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* Gov. Pat Quinn’s campaign just admitted to some suspect contributions…
Quinn campaign aides confirm that the Teamsters on April 23 sent him checks for $50,000 and $25,000. And buzz is that local Teamsters chief John Coli has sent or is about to send another $100,000.
As I’ve already told you, the Teamsters want to take over the Riggers union at McCormick Place and Quinn included that very provision in his amendatory veto of the McPier reform bill.
Yikes.
Sen. Bill Brady issued a statement claiming that Quinn was “working to cut a deal to support the same insiders who led us into this mess in the first place and who he is courting to help his own political career.”
Brady didn’t mention the issue while talking to reporters today about the governor’s AV.
The House and Senate both voted to override the governor’s veto today.
* Speaking of quid pro quo, there is lots of chatter about some major logrolling going on during the Senate’s attempt to pass the pension borrowing bill. And Sen. Rickey Hendon probably didn’t help matters much during committee today when he asked the budget director to remember the Democrats when it comes time to divvy up the state cash.
Watch Hendon’s comments and Senate GOP Leader Christine Radogno talking about the logrolling reports and connecting them to Hendon’s comments…
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 2:10 pm
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Previous Post: *** UPDATED x2 *** That’s politics, baby
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This is not making Mr. Quinn look very good, ya think? Making an A.V. benefitting the Teamsters right after they give him a generous chunk of cash? With promises of bigger checks to come?
Somebody needs to “speak truth to power” right back at P.Q.
Comment by DuPage Dave Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 2:22 pm
You just can’t make this stuff up. So, what is Quinn’s number? $25K, $50K or $100K?
Comment by Park Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 2:25 pm
Oh, brother - what a stupid move!
Thanks Pat for reminding us what we hate about Illinois politics. Just a note - would like to see some “reform” regarding those kind of stunts, ya agree?
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 2:27 pm
The only difference between Quinn and Blago is that Quinn rents relatively cheap.
Comment by Disgusted Dem Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 2:28 pm
Ok so this election I can vote for the Guy who passes legislation to increase the value of property h is selling for personal gain; or the guy who uses his AV to gain politcial contribtuions…..
What is the requirement to write in Lisa madigan for Gov?
Comment by Ghost Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 2:30 pm
Come on bloggers you are being easy on PQ. If this was Blago, you would be calling for a gentleman from the central district to make an inquirey.
Comment by Brother Darryl Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 2:32 pm
I’m with everyone else. Isn’t this the same kind of stuff Rod got arrested for? (Ok, *some* of the things Rod got arrested for).
Comment by John Bambenek Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 2:33 pm
Also, I love Senator Hollywood Hendon, the most glorious man in the General Assembly.
Comment by John Bambenek Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 2:34 pm
I like this line from Hinz:
But, despite several efforts by me to get the Brady campaign to specify who those “insiders” are, he won’t. “Pat Quinn knows what insiders he’s been dealing with,” is all his spokeswoman will say.
My translation: Bill Brady in his day job is a homebuilder. And it probably would not be a very shrewd political move for a builder to rip the carpenters union over the McPier bill.
LOL. Brady isn’t going to screw with the Carpenters or the Teamsters.
The Teamsters may be writing Quinn checks, but their membership is probably 40% Republican, and Brady is going to need every blue-collar conservative vote he can get.
Still, a stupid move by Quinn.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 2:37 pm
“Inappropriate or excessively rabid comments, gratuitous insults and “rumors” will be deleted or held for moderation”
Rich: Do you apply this standard to your own posts?
Comment by Leadership Tool Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 2:39 pm
Don’t we have 1 Governor in Jail and another going to Jail for the same thing? Is he stupid?
Comment by He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 2:41 pm
“Quinn campaign aides confirm…”
It isn’t a rumor at this point, it’s a fact.
Comment by John Bambenek Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 2:44 pm
I’m shocked at Hendon’s comments. He’s normally so policy oriented.
Comment by siriusly Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 2:48 pm
“These aren’t the droids your looking for. Move along.” - Obi Wan Kenobi
Comment by Cincinnatus Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 2:48 pm
The day after the elections, soon to be ex-Governor Quinn called Governor-elect Brady to congratulate him on his victory.
Comment by dupage dan Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 2:49 pm
“Madame Attorney General, your table is almost ready”
Comment by Park Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 2:50 pm
Wow PQ…I’m speechless.
