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* Gov. Pat Quinn has responded to Andy McKenna’s new TV ad, which accuses the governor of “hiding the truth,” via a press release…

[Yesterday], former Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna launched an ad that claimed Governor Pat Quinn is attempting to hide the state government’s deficit from taxpayers, citing a Chicago Tribune “headline” that was completely fabricated by the McKenna campaign.

It is unfortunate that Chairman McKenna believes the only way to win Republican votes is to misrepresent the facts about Governor Quinn’s honest and responsible handling of the state budget crisis. In these difficult economic times, real families are facing real challenges in every corner of Illinois. We need leaders with real plans to create real jobs, not political ads with made-up facts or quotes from non-existent news stories.

Governor Quinn’s campaign has no need to rephrase or repurpose reporting of the Governor’s continuing, tough-minded efforts to manage the worst deficit in Illinois history. And Governor Quinn’s lifelong commitment to transparency and open government speaks for itself.

Quinn also sent out a fundraising e-mail…

We’ve got a fight on our hands, and we need your help. The Illinois Republicans are pulling out all the stops to smear Governor Quinn and his plan to bring jobs and growth to Illinois. Just in time for the Thanksgiving Holiday, Andy McKenna released an ad that used fake headlines to attack Governor Quinn. We can expect even more of this kind of deception and fear-mongering from the right-wing Republican candidates for Governor. Kirk Dillard even went so far as to call President Obama “a socialist.”

We’ve seen these kinds of games before. Politicians like McKenna, Kirk, and Dillard will try to use fear, doubt, and misinformation to divide us. But you and I know that we can’t afford to waste any more time. Illinois needs jobs and economic relief now, not more political games.

Please donate $100 or more to help Governor Quinn beat back the lies and bring jobs to Illinois.

Republicans are resorting to misleading ads and negative attacks in an effort to distract voters from Governor Quinn’s accomplishments, but Pat’s record speaks for itself. Just last week, Governor Quinn signed legislation to bring in an additional $1.1 billion to pay for the state’s medical bills. Earlier this month, Pat worked with the Illinois Finance Authority to make $3 billion available for renewable energy projects and jobs. And within months of taking office, Governor Quinn did something no other governor had accomplished in more than a decade. He spearheaded, negotiated, and signed a comprehensive jobs bill, Illinois Jobs Now!, which will create and support over 400,000 Illinois jobs. Pat knows that investing in job creation and economic development is the best way to get Illinois back on track.

However, the road to recovery isn’t easy, and Republicans will say anything to derail the Governor’s agenda. Take action now to prevent the Republican politicians from smearing Governor Quinn and his plan for recovery. We can’t afford to let fear mongering, lies, and deception get in the way of our plan for a stronger and more prosperous Illinois future. Please contribute $100 today:

And McKenna responds to Quinn’s responses via press release…

Republican gubernatorial candidate Andy McKenna called on Governor Pat Quinn to stop hiding the truth from Illinois voters about the fact that Illinois is on the brink of bankruptcy and that our unemployment is at record levels.

“It is time Governor Quinn leveled with the people about the fact Illinois, with an eleven billion dollar deficit, is on the brink of bankruptcy,” said McKenna. “

The Chicago Tribune reported that yesterday, responding to the latest McKenna/Murphy campaign ad saying he’s hiding the truth, Quinn defended his statement that he has “missions accomplished” on the issues of the budget and job creation by saying, “I think the people of Illinois are a lot happier today, in November of 2009, than they were at the beginning of this year.”

Quinn made this claim despite the fact there are 286,000 less jobs than a year ago and our budget deficit has swelled to $11 billion.

“There are 286,000 people who have recently had to confront the challenge of unemployment and likely are not happy about this,” added McKenna. “The fact Governor Quinn says people are happier today than nearly a year ago proves he will do anything to hide the truth from the people of Illinois”

Unemployment in Illinois is at 11% - higher than the national average.

