* I asked Gov. Pat Quinn’s attorney general campaign yesterday for a copy of their new TV ad and was told I’d have one as soon as possible. As a hedge, I put some Chicago-area friends on alert and asked them to record it with their phones if they saw it.
There are actually two Quinn ads, both 15 seconds in length. Here’s one…
For years I’ve fought the bigshots for everyday people, battling utilities and helping our veterans. Now it’s time to stand up to Trump’s illegal policies. As attorney general, I’ll take on Trump and fight for you.
I half expected him to say “You know me” in that spot.
…Adding… With thanks to a commenter, he actually did say “You know me” at the beginning of the ad. Click here to see it.
* This second one isn’t complete. It’s missing the very beginning, but beggars can’t be choosers…
…the last line of defense against Trump. As attorney general, I’ll fight his attacks on healthcare. I won’t let him take away our civil rights. Trump wants to protect assault weapons. Me? I want to protect you.
…Adding…If you click here, you’ll see he says “Our attorney general is the last line of defense against Trump.”
Thoughts on these ads?
* Related…
* Democratic race to succeed Attorney General Lisa Madigan becomes battle to stop Pat Quinn: “It was passed by the legislature, I looked at it, I signed it,” Quinn said. “There had never been a court case on this issue that was on point. The court decided. In our democracy, whether it’s the U.S. Supreme Court, the Illinois Supreme Court, you accept the verdict of the court and you move on.” That response was a far cry from 2012, when Quinn declared he was “put on Earth” to solve the state’s pension mess. He attempted to cut lawmakers’ pay over the issue, then called a special session to get a bill on his desk.
Didn’t Mayor Washington call Quinn a “Gadfly”? He has been around way to long, and was a terrible Governor. I do give him credit for helping right a sinking ship after Blago. He simply didn’t have the skills, and I can’t help but question his ability as AG.
PQ’s obviously slipping. Or that is an impostor we see in the ads. The ads are much too short for him to get a good stemwindy ramble going and there was no mention of the Mississippi River. Grade C.
Tribbies havin’ some fun tryin’ to tell readers that voters will have “buyers remorse” and back PQ in 18. Actually voters have suffered GovJunk because of this lunk head and are unlikely to send him back to a new state paycheck. Nice try
Hi I’m the bad penny Illinois cannot rid itself of, I’m going to keep running until…well Ill never stop running because I have little talent, I’m surrounded by incompetence, and I cant remember when I had a real job. Did I just say that…? Sincerely Pat Quinn
I’m leaning towards Raoul right now. No thanks Quinn. You were a below average Governor and that might be a kind assessment. You wanted to give those every day working people you say you want to protect who had pensions a “haircut”. Those were your own words. You knew the pension bill was probably unconstitutional but you went for it anyway and now you want to be AG.
But I almost think he’s better off not running any commercials…just keep a low profile in an attempt to win by sneak attack on Election Day. Had a friend text me this morning after seeing the ad who said “Quinn’s running for something again? Have to make a point to vote against him.”
How can you call him a below average Governor? His two predecessors were jailed and then we have Rauner. Quinn learned on the job and was better at the end of his term than the start.
He should have stopped on pensions with the passage of Tier 2. Then he would probably have won re-election.
He signed gay marriage, signed a tax increase, paid down debt, made pension payments, and still reduced state headcount while not gutting services.
Was everything lollipops and unicorns? No. But better than before and better than after.
= For years I’ve fought the bigshots for everyday people, battling utilities and helping our veterans. =
Whatever you may think of Pat Quinn, that statement is very accurate. Also, didn’t the General Assembly, under the same leadership as now, override Quinn’s veto of a utility rate increase bill?
PQ is PQ. Everyone does know him. You either like him or you don’t. I don’t see how these commercials are going to change anyone’s minds. I wondered a few days ago whether he was going to run any tv ads, and if he would be better off laying low and not reminding people why they didn’t vote for him 4 years ago.
What’s with every candidate “fighting”? Biker Bruce took of his shades and told us he was going to fight. JB is fighting. Now PQ is fighting. Is it just me or is “fighting” more attractive these days?
I’m clearly no fan, but the point I can’t get past is with all of these other qualified choices out there in the Democratic primary, why would people think he is the best the party has to offer in November? That blows my mind.
