This weekend Brady criticized Quinn for not firing the state's prison chief over the prisoner early-release program. On Monday Quinn fired back by attacking Brady's business sense.
It was scheduled as an official appearance by the governor to publicize the new $2,500 tax credit for small businesses for each new employee hired. But Pat Quinn made the event political when he accused his Republican opponent senator Bill Brady of trying to reduce the tax credit by $400.
"Senator Brady wants to reduce that from $2,500 to $2,100. That's the wrong direction," said Quinn.
Then the governor took another shot at Brady, a Bloomington homebuilder.
"Senator Brady is an expert at layoffs. He knows all about layoffs. He's applied his chainsaw to his real estate development company and laid people off. He hasn't created any jobs at all," said Quinn.
The governor is coming off one of his worst political weeks since the general election began. Last Thursday, the Independent Rasmussen survey of 750 voters statewide had Senator Brady leading the unelected incumbent by 13 points, 48 percent to 35 percent. And on Friday, Judge David Erickson's seven-month long investigation concluded that Quinn's prison director Michael Randle endangered public safety when his department early released violent criminals in the meritorious good time or MGT Push program.
"Why is director Randle still in his position? Why has he been removed.?," asked Brady Sunday.
But the governor--who refuses to fire Fandle-- said Brady's opposition to a ban on assault weapons is a bigger threat to public safety:
"When he talks about public safety you oughta ask him: 'why are you so devoted to the assault weapons makers instead of standing up like Governor Pat Quinn with the victims of assault weapons,'" said Quinn.
A spokeswoman for Senator Brady described the governor's comments as "flailing". She said the Republican candidate proposed the $2,100 tax credit before the $2,500 number was written into the bill. She says he has never advocated for a reduction. She also said Senator Brady is a Second Amendment supporter. She also questioned the governor's use of a taxpayer supported official event for political purposes.