Thoughts?

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:18 am

Comments

Quinn’s hiding the deficit and the unemployment level? What a master of espionage.

I find it curious that McKenna thinks his opponent is Quinn. Is the primary a foregone conclusion?

McKenna willl apparently say anything. I feel I must point out, again, that there is no bankruptcy options for states. So Illinois cannot be on the brink of it.

Quinn 7, McKenna, another goose egg.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:22 am
And Now TugBoat Outsider should stomp his feet, hold his breath and stand in the corner until his Daddy gets the Trib to stop telling truth about his dumb and sleazy ads. That should turn the trick.

Comment by CircularFiringSquad Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:24 am
As a conservative republican, I would almost rather vote for Pat Quinn than Andy McKenna. McKenna can issue all the press releases that he wants, I don’t care to hear anything he has to say. Then again, I live south of I-64 so my opinion doesn’t matter to Tug Boat Andy anyway.

The bottom line is that Jim Ryan is gonna win this primary, and Pat Quinn will win the general. End of story.

Comment by Moving to Oklahoma Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:25 am
Maybe as an “outsider” McKenna really doesn’t know what’s happening on the “inside.” Fer instance, he needs know that he has to win the primary first. And I suppose an outsider probably hasn’t figured out that when quoting a newspaper he need to use real quotes that are accurate.

Comment by Deep South Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:26 am
Agreed, Word. But only a true outsider would not know that they state cannot declare bankruptcy.

Comment by Obamarama Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:27 am
Looks like Quinn’s in a position to pick up a chunk of change because of all the bloviating from McKenna and Co.

Comment by EBC Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:28 am
This little tit-for-tat is all hat and no cattle from the McKenna camp. Andy McKenna isn’t the GOP front runner. His campaign is celebrating coverage from Chris Czilla when they should be working to generate favorable coverage in the Illinois press- of which there is none. McKenna has been blasted in recent weeks for failing to answer any tough questions, dodging GOP candidate forums and now he takes a whack for running a dishonest campaign. Using his dad’s money to fund a campaign based on gimmicky television ads won’t win the GOP primary.

Comment by Big Policy Nerd Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:29 am
One of Andy’s opponents ought to ask him to define “outsider.” It would be amusing to hear how Andy crafts the definition to include himself but to exclude his 6 GOP opponents, including a couple who have never held any office.

Comment by reformer Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:29 am
Would a real Candidate for Governor please stand up? We have nothing but jokes running on both sides.

Comment by WOW Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:33 am
If McKenna acknowledges that the state budget deficit is $11 billion, will he also acknowledge that cuts alone aren’t nearly enough to close the gap?

Comment by The Doc Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:38 am
Quinn keeps bringing up Dillard’s name for trashing. Quinn must also believe Dillard is the one to beat. I agree.

If the contest will eventually be Dillard v Quinn, January 2011 will see real leadership return to the Illinois governor’s office. I can’t wait.

Comment by Joe from Joliet Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:40 am
Not sure who is handling mckennas media, but talking about going to notredame and northwestern in your first ad then lying about a tribune editorial in your second one is no way to get traction. But they have money and can afford to spend millions on the wrong message. In the meantime good for Quinn using this to raise some cash.

Comment by ndgrad67 Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:43 am
Well, these days, Quinn does seem to be downplaying the deficit and his middle class tax increase solution-his billions for Dem pols to play with plan. And it’s trendy to talk about jobs creation–it’s a priority for the WH, whose approval Quinn wants to keep. I wouldn’t say Quinn is deceptive, merely changing the emphasis. So yes, this McKenna ad is pretty clunky.

Of course, this change in emphasis could be a good thing if Quinn is really changing the emphasis from raising taxes to investing in the economy. But he’s a Chicago Democrat. They love to raise taxes. I expect a big push for a tax increase…..after the general, if he wins.

