Can a Regular Guy Like Pat Quinn Be An Effective Governor?
Posted: Monday, February 09, 2009
by Mike Fak
http://mikefak.com
Well for all you people across the United States that are keeping a scorecard of what goofiness happens next in Illinois, I wish I could give you a heads up but I can't.
Yep, we impeached that helmet-headed screwball Rod Blagojevich and we have Pat Quinn now at the helm of our fire inside a train wreck surrounded by a tornado, budget mess.
I had just written a scathing column about Blagojevich going to Boston for a governor's conference. It seems King Rod' as he was called, took a full 40 people with him to make sure he had everything just the way he wanted it.
In Lincoln, we were having a memorial service for a fallen soldier in Iraq and Quinn was kind enough to say he would come to Lincoln to say a few words at the ceremony.
The All Veteran's Park is just across the street from my house so I had no problem making the event.
As we all waited for the Lt. Gov. to show up, talk of the governor's pompous extravagance went around in the crowd. He had previously gone to California with an entourage of Illinois State troopers and went through the streets of cities he has nothing to do with, with sirens blaring and lights twirling like he was the Pope.
At the prescribed time, with no fanfare, a Geo hybrid puddle jumper pulled into the barricaded street. Out popped a cute, young aid maybe 23 years old and she obviously was not a bodyguard. From the passenger side unwound Pat Quinn, with tussled hair and a common suit that looked like it had already had a hard day being on the man. That was the total Pat Quinn entourage.
I walked up to him and he stuck out his hand and said, "Hi I'm Pat."
After a few pleasantries, Quinn walked the crowd, shaking hands and introducing himself.
I laughed at the marked difference between the two state leaders. One was completely unpretentious; the other considered himself the greatest thing since sliced bread and woe to anyone who tried to get within a city block of him.
I also found new fondness for Pat Quinn when at his swearing in ceremony, he stated that Illinois government needs to be fumigated. I love that line.
The questions abound now if the Republicans will give this new Democratic Governor a little help and a little leeway as he begins the job of unscrewing a state budget that might be $9 billion in the hole due to King Rod' spending money on anything and anyone that contributed to his campaign coffers.
It is an ugly mess, not unlike the national crisis that shows our government rewarding ineptitude for the sake of Joe and Flo Blow" families who always suffer the repercussions more than those who created the messes.
Already Republicans are claiming that things are screwed up because of a Democrat, omitting the fact the two candidates they ran against Blagojevich both lost because they showed linkage with former governor George Ryan who is in a federal jail.
I know, you couldn't write a fiction novel better than this.
So now we have a real mess both statewide and nationally and we have a regular guy trying to figure out what to do while party lines are already posturing for a governor's race in just two years.
I don't know if this will all make great press. But if it isn't a political sequel to Pride and Prejudice, I don't know what is.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)Mike,Hopefully, now you can run as the next Lt. Gov and we will have two guys that are like us "common folks". How do you stand on conceiled carry?And of course our infamous smoking ban?Jim GriffinThe problem with concealed carry is too many people with concealed brains might be packing.Give up on the smoking ban. It's over buddy.
Mike, since I'm a regular gal, I say: Yes! There's something about Gov. Pat Quinn that I liked and you've explained why. He's just a regular guy and a glutton for punishment. Most regulars are. We don't avoid the challenges or sweep them under the rug considering them problems for someone else. I'm praying for your Governor and the dimwits who aren't supporting him!Thanks Avis.Here is another great tidbit.The new Gov. still not moved to Springfield called the manison, which the old Gov. didn't use and asked if there was a room he could sleep in. He was told of course, the place is his.He then said, "If it's not too much trouble and doesn't put anyone out, is there the possibility I could have a sandwich?"Ya gotta love the guy.LOL...Yes, ya gotta love him!
I sure hope he can, Mike. I don't know of any "King Rod- like" extravagances here in Texas, but Rick is still trying to figure out who burned the Governors Mansion. Good luck to you and your interim Guv. It sounds like he has the kind of mentality to fix a broken economy, if permitted.Thanks Ken. Check out my response to Avis. I really hopes they give him a chance.Mike
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