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Debate the debate

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Illinois

* Talk about setting the bar way too high…

“Are you ready for a significant debate on ideas and issues in this campaign?” moderator Steve Edwards asked the hundreds of students and area residents in attendance at Elmhurst College’s Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel.

Check out my live-blog of last night’s gubernatorial debate by clicking here. There was a whole lot more heat than light, but Gov. Quinn did his darndest to push that totally ignored Tribune story about Brady’s three Senate votes to help his own company. The media played it as a “he said he said” thing, but maybe they’ll look into it more this week. From the Tribune…

“You know well, governor, that I did not vote and never have knowingly voted on a conflict of interest,” he said.

Quinn contended that using the word “knowingly” is “what people say when they’re going to court and they have to defend themselves in a criminal trial.”

After the debate, Brady said Quinn’s comments were “reckless.”

“As a citizen legislator, I’ve cast thousands of votes,” Brady said, saying that Quinn should “stick to the issues.”

More from after the debate…

“I’ve made thousands of votes,” Brady said of his time in the General Assembly. “If he’s got real proof of a real conflict of interest, he ought to come forward with it.” Brady said the interchange was not contiguous to the property he owned. As for whether the construction of the interchange increased the value of his property, Brady said, “That would remain to be seen.”

* Using the interstate exit is a bogus excuse. From the Tribune’s original story…

In 2003, the state legislature gave the local government authority to take land for sewers along Curtis Road east of Brady’s property. A final vote to enact the law occurred Nov. 4, as Brady was securing options on the land he planned to develop. He voted for it.

Three years later, when the legislature re-authorized the sewer plans, well after Brady began acquiring the land, he again voted in favor of the measure. In 2007, Brady also voted for similar legislation allowing Champaign and other local governments to seize property to build their share of the interchange.

This wasn’t all about the interchange. It was mainly about that quick-take legislation. But here’s the Tribune’s side of the interchange stuff…

Brady’s next big project in town would be a more than 300-home subdivision called Prairie Creek designed to capitalize on plans the state announced in 2002 to build a new I-57 interchange at Curtis Road. Planners and developers saw the Curtis Road corridor as the next wave of expansion in Champaign. Brady saw the potential as well, and sought to secure options on 120 acres of farmland adjacent to the interchange site.

The homes Brady planned would lead the way for additional development that would include shopping centers, restaurants and office buildings the city had earmarked for the four quadrants surrounding the highway intersection.

And this was just tossed in for “he said, he said” effect…

During the debate, Brady charged Quinn with accepting outside income while he was lieutenant governor. Quinn said he did no outside legal work while lieutenant governor and that any outside money he received was for work he did prior to being elected.

“Hypocrisy is a word you should look up, governor,” Brady said.

What was Quinn supposed to do? Reject payments from clients for old legal work? C’mon.

* Brady hit Quinn repeatedly over his past support of Rod Blagojevich….

“You are the same governor that told us Rod Blagojevich, your partner, to save your job four years ago was the most decent and honorable man you’d met, and I quote you,” Brady said to a smattering of laughter from the crowd. “So, either you were in it for your own good, or you were asleep at the wheel, governor.”

Brady invoked the scandal-tainted ex-governor again in highlighting Quinn’s inability to improve the state’s financial lot during his nearly two years in office.

“I hate to say this, but Gov. Quinn has been worse than Gov. Blagojevich,” Brady said. “Eight billion dollars in deficits in the last two years, the worst bond rating of any state in the nation, one of only eight states deemed in a recession.”

* There were few specifics at all about the budget (surprise!) and the usual back and forth on jobs…

Quinn boasted that he has persuaded companies to expand in Illinois and has cut state spending by $3 billion. But he had little to say about what further steps he would take to close a $13 billion deficit.

Brady, meanwhile, insisted Quinn is driving jobs away from Illinois with his proposal to raise income taxes.

