Monday night, Dec. 21, 2009, throughout the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com.
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More than 116 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Our most recent shows w/ Democratic Primary U. S. Senate Candidate David Hoffman, 7th CD candidate Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon [24th Ward]and State Comptroller candidate Clint Krislov are now streaming.
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Hoffman, Quinn and Seals were the big winners on the North Shore yesterday afternoon: what do the endorsements, the trends and the tea leaves mean?

2009-12-07T02:06:00.007-06:00

My operatives tell me that the New Trier Democratic Organization endorsed yesterday afternoon Gov. Pat Quinn (71%), David Hoffman (about 80%) and Dan Seals (about 70% on the second ballot). 60% is required for the endorsement and Seals almost had it on the first ballot and easily got it on the second.

Quinn, the right history for a New Trier Endorsement

The Quinn endorsement isn’t surprising. Notwithstanding his current incumbency, Quinn is remembered by many on the North Shore for his history as an insurgent, maverick—which is kind of preferred in these parts. Hynes did very poorly in the Evanston, New Trier and Northfield endorsement sessions in the 2004 Senate Primary (losing along with the other Dems by landslide margins to Barack Obama, so Dan didn’t have much to build on).

Hoffman, the preferred match-up over Giannoulias on public corruption to Kirk

Hoffman’s win isn’t much of a surprise here, but a little bit more so than Quinn’s. Alexi is a polished campaigner and he gives a good stomp speech. In other parts that like to go with a winner, the youthful Giannoulias' long list of endorsements and large pile of money is enough to get by. In New Trier, the activists are a bit more cerebral. They like independence and Hoffman oozes that. Further, they know the Democrat Party’s culture of corruption label in Illinois in 2010 could be a major problem. Remember, Blago is scheduled to go to trial in Summer, 2010. And, that follows the pounding the Dems have taken over Rezko, Sorich and maybe even Stu Levine, notwithstanding that Stu is technically a Republocrat.

The folks in the New Trier Democratic Organization (“NTDO”) may not like the Republican’s likely Senate nominee, 10th Cong. Dist. Congressman Mark Kirk, much, but they know him as a tenacious campaigner and untainted by public corruption. They apparently think David Hoffman, a former Ass’t U. S. Attorney and Chicago Inspector General who held Mayor Daley’s feet to the fire often, is a much better match against Kirk than Giannoulias, who will have to explain, during the general election, loans to alleged mobsters by Giannoulias’ family bank and poor, risky investments by Treasurer Giannoulias for the college fund. Advantage, at least in the independent and sophisticated New Trier, for Hoffman. [Watch Hoffman discuss Giannoulias tonight and watch Hoffman here].

Seals win in New Trier, another data point in a long-term trend: an upset in the making?

The win by Seals over Hamos is consistent with how the10th CD campaign has trended. At first, the smart money said the early polls showing Seals with a big lead didn’t mean much as they simply reflected his big name recognition advantage from having run two close general election campaigns against Kirk and two not so close, but contested, Democratic primaries. It was said that Hamos’ fund raising prowess, extensive support among local pols and officials and ability as a campaigner mastered in five prior elections as a state rep. would kick in and she would easily pass Seals.

Indeed, it was thought by many that Seals would see the error of his ways and go quickly and quietly into the night. Indeed, early on, Team Hamos pulled its punches as it didn’t want to offend Seals supporters, who they thought would gravitate toward Hamos without much coaxing. As Donald Rumsfeld argued, “weakness is provocative, “ and that applies even in a Democratic Primary. After all, it is no less a Democrat than Rahm Emanuel who says, “In politics, we reward our friends and we punish our enemies.” Team Hamos forgot that part about punishing its enemies.

Seals out-performs Hamos on the campaign trail.

Although out fundraised two to one, Seals seems unconcerned by that disadvantage. It has become apparent that Seal’s support among activists, much of which is from his two prior campaigns, is broad and deep. At gatherings of Democratic activists, e.g. a month ago at the Tenth Dems annual funder with Howard Dean and the candidates, Seals turns them on and Hamos often falls flat. It turns out that Hamos will need a lot of work to become a polished campaigner.

Nobody can remember if Hamos ever had a competitive race. Maybe when she first ran for the State Rep. Democratic nomination she had a race, although nobody remembers that. And since the 18th CD was re-districted in 2001, it has been a 75% Democratic District and as you might expect, that District has not drawn strong Republican challengers, and sometimes no one at all. So, with that background and experience, Seals appears “Fired up and ready to go,” and Hamos “not so much.”

