Also from the State of Illinois comes this rather pathetic interview from The Chicago Tribune's political writer Rick Pearson with republican Judy Baar Topinka, the GOP's gubernatorial candidate: From the Tribune:
Tribune political writer Rick Pearson: Are you going to take money from people who do business with the treasurer’s office for the general election?
Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka: Well, we’ve always taken money from them, and we’ve always put everything out in terms of public bidding.
RP: I understand, but why open yourself up now in terms of the whole ethics issue?
JBT: Well, they have the right to participate. We make sure that everything is competitively bid in our office, including amendments.
RP: I understand, but why do it?
JBT: Because I’m not a millionaire. I don’t print money in the basement, I don’t rob banks.…
RP: Here in the final days of your campaign you were being accused of pay to play politics, I understand you have a need to raise money, but at the same time, given that you are the Republican nominee for governor for the state of Illinois, do you really need to take money from businesses that do business with the treasurer’s office?
JBT: I think anybody that does business can participate as long as it is very publicly documented so you know exactly where that money come from. You will never find a cause-and-effect relationship between the people who give me money and whether or not they get a contract. I mean, you just look at our records! It will prove out that we do everything through competitive bid. That there is absolutely no favoritism, the rules are the same for everybody, and it plays out that that way.
Sounds like she's being interviewed by a child. It's no wonder I never read the Tribune.
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