WUIS cuts two positions

Public radio WUIS has eliminated two part-time news anchor positions as part of efforts to address "ongoing internal deficits" at the station.

In a June 25, 2008, article in the Springfield State Journal-Register, General Manager Bill Wheelhouse said the move was in no way performance-related: "I'm really trying to get our budget in check." He said the cuts will save money without affecting programs.

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20080625-SJR-WUISCuts.pdf

Redfield says Governor's tour of flooded areas helpful

Gov. Rod Blagojevich stepped back into the public eye to visit flooded communities along the Mississippi River recently and to take a turn filling sandbags in Pike County. Area residents greeted Blagojevich with smiles and handshakes, a change of pace for the embattled Governor.

Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of Political Science at UIS, noted that appearances such as these are reminders of Blagojevich's role as the state's leader and also help let people know that officials are aware of their problems. "You can't look bad out showing concern for disaster victims," he said.

Redfield's comments appeared in an article that ran in the June 20, 2008, Peoria Journal Star.

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20080620-PJS-FloodsBoostBlagojevich.pdf

Mooney quoted in article on Obama's ability to win in rural areas

As a new member of the Illinois Senate, Barack Obama began trying to forge connections with voters in the southern part of the state; the results were mixed. Today he is the apparent Democratic presidential candidate, and some in the party are still concerned about his ability to win over voters in largely rural and blue collar areas.

In an article that appeared in the June 15, 2008, Washington Post, UIS Professor of Political Science Chris Mooney noted that one reason Obama has had an impact in southern Illinois is his constituent service.

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20080615-WP-RuralIllandObamasElectability.pdf

Wheeler thinks impeachment is unlikely

Speculation on the possibility that Gov. Rod Blagojevich will be impeached is widespread; however Charles Wheeler, UIS Professor and Director of Public Affairs Reporting, thinks that won't happen.

Wheeler says, in his opinion, the Governor should be more concerned about the federal investigation into corruption in Illinois government. Wheeler's comments appeared in an article published in the June 13, 2008, Ottawa Times.

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20080613-OT-ImpeachmentNotCertain.pdf

Redfield sees irony in campaign contributions bill

While the Illinois legislature unanimously passed a bill banning campaign contributions from those who hold large contracts with the state, Gov. Rod Blagojevich has yet to sign the bill into law, saying a lot of work remains to be done on it.

Kent Redfield, UIS professor emeritus of Political Science, said it is ironic that the man whom many see as a prime of example of why the bill is necessary is the one who is expected to sign it into law.

Redfield's comments appeared in an article in the Dekalb Daily Chronicle on June 15, 2008.

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20080615-DDC-ContributionBanNotDoneDeal.pdf

Redfield says impeachment memo might help Governor

Many Illinois lawmakers say they see House Speaker Michael Madigan's impeachment memo as "posturing" and a distraction from their efforts to balance the state budget.

Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of Political Science at UIS, says that the memo could actually end up helping Gov. Blagojevich. "It helps the governor to say the speaker is out to get me and he's the one causing the problems," Redfield noted in an article that appeared in the June 12, 2008, West Frankfort Daily American.

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20080612-WFDA-MemoMayHelpGov.pdf

Redfield calls memo "out of character"

The leaked memo from Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's staff instructing candidates to call for the impeachment of Gov. Rod Blagojevich may in fact have weakened Madigan's position in his long-standing conflict with the Governor.

"It was pretty heavy-handed and out of character," noted Kent Redfield, UIS professor emeritus of Political Science, in an article in St. Louis Today.com. The article ran on June 12, 2008.

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20080612-SLT-MemoFalloutContinues.pdf

Author finds inspiration in Brookens' oral history collection

Melinda McDonald, of Springfield, is the author of Water and Fire, a work of historical fiction set during the city's 1908 race riot.

When she was researching the book, one of McDonald's principal sources was the oral history collection housed in the archives at Brookens Library at UIS. "Those were very, very helpful," she noted.

An article about McDonald and her book appeared in the June 9, 2008, Mattoon Journal Gazette/Charleston Times-Courier.

