I just wanted to let everyone know that Illinois Comptroller and gubernatorial candidate Dan Hynes will be live-blogging on Daily Kos at 5:30 ET. I've been keeping tabs and staying in touch with his campaign for a few weeks now. Apparently Dan's wanted to post on Kos for a little while and they were able to put aside some time for him today.
I’ve been following the race for Governor of Illinois ever since Blago got hauled off to jail last December. Imho, I’ve never thought that Pat Quinn was up to what the job entailed. Don’t get me wrong, he was definitely a step up from those classy gentlemen he followed, but he never seemed to have the gravitas or grit for getting things done in the Land of Lincoln.
Last week, Hynes formally announced that he would be a candidate for Governor. He kicked off his campaign with a sober policy prescription for Illinois’ budget problems (you can read his full proposal at http://www.danhynes.com) in lieu of the standard pomp and circumstance (balloons and marching bands).
I found this approach to be really refreshing, especially following six years of in-your-face, style-without-substance governing from Rod Blagojevich. Illinois found itself in a serious budget hole this summer because of a decade of reckless spending – something Hynes always railed against as Comptroller. It’s now September and they still haven’t found a way to get their state back on the right track. I, for one, am looking forward to hearing Hynes' case for what Illinois should be doing next.
One of the best ways we can improve ourselves as a party is by electing politicians who will bring esteem, not shame to our party. After years of scandal under Blago, and months of timidity under Quinn, I feel that Dan Hynes is the man to help the people of Illinois regain their confidence in our party.