Animal Farm

DuPage County State's Attorney Joe Birkett said today he is dropping out of the race for Illinois Attorney General, citing an "unwinnable" competition against incument Lisa Madigan.
The announcment comes weeks after Madigan, who beat Birkett in 2002, decided to try for a third term instead of seeking a Senate seat or governor’s mansion.
Birkett announced his intent to run for attorney general just a week before Madigan’s stunning declaration.
Birkett made the announcement on his campaign Web site this afternoon and directly attributed his decision to Madigan’s move.

Three-term Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes sent a letter to supporters today declaring his candidacy for governor.
He plans to make an official announcement in the "coming weeks."
The Daily Herald reported recently that Hynes had decided to make a primary challenge against Gov. Patrick Quinn. Both are Chicago Democrats.
Hynes may very well come out as the favorite in the race given his connections to powerful unions and businesses. He now has more than $3 million in his campaign fund compared to Quinn's $700,000 or so.
However, he was considered a favorite for similar reasons in 2004 when he lost a primary run for Senate to obscure state Sen. Barack Obama.

Here is Hynes letter:

Dear Friends,

State Sen. Matt Murphy has been quiet lately about his run for governor as compared to his Republican primary competition. But the Palatine Republican says that is no sign he is backing out of the race.
In fact, he told Animal Farm today he is fundraising, has a team of advisors in place and recently meet with members of the Republican Governors Association. In coming weeks he is planning a statewide tour.
Murphy’s right-hand man is Ryan McLaughlin, who ran Peter Roskam’s successful run for Congress against Tammy Duckworth in the DuPage County-centered 6th District.
“It is coming together nicely,” he said. “I feel like I have a great opportunity.”

Andy Martin, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate here, fired off a letter to the U.S. Attorney General regarding President Obama's birth certificate, which Martin has spent time in Hawaii trying to access.

Martin questioned whether the president and his allies benefit politically by writing off as "cookie" those who question his citizenship.

Being a helpful journalist, I quickly emailed Mr. Martin to point out the term he probably meant to use was: "kooky."

He expressed his gratitude for the catch.

Most expect a fierce fight among Democrats with the exodus of U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk in the North suburban 10th District.
The region is tilted Democratic and Kirk, a Highland Park Republican, has had to fight hard to keep the seat. For years district voters haven chosen a Democrat for president. Plus, the national Democrats are expected to make sure they win the seat as they play mostly defense in next year's mid-term elections.
So it is little surprise the Republican side of the race to replace Kirk has been a bit dry. Most recently, a Winnetka attorney said he might run with the backing of Pat Collins, the former federal prosecutor who put GOP Gov. George Ryan in prison.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Monday he was in the dark about any potential statewide bid of Merchandise Mart boss Chris Kennedy, the nephew of his Senate colleague Ted Kennedy.
Chris Kennedy's name has often come up as a potential Democratic challenger in Illinois races, but the son of Robert Kennedy has never actually stepped into the ring.
Lately, media reports have said he is eying a run for governor after backing off a senate bid. That would put him in competition with Gov. Pat Quinn and Comptroller Dan Hynes.
Asked about Chris Kennedy Monday, Durbin said flatly, "I have heard so many rumors."
"I don't know where he is whether it is governor or senator or something else," Durbin said.

Here is a transcript of what President Barack Obama said at his Chicago fundraiser Thursday night at the Hyatt Regency.
Of note is that he didn't single out Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias as a "friend" like he did former Senate President Emil Jones or current president John Cullerton. He also didn't make any special notes on Quinn or Hynes.
Finally, a bit further down he gets into health care.
For those who were wondering what happened to his inspiring speeches and compelling argument for health care reform during his Wednesday night presser, read on...

U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk is set to run for higher office.
A release from his office announces today that he will make it official on Monday in a press conference to "announce his candidacy for statewide office."
A Republican source had told the Daily Herald Kirk intends to run for Senate. There has also been talk that he may run for governor, but that has died down lately since Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan backed out of a threatening bid for that post and Senate.
The Highland Park Republican has been expected to run for Senate for months, but he has not pulled the trigger, leading some other GOPers to float their names.
Most recently, Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna was aggressively pursuing the bid. But on Monday he said he wouldn't run if Kirk did.

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna has backed off his potential Senate bid, saying he won't run if U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk finally pulls the trigger.
But that doesn't mean Kirk will have a clear GOP primary to save strength and money to take on a Democrat in the general election.
For one, state Rep. Jim Durkin, a Western Springs Republican, is debating a second run for Senate.
Durkin is upset with Kirk's vote for cap-and-trade legislation, a key element of President Barack Obama's agenda and favorite target of conservatives.
"I think he is going to regret that vote," Durkin said today.

... about the $31 billion construction spending plan the governor signed into law Monday:

Alcohol taxes will help finance it. Here's how much more you'll pay beginning in September:

2.6 cents per six-pack of beer.
13 cents per bottle of wine
81 cents for a fifth of liquor.

That'll bring in $109 million a year to help pay off the financing.