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20080609-JGTC-AuthorUsesOralHistoryCollection.pdf

Wheeler quoted in article on "unconstitutional" budget

Illinois' new budget increases state spending without increasing revenue and is therefore unconstitutional, according to Gov. Rod Blagojevich. While the Governor has not vetoed the budget, he has announced his intention to call legislative leaders together to resume work on it.

In an article in the June 3, 2008, Harrisburg Daily Register, UIS Director of Public Affairs Reporting Charles Wheeler said he could not recall another such instance in which legislators had so"deliberately and publicly approved an unbalanced budget."

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20080603-HDR-UnbalancedBudget.pdf

Redfield says ethics bill is a "historic opportunity"

Gov. Blagojevich has indicated that he may not sign the new ethics bill recently passed by the General Assembly because it doesn't go far enough. However, many observers are questioning his motives for refusing to sign the bill, which passed both the Senate and the House by large majorities.

An article published in the June 8, 2008, Chicago Tribune quotes Kent Redfield, UIS professor emeritus of Political Science, who notes that the bill presents "a historic opportunity to eliminate one of the major sources of corruption in Illinois politics."

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20080608-CT-EthicsBillLoomsLarge.pdf

Redfield offers tips for citizen lobbyists

When it comes to lobbying with state legislators, ordinary citizens can often have an advantage over the professionals. However there are a number of things people can do to present their ideas more effectively.

Kent Redfield, UIS professor emeritus of Political Science, was among the political observers to offer some tips in an article that appeared June 5, 2008, in Medill Reports.

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20080605-MR-LobbyingIsntJustforPros.pdf

Wheeler sees no "win-win situation" for Republicans

State Republicans are hoping to gain some political advantage in the wake of Democratic fundraiser Antoin Rezko's recent conviction on corruption charges and the ongoing federal investigations into the administration of Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

However an article that appeared in the June 6, 2008, Chicago Daily Herald quoted UIS Director of Public Affairs Reporting Charles Wheeler as noting that this is "not totally a win-win situation" for Republicans.

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20080606-CDH-GOPlooksforpoliticalmileage.pdf

Redfield says Rezko conviction may mean trouble for others

Now that Antoin Rezko has been convicted in federal court on multiple counts including mail and wire fraud and aiding and abetting bribery, speculation is increasing on what implications that may hold for Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and, to a lesser extent, for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

In an article in the June 5, 2008, St. Louis Today.com, Kent Redfield, UIS professor emeritus of Political Science, says there is no question that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald intends to bargain with Rezko over sentencing in exchange for his help in indicting Blagojevich.

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20080605-STLT-RezkoConvicted.pdf

Redfield: Obama may suffer "collateral damage" from Rezko ties

With the corruption trial of former political fundraiser Antoin Rezko ending in a conviction, the Republican Party has increased its efforts to publicize Rezko's links to Illinois Senator and Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

In an article in the June 4, 2008, Chicago Daily Herald, UIS Professor Emeritus of Political Science Kent Redfield noted that while nothing in the case directly related to the Senator, "There will certainly, though, be an effort by Republicans to define Obama as just another corrupt Chicago politician."

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20080604-CDH-GOPExploitRezko.pdf

Mooney notes legislative session didn't accomplish much

In a report from the Statehouse reviewing what passed or didn't pass during this legislative session, UIS Professor of Political Science Chris Mooney notes that "there wasn't a lot accomplished."

The article appeared on June 5, 2008, in St. Louis Today.com.

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20080605-STLT-GovLegisBlameEachOther.pdf

Mooney thinks state won't see much presidential campaigning

Political observers say that Illinoisans shouldn’t expect to see much campaigning by either side in the upcoming Presidential race as it is already nearly a given that the state will go to favorite son Barack Obama.

An article in the June 3, 2008, Galesburg Register-Mail presented observations and predictions from several pundits, including UIS Professor of Political Science Chris Mooney.

Mooney noted that the state has been "moving pretty heavily" toward the Democrats in recent presidential elections. "I think Illinois would have been out of it even if Senator Clinton had won (the nomination)," he said.

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20080603-GRM-ObamaHasIllinois.pdf