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The State
Journal-Register
Sunday, March
8, 1998
EDITORIAL,
PAGE 17
Front-runner Burris no
longer above the primary fray
Note: This
article is from the print edition of the
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By BERNARD
SCHOENBURG
POLITICAL WRITER
It was only a matter of time before ROLAND BURRIS' free ride came to an
end.
Burris has been, by far, the front-runner in the four-way Democratic
contest for governor. He has benefited from wide name recognition built
up over 12 years as Illinois comptroller and four years as attorney
general.
But while the three other candidates in the race have been beating up
on each other for weeks, Burris went mainly unscathed.
The general thinking was that JIM BURNS, JOHN SCHMIDT and GLENN
POSHARD, who are white, didn't want to energize the African-American
community to be any stronger for Burris, who is black, by attacking him.
But as the primary got closer and Burris maintained his big lead in the
polls, it became clear he'd have to become a target. Now Burns,
who has
been trailing in the polls, and Schmidt,
who also had been toward the
back of the pack but appears to be making gains, have taken the
bait.
Burris, who might have been able to coast above the fray without
getting involved in controversy, gave the other candidates the excuse
they needed when he was caught on videotape saying that if anyone
should drop out of the race, it would be one of the "nonqualified white
boys" running against him.
Burns
has seized on the "nonqualified" statement to start slamming
Burris' record -- attacking
him last week on approving legal
contracts to campaign contributors when attorney general, being the
subject of a critical audit of attorney general's office, and alleged
patronage hiring.
"Roland and I have been disagreeing greatly over the last week or so
because he accused me of being nonqualified," Burns said after a debate
Thursday night, "and I came back and pointed out deficiencies in his
record."
During that televised debate in Urbana, Schmidt
said he didn't think
Burris could "cite a single major accomplishment" from his 16 years in
state office.
Burris responded that he would put his record "against your record any
day, friend."
But the race is a little less friendly. And while it's long been
expected that Burris would find a way to lose -- as he did when he ran
in primaries for U.S. Senate in 1984, governor in 1994 and as an
independent running for mayor of Chicago in 1995 -- it now looks as if
things may be going in that direction again.
Poshard,
by the way, has exchanged some heated words in debates,
especially with Schmidt, but has continued not to take on Burris --
even saying in response to the "nonqualified" quote that he'd been
called much worse.
"If I feel the need to defend my record and to challenge something
about their record, I'll do that," Poshard said. "I did not feel that
need here."
There had been some feeling that Burris could actually benefit from the
"nonqualified" statement, because the response would help move African-
American voters to him. But it looks now as if it hurt more than
helped, tarnished his above-it-all image, and aided in making the
Democratic gubernatorial contest a horse race once again.
The evidence is in a Chicago Tribune poll out this weekend, showing
Burris with 27 percent support, Poshard with 25 percent, Schmidt
getting 19 percent and Burns with 9 percent.
Support
for Schmidt
Among supporters of SCHMIDT are 18 people who used
to work for former
U.S. Sen. PAUL SIMON.
"John's strong record of promoting education, reducing crime, creating
jobs, cutting government waste, protecting a woman's right to choose
and defending our environment are a few of the key reasons we
enthusiastically endorse his candidacy," says a letter over names of
the 18. They include DAVID
WILHELM, former head of the
Democratic
National Committee, and JERRY
SINCLAIR of Salem, former
Illinois
director for Simon.
Simon
himself, now director of the Public
Policy
Institute at Southern Illinois
University, is not taking sides in the four-way race.
Swinburne
for Poshard
GAYLE
SWINBURNE of Springfield, who is
running
against incumbent ELLEN SINCLAIR
of Salem for the woman's seat from the 20th Congressional District on
the Democratic
State Central Committee, is
trying to firmly attach
herself to the coattails of Poshard.
"I'm working hard for Poshard," she states in a news release about a
recent speech to Greene County Democrats. The release states that
Sinclair is "backing a liberal from Chicago for governor."
Sinclair is wife of Jerry Sinclair, and she, as her husband, backs
Schmidt.
Outsider
with an in
Given that state Sen. PETER
FITZGERALD,
R-Inverness, is the self-proclaimed outsider in the GOP primary race
for U.S. Senate, we know he wouldn't be the kind to throw business
toward political pals.
But it certainly is interesting to look at some of his campaign
disclosure statements and note that he has purchased a bunch of
printing and signage from P.S.
Advertising Inc. of Elmhurst.
P.S. happens to be owned by NANCY PHILIP, wife of state Senate
President JAMES
"PATE' PHILIP, R-Wood Dale, who
happens to be among the
few big-name Republicans in Illinois in Fitzgerald's corner in his
primary battle with Comptroller LOLETA
DIDRICKSON.
The documents show that Fitzgerald's campaign made payments of $ 29,258
to P.S. from September through December, and an additional $ 48,839 was
paid to the firm in January.
"Mrs. Philip's business is totally separate from Senator Philip," said
PATTY SCHUH, the senator's spokeswoman. "I presume the reason Peter
Fitzgerald is buying campaign materials from P.S. advertising is
because she offers a quality product at the best price." P.S., Schuh
said, does business with many candidates, companies and individuals
"because of it's reputation."
Fitzgerald spokesman MIKE CYS said P.S.'s prices are "very
competitive." He also alluded to the idea that the Didrickson campaign
has benefited from the resources of her state office -- the kind of
charge she's been deflecting as she says Fitzgerald is trying to run on
"distortions" of her record.
Verticchio
to announce
RICK VERTICCHIO, the Democrat Gillespie
lawyer,
is expected to formally announce his campaign for the U.S. House from
the 20th Congressional District in Springfield and Edwardsville on
Monday.
U.S.
Sen. DICK DURBIN, D-Ill., will
be with
him, and among expected
news conference fare: how to cast write-in ballots in the Democratic
primary.
With the required 631 write-ins, Verticchio will take on U.S. Rep.
JOHN
SHIMKUS, R-Collinsville, in the
November election.
Bernard
Schoenburg is
the political columnist for The State Journal-Register. He can be
reached at 788-1540 or bernard.schoenburg@sj-r.com.
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