Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn eked out a narrow win over his Republican challenger as one of the few Democrats to survive a GOP wave that swept out others in Illinois and around the country.
An AP analysis of uncounted votes from absentee and other ballots showed state Sen. Bill Brady won’t be able to overcome the just more than 19,400-vote lead Quinn held Thursday with 100 percent of precincts reporting.
*** UPDATE 1x (4:23 p.m.) ***
McDermott has Brady quotes…
Brady still hadn’t conceded as of Thursday afternoon. But his earlier insistence that he would still win was notably absent as he talked to reporters.
“We were confident we had run a great campaign . . . We’re just going through something we didn’t anticipate,'’ Brady told reporters in Springfield, where he and other state senators met in session for the first time since Tuesday’s elections.
Brady continued to maintain that he would wait for all the absentee and other votes to be counted before deciding whether to concede. But when pressed about the difficulty of overcoming Quinn’s current lead, Brady acknowledged: “We’d rather be 19,000 up than 19,000 down.'’
“I think the people of Illinois know I won the election,” Quinn said at a Chicago deli where he thanked people for voting on Election Day.
Exit polls showed Quinn received overwhelming support in the city of Chicago and had solid support among those from households with less than $100,000 income, labor union households and those with a family member who had lost a job in the last two years.
Brady had said Wednesday he wouldn’t concede and wanted all the votes to be counted, including absentee ballots from military members serving outside Illinois. State officials have 30 days to certify all results.
“Votes need to be counted, there are good votes, and we’re going to deal with all the data that’s there and we’ll then deal with the decision-making process as we gather data,” Brady said earlier Thursday at the state capitol because the state Senate was in session.
The Associated Press called the race for Quinn this afternoon. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Quinn received 1,721,812 votes to Brady’s 1,702,399, a margin of victory of half a percentage point.
*** UPDATED 3x (5:02 p.m.) ***
Schuh just told the AP Brady does not plan to concede despite the AP calling the election.
*** UPDATED 4x (5:18 p.m.) ***
The final numbers, according to the AP are:
Pat Quinn: 1,721,812 (46.6%)
Bill Brady: 1,702,399 (46.1%)
Scott Lee Cohen: 134,219 (3.6%)
Rich Whitney: 99,625 (2.7%)
Also, the absentee vote count in Jackson County turned it over to Brady this morning by 23 votes. That means Quinn’s county victories included Cook, St. Clair and Alexander.
The AP also called CT-Gov. for the Republican on Election Night, retracted the claim later, and now projects the Democrat. Let’s all take a deep breath and do the right thing: wait to count every vote, regardless of the outcome.
He continuing to say “count all the votes” must be because he believes it appears to show he cares about the voters, but IMHO it come across as disingenuous.
It’s over, given where the votes are coming from. But at something like one tenth of one percent, let the man play it out. Nothing is official until the certification anyway. Brady was gracious in the primary, and just wants the same graciousness now.
- Quinn T. Sential - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:44 pm:
Those people at AP are courageous; if not brilliant.
I called this election result not long after midnight and well before dawn on Wednesday morning.
Since neither I; nor the AP certifies the election results however I still thought it was a good idea to let the election boars finis their work.
Now that the AP has spoken however, they would probably prefer that we just moe on with the inauguration ceremony and skip right over the perfunctory ministerial procedures which do not directly involve them.
To quote Bill Brady himself, “Oh Pat, there you go again.”
Yeah, being Governor!! LOL!!!
Someone should dig that video back out of Quinn dancing outside at some thing on Michigan Ave. I think the Republicans used it in some mocking video recently. Time to repackage it as the victory dance. What goes around comes around Bill.
maybe if he legally changed his name like his GOP senate colleague, Brady would have the vote calculations under control : Bill Brady, CPA.
Gotta love Illinois politics. Once again, you can’t make this stuff up.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:51 pm:
I as a state worker just got the news that a “tentative” agreement was “finalized” to bar layoffs and facility closures through June 2010. There would be a seven-month deferral of 2% of the 4% retroactive raise we would receive in June 2011.
The freeze is based on $50 million of $100 million in savings, which AFSCME and CMS are currently working to achieve.
This good news for us guv’mint workers coincides with the AP report that Quinn won the race.
Quinn now seems like a better manager. My coworker at the state told me that he will be laid off of his second job because his job, which is a multinational corporation, will relocate in Costa Rica, and workers were asked to go to Costa Rica to train those who will take their jobs.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:52 pm:
- LakeCountyLarry - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:54 pm:
OK, forget the “liberal media” then … FOX NEWS shortly ago declared QUINN WINS in ILLINOIS. And we ALL know, WHEN FOX NEWS says “it is so”…well, then IT IS SO. Right?? Well, THIS time must concur with THE FOX. WHEW, politics at times does make for some strange bedfellows !!
