* AP…
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn says Wisconsin should follow the lead of other Midwest states and legalize gay marriage.
Quinn said Aug. 3 during a break at the National Governors Association meeting in Milwaukee that gay people should not have more rights in some states in the region and less in others.
Gay marriage became legal this week in Minnesota. Quinn says he would sign a bill to legalize gay marriage in Illinois, but it is tied up in the Legislature.
He called on Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican-controlled Legislature to follow the lead of those states.
Dude, how about focusing on passing the Illinois bill first?
*** UPDATE *** The governor was asked about his comments today. Listen to his response…
- RonOglesby - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 10:28 am:
talk about the pot calling the kettle.
Actually it was probably just a swing at Walker while simultaneously talking himself up on gay rights.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 10:32 am:
I’m kind of hoping the neanderthals in Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri and Kentucky keep gay marriage illegal. Too late for Iowa, but if Illinois can be the top destination in the midwest for gay couples, it’ll be great for us to welcome thousands of happy and generally wealthy new families. It’s all about growth people.
But yeah, it’s a little early for Quinn to be giving lectures on the subject.
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 10:33 am:
He can barely run this state (and that’s highly arguable), why’s he worrying about other states?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 10:35 am:
lol - How Dopey is Quinn. Populist Pat Quinn is the guy who tells you that you have a cut ON your arm, as Populist Pat Quinn is missing an arm and is still bleeding!
That … analysis … is probably the most embarrassing quote by Pat Quinn… of that 5 minutes …
- Chris - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 10:36 am:
“He can barely run this state (and that’s highly arguable), why’s he worrying about other states?”
Do as I say, not as I do. Also, lot easier to talk than it is to do.
- too obvious - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 10:37 am:
Come on, passing gay marriage this year would make things too easy for the gop gubernatorial candidates. The race is too boring as it is.
- Small Town Liberal - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 10:42 am:
Sheesh, he made the comments during a break at a NGA meeting in Wisconsin. I hardly think this qualifies as losing focus.
- the unknown poster - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 10:53 am:
It is always easier to point out the sins of others while ignoring your own.
- Skeeter - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 10:58 am:
Tied up in the legislature?
If only Illinois had a person in a high profile position — maybe even living in a huge house right near where the legislature meets — who could at least in theory speak for the state and push those people in the legislature to get something passed. That would be really cool.
Nope, nobody like that here.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 10:59 am:
- STL -,
When you point out other’s leadership failures, and you can’t lead your own state, that is what a Gadfly does; Doesn’t lead, point to others perceived leadership failures as seeming like the Gadfly is leading.
Did I miss Governor Quinn on the House floor working the Bill? No, Illinois got Populist Pat Quinn talking … to microphones, which have no voting power.
Then Quinn thinks he should comment on other states’ “failures”?
Yikes!
- Small Town Liberal - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 11:02 am:
OW, I don’t see Quinn pointing out any failures in his comments, perhaps I’m missing something but it seems to me he’s just supporting gay marriage.
Also, you did miss Quinn working with the legislators on this issue, it was reported right here on capfax.
- Jake From Elwood - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 11:04 am:
PQ continues to chide Scott Walker on issue after issue. It is almost as embarrassing as how Mitch Daniels keeps blasting Illinois over taxes, etc.
State governors should worry about intrastate issues than interstate issues, right? This isn’t Bears-Packers or Cubs-Cardinals.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 11:05 am:
Quinn’s biggest mistake is that Quinn has zero leaders in either chamber, and Quinn has no juice to influence the body, at least that is 100% Constitutional, but I digress…
To my point, all that being said, saying the votes were there and they weren’t & blaming everyone who were correct that there were not the votes there to pass, that solidifies who Populist Pat Quinn is, and who Governor Par Quinn is not. Quinn’s remarks on this issue and other states’ problems just reinforce that Dopey Populist Pat Quinn.
- OneMan - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 11:13 am:
In other remarks Quinn blasted a school district in Southern Wisconsin for having a $1,250 deficit. He also blasted Governor Walker for not having been south of Kenosha in almost 2 weeks.
- downhereforyears - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 11:23 am:
So let me get this straight. Our Governor goes to a neighboring state and openly critizes the Governor of that state for not passing legislation that he has been unable to pass here in Illinois. What a wack job!!!!!
