* 10:23 pm - Not unexpected, and this is going to be a big boost to both men. Cash is expected to be in the neighborhood of $250,000 each, plus lots of in-kind stuff like phone banking, etc. The IEA press release is here. The Trib has more…

IEA President Ken Swanson said the union’s board voted unanimously on the choices and said that its 133,000 educators cast ballots in both primaries and believed it prudent to issue recommendations for both Democrats and Republicans. […]

“He has been a voice for years trying to warn us this is coming, a voice in the wilderness, perhaps, at times,” Swanson said. “But we believe he has the vision and ability to work across party lines, work with the four (legislative) leaders…and finally systematically overhaul school funding to provide adequate and sustainable funding for public schools in a way that works for the schools, all of us who work in our schools and the taxpayers.” […]

“If you look at the field of Republican candidates, it is quite clear [Dillard] has the leadership ability and vision to pragmatically and appropriately put together a plan with leaders in both parties to put the state on sound fiscal footing,” Swanson said, adding that Dillard backs a plan that adequately funds schools, “is sustainable and fair to taxpayers.”

Apparently, Gov. Quinn’s emphasis lately on his tax hike pledge didn’t sway the IEA. Frankly, though, I think Quinn was doing that to either bait Hynes into switching his advertising message, or at least get the media to change the subject from the botched early release program. It’s worked with the media for a couple of days, but those Hynes TV ads are still flailing away, and now Hynes has more money to push more points.

As for Dillard, well, he just got some more money to remind people that he was Jim Edgar’s chief of staff. That IEA dough ought to go well with the Jack Roeser cash, said to be in the $250K neighborhood as well. Strange bedfellows, indeed.