State Sen. James Meeks asked a former Republican gubernatorial candidate to back his possible bid for governor Tuesday, while Mayor Daley defended Gov. Blagojevich's record on behalf of African Americans after an ultimatum from several black aldermen.
Flirting with a third-party run for governor, the South Side pastor approached conservative state Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) about supporting his potential campaign, but he got a thumbs-down from the third-place finisher in last week's GOP primary.
"I've already committed my support to Judy in writing, and I'm a man of my words," Brady said, referring to Republican gubernatorial nominee Judy Baar Topinka.
Brady predicted his mainly Downstate backers would not embrace a Meeks candidacy, not because of racial considerations but because of distrust of Chicago politicians eager to steer state resources the city's way.
Brady also said he believes Meeks is trying to leverage legislation and funding commitments from the Blagojevich administration, even though Meeks seems convincing about challenging the incumbent governor.
"He sounds serious," Brady said. "But I think at the end of the day, it's about playing the game.
Meeks does not rule out talking with defeated GOP gubernatorial candidate Jim Oberweis to ask for his support. Mayor Daley appears to be trying to mediate, citing tight budget times, and the governor's team has been meeting with Meeks and the Black Caucus behind closed doors. Meeks wants $6 billion in school funding from the governor over the next few years.
Given that the state is essentially bankrupt, billions more is irresponsible. That said, the state will need to set priorities, and education is an important one.
School choice would be an excellent way to ensure quality at a reasonable price---let schools compete for students, with public monies tied to the individual students. Give the power to the parents to choose the education that suits their child's best interests.
In this day and age, why should anyone have to put up with a one-size-fits-all education?
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