I do not understand all this “no legal impact” hedging about the AP calling the election. Of course there is no legal impact — nor is there legal impact when some candidate concedes before all the ballots are counted, only to find out that, whoopsies, s/he actually won.
But it is conventional for a candidate who has clearly lost the election to acknowledge this loss and move on.
Every vote will be counted no matter what — that’s what the canvass is for. But we don’t hear people saying, “Hey, let’s wait for every vote to be counted before we declare Kirk the winner.” Once the electoral math is clear, we proclaim winners and losers, and then we get on with it.
- Quinncidence?...I think not - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:55 pm:
Love Brady’s quote: “We’re just dealing with something we didn’t anticipate.” Didn’t anticipate that he could lose? Bill, you’re supposed to celebrate in the end zone, not on the 5 yard line.
Brady’s just having a hard time dealing with a big disappointment–a perfectly understandable human reaction. There’s no reason to badger him.
Let him be.
Brady: We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in Springfield, we shall fight on the absentees and provisionals, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the collars, we shall defend our campaign, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight at the courthouse, we shall fight in the CapFax comments, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender!
Republican Governor’s Association: Bill, we’re cutting off the money.
Brady: I’d like to congratulate Governor Quinn and his campaign and wish him best of luck.
Actually, Brady is the winner here. The other guy, who garnered all of 46% of the vote and has heretofore shown zero ability to manage this State will eventually follow in the footsteps of Gray Davis.
No I think we wait for the Military ballots that have not shown up yet that the AP and Wolf could not have done an analysis of. The AP story shows no analysis of the ballots and says there are tens of thousands of absentee ballots which has been reported to be over 50000.
I wonder if this latest development you mentioned in the AFSCME agreement means that in the upcoming budget, those state workers that are not part of AFSCME (essentially most of the constitutional officers) might see their parent agencies’ budgets slashed in the next budget while CMS and its ilk gets off free. Or could I be wrong?
i honestly don’t understand the tone of some of the posts on this blog most times and this thread is no exception. bill brady has spent tremendous time and treasure putting his name on the line and working very hard for, arguably, the worst job in any government right now because he gives a damn. he should be commended and, should he concede, will do it with much more class than anyone who’s posts i’ve read thus far ever could. he’s done what 99% of most people will never do in that he’s run for public office and signed the front of someone’s paycheck and not just the back of his own. i’ve known bill for over a decade and consider him to be a personal friend. honestly, many of you who contribute to this blog on a daily basis would do well for yourselves by putting on some clothes other than the ones you sleep in and getting out of your mom’s basement. you should be ashamed.
Sen. Brady, R-Delusional, “there could be mistakes. there could be tiny baby elephants that will fly down from the sky and grow into big ballots for Republicans. There could be a huge lotto win to fill the hole in the budget. and the 10 % I mean 20% i mean I don’t know cause I’m just throwing it out there cuts won’t have to happen.”
Gives Brady an extra 10,000…. minus 19,500 equals ….
9,500 in the hole … I said I would give him until all the absentees are counted, and I will … however, this declaration by saying “cannot win” … you would think Jerry and Co. would help Brady get out of this gracefully …
Time will tell.
- LakeCountyLarry - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:07 pm:
QUINN WINS in ILLINOIS — a great relief to both man (humankind) and beast (Fido is unsually frisky tonight) alike !
I respect Brady for running for a tough job and his sincere desire to make Illinois a fiscally balanced place to live and work. I detest the greedy staff leeches and old guard yes men that dropped the ball on the 5 yard line. Brady is still young and has a future in public service. I hope next time around he hires NONE of the so called ‘pros’ that ran his campaign into the ditch just short of the finish line.
I said it before and I’ll say it again - I don’t give a hoot if he concedes. The longer he “fights” for the win, the better Quinn and Democrats look in respect to him. Bring on the RGA lawsuits! Of course, he could remake himself and salvage a future statewide run, but that window is closing very rapidly.
We all know Brady didn’t grasp the fact that just cutting 10% of spending wasn’t going to balance the budget. So I guess we should expect that he doesn’t understand the math now.
- It is what it is - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:21 pm:
Purple Tie just discarded his email drafted Nov. 1 titled “Quinn Hangs It Up.”
==bill brady has spent tremendous time and treasure putting his name on the line and working very hard for, arguably, the worst job in any government right now==
Bill should thank us; he won’t have to do the worst job.
Do you have an issue with capital letters?
One more thing, I like moms basement it has a refrigerator full of beer.
