The Illinois governor’s race is getting downright nasty.
Pat Quinn and Bill Brady didn’t pass up a chance to insult one another Sunday night during a debate at Elmhurst College.
Neither used the opportunity to explain in detail how they’d fix the state’s gaping budget hole, which is somewhere around $13 billion.
The night was filled with character attacks. Brady said Quinn is worse than his predecessor, a now convicted, universally panned Rod Blagojevich whose name has become synonymous with ineptitude.
"I hate to say this, but Gov. Quinn has been worse than Gov. Blagojevich," said Brady. "We've already had two governors that have disappointed us … One's in jail. One's going to jail. We don't need a walking conflict of interest as governor of Illinois."
Quinn then accused "Shady" Bill Brady of being a puppy-killing millionaire intent on using his legislative power to help grow his own real estate fortune.
"I don't believe that dogs and cats should be put in a gas chamber, 10 at a time, and executed," Quinn said about a controversial bill Brady had sponsored in the state senate but has since backed away from. "What a bad idea. That's nonsense."
Politics
When Quinn talked about Brady's business dealings, Brady snapped: "You're lying again."
The two men were quite specific about each other’s personality flaws, but could only offer generalities about their plan to help fix the state’s finances.
Quinn claimed to have shrunk state spending through cutting and promised more trims. But the governor couldn't name any services he’d like to cut.
Brady had the same problem in trying to find a specific place to cut spending, instead standing his plan to start by cutting government spending by 10 percent across the board.