“Gov. Quinn’s the job governor all right, but it just happens to be for Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky and other states,” said Brady, of Bloomington.

* And of course, puppy killing…

“I don’t believe dogs and cats should be put in a gas chamber 10 at a time and executed. That’s what Sen. Brady sponsored,” said Quinn, who has made the pet euthanasia the subject of an Internet campaign commercial.

Brady, who described himself as a pet owner for his entire life, seemed to stumble slightly while acknowledging pushing that bill on behalf of veterinarians in his district.

“I, uh, excuse me, I was asked by a local veterinarian to give veterinarians the choice they thought they needed when it came to the health of a dog and that dog’s life,” Brady said. “I pulled the bill because Gov. Quinn made it a political issue.”

That quote isn’t quite right. It should read: “I, uh, I uh, excuse me…”

* From the SJ-R…

JEERS to Elmhurst College and public radio station WBEZ-FM in Chicago for the exclusion of Green Party candidate Rich Whitney from Sunday’s gubernatorial debate. They based their decision on Whitney’s low numbers in various polls on the election. But Whitney in 2006 won a ballot spot for the Green Party in this election by receiving 10.36 percent of the vote. He’s a legitimate third-party candidate with some interesting ideas that deserve to be heard. Some have argued that Whitney only did as well as he did in 2006 because voters were dissatisfied with both incumbent Rod Blagojevich and challenger Judy Baar Topinka. We’d argue that major-party-candidate disappointment is even higher this year. If Scott Lee Cohen and other, lesser known gubernatorial candidates draw in double-digit percentages Nov. 2 and run again in four years, we’ll say the same about them.

Agreed.

* Again, go read the live blog for more head to head action.

Thoughts?

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 2:10 am

Comments

Reagan delusion? Brady’s repeated use of “there he goes again.”

The Brady Champaign story should be big not only because he voted on legislation that clearly was in his private interest, but also because he apparently messed up the estimates and walked away when he couldn’t get more taxpayer money to cover his end. Doesn’t exactly fit the image.

For Brady, I like the Quinn Senate slush fund story more than the one Brady raised. That doesn’t fit Quinn’s image.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 5:58 am
For clarity, that should read Quinn’s Senate campaign slush fund — the one he kept open for years, lent money, solicited donations for and paid himself back with interest.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 6:16 am
Bill Brady the gas chamber puppy-killing advocate said at the debate that he pulled the Brady gas chamber puppy killing bill.

As pointed out last night, Chris Wetterich and IL Public Media tweeted [Actually, he didn’t “pull the bill,” he handed it off to a colleague.]

Comment by (618) Democrat Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 6:59 am
Brady is handling the puppy think as he should: bringing the focus back to jobs. Anyone who would vote against Brady because of putting dogs down probably wouldn’t be voting for Brady anyway.

The conflict of interest thing is damaging, but, Brady’s being able to throw Rod Blagojevich in Quinn’s face is a better sell to anyone who was listening.

Comment by Matt Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 7:40 am
Quinn looked desperate with his ridiculous claims against Brady. That’s what happens when the trend is your enemy.

Comment by Suburbs Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 7:47 am
Quinn looked desperate with his ridiculous claims against Brady.

What ridiculous claims? Quinn made a bunch of truthful claims that Brady refuses to respond to.

Comment by dave Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 7:51 am
Much better debate than the one last week in southern IL. This was a real debate.

I would definitely give it to Quinn on points. And good to see Quinn is finally going after Brady on the dirty votes re the land development. That’s a huge issue that should disqualify Brady from higher office. “We don’t need another Blagojevich” is what Quinn should be saying nonstop for 15 days.

Comment by just sayin' Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 9:13 am
- Brady is handling the puppy think as he should: bringing the focus back to jobs. -

He likes to say the word jobs, I’ll give you that; but he doesn’t actually provide a real plan to bring any to Illinois. If jobs is his primary focus, why was his first order of business after becoming the nominee to introduce the animal euthanasia bill? Everyone seems to miss that.