- CircularFiringSquad - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:36 pm:
Brady is looking for cover so he can go MIA to LF condo and fire up the Porsche. It leaves Unkie ROn on the hook to ’splain to RGA and the secret funders ( i.e. spelled CAT, Motorola Boing, ADM etc) how their cash went into the toilet.
Oh my
Fire,Aim,Ready
p.s. what a perfect end for the Trib…let’s reprint the McKenna endorsement!
@colt 45: “i’ve known bill for over a decade and consider him to be a personal friend. honestly, many of you who contribute to this blog on a daily basis would do well for yourselves by putting on some clothes other than the ones you sleep in and getting out of your mom’s basement.”
We haven’t been in mom’s basement; we’ve been working to kick your candidate’s ass.
An ex-Illinoisan in Florida says she heard it on her local Fox network TV station.
Our colleague who son works at State Farm said the higher ups are not happy that Brady lost. A lot of them contributed to his campaign starting with the CEO Ed Rust with $16,000.
Mom, that may be the problem I’ve been having trying to log on this blog from public sites. I frequently end up being barred from this restricted site. It may be words like “codpiece” causing it.
Simon needs to remake this campaign ad video from Brady featuring dancing Quinn. Now it’s a “Quinn Victory Celebration Dance!” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMDubFQbdoA
If a tax increase is passed at this point would it have to be next spring? Or is there a chance it could happen in veto or special session? If so would it be retroactive to jan 1 2010 and include this year’s income?
Just trying to figure out the mechanics of the tax increase assuming now mjm puts votes on it.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 6:29 pm:
Some of my colleagues in AFSCME/state government were very upset with the Democrats last year, as I was, with Quinn’s layoff initiative and Madigan’s reluctance to support Quinn’s income tax increase proposal and HB 174. They said they would vote for the Green Party. They said that AFSCME should abandon the Democrats and go Green or another party, and they drafted a resolution for this that was dramatically ratified at the AFSCME convention last year.
I voted for Quinn because I knew that the Greens had no movement. Whitney got less votes than Cohen. If AFSCME went Green, that could in my opinion have been disastrous for us. The Democrats, though they would have lost major funding, would not have had our political millstone around their necks and could then go further with pension reform, layoffs, etc.
I dunno if at anytime the AP said “Gore Cannot Win” and had math on the AP’s side, … just sayin’
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 6:34 pm:
I like that Quinn is not declaring victory, given the outside (and apparently very slim) chance that the military ballots and other absentee ballots will be returned in significant numbers.
I hope Quinn stays classy and waits for the legal process to conclude.
I recall the class that Dillard and Brady demonstrated during the reconsideration/recount in the primary. That quality must be unique…not being demonstrated by the posters on this topic.
Gore was down by less than 300 votes in a state the size of Illinois, with the US presidency at stake. Hardly compares to 19,000 votes for Illinois Governor.
What is taking you so long to make a decision? You know what you are going to have to do in the end, but you are letting it drag on and on. Your decision, or lack of decision, is causing a great deal of undue stress, and you are making the press angry that you will not give a straight answer.
Very truly yours,
Brett Favre
Dear Bill Brady,
I recommend you buy an hour worth of television time and discuss, with a moderator, what your decision is, and how much you love your hometown, and how making this decision is going to have an impact on them. Maybe donate some of the campaign cash to a charity, it might soften the blow of this tough decision,
@618, you made me LOL or whatever the kids say these days. good one. mom’s basements full of beer are a good thing.
@mrjm, you’ll notice that i said “many of you”. your association with “them” speaks more to issues with your mother than the a** kicking of which you speak. good for you. you won. now fix it.
- In good time... - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 7:11 pm:
As others have posted and noticed, the lack of graciousness and decency on the part of the Quinn supports and Quinn himself is sad and ugly, but not at all surprising given what we have seen over the last two + years in state government. Is it so hard for y’all to exhibit the class and dignity that Brady exhibited to Dillard after their close primary, and no doubt the same class and dignity that Brady would have exhibited to Quinn if the situation had been reversed? Even just a little class and graciousness?
Bill Brady should concede when he is good and ready. It’s his call to make. Given that it is clear that Brady has lost the election, I think he must now work to find a signature issue of his own, and just dedicate himself to it. If he does, I hope he will work on something beneficial to all Illinoisans. Brady needs to understand that tomorrow’s a brand new day and his to make of it what he wishes to make of it. His yesterday does not have to define his tomorrow. Quinn did not beat Brady overwhelming, they were both nearly tied same thing with Quinn in his primary race.
