* Dawn Clark Netsch is endorsing Dan Hynes this afternoon. From a press release…

“Dan Hynes has been a straight shooter and independent voice from the very beginning. For years, he’s been signaling that our state’s finances are on the wrong track,” said Netsch. “Hynes is a competent manager who doesn’t stick his head in the sand. He has credibility when it comes to the state budget and our fiscal mess. He’s the candidate who has the skills needed to help us recover from this dire situation.”

Should be fun to see how the liberal icon responds to the Harold Washington ad.

* Interesting that with Quinn right there, David Axelrod wouldn’t say anything about that HW ad…

Axelrod refused to comment on the devastating advertisement State Comptroller Dan Hynes is running against Gov. Quinn quoting former Mayor Harold Washington criticizing Quinn. Axelrod was a master campaign ad maker. But with Quinn standing off to his side Monday morning, Axelrod declined to weigh in.

The two were at an event for Misericordia Home.

* Legal fees allegedly aren’t showing up on campaign reports. From a press release…

CHICAGO—Independent Democratic candidates for State Rep. Joe Laiacona and Rudy Lozano Jr. filed a complaint with the State Board of Elections today, citing numerous violations of state election law related to the pre-election reports filed last week by Democratic incumbents Rep. Daniel Burke (D-23), Rep. Deborah Mell (D-40), Rep. Carol Sente (D-59) and Rep. Michael Zalewski (D-21).

Despite the fact that each of the incumbents was engaged in a time-consuming ballot access challenge, they all failed to report any expenditures or in-kind donations for attorney fees or staff costs.

“In November last year, I objected to my opponent’s petition on the grounds that she was not a registered voter,” said Laiacona. “We were both represented by attorneys. The fees I paid my attorney are reported. Mell’s report does not include any attorney’s fees.”

Lozano said, “We filed eight times the minimum number of signatures required. Burke never had a prayer of knocking us off the ballot but that wasn’t their goal. They wanted to cost us a bunch of
money and divert us from campaigning. Burke’s report hides this essential information from the voters.” […]

Illinois law requires the complaint case to be heard immediately and the State Board of Elections to make a decision in a week.

Something is just not right there. More later.

* Jim Ryan says he won’t hurt the poor with his budget cuts…

Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Ryan promised “deep cuts” in state government if he’s elected during a meeting with The Register-Mail Tuesday.

The former Illinois Attorney General says the state was on the verge of bankruptcy, but raising taxes isn’t the way to pull the state out of the hole.

Ryan said the solution is to cut the fat out of state government. “These cuts are going to be painful,” he said. “But for the last 10 years the state has spent more than it has brought in.”

He made a commitment that cuts would not hurt the most vulnerable members of society. “I’m going to go out of my way to protect the poor, the disabled and the elderly,” he said.

But the Civic Federation claims next fiscal year’s deficit will be $12.8 billion. That’s almost half the state’s operating budget. If Ryan wants to balance the budget with cuts alone, he’ll have to hurt everybody.

I really wish newspapers wouldn’t let candidates so easily get away with statements like that.

* Quote of the day goes to Republican gubernatorial candidate Kirk Dillard, even though he was quoted last week…

“I’m not the Senate GOP leader today because I’ve always thought like a governor and not a myopic legislator,” Dillard said. “I’ve always thought globally.”

To those who know him, the bombastic quote sums up Dillard perfectly, displaying an ego and ambition that dates back to his days working as a top aide to Republican Govs. James Thompson and Jim Edgar.

A myopic legislator? Sheesh.

* DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett has endorsed Jim Ryan for governor, and got in a shot at Andy McKenna in the process…

[Birkett] says he was weighing his political future in June when he asked McKenna, then the state GOP chair, for results of a rumored poll.

Birkett says McKenna told him he didn’t have any poll information, something that Birkett says “was a flat-out lie”.

A few weeks later, McKenna resigned as party chair and went on to enter the governor’s race.

Birkett accuses McKenna of putting personal interests ahead of party when he included his own name in the poll without the permission of the republican state central committee.

Birkett made a video about the subject as well. Watch…

Birkett’s claimed chronology…

MARCH 2009: A Zogby poll shows that Birkett was leading the early field for Governor (Birkett 39, Brady 8, Whitley 5).

APRIL 2009: State party takes extensive $28,000 poll, using nearly half of all party funds. Just this month, McKenna admitted breaking party ethics rules by submitting his name in the poll for both Governor and Senator. Birkett was far ahead of McKenna in the poll.

JUNE 16, 2009: Birkett meets with McKenna at his Dad’s business, Schwarz Supply Source, Morton Grove. At the meeting, Birkett asks whether McKenna has any poll #s relating to him. McKenna says no.

You can read the McKenna-ordered poll by clicking here.

Birkett also endorsed Brad Cole for lt. governor.

* Democratic comptroller candidate Rep. David Miller has been accusing his top primary opponent of botching the Bright Start program…

Both Giannoulias and Kelly are facing questions about Bright Start as they campaign statewide for U.S. Senate and state treasurer, respectively. Krishnamoorthi is now running for comptroller, tiptoeing through the Bright Start minefield as well.

His opponent, state Rep. David Miller (D-Lynwood), reminds audiences that Krishnamoorthi oversaw Bright Start when he worked at the treasurer’s office.

More…

Miller, his opponent, questions the timing of Krishnamoorthi’s departure.

“The question for me is, Was he asked to leave, or did he bail at a time when things got hot?” Miller said. “I believe he got pushed out.”

Krishnamoorthi dismissed the allegation: “It is absurd to suggest that I left because of Bright Start.”

Miller also accused Krishnamoorthi of downplaying his role in the Bright Start debacle when he is talking to voters.

“He doesn’t take personal responsibility,” Miller said. “He tries to explain it away as being a part of the downturn in the economy. He talks about transparency and accountability in his speeches, but he’s shown a lack of both. This was his baby.”

*** UPDATE *** With a hat tip to Progress Illinois, here are a couple more new TV ads. Raja Krishnamoorthi…

Dorothy Brown…

* Related…

* GOP governor’s hopefuls split on campaign finance limits

* Our Opinion: For the Republicans, Dillard for governor

* Six Republicans vying for governor

* Trailing candidates show financial strength in Illinois governor’s race

* Democrats focus on jobs; GOP: What took so long?

* Video: Congressman Danny K. Davis endorses David Miller for Illinois Comptroller