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| SIMON: Looking to move up |
Yet
why do I suspect the bulk of people with an interest in public service or
electoral politics will be more concerned with the activity of Lt. Gov. Sheila
Simon instead.
FOR
WHILE WE got to learn about the state partnership marketplace that will begin
enrolling people in October, I suspect many people will find it easier to
comprehend Simon’s uncertainty toward what office she wishes to seek than the deals of federal health care reform.
Simon
on Wednesday held her own public event in which she said she does not plan to
seek another term as the governor-in-waiting come the 2014 Illinois elections.
So when Quinn proceeds to seek election to another term as governor, he’s going
to have to have another second-in-command in mind.
Not
that Simon told us what she wants to do – only what she doesn’t. Although she
did pretty much confirm that all the speculation about her electoral future is
true.
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| QUINN: Upstaged by Simon? |
She
may run for state attorney general or state treasurer – both positions of which
have the potential to be vacant as the current incumbents are considering
campaigns for the gubernatorial post. Or, she may take on state Comptroller
Judy Baar Topinka next year, assuming that no one else tries to pre-empt her by
seeking the Democratic nomination for that post.
IT
PRETTY MUCH seems that Simon, the daughter of long-time Illinois politico Paul
Simon and herself a law school professor (Southern Illinois University College
of Law), has her fate in the hands of Lisa Madigan.
For
if Lisa goes for governor (following three terms as attorney general), she
would go for the post of being Illinois government’s attorney. If Madigan
decides that a fourth term is preferable, then Simon goes for one of the lesser
posts – potentially treasurer since incumbent Dan Rutherford is likely to be
one of the Republican candidates for governor next year.
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| SIMON: Daughter following in his footsteps? |
Ironic,
in that a poll published this week by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute has
Lisa Madigan and Dan Rutherford as the top candidates among those rumored to be
running in the Democratic and Republican primaries, respectively.
Supposedly,
31.9 percent of Democrats would back Madigan, while 10.2 percent of Republicans
would prefer Rutherford. Which might sound like much, except that it is more
than any other candidate except for the “undecided” option that gets 53.9
percent.
FOR
THE RECORD, Quinn was included in the poll, and he gets only 22.9 percent –
which is almost double the support for one-time Commerce Secretary and White
House chief of staff William Daley.
But
Madigan wallops them both!
It
would seem that Simon will wind up with her choice of which statewide offices
she will choose to seek – which will be encouraged by the Democratic Party
because there’s an overwhelming chance that the rest of the party candidate
slate for statewide office will consist of Chicago or suburban Cook County
residents.
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| MADIGAN: Simon's fate in her hands? |
Carbondale
resident Simon will be offered up as the “face” of downstate Democrats.
I
KNOW I already have stumbled across some speculation that Simon offers little
of benefit to Democrats – since much of the Southern Illinois region either
backs Republicans or wants Democrats who are willing to buck the party leadership
and vote like Republicans on social issues.
For
all I know, they’re the kind of people whose reaction to Quinn Wednesday morning
was to be repulsed at the idea that the Affordable Care Act is going to be the “law
of the land,” even though the notion of some 500,000 more people having health
coverage ought to sound like a good thing!
Perhaps
if Quinn wanted some serious coverage, he would have had Simon make her
announcement in conjunction with his event, rather than prior to a United Negro
College Fund luncheon like she actually did.
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