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The “mighty” Quinn

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Illinois

* I told subscribers about this a couple of days ago…

Sneed hears that Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, who is this/close to becoming the state’s main man, tossed his premier fund-raiser Monday night — but refused to accept any money!

• To wit: “I never saw a fund-raiser where you didn’t collect funds,” said a Sneed source who attended the Taxpayers for Quinn event at Fulton’s on the River Monday night. “People were told to put their checkbooks away.”

• The upshot: So Quinn turned the fund-raiser into a holiday party and paid for it. “Sometimes, you have to do the right thing as you see it,” said Quinn.

• Added Quinn: “I just didn’t feel comfortable accepting checks and having fund-raising done [considering] what happened a week ago with this scandal. We’re all committed to straightening things out,” Quinn told Sneed. “It was kind of a game-time decision that I made over the weekend.”

• The partyshot: It was also a pre-birthday party: Quinn turned 60 Tuesday. “I was born on the 175th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party,” said Quinn.

• The backshot: One partygoer said he’d never seen so many people at a Quinn fund-raiser.

There were about 500 people in attendance, almost ten times the usual. The line of well-wishers stretched far outside the restaurant.

* Chuck Sweeny was at the party and scored an interview…

What would Quinn do to solve the states serious fiscal problems, the $4 billion backlog in unpaid bills, the $2 billion budget gap and the $42 billion pension debt?

“The key is to have much stronger economic growth than we have now. There’s no way we are going to be able to close this deficit and move to economic recovery if (Blagojevich) remains the governor. The scandal is costing us a reduction in our credit rating, and the amount extra we had to pay for borrowing $1.4 billion this week is $20 million. That is truly a corruption tax.”

Would Quinn as governor seek to raise revenue to right the state’s fiscal ship? He said he’d propose a commission to examine tax breaks and “propose a moratorium on special breaks until we get out of this economic problem.” But which loopholes? One man’s loophole is another’s job-creating tax incentive.

One excessive loophole, Quinn said, is the 1.75 percent commission paid to retailers on sales taxes they collect for the state. […]

“If you cut it in half, you pick up $100 million. This is money the customer is already paying,” Quinn said.

Would Quinn propose an income tax increase, even a temporary one, to get the state’s books in order?

“I don’t want to make any judgments on income tax. Part of it is the whole issue of getting access to the real numbers from the governor’s office. (Blagojevich) has not always been totally candid, and I’m a little bit reluctant to make judgments until I see real numbers that are not phony baloney.”

That last paragraph is a classic dodge. He’s obviously not ruling out an income tax hike, but for obvious reasons doesn’t want to create any reasons to oppose his ascension right now.

* Advice, praise, etc…

[Cynthia Canary, director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform] cautioned that if he assumes the governorship he’ll have to tone down his “gadfly” ways, so as to settle the tensions inflamed by Blagojevich.

“(Blagojevich) was a bully. … Pat’s gonna have to show us a different kind of leadership,” she said. “There is a sense of outrage among people that far transcends anything I’ve ever seen.” […]

House Republican Leader Tom Cross said Quinn’s role was largely “ceremonial” as lieutenant governor. But he praised Quinn as an independent mind and fondly recalled working with the lieutenant governor recently on legislation to improve dam safety.

“He’ll have to step up and I hope he can, because it’s needed for the state,” Cross said, adding that he believes Quinn could serve to eradicate the “raw personality conflict” that exists between the sitting governor and the legislature. […]

“I think he’ll be a real difference in Illinois from what we’re used to,” [Dick Simpson] said. “He won’t take bribes, he’ll be a straight arrow … whether he’ll have the best public policy we’ll have to wait and see.”

* The money situation…

State Comptroller Dan Hynes had more than $2.3 million in campaign cash on hand as of June 30. Attorney General Lisa Madigan reported over $2.1 million. Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias had almost $1.3 million, and Secretary of State Jesse White showed about $669,000.

Quinn had just $91,000. And maybe an old car with a falling ceiling that might be good for a few more headlines.