Comment by Vote Quimby! Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 3:07 pm
Leadership Tool
I’ll take a guess at Rich’s response….
Bite me
Comment by OneMan Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 3:15 pm
1) I’ll bet this deal gets brought into the Blago trial by his attorneys….to show that Blago’s actions were normal and accepted political behavior in Illinois;
2) I imagine every single Democrat up for election, from rural county board members to statewide offices, is furious at Quinn for this. He just handed the R’s a perfect ‘throw ‘em all out’ issue.
Comment by Park Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 3:18 pm
One Man,
that sounds like a ‘gratuitous insult’ to me…
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 3:19 pm
What an idiot. Why doesn’t Quinn just drop out of the race now and make it even EASIER for Brady?
Comment by Really?? Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 3:27 pm
It is always a problem for a campaign when your most powerful internal campaign staff person is the fundraiser. It invites problems like this.
Comment by ILPundit Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 3:29 pm
Does anyone else suspect that Quinn actually wants to lose the election, or no longer cares whether or not he wins, and is just phoning it in until his term ends?
Comment by Secret Square Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 3:34 pm
Wasn’t it Rod’s top people who essentially laid out their fund-raising strategy as: “We’ll take all the money we can raise now and let the attorney’s hash it out later?” If Quinn keeps raising money like that he can drown out a lot of criticism with Quinn-the-Reformer TV spots. No question that Rod did it successfully. He just got busted down the road. But boy did people peg him as an impressive fundraiser at one time when quid pro quo was being served fresh and daily.
In the end, even if true, no big deal. Brady won’t have the juice to make it stick.
Comment by SylasJaine Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 3:40 pm
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any stranger in this state…..
You would actually have to think that the Teamsters would be a little more careful, right?
Comment by Logical Thinker Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 3:46 pm
Secret Square,
I think that Quinn and Obama come from the same school of political thought. The more brazen the action, the less likely the action will be explored by the media (h/t to Miller for holding people’s feet to the fire). The voters are inundated with news of corruption and inappropriate behavior, as a matter of fact they are coming to accept this behavior as normal. In this case, what’s $175k among friends.
Comment by Cincinnatus Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 3:54 pm
Logical Thinker hit it on the head. I’m never surprised at how tone deaf Quinn is and always has been. He spent years creating a (dubious) image as a reformer and in a few short months has done everything in exactly according to the pay-to-play handbook.
What’s odd is that the guys at the Teamsters, who should know better given their recent history, didn’t come up with a smarter way to make the pay off so it wouldn’t be so obvious.
But once again, while we grumble about how stupid this is, it is still Illinois. It takes a lot more than a $175,000 payoff in exchange for official favors to get in trouble here.
Comment by Adam Smith Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 4:04 pm
Dibs on the name “Lame Duck Quinn”…
Comment by Vote Quimby! Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 4:07 pm
Didn’t Blagojevich hold up signing a bill for Children’s Memorial Hospital while he demanded a $50,000 (or was it $25,000) contribution?
How is McPier and those union donations much different?
If all this is true, call it what it really is: “Pay to Play.”
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 4:12 pm
The checks from a month ago. They gave Quinn more 500K in the primary. Give me a break.
Comment by Obamarama Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 4:32 pm
Quid pro qua?!?
Comment by MrJM Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 5:27 pm
Man, I can’t stand Hendon. That he and Obama served in the same chamber makes my head hurt.
Comment by Gregor Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 6:21 pm
On the up side …
We officially know what an AV is worth in campaign money …Thanks to the PQ “blue book”, or is that a “D-2″, I always confuse them …
“It’s ‘Bleeping’ Golden”
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 6:45 pm
Please, its an election year, and these unions have donated to Quinn all along. If this happened next year there might be a story, but these unions generally donate to Democratic candidates, and this situation is no different.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 9:08 pm
Immediately after making the statement, Quinn’s campaign staffer returned to playing a kazoo while banging symbals between his knees while stepping on a pedal which banged a base drum while playing a guitar, the neck of which was used to bang a gong.
Comment by anon Thursday, May 27, 10 @ 9:48 pm
So how is this differnt than Blago shaking down a hospital for cash. Blago/Quinn the legend continues
Comment by fed up Friday, May 28, 10 @ 12:18 am
Quinn picked the wrong legislation for this kind of hijinks. It’s very high profile and is backed by virtually everyone but him. His actions have quite rightly raised questions about his motivations and the contributions stick out like a sore thumb.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, May 28, 10 @ 6:46 am