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Topinka: Voters Get What They Deserve
Produced by Rob Wildeboer on Monday, January 26, 2009
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Judy Barr Topinka in 2006. (AP/Nam Y. Huh) |
As the impeachment trial of governor Rod Blagojevich gets underway today in the Illinois Senate we get insights from a politician who's got a special place in the history of the Blagojevich years. Judy Baar Topinka was the republican nominee who challenged governor Rod Blagojevich in the 2-thousand six election. She lost and she says now Illinois voters are getting exactly what they deserve.
Judy Baar Topinka has a reputation for being blunt. I was reminded of that again this morning when I ran into her at a breakfast gathering of civic and business leaders. I asked her what she thinks of the political circus surrounding Blagojevich and Illinois state government.
TOPINKA: It makes us all look like a bunch of Bozo's... Rather than a legal campaign.
This morning Blagojevich appeared on ABC's Good Morning America and The View. He continues to make the argument that the rules governing the Senate impeachment trial do not give him a chance to defend himself. He also says he expects to be removed from office. Topinka says she thinks the govenor's current media blitz is geared not towards this weeks Senate trial, but towards the criminal trial which, if he's found guilty, could result in him losing more than just his job.
TOPINKA: His running around like this... He can walk.
When Topinka thinks back on her decision to run against Blagojevich in 2006 she talks about it in epic terms.
TOPINKA: I gave up a job I....obviously it did not.
Topinka thought she had a good chance of winning but then she says Republican supporters, the people who write the big checks to fund campaigns, they were all backing Blagojevich.
TOPINKA: We were stunned...don't do that.
Topinka says some of her republican friends also wouldn't even talk to her during the campaign because they didn't want to jeopardize business deals they had going with the state.
TOPINKA: Yeah, go along get along...Horrible!
Topinka says she hasn't been able to laugh at, or revel in the demise of her old foe. She says she dedicated a 26 year career to the state of Illinois and citing the state's staggering debt, the former state treasurer says Illinois is now quote, "blowing up around us."
Related: Wildeboer's complete conversation with Topinka
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Ron, Springfield // Monday, January 26, 2009 @ 8:59 PM
What a classy lady. I can't imagine why the voters choose Blago over her.
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Perspective, Ravenswood/Chicago // Tuesday, January 27, 2009 @ 9:54 AM
Considering Rod spent $27 million of illegally raised money on negative advertizing to destroy her reputation and steal the election, I am surprised that she is not more outraged that she is!
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Kim Johnson, Chicago // Tuesday, January 27, 2009 @ 10:40 AM
Judy Topinka is the reason why Obama raise to the senate seat and then to the presidency. When the Republican nominee was running for the senate seat and had some personal problems which are nothing, she forced him to quit and brought a radical Allen Key who does not live in Illinois to run against Obama, the most stupid thing ever. Now we are stuck with the socialist Obama and his people. I am glad she did not win. She does not deserve to.
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Gareth H., Edgewater // Tuesday, January 27, 2009 @ 11:12 AM
Topinka did not bring in Alan Keyes to replace Jack Ryan...who was not run out by Topinka either, but rather by the conservative, 'gays, guns and Jesus' wing of the Illinois GOP! Topinka was a moderate, supported the gay community and didn't give a rat's rear what Ryan and his wife did on their own time! So you can't blame Keyes on Topinka, who was herself not considered, 'conservative enough' by GOP mouthbreathers!
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Dan, Chicago // Tuesday, January 27, 2009 @ 11:29 AM
Gareth H., be honest for once.
Topinka most certainly did lead the crucifixtion of Jack Ryan. This is an empirical fact. You can find the tapes of her at press conferences doing her best to humiliate Jack. Topinka has always tried to destroy anyone she thought might be in her way. Jack was seen as the future. In Judy's mind, that meant he was evil.
But even before that, Judy worked against Peter Fitzgerald. The other poster had it right, Topinka did more than anyone to deliver that senate seat to Obama.
And Topinka was chairman of the state gop when Keyes was imported. Her committee did that. Only they had a vote.
Topinka and her friends had so screwed up the process by then, no one else decent even wanted the spot. So while technically Topinka didn't have a vote for Keyes, her destructive actions made it happen. For the record the replacement Topinka wanted was even worse then Keyes and had a REAL sex scandal.
