Blagojevich, Topinka trade barbs
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| AP Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich listens during a news conference at his Chicago campaign headquarters where he received the endorsement from an advocacy group Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2006. Blagojevich faces Republican Judy Baar Topinka in his re-election bid in the Nov. 7 election. |
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COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
CHICAGO - Republican gubernatorial nominee Judy Baar Topinka on Wednesday said Democratic incumbent Rod Blagojevich has crossed the line by airing negative ads suggesting she doesn't care about veterans.
Blagojevich countered Topinka is the one lashing out with personal attacks because she is "frustrated" at the state of her campaign.
Their testy comments came as both major-party nominees stumped in the final days leading up to Tuesday's election.
Topinka, a third-term state treasurer, said Blagojevich's ads geared toward veterans are galling to her because her son, Joseph, is in the Army and her dad fought in World War II.
"I think it sullies my son's reputation, I think it sullies my father's reputation," a visibly angry Topinka said at a news conference to propose ethics reforms in the governor's office. "It sullies my family honor. I resent that."
Topinka said Blagojevich has not properly funded veterans' homes and - in an attempt to install cronies - skirted state hiring laws that give preference to former military personnel.
Blagojevich indicated his campaign ads are fair because Topinka would cut his new Veterans Care program, which will offer medical benefits to veterans who do not qualify for federal assistance. One of the Blagojevich ads said Topinka does not think the state can afford the plan and asks, "What's she thinking?"
"There's a clear issue difference between treasurer Topinka and me on providing health care to veterans," Blagojevich said at a news conference to announce a political endorsement.
Topinka spokesman John McGovern said Blagojevich is wrong - the Republican candidate would fund Veterans Care.
Although Blagojevich has touted the program on the campaign trail, his office could not provide numbers Wednesday on how many participants have been enrolled; there is room for at least 2,000 in a start-up phase.
Also, the Blagojevich administration has drawn fire for the way it has chosen to finance the $8 million health-care plan - by channeling most revenue from a new scratch-off lottery ticket for Illinois veterans.
Some veterans advocates say the lottery money - estimated at about $8 million - by statute was to be split equitably among five program areas, including long-term care for veterans and assistance to homeless vets. A legislative rules committee last month urged Blagojevich's veterans affairs director, Roy Dolgos, to apportion the lottery proceeds more evenly.
One member of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules estimated Veterans Care would absorb $7 million in lottery funds while the four remaining program areas would have to share $1 million. Blagojevich spokesman Gerardo Cardenas said Veterans Care would be financed with $6 million in lottery proceeds and $2 million in general revenue funds.
In a September letter to JCAR, the Illinois commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars called the health care program "suspect at best."
"It is not an entitlement; it is not mandatory; and is subject to availability of funding," Matthew Claussen wrote. "We wonder what will happen to the veterans who enroll in this program if it is not renewed in the next General Assembly."
Also Wednesday, Topinka proposed an ethics policy that would bar immediate family members of the governor from doing business with state contractors. The Republican's plan comes in the wake of published reports that Blagojevich's wife, Patti, received commissions from real estate deals involving a state contractor.
"What I'm not going to do is play these games," Blagojevich said when asked about Topinka's idea. "I know she's frustrated right now with the course of her campaign, and I can understand that. I'm sensitive to that, and she's lashing out and she's making all kinds of attacks and accusations."
Pressed about whether Topinka's proposal has merit, Blagojevich responded, "I'm going to leave that for others to decide."
Mike Ramsey can be reached at 312-857-2323 or cnsramsey(at)aol.com.
REEDM-CNS-SD-11-01-06 1821PST