Hamos needs a new campaign focus

The smart money now says Hamos is either getting bad campaign advice or she is getting good campaign advice and not taking it. Either way, if Rep. Hamos is going to make a race of the 10th CD Democratic Primary, she better start changing her strategic focus, and fast. State Rep. Julie Hamos seems to think she can beat Seals by reminding voters she is a Jewish female who knows how to deal with domestic violence. It might be an advantage in the 10th CD to be a Jewish female who opposes domestic violence. But, it is not what a campaign for Congress should be built around. Lauren Beth Gash was all of those things and a more effective campaigner than Julie and she still lost the general election in 2000 by two points to then novice candidate Mark Steven Kirk.

The Gash-Hamos comparison: Will History repeat itself? .

One criticism of Lauren Beth Gash in 2000 was that she seemed to be running for State Rep., not Congresswoman. It is not just old generals who often fight the last war. Hamos, an eleven-year veteran of the State House, might want to think about the Gash campaign and learn from it.

Yes, it might be different running in a 10th CD Democratic Primary than in a 10th CD general election, but Hamos still does not have a winning strategy to beat Seals. The smart money says Hamos should reach out for new ideas and a new issue focus. And, she had better become a more effective campaigner fast, or the Tenth Cong. District Democrats will be hoping the third time is the charm for their 2010 nominee, Dan Seals.
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More than 116 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Our most recent shows w/ Democratic Primary U. S. Senate Candidate David Hoffman, 7th CD candidate Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon [24th Ward]and State Comptroller candidate Clint Krislov are now streaming.
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Better than Placko and Conaty with Cheryle Jackson: Berkowitz w/ U. S. Senate Candidate David Hoffman on Giannoulias.

2009-12-07T01:32:00.008-06:00

The City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs, featuring U. S. Senate Candidate David Hoffman ( D-Chicago), airs tonight at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21. For more information about tonight’s show, including topics and a partial transcript, please go here.

To watch the show with David Hoffman on your computer, please go here.
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More than 116 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Our most recent shows w/ Democratic Primary U. S. Senate Candidate David Hoffman, 7th CD candidate Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon [24th Ward]and State Comptroller candidate Clint Krislov are now streaming.
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Getting to know Dold,10th CD Republican Primary Candidate, Part 2;And, getting to know 10th CD Republican Primary candidates Coulson,Green and Cadigan

2009-12-04T02:30:00.015-06:00

Revised on Friday at 6:15 pm regarding comments, below, about donating to Dold and Catigan campaigns, and not to Coulson and Green campaigns.
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Jeff Berkowitz: Philosophically, I know you can’t control it as a House member, but to the extent you could, would you like to see Roe v. Wade overturned, just … in terms of your philosophy.
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Below is a partial transcript of a phone interview this journalist conducted with Bob Dold, 10th Cong. District Republican Primary Candidate. Part 1 of our "Getting to know Bob Dold series," is here.
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Testing the 10th CD Republican Primary major candidates

There are those of my gentle readers who will be critical of Mr. Dold’s responses, below, for being somewhat evasive. But, before that is done, all our readers should know that there are four major candidates in the Republican Primary, and each has been given ample opportunity to tape and appear on our thirty minute “Public Affairs,” show, which is the only thorough test the candidates are likely to encounter as to their knowledge of and opinions about a broad range of domestic, foreign and cultural policy issues. The candidates' differing responses are instructive.

Unlike candidate forums, the guests on the “Public Affairs,” tv show face follow-up questions, which make it difficult, but not impossible, to avoid answering a question. The show airs-- and has, I believe, a reasonably good-sized audience-- in half the 10th Congressional District. Further, the show has a potential cablecast audience of more than three million viewers of it’s regular weekly Chicago, Aurora, Rockford and other Chicago Metro suburban airings. And, this audience is often larger, as the show airs, from time to time on the Illinois Channel, which airs across and beyond the State of Illinois. And, of course, the show is podcast here and here.

“Free,” air time

For candidates who complain, incessantly, about the high cost of TV advertising, you would think they would jump at the opportunity of a “free thirty minutes of TV air time.” But, for the 10th CD Republican Primary major candidates, you would be in large part wrong.

