* Almost exactly four years ago, Bill Brady’s campaign began running this TV ad against Gov. Pat Quinn about the administration’s botched early release program…
Here’s Pat Quinn’s response at the time…
* Fast forward to this past weekend. Bruce Rauner’s campaign unleashed a fresh hit on early release…
Quinn’s new response ad is nearly identical to his 2010 response, including the closing photo. Watch…
* Meanwhile, the Quinn campaign wants you to know about this press release that I didn’t post over the weekend…
A coalition of legislators and leading criminal justice reform advocates issued the below statement regarding Republican billionaire Bruce Rauner’s new desperate campaign television ad, which misleadingly attacks a program that was shut down by the Governor more than four years ago:
“Bruce Rauner’s latest television attack is disgraceful. The truth is the 2009 early release program was shut down by Governor Quinn more than four years ago.
“We worked with Governor Quinn, along with judges, experts and many legislators in both parties to pass one of the strongest criminal justice reforms in the nation and protect public safety.
“The Governor’s leadership led to landmark sentencing reforms and a new program, Illinois’ Supplemental Sentence Credit program, which is a national model in guarding public safety and providing incentives for non-violent inmates to engage in positive behavior and rehabilitation.
“Fundamentally dishonest attacks such as this Rauner attack ad cheapen the public dialogue on prison reform and distract from real steps needed to make our communities safer.
“The fact that Bruce Rauner is digging up an old, failed attack signifies his increasingly desperate campaign and insults the people of Illinois who deserve a debate on the real issues.”
The very long list of those who signed the letter is here.
*** UPDATE *** The Rauner campaign sent along this October 13, 2010 AP “fact check” on the Brady and Quinn ads…
QUINN’S CLAIM: “What are the facts about prisoners being released 60 days early?”
FACTS: The inmates were not released 60 days early. The average was four months, and in some cases it was six months early. The 60-day reference is to the old policy that inmates had to serve 60 days before being eligible to collect any time off for good behavior. Ending that policy meant some inmates were getting time off and being released almost as soon as they walked into prison.
QUINN’S CLAIM: “The very day Gov. Pat Quinn found out about it, he took control, took action, and shut it down. He issued an order and stopped it cold.”
FACTS: Quinn halted MGT Push on Dec. 13, the day of an AP story reporting its existence. But the week before, when asked about it, Quinn’s spokesman denied anyone was getting out early.
Two days after the AP article, Quinn said he had known about the program ahead of time and claimed it had been well-publicized but wouldn’t say why he was halting it at that time. The next day, he said then-Corrections Director Michael Randle had not followed specific instructions to bar violent offenders from early release.
QUINN’S CLAIM: “Pat Quinn took responsibility. He didn’t duck it; he took action.”
FACTS: He took action, but he didn’t take responsibility. Quinn blamed Randle, who resigned in September. “I take accountability for the mistakes. The director who made the mistakes takes responsibility for them,” Quinn said.
Since Quinn’s new ad is nearly identical to the old one, it’s pretty easy to fact check it.
- Del Clinkton - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 10:39 am:
Hard to believe our Brave Women (and some men) have died for TV commercials.
- Geronimo - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 10:40 am:
=deserve a debate on the real issues=
Couldn’t agree more. But when you don’t want to talk about your plans and the real issues, you go to sensationalized attacks to divert attention away. It works for so many people! Cagey was the word that described Rauner, I believe. How can you vote for someone who is so full of mystery? When you vote, you should know what your future with this candidate could look like, don’t you think?
- Snucka - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 10:46 am:
I can’t believe this is what Rauner is focusing on, six weeks before the election. Very odd.
- Irked - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 10:46 am:
From the way the Quinn counter released sounds, this may have been a really, really bad move by Rauner. He would have been better off screaming about IDOT and pretending to have business success stories hidden away somewhere.
- OneMan - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 10:47 am:
Well I think we have seen Quinn’s definition of ‘taking responsibility’ is to blame a staffer or department head.
- Dan Bureaucrat - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 10:51 am:
The Rauner response is off-the-charts confused. They don’t know whether they are attacking MGT Push or MGT, which Gov. Thompson started.
The Quinn ad should say “an average of 37 days early.”
- A guy... - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 10:55 am:
The problem still exists. The solution is not visible. Kids are getting shot and killed. The news itself rarely goes a few days without another heartbreaking story. It’s getting so common that we’re building immunity to some of the images now.
There are small pockets of lawlessness that continue to produce these terrible stories. The ad jives with the media reports.
Prison is not rehabilitation. No matter how noble the efforts are, it’s “finishing school” for career criminals. They come out more violent than they went in. Such is life in that society (prison) There’s a solution in between letting bad people out and the death penalty. That’s a lot of space to work with. The system is still horribly broken.
- low level - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 10:57 am:
I’m sure the ministers who just endorsed him, and their congregations, are very happy to learn of his position on this issue.
- anon - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 10:58 am:
Sign of desperation from Team Rauner.
- walker - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 10:59 am:
Very disappointing ad, that is just the same rerun from the negative campaign operating handbook. They don’t even know what program or time frame they are complaining about — but facts don’t matter with this kind of thing.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 11:06 am:
It’s fine to got after early release, but the facts of the matter are is that it’s way old news.
The Rauner media and communications crew is really flopping around these days. Was there no plan for the final lap?
- circularfiringsquad - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 11:11 am:
Mitt: Mr. Shrimp I thought you told me we rented the John Howard Assoc.?
Shrimp: No I said we rented some of the board for other projects …business loans, voter suppression, term limits, but no for the soft on crime stuff.