Thinking of Brady’s future potential for greatness (in the eyes of the people), I’m reminded of the John Profumo’s story. He was a British politician and Foreign Minister, who left office in disgrace as a result of a sex scandal in the early/mid 1960s. He died several years ago a beloved and well-respected figure in Great Britain for his philanthropic efforts.
For the record, I am a 30-something year-old black woman from Chicago and I leaned Brady, but in the end, when I got into the voting booth, I did not vote for him. It wasn’t because of his social issues or right-wing conservatism, neither of which I support. It was because of his lack of a budget plan and vision for Illinois. I have a strong interest in public policy professionally and personally, and I just could not back someone who aspired to lead this state, but who did not think it necessary to develop a plan for me to see and consider. Even if I did not agree with his plan, he needed to have one. I think Brady and his campaign were wrong and unpardonably lazy in that respect—the people of Illinois deserved something from him beyond just simple (weak) talking points. I am a woman of good taste and principle, so I definitely did NOT vote for Quinn!
I wrote-in my prefered candidate. I am very happy with my vote and my conscience is clear.
OK. Sorry Rich. I agree with Thoughts when he posted that it really doesn’t matter if Sen. Brady gives in or not. Let him exhuast his legal rights as a candidate. The Democrats will just go on governing.
Colt 45: As for your comment about not believing the tone on the blog about someone he considers a friend and respected servant (and I can understand all that-I have several myself) I find that comment unusual considering all the negative attacks against Governor Quinn and progressives in general.
to the friends of Brady who have comments about posts on this blog, thanks for the inspiration. i’m not in my pajamas, or anywhere near my mother’s basement. but if that’s what it takes, I’m now even more inspired to comment on Brady on behalf of all my friends who need a breast exam, the pill, or an abortion and for my little dog too.
- Illinois WINS with QUINN - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 8:33 pm:
Governor Quinn DID WIN Jackson County. The vote total was Quinn/Simon 7334 and Brady/Plummer 7176. Please refer to Jackson Couty’s website for the totals.
The most upset person from all of this is Madigan.. No way he allows a state income tax to go through now putting all of his targeted members at risk. If Brady got in then he would have blamed it all on him.
- Amalia - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:16 pm:
and down goes Brady!
- George - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:18 pm:
BREAKING: AP Analysis finds laws of arithmetic unchanged.
- Wensicia - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:18 pm:
That’s it, then. If Brady plans to continue on in politics, he needs to concede now.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:19 pm:
That’s just the lamestream media talking. They’re reality-based. They can count.
Why should Brady believe them?
(Of course, the Democrats who’ve put together the past few Illinois budgets can’t count, either.)
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:20 pm:
THIS JUST IN….AP ANALYSIS FINDS BRADY CANNOT WIN …PLUMMER STILL CONFIDENT!
and I think that is it ….
- Eagle Eye - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:23 pm:
CNN, Wolf Blitzer, is just reporting that Quinn has beat Brady.
- Barton Lorimor - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:25 pm:
Well if Wolf says it’s over than, pfff, who are we? lol
- Cubs2010 - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:26 pm:
Typical liberal media spin on mathematics.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:28 pm:
Wolf Blitzer is just his election name.
- Wensicia - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:29 pm:
Typical conservative media spin in their inability to accept reality.
- Andrew Quinn - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:29 pm:
The AP also called CT-Gov. for the Republican on Election Night, retracted the claim later, and now projects the Democrat. Let’s all take a deep breath and do the right thing: wait to count every vote, regardless of the outcome.
- siriusly - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:29 pm:
Clearly the liberal media is out to get the Republicans with this story. How dare they report the facts.
- anonymiss - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:29 pm:
He continuing to say “count all the votes” must be because he believes it appears to show he cares about the voters, but IMHO it come across as disingenuous.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:30 pm:
Brady wants others to count the votes because he and his staff can’t count themselves.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:31 pm:
snark
UPI - BRADY AND PLUMMER ASK PERAICA FOR PITCH FORKS AND TORCHES
- Bubs - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:32 pm:
It’s over, given where the votes are coming from. But at something like one tenth of one percent, let the man play it out. Nothing is official until the certification anyway. Brady was gracious in the primary, and just wants the same graciousness now.
- Char - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:33 pm:
Sensational. Editorial boards statewide are reeling. Great job with those endorsements.
- Amalia - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:33 pm:
Brady, ” I can see the Governor’s mansion from my house!”
- siriusly - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:36 pm:
Nice one Amalia!!
Plummer: “You get a mansion? No Fair!”
- Give Me A Break - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:36 pm:
Brady, ” I can see the Governor’s mansion from my house!”
Amalia: Quote of the week, maybe even the whole election.
