Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Dan Proft: Patrick Collins: Stopping J.B. Pritzker Is Key to Illinois Reform
Urquhart Media, LLC ^ | April 6, 2009 | Dan Proft

Posted on 04/06/2009 8:30:06 AM PDT by illinoisgop438

Former federal prosecutor Patrick Collins, a Democrat, has figured out how to clean up Illinois state government: Stop J.B. Pritzker.

J.B. Pritzker, a scion of one of Chicago's most prominent and most well-heeled families, gave Rod Blagojevich $100,000 for his re-election campaign in 2006.

According to Collins, 400 individuals gave Blagojevich more than $25,000 and those folks, like J.B. Pritzker, are the problem, which is why we should impose the federal campaign finance regime on Illinois.

I would rather light my money on fire than donate it to Blagojevich or any current Democrat-in-charge in Illinois. However, Collins is precisely wrong it comes to contribution limits.

Collins' fallacious guilt-by-contribution contention is quite astounding when one is reminded that he is an officer of the court who spent much of his career ostensibly committed to the principle of innocent until proven guilty.

In fact, Pritzker has not been accused of doing anything wrong (other than being a Democrat) nor, for that matter, have 99% of the other high dollar contributors to Blagojevich.

But this reality has not stopped Collins from painting with a broad brush during his recent media blitz on behalf of the Illinois Reform Commission's unimaginative, incumbency-protection proposals.

At the federal level, arbitrary contribution limits have served only to make the U.S. Congress a millionaires club without advancing the cause of clean, transparent government one iota. The federal limits have not stopped a congressman from storing $90 grand in illicit cash in his refrigerator or another from taking bribes from a defense contractor--and they never will.

Promoting contribution limits under the guise of reform, Collins does so against the backdrop of Lisa Madigan sitting with $3.5 million in her campaign account, Dan Hynes with nearly $2 million, and Alexi Giannoulias with more than $1 million.

It is terribly convenient for Collins to propose shackling Republicans with contribution limits after his Democrat buddies have stockpiled cash under the current system.

To borrow from P.J. O'Rourke, as long as buying and selling in Illinois is controlled by legislation, the first thing to be bought and sold will be Illinois legislators.

Illinois state government is too big, with too many goodies to distribute. If Collins is truly looking for the epicenter of the corruption that has shaken Illinois, he can find it where taxpayer dollars, not campaign cash, are collected and distributed.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Politics/Elections; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: danproft; jbpritzker; patrickcollins

1 posted on 04/06/2009 8:30:07 AM PDT by illinoisgop438
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: illinoisgop438

So what are guys doing to help Rosanna Pulido in tomorrow’s congressional Special Election?


2 posted on 04/06/2009 8:33:40 AM PDT by EternalVigilance (If you were arrested & charged with defending the Constitution, could a conviction be obtained?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: illinoisgop438

The DemocRat party in IL is a criminal enterprise. The national democRat party is a criminal enterprise. You have to be blind not to see the tentacles of curruption and criminal activities. The case against Blago will evolve very slowly, so that they can manipulate the witness’s to avoid exposing additional people. A no holds barred investigation would tear apart the Rats.


3 posted on 04/06/2009 8:34:16 AM PDT by Oldexpat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: illinoisgop438
Penny Pritzker, of the same Pritzker family, was the National Campaign Chairwoman for finance in the Obama campaign. The Pritzker family financed Blago but they spent far more financing Obama. Blago and Obama share the same backers: The Pritzkers, Rezco and others. Penny Pritzker was also involved in the subprime mortgage fraud that brought down the economy.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/919177,CST-NWS-pritz28.article

http://proteinwisdom.com/?p=12943

4 posted on 04/06/2009 8:43:39 AM PDT by detective
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson