* Earlier today, I showed you a video of Gov. Quinn nodding off during a question asked by a woman whose pregnant daughter-in-law died because she had no health insurance.
Well, the Quinn campaign has countered with a video of their own. Apparently, the governor approached the woman after the event and told her she had given a “beautiful, beautiful speech,” adding “If I can help in any way, I’m the governor and I get around. I want to help tell Jenny’s story.” Class move.
The governor also hinted that he might help her with a call to the Chicago police since she may have been harassed at home by “the teabaggers.” Take a look…
From the governor’s campaign…
Yesterday, at the Campaign for Better Health Care forum, Governor Pat Quinn heard Midge Hough tell the heartbreaking story of Jenny, her 24-year-old daughter-in-law, who died nine weeks ago – along with her unborn child – because Jenny and her husband did not have health insurance.
While listening to Midge’s story, Governor Quinn took notes, looking down as he did so, as a deceptively edited video clearly shows. […]
To learn more about Midge Hough, Jenny’s needless death, and the reasons that Governor Pat Quinn believes that access to affordable, quality healthcare is a basic human right, please take a moment and watch this video from the Campaign for Better Health Care.
We all commend Midge Hough for her extraordinary courage and her indomitable belief that this personal tragedy may ultimately serve to help millions of other people, like Jenny and her baby, who still do not have health care coverage.
He nodded off. They should’ve either ignored that or admitted it. Either way, he clearly nodded off.
* Gov. Pat Quinn appeared to nod off several times during yesterday afternoon’s debate with Dan Hynes while a woman explained how her pregnant daughter-in-law died because she didn’t have access to health insurance. The Hynes campaign sent me this video which they call “Asleep at the Wheel.” Have a look…
Not good at all.
* Progress Illinois has a short video compilation of some of yesterday’s afternoon debate between Gov. Pat Quinn and Comptroller Dan Hynes. Have a look…
More from PI’s coverage…
Because he knows the consequences of bad budgeting, the comptroller emphasized “his obsession with financial responsibility.” As governor, he said he would push to make the higher reimbursement rate for Medicaid, which was established under the stimulus, permanent and continue to push for stem cell research at the state level (as he did in Illinois when President Bush eliminated federal funding). Quinn repeatedly reminded the audience of his 2001 walk across the state with Dr. Quentin Young, an ardent public health advocate. Quinn also suggested that voters look at his record fighting for the All Kids and Veterans Care programs as well as his veto this summer of a budget that would have eviscerated social service programs throughout the state.
HYNES: There’s something wrong in the state of Illinois when the comptroller’s wife gets a collection notice from her physician because the state hasn’t paid them on time.
Quinn in turn charged Hynes with ducking hard decisions, and played up a record of leveraging federal money.
QUINN: We were able to get the legislature to pass some legislation that will allow us to get over a billion dollars of new health care money from Washington.
* The candidates had two debates yesterday, the first was early yesterday morning…
Responding to an audience member’s questions about how it is “really painful” to watch the [TV ads run by both candidates], Hynes said his commercials were meant to “educate” Illinois voters about the main difference between the two Democratic candidates for governor.
“The ads we’ve run have been based on the central issue in this campaign — the budget and how to deal with it,” he said.
Hynes added that Quinn’s ads have targeted his family vacation over the July 4th weekend and his salon-quality haircut.
Quinn responded that Hynes was trying to “demonize” him and his proposed income tax increase in his campaign ads.
“I think it’s important to defend yourself if you’re attacked,” Quinn said.
“Really painful”? Heh. Wait until January. And I dunno about demonizing the governor himself. And his tax hike is what it is.
The two traded shots on budget policies. Hynes accuses Quinn of “using the same gimmicks” that got the state in the financial mess it’s in now. But Quinn says Hynes’ plan doesn’t have much to stand on.
QUINN: The comptroller is $3-4 billion short. It’s not a plan. It’s a blank piece of paper.
When it comes to free rides for seniors and funding the Chicago Transit Authority, Quinn says he’s worked out a careful agreement with the CTA. But Hynes says major cuts are still on the table.
HYNES: You didn’t solve the CTA crisis. You came in, offered borrowing on top of borrowing to avoid a fare increase for two years to get through the election.
Quinn, who inherited the governor’s job in January when Rod Blagojevich was ousted from office, called Hynes a latecomer to the progressive tax idea.
“All of a sudden when he’s running for governor he’s found the faith. Oh happy day,” Quinn said.
Sometimes, the governor really can be a funny guy. “Oh happy day.” You gotta chuckle at that. Too bad he has trouble staying awake in the afternoons.
* Related…
* Dillard walking narrow middle ground in GOP gov race: Similarly, he not only defends but brings up himself his vote for a series of sales-tax hikes last year that kept public transit running and helped fund public safety and other operations in DuPage County. While conservatives groaned, “We kept millions of people going to work every day,” Mr. Dillard says.
