Gubernatorial Race
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For some reason, WIFR contrasts Bill Brady’s stance on transportation with the Green Party candidate’s stance on education. Maybe they were going for the only anti-corruption liberal in Illinois, but all the same, don’t you have to have more of a voter base than your own cats to be featured in a news article?
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Meanwhile, incumbent Governor Pat Quinn is failing to win over downstate Illinois voters with his constant promises of pork for the region. Even CBS takes notice. It might have something to do with the fact that Bill Brady is actually talking about jobs, not spending.
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Interestingly, Quinn also thinks that his fellow politicians have no sense of fiscal restraint, to the point that he likens them to fat kids who don’t want to eat spinach. This at the same time that he practically buys off the local unions. Pot, meet kettle:
Democratic lawmakers were worse. They followed the lead of House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) and Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) who suggested they sharpen the butcher knife, hand it to Quinn and run for the hills. They’ve taken their summer vacations, opened campaign headquarters and made the rounds to bingo centers and fundraisers, leaving the task of actual cutting to Quinn.
Interesting.
“Let’s put it this way,” Quinn said during a meeting with the SouthtownStar editorial board. “If you don’t want to eat spinach in order to get to be healthy, you shouldn’t be there eating chocolate fudge sundaes. And that’s what we have too much of in Illinois. Politicians who want to have dessert, but they don’t want to eat their vegetables.”
Senate Race
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The Democrats plan some pretty big ad buys for Alexi Giannoulias, even though they’re still outspent by Mark Kirk. According to Politico, his is one of the most competitive races in the country.
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Meanwhile, CQ Politics profiles (of all people) the mothers of Mark Kirk and Alexi Giannoulias as moderating forces on the respective campaigns. This as the Illinois Senate race is turning vicious, especially over the economy and the war. Moms, maybe it’s time to tell your kids to play nice in the sandbox?
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And The Telegraph wonders about the procedural hiccups sure to take place following the Senate race.
House Races
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The New York Times describes Illinois and Ohio as two “losers” from Congressional reapportionment.
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The Wall Street Journal also points out how state taxes are swaying House races.
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And Illinois’ 10th district gets a lot of play due to its potential Democrat leanings, botched attempts by the GOP to avoid the Tea Party label, and disingenuous attack lines on Social Security.