Comment by Small Town Liberal Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 9:16 am
From the Champaign-News Gazette story on the installation of sewers for developing the land at that intersection with I-57–

“The bids came in about 61 percent higher than anticipated – rising from about $1.2 million to more than $2 million, a cost that would be shared between Brady Homes and local governments.

When Brady asked for more tax dollars to fund the project, the city turned him down.

“He wanted the public to pay a larger share,” Knight said. “Ultimately he decided just to wait and hope that the public (state loan-financed) project would come along and he would pay his proportional share whenever that came
along.”

Comment by Nearly Normal Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 9:17 am
The League of Women Voters should take note of the difference between the WSIU and Elmhurst College debates. The WSIU one was very issue-focused, while the Elmhurst one was little more than a live reading of their attack ads. I guess when Whitney is around, Quinn and Brady are on their best behavior.

Comment by PFK Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 9:27 am
Just sayin———-We CURRENTLY have another Blago in office. Why would ANYONE want to continue the past 8 years for FOUR more?

Comment by Fred Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 9:31 am
Quinn usually gets props from almost everybody for being a decent, well meaning, bumpkinish, but rather charming guy (no matter how one might feel about his performance as governor). Last night he came across as angry, hectoring and, well, super politician-y. This is not a persona that serves him well or comfortably fits his reputation. I assume that part of Quinn’s debate prep was to try to focus his presentation points as a way to mitigate his tendency to ramble, but I think his handlers may have gone too far and neutralized the one part of PQ to which people do respond very positively. The sunny, optimistic, hopeful Quinn was not present in Elmhurst last night. It was often hard to listen to the PQ who did show up.

Comment by Responsa Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 9:34 am
Fred - Only buffoons like yourself claim that Quinn is another Blago. Seems to me that voting to pass legislation that lines your own pockets is more like Blago, that’s what you get from Brady.

Comment by Small Town Liberal Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 9:39 am
Brady was not good last night, but the best news about these debates is that nobody cares.

Quinn has always been a good in debates. He is an attorney who LOVES to hear himself talk. Brady just needs to survive these stupid debates, and he will be fine.

The conflict of interest issue is so trumped up and irrelevent it not even funny. If Brady would have abstained from all the votes, the bills still would have passed overwhelmingly. He did nothing to push those bills other than push a green buttom. BFD.

Comment by Jaded Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 9:40 am
Brady was not good last night

FWIW, he hasn’t been good in ANY of the debates. Why? Because he has absolutely nothing to say.

Comment by dave Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 9:46 am
Man, I see the Dems are out in force this morning. Yeah, small town liberal, Quinn has done nothing(AFSME)to help himself, has he?

Comment by Fred Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 9:56 am
Yeah, small town liberal, Quinn has done nothing(AFSME)to help himself, has he?

Some quick facts - Blago signed the contract with AFSCME. Quinn got them to take concessions. In order to get anyone to take concessions, you need to make concessions in return.

But hey, don’t let facts get in the way.

Comment by dave Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 9:59 am
I’m sick of hearing how Pat Quinn is a champion for education. People have a short memory - it was Quinn that used school children as political pawns and held school funding hostage as he played a game of chicken with the legislature on the 33% tax hike for education. Ask school superintendents what they think of “Mr. Soybean”. They’ll tell you the truth and will also let you know how far behind their schools are in state reimbursement. DISGRACEFUL!!!!!!!

Comment by still waiting for superman Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 10:06 am
- Quinn has done nothing(AFSME)to help himself, has he? -

Are you really this dense? Negotiating with a union to save the state money isn’t comparable to voting on issues that benefit your own private business interests. Try using logic once in a while, if you’re capable.

Comment by Small Town Liberal Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 10:07 am
still waiting: do you favor the added 1.3 billion cut to public schools brady proposes?

