Rival's Video Says Quinn Nods Off While Woman Recounts Health Care Nightmare (WATCH)
Did Gov. Pat Quinn fall asleep during Wednesday afternoon's gubernatorial debate? A video released by a rival campaign makes it appear that he did.
"Asleep at the Wheel," a video released by the campaign of state comptroller Dan Hynes that first appeared on the influential Capitol Fax blog, seems to show Quinn repeatedly nodding off while a women talks about how her pregnant daughter-in-law died because the family did not have health insurance.
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The Quinn camp fired back quickly. Campaign spokeswoman Elizabeth Austin insisted the governor was taking notes, not dozing, and that the Hynes campaign was using editing tricks to make it look like he was snoozing.
"Gov. Quinn works harder than anyone else we've ever seen," Austin told the Huffington Post. "He was taking notes -- the pen moves [in the video]."
The Quinn campaign then released its own video that shows the governor praising Midge Hough, the woman whose daughter-in-law died, after the debate.
"It was a beautiful, beautiful speech," Quinn tells Hough. "I know it's hard. The hardest thing in life, and the most important, is making a speech in public. You did it well and I'm very proud."
Quinn then offers to help Hough, telling her he is the governor and "I get around" and would love to help tell her daughter-in-law's story.
"You can help me, you can help me," Hough replies. "Because I'm being personally attacked by the Teabaggers now. In fact, at home. I'm not sure how to handle that."
Quinn then offers her his phone number says one of his staffer's father is a Chicago police officer.
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The one clear winner of this political back-and-forth is Hough, whose crusade for the public option and health care reform is getting greater exposure.
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Huffington Post Tim Taliaferro First Posted: 3/18/10 Updated: 5/25/11