* Related…

* Stella: The mighty Quinn

* The 12 Days of Fitzmas

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 10:48 am

Comments

I still can’t decide whether the move to reject funds at a fundraiser was genius or folly. Other than you and Sneed, he didn’t get any ink out of it, so from a political standpoint it was probably folly. But that’s not why Pat did it. I really believe he wasn’t grandstanding. I think he was sending a message to the Combine that when he becomes governor, business as usual ends. What a bizarre thing that will be. Lobbyists at the fundraiser didn’t know what to do with themselves. They were going, “but what do I do with my check?”

Comment by Chicago Cynic Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 10:53 am
Can you even still be a “gadfly” if you become the horse?

Comment by JR Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 10:58 am
Smart move by Quinn.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 11:01 am
He’ll be taking the checks soon. It was a good move on his part. The circumstances warranted it. Reminds me of when some legislators were flaunting the ban on Springfield fundraisers during session. Then some got cold feet and the events became “receptions” and they didn’t take money at the door. We all just later sent the checks in the mail as a contribution. My guess is his mailbox will have more than the usual Holiday cards in it.

Comment by Been There Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 11:13 am
I’m thinking there was more than 500 people in the house which really says something sad about Illinois politics. Quinn’s a great guy and should have had more support all along but because the money guys can’t buy him they ignore him. Well they can’t ignore him anymore so the house was full.

As you can tell by his refusal of money, he is a guy that can’t be bought.

Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 11:14 am
We have two different kinds of candidates here - uncharismatic and charismatic. After Blagojevich, the uncharismatics have the upper hand.

Quinn and Hynes appeal to these voters. If Quinn is already pleasing these voters as governor, Hynes will find it challenging to overtake Quinn for the nomination.

Madigan may also find Quinn standing in her way. Illinoians willl support the anti-Blagojevich, and Quinn would be the strongest of the bunch of contenders, as well as already serving as governor. Voters will also be cognisant of the diruptions Illinois has faced under Blagojevich, and by 2010, will want some stability, if Quinn is already demonstrating himself to be a clean reformer governor - may be unwilling to vote him out.

Quinn is showing that he can fill the bill. This means that those who wish for higher office, will need to consider running for the 2010 Senate seat, since Quinn may be too popular to unseat as governor.

Giannoulais, Obama and Blagojevich are charismatics.

So, Giannoulais is another story. He is untested and young. While attractive personally and charismatic, Blagojevich’s and Obama’s future impacts him more since voters have already rewarded personally attractive charismatic candidates with high offices. With Blagojevich’s fall, (a strike against this kind of candidate), Obama’s future by 2010 will be either offset Blagojevich’s negative or confirm the folly of electing another young charismatic candidate and impact Giannoulais negatively.

The strongest GOP candidate would be a charismatic, since voters already consider GOP candidates to be uncharismatic. A charismatic GOP nominee could appeal to both kinds of Illinois voters in 2010. A charismatic GOP candidate would be the anti-Blagojevich voters would be seeking.

However, I do not see any charismatic GOP candidates. Those considering the nomination would be uncharismatic. If Quinn, Hynes or Madigan are nominated, Illinois voters should be comfortable enough with any of them to elect a Democrat in 2010.

If Giannoulais is nominated in 2010, the GOP would have a good chance to win since voters would still wish for a sober uncharismatic governor and Giannoulais would not fit that type.

With a charismatic president in Obama, and a failed charismatic governor in Blagojevich, Illinois voters may be unwilling to vote for another charismatic candidate in 2010.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 11:15 am
===“He won’t take bribes===. I love that line. I’m sure he will use it on his campaign brochures.
I told my wife’s family before we got married that I wasn’t a murderer. They thought I was great.

Comment by Been There Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 11:17 am
If everyone says Kirk makes such a good Senate candidate, would he consider a shot at Governor? He’s the most charismatic the GOP’s got.

Comment by Clay Davis Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 11:20 am
His refusal to take money the other day was a meaningless gesture. When it did matter, he didn’t object in 2006 when he benefitted directly from Rod’s dirty money that produced a multi-million ad campaign that got him re-elected Lt. Gov.