As to the deficit—isn’t there a lot of talk
in Washington these days about another stimulus—even though the won’t call it that.
I wouldn’t think bankruptcy…I’d think huge amounts of federal pre-election cash. So we taxpayers need to hang onto our wallets and not
support our state pols’ demands for more, more
more money.

Comment by cassandra Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:45 am
Your headline says “rate the responses” so I’ll do that rather than slipping into default candidate whines.

On the responses alone, and assuming truth is not a judgment criterion, I’d have to give the edge to McKenna. More artful and better crafted.

But if we want to throw truth into the mix, it’s funny that McKenna mentions that there was a Tribune response to his ad without mentioning that the response was to call it “misleading.”

I understand why he would be shooting at Quinn, but I don’t get why he’s making such a big deal of Quinn supposedly hiding the state’s financial condition. As I recall, he proclaimed loud and clear that we have a HUGE budget problem and cited that as the reason for a tax increase. Now, the budget Madigan shoved down his throat still leaves a big hole, but you can’t say Quinn hasn’t been shouting about the deficit.

McKenna and all the Republicans, on the other hand, have been either lying or delusional on fixing it. According to the most recent analysis, we have a 47.9% deficit ($12 bil deficit on $25 bil in discretionary spending). You simply CAN’T cut your way out of that.

Comment by Chicago Cynic Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:45 am
McKenna expects Quinn to win the Democratic primary and Quinn expects Dillard to win.

Comment by David Ormsby Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:46 am
WHat is fascinating is with all the material out there to hang over Quinn, including his strong support for Blago in 2006 and calling Blago honest etc etc; his brainchild for an attack add is to manufacture fake dirt?

I think McKenna just got his face rubbed in said dirt by the Quinn campaign.

Comment by Ghost Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:46 am
I’ve heard a lot of people say that they think Quinn is worse than Blago - need I say more? Thank God for McKenna at least he’ll make some tough choices even though it may ruffle a lot of feathers.

Comment by Southern Illinois Voter Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:55 am
Both responses are poor. Illinoisans so far see little evidence of Quinn’s self proclaimed “tough minded efforts to manage the worst deficit in Illinois history…..”, so for him to remind everyone it’s there and that he’s in charge of it seems weird and somewhat clueless on his part. Therefore, McKenna was on solid ground to point out in his reply the silly and contradictory Quinn quote about people being happier in Nov. 2009 than at the beginning of the year–but McKenna then blew it by not adding even one sentence about what he would do differently.

The Quinn fundraising letter is not likely to be very effective right now. I sense a lot of Democrats see Quinn has vulnerability which has little to do with those horrible Republican hoardes. They are waiting in the bushes to see the outcome of the Quinn/Hynes fistfight and will contribute to the winner for the general.

Comment by Responsa Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:57 am
Quinn’s campaign is complete rubbish. He thinks he can create jobs by having some campaign called Illinois Jobs Now. No. Jobs are created through lower taxation. Through giving the money back to small businesses. McKenna is a conservative who will do that for Illinoisans. Quinn is a non-elected lifetime Democrat. This state is amongst the three-worst states to live in for taxation. Who has been in control all these years? Democrats. It is time for a new face. McKenna is that guy.

Comment by Windy City Conservative Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:57 am
Quinn wins this round. If i was Proft or Andrzejewski, I would use this opportunity to blast McKenna and fire up the base…McKenna running a dishonest campaign, just like he did in 06 when he spent $4 million of his Dad’s money to win ten-percent of the vote. McKenna isn’t a true businessman, he is riding off his Dad’s coat tails and connections to the Daley’s to try to buy the election. McKenna drove the GOP train into the ditch as party chairman and used party resources to prop up his campaign instead of helping true candidates. Good chance for some free press here.

