Remember the “Revolving Door” TV attack ad against Massachusetts Governor and Democratic Party presidential candidate Michael Dukakis?
The successor to that ad is why appointed Governor Pat Quinn is not going to become elected Governor Pat Quinn.
A little 30-second ad.
That’s all it will take.
The significance of Quinn’s mistake was signaled by Chicago’s newspapers yesterday.
There was a little story in the top right hand corner of the Chicago Tribune’s front page.
It referred readers to a full page of stories inside.
The top of the inside page showed the press conference at which Quinn said,
“Oops,” and passed the blame off to his Department of Corrections Director.
On the bottom of the page was the more devastating story.
There’s a before and after photo of Jennifer Hall.
Before what?
Before homeless man Derrick King, who is black, attacked Hall and her boyfriend when they told him they did not have any cigarettes.Hall had hair down to her waist before the attack. The photo of her afterwards had this under the photo:
“I woke up bald—no teeth, 85 staples in my head—out of a drug-induced coma.
For that August attack, to which King pleaded guilty, he was sentenced ti three years in prison.
Here’s the kicker in the story:
“But just 18 days after that plea, state records show, King was paroled as part of the early-release program that Pat Quinn on Wednesday called “a big mistake.”
The small front page story says,
“Derrick King went after another woman in an incident eerily similar to the August 2008 attack. King was charged with assault and is now back in custody.”
Quinn said didn’t know about the accelerated “meritorious good time” plan for prisoners. He blamed is Corrections Director Michael Randle.
Quinn called King’s release “a big mistake.”
The television ad will be less mild.
Now, they will have to stay in prison for at least 61 days, Quinn says.
Felons don’t get sent to the Illinois Department of Corrections for less than a year’s sentence. Of course, they are regularly given credit for serving time in county jails prior to transfer to state prison.
Don’t think this will knock Quinn out of the box?
Look at the front and second page of yesterday’s Chicago Sun-Times.
Then remember 1,781 other inmates are on the street under Quinn’s “catch and release” money-saving program.
It plays into the Democrats’ traditional weakness–soft on crime.
The bigger tragedy is that a prosecutor gave King a sweet plea deal, class 2 felony for robbery (when he nearly killed a woman!) and only a 3 year sentence, of which he would likely only serve a year in prison.
Jennifer Hall must feel like our justice system is a big joke. I do too.
By the way, I want to know the name of that prosecutor.