State Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale) is running for governor, and last week he duped a cold hearted journalist, John Kass of the Chicago Tribune, who wrote a generally positive column about the onetime chief of staff for Governor Jim Edgar. William Cellini, longtime Springfield powerbroker and nominal Republican, personifies everything that is wrong with Illinois--a cloud of sleaze has hovered over him for decades, something that has not escaped the purview of Kass.
In the last twelve months Cellini has been indicted twice: The first time was for his alleged role in a shakedown scheme involving convicted political swindler Antoin "Tony" Rezko; the second occasion included charges of attempted extortion. Former Governor Rod Blagojevich was part of that indictment.
Here's what Andrew Ferguson wrote about Cellini in his 2007 book, Land of Lincoln: Adventures in Abe's America:
Within a decade Cellini had built a fortune by "turning state government into a cottage industry," as one Chicago newspaper put it. He started a construction firm that specialized in government subsidized housing for senior citizens and office buildings that could be leased back to the state. He helped secure state subsidized loans for the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel, a "luxury hotel" he built in downtown Springfield. When the state legalized gambling on riverboats, it sold him the first license--an $85,000 investment that led to a company later valued at $500 million.
The time period Ferguson speaks of predates Dillard's stint as Edgar's chief of staff.
In 1996 the Chicago Sun-Times wrote an exposé entitled "Cellini: State capitol's quiet captain of clout."
Which brings us back to Dillard:
"When I was the governor's chief of staff, Bill (Cellini) and I talked, but it wasn't nearly as often as people imagined . . . a couple times a month," Dillard said. "It could be (about) upcoming political races or just rumors he would pick up.
"One of the things that makes Bill Cellini a trusted adviser is the longevity and breadth of his experience in state government," Dillard said.
"Bill Cellini personally cares in a friendship type of fashion . . . about governors Thompson and Edgar," Dillard said. "He's very different . . . from many of the other individuals who tangentially profit from government."
Tangentially? Oh really!
Yes, Cellini had not been charged with criminal activity in 1996. But he had a stench surrounding him in Springfield, one strong enough to stink up the entire state.
As you'll see below, Kirk Dillard appeared in a Barack Obama campaign commercial, which is reason enough for me not to vote for him. He told Kass that he did it because Obama "was the co-sponsor of major ethics changes I supported."
But remember: Dillard called Cellini "a trusted advisor." He spoke with him "a couple times a month."
Dillard has his own bipartisan credentials, as another Republican gubernatorial candidate, Dan Proft, explained in a statement last week:
Sen. Dillard was one of only four GOP State Senators to cross party lines in order to vote for Rod Blagojevich's $10 billion bond scheme in 2003. This deal doubled the state's bonded indebtedness in one fell swoop.
It would have been much easier to confront Illinois' fiscal problems six years ago when the economy was strong. But Blago chose the smoke and mirrors approach, and Dillard tagged along.
That's not leadership--Dillard isn't what Illinois needs.
Earlier post:
Kirk Dillard's 2008 TV commercial for Obama
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