Comment by Burrito Bandit Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:58 am
If I were Quinn I would worry about my negatives hovering at the 50% level. I am not sure ol Danny Hynes is out of contention just yet. By mid April that $11bil deficit will be even higher, a second round of large foreclosures will be hitting Illinois. Whoever the two nominees are, they will have big problems adressing that deficit and their plans to fix it. We are California without the ocean views. BIG MONEY PROBLEMS AHEAD.

Comment by ivoted4judy Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:58 am
Quinn’s response was fine and it is smart to raise money off of the scary Republican attacks.

McKenna is a mess. I bet he never thought that he would be in the same boat as Jim Oberweis because he did the same thing that Oberweis did. It is most ironic that he runs as an “outsider” who is “honest” and then totally misrepresents the Tribune’s headline.

Comment by Seal Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 10:59 am
The overall financial mess is beyond the control of one individual. The severity of the financial mess is controllable.
The democrats, including Quinn, sat by while Blagojevich spent money, withourt regards to future revenue and consequences.
The democrats bear full responsibility for the severity of the financial mess in Illinois.
those are the facts and they are not disputable.

Comment by Lee Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 11:01 am
I don’t really care what these guys say right now, next November, I am voting Republican. The only way I see Illinois getting out of this budget crisis is by electing a Republican Governor. Not because the Republicans are right about cuts being the way, but because any tax increase will take Republican votes. Republicans have no reason to vote for a tax increase with Dems running the whole shooting match and likely won’t. You need a Republican governor working his own party (ie. Thompson, Edgar and Ryan). Say what you want about them, and think what you want about them, but stuff got done when they occupied the mansion. The Repubs need “skin in the game” and if they don’t have any, they might just sit back and watch the place implode. Anyway, if I was advising them that is what I would suggest they do.

So basically, anybody who thinks Illinois needs a tax increase to get out this crisis (which I do) should be voting Republican. I am not saying that Quinn can’t solve the problem because he is incompetent (which by the way I believe he is), I just think he is of the wrong party.

Think about it. The income tax was originally signed by a Republican (Olgive); raised temporarily (twice) by a Republican governor (Thompson); and the increase was made permanent by a Republican governor (Edgar). So all you folks out there waiting on a check from the state, might just want to re-think your voting strategy next November.

Comment by Jaded Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 11:03 am
Do people really think Dillard is going to win this thing? The guy is a nice guy, but he shot a TV ad for Obama during the Iowa primary for crying out loud. GOP primary voters are going to vote for the guy who went to bat for Obama??? Don’t think so.

Comment by Big Policy Nerd Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 11:04 am
===I’ve heard a lot of people say that they think Quinn is worse than Blago ===

I’m sure you have data to back that up.

lol

Not.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 11:07 am
I find it amazing how the so-called Republican poposters are so eager to take shots at Mckenna. The reality is Mckenna is one of the few candidates on the GOP ticket who is actually taking on the Democrats.

Mckenna in his ad is trying to show the alternate reality in which the Blagojevich Democrats live. quinn keeps talking about having a plan. He has been governor for awhile now. Why isn’t leading? He isn’t leading because all he has is platitudes. We need someone like Mckenna who has actually created jobs. We’ve talked enough.

Comment by the truth is out there Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 11:09 am
Quinn hid the facts about Illinois’ record unemployment rates in a PRESS RELEASE, dated Nov. 19th.

How ingenious.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 11:11 am
the only tough choice that matters is how to raise and restructure our state government revenues. We still tax as if Illinois was a manufacturing and sales economy and society, as we were from 1920 - 1950. A graduated income tax, more taxes on services (a pseudo user fee), and pay all the old bills first and start to rrestructure human services rates before we initiate any new programs.

But which candidate from either party is saying this logical approach to responsible governing?

Comment by Capitol View Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 11:21 am
” I am not sure ol Danny Hynes is out of contention just yet. By mid April that $11bil deficit will be even higher”

Too bad for Dan the primary is Feb 2nd.

Comment by WizzardOfOzzie Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 11:23 am
WCC,

You’re dreaming if you foresee a tax cut in Illinois’ future. I don’t care if you elect Grover Norquist himself. Ain’t gonna happen with a 47.9% deficit in discretionary spending.

