With major endorsements going to other candidates last week, Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls Jim Burns and Roland Burris are scrambling for a share of the spotlight. The attention paid to endorsement getters John Schmidt and U.S. Rep. Glenn Poshard in recent weeks forces Burns and Burris to sink or swim in their rivals’ wake.

Poshard struck first, acquiring the endorsement of the state AFL-CIO Jan. 10, followed by the Chicago Police Lodge Jan. 12. Schmidt, a former U.S. Justice Department official, scored next by securing the state National Organization for Women endorsement that same day. Burris and Burns are downplaying their losses in the endorsement game, reminding pundits that voters have yet to play their hand. But with two and half months until the primary, Burns and Burris must now execute flawless performances in the campaign’s final weeks to counteract the lack of momentum generated so far.

The campaign isn’t over, says Delmarie Cobb, director of communications for Burris. These endorsements just happened last week and they’re [the media] handling them like they’ve had a crippling effect.

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To count us out is crazy.

Though few have officially discounted the struggling candidates, experts such as John Jackson, vice chancellor for Academic Affairs and provost, say the endorsement process has hindered Burns’ chances. Declining to comment on the Burris campaign, Jackson said that the tables have turned on Burns, who initially won the support of House Speaker Michael Madigan only to lose the endorsement to Poshard in recent weeks.

I think [Burns’] candidacy has been hurt by not getting any of the important endorsements and the allegation that the Speaker was backing him and then turned around and clearly supported Poshard for the labor endorsement, he said. I think he’s lost a lot of momentum in this race.

Burns’ press secretary John Sullivan puts a different spin on the race, saying that the campaign did not expect to receive any high-profile endorsements because of the nature of Burns’ message. Sullivan is confident, though, that voters will overlook the political gamesmanship and nominate Burns on the basis of that message.

The truth of the matter is, the citizens will decide the next governor, he said. Jim Burns is the outsider in this race. His message is cleaning up government and with that message, you’re not going to get the political endorsements.

But, people want to see an end to the MSIs [recent state contract case] and the back room politics and all the rip-offs, and they’ll ultimately nominate Jim Burns to do that.

Burns’ ethics package includes a host of detailed proposals to eliminate the pay-to-play politics that has characterized Illinois government for decades. The plan, called Making Government Work for the People, contains four general goals bolstered by specific proposals. These include:opening up the state contract bidding process for every contract more than $10,000;

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requiring public disclosure of bidders’ political contributions,

banning the use of campaign funds for personal use;

enacting a conflict of interest law to prevent lawmakers from voting on legislation in which they or their spouse have an interest;

capping lobbyist’s gift expenses at $25;

prohibiting lawmakers from receiving more than one government paycheck;

limiting political candidates to use of one campaign fund;

disallowing any member of a Burns administration to retain or recommend former business associates for state contracts

and mandating more regular public audits of government departments.

The plan is the most comprehensive in the gubernatorial field, but whether it will resonate well with voters remains questionable.

Burns, in addition to ethics reform, would implement an education package that stresses accountability and increased resources for students. He opposes an income tax increase to raise education foundation levels. Instead, Burns would milk general revenue growth up to 50 percent and cap off-site administrative costs at 10 percent, ultimately pouring $1.2 billion into the system over four years.

Also included in the plan are proposals to increase standards for students, teacher, and administrators. He would require eighth-grade students to pass a test in reading, writing and math before starting high school and establish general high school diplomas for students who pass a basic skills test and academic diplomas for students who pass a test in academic subjects other than basic skills. Only those students with an academic diploma would be considered for admission into state universities.

Burris also opposes any tax increase for education funding. Like Burns, he would budget 1.2 billion new education dollars in the first year by utilizing new revenue growth funds. Burris also plans to link hospitals and learning institutions into a Ready to Learn initiative aimed at educating parents of newborns about the importance of getting their children ready to learn. Burris would establish a new state university loan program that ties repayment to long-term individual tax returns of students who live and work in Illinois.

Burris also proposes to develop and market the information technology industry in Illinois, helping workers obtain information technology training. He plans to extract trainees from state welfare rolls, moving more recipients to work. Burris wants to mandate a package of direct grants, scholarships, and tax credits that would subsidize the training and education of non-traditional age students who major in computer science or information technology at four-year state institutions.

To spur job growth, Burris plans to build a new airport in Chicago’s south suburbs.

Burris firmly supports the death penalty and, if elected, would add a senior level criminal justice coordinator to his staff, restructure the juvenile justice system so that violent offenders receive swift punishment and educational training. Burris supports the ban on assault weapons and would work to close loopholes in state gun-control laws.

Similarly, Burns supports the death penalty, banning assault weapons and extending the provisions of the Brady Bill. Burns would crack down on gun-trafficking by entering into gun-control agreements with neighboring states, and lower gun-trafficker kingpin status to include sales of guns by violators in any state.

Both Burns and Burris would like to expand child care and child insurance. Both candidates are pro-choice and are drafting specific proposals to fight domestic violence.

Burns is a retired U.S. attorney from Quincy. Burris was appointed Attorney General in 1990 after serving three terms as Comptroller. Burris, a native of Centralia, graduated from SIUC with a bachelor’s degree in political science.