Comment by Chubs Mahoney Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 10:09 am
Whitney may or may not be a moonbat, but he’s nevertheless a legitimate candidate on the ballot, and as such should be in the debates. Debates should not be a beauty contest of only the candidates organizers think are “commercially viable”.

Comment by Techboy Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 10:11 am
People live in a fantasy world if they think that there can not be cuts to education. There are almost 900 school districts in the state - second only to California and Texas. There’s a lot of money that never makes it way to the classroom.

Comment by still waiting for superman Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 10:16 am
You are killing me small town liberal. So that is your take on the Quinn/Union deal? To save the state money??

That is hilarious!

Comment by Fred Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 10:22 am
I couldn’t watch the debate last night, however, I keep hearing Brady kept trying to channel Reagan. If he does it again, Quinn needs to call him on it by channeling Lloyd Benson.

Something like, “I notice you keep trying to sound like Ronald Reagan. Well sir, your no RR but you do bare a strong resemblance to Dan Quail.

Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 10:47 am
The articles Rich cited reveal clear evidence of a conflict of interest for Brady. Do we need a governor who tell the public such bald faced lies? This is really BS. Unfortunately I don’t think many Brady supporters give a crap about it. Bidness is as bidness does in Illinois — the IL version of Texas crony capitalism that gave GW his start. That worked really well for us.

Comment by Vole Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 10:57 am
Something like, “I notice you keep trying to sound like Ronald Reagan. Well sir, your no RR but you do bare a strong resemblance to Dan Quail.”

Shhhh! Don’t give him any ideas! LOL!!!

Comment by Levois Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 11:33 am
One item that wasn’t mentioned in the debate was Sen. Brady recently said that we should be teaching “creationism” in schools. And I thought I had heard everything.Wow. what if he becomes Governor. back to the caves, I guess.

Comment by lefty Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 12:06 pm
How can anybody think that electing the same people is going to have better results than in the past? Makes me wonder how many of the Quinn supporters above work for the current administation and are political hacs.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 12:42 pm
Fred,

Brady is certainly about jobs. He is for low-paying jobs since he opposes the Illinois minimum wage.

Comment by So Blue Democrat Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 1:04 pm
C’mon guys. It’s QUAYLE, not Quail. Just because Quayle couldn’t spell “potato” is no reason to repeatedly misspell his name.

Comment by girllawyer Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 1:30 pm
So Blue Dem—Why is the IL minimum wage ONE DOLLAR PER HOUR higher than the Federal rate? Does your buddy BO not care about higher wages for people?

Brady wants to let the fed rate catch up to the state rate, NOT decrease the IL rate.

Comment by Fred Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 1:57 pm
Well Vole, the unemployment rate in Sept. 2010 was 9.6%. And, we know it is much higher than that. In Sept. 2008, it was 6.2%

Sept. of 2007 and 2006, you ask——4.6%. Yeah, BO has nothing on Bush.

Comment by Fred Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 2:00 pm
So Blue Dem—Why is the IL minimum wage ONE DOLLAR PER HOUR higher than the Federal rate? Does your buddy BO not care about higher wages for people?

Logic isn’t your strong suit.

Bill Brady has explicitly said that the minimum wage should be lowered. Obama hasn’t.

Well Vole, the unemployment rate in Sept. 2010 was 9.6%. And, we know it is much higher than that. In Sept. 2008, it was 6.2%

Enough with the tired partisan talking points. If you don’t know or understand how the unemployment rate got to where it is, I am not sure what to tell you at this point.

No thoughtful person think that the unemployment rate skyrocketed due to the policies that the Obama administration implemented.

Comment by dave Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 2:34 pm
Fred,

Brady voted against the minimum wage increases in IL. He only stated that he wants the IL minimum wage to catch up to the federal rate when he flip flopped on the issue in his campaign.

Comment by So Blue Democrat Monday, Oct 18, 10 @ 4:40 pm