Ill. candidate Hynes goes after Quinn on early-release issue

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: Post-Dispatch

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Well, that didn’t take long. Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes today announced a major new campaign commercial going after Gov. Pat Quinn for his administration’s recent secret early release of 1,700 state prison inmates to save money in the cash-strapped state budget.

Quinn admits the move was a mistake, but has been blaming it on his state prison director and hoping the issue will go away. The new ad from Hynes (who is challenging Quinn for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination Feb. 2) is designed to make sure it doesn’t.

“It’s an outrage. Pat Quinn caught secretly releasing 1,700 dangerous criminals,” intones the narrator of the commercial, as mugshots of assorted baddies flash across the screen. The ad goes on to chide Quinn for his “bad judgment” on other matters: “Quinn’s driven our deficit to $13 billion . . . (and) wants a 50 percent tax hike on the middle class.”

It’s a devastating commercial, though a little truth-squading is in order: The “1,700 dangerous criminals” are actually a handful of dangerous criminals among a much bigger pool of inmates whose release dates were merely moved up by a few weeks under the controversial program.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/political-fix/political-fix/2010/01/ill-candidate-hynes-goes-after-quinn-on-early-release-issue/

[madrchsod]

1. the fix was in to get quinn

the prison union is pissed because there`s no money for more guards. most if not all prisons are working mandatory overtime. the intake workers may have "released" to the media the names of some really nasty guys who should have placed but were kicked out. as soon as i read the names of released and their crimes i knew the fix was in.

[davsand]

3. AFSCME opted not to endorse either Quinn or Hynes in this primary.

SEIU endorsed Quinn. As far as I know, those are the only two internationals representing employees in the IL prison system.

I thought this Primary had been fairly low key, if you want the truth. I haven't seen much out of either campaign except for the usual Friends and Family type organizing.

:shrug:


Laura

[MidwestRick]

2. This won't hurt Quinn as much as...

...his proposal to increase state income taxes by 50%.