Comment by Dantana Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 11:29 am
So - we discuss Quinn’s decision not to take checks from anyone at his fundraiser - then discuss the warchests for potential 2010 candidates. Does no one make a connection to the fact that we are talking about who can “buy” the vote?
Canary - please focus on campaign finance reform in Illinois and let Quinn worry about his perception.

Comment by Collar Observer Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 11:32 am
I agree that Kirk is most charismatic for the GOP.

He would be an outstanding gubernatorial candidate at this time. With Gidwitz as Lt. Gov.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 11:35 am
Maybe Quinn could run a campaign like William Proxmire, the Democratic US Senator from Wisconsin who regularly won re-election on campaign budgets of less than $5,000. Who knows, maybe it’s just wacky enough to work in IL.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 11:43 am
so Quinn did not even look for ink on his don’t give me checks thing. good for him on all counts.

he probably has lots and lots of people who support him because they know he is authentic. this group can be tapped for grass roots work and they will give money. it’s kind of like the Obama corps, but it was developed through actual work, not charismatic messages.

The Mighty Quinn….you go Lt. Gov!

Comment by Amy Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 11:49 am
Six, I’ve been meaning to research how Proxmire did it. He wasn’t of the big money campaigns of today, but the money was still large.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 11:50 am
Word-

here’s my short synopsis:

1.) Getting elected the first time, which gave him the power of incumbency, and 2.) Getting a lot of free press in the form of his “Golden Fleece Awards” and numerous public appearances, as well as promoting his squeaky clean image.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 12:08 pm
Retailers get a .25% credit for paying retailers occupation tax on time. I’ve never heard of a 1.75% commission. Can someone explain?

Comment by puzzler Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 12:13 pm
Kirk doesn’t have the stones to run during a normal election and give up his house seat. He is only throwing his name out there now because of the special election talk. Come 2010, Kirk will stand for re-election again and the GOP will be stuck with Birkett, Gidwitz and the turncoat Curran.

Comment by Carbon Deforestation Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 12:16 pm
The six years of Blagojevich must have been a nightmare for Quinn.

Comment by Ahem Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 12:35 pm
Quinn’s $91,000 in the bank is a plus in this atmosphere compared to the miilion plus of others. That, of course, chages when it comes time to get TV commericals on air, but in the meantime, there’s some magic in that low number. The Proxmire suggestion is interesting especially since Quinn has been among the few to run tight budgeted campaigns before.

Comment by Niles Township Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 1:10 pm
===We have two different kinds of candidates here - uncharismatic and charismatic. After Blagojevich, the uncharismatics have the upper hand.===

VMan, imagine how different Illinois would be right now if people had voted for the solid, sensible, and wholly uncharismatic Jim Ryan.

Comment by Fan of the Game Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 1:10 pm
That was a great political move for Pat Quinn.

Quinn 1
Madigan 0

Comment by Boscobud Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 1:13 pm
In his day, Jim Ryan was very charismatic. Life gave him some hard knocks.

I am glad Quinn is getting some positives in his corner.

Comment by Shelbyville Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 1:33 pm
Is Quinn going to try to Bill Proxmire on us?

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Proxmire

In his last two Senate campaigns of 1976 and 1982, Proxmire refused to take any campaign contributions, and on each spent less than $200 out of his own pocket — to cover the expenses related to filing for re-election and return postage for unsolicited contributions. He was an early advocate of campaign finance reform.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 2:09 pm
If Quinn wants to run the Proxmire campaign he’ll soon go the way of another Wisconsin pol- Scott McCallum who ascended to Governor after Tommy Thompson went with Bush to DC in 2001. McCallum was defeated in 02.

Quinn can play the populist all he wants but 91k will not get him the campaign staff he needs to take on the Madigans and it certainly will not give him the presence he needs in the air war- lets not forget, ads will start airing for that primary in less than a year.

