Pat Quinn's presser live-blogged

Since the caucuses are caucusing, might as well check out Pat Quinn's press conference with Jack Franks on recall.

A ton of press. More Chicago cameras than i've seen in a while.

Pat calls this a grass-roots effort to implement the American invention of recall. Government belongs to the people, not the officeholders or the insiders, so Illinois should join the other 18 states that invest voters with this right.

Jack Franks says that this empowers the electorate and the issue isn't about partisan politics since the Governor supports the provision (is that true, at least conceptually?). Jack's thought process, as he is sharing it, is his disappointments with the Blagojevich Administration (executive order 1 setting up a hiring freeze moving over to scandals in hiring).

Andy Shaw interrupts to say Jack, can you wrap it up?

Jack's getting a little angry talking about the lack of good government.

Carol Marin interrupts to say it's about Rod Blagojevich.

Jack says yes, because I am hearing this from my constituents and they want to know why these things are happening.

Mike Flannery says but we have elections.

Jack says that new information comes to light after elections, where he promised James Meeks to put 10 billion into education and campaigned on that but after election, tries to put the money into universal health care. Where's the accountability?

That's a fair point.

I don't get why people hold fixed terms so sacrosanct.

Kevin McDermot asked if Pat Quinn is backing a move to get rid of the person who put him into office.

Pat said (quite rightly) the people put me in office. And this is an accountability measure for this and future generations. 365 days a year politicians are accountable to the voters with recall. Otherwise it's only once every two or four years. In the private sector, bosses don't have to wait 4 years to fire someone. Voters shouldn't have to either. I believe in recall as a principle of government.

More in a bit.