Dick Green: Ducking the tough questions

Dick Green (R-Winnetka), who has already dumped $225,000 of his own wealth into his 10th CD campaign, has shown no interest in appearing on Public Affairs. To add insult to injury to the Public Interest and transparency, Green has shown no interest in returning this journalist’s phone calls, not a good behavioral pattern for someone who wants to persuade constituents he will be responsive to their inquiries.

Beth Coulson: Flip flopping on appearing on "Public Affairs."

State Rep. Beth Coulson (R-Glenview) committed months ago to taping the show on November 22, 2009. This journalist had complimented Rep. Coulson several times, on air, regarding her commitment to tape our show. A day before the scheduled Coulson taping, a Coulson staffer called to say Beth “had lost her voice,” and would be unlikely to appear the next day.

Perhaps, coincidentally, Coulson had met the day before in a well-publicized (by the Coulson Campaign) meeting with Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele and State GOP Chairman Pat Brady. Also, on the day of that meeting, Coulson got some criticism form State GOP officials for the spin her campaign put on her meeting with Chairman Steele. The next morning, the Coulson staffer advised Public Affairs that Rep. Coulson would have to cancel, but that a staffer would call this journalist in a few days to reschedule. A week later, a Coulson staffer called this journalist to explain that “other voter contact,” opportunities over the next two months would prevent Rep. Coulson from keeping her commitment to tape “Public Affairs.”

Coulson had taped the show often, prior to 2003, in her role as a State Rep, but declined all such invitations over the last seven years.

Giving Bob Dold credit for his ten minute phone interview

Bob Dold (R-Kenilworth) has declined, so far, to tape “Public Affairs.” But, candidate Dold did readily agree to the ten-minute phone interview, and for that, in light of the above experiences with Green and Coulson, Dold should get some credit.

Bill Cadigan: Stepping up to face thirty minutes of tough questions on TV

However, the 10th CD Republican Primary candidate who should get the most credit for transparency is Bill Cadigan (R-Winnetka), who readily agreed to tape Public Affairs [watch Cadigan here], cheerfully put up with many follow-ups and intense questions and is trying to schedule yet another appearance on “Public Affairs,” before the February 2, 2010 primary.

Voters: Ducking solicitations from Green and Coulson?

So, please, read the below transcript, with the above in mind. And, if Green and Coulson ask you for a campaign contribution to finance their “voter contact,” and media efforts, this journalist thinks you should say, “Not a penny for you until you appear on Public Affairs. It is a free half hour of media.” As to Dold, let him know you would contribute more if he would step up from a phone interview to a full TV interview. And, for Cadigan, dig deep into your pockets as a sign you appreciate the transparency he demonstrated by doing a full half hour of "Public Affairs." I mean, fair is fair.

As to the 10th CD Democratic major candidates, that’s yet another story for another day.
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Pro-life or Pro-choice

Jeff Berkowitz: On the cultural issues, would you describe yourself as pro-life or pro-choice?

Bob Dold [Kenilworth, 10th Cong. Dist. Republican Primary Candidate]: I would consider myself to be somewhat in the middle, which I know is not the answer that you’re looking for there, but I’m against partial birth abortion; I am against federal funding [for abortions] and I am for parental notification.

Overturn Roe v. Wade?

Jeff Berkowitz: Okay, but you would not like to see Roe v. Wade overturned?

Bob Dold: I think, right now, the way it works with the Supreme Court is that Roe v. Wade is precedent at this stage of the game and it would be tough to do so. So, I just don’t think that is realistic at this stage.

Jeff Berkowitz: Philosophically, I know you can’t control it as a House member, but to the extent you could, would you like to see Roe v. Wade overturned, just … in terms of your philosophy.

Bob Dold: Philosophically, I think it’s kind of a moot point. I go back to what I am saying in terms of—I’m against partial birth abortion; I am against federal funding; I am for parental notification. Those are the issues that I have an effect on or will be able to vote on with regard to Congress.

A ban on partial birth abortions, without an exception for the health of the mother?

Jeff Berkowitz: …you know there was a ban, in Congress, that was passed, that bans partial birth abortion—and doesn’t allow an exception for the health of the mother. If you were there, would you have voted to support that ban on partial birth abortion.

