Ryan's conviction--will it impact in Illinois elections this year?

[davsand]

OK--George Ryan is back in the media with the sentencing this last week. I'm curious what you all think about it.

Will George Ryan's problems impact in the November elections, and if so what races do you think it will impact?

Will Blag's race be impacted?

How about some of the Illinois House or Senate races?

Local races?

Were there folks that were associated with Ryan that will pay a price for it now?



Pull out your crystal ball, everyone!


Laura

[coffeenap]

1. I'm gonna ask my two repub atty friends--I will post if they say

anything worth reporting. One of them is inside the states atty's office...

[mopinko]

2. it will if anyone in illinois politics is smart

he was the head of the b/c campaign after all. paint him as another typical republican.
it pains me to see how much traction he got for the death penalty thing. i have posted many times around here that he did nothing noble. he had blood on his own hands. patrick fitzgerald was working his way up the chain of command, heading straight for him. the office he so eagerly sold was one of PUBLIC SAFETY!!! 6 kids burned to death. and how many more that we do not know about. this was not just about money. want he did should be linked in the public mind with katrina. with the willful failure to provide the basics of good public administration. PUBLIC SAFETY!!
they should do a campaign commercial, driving down the dan ryan, looking in your rearview mirror, a line of semis barreling down on you, are you safe? are these drivers qualified? or did a greedy republican line his pockets by leaving you and your kids in danger. cut to the burning minivan in the middle of the highway.
show us some kick, rod.

[davsand]

3. Yeah, I've wondered if Blag's race will become dueling scandals.

If it was up to me I'd sure be linking JBT to Ryan every opportunity I got.

I did see a TV spot recently that showed JBT with with both Ryan AND then cut to a shot of her with the asswipe (my personal name for the (p)Resident.) It made me LMAO, but it is smart politics, IMO.

We have a local Illinois Senate race that has an open seat. The Dem is a young, tall, smart guy. The GOP candidate is some grandmother type that LEFT her lame duck Senate seat in the latter days of the Ryan Administration to accept an appointed state job with a hefty pension.

I think her history might become an issue, but I doubt it will be a media thing. I expect it to be one of those "knee level" whisper things. I dunno--I'm not part of the inner circle of that campaign. Maybe they will use it--who can say?

I doubt we'll see much locally (County or local level) that will be impacted by Ryan, unless maybe it translates into a general anti-incumbent feeling. THAT scenario could be a real crap shoot with both Dems and Repubs up on re-election. I suspect most of our local stuff will be based on local issues like a screwed up County Nursing home...

Question for those who might know:

How about our buddy Denny Hastert? Was he ever in bed with Ryan? Could Laesch use that? WOULD he use it?


Laura

[mopinko]

4. if laesch is not beating the snot out of denny,

:spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank:

he should be tied ont only to ryan, but to bush, and to the turkish drug lords that we know are behind his ascent to the throne. if everyone in that district does not know who sibel edmonds is, they are not doing their job out there.

[BackBarack]

8. Ryan sentencing

it's about bloody time he gets sentenced hopefully this will lead to serious accountability at other levels too. Blago should not
be affected IMHO I know several GOP supporters on a national level that supported Blago b/c they were sick of the Ryan nonsense and lack of accountability.

http://www.BackBarack.com

<a href="http://www.backbarack.com"><img src=""></a>

[newyawker99]

10. Hi BackBarack!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[raising2moredems]

5. Oh I think denny boy is being scrutinized as we speak

And IMHO, the length of Ryan's sentence is being used as ammo when they nail denny boy and others. donnie boy (manzullo) all of a sudden has enough spare cash to buy a house in VA? Frankly I'm thinking Ryan is small potatoes compared to what is coming down the pike or should I say new interstate LOL!

[Radical Activist]

6. It will increase cynicism.

That doesn't really help Blagojevich since he is being investigated by the FBI for hiring scandals and corruption. I've heard some progressives say they hope Blago wins only so that Pat Quinn will become Governor when Rod goes to jail. If it helps anyone it will be the Green Party guy because he's the only one who hasn't been investigated at some point. Most likely though, it will just decrease turn out because people won't be motivated to vote.

[davsand]

7. GOP guys have been telling me they are gonna stay home too.

It is funny that you put it this way, because I've had a couple of the GOP guys I know telling me they will stay home rather than vote for JBT. They are not the uber-conservative GOP type, but they are VERY unhappy with her win in that GOP Primary. They actually like Blag better than Judy...

As for the Greens, I expect them to pick up some votes here because our local Dem party is so fractured right now. (Remember, Champaign County was one that Eisendrath won in the Dem Primary...)

Things have further deteriorated to the point locally that the News Gazoo (LORD, but I do hate that rag of a newspaper!) had an editorial today about how badly they project the Dems will do in this next local election.

I had expected problems locally, but hadn't really considered they were THAT widespread statewide.

Regards.


Laura

[Radical Activist]

9. I predict

That the Green candidate for Governor will get his highest percentage votes in Sangamon and Champaign counties. Although I haven't heard of him campaigning in Springfield at all yet.