To all so-called conservatives out there, every time you tell us we need to cut taxes, please respond with where the $12 BILLLLLLIOONNNNN is going to come from. Until you have an answer, please just shut the heck up.

Comment by Chicago Cynic Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 11:33 am
Don’t yall see what’s happening? McKenna is breaking though here. If Brady or Proft had put out that ad, does the gov respond so quickly and forcefully? Probably not. He’s already got them on the defensive. Having the facts behind him doesn’t hurt either!

Comment by MembershipOnly Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 11:49 am
===If Brady or Proft had put out that ad, does the gov respond so quickly and forcefully? ===

That assumes Brady and Proft had the money. Right now, only one GOP candidate is advertising on network TV and that’s McKenna.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 11:55 am
Quinn responded to the McKenna ad because it was patently false. It wouldn’t have mattered who issued the ad, its great political fodder for Quinn, and as long as McKenna is gonna provide the fish…and the barrel…Quinn may as well start shooting.

Comment by Moving to Oklahoma Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 12:10 pm
Wordslinger, I get your bankruptcy point, but I think “bankruptcy” functions fine as a normal, average Joe substitute for “serious cash flow problems” or whatever might be more accurate, albeit with a slight distortion in magnitude.

I rarely hear political discourse on economics that is totally correct. I’d focus on McKenna’s more serious inaccuracies.

Comment by Greg Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 12:11 pm
Since we seem to be getting back into the “are you better off now than when the Governor(President)took over” campaign strategy, perhaps we should redefine the Carter “misery index” (inflation+unemployment) for Illinois.

How about- state deficit(billions)+ personal income tax rate(3%)+unemployment(11%) ?

That would put us at about 11+3+11=25.

Borrowing and deferring pension obligations should be included in the deficit.

This should give us a decent metric about whether tax increases actually result in lower deficits and unemployment and are good policy in the best interests of the taxpayers.

If tax rates increase and unemployment and the deficit don’t decrease more, then all the increase did was increase citizen suffering and the bums that did the increasing should be “suffering” by being thrown out of office!

Comment by PalosParkBob Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 1:01 pm
===This should give us a decent metric about whether tax increases actually result in lower deficits and unemployment and are good policy in the best interests of the taxpayers.===

No, it really won’t. You are adding apples to oranges to bananas and then making a kiwi-based evaluation. There’s more to the art of model making in political science than adding a couple of factors and calling the sum an “index.”

Using your set of numbers, with an income tax rate of 13%, we would have zero deficit, and assuming the same 11% unemployment your “index” would be 24, lower than the present. Do you believe that quadrupling the income tax rate for the benefit of balancing the budget would really decrease the misery of the average Illinoisan? Of course you don’t because your side of the aisle despises taxation–especially increased taxes. So who do you side with? Your party or your ill-conceived model?

Comment by Obamarama Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 1:21 pm
Of all the years to avoid talking about the economy this is probably the worst. Shore is in good shape, but I know a lot of people that aren’t and I think it’s offensive to them to have candidates talking about something other than the economy. If the economy were in good shape and all was well, ok, I’d do the hair, but things aren’t well and avoiding the issue on most peoples minds is not good.

Maybe this works on sheridan road in kenilworth where Mr. McKenna watches his fighting Irish come up lame every weekend, but it’s not to the benefit of the party, state or voters.

Comment by shore Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 1:24 pm
==Quinn is worse than Blago==
You must live in a different part of southern Illinois…

Comment by Vote Quimby! Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 2:12 pm
Please, Obamadrama, even a Democrat must know that political “indexes” are no substitute for thorough financial analysis.

This is simply a way to quantify how the three biggest measures of economic impact from the state government change and affect the lives of those who don’t get insulation from the failed government economic policies through feeding at the government trough.

