Debate more like brawl between Quinn, Hynes

Gov. Pat Quinn and his Democratic opponent Dan Hynes wasted no time attacking each other Monday in their last televised debate, with Hynes saying Quinn was "disoriented" and Quinn calling Hynes "incompetent."

Their meeting at Chicago's WTTW-TV wasn't billed as a traditional debate and it could more accurately be called a brawl. The personal attacks got even more personal and the two men frequently raised their voices to talk over each other.

Quinn repeatedly invoked Hynes' father, Chicago politician Tom Hynes, to criticize his son over a campaign ad and pension reform.

"I think Pat Quinn has become disoriented. He thinks he's running against my father. I know you've been in politics for 30 years, but my father retired 15 years ago, maybe you should too," Hynes said.

Quinn said Hynes had done nothing but work against him as he tried to pull Illinois through its financial crisis.

"I'm very disappointed in the nature of the campaign. I think it's a low-road campaign with a lot of sleazy tactics and I'm very disappointed in Comptroller Hynes, I thought better of him," Quinn said.

The campaign has taken on a nastier tone in the days leading up to the Feb. 2 primary since Hynes aired a campaign ad that featured video of late Chicago Mayor Harold Washington talking about why he removed Quinn as the city's revenue director more than 20 years ago.

Hynes maintains the ad is relevant to Quinn's job performance then and now as governor because he says the state's problems have gotten worse since Quinn took over last year when Gov. Rod Blagojevich was removed from office.

Quinn has said he resigned from his city post because he had been asked by others in the Washington administration to take unethical actions. He has repeatedly chastised Hynes for using the video of Washington because Hynes' father, Chicago politician Tom Hynes, left the Democratic party in a bid to try to unseat Washington.

Dan Hynes shot back that Quinn's campaign has run negative ads in the campaign too.

"He acts like he's a victim and he's always on the up-and-up and always run positive. He's running millions of dollars in negative against me as well. You just don't see me whining about it," Hynes said.

One of Quinn's ads hits Hynes for lack of oversight of a cemetery that was the site of a grave desecration scandal. He called Hynes "incompetent." Hynes said his office had only a minimal oversight role.

The debate came the same day Hynes was endorsed by former Illinois Comptroller Dawn Clark Netsch. Quinn said she was never a fan of his anyway.