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* Progress Illinois interviewed former Gov. Pat Quinn this week…
Asked whether he has any plans to run in the next Illinois gubernatorial election, Quinn said he’s currently interested in grassroots organizing.
“I’m not too interested in candidacy campaigns and [all] that. I’m interested in petitions and referendums. That’s what I got started on when I started in Illinois politics 40 years ago. We did the petition drive that set up the Citizens Utility Board. So I’d like to do a referendum in Illinois this year, at least in the Chicago area. That gives people a chance to open up the government to more citizen participation.”
“There’s a lot of work to be done. This is the year to get it done,” he added. “We can’t let someone who stands in the way of progress, Bruce Rauner, stop the people of Illinois from getting progressive, fair government. And I want to say to the 130,000 students who are looking for their scholarship that they were promised, but it’s being denied by the governor, that we’re not gonna take that sitting down. We’ve gotta organize.”
So, he’s interested in running a petition drive, not in running for governor, then in the next breath blasts Rauner and brings up MAP Grants - always one of his pet programs.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 9:56 am
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The people have spoken…..goooooo away
Comment by Under Influenced Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 9:59 am
Please go away
Comment by Almost the Weekend Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 10:00 am
well, he was put on this earth to solve Illinois’ pension crisis…
Comment by Damfunny Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 10:00 am
Maybe he should work on repealing the cutback amendment.
Comment by That Guy Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 10:06 am
Good call, That Guy!
Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 10:06 am
He wants to do petition drives and get a bunch of useless stuff on the ballot thus crowding out independent maps.
Has anyone made such a full transition from outside crusader to establishment defender in their political career?
Comment by Anon2U Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 10:09 am
The MAP scholarship? I got a few scholarships in college, and none of them included maintaining at least a C average.
Comment by Phenomynous Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 10:09 am
Perhaps if we passed another unbalanced budget, Mr Quinn? As you did twice in a row?
Then we would have lots of money for MAP Grants.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 10:09 am
“The MAP scholarship? I got a few scholarships in college, and none of them included maintaining at least a C average.”
So only A students deserve to get a college degree? Or deserve help? I’ve known plenty of A students not worth a damn, its the C students who rule the world! Ask any entrepreneurs, former presidents etc.
Seriously, the kid that has to work through school or care for aging parents, or their own kids, doesn’t have money for tutors but makes it to class every day and graduates with passing grades needs help too. Or heck…just the kid that passes. Just that kid, no bells and whistles but passes. Access to college is becoming too elite as it is, no Map grants will make it more so.
Comment by sideline watcher Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 10:14 am
Pat who?
Comment by Empty Suit Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 10:24 am
LOL, “petitions and referendums” were his path to running for statewide office.
Quinn was put on this Earth to run for statewide office, night and day, to do the work of the good people of Illinois, even when the people told him to stay home.
He’s been running for statewide office every four years (sometimes every two years) since 1986.
Anyone who thinks he isn’t running for governor in 2018 is koo-koo.
It’s not like you can talk him out of it. No one ever tried to talk him into it. He’s the nobody nobody sent. He’s the rare politician who ain’t afraid to lose, and occasionally he wins.
I’m of the opinion that Durbin moved so quickly to line up the national Dem establishment behind Duckworth in order to keep Quinn from getting any ideas.
Kirk is the most vulnerable GOP Senate incumbent, and I suspect Quinn would have been mighty tempted if he had perceived any sort of opening on the Dem side.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 10:24 am
I hope the recent name floating of potential 2018 Dem guv candidates (subscribers know more) is part of a concerted effort by labor, Madigan, or other party honchos to deflate another Quinn candidacy before it gains too much momentum.
Quinn has proven to be skilled at winning multi-candidate primaries. If he faces a field of low name-recognition state senators and congress critters he’ll win the nomination again and likely lose to Rauner again.
Labor, in particular, needs to get on this now.
Comment by Rerun Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 10:25 am
Sideline,
Did I get into who deserves to go to college? I commented that the MAP grant is a grant not a scholarship. It’s possible to get a MAP grant and a scholarship. Trust me, I know.
Comment by Phenomynous Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 10:26 am
–Perhaps if we passed another unbalanced budget, Mr Quinn? As you did twice in a row?
Then we would have lots of money for MAP Grants.–
You make no sense. You know that, right?
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 10:26 am
“Maybe he should work on repealing the cutback amendment.”
+1
Comment by Highland, IL Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 10:29 am
Though Quinn is the favorite pinata of many here, his comments were spot-on. Too bad some thoughtful commenters (looking at you wordslinger) want to turn every public utterance he makes into a “go away” dismissal or idle speculation about whether he wants to run for something.
And Rich, I love ya, but marginalizing MAP as a “pet project” is a disservice to 130,000 students.
Comment by Handle Bar Mustache Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 10:49 am
Pat,
Just go sit in your den and take up stamp-collecting. Your “third-way” policies not only embodied the worst conservative economic thinking, you did such a poor job you let a snake-oil salesman like Rauner waltz into the Governor’s mansion.
