* For months, the Quinnsters laughed at the prospect that Bill Brady could win the governor’s race. Now, a least, Gov. Pat Quinn finally seems to understand that he’s this/close to toasthood…

Asked Thursday who should replace Mayor Richard Daley, Gov. Pat Quinn indicated he’s got enough of his own political problems.

“I am in the political fight of my life,” Quinn said. “I don’t think I need to be prognosticating on a race that’s down the road a piece.”

* The Quinn people, meanwhile, have reworked a video of Mike Ditka from July of 2009. I wonder how Da Coach feels about his old comments now that Quinn has been in office awhile…

* And a semantics fight breaks out…

Some lawmakers are pushing back against Gov. Pat Quinn’s comments that Republican state Sen. Bill Brady is taking a “bonus” on his legislative salary.

Quinn occasionally has tried to attack Brady with the idea when he has been pressured with questions about raises the governor has given his staff.

“As a matter of fact, he took his full salary, and then took a bonus as well,” Quinn said of Brady at the Illinois State Fair.

“He’s hardly an authority on anything to do with cutting your pay,” Quinn added.

The “bonus” in question is a legislative stipend for committee chairs and leaders.

* On to the mayor’s race. Forrest Claypool ain’t running…

“I took 24 hours to think about it,” he said. “But I’ve decided the race I’m in is too important to leave. It’s an opportunity for voters to take a stand against the insider culture that’s bankrupted our state and polluted our politics.”

* Kass makes stuff up…

Cook County Sherriff Tom Dart was inching closer to an announcement, which will come only if he gets the expected blessing of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Somebody clue this guy in, please. Dart has been a thorn in Madigan’s side for years, and vice-versa. The South Side Irish are often thought of as monolithical. They ain’t. Heck, you practically need a passport to cross the street in the 19th Ward.

* Ummm…

The black community’s best candidate may be a white candidate: Ald. Bob Fioretti

Yeah. OK.

* Congressman Jackson talks to CNN about the mayor’s race…

* Moving right along to the Cook County Board, this Daily Herald headline and lede are gross understatements: Cook Co. Board candidate in hot water over questionnaire…

Conflicting election questionnaire responses suggest a Cook County Board candidate may have been less than truthful about his criminal record, though his campaign blamed it on a staff member’s mistake.

Fox Chicago has the story…

In 1991 Maher, then a freshman at Illinois State University in Bloomington, was arrested and charged with felony aggravated battery after the brutal beating of another student. According to police records, Maher and a friend went to the dormroom of a man who had once dated Maher’s girlfriend. The victim suffered a broken jaw, broken eye socket and 25 stitches. Witnesses described finding a “puddle of blood” in his dorm room. He was hospitalized for two days.

But it’s the questionnaire. Yeah. Good one.

By the way, Maher’s cousin is Comptroller Dan Hynes. Then again, I have a cousin in prison for a double murder. One can’t be judged by one’s relatives. Of course, my cousin didn’t run for office, so I doubt he ever filled out a candidate questionnaire.

* Back to the statewides. A fight broke out in comments on our Question of the Day over numerous topics. I put a stop to it, but it can now resume here. From a statement by Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady…

“It is curious that Robin Kelly would focus on Ethics given her choice to remain on government payroll and collect full-time state benefits even as she campaigns for elected office in all parts of the state. Even more stunning is her brazen choice to hold an Ethics press conference at 1:30 p.m. Thursday while other ‘full time’ employees are required to, well, be at work.

“While the arrogance is fitting for an Illinois Democrat trained in mold of Blagojevich and Giannoulias, it is not in line with the honest leadership our state requires for its future. If Kelly is serious about Ethics change, she should start by changing her payroll status or changing the time of her political activities. Until then she is just another candidate who says one thing while doing another - and Illinois voters have had enough of those.”

Have at it.

* Roundup…

* Lawyers pleading for George Ryan’s freedom

* Quinn to Farnham: Nix effort to fix U46 funding

* Quinn gets backing of firefighters union

* Quinn to mark end of Ramadan

* A Political Consulting Firm Redefines the Word ‘Insurgent’

* SJ-R: Use political sign etiquette this election season

* Candidates for 101st state House District meet in first debate