Mitt: Opps another mistake…hope no one notices. Do you think I am too skinny?
- John Boch - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 11:13 am:
Wordslinger: “Was there no plan for the final lap?”
No plan for the final lap?
Word, I’m getting the impression there was no plan for the entire campaign, much less a final lap.
Just spend a lot of money, talk about a lot of nothing and smile and wave at the camera. Make a handful of appearances and give lip-service.
There’s no theme or focus in Rauner’s campaign.
I’m having a hard time believing Rauner really wants this governor thing. He’s got more money than he can spend and a life that the job of governor would simply interfere with.
John
- Mighty M. Mouse - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 11:25 am:
===I can’t believe this is what Rauner is focusing on, six weeks before the election. Very odd.===
===The Rauner media and communications crew is really flopping around these days. Was there no plan for the final lap?===
This is all Rauner’s got. There isn’t any real substance to his campaign and there never was. There’s not a lot of substance to smoke and mirrors and tissues of lies.
He’s a flim-flam man, or, like former Cook County Assessor Jim Houlihan put it the other day, Rauner’s like a carnival barker.
Don’t trust him, don’t believe him, and don’t expect any more from him. He’s all bluster and BS. What you see, if you can see through his obfuscating hand-waving, is what you get — just a very smooth, fast talking con-artist. Get used to it.
- Mason born - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 11:36 am:
Once again how trajic is it that they both can’t lose?
Horrible governor against a horrible opponent. I don’t know Qrimm but i have a hard time thinking he is worse than the other two. Of course he won’t break %20 even if Rich and all media did puff peices on him for the rest of the campaign.
Really have to wonder why all the other dems took a pass on the primary. I wonder how many weep as rauner self destructs.
- walker - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 11:42 am:
Rauner’s got the money and contacts to hire Rahm’s brother, and his favorite writer and director, for God’s sake. His final lap should have two blockbusters: one positive and one negative. The music and voice top notch.
One on all that Rauner brings to the table, because he has created real jobs and turned around specific companies in worse shape than Illinois.
One that calls for wholesale change, (not just “shaking up” some political class), that blasts the shape that Quinn has allowed our beloved Illinois to be in, with two or three painful examples, and ends with a confident “city on the hill” closer.
Easier said than done, I know, but those are the key messages for the movables. So far we have been fed trivia.
- Irked - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 11:44 am:
@ Mason,
I agree. It seems a real shame that some of our prominent Democrats didn’t decide to run. It wouldn’t have to be a big-shot like Jesse White or Lisa Madigan. It could be someone generally well liked, who could really gin up some excitement.
My fantasy would have been someone like Greg Harris. Although, it would be sad to see his facebook turn into something other than an homage to bacon and sharknado.
Sigh… Could woulda shoulda.
- Formerly Known As... - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 11:49 am:
Rauner wins this round. MGT Push was a major errors and created unnecessary victims of some terrible crimes.
== Once again how tragic is it that they both can’t lose? ==
Can we shorten the term from four years to four days? asap, please. It can be like the same-day voting law, strictly for this election.
- Not Rich - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 11:50 am:
D) NONE OF THE ABOVE is looking like a real choice..
- Voice of Reason - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 11:51 am:
Rauner has tons of money and his “consultants” love to line their wallets with it. I think Bruce felt he could just win this thing bc Quinn was an unpopular incumbent. Didn’t think he had to have a place… His media is amateurish. Still think its a tight race, but have been shocked at the decisions made by Rauner campaign.
- Formerly Known As... - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 11:53 am:
== Don’t trust him, don’t believe him, and don’t expect any more from him. ==
The depressing thing is, anyone reading this sentence would have once assumed it was a reference to Bruce Rauner. Pat Quinn was likewise assumed to be our bumbling but well-intentioned leader.
Now, it could just as easily reference Pat Quinn.
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 12:56 pm:
===There’s a solution in between letting bad people out and the death penalty. That’s a lot of space to work with. The system is still horribly broken.===
Agreed. Someday I’d like to hear Bruce Rauner lay out his plan to help fix it. When do you think that might happen? Before he’s inaugurated? Or does he just plan to ignore this after he’s sworn in and we all forget that our criminal justice system is horribly broken.
- MrJM - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 1:09 pm:
I don’t think that anyone who votes for Rauner is a hapless mark, but I’ll bet Bruce thinks so.
– MrJM
- A guy... - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 1:20 pm:
47 “Agreed. Someday I’d like to hear Bruce Rauner lay out his plan to help fix it. When do you think that might happen? Before he’s inaugurated? Or does he just plan to ignore this after he’s sworn in and we all forget that our criminal justice system is horribly broken.”
I’d love to hear a solution from anyone. And that includes Bruce. Sadly, this isn’t the priority it should be and hasn’t been for any of the people who could absolutely decide to fix it.
- Mason born - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 1:27 pm:
Is anyone voting for one of these two and not against the other???
- Jorge - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 1:32 pm:
This is an electoral version of Groundhog Day sadly without a Bill Murray.
- low level - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 1:38 pm:
Bruce apparently has the same problem Bill Daley had. He never asked himself why he really wanted to be Governor and why people should vote for him beyond the fact that he is “not Pat Quinn”
- Bill F. - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 1:46 pm:
The lesson here is a merry-go-round slowly revolving in an empty playground is trouble.
- bill ryan - Tuesday, Sep 23, 14 @ 1:51 pm:
so mr, rauner, governor quinn has said what he did it is your turn what will you do?