- Amalia - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:39 pm:
Siriusly and Give me a Break, merci beaucoup, Brady is just so
darned inspiring of snark.
- Hawk Harrelson - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:43 pm:
He gone!!
- Quinn T. Sential - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:44 pm:
Those people at AP are courageous; if not brilliant.
I called this election result not long after midnight and well before dawn on Wednesday morning.
Since neither I; nor the AP certifies the election results however I still thought it was a good idea to let the election boars finis their work.
Now that the AP has spoken however, they would probably prefer that we just moe on with the inauguration ceremony and skip right over the perfunctory ministerial procedures which do not directly involve them.
- just sayin' - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:45 pm:
To quote Bill Brady himself, “Oh Pat, there you go again.”
Yeah, being Governor!! LOL!!!
Someone should dig that video back out of Quinn dancing outside at some thing on Michigan Ave. I think the Republicans used it in some mocking video recently. Time to repackage it as the victory dance. What goes around comes around Bill.
- dupage progressive - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:46 pm:
maybe if he legally changed his name like his GOP senate colleague, Brady would have the vote calculations under control : Bill Brady, CPA.
Gotta love Illinois politics. Once again, you can’t make this stuff up.
- Scoot - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:49 pm:
Ok..Dillard gets a second chance in 4 years.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:50 pm:
Not Godwin’s Law again.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:51 pm:
I as a state worker just got the news that a “tentative” agreement was “finalized” to bar layoffs and facility closures through June 2010. There would be a seven-month deferral of 2% of the 4% retroactive raise we would receive in June 2011.
The freeze is based on $50 million of $100 million in savings, which AFSCME and CMS are currently working to achieve.
This good news for us guv’mint workers coincides with the AP report that Quinn won the race.
Quinn now seems like a better manager. My coworker at the state told me that he will be laid off of his second job because his job, which is a multinational corporation, will relocate in Costa Rica, and workers were asked to go to Costa Rica to train those who will take their jobs.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:52 pm:
Sorry, I meant June 2012.
- dave - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:52 pm:
just saying… here you go:
Pat Quinn celebrates his win:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYuM2Ar2rTs
- LakeCountyLarry - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:54 pm:
OK, forget the “liberal media” then … FOX NEWS shortly ago declared QUINN WINS in ILLINOIS. And we ALL know, WHEN FOX NEWS says “it is so”…well, then IT IS SO. Right?? Well, THIS time must concur with THE FOX. WHEW, politics at times does make for some strange bedfellows !!
- D.P. Gumby - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:54 pm:
Does this mean Dillard gets to say….Nanana boo boo!
- Jerad - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:54 pm:
The underwear stays in Springfield
- soccermom - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:55 pm:
I do not understand all this “no legal impact” hedging about the AP calling the election. Of course there is no legal impact — nor is there legal impact when some candidate concedes before all the ballots are counted, only to find out that, whoopsies, s/he actually won.
But it is conventional for a candidate who has clearly lost the election to acknowledge this loss and move on.
Every vote will be counted no matter what — that’s what the canvass is for. But we don’t hear people saying, “Hey, let’s wait for every vote to be counted before we declare Kirk the winner.” Once the electoral math is clear, we proclaim winners and losers, and then we get on with it.
- Quinncidence?...I think not - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:55 pm:
Love Brady’s quote: “We’re just dealing with something we didn’t anticipate.” Didn’t anticipate that he could lose? Bill, you’re supposed to celebrate in the end zone, not on the 5 yard line.
- james - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:58 pm:
Brady’s just having a hard time dealing with a big disappointment–a perfectly understandable human reaction. There’s no reason to badger him.
Let him be.
- MrJM - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:59 pm:
Brady: We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in Springfield, we shall fight on the absentees and provisionals, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the collars, we shall defend our campaign, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight at the courthouse, we shall fight in the CapFax comments, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender!
Republican Governor’s Association: Bill, we’re cutting off the money.
Brady: I’d like to congratulate Governor Quinn and his campaign and wish him best of luck.
– MrJM
- Amalia - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 4:59 pm:
dave: thanks for posting “the Pat Quinn Dagger” for us!
- What the. . . - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:00 pm:
Actually, Brady is the winner here. The other guy, who garnered all of 46% of the vote and has heretofore shown zero ability to manage this State will eventually follow in the footsteps of Gray Davis.
- (618) Democrat - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:00 pm:
AP ANALYSIS FINDS BRADY CANNOT WIN…Plummer asks Brady do I still get that office in the capitol that Daddy bought the drapes for?
- Anon - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:01 pm:
No I think we wait for the Military ballots that have not shown up yet that the AP and Wolf could not have done an analysis of. The AP story shows no analysis of the ballots and says there are tens of thousands of absentee ballots which has been reported to be over 50000.
