From The St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Some campaign donors are switching sides to favor Blagojevich

10/14/02

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Follow the money in the Illinois governor's race and
you'll find some strange pairings.

Democrat Rod Blagojevich has won the support of several groups that
generally lean toward the GOP.

Four years ago, the political arm of the Illinois State Medical Society
supported Gov. George Ryan, a Republican. This year, it's backing
Blagojevich; his campaign got $50,000 from the group last week.

The Medical Society had backed Attorney General Jim Ryan, a Republican.
(He is not related to Gov. Ryan.) Between Jan. 1 last year and June 30 this
year, the society gave Ryan $60,000, according to the Illinois Campaign for
Political Reform.

And after backing Republicans in the governors races in 1994 and 1998,
the Illinois Retail Merchants Association has switched allegiance by
putting its name behind Blagojevich.

Independent polls have consistently found Blagojevich with a solid lead
over Ryan. But the medical and merchants groups both say they decided to
back Blagojevich after having extensive interviews with the candidates -
well before any polls were taken.

Cindi Canary, project director for the Illinois Campaign for Political
Reform, questioned whether the groups might be ditching ideology for a
chance to get in good with the next governor.

"They're backing a winner - what they perceive to be a winner," she said.
And in fund raising, "success breeds success."

Ads in Metro East area
show who has the money

Exactly how much money Blagojevich has collected lately due to his status
as the front-runner is a mystery. The campaign finance reports that cover
the period from July 1 to Oct. 6 won't be filed until Oct. 21.

Ryan spokesman Dan Curry acknowledges that Blagojevich has "more money
than God." But Curry wouldn't discuss how much Ryan has raised, and
Blagojevich's camp would not return phone calls.

Voters in the Metro East area can get a pretty good idea of who has the
money by turning on the TV. Blagojevich ads have been on the air on St.
Louis stations for weeks. Ryan has not bought any network time in the St.
Louis market yet, Curry said, but might as the election gets closer.

Traditional GOP stalwarts like the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and the
National Federation of Independent Business have endorsed Ryan and are
helping with phone banks and mailings.

The Illinois Manufacturer's Association has backed Ryan and donated
$50,000 to his campaign, said Gregory Baise, the association's president.

But four years ago, the group gave George Ryan about $150,000. Baise
blames the economy and said the smaller donation "should not be construed
as less support for Attorney General Ryan."

Money attracts money in politics, Baise said, and the Republicans are
having a tough time in Illinois this year because of the
bribes-for-licenses scandal that has dogged Gov. Ryan throughout his term.

"The troubles that the Republican Party faced probably means that
(Blagojevich) has an odds-on chance of winning," Baise said.

Labor groups are
favoring Blagojevich

State law requires that starting 30 days before the election, campaigns
must report any contributions of $500 or more within two business days.

As of Friday afternoon, documents showed Citizens for Jim Ryan raised
$78,250 for the campaign last week, along with $2,000 in in-kind gifts.
Blagojevich for Governor reported raising $112,750 with another $54,174
from in-kind donations.

Labor groups, traditionally strong backers of Democrats, have donated
heavily to Blagojevich. The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform said
labor groups gave him $1.6 million over the 18-month period ending June 30.
That compares to the $141,850 Ryan took in from labor groups during the
same period.

Ryan tried and failed to win the endorsement of one of the state's
biggest labor groups, the Illinois Education Association. The group
endorsed George Ryan in 1998.

"It's no secret that Jim Ryan wanted our endorsement. He fought very hard
for our endorsement," said association spokesman George King. But in the
end, "Blagojevich clearly had the edge and the answers."

The group's political arm has since given Blagojevich about $500,000,
King said.

Kent Redfield, a political science and campaign finance expert from the
University of Illinois at Springfield, said these races usually tighten as
the election nears.

And Illinois' lack of any limits on campaign donations means candidates
can raise big money in a short time.

In general, though, if a donor has $1,000 but a candidate "looks like a
loser," the check may not be sent, said Redfield, adding: "It tends to
become a self-fulfilling prophecy."

Reporter Bill Bell Jr.:

E-mail: bbell@post-dispatch.com

Phone: 217-782-4912