Dear Aaron, As we approach Labor Day, I wanted to say thanks for your support for Governor Quinn's election and bring you up to date on the state of the race. Some of you have asked me about an outlier released yesterday showing a lead for Brady. While the public polls will be up and down, I am certain that this will remain a close race, and that we are laying the groundwork for victory. 1. First and foremost, Governor Quinn has an unmatched record of fighting for everyday people in Illinois. Like most Governors in the country, he's making tough decisions during tough times. Voters are understandably frustrated with problems in Springfield, but Governor Quinn's record sets him apart from his opponent, Senator Bill Brady, in a dramatic way. Pat Quinn fought for legislative cutback and pay reforms — before reform was fashionable. He formed the Citizen Utility Board, and fought for tax relief for hard-pressed homeowners, taking on the cynics and powerful insiders. To this day our polling shows that the people of Illinois respect the Governor's honesty and integrity, particularly at a time when it's desperately needed in Springfield. Senator Brady? He's consistently been part of the problem in Springfield. Ducking votes and avoiding tough problems. A puppet for the corporate interests that already have too large a say in our government. Against the minimum wage and Family Medical Leave Act, but supports bills to help his business interests. Who's on your side? Pat Quinn, and he'll continue fighting for the people of Illinois! 2. Senator Brady's extremism is alienating. Let's not forget: Brady isn't just a Republican running in a Democratic state - he's a bona fide extremist whose views are way out of step with the majority of voters. Anti-woman. Against choice, equal pay for equal work, and even mammograms and Pap smears. Unacceptable. Against the minimum wage. He wants to roll it back, even while Illinois workers face the most severe recession in generations. Unacceptable. More guns on the streets of Chicago. Against a ban on assault weapons. Unacceptable. There's a reason it took a five-way Republican primary for Brady to win (and by less than 200 votes)! It's because Bill Brady doesn't live in the real world, and the people of Illinois do. 3. We have put together a top-notch Get Out the Vote organization for Election Day. Governor Quinn's commanding margins in Chicago and Cook County carried him through the primary, and he has built on that strength. Colorado voters proved Tuesday that first-time Obama voters are ready to do again in 2010 what they accomplished in 2008. Here in Illinois, there will be monumental Get Out the Vote drives in key Democratic areas. We are going to make sure that everyone knows what is at stake on Election Day, and turn our supporters out to the polls. There is no doubt that we face a tough campaign. We have seen how Senator Brady and the extreme right will stop at nothing to win elections and impose their worldview on the rest of us. But the vast majority of the campaign is still to come, and the fundamentals are there — from the strength of the Democratic base to Senator Brady's inability to appeal to the political center — to keep our Governor in office. Thank you for being there with us every step of the way. We will need you more than ever in the final phase of the campaign. Sincerely, Ben Nuckels
Campaign Manager
Quinn/Simon for Illinois
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