Comment by Bakersfield Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 2:23 pm
====Quinn’s $91,000 in the bank is a plus in this atmosphere compared to the million plus of others====
He actually has a about $40k more than the $91 if you do the math on the pre-election report. Also, take a look at his past supporters and you will see there have been many forward looking individuals and groups (unions, associations). He has already set the bar fairly high on what max he will accept from each. When the other similar groups wake up and give similar dollar amounts, he will end up with a nice bank balance. Nowhere near Blago extremes but enough to get out his message.

Comment by Been There Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 2:36 pm
Ok, I am not going to argue- but I am going to argue- So we have a guy who wants to run for governor and the last 6 months he’s banked 50k? Really, I am supposed to be impressed by that? He’s still over 2 million behind someone with more name ID who will have a better organization.

Since our primaries are ridiculously early (a law that needs to be changed) any serious candidate needs to have a good campaign team in place in 6-8 months and needs to start airing ads in 11-13. Oh and they needed to start raising cash yesterday.

The no fund-fundraiser is cute, I get it- but for his sake I hope he has some real events on the docket for January.

Comment by Bakersfield Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 2:42 pm
==VMan, imagine how different Illinois would be right now if people had voted for the solid, sensible, and wholly uncharismatic Jim Ryan.==

By 2002, we knew that whoever was elected, they would face an uphill task governing. While it is now obvious that Jim Ryan would have been a better government than Rod Blagojevich, I can’t assume that we would be doing a whole lot better.

There was a reason voters chose Blagojevich two times. If Ryan was elected in 2002 and make tough decisions as he probably would have, many voters would not have been pleased in 2006. Blagojevich promised to voters what could not be - and many supporters knew this, but had hoped that perhaps Blagojevich knew of a way to make the impossible possible. This isn’t a fault, necessarily.

What was clear in 2006 was that Blagojevich was too crooked to be anyone’s choice, except by default. An active and moral Democratic party feeling responsible for their nominations, should have made their primary a challenge for Blagojevich. The could have found an appointment for him somewhere, they could have tried to get him out of the race, somehow - (sheer speculation). But publically, the Illinois Democratic played stupid and crossed their fingers even as many statewide leaders prepared for Blagojevich’s implosion.

Consequentially, I believe the Illinois Democratic Party has some explaining to do. What good are their nominations when they openly nominate incompetent criminals? Why should voters care who they nominate when they seem to have no standards of excellence?

Any Blagojevich supporter should be re-evaluating their criteria of gubernatorial excellence. Publically supporting Blagojevich should be embarrassing. Instead are still watching Illinois Democrats, including the current President-Elect, act as though they know nothing about Blagojevich, as though he was some kind of fluke.

Voters deserve a full apology and explanation.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 3:00 pm
I agree with VM, the GOP owes the citizens an explanation and apology. They failed as a party to put forward a viable and electable canidate. Then they climbed in bed with Blago when they saw dollar signs from a capial funds poject.

Thankfully the Dems stoped blago from getting 30-50 billion more dollars to use for shakedowns. The problems with our Gov, his coruption, dishonesty and retalitory conduct pre-arrest were most widely disseminated and publicized during the period the republicans wanted to hand the gov 50 billion more for shakedowns.

Voters deserve a full appology and explanation as to why the republicans were supporting and enbaleing blago long after he had been abandoned by the dems for his corrupt ways.

Comment by Ghost Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 3:13 pm
VM and Ghost,

It is obvious a pox on both their houses is in order, since you have both been so convincing. In a civil proceeding, blame is apportioned by the jury. In politics, it is apportioned by the voters.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 3:25 pm
I love words. I love dictionaries. Look up the definition of “charisma.”

Who in the world in Illinois politics is charismatic? Maybe Obama, but it was like “bizarro” charisma.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 6:35 pm
I’m fine with the idea of Quinn as governor and making a Senate appointment. It will be more integrity than we’ve had in a while. I’m also pleased that he’s not ruling out an income tax increase — finally we’ll have a leader that is being responsible — although naturally, given the economy, I hope that we’re able to bridge our way through by way of federal assistance and wait on the tax increase until things start on the mend again.

Comment by Angry Chicagoan Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 10:27 pm