From the SJ-R:

Candidates press palms one last time
Blagojevich, Whitney stop in city a day after Topinka

By BERNARD SCHOENBURG
POLITICAL WRITER

Published Tuesday, November 07, 2006

In pre-election appearances in Springfield on Monday, Gov. Rod Blagojevich urged supporters to "continue to build on the progress we've made," while Green Party candidate Rich Whitney held out hope for a longshot victory and explained why he quit the Socialist Labor Party.

Blagojevich's six-city fly-around included an afternoon stop at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, where Springfield Mayor Tim Davlin introduced the governor as someone who has done much for children, health care and education.

"I challenge you to find someone that has more family values than Rod Blagojevich," Davlin said.

"There is a simple choice for the voters across Illinois," Blagojevich told the enthusiastic crowd. "Do we continue to build on the progress we made after digging ourselves out of the mess that Governor (George) Ryan and his treasurer, Treasurer (Judy Baar) Topinka left us and move our state forward? Or do we allow my opponent to take us back to how it was when Governor Ryan was the governor and she was his state treasurer?"

Topinka, the GOP gubernatorial candidate, appeared at a rally in Springfield Sunday night, along with former Gov. Jim Edgar. Edgar appears in a television ad for Topinka emphasizing that Topinka was not Ryan's treasurer, but was elected independently to the office she continues to hold alongside Blagojevich.

Blagojevich touted a number of programs, including his All Kids health insurance plan. He also got cheers for taking on Republicans in Washington on issues like the minimum wage. It was raised to $6.50 in Illinois during his term, and he wants to raise it another dollar.

State AFL-CIO president Margaret Blackshere led the audience in repeatedly seeking "four more years" for Blagojevich.

Blagojevich did not mention any of the legal controversies surrounding his administration, including federal investigations that continue, and he left the rally without taking questions from reporters.

But the governor generated laughs by noting that, during his first term, the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals have both been World Series champs, the Chicago Bears are 7-1, and the Chicago Cubs almost made it to the World Series in 2003.

"And I don't care what anybody says," Blagojevich added. "I think the Cubs are great, and just wait until next year."

Topinka said in Bloomington Sunday that maybe Blagojevich "ought to run for manager of the Cubs. They're a bunch of losers, too."

Meanwhile, Whitney appeared at the Statehouse to talk about his planned transition if he is elected governor. Whitney called the recent revelation that he was a member of the Socialist Labor Party until 1992 a non-issue.

"If you will pardon a bad joke, I look at it as a red herring," Whitney told reporters. "I have not been a socialist for 14 years. I left that behind me. You know, before I was a socialist, I was a Republican.

"My political views grew up," he said.

He also repeated his positions in support of single-payer universal health care and for allowing trained citizens to carry guns openly in public.

"We're not going to be passing out guns like candy," he said. "I think the experience of 48 other states that have some form of right to carry has been that ... it has a positive impact on bringing down the crime rate."

Appearing with Whitney was Ed Howlett of Naperville, one of the sons of the late Secretary of State Michael Howlett. Howlett has sought offices as both a Democrat - as was his father - and a Republican, and said he's for Whitney for governor.

"I've been active in politics ... since I was 10 years old, and I've never seen a more disgusting campaign by two gubernatorial candidates than this year," said Howlett, 52, of Blagojevich and Topinka.

"Rich has handled himself like a gentleman all the way through it."