- Map Time! - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:01 pm:
In light of the results, why…I believe its almost time to draw a map!
What a grand, fair map it shall be!
(Something you didn’t anticipate indeed, Sen. Brady.)
- Leatherneck - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:02 pm:
Grandson of Man,
I wonder if this latest development you mentioned in the AFSCME agreement means that in the upcoming budget, those state workers that are not part of AFSCME (essentially most of the constitutional officers) might see their parent agencies’ budgets slashed in the next budget while CMS and its ilk gets off free. Or could I be wrong?
- colt 45 - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:04 pm:
i honestly don’t understand the tone of some of the posts on this blog most times and this thread is no exception. bill brady has spent tremendous time and treasure putting his name on the line and working very hard for, arguably, the worst job in any government right now because he gives a damn. he should be commended and, should he concede, will do it with much more class than anyone who’s posts i’ve read thus far ever could. he’s done what 99% of most people will never do in that he’s run for public office and signed the front of someone’s paycheck and not just the back of his own. i’ve known bill for over a decade and consider him to be a personal friend. honestly, many of you who contribute to this blog on a daily basis would do well for yourselves by putting on some clothes other than the ones you sleep in and getting out of your mom’s basement. you should be ashamed.
- Amalia - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:05 pm:
Sen. Brady, R-Delusional, “there could be mistakes. there could be tiny baby elephants that will fly down from the sky and grow into big ballots for Republicans. There could be a huge lotto win to fill the hole in the budget. and the 10 % I mean 20% i mean I don’t know cause I’m just throwing it out there cuts won’t have to happen.”
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:06 pm:
50,000 ballots … give Brady 60/40 split …
Gives Brady an extra 10,000…. minus 19,500 equals ….
9,500 in the hole … I said I would give him until all the absentees are counted, and I will … however, this declaration by saying “cannot win” … you would think Jerry and Co. would help Brady get out of this gracefully …
Time will tell.
- LakeCountyLarry - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:07 pm:
QUINN WINS in ILLINOIS — a great relief to both man (humankind) and beast (Fido is unsually frisky tonight) alike !
- Justica O ! - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:10 pm:
I respect Brady for running for a tough job and his sincere desire to make Illinois a fiscally balanced place to live and work. I detest the greedy staff leeches and old guard yes men that dropped the ball on the 5 yard line. Brady is still young and has a future in public service. I hope next time around he hires NONE of the so called ‘pros’ that ran his campaign into the ditch just short of the finish line.
- Robert - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:11 pm:
a flashback: Friday after the primary, Brady says “It’s up to Mr. Dillard how long he wants to drag this out.”
https://capitolfax.com/2010/02/05/dillard-lets-get-a-final-count/
amazing how close the primary spread was relative to the quinn-brady spread
- Thoughts... - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:14 pm:
I said it before and I’ll say it again - I don’t give a hoot if he concedes. The longer he “fights” for the win, the better Quinn and Democrats look in respect to him. Bring on the RGA lawsuits! Of course, he could remake himself and salvage a future statewide run, but that window is closing very rapidly.
- Been There - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:17 pm:
We all know Brady didn’t grasp the fact that just cutting 10% of spending wasn’t going to balance the budget. So I guess we should expect that he doesn’t understand the math now.
- It is what it is - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:21 pm:
Purple Tie just discarded his email drafted Nov. 1 titled “Quinn Hangs It Up.”
- (618) Democrat - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:26 pm:
@colt45 17:04
==bill brady has spent tremendous time and treasure putting his name on the line and working very hard for, arguably, the worst job in any government right now==
Bill should thank us; he won’t have to do the worst job.
Do you have an issue with capital letters?
One more thing, I like moms basement it has a refrigerator full of beer.
- MrJM - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:31 pm:
Maybe Brady could buy himself some time by borrowing Bush’s codpiece and Rove’s “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED” banner.
– MrJM
- Nearly Normal - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:34 pm:
TRA LA LA LA TRA LA LA TRA LA LA!!
Bill, you must need a hearing aid.
The Plus Size Woman has sung three times!
Let it go, man.
- CircularFiringSquad - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:36 pm:
Brady is looking for cover so he can go MIA to LF condo and fire up the Porsche. It leaves Unkie ROn on the hook to ’splain to RGA and the secret funders ( i.e. spelled CAT, Motorola Boing, ADM etc) how their cash went into the toilet.
Oh my
Fire,Aim,Ready
p.s. what a perfect end for the Trib…let’s reprint the McKenna endorsement!
- ShadyBillBrady - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:36 pm:
Anon seems to know more than anyone else. Who is reporting there are more than 50k absentee ballots?