Bob Dold:I- again, Jeff, without having taken a look at the bill, and it is not trying to sidestep it. I really need to take a look at the bill, obviously the health of the mother is important- I’m not for—again, I’m against partial birth abortions, so, those are, that’s kind of a tough one without taking a look at the bill. That’s kind of like asking you to vote on something that you haven’t taken- or read through, which I think is a problem in Congress today. I don’t think congressional leaders are actually reading what they are passing. That’s a big, big problem
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Phone interview with 10th CD Republican Primary candidate Bob Dold, October 9, 2009
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More than 116 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Our most recent shows w/ Democratic Primary U. S. Senate Candidate David Hoffman, 7th CD candidate Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon [24th Ward]and State Comptroller candidate Clint Krislov are now streaming.
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President Obama’s Speech on Afghanistan gets the job done, a 9 out of 10.

2009-12-02T03:53:00.007-06:00

The Obama Afghanistan-Pakistan foreign policy nexus

It was a good speech. It did what it had to do. It communicated the broad contours of U. S. policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. More importantly, around the middle of the speech (P.6, if you are reading it), we learned that U. S. success in Afghanistan is, as the President said, “inextricably linked to our partnership with Pakistan.” Actually, it is more the reverse. The U. S. needs to succeed in Afghanistan because a stable Pakistan is of major importance to U. S. national security--and a stable, non-terrorist dominated Afghanistan is a necesary but not a sufficient condition to keeping Pakistan stable and friendly toward the U. S.

Pakistan is a nuclear power. The U. S. doesn’t want to have that government in the hands of an unfriendly, erratic administration. If Afghanistan is returned to the hands of the Taliban and the Taliban proceeds to provide a safe haven for Al-Qaeda, not only does the U. S. risk a repeat of a variant of 9/11, which is bad enough, but Al-Qaeda also would then have a safe haven to work on toppling the Pakistan government and replacing it with an Al-Qaeda friendly government. Then, the U. S. would have what it fears in the next year or two in Iran, a terrorist friendly regime with the ability to deliver a nuclear weapon.

Why President Obama agreed to 30K more troops in Afghanistan

Fundamentally, this is why Obama had no choice but to send another 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, bringing the U. S. troop total in that country to just under 100,000. Obama’s chosen General of Choice, McChrystal, wanted 40,000 troops, but most will say, including conservative Steve Hayes of the Weekly Standard and apparently, liberal Rachel Maddow of MSNBC, that 30K additional troops will do.

Importantly, President Obama wrapped an improved partnership with Pakistan and an improved civilian strategy of reduced public corruption and better services and security for the Afghanistan people around the 30K surge in military troops. This is further acknowledgment of how crucial it is that economic, military and government infrastructure improve and stabilize in both Pakistan and Afghanistan for U. S. national interests to be met.

U. S. Troops to start returning from Afghanistan in July, 2010

The military surge will proceed expeditiously at the pace of about a brigade [or 5000troops] a month, so that a total of 98,000 troops will be in place by June, 2010. Obama upset the conservatives by saying in the same breadth that one year later, summer 2011, “our troops will begin to come home.” Karl Rove commented on Bill O’Reilly’s post speech show that “that sends a very bad signal to the enemy that you can wait us out.” This is the argument that was raised about setting timetables for U. S. withdrawal in Iraq. However, if things are going well in Afghanistan, the timetable will not matter a great deal, even as the current U. S. timetable in Iraq for the removal of all troops in Iraq by the end of 2011 does not seem to present a problem.

Hayes misquotes President Obama

Steve Hayes of the Weekly Standard, commenting on the Fox News Channel’s post speech segment went much further than Rove, stating:

The most important role of a President is Commander in Chief. This felt very small to me. The President said, in one sentence…’the common security of the world is at stake,’ and literally in the very next sentence, he said we’re going to get out in July of 2011. If it is the case that the common security of the world is at stake, you don’t say that we need to figure out the problem in 18 months or we’re out of here. It sends bad, mixed messages and I think it was one of the worst speeches I could imagine in support of the right policy decision.

One of the worst speeches Hayes could imagine? Well, then, Hayes must not have much of an imagination. For starters, President Obama did not say, as Hayes asserted, “We’re going to get out in July of 2011.” Obama said, “These additional… troops will allow us to begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan in July of 2011.” Steve, that could be done over five years. It hardly promises, “We’re going to get out in July of 2011.” Moreover, the President went on to say, “Just as we have done in Iraq, we will execute this transition responsibly, taking into account conditions on the ground.” Those caveats certainly give the President some wiggle room in terms of when the U. S. actually “gets out,” of Afghanistan. Even with respect to Iraq, a war the President opposed from the get go, President Obama has always said, “We have to be as careful getting out as we were careless getting in.” Words to live by, I’d say.

