Tuesday, May 2, 2006

Presidential Fund-Raiser for Topinka Suspended and Wait `Til You Hear Why.

The much looked-forward-to fund-raising dinner headed by President Bush for Judy Baar Topinka has been suspended until further notice, my Washington sources with close touch to the White House tell me.

The reason will astound you. Remember the story that an aide to Topinka told George Will that (a) the president is needed here only to raise money and because he’s so unpopular for nothing else; and (b) he should hold the fund-raiser in a secure, undisclosed location? That body-blow to the president publicized by a national correspondent has been used as a powerful weapon against Bush by liberals seeking to prove that as wartime leader he is a liability. And this despite the active support of Topinka by Bob Kjellander via his ties with Karl Rove.

Now it develops that the source of those comments was not an aide, not Nancy Kimme but Topinka herself! Her campaign sought to protect her by saying that an aide was responsible for the devastating insult to the president from an establishment-anointed Republican nominee for governor. Some unnamed aide was given the blame, but it’s not true: no matter how many denials they make. Result: the dinner which Topinka hoped would raise big bucks has been shelved for now, despite Blagojevich’s stepping up his paid media attacks. Yet, understandably, the White House feels that for a statewide Republican candidate to say this to a national correspondent is almost unforgivable. Don’t be too easily convinced by a quick Topinka tut-tut denial. After all, she continues to steadfastly deny refusing to endorse U. S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald for reelection even though more than 75,000 listeners heard her wiggle out of providing support

7 comments:

  1. The best Bush response to a Topoinka remark is a McSweeney-Roskam fundraiser with Rutherford, Pankau, etal at the head table.

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  2. How'd you find out about Topinka's gaffe? Can we encourage you to tell us who let you know? It had to be someone close to her and this makes her campaign look even worse. I wish we could convince someone decent to run as a write-in candidate.

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  3. Peter decided to quit after Proft tried strong-arming him and made good on his (Proft's) threat to work for Jack! Ryan.

    Jack! Ryan decided to challenge Fitzgerald and was actually running before Fitzgerald made public his decision not to run for re-election, so I guess he (Jack!) didn't endorse Fitzgerald either, but he (Jack!) sure got a lot of conservative support.

    Gotta love the double standard!

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  4. I didn't and wouldn't have voted for Jack! Ryan but you can't compare his getting conservative support to conservatives running away from Topinka. Ryan, backstabber that he was, was at least considered to be a nominal conservative. Topinka doesn't have a conservative bone in her body. Even if she had been at every Peter Fitzgerald rally from now until doomsday conservatives would have no reason to support her.

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  5. being fiscally conservative aren't conservative "bones".

    Face it, she's to the right of Jim Edgar, who is considered moderate.

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  6. First, since when has Joe Birkett been a conservative icon? What conservative battles has he been in, front and center? He's a prosecutor, that's it.

    Secondly, since when has a Lt. Governor done anything? Anything?

    NRA Endorsements ... I'm pretty comfortable that our guns are safe with Blago. George Ryan was supposed to be a big Second Amendment supporter, too. Topinka reminds me more of him than Blago.

    Fiscal Conservative? Based on what? She hasn't ruled out a tax increase, which would indicate that one is coming as soon as she gets in (if she gets in). If a Republican can't rule out a tax increase then what is the point of being a Republican. It certainly doesn't make her "fiscally conservative".

    She's a clone of Jim Thompson and Jim Edgar and George Ryan, all left of center, all either raised taxes or fought to. She'll be the same.

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  7. Is whether Bob Kjellander and / or Karl Rove (if they are not in jail) will be able to convince George W. Bush to pardon George Ryan convicted for 23 felonies and commute his sentence and does Illinois law allow him to restore his pension (and make up payments) after a pardon by the president.

    Judy is DOA unless two outside forces help her out – a third party candidacy by Meeks or an indictment of Blago. She might as well pocket any campaign money like previous combine candidates (or bribe or “donate” it to Meeks) as what she says or does is irrelevant.

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