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A look back at the week in Illinois politics: Gov. Pat Quinn again
found himself talking about criminals getting out of prison early --
not exactly a pleasant topic for someone seeking re-election.
Would he fire his Corrections director? Why were violent
offenders granted early release? How many have committed new crimes?
In a news conference, the Democratic governor blamed his prisons
director for dropping a policy of requiring every inmate to serve at
least 61 days. He said the 61-day minimum would be restored and his
administration would take steps to overhaul policies on who gets
time off for good behavior and when they get it.
Quinn simultaneously said the policy change was a big mistake and
that it only amounted to low-level offenders getting out 37 days
early.
SPEAKING UP
Dan Hynes, Quinn's rival in the Democratic primary, found Quinn's
comments less than satisfactory.
"Pat Quinn's lame acknowledgment today that mistakes were made --
by others, naturally -- is totally inadequate, and this whole sorry
affair is an outrageous violation of trust," Hynes spokesman Matt
McGrath said.
Republican candidate Kirk Dillard said, "The fact that Pat Quinn
and his administration authorized a special secret program to
release dangerous criminals is a slap in the face to law enforcement
and victims of crime."
ALLIES
Democratic Senate candidate David Hoffman picked up the
endorsement of a Louisiana school superintendent. "So what?" you may
ask.
Well, this superintendent is Paul Vallas, former head of the
Chicago school system, Rod Blagojevich's opponent in the 2002
gubernatorial primary and still a popular figure in some Illinois
political circles.
Vallas now runs the Recovery School District in New Orleans.
He praised Hoffman's record as a federal prosecutor and inspector
general for the city of Chicago. "This is an individual who we need
to put in the Senate," Vallas said.
STICKS & STONES
Republican Andy Martin's Senate campaign basically consists of
sending out e-mails promoting himself as an "Internet powerhouse"
and holding sidewalk news conferences to attack other candidates.
Last week, he took his attacks to the radio by buying ads demanding
that front-runner Mark Kirk respond to rumors that he is gay.
The tactic brought down a storm of condemnation. The Illinois
Republican Party said it would no longer consider Martin a
legitimate candidate. Candidates in different races and parties said
Martin was way out of line. Critics noted Martin's track record of
anti-Semitic remarks and nuisance lawsuits.
Kirk's campaign said he couldn't respond directly to Martin's ad
because Kirk, a member of the Naval Reserves, was on active military
duty. But a spokesman denied Martin's accusation.
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The Associated Press asked candidates for governor and Senate about
their resolutions for the new year. Here's a sampling of their
responses:
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"I resolve to be a
little less boisterous and a little more calm," joked the
notoriously deadpan Andy McKenna, one of the Republican
candidates for governor.
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"Get my private
pilot's license," said Dan Proft, another GOP candidate for
governor.
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Quinn resolved to
keep working hard to create and protect jobs. "I further resolve
to promote economic growth in Illinois by rooting night and day
for a Cubs-White Sox World Series," he added.
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"To be the best
possible husband ... and father and in a broader sense to work
every day to restore the integrity of public service to the
people of Illinois," said Democratic Senate candidate David
Hoffman.
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"Give up bottled
water, plastic bags and paper towels and avoid waste by
recycling. And to always smoke at least 20 feet from public
entrances," said Democratic Senate candidate Jacob Meister.
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Republican Jim Ryan's resolution took
the form of a fundraising letter to supporters of his
gubernatorial campaign. "Let's join together and ensure that
2010 is the year we say 'enough is enough' ... and clean up
Illinois government once and for all," Ryan said.
RESOLUTIONS (PART II)
The AP also asked the candidates if they had any suggestions for
resolutions that their opponents should make. They responded with
widely varying levels of seriousness.
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Adam Andrzejewski,
a Republican running for governor, said his rivals "should
resolve to post their tax returns and sources of income online."
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Quinn urged others
"to trust voters enough to tell them the truth about our state's
fiscal crisis and what needs to be done to put Illinois' state
budget back on track."
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Republican Senate
candidate Patrick Hughes said: "Mark Kirk can't decide if he
wants decaf or regular without first checking that it's the
politically popular thing to do, so it would be nice to see him
make the resolution to be consistent on the issues and act like
a Republican in 2010."
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Proft offered several good-natured
suggestions.
Democratic leaders, he said, should "enroll in and pass an
Economics 101 class or else give up your office."
And Dillard should "limit references to your time as 'Jim
Edgar's chief of staff' to no more than 27 in a five-minute
stump speech."
WHAT'S NEXT
Tuesday is the final day to register to vote in the Feb. 2
election. The Republican candidates for lieutenant governor debate
on Jan. 7.
Happy New Year.
[Associated Press;
CHRISTOPHER WILLS]
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
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