Sneed exclusive . . .
Gov. Pat Quinn has decided his second elected term in office will be his last.
◆ Translation: Although the state has no term limits, Sneed is told Quinn will not run again in 2018 if he wins re-election this year.
Hmmm. Is Quinn just playing tag team to GOP gubernatorial opponent Bruce “I want to drive the career politicians nuts” Rauner’s vocal support of term limits?
◆ Answer: Quinn’s decision not to seek a third elected term is not surprising: He led the charge for term limits for both constitutional officers and state legislators in 1994, the year he spearheaded a petition drive that collected nearly half a million signatures for legislative term limits.
“He adheres to the United States constitutional dictum that no person shall be elected to the office of president more than twice,” said a Sneed source.
◆ The numbers game: Ironically, if Quinn wins re-election, he will have served nine years in office − rather than just two four-year terms.
◆ History note: As the state’s lieutenant governor, Quinn replaced Gov. Rod Blagojevich in Jan. 2009 following Blago’s impeachment for corruption and was elected to office in 2010.
Quinn, a populist at heart, has bucked the establishment for years.
A major advocate of same sex marriage, Quinn made headlines 30 years ago spearheading the referendum to create the Citizens Utility Board to protect consumers from rate hikes. Naysayers said it couldn’t be done.
Blasted by some critics as a political odd duck, Quinn’s populist persona also led him to suspend the paychecks of legislators in the dog days of summer last year, following their failure to solve the pension crisis.
His move was eventually ruled unconstitutional, but they got the message.
Sneed exclusive II . . .
It’s election time! Sneed has learned former President Bill Clinton, the Dems favorite stumpster, is heading to Chicago June 20 to headline a fund-raising event for Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s re-election.
