Writing on White

Springfield Journal Register

By: Doug Finke

October 1, 2006

Sen. Dan Rutherford of Chenoa is the Republican candidate for secretary of state. He's been blasting Secretary of State Jesse White recently for ethical lapses, including the fact that Rick Davis, a White contractual employee, wrote a biography of White that coincidentally came out during this re-election year. Davis is paid $72,000 a year to promote school bus safety, including the Toby Tire school bus safety mascot.

Davis said he wrote the book on his own time, so there isn't a problem.

Rutherford says Davis is still a White employee, so the whole thing still doesn't pass the "smell test."

All of this led to one Statehouse wag suggesting that Rutherford adopt a new campaign slogan: "Fire the Tire."

Doug Finke is a columnist and statehouse reporter for Copley News Service. He can be reached at (217) 788-1527 or by e-mail at doug.finke@sj-r.com.