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Mephisto's Flyer, Lakeview, IL // Tuesday, January 27, 2009 @ 11:39 AM
I'm personally glad Topinka took down that hypocrite Ryan! He had a lot of nerve attacking the gay community and babbling on about family values while nejoying kinky sex clubs! Too bad all hypocrites didn't wind up like ole Jack! Mybae Judy knows something the rest of the GOP should get through their heads--get off the gay bullsh*t and maybe you'll be taken seriously again. I know a lot of people in the gay commuity who would vote Republican in a minute, if they didn't cater to the Jesus loons and attack them at every turn.
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Perspective, Ravenswood/Chicago // Tuesday, January 27, 2009 @ 12:00 PM
Dan, wow, you really need to get off of the fringe blog sites and read a newspaper every once in a while. Judy never had a bad thing to say about Ryan or Fitzgerald. Your reckless claims are alarming, even for a blog post.
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Chris, Andersonville (Chicago) // Tuesday, January 27, 2009 @ 12:24 PM
See- now this is why I voted Rich Whitney in '06, along with 1 in 10 other Illinois voters. Will the three-ring circus that is the Blagojevich-Burris affair finally allow Illinoisans to mobilize a serious third-party ticket challenge to the equally corrupt parties in charge?
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Michelle, Naperville // Tuesday, January 27, 2009 @ 12:24 PM
What a surprise that Topinka's nutty refugees would come on and spread more lies.
In 2004 Topinka held press conferences to undermine Jack Ryan. She would preach about family values before running off to the gay pride parade or some fundraiser in a gay club.
And the first thing Topinka did when she became state gop chairman in late 2002 was to get the committee to NOT endorse Peter Fitzgerald the reformer for reelection.
Some of you people on here are either congenital liars or you don't know the first thing about IL politics, or both.
Topinka was one of the most destructive and selfish people ever to disgrace Illinois. Except for her old staff, no one regrets her demise. She brought it on herself. From that interview above, I think she's loopier than Blago.
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Perspective, Ravenswood/Chicago // Tuesday, January 27, 2009 @ 12:43 PM
Dan, Michelle, are you both single? You sound perfect for each other.
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Sara, Uptown // Tuesday, January 27, 2009 @ 12:48 PM
"What a surprise that Topinka's nutty refugees would come on and spread more lies." Oh good grief, another conspiracy loon! If Republicons can't see a cockeyed connection between to unrelated stories, they make it up! By the way, Michelle, nice not-so-subtle slap at the gay community--you're the typical bigot that parades itself as good old, flag waving conservative! As for for family values, I know a lot of homosexuals with more family values than Alan Keyes, who disowned his own daughter because she was a lesbian. As for Judy being loopy, you need to get your meds adjusted, honey, because you and your ilk didn't like Topinka because she wasn't as crazy as you and the rest of the Rush Limbaugh Republicans!
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Gareth H, Edgewater // Tuesday, January 27, 2009 @ 12:51 PM
I guess all of Topinka's "SHE-DIDN'T-LOVE-BUSH-AND-JESUS-ENOUGH" bomb-throwing GOP detractors have come out from under their rocks.
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Andrew, WBEZ // Tuesday, January 27, 2009 @ 12:58 PM
Thanks for all the spirited discussion on this story, but let's keep it above the belt, please! Comments should be related to the story here, not name-calling or stereotyping. We will begin deleting comments that cross this line. Thanks!
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Keith, Peoria // Tuesday, January 27, 2009 @ 1:30 PM
Blago & Judy are the reason i voted green!
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Judy, Roselle // Tuesday, January 27, 2009 @ 1:38 PM
It's no wonder that "Judy" lost -- she is nothing but a snide vindictive woman -- an embarrassment to women everywhere. I wouldn't vote for her today -- no class!
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George O., Rogers Park // Tuesday, January 27, 2009 @ 3:44 PM
That's right, Judy from Roselle, nothing keeps a debate as 'classy' as hyperbole and unbridled cattyness.
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Mary Tuite, Rockford // Tuesday, January 27, 2009 @ 3:47 PM
Yea, voters deserve what they get, right Jude?
What about all of you out there who voted for GW Bush two times? Any regrets?? Now the whole country is screwed not just Illinois. Any regrets about voting twice for the worst President this country has ever had to endure? Blago needs to go to prison just like Cheney, Rove, Miers and the wonderful neocons who pushed a Middle East War. May all those crooks live to be 110 so they hear their names blasted for many long days.
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