Shouldn’t failing to fulfill a contractual obligation be a disqualification for Attorney General? I am thinking of those contractually obligated pay raises for your employees that you reneged on.
I, too, plan on voting for Kwame since he has always struck me as one of the more level-headed Senators and willing to work with both parties.
Like him or not, Quinn is a known quantity. He was a fairly good Lt Gov, wasn’t a great Gov to start with but grew in the job to be more or less competent. He did OK on the actual administrative side of running the office.
He wouldn’t be great but he also wouldn’t be a disaster.
Quinn is a real consumer advocate who may be older, more tired, more battle scarred than before - but he’s a sincere, OG progressive. He’s not perfect and doesn’t hold himself out that way. On the liberal causes that matter to most democrats, he’s been right before it was popular.
He’s of course been wrong, too. He erred on pension reform, but he was trying in earnest to right the state’s ship - and many other legit progressives were swept up by the same impulse/frenzy.
He’s never been the insider, establishment favorite. Never. His career, and this AG race in particular, sheds bright light on fair weather friendships in politics.
Those who have abandoned him, or who irrationally despise him, should just take a breather and seek the better angels of their nature.
- Harold W was right - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:21 am:
“Now it’s time to stand up to Trump’s illegal policies.”
PQ had quite a few illegal policies in place when he was governor. Also he violated his constitutional oath with the pension diminishement campaign he waged. PQ was a faux populist grandstander when he was governor.
Harold Washington didn’t have high opinion of him as City Treasurer either - oh but we’re not supposed to talk about that.
Sure he signed some good stuff as Governor, but did he do anything more than pick up his pen at the end when the GA did all the work? Seemed pretty disengaged at the time.
Setting aside Pat Quinn as an individual, do we as an electorate really need another senior citizen white guy put in charge of things? Pat will be 70 at the end of this year. Time to let new blood take over already.
- Robert the Bruce - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 12:22 pm:
==As a hedge, I put some Chicago-area friends on alert and asked them to record it with their phones if they saw it.==
Quinn has run for office a few times before and ought to have a campaign capable of forwarding a video link- strange that you needed to hedge(?)
A measure that Quinn got ratified early in his career was the Cutback Amendment, which eliminated three-member House districts and cumulative voting. Though I actively supported it at the time, I now believe it was a mistake. That amendment gave us Madigan; Speakers never had that kind of control during the three-member district days, and gerrymandering was all but impossible.
His record was mixed as governor, but it looks better every day in comparison to his successor.
On the other hand, AG might be a good fit for Quinn. He would be a legal crusader for progressive causes.
- Harold W was right - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 1:07 pm:
=Totally disagree.
You might not like his style but he’s got a record of DOING populism, not just talking.=
Notwistanding your bogus post-Quinn strawmen of Trump & Rauner (budget), You have a perverse standard for populism.
He “won” some alright : illegal patronage hiring; whistleblower retaliation; DCFS negligence, dysfunctional Dept of Human Rights, worker safety and health violations; wage theft, and of course your “populism” action figure Squeezy.
The fact remains that Quinn was a phony and a fraud form his time as Chicago City treasurer, to Blago’s running mate, to his stint as governor.
*Sigh*
I just wish any of the other candidates had run solid campaigns so I didn’t have to choose because Pat Quinn, who should be in retirement hanging out, or Kwame, who sponsored the Senate version of the pension bill everyone hates Daniel for AND takes money from big tobacco.
Can we all just vote for Sharon and call it a day?
It’s clear PQ cares deeply about people, especially poor people and middle-class people who have been losing opportunity and hope. No one who has seen him in any office can think otherwise.
AG is a perfect job for him and it will be a great fit for his strengths. He will be able to put the full force of his work and energy behind helping people. We desperately need some consumer advocates in government.
Quinn was state Treasurer, but never City Treasurer. He was appointed to, and later fired from, Commissioner of the Chicago Dept. of Revenue under Harold Washington.
I cant help but like Pat a little. He was not a great governor, but he did make some debt payments. He did spend most of his career looking out for the little guy. Heck if the election was today, I would vote for ole’ PQ
Buyer’s remorse on 2014 is one thing, but “not great,” “average,” etc. in his last job puts him atop a field of 10 Democrats for a different job? Still don’t get it.
