* Let’s fisk this Trib story, shall we?
Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias told the Chicago Tribune editorial board that he has started to raise money for a possible run for governor in 2010, but that he’d know within the next “two to six months” if he will pursue the office.
Two months would be OK, but six? The primary is early February of 2010 - about 14 months from now. Petitions will hit the streets in, what, August? Six months is too long to wait.
Just two years into his first term as treasurer, Giannoulias said he’s raising money to explore a bid, “though not as aggressively as I probably should be.”
I dunno about that. He raised quite a bit of money during the first six months of the year, and he has a big “young professionals” event tonight.
Giannoulias also said that staff within Blagojevich’s office have “reached out” to him as a possible candidate to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate, though a Blagojevich spokesman said the governor has not contacted Giannoulias directly.
Giannoulias said he’s not pushing for the seat, but if it’s offered he’d have to take a “very, very hard look,” at the opportunity to work in Washington D.C. alongside his close friend Obama.
Alexi’s name is rarely mentioned for this seat by the DC types, and I’m not sure why that is. Just yesterday, the Politico trumpeted its top five “frontrunners,” which included Lisa Madigan. The reason for appointing her?
Selecting the popular attorney general, a rising star in Illinois political circles, would take Blagojevich’s biggest rival out of the gubernatorial picture – and she’d also be in strong position to hold the seat in 2010.
Much the same could be said of Giannoulias.
* Anyway back to the Trib story…
“If anybody tells you they know what [Blagojevich is] going to do, I just think that’s probably inaccurate,” Giannoulias said. “I think he changes his mind left and right, so I don’t think anybody has any idea what he’s going to do, who he’s going to pick.”
Amen to that, brother. Amen to that.
* Speaking of reading the governor’s mind, a friend of mine yesterday suggested that perhaps Blagojevich might try to appoint Secretary of State Jesse White. If and when White turns him down, Blagojevich could then say, “Hey, I tried to appoint a black person, but he said ‘No,’ so now I’m gonna appoint someone else.”
It’s as good a theory as any, I suppose, but I wouldn’t crawl too far into RRB’s head if I were you.
* You really should listen to US Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s pitch to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial board. You can find it at this link. Scroll down a bit.
* Related…
* Zorn: There are better ways to replace a senator
* Birkett considers statewide run in 2010
* NEW: Politico: The Obama seat
* NEW: American Prospect: Emil Jones not so safe after all