President Obama: I like Ike; Apply opportunity cost theory to government programs.

Further, the justification for the above statements by Obama was a principle laid out by President Eisenhower, who had pretty good military credentials, last time this journalist looked. President Obama quoted Ike as saying, in Ike’s discussion of national security, “Each proposal must be weighed in the light of a broader consideration: the need to maintain balance in and among national programs.”

Actually, Eisenhower's quote essentially is saying that each government proposal, in the words of economics, has an opportunity cost. So, if we pursue government program A, we do so at the cost of program B, or at the cost, as conservatives like to argue, of taxpayers choosing how to spend their own money. A corrollary of the opportunity cost theory is that it might be worthwhile to try to stabilize Afghanistan. But, if the cost becomes too high, it might make more sense to divert the troops to assist, say, Pakistan to stabilize that country, even if it means returning to Afghanistan a few years later to blow up a new Taliban government, hopeably before it allows a terrorist organization to attack the U. S.

The concept of opportunity cost is an important one in economics. This journalist is happy to see that Presidents Eisenhower and Obama seem to have grasped it. But, I am disappointed to see that conservative Stephen Hayes has yet to learn it.

O’Reilly on President Obama’s academic tone.

Finally, FNC’s Bill O’Reilly was upset, on his show, by the “academic tone,” struck by Obama in his delivery of the speech. Bill wanted “table pounding,” with President Obama saying, “Hey, these people cut your head off; hey, these people won’t let women out of the house; they can’t go to school; these are savages.”

Hey, Bill, this was a presidential speech, not a high school pep rally. O’Reilly, who often has some thoughtful criticisms to make, was wide of the mark last night. Sometimes, academic is good. Not every Presidential speech should be a campaign rally. Even if my friends at the Fox News Channel are televising it.
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More than 116 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Our most recent shows w/ Democratic Primary U. S. Senate Candidate David Hoffman, 7th CD candidate Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon [24th Ward]and State Comptroller candidate Clint Krislov are now streaming.
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Better than FOX, MSNBC & CNN comments on Pres. Obama's speech tonight:Berkowitz w/Comptroller candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi; Cable and soon streaming

2009-12-01T17:10:00.007-06:00

Jeff Berkowitz: …Are you agreeing with [State Comptroller] Hynes and [Gov.]Quinn that [we] should have a major increase in the income tax?

Raja Krishnamoorthi(D-Hoffman Estates), Candidate for State Comptroller, Democratic Primary: I think first of all before we can talk about anything like that we’ve got to talk about what are the meaningful reforms we are going to make in state government. We’ve got to cut wasteful spending. We’ve got to talk about how do we do business differently before taxpayers are going to be willing to potentially give more money but…

Jeff Berkowitz: …You’re going to have to either cut spending or raise taxes. That’s really kind of what you’re left with, right?
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This week's Chicago Metro Suburban edition of "Public Affairs," features 2010 Democratic Primary Illinois State Comptroller candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Hoffman Estates). The Chicago Metro Suburban airing schedule for Public Affairs is included, below. The show was recorded on Sunday, November 29, 2009.
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You can soon watch the show with Illinois State Comptroller candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Hoffman Estates) here.
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Jeff Berkowitz: …about Raja Krishnamoorthi, No. 1, he’s a nice guy…he might be too nice to succeed in this business…I have known him for a number of years…he emigrated to the U. S. with his parents when he was three months old from India…[graduated from] Princeton University, Harvard Law School (Honors), …Summa Cum Laude at Princeton… was an issues adviser for Barack Obama during his U. S. Senate Campaign…partner at Kirkland & Ellis…international law firm, Deputy State Treasurer [under Alexi Giannoulias]… people expect [the Comptroller] to be a taxpayer watchdog, know what the [state budget] deficit is—maybe you can’t do anything about it…what’s the deficit in Illinois? Is it three billion dollars? Is the State deficit ten billion dollars? Give us a number.

Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Hoffman Estates), Candidate for State Comptroller, Democratic Primary:..this coming year, they are projecting a deficit in excess of ten billion dollars on a roughly thirty billion dollar budget…what’s clear is that we are facing a fiscal calamity.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, for this current fiscal year, which we are already in?

Raja Krishnamoorthi: It’s about a four to five billion dollar [deficit].

Jeff Berkowitz: …So, at the end of this fiscal year, the state will be in the hole and they will have to borrow to make ends meet. Is that right?