- Grand Avenue - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 9:24 am:
Unomi - Pat Quinn should open a Japanese restaurant with that name.
- wordslinger - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 9:28 am:
Quinn’s figured out that Trump might not be popular among Democratic primary voters.
- Grand Avenue - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 9:28 am:
He did say You know me, here’s the better quality vids from his campaign facebook
https://www.facebook.com/quinnforillinois/videos/10156268433198594/
https://www.facebook.com/quinnforillinois/videos/10156268424393594/
- Retired Educator - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 9:34 am:
Didn’t Mayor Washington call Quinn a “Gadfly”? He has been around way to long, and was a terrible Governor. I do give him credit for helping right a sinking ship after Blago. He simply didn’t have the skills, and I can’t help but question his ability as AG.
- Lunchbox - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 9:34 am:
I saw one of the commercials on NBC 5 last night and cringed at “You know me”…
- Responsa - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 9:36 am:
PQ’s obviously slipping. Or that is an impostor we see in the ads. The ads are much too short for him to get a good stemwindy ramble going and there was no mention of the Mississippi River. Grade C.
- Keyrock - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 9:40 am:
Isn’t he going to work all night and all day for us?
- Enough Already - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 9:43 am:
I was going to vote for another candidate, but voted for Kwame because Quinn needs to get a J-O-B in the P-R-I-V-A-T-E S-E-C-T-O-R
- TKMH - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 9:44 am:
==Isn’t he going to work all night and all day for us?==
Especially on Sunday’s.
- Annonin' - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 9:46 am:
Tribbies havin’ some fun tryin’ to tell readers that voters will have “buyers remorse” and back PQ in 18. Actually voters have suffered GovJunk because of this lunk head and are unlikely to send him back to a new state paycheck. Nice try
- Ron Burgundy - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 9:49 am:
Doesn’t seem to have a whole lot of energy, and the focus on Trump isn’t particularly honest but probably plays well.
Personally, I prefer my Attorney Generals to have more experience actually working as, you know, an attorney.
- Obamas Puppy - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 9:50 am:
Hi I’m the bad penny Illinois cannot rid itself of, I’m going to keep running until…well Ill never stop running because I have little talent, I’m surrounded by incompetence, and I cant remember when I had a real job. Did I just say that…? Sincerely Pat Quinn
- Dude Abides - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 9:52 am:
I’m leaning towards Raoul right now. No thanks Quinn. You were a below average Governor and that might be a kind assessment. You wanted to give those every day working people you say you want to protect who had pensions a “haircut”. Those were your own words. You knew the pension bill was probably unconstitutional but you went for it anyway and now you want to be AG.
- City Zen - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 9:52 am:
Where’s the lawnmower?
- Fax Machine - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 9:54 am:
He’s going to win with 29%
- Not amused - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:01 am:
Quinn has no moral authority after pulling appointment stunts.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/quinn-operative-hired-to-run-illinois-sports-facilities-authority/
- Stand Tall - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:03 am:
Please, Go Away.
- Jack Kemp - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:04 am:
Cracked up at the “you know me,” reference Rich. I thought the exact same thing.
- Rutro - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:04 am:
I won’t vote for him, he’s past his expiration date, but he’s a likable guy. “will of the people law of the land!”
- Boone's is Back - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:07 am:
I second Jack Kemp but more importantly how did he miss his opportunity to say “together let’s make the will of the people the law of the land?”
- Roman - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:07 am:
The ads aren’t bad.
But I almost think he’s better off not running any commercials…just keep a low profile in an attempt to win by sneak attack on Election Day. Had a friend text me this morning after seeing the ad who said “Quinn’s running for something again? Have to make a point to vote against him.”
- Not amused hey - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:08 am:
That appointment created the most revenue for the state in the history of ISFA….What happened to the guy Rauner put there - O’Neil? I’ll wait….
- Arthur Andersen - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:12 am:
May the will of the people be the law of the land and send PQ packing.
- Last Bull Moose - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:16 am:
I am pro-Quinn for personal reasons.
How can you call him a below average Governor? His two predecessors were jailed and then we have Rauner. Quinn learned on the job and was better at the end of his term than the start.
He should have stopped on pensions with the passage of Tier 2. Then he would probably have won re-election.
