Quinn, Rauner trade jabs before Tribune board

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The questions were tough, but the back-and-forth between the candidates was tougher. Republican Bruce Rauner and Democrat Pat Quinn went before the Chicago Tribune editorial board on Tuesday.

"We know the kind of corruption that's been going on with Pat Quinn and Rod Blagojevich," Rauner said.

Rauner resurrected a Republican strategy used unsuccessfully four years ago: trying to link incumbent Quinn to his criminal Democratic predecessor.

"The only difference between Pat and Rod is the hair," Rauner said.

The governor fired back, reminding voters that a Rauner firm trying to get a contract to manage teacher pension funds paid the now-convicted Stuart Levine while Levine served on the pension board.

"You failed to disclose that fact. That is fraud. That is defrauding the pension board," Quinn said. "And you kept the ill-gotten gain. That's just plain wrong."

"We got the business because we did a phenomenal job," Rauner said.

"You didn't disclose to the board that Levine was working for you," Quinn said.

Quinn and Rauner were joined by running mates Paul Vallas and Evelyn Sanguinetti. How the governor has managed the state's fiscal crisis was another contentious topic.

"You are perpetrating the fraud in this state. We need true balanced budgets in this state," Rauner said.

"Every one of your budget presentations has no specifics. It wouldn't pass muster with any credit rating agency," Quinn said.

"The only reason you can pull these shenanigans is borrowing is called revenue in this state," Rauner said.

More back-and-forth came from the candidates over who supports raising the minimum wage.

"This is a person who actually favors eliminating the minimum wage," Quinn said. "Over and over again he puts strings attached and conditions on raising the minimum wage."

"We'll raise the minimum wage. Pat Quinn hasn't done it, he could have. He hasn't. He's trying to play political football with it," Rauner said.

He fight continued over the super-wealthy Rauner's federal income tax return.

"The failure to disclose your income tax return and schedules is a real disservice to the people of Illinois," Quinn said.

"We have followed the rules. My tax rate is identical to Pat Quinn's tax rate," Rauner said.