- wordslinger - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 11:30 am:
If Quinn wanted to zing Walker, he should have brought up Wisconsin’s higher individual and corporate income taxes.
- ChrisB - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 11:41 am:
Quinn, get on that so my friends can get married. They’ve been engaged for like 2 years now. That wedding is going to be a rager.
@47th, I’m somewhat surprised that the argument for gay marriage hasn’t been redefined as an economic stimulus yet. Sure, “It Creates Jobs!” is a bit cliche at this point, but the wedding industry will get a massive boost when SSM goes through.
- FoxValleyPride1 - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 11:41 am:
Yeah, I’ll agree that it sounds a bit awkward for him to go lecturing other states about something his state has been unable to do. But it’s probably good for the issue at hand. It a) gets the conversation going again and b) frames the conversation as “Isn’t it crazy that gay marriage has not yet passed?” As an advocate, that’s exactly the way I’d like it framed.
- downstater - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 12:17 pm:
Funny how he has no problem holding out on CC when all the states around us give their citizens that right but we don’t have gay marriage either and he criticizes Gov. Walker.
Do you think Quinn can even spell hypocrite so he can look up its meaning in the dictionary?
- 47th Ward - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 12:20 pm:
===I’m somewhat surprised that the argument for gay marriage hasn’t been redefined as an economic stimulus yet.===
I know, it’s a winning argument too. Illinois could be the capitol of fabulous someday. Think of the new retail and restaurant scene, the B & B industry, antiques, pet salons. The economic potential is endless.
- DanL60 - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 12:21 pm:
Maybe he could suspend their pay until they pass a bill.
- olddog - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 12:41 pm:
Gee, do you think maybe Quinn was “lecturing other states” about gay marriage because that’s what the AP asked him about. It sounds like he was in Milwaukee for a National Governors Association meeting, and he ran into a reporter who was fishing for quotes on a slow news day.
I Googled the story, and found it in a series of Wisconsin news briefs from the NGA session, including one on Democratic governors and health care reform; a bet between the governors of Wisconsin and Missouri on competing beer brands; and this item:
“MILWAUKEE (AP) — Illinois Governor Pat Quinn says he wants to work with his neighboring states and won’t “engage in kicking the shins of other governors.”
The Democratic Quinn’s comments came Saturday during a break at the National Governors Association meeting. Quinn was asked how he feels about Republican Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker trying to lure Illinois businesses to Wisconsin.
Walker also repeatedly denigrates Illinois for raising taxes and having an unfunded pension system.
Quinn says he sees Illinois and Wisconsin as being part of a regional economy and it doesn’t do any good to have governors trying to recruit businesses from one Great Lakes state to the other.
Walker is avoiding conflict at the meeting in Milwaukee, saying he is there to work with other governors and not compete.”
I found the stories in a set of Wisconsin news briefs on the WHIO-TV website
http://www.whiotv.com/news/ap/military/latest-wisconsin-news-sports-business-and-entertai/nZDPh/
In other words, the kind of stuff you get when you bump into a newsmaker in the hallway on a slow news day. In fact, it must have been a slow news day all over — WHIO in in Dayton, Ohio.
- slow down - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 1:23 pm:
Really? We’re now criticizing Quinn for advocating for equality in marriage in Wisconsin on the theory that it means he’s lost focus on changing the law in Illinois? Cmon Rich, your knee jerk criticism of the Governor is really over the top.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 1:27 pm:
Over the top? Maybe this business just isn’t for you, sweetie.
- slow down - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 4:07 pm:
Okay, you’re right. Taking a gratuitous shot at the Governor is completely and totally justified even where there’s no basis for it. Thanks for toughening me up Rich.
- Springy thingy - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 4:23 pm:
Who cares? Maybe he thinks both IL and WI should pass it. Slow news/blog day?
- Springy thingy - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 4:24 pm:
Careful, slow down. Rich doesn’t take kindly to people with the nerve to disagree with him.
- Look At This - Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 11:56 pm:
Thanks! It a fantastic web site.
- Angry Chicagoan - Tuesday, Aug 6, 13 @ 8:30 am:
@Jake from Elwood, it’s sort of the pecking order of bad Midwest governors. Mediocre Mitch lectures Pathetic Pat who chides Shocking Scott. I notice how the better ones stay out of these little spats.