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:38 pm:
Since Brady is refusing to concede I would be very interested to see how high Quinn can build this victory. I would like to see it reach 25k.
- MrJM - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:40 pm:
@colt 45: “i’ve known bill for over a decade and consider him to be a personal friend. honestly, many of you who contribute to this blog on a daily basis would do well for yourselves by putting on some clothes other than the ones you sleep in and getting out of your mom’s basement.”
We haven’t been in mom’s basement; we’ve been working to kick your candidate’s ass.
How’d we do?
– MrJM
- steve schnorf - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:40 pm:
Jeez, once again we see why Rich tells us not to bother reading the national media regarding Illinois politics. They don’t have a clue.
AP
Madigan, Cullerton, Lisa, Jesse, Preckwinkle, Berrios, et al “A wave? We missed a wave?”
- Nearly Normal - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:43 pm:
An ex-Illinoisan in Florida says she heard it on her local Fox network TV station.
Our colleague who son works at State Farm said the higher ups are not happy that Brady lost. A lot of them contributed to his campaign starting with the CEO Ed Rust with $16,000.
- soccermom - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:52 pm:
The thing I love about this blog is that you run into words like “codpiece.” Nice.
- Willy Wonka - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 5:56 pm:
Brady is banking on “hanging chads”. He won’t go down without crying.
- steve schnorf - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 6:03 pm:
Mom, that may be the problem I’ve been having trying to log on this blog from public sites. I frequently end up being barred from this restricted site. It may be words like “codpiece” causing it.
- Vickie - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 6:10 pm:
Hey Bill, what are we all supposed to do with these CMS job application forms your staff directed we work on this past weekend?
- Both Sides Now - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 6:15 pm:
Simon needs to remake this campaign ad video from Brady featuring dancing Quinn. Now it’s a “Quinn Victory Celebration Dance!” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMDubFQbdoA
- always anonymous - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 6:21 pm:
how many of the people who were against Gore asking for time to analyze the ballots are now making excuses for Brady not conceding?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 6:22 pm:
Jason Plummer asked if he did lose, does he get to still be Homeroom Representative, or how does this “campaign stuff” work…
- Mike Ins - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 6:29 pm:
If a tax increase is passed at this point would it have to be next spring? Or is there a chance it could happen in veto or special session? If so would it be retroactive to jan 1 2010 and include this year’s income?
Just trying to figure out the mechanics of the tax increase assuming now mjm puts votes on it.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 6:29 pm:
Some of my colleagues in AFSCME/state government were very upset with the Democrats last year, as I was, with Quinn’s layoff initiative and Madigan’s reluctance to support Quinn’s income tax increase proposal and HB 174. They said they would vote for the Green Party. They said that AFSCME should abandon the Democrats and go Green or another party, and they drafted a resolution for this that was dramatically ratified at the AFSCME convention last year.
I voted for Quinn because I knew that the Greens had no movement. Whitney got less votes than Cohen. If AFSCME went Green, that could in my opinion have been disastrous for us. The Democrats, though they would have lost major funding, would not have had our political millstone around their necks and could then go further with pension reform, layoffs, etc.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 6:31 pm:
always anonymous …
I dunno if at anytime the AP said “Gore Cannot Win” and had math on the AP’s side, … just sayin’
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 6:34 pm:
I like that Quinn is not declaring victory, given the outside (and apparently very slim) chance that the military ballots and other absentee ballots will be returned in significant numbers.
I hope Quinn stays classy and waits for the legal process to conclude.
- just sayin' - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 6:43 pm:
Days of pondering whether to concede a race everyone knows you’ve lost. Good lord. This is what happens when you start hanging out with Jim Edgar.
- Park - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 6:47 pm:
I recall the class that Dillard and Brady demonstrated during the reconsideration/recount in the primary. That quality must be unique…not being demonstrated by the posters on this topic.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 6:49 pm:
Gore was down by less than 300 votes in a state the size of Illinois, with the US presidency at stake. Hardly compares to 19,000 votes for Illinois Governor.
- Joe Blow - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 6:50 pm:
@ Park: Dillard should have had a recount… he messed up.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 6:50 pm:
–This is what happens when you start hanging out with Jim Edgar.–
What does Edgar know about losing statewide races?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 6:52 pm:
Dear Bill Brady,
What is taking you so long to make a decision? You know what you are going to have to do in the end, but you are letting it drag on and on. Your decision, or lack of decision, is causing a great deal of undue stress, and you are making the press angry that you will not give a straight answer.
