Seriously. GOTV is all I ask. For Alexi Giannoulias and the rest of the statewide ticket.
I have been posting about my friend Alexi Giannoulias, candidate for United States Senate and the current Illinois State Treasurer. I have asked and asked for donations to fight off the enormous amounts of cash spent by Kirk and his banking friends.
But now it only come down to one thing.
GOTV.
Call a friend. Work a phone bank. Pass out palm cards at the polling precinct. Canvass door-to-door. All of it. Money will not do it now. So hang onto your money, but we need all of your time and energy that you can spare.
My friend Al, sent me a note about the three people I have been writing about. Alexi Giannoulias, Patrick Quinn, and Robin Kelly. So let me reprint what he said about each person. First Alexi.
I first met Alexi in 2006, when he was running for state Treasurer. Never a harder worker could you find. He mixed easily with all kinds of people, had the gift of being able to listen to them, and make them feel important. Alexi was elected, despite the fact that he ran against the slated candidate in the primary, and has gone on to reform the Treasurer's office. He hired Robin Kelly, a gifted administrator from the South Suburbs, and professionalized the staff. Gone were the political hacks; competence was introduced as the expected standard.
Since being elected, Alexi has been around the state, doing the little things that some statewide officials neglect. Several people I know have talked about Alexi's service as a commencement speaker downstate. Others remember the first time a state Treasurer visited their area. The office has invested well and made money for the state, despite the downfall in the markets. The Illinois Treasurer's management of college funds was once again named as one of the top 5 in the nation -- a considerable improvement over the prior Treasurer's record. Instead of profiting off of the "lost" money left in the state's coffers, the office has aggressively sought to return YOUR money, as well as dramatically increase the bids for property forfeited to the state.
This may be surprising to hear, with all the negative ads attacking Alexi Giannoulias, but when have political ads stuck close to the truth? Well, actually, Alexi's ads have. Politifact, the online fact-checker for political advertising, declared Alexi's ad on Mark Kirk TRUE, while Kirk's ads on Alexi were found to be half-true or barely true.
That simple fact really represents the difference between the two. Kirk has admitted fabricating facts about himself and his military record. Alexi simply has higher standards, which is why I cast my vote for Alexi Giannoulias (twice) for Senate.
And then Al told us about Governor Patrick Quinn.
I've known Pat Quinn since 2004, when my wife and I first marched in a parade for him. Quinn became governor in the most difficult of circumstances, with trust in the previous governor plunging and an economy to match it. But while Blagojevich's embarrassing removal was a local phenomenon, the crash of the markets was global. And there is no doubt that it will be easier for Governor Quinn to regain our trust in government than it will be for Illinois to pull itself out of these difficult economic times.
Pat Quinn is one of the most honest men that you will ever find in public service. His honesty has gotten him in trouble, as it is repeatedly used by political opponents to attack him. Yet he stands against the wind, his integrity intact, his commitment to us, Illinois' taxpayers, never wavering.
Personally, I find it comforting that Illinois can elect a governor that won't be immediately under suspicion for ethical lapses. Haven't we had enough governors who took advantage of their office for personal gain? I know I have. But Bill Brady was cited by that bastion of conservative media for voting THREE TIMES on issues where he could personally profit from the vote. In any other state, Brady would immediately have been referred to the ethics committee. But this is Illinois, and we have a very high tolerance for corruption and malfeasance. More to the point, while Brady criticizes Quinn for his honesty, Brady has ducked questions about his plans for the future of our state, saying that he needs a forensic audit. Well, the Illinois Senate Republicans have more staff that Quinn had as Lt. Governor, staff willing to do anything for their Senators. If Bill Brady had really been interested in our financial condition, he could have asked the Republican Senate staff to provide all the information he needed. The fact that he hasn't is revealing. He either isn't interested or won't be honest with us.
I've had enough of corruption and dishonesty in government, which is why I was proud to vote for Pat Quinn to be our Governor.
And finally, about Robin Kelly, the next Treasurer from the state of Illinois.
Finally, while I've known Robin Kelly for less time than either Alexi or Quinn, she's had the most dramatic impact on my community in the South Suburbs. Not only did Robin serve us as our state Representative -- and is greatly missed in that role -- she's been a community leader as a Commissioner on the Human Rights Commission as well as a consensus builder throughout the South Suburbs. But our loss has been Illinois' gain.
Robin grew up working in her family's grocery store, and brought her interest in economic development with her to Matteson and then the state House. As Treasurer, she wants to spur new job growth by getting banks to lend to small businesses again. She's the only candidate for Treasurer talking about Jobs, and how we can leverage OUR money to create more jobs. Why wouldn't you want to do that?
Robin's love of public service and her considerable management skills were developed both in her time in Peoria and Matteson. She brought that rare skillset to become Chief of Staff for the Treasurer's office, helping to lead it to one of the Top Five state-offered college savings plans that we can all be proud of. Robin would be the first African-American women to hold a constitutional office in Illinois, and bring a level of expertise to the position that very few can claim. Robin's leadership and commitment to our state stands as an example of the kind of public servant for whom we can be proud.
Half of the statewide Democratic ticket this year is comprised of accomplished women who are ready to lead Illinois. I was absolutely thrilled to vote for Robin, and Lisa and Toni Preckwinkle this year. I hope you will join me in voting for Alexi Giannoulias, Pat Quinn, Robin Kelly and the rest of the Democratic ticket. We may not always agree with each other, but Democrats want to move Illinois forward, and it's a dynamic team ready to get to work on our behalf.
Thank you for your support of these terrific Democrats! I know you will be proud of voting for them, too...
Thanks Al. And again, no solicitation for money. You all gave above and beyond the call of duty and for that I thank you. But GOTV. Please.
John is the author of an award-winning book published by The Elevator Group Mr. and Mrs. Grassroots: How Barack Obama, two Bookstore Owners, and 300 Volunteers did it. Also available an eBook on Amazon. John is also a member of the Society of Midland Authors and is a book reviewer of political books for the New York Journal of Books.