from the IL GOP
According to news reports, David Plouffe attacked Mark Kirk on a conference call with reporters this morning to distract voters from a deeply flawed U.S. Senate candidate in Illinois. The following is a statement by Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady:
“Alexi Giannoulias is a man of the mob who brings a proven record of poor judgment, risky behavior and reckless decision-making. Long before Rod Blagojevich went on trial or Roland Burris got an ethics censure, Alexi Giannoulias was already loaning money to convicted mobsters, Tony Rezko and an illegal gun smuggler. Alexi Giannoulias would be a disastrous choice for U.S. Senate.”
If David Plouffe wants to talk about fiction, maybe he should re-read the tall tales Alexi “Man of the Mob” Giannoulias gave editorial boards in Chicago in his failed attempt to explain his loans to convicted mobsters:
Questions about bank still dog Giannoulias
Chicago Sun Times, Editorial, March 4, 2010
But if Giannoulias' intent was to clear the air, we're still seeing smog. And to the extent that we do see things more clearly, we're not sure he's looking much better.
Valid questions remain about whether Broadway Bank, before and after Giannoulias worked there, took imprudently high risks with both deposits and loans. And a certain vagueness remains as to why the family withdrew tens of millions of dollars in dividends in 2007 and 2008…
…Either way, fairly or not, he doesn't come out of this looking good.
Giannoulias speaks
Chicago Tribune, Editorial, March 4, 2010
The candidate became intense when questioned about Broadway's loans to organized crime figures such as Michael "Jaws" Giorango and to convicted influence peddler Antoin "Tony" Rezko, connections he clearly regards as politically poisonous…
…When the family bank was flying high and Giannoulias had his eye on the treasurer's office, he was the senior loan officer, but when the tough decisions were made or the questionable characters came to call, it was almost always Alexi's day to empty the wastebaskets…
…The takeaway for voters, so far, is that as a qualification for elected office, Giannoulias' banking background has been grossly overrated. That experience — and the enthusiastic support of his friend, Barack Obama — got him elected treasurer. In the Senate race, he can't count on getting the same kind of mileage out of either.
Giannoulias defends family's bank, but leaves unanswered questions
Crain’s Chicago Business, Greg Hinz, March 3, 2010
Mr. Giannoulias personally visited Florida to see property involved in a Giorango loan. Asked if he was aware then of Mr. Giorango's criminal past, Mr. Giannoulias replied, "I didn't know the full extent of his legal problems." Full extent?
Mr. Giannoulias declined to say more, despite several efforts to get him to elaborate on exactly what he knew and when he knew it.
Giannoulias fails to end bank controversy
Chicago Tribune, John Kass, March 4, 2010
With the Tribune's editorial board, Giannoulias was asked how his relationship with Giorango developed, and at what point did he learn that Giorango, whom he described as a "colorful character," had a criminal background.
"I learned of it primarily when I was running for the office of state treasurer (in 2006)," Giannoulias said. "I mean, I don't remember the exact date, whether it was during the primary or during the general. I think it was during the primary."
He was promptly reminded that on April 27, 2006, during his campaign for treasurer, he told Tribune reporters that he had discussed Giorango's criminal past with him. The discussion took place as Giannoulias worked on millions of dollars' worth of bank loans for Giorango. It was years before Giannoulias' entry into politics.
Giannoulias' bank problems won't go away
Chicago Sun-Times, Mark Brown, March 4, 2010
But Giannoulias' problem is even more fundamental.
The only real qualification for state treasurer he could cite when he came out of nowhere at age 29 to run for office in 2006 was that he had been the bank's chief lending officer for a couple of years…
…It's enough to make a person sit back and ask themselves how Giannoulias got to be treasurer in the first place, let alone seek a promotion to the Senate just four years after arriving on the scene.
