* Dan Hynes’ former campaign manager Mike Rendina just called and said this about the Sun-Times report that Hynes would consider taking the lt. governor position if asked…
“The Sun-Times is wrong. Dan is not interested in that position.”
Sounds pretty clear to me.
Rendina called and texted me this morning and asked me not to write anything about lite guv until I talked to him. I didn’t see either one until now. Oops on my part.
OK, so now what?
* 11:22 am - Tribbies…
Gov. Pat Quinn said today that his Democratic rival, Dan Hynes, does not want to be his running mate to replace the controversial Chicago pawnbroker who announced he would walk away from the party’s nomination for lieutenant governor.
More from Cohen’s spokesman about the conversation with Speaker Madigan…
There were no ultimatums or incentives, but Madigan explained to Cohen “the trajectory of how the race would go” if he remained in, and that if he got out now he may be able to salvage a future in politics, Swilley said.
Swilley said the conversation left open the idea that if Cohen helped the party control the damage, he could begin to rebuild his name and move on, perhaps running for public office down the road.
Cohen asked Madigan for help recouping the millions he spent on his campaign. Madigan made no such offer, Swilley said, but Cohen views the matter as an “open discussion.”
“We are certainly going to ask for help,” he said. “We’re going to ask them to help us with some fundraisers.”