* About a month ago, I called Chris Kennedy and asked him about rumors that he might run for governor if Lisa Madigan ran for HS Senate or stayed put. He stammered for what seemed like a full minute, and then finally asked if he could call me back in a half hour. I said sure. That call never came.

When LMadigan decided to stay at attorney general, I called Kennedy again and left a message. He finally returned my call several days later when I poked him in abstentia on Chicago Tonight for staying so quiet.

I asked him about new rumors that certain bigtime legislative Democrats were encouraging him to run for governor. He asked for time to get back to me. Nothing. I tried to smoke him out by telling subscribers about the governor thing, but he didn’t take the bait.

The word is spreading, however. From today’s Sun-Times…

Christopher Kennedy is now debating whether to jump into the 2010 Democratic primary for Illinois governor, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

Asked to confirm that Tuesday, Kennedy’s spokeswoman, Casey Madden, would only say, “Chris is keeping all his options open.” […]

But [Lisa Madigan] this month stunned just about everyone by declaring she was staying put, running for election to a third term as attorney general. And now, Kennedy is reconsidering, according to several informed sources. […]

… “Chris may have more time to decide than most. … The problem for the Democratic party is races are all about the incumbent. If you’ve been in Springfield for the past eight [or more] years, you will get hit with millions of dollars in negative TV ads.”

There’s also some speculation that he might try for the 10th Congressional District. Mayor Daley’s effusive praise yesterday for Pat Quinn might conceivably push him in that direction…

If State Comptroller Dan Hynes challenges Pat Quinn in the 2010 Democratic gubernatorial primary, he’d be wise not to count on support from a familiar source: Mayor Daley.

Three months after all but endorsing Quinn, Daley slathered even more praise on Illinois’ accidental governor. It happened today after the mayor was asked about Hynes’ apparent decision to challenge a governor who enjoys the mayor’s support.

“I should be [supportive] because he’s worked very hard. He came in a very difficult situation in Illinois and he took it over. Pat has worked very hard. He’s very passionate. He passed an infrastructure bill. He finally passed a budget,” Daley said.

“The state has [a] very serious economic crisis. … This is much more serious than people predicted — especially with the joblessness [that] keeps rising all over the country. That’s what everybody’s concerned about. [But] so far, he’s done a very good job.”

You don’t have to go back three months to find the last time Daley praised Quinn. As I’ve already told you, the Quinn campaign has a video of Daley gushing about the governor just a couple weeks ago.

* Big bucks for a relatively unknown Democratic treasurer candidate…

A fast-rising private-equity executive is setting his sights on a new job: state treasurer.

Kip Kirkpatrick, co-founder of Water Street Healthcare Partners, said he’s decided to run for the Democratic nomination for treasurer because “I’m tired of being a critic (of Illinois government) like everyone else — on the sidelines.”

Mr. Kirkpatrick, 37, has been quietly fundraising for some time and [filed disclosure reports this week showing] that he’s pulled in a very impressive $512,000. Even better for him, he said only $100,000 has come from himself.

* Democrat Robin Kelly, a former state Rep. and chief of staff to incumbent Alexi Giannoulias, announced a long list of endorsements yesterday for her own treasurer’s bid. You can peruse that list by clicking here.

* Is Mark Kirk flip-flopping on cap and trade? Progress Illinois has a Kirk comment from a conservative radio show yesterday…

“If this comes back — and I don’t think it will, I think this bill has died in the Senate — I will be going through every detail and thinking about all of my constituents who got a hold of me on this issue. Because there has been an issue that I’ve heard nothing else about in the last couple of weeks.”

* Note to the SJ-R: Finding a local angle isn’t always necessary. Case in point: This lede…

Even though he lives in Highland Park, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk is familiar with central Illinois.

Kirk, 49, was born in Champaign and lived in Chatham from 1962 to 1965.

“My dad worked for Illinois Bell,” Kirk said during a campaign event Tuesday at a Springfield VFW post. “Illinois Bell transferred us all over the state, so we lived in Harvey, Downers Grove, Chatham, and I went to college in Carlinville at Blackburn College.

Seriously, dudes, you look like rubes.