Chicago Tribune: Birkett considers run for governor

[Tweed]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/west/chi-0502090272feb09,1,6827102.story?coll=chi-newslocalwest-hed

"DuPage County State's Atty. Joseph Birkett is focusing his ambition on the governor's office rather than a second bid for attorney general.

Birkett, a Wheaton Republican who fell 3 percentage points short of Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan in the 2002 race, will spend the next few months exploring a gubernatorial bid by traveling around the state and gauging voter interest in having him challenge Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

"He's tired of watching his lifelong home, the state of Illinois, be redefined by corruption and hostility to business," Dan Curry, whom Birkett hired to advise and speak for his campaign, said Tuesday. "He's watched two governors in a row demonstrate that the state sport of Illinois isn't baseball or football, but pay-to-play politics."

Birkett, 49, was unopposed in November's election and has served as state's attorney in the Republican stronghold of DuPage--the state's second most populated county--since 1996. He will make a final decision whether to run for governor by summer, Curry said."

Here's the kicker: "Birkett also reported $687,500 in debt from his previous statewide run, but has expressed previously that he doesn't consider that an obstacle because he has proved he can raise money to mount a wide campaign."

[9119495]

1. Isn't Blagojevich really popular?

Does an "r" have a chance?

[CubsFan1982]

2. When he ran for AG

I almost voted for him in 2002, until the Rolando Cruz (?) story broke, in which I believe he served as prosecutor. I resented the way that Mike Madigan seemed to buy Lisa the nomination against a vastly more qualified attorney in John Schmidt (who I voted for in the primary), so I was planning on voting for Birkett. After the Cruz story, my conscience wouldn't let me vote for Birkett, yet I still couldn't bring myself to vote for Lisa Madigan, so I wrote in Schmidt's name instead.

Having said that, I've been thoroughly proven wrong about Lisa Madigan, and I've been very impressed with the job she's done. I'd vote for her for AG (or dare I say, governor against Blago) in a heartbeat.