From JUSTPAC…
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride has spent millions on slick TV ads and direct mail — trying his best to hide his liberal record and portray himself as “independent.”
Today, the Chicago Tribune editorial board blows a hole in Kilbride’s claims of independence, writing:
He has raised a whopping $2.48 million … The money is coming largely from the same sources that funded his 2000 campaign: House Speaker Michael Madigan and organized labor. The Madigan-controlled Democratic Party of Illinois has kicked in $1.42 million. The Illinois Federation of Teachers has given more than $454,000 in cash and in-kind contributions, according to the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.
The Tribune editorial board goes on to write that Madigan is most likely funding Kilbride’s campaign so that he will have a friendly Democrat when the Court considers redistricting in two years:
Why would Madigan put so much money in a judicial election when he’s also trying to save his members in the House? Precisely because he wants to save his members in the House — for the next decade. The legislature will soon draw new districts. The Supreme Court will rule on that map. In effect, the court will decide which party holds the upper hand in the House and Senate for the next 10 years. In 2001, Kilbride joined other Democrats on the court to uphold the map drawn by Democrats.
The Democrats want a friendly judge on the Supreme Court. Kilbride is their man.
We don’t need a special interest judge on the Supreme Court. Vote NO on Kilbride.