Very truly yours,
Brett Favre
Dear Bill Brady,
I recommend you buy an hour worth of television time and discuss, with a moderator, what your decision is, and how much you love your hometown, and how making this decision is going to have an impact on them. Maybe donate some of the campaign cash to a charity, it might soften the blow of this tough decision,
Sincrely,
LeBron James
- colt 45 - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 6:58 pm:
@618, you made me LOL or whatever the kids say these days. good one. mom’s basements full of beer are a good thing.
@mrjm, you’ll notice that i said “many of you”. your association with “them” speaks more to issues with your mother than the a** kicking of which you speak. good for you. you won. now fix it.
- In good time... - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 7:11 pm:
As others have posted and noticed, the lack of graciousness and decency on the part of the Quinn supports and Quinn himself is sad and ugly, but not at all surprising given what we have seen over the last two + years in state government. Is it so hard for y’all to exhibit the class and dignity that Brady exhibited to Dillard after their close primary, and no doubt the same class and dignity that Brady would have exhibited to Quinn if the situation had been reversed? Even just a little class and graciousness?
Bill Brady should concede when he is good and ready. It’s his call to make. Given that it is clear that Brady has lost the election, I think he must now work to find a signature issue of his own, and just dedicate himself to it. If he does, I hope he will work on something beneficial to all Illinoisans. Brady needs to understand that tomorrow’s a brand new day and his to make of it what he wishes to make of it. His yesterday does not have to define his tomorrow. Quinn did not beat Brady overwhelming, they were both nearly tied same thing with Quinn in his primary race.
Thinking of Brady’s future potential for greatness (in the eyes of the people), I’m reminded of the John Profumo’s story. He was a British politician and Foreign Minister, who left office in disgrace as a result of a sex scandal in the early/mid 1960s. He died several years ago a beloved and well-respected figure in Great Britain for his philanthropic efforts.
For the record, I am a 30-something year-old black woman from Chicago and I leaned Brady, but in the end, when I got into the voting booth, I did not vote for him. It wasn’t because of his social issues or right-wing conservatism, neither of which I support. It was because of his lack of a budget plan and vision for Illinois. I have a strong interest in public policy professionally and personally, and I just could not back someone who aspired to lead this state, but who did not think it necessary to develop a plan for me to see and consider. Even if I did not agree with his plan, he needed to have one. I think Brady and his campaign were wrong and unpardonably lazy in that respect—the people of Illinois deserved something from him beyond just simple (weak) talking points. I am a woman of good taste and principle, so I definitely did NOT vote for Quinn!
I wrote-in my prefered candidate. I am very happy with my vote and my conscience is clear.
- Map Time! - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 7:55 pm:
colt 45: wow–so glad you know the man, he is the best thing since sliced bread.
However, spare us the signed a paycheck, can’t believe the tone, etc. etc.
After being called unpatriotic, socialist, un American, and the rest…and now Mom’s basement to boot.
Tell the man to go ahead and keep counting - spend money on lawyers, etc. He’s just making himself look bad.
No apologies.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 7:56 pm:
People, let’s tone it down on all sides, please.
Seriously.
- colt 45 - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 8:01 pm:
mr. map time, nice try. please try to make some sense next time.
- Joe T - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 8:02 pm:
Has anyone heard when the rest of the PSA opt.1 and SPSA’s are going into AFSCME? Rumors it might be soon
- Map Time! - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 8:12 pm:
OK. Sorry Rich. I agree with Thoughts when he posted that it really doesn’t matter if Sen. Brady gives in or not. Let him exhuast his legal rights as a candidate. The Democrats will just go on governing.
Colt 45: As for your comment about not believing the tone on the blog about someone he considers a friend and respected servant (and I can understand all that-I have several myself) I find that comment unusual considering all the negative attacks against Governor Quinn and progressives in general.
That’s all.
- Amalia - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 8:30 pm:
to the friends of Brady who have comments about posts on this blog, thanks for the inspiration. i’m not in my pajamas, or anywhere near my mother’s basement. but if that’s what it takes, I’m now even more inspired to comment on Brady on behalf of all my friends who need a breast exam, the pill, or an abortion and for my little dog too.
- Illinois WINS with QUINN - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 8:33 pm:
Governor Quinn DID WIN Jackson County. The vote total was Quinn/Simon 7334 and Brady/Plummer 7176. Please refer to Jackson Couty’s website for the totals.
- Joe Blow - Thursday, Nov 4, 10 @ 10:28 pm:
The most upset person from all of this is Madigan.. No way he allows a state income tax to go through now putting all of his targeted members at risk. If Brady got in then he would have blamed it all on him.
- 42nd Ward - Friday, Nov 5, 10 @ 12:08 am:
Ugly, very ugly here.