Jan 6, 2009 5:45 pm US/Central
State GOP Reveling In Democrats' Current Circus
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
-
-
Republican State Sen. Matt Murphy says he will likely file nominating petitions to run against Democrat Todd Stroger for Cook County Board president.
CBS
As all eyes turn to Roland Burris's attempts to be seated in the U.S. Senate and Gov. Rod Blagojevich's possible impeachment and pending criminal indictment, Illinois Republicans couldn't be happier.
CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery reports the state GOP believes the Democrats' current actions and image in the "Blagojevich-Burris Circus" are better than millions of dollars in attack ads.
In just 10 months from now, Republican State Sen. Matt Murphy says he will likely file nominating petitions to run against Democrat Todd Stroger for Cook County Board president. An FBI raid and ongoing investigation at the County Building that may soon produce new criminal charges would be one centerpiece of Murphy's campaign.
But he says nothing has dramatized the corruption of one-party Democratic rule in Illinois like the arrest of Gov.Blagojevich and the governor's subsequent antics, including Burris's appointment.
"It's laid bare the fact that the Democrats running this state for the last six years hold the people in very low regard," Murphy said.
Illinois Republicans currently hold no statewide office. Some Democrats see ominous signs. A poll here would likely find numbers similar to a new nationwide survey: 51 percent of people said the U.S. Senate should block Blagojevich's appointment of Burris. Just 27 percent said it should not.
Indeed, Burris now appears so damaged by the uproar that many Republicans hope Burris does get President-elect Barack Obama's old seat and does run in next year's U.S. Senate election. Republicans would love to label their opponents the "Blagojevich-Burris-Stroger" Democrats.
Compounding the Democrats' dilemma, state government could run out of cash by spring. Look for that to become a big headline-grabbing crisis just as soon as the general assembly's done dealing with Blagojevich, perhaps next month.
Will Democrats have to enact a big tax increase? If Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn is governor by then, the question still stands if he would sign it.
Voters are sure to be against that in the middle of a very bad economy.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Jewish Celebrities
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
