* If Gov. Pat Quinn wanted to stir up all the bad memories of the income tax hike again, he’s done a terrific job by nominating former Rep. Bob Flider to run the Department of Agriculture. From the Tribune…

Of course, to think this pattern is anything but payback, you need to be (1) terminally gullible and (2) convinced that Illinois’ gene pool of citizens fit for cushy public jobs is dominated by lame duck Democrats who awakened that fateful 1/11/11 just itching to flip-flop on a monumental tax vote.

Our hearts go out to the Quinn spokespeople who have no choice but to keep saying that the tax vote had nothing to do with the governor’s appointments, and that all these Democrats are uniquely qualified to again be public payrollers. You’re supposed to think these are just Quinncidences.

The curious pattern started three days after the tax vote when Quinn appointed ex-lawmaker Careen Gordon to a seat on the state Prisoner Review Board. Gordon — like Flider, she had campaigned against Quinn’s tax hike proposal — also lost her re-election bid in November 2010. She soon approached Quinn about the board job, they talked again in December, she delivered for the governor in January and, well, you know. […]

We hope Senate President John Cullerton — even after his members get past the March 20 primary — tells Quinn he won’t be party to using taxpayer money, raised by a tax hike, to reward Democrats who voted for that tax hike.

If Careen Gordon was too hot for the Senate to handle, so is Flider.

Think, senators, about how complicit you want to be in this.

*** UPDATE *** I hadn’t seen Senate GOP Leader Christine Radogno weigh in on this yet. So I asked her spokesperson for a comment…

It’s a disturbing pattern that once again looks like a payoff for an income tax vote. It’s actually insulting to the taxpayers to think that they would forget about it just because a few months have passed.

* The Question: Should Gov. Quinn withdraw Bob Flider’s nomination? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments. Thanks.