Comment by Hullaballo Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 10:49 am
“All In for Quinn” copyrighted here..now..today.
Comment by Nick Danger Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 10:59 am
Whether they like Rauner or detest him, smart people on both sides of the aisle know that Rauner sits in the Governor’s chair because Pat Quinn was perceived by voters to be (and was) a very, very bad governor for Illinois. I might be able to feel a little sorry for Quinn’s confusion/ambivalence about what to do with himself for the rest of his life had he not mucked things up so royally. But he did muck things up royally. It’s time for him to go quietly and completely away from politics.
Comment by Responsa Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 11:08 am
–Too bad some thoughtful commenters (looking at you wordslinger) want to turn every public utterance he makes into a “go away” dismissal or idle speculation about whether he wants to run for something.–
LOL, it’s hardly “idle speculation” to observe that Quinn has used the petition and referendum process as a means to further his political ambitions for about the past 40 years.
That’s not a bad thing, in and of itself. It’s also not a selfless act, in and of itself.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 11:10 am
PETITION
We, the undersigned, hereby plead and demand that patrick quinn go home immediately, clean out the basement, repaint the kitchen, adopt a new kitten, and sit down and watch every tv program that mentions the kardashians. And never leave home.
Comment by Langhorne Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 11:11 am
==Quinn was a very, very bad governor for Illinois. …It’s time for him to go quietly and completely away from politics.==
Responsa,
Many of us “little people” are very glad Pat Quinn has never listened to people like you.
Comment by Handle Bar Mustache Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 11:16 am
Langhorne,
Comment above applies to you, too.
Quinn fought and won a lot of battles that helped people.
I cannot say the same of our current Governor.
Keep going, Pat.
Comment by Handle Bar Mustache Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 11:20 am
This is his standard M.O. when not in office. Do something to keep his name out there and prepare for his next run. He is all about being a public official or preparing for his next effort to be elected. Hasn’t made much of an effort at trying the private sector ever. For someone who decries career politicians he sure looks like one.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 11:28 am
@wordslinger nailed it. One of his best comments of the year so far.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 11:39 am
@Anonymous - why are you having trouble following?
Pat Quinn, who rarely met a spending program he did not like, is upset about the budget and MAP Grant payment delays.
Pat Quinn, who prefers unbalanced budgets to a budgeting reality or budget cuts, has no business complaining about anything budget related. His way of doing things helped cause twelve credit downgrades and Illinois financial crisis.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 11:49 am
SQUEEZY………..I think that about says it all!
Comment by Howard Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 12:14 pm
A has been, trying for a comeback, that is not going to happen!
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 12:21 pm
A thousand thanks for the “Cut Back Amendment” Pat!
It did not save Illinois a dime since the remaining legislators hiked their pay, it largely eliminated the Republican Party in Chicago, and it helped created the dysfunction in Springfield where the “Four Tops” rule and the individual members are rubber stamps.
I would run for the hills before I signed a petition promoted by Pat Quinn.
Comment by Attaboy Quinn! Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 12:23 pm
sincere question: why/what made quinn such a bad governor?
admittedly (1) until relatively recently (about a year or so) i wasn’t following state politics other than what was in the media (2) i’m a chicago life-long resident so was closely following city politics and daley’s destruction (3) i never thought of quinn as a strong governor but always felt that given what he inherited, i thought he did ok (i repeat, i never followed state politics very closely).
Comment by Zoe Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 12:49 pm
Imma let you finish, Pat, but we need someone electable in 2018
Comment by Anon Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 1:00 pm
@Rerun
If I was a labor big shot in this state right now, I would be laying the groundwork with Madigan, Cullerton, Rahm (if he’s sticking around,) Durbin and other Dem “honchos” to start formulating some sort of unified plan for 2018. Their survival might hinge on the next governor’s race.
Let’s not forget whomever wins that election gets to sign or veto the new legislative map, depending on what happens with the redistricting referendum.
I would suggest finding an “outsider” candidate that has nothing to do with the current mess in Springfield, and one who can self-fund or already has high name recognition. If that candidate is a woman, all the better. I can’t think of anyone who embodies all those qualities, but there are a few that check most of the boxes. Chris Kennedy? Toni Preckwinkle? Tom Dart? Cheri Bustos? Durbin?
Each of them has notable shortcomings, but everyone of them would be much more viable than Pat Quinn. And if they sit back and do nothing, there’s a chance they’ll be stuck with him.
Comment by PT Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 1:27 pm
Gov. Quinn spent years advocating for change - legislative pay, CUB, cutback, term limits, etc., etc. Making big changes to empower people. Guess that doesn’t rank with some folks because they would rather have someone who destroyed the quality of nursing homes in his free time? lol we all have our hobbies.
Comment by Moist Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 2:54 pm
– Moist –
All that is true. Pat Quinn is a good guy with a long list of accomplishments. The concern being express here is with his ability to beat Bruce Rauner in 2018. He had his chance once and lost…time to find someone else.
Comment by Rerun Friday, Jan 15, 16 @ 3:31 pm