As a proponent of “Obamanomics”, by now even you should know that increasing deficits that shrink income and capital for private sector job growth result in increasing unemployment and citizen “misery”.

The fact is that an increase in the income tax rate, especially if it’s disproportionately burdened on the entrepreneurial job creating class, will result in the job and wealth creators leaving and creating wealth elsewhere.State income and job growth will be decimated and the Illinois economic death spiral will continue.

This is what happened in California and New York.

The policies that Quinn is proposing are moving us closer toward the “Michigan/Detroit” model where unemployment is over 15%, and everyone who is a “producer” rather than a “taker” is leaving the MoCity.

IMHO, we should make jobs and income growth of the private sector the primary issue in these campaigns.

How we do this is not brain surgery.

We need to bring Workman’s Comp and insurance costs down to levels of neighboring states, reform the unsustainable public employee pension madness, enact an austerity budget that only takes care of real “needs” rather than patronage “wants”, break the stranglehold of public employee unions by capping increases in salaries and benefits to a percentage of new revenues, and allow for orderly and fair pay reductions when revenues drop, and create parent and student empowerment with their public education resources through educational choice.

Oh, and don’t forget dropping Medicaid eligibility down to the Federally mandated levels rather the the current 400% of poverty level, to avoid the burden of making Illinois the free health care magnet of the Midwest.

These necessary reforms are all technically simple to achieve, but virtually impossible politically because of our corrupt elected officials.

Perhaps the most galling thing is that the GOP has done a poor job of coming up with a strategy for job growth and economic recovery in Illinois.

As bad as the GOP leadership is, the Dems are willing to take us even farther down the spiral as Obama is doing through massive tax increases and expanding already oversized government.

Rich, will you please pass the word along to the press and the candidates that “It’s the economy, stupid!”

Comment by PalosParkBob Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 2:37 pm
The McKenna camp is right in that Quinn hasn’t really wanted to talk about the last 10 months and how he plans to handle the upcoming year. I understand the McKenna to essentially be saying that by focusing on his history Quinn is trying to hide the dismal present state of Illinois through distractions.

Comment by Will County Woman Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 4:02 pm
Greg, the only reason I bring up the bankruptcy point is that, in the private sector and for municipalities, it’s a clearly defined method to reorder your affairs and seek protection from your creditors.

It is not, repeat not, an option for states. The word shouldn’t be brought up.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 4:06 pm
No, actually I don’t live in another part of So. IL. To tell you the truth it pained me to type that statement, but it was what I have heard people say, & there was no one happier to see Blago go than me. Now that is cleared up….this economy is stable? I actually thought it was on life-support with the electricity off & the generator failing. The “stable statement” makes as much sense as Quinn saying our former gov was a good & honorable man shortly before they were re-elected.

Comment by Southern Illinois Voter Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 4:15 pm
Serious question…

The tribune is reporting this evening that Quinn considers himself a “truth slinger” http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2009/11/quinn-says-hes-a-truth-slinger.html

is quinn just seeking media attention or is something seriously wrong with him?

Comment by Will County Woman Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 6:59 pm
–The tribune is reporting this evening that Quinn considers himself a “truth slinger” is quinn just seeking media attention or is something seriously wrong with him?–

Your question presumes that seeking media attention and having something seriously wrong are mutually exclusive. Watch a little TV, and you’ll change your mind.

Nothing wrong with being a slinger, anyway.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 7:29 pm
Dillard will come in third or fourth in the primary. Mark my words. Ryan will blow away the field followed by Brady. Dillard is a sad candidate whose campaign has gone absolutely nowhere.

Comment by Downstate Dave Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 7:52 pm
Wordslinger, Quinn has hardly been honest. Need I remind you of the Spa attack ad against hynes? He blantantly lied in that ad, and finally one of his supporters admitted it on yesterday’s blog.

Comment by Will County Woman Tuesday, Nov 24, 09 @ 8:45 pm