Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White endorsed Gov. Pat Quinn in the gubernatorial race yesterday, citing his "integrity and honesty" and work on school finance reform and veterans' rights.
"Gov. Quinn inherited an office and a state that faced serious financial and ethical problems," White said in a statement. "I am confident that he is up to the challenge. Gov. Quinn is honest and hardworking and has spent his career fighting for the working men and women of this great state."
The endorsement from White, a longtime associate of Quinn's in the state's executive branch, was widely expected. Even Quinn's campaign portrayed it as a formality. Read more...
Days after Gov. Pat Quinn suspended an unpublicized release of state prison inmates, rival Democrat and Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes has tied the "secret" release program to a plan to bring Guantanamo detainees to Illinois.
Federal officials plan to buy the Thomson Correctional Center to house the terrorism suspects, and Hynes says it "understandably causes some unease" in light of a policy that releases state prisoners before their sentences expire.
Hynes supports the proposal to move detainees to Thomson, saying that "President Obama would weigh this decision carefully," but he suggested that the state release program reflects poorly on how the governor would handle federal detainees. Read more...
