Blagojevich Ouster In Illinois Ends Low Profile Of No. 2 Quinn
“I dont know nothing about Pat Quinn,” said Stanford, 48. “Who is he? All I know is that hes a Democrat.”
Quinn was sworn in as the 41st governor of Illinois shortly after the state Senate yesterday convicted Governor Rod Blagojevich of abuse of power, on accusations that he tried to sell President Barack Obamas former U.S. Senate seat. The switch pushed Quinn into the spotlight while constituents are still a bit hazy about their new leader.
About half of more than a dozen Illinois residents randomly surveyed at Chicagos Union Station yesterday said they wouldnt recognize Quinn if they saw him. Those who thought they could didnt agree on his appearance, describing him as tall, short, heavyset and average build.
Nor did they know much about their new leaders politics. Three people knew he supports veterans affairs. Only one was aware that Quinn, 60, is a proponent of campaign-finance reform. None could say if he is pro-choice or anti-abortion, or where he stands on gun control.
“I think people in Illinois know who he is,” Bob Reed, a spokesman for Quinn, said in a telephone interview. “Hes been an advocate for Illinois taxpayers for years.”
Reed said he couldnt point to position papers on those topics immediately and suggested looking at Quinns Web site, http://www.standingupforillinois.com. A search of the site showed that Quinn supports child safety locks for guns, and didnt turn up his position on abortion.
G for Green
A feature on the site, Pat Quinns ABCs, explains his positions under letters of the alphabet. “G” stands for green, as in environmentally friendly, and “T” is for textbooks, which Quinn is trying to make more affordable, the Web site says. “L” is for Lieutenant Governor, providing historical facts about the states No. 2 executives.
The need for an Internet primer on a serving governor doesnt sit well with Neil Mikula, a construction superintendent from Huntley, a suburb north of Chicago.
“Im a little bit concerned because Ive never heard of the guy,” said Mikula, 52. “Wheres he been for the last however many years Blago has been in office?”
Blagojevich, 52, was arrested Dec. 9 for what U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald called “a political corruption crime spree.” The governor and his former chief of staff, John Harris, 46, were accused of trying to sell the Senate seat, soliciting bribes and pressuring the Chicago Tribune to halt critical editorials.
Quinn and Blagojevich, also a Democrat, arent political allies. Quinn called for Blagojevich to resign, and the two hadnt spoken in 18 months before the arrest, according to Jay Stewart, Quinns former general counsel. Illinois candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run separately in primary elections and on one ticket in the general campaign.
The new governor has been active in politics for three decades. Quinn attended Fenwick High School in Oak Park, just outside of Chicago, earned an international economics degree from Georgetown University in Washington, and trained as a lawyer at Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago. He served as an aide to former Governor Dan Walker, who was elected in 1972.
Quinn organized successful petition drives to reduce the size of the state Legislature and to create a utility watchdog agency. In 1980, Illinois voters approved his so-called Cutback Amendment, paring the state House membership by a third, to 118 seats.
He was elected commissioner of the Cook County Board of (Property) Tax Appeals in 1982 and served as state treasurer from 1991 to 1995. He was elected lieutenant governor in 2002 and 2006.
Lesser Evil
In Union Station, Sonny Manzo, who also attended Fenwick High School, said he hopes Quinn will be an improvement over Blagojevich. Other than knowing where Quinn went to school, Manzo was short of facts. Manzo said he is probably more conservative than Quinn.
“I have to assume that Quinn would be the lesser of two evils,” said Manzo, 35, a director at a consulting firm in Northbrook, a Chicago suburb.
Add A Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.