He signed gay marriage, signed a tax increase, paid down debt, made pension payments, and still reduced state headcount while not gutting services.
Was everything lollipops and unicorns? No. But better than before and better than after.
- Soccermom - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:20 am:
PQ looks tired. That whole “if you don’t sleep” thing isn’t healthy.
- Keyrock - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:31 am:
Funny. He hasn’t mentioned being Dan Walker’s patronage director.
- Telly - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:38 am:
- Last Bull Moose -
I prefer not to grade governors on a curve. Bad is still bad.
- Ron Burgundy - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:44 am:
–still reduced state headcount–
Other than those IDOT folks.
- cover - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:45 am:
= For years I’ve fought the bigshots for everyday people, battling utilities and helping our veterans. =
Whatever you may think of Pat Quinn, that statement is very accurate. Also, didn’t the General Assembly, under the same leadership as now, override Quinn’s veto of a utility rate increase bill?
- Henry Francis - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:46 am:
PQ is PQ. Everyone does know him. You either like him or you don’t. I don’t see how these commercials are going to change anyone’s minds. I wondered a few days ago whether he was going to run any tv ads, and if he would be better off laying low and not reminding people why they didn’t vote for him 4 years ago.
What’s with every candidate “fighting”? Biker Bruce took of his shades and told us he was going to fight. JB is fighting. Now PQ is fighting. Is it just me or is “fighting” more attractive these days?
- Ron Burgundy - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:49 am:
I’m clearly no fan, but the point I can’t get past is with all of these other qualified choices out there in the Democratic primary, why would people think he is the best the party has to offer in November? That blows my mind.
- Streator Curmudgeon - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:58 am:
Frankly, not much name recognition with the other Demo candidates downstate. We generally don’t follow Chicago politics.
Last Bull Moose makes some good points. After Rauner, PQ actually looks pretty decent.
- Montrose - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 10:58 am:
They should just pass a bill that PQ is by default on the ballot for every constitutional officer race each election. It would just simplify things.
- A Jack - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:00 am:
Shouldn’t failing to fulfill a contractual obligation be a disqualification for Attorney General? I am thinking of those contractually obligated pay raises for your employees that you reneged on.
I, too, plan on voting for Kwame since he has always struck me as one of the more level-headed Senators and willing to work with both parties.
- A Jack - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:06 am:
If you are a gun owner, you may want to compare PQ’s failed crusade against guns vs Raoul’s work on concealed carry.
I know whom I would trust not to push gun restrictions beyond reasonable limits.
- RNUG - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:14 am:
Like him or not, Quinn is a known quantity. He was a fairly good Lt Gov, wasn’t a great Gov to start with but grew in the job to be more or less competent. He did OK on the actual administrative side of running the office.
He wouldn’t be great but he also wouldn’t be a disaster.
- Sugar Corn - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:16 am:
Decent ad by a decent man.
Quinn is a real consumer advocate who may be older, more tired, more battle scarred than before - but he’s a sincere, OG progressive. He’s not perfect and doesn’t hold himself out that way. On the liberal causes that matter to most democrats, he’s been right before it was popular.
He’s of course been wrong, too. He erred on pension reform, but he was trying in earnest to right the state’s ship - and many other legit progressives were swept up by the same impulse/frenzy.
He’s never been the insider, establishment favorite. Never. His career, and this AG race in particular, sheds bright light on fair weather friendships in politics.
Those who have abandoned him, or who irrationally despise him, should just take a breather and seek the better angels of their nature.
- Harold W was right - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:21 am:
“Now it’s time to stand up to Trump’s illegal policies.”
PQ had quite a few illegal policies in place when he was governor. Also he violated his constitutional oath with the pension diminishement campaign he waged. PQ was a faux populist grandstander when he was governor.
Harold Washington didn’t have high opinion of him as City Treasurer either - oh but we’re not supposed to talk about that.
- Sugar Corn - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:29 am:
==faux populist grandstander==
Totally disagree.
You might not like his style but he’s got a record of DOING populism, not just talking.
Won some:
CUB, Veterans advocacy, Civil unions, marriage equality, capital bill, humane budgets, etc
Lost some:
2014 election, minimum wage, assault weapons ban, etc
…Donald Trump is a faux populist. Pat Quinn isn’t.
