* Most people figure that Gov. Pat Quinn will probably try to rewrite the concealed carry bill and make it a utopian gun control measure, with some weak “may carry” language tossed in for good measure. An assault weapons ban, a ban on high capacity gun magazines and more are expected to be tossed into the mix.

But, hey, maybe not. Maybe he’ll surprise literally everybody and sign the bill. Or maybe he’ll just issue a straight-up veto with a long message pandering to his base. Whatever the case, the pressure for action is starting to increase…

House Speaker Michael Madigan - the attorney general’s father and a fellow Chicago Democrat - urged Quinn to sign the bill, which was a hard-fought compromise between the House and Senate.

“If you look at the vote in the House and the Senate it’s pretty clear that the governor’s veto could be overridden,” Madigan said after an unrelated committee hearing Tuesday.

* More…

But the Southwest Side powerhouse, whose daughter, Attorney General Lisa Madigan may challenge Quinn for governor in next year’s Democratic primary, also said he expected Quinn to take action “designed to advance his campaign for re-election.”

A tad hurtful, but true.

Cook County is Quinn’s base. And Cook County Democratic primary voters do NOT like guns. It’s as simple as that.

* But, it’s really not that simple. For instance, this is a statement issued yesterday by state Sen. Mattie Hunter, a Chicago Democrat…

“I am disappointed with the current situation surrounding the concealed carry legislation we passed. My approval of the firearms regulations package was and continues to be with reservation as I believe the legislature’s approved plan leaves much to be desired. It fails to address public safety concerns and the epidemic of violence occurring on the streets of Chicago daily.

“However, I have supported this concealed carry effort because I realize the importance of making sure we have a statute in place to protect our citizens. If the governor does not take action soon, we are in danger of not providing much needed security for our communities.”

The message here is fairly clear: If you’re gonna do something, do it soon and for crying out loud don’t undercut the people who stuck their necks out and voted for the darned bill in the first place.

* The proliferation of state’s attorneys issuing their own hastily crafted ad hoc concealed carry rules is really starting to concern legislators. Several Downstate Senators issued statements on the need for urgency yesterday…

Senator Gary Forby (D-Benton) “I know the governor has concerns with this bill, but we worked really hard to come up a proposal that we think everybody can live. He may not be happy with it, but it is a compromise. There are things you like and things you don’t like.”

Senator Mike Jacobs (D-Moline) “The governor needs to take action on this bipartisan concealed carry measure. We need a concealed-carry law that applies to all gun-owners equally, regardless of where you live.”

Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) “I don’t think anyone will be surprised if the governor vetoes the bill. I would just urge him to act quickly so that the General Assembly has enough time to respond before the extended deadline.”

Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) “We had to do something about concealed carry. This compromise is much better than the ‘constitutional carry’ alternative.”

Senator Pat McGuire (D- Joliet) “The concealed-carry bill passed by a large majority of Democrats and Republicans on May 31 was the result of much compromise between House and Senate members and various interest groups. If the Governor has suggestions for yet improving the bill, I hope he would seek to make those changes through follow-up legislation. We should not risk missing court-ordered deadlines and allowing a dangerous and confusing hodge-podge of concealed-carry rules across our state.”

Discuss.

…Adding… From 47th Ward in comments…

This is Quinn’s re-election campaign kick-off. It will not be a simple veto. It will be a full blown media event and re-write to do right, probably at the home of a Chicago gun shot victim, with lots of gun control advocates, ministers, cops and moms with kids. Expect the full monty of gun control porn, fear, fear, and more fear with a dash of victim stories and photos of departed loved ones. It’s going to be over the top.

Quinn will a/v it to include every conceivable item from ICHV and the Brady Center wish list. He’ll say this is what Governors can do, this is why you need strong leaders, the buck stops with him, he’s the only one who can protect us, yada, yada, yada.

It’s his big moment in the sun and it doesn’t matter that the veto will be promptly over-ridden. It’s too good for Quinn to pass up and it highlights his only strength. The over-ride just reinforces the message Quinn is going to deliver and makes him seem more relevant.

Trust me, it’ll be worth the wait.

I find it hard to disagree.