Raja Krishnamoorthi: Correct. Just as they did this past year.

Jeff Berkowitz: …Are you agreeing with [State Comptroller] Hynes and [Gov.]Quinn that [we] should have a major increase in the income tax?

Raja Krishnamoorthi: I think first of all before we can talk about anything like that we’ve got to talk about what are the meaningful reforms we are going to make in state government. We’ve got to cut wasteful spending. We’ve got to talk about how do we do business differently before taxpayers are going to be willing to potentially give more money but…

Jeff Berkowitz: …You’re going to have to either cut spending or raise taxes. That’s really kind of what you’re left with, right?

Raja Krishnamoorthi: Or, potentially, you know, we may have to do both but the point is that…
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2010 Democratic Primary Illinois State Comptroller candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Hoffman Estates) debates and discusses a broad range of Illinois fiscal and reform issues with show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz on this week’s suburban edition of “Public Affairs.” Topics discussed include alleged mismanagement and improper oversight by State Treasurer Giannoulias' office of the Bright Start fund, issues relating to Alexi Giannoulias' performance as a loan officer at Broadway Bank, whether income taxes should be increased, whether the Illinois State Government should get out of the airline business, whether the state should move to a two tier pension system for state employees that includes defined pension contributions, not defined pension benefits, for new employees; whether the state should reinvorgate its economy by spending more on education or by becoming a low tax state; what the state budget deficit is; whether we should cut state employee salaries by ten percent; whether state employee pensions and salaries are too generous relative to the private sector; whether the state's citizens would benefit from competition for the K-12 public school system and much, much more.
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The Chicago Metro suburban episode of "Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz," featuring this week's guest,2010 Democratic Primary Illinois State Comptroller candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Hoffman Estates), airs :

tonight, Tuesday night, at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette

and tonight, Tuesday night, at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.

The Chicago Metro Suburban edition of "Public Affairs," usually airs, as well, on

Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.

Due to a transfer this month of control of broadcast facilities from Comcast to the Village of Highland Park for the above referenced ten suburbs, the airing of Public Affairs in those ten suburbs will cease for the month of December and will resume, on the same airing schedule, in early January, 2010.
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The Public Affairs show featuring 2010 Democratic Primary Illinois State Comptroller candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Hoffman Estates) also will air on Monday night, Dec. 14, 2009, throughout the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. *************************************************************
More than 116 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Our most recent shows w/ Democratic Primary U. S. Senate Candidate David Hoffman, 7th CD candidate Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon [24th Ward]and State Comptroller candidate Clint Krislov are now streaming.
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Better than Monday night football, Berkowitz w/ Dem. U. S. Senate Candidate David Hoffman on cable this week in Aurora and Rockford and also streaming

2009-11-30T18:47:00.009-06:00

The "Public Affairs," show featuring David Hoffman, candidate in the 2010 U. S. Senate Democratic Primary, is airing tonight, Nov. 30 on cable in Aurora and surrounding areas at 7:30 pm on ACTV-10. The program also airs at 3:30 pm tomorrow and Wednesday in Aurora on ACTV-10 and surrounding areas (recently added regular slots for "Public Affairs" in Aurora). The Aurora station, ACTV-10, aka Aurora Community Television, Comcast Cable Ch. 10, reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery.

The "Public Affairs," show featuring David Hoffman, candidate in the 2010 U. S. Senate Democratic Primary, will also air throughout the City of Rockford (and in surrounding areas) this Thursday night, Dec. 3, at 8:00 pm on Cable Ch. 17. The surrounding areas reached by Ch. 17 include Byron, Cedarville, Cherry Valley, Loves Park, Machesney Park, Mount Morris, New Milford, Portions of Ogle County, Oregon, Polo, Stillman Valley, Winnebago, Portions of Boone County and Poplar Grove.
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For more about the Public Affairs show with David Hoffman, including partial transcripts and a summary of topics discuessed, please go here.
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You can now watch the show with Democratic U. S. Senate Candidate Hoffman here.
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The Public Affairs show featuring 2010 U. S. Senate Democratic Primary candidate David Hoffman (D-Chicago) also airs on Monday night, Dec. 7, 2009, throughout the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. *************************************************************
More than 116 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page . Our most recent shows w/ Democratic Primary U. S. Senate Candidate David Hoffman, 7th CD candidate Chicago Ald. Sharon Denise Dixon [24th Ward]and State Comptroller candidate Clint Krislov are now streaming.
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