- Leigh John-Ella - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:33 am:
Squeezy for Lt. AG
- Ron Burgundy - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:40 am:
Sure he signed some good stuff as Governor, but did he do anything more than pick up his pen at the end when the GA did all the work? Seemed pretty disengaged at the time.
- Leigh John-Ella - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:43 am:
Pat Quinn is the invasive Asian carp of Illinois politics.
- hisgirlfriday - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 11:44 am:
Setting aside Pat Quinn as an individual, do we as an electorate really need another senior citizen white guy put in charge of things? Pat will be 70 at the end of this year. Time to let new blood take over already.
- Robert the Bruce - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 12:22 pm:
==As a hedge, I put some Chicago-area friends on alert and asked them to record it with their phones if they saw it.==
Quinn has run for office a few times before and ought to have a campaign capable of forwarding a video link- strange that you needed to hedge(?)
- anon2 - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 12:30 pm:
A measure that Quinn got ratified early in his career was the Cutback Amendment, which eliminated three-member House districts and cumulative voting. Though I actively supported it at the time, I now believe it was a mistake. That amendment gave us Madigan; Speakers never had that kind of control during the three-member district days, and gerrymandering was all but impossible.
His record was mixed as governor, but it looks better every day in comparison to his successor.
On the other hand, AG might be a good fit for Quinn. He would be a legal crusader for progressive causes.
- Cheryl44 - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 12:42 pm:
I think he’d be better at AG than governor.
- Harold W was right - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 1:07 pm:
=Totally disagree.
You might not like his style but he’s got a record of DOING populism, not just talking.=
Notwistanding your bogus post-Quinn strawmen of Trump & Rauner (budget), You have a perverse standard for populism.
He “won” some alright : illegal patronage hiring; whistleblower retaliation; DCFS negligence, dysfunctional Dept of Human Rights, worker safety and health violations; wage theft, and of course your “populism” action figure Squeezy.
The fact remains that Quinn was a phony and a fraud form his time as Chicago City treasurer, to Blago’s running mate, to his stint as governor.
- ILDemVoter - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 1:26 pm:
*Sigh*
I just wish any of the other candidates had run solid campaigns so I didn’t have to choose because Pat Quinn, who should be in retirement hanging out, or Kwame, who sponsored the Senate version of the pension bill everyone hates Daniel for AND takes money from big tobacco.
Can we all just vote for Sharon and call it a day?
- State worker - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 1:27 pm:
It’s clear PQ cares deeply about people, especially poor people and middle-class people who have been losing opportunity and hope. No one who has seen him in any office can think otherwise.
AG is a perfect job for him and it will be a great fit for his strengths. He will be able to put the full force of his work and energy behind helping people. We desperately need some consumer advocates in government.
- Keyrock - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 1:53 pm:
“The fact remains that Quinn was a phony and a fraud form his time as Chicago City treasurer, to Blago’s running mate, to his stint as governor.”
That’s not fair. Pat Quinn was a phony reformer long before he was City Treasurer.
- Arthur Andersen - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 2:03 pm:
“Pat Quinn was a phony reformer long before he was City Treasurer.”
Exactly. Like when he was patronage chief for phony reformer Dan Walker.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 3:04 pm:
Point of information:
Quinn was state Treasurer, but never City Treasurer. He was appointed to, and later fired from, Commissioner of the Chicago Dept. of Revenue under Harold Washington.
Carry on.
- Anonymous - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 3:28 pm:
I cant help but like Pat a little. He was not a great governor, but he did make some debt payments. He did spend most of his career looking out for the little guy. Heck if the election was today, I would vote for ole’ PQ
- Ron Burgundy - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 3:53 pm:
Buyer’s remorse on 2014 is one thing, but “not great,” “average,” etc. in his last job puts him atop a field of 10 Democrats for a different job? Still don’t get it.
- PublicServant - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 4:31 pm:
Squeezy’s next victim speaks. Buh-bye Pat.
- Soccermom - Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 4:57 pm:
I thought Jesse’s takedown of Trump in thus ad was brilliant. https://youtu.be/h6qpBj3JB60
- Not amused responding - Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:03 am:
This appointment came with a clause that came with a two year severance package if was let go or fired.
He had no experience to do the job.
I am gathering his connections helped him with many of the positive outcomes. My opinion, and understand you won’t agree.