Why isn't Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn campaigning against Scott Walker in Wisconsin?

Gov. Pat Quinn (D-IL)

Ever since Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker began work on his budget repair bill that infuriated Big Labor and the public-sector unions, his Democratic counterpart in Illinois, Pat Quinn, who accepted $5 million in campaign contributions for his 2010 campaign, has been denouncing the reformer.

For months Quinn refused to honor a bet with Walker over the outcome of the 2011 NFC Championship Game--where the Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears.

More recently, when Walker spoke to the Illinois Chamber of Commerce in April, Quinn's campaign web site issued talking points criticizing the Republican.

But Quinn isn't among the prominent Democrats campaigning for Walker's recall election opponent, Tom Barrett.

A Pat Quinn-free zone

Of course a Quinn appearance in America's Dairyland presents a problem for Wisconsin Dems. What is Quinn going to talk about? Illinois' $8 billion deficit? Quinn and the Democrats raised the state income tax last year--and Illinois still has that $8 billion deficit, while Wisconsin eliminated its $3.6 billion deficit--without raising taxes.

Wisconsin has a lower unemployment rate than the Prairie State.

In April Quinn said he was "put on earth" to fix Illinois' underfunded pension funds. God has other plans, it seems--the spring legislative session is over and largely because of opposition to pension reform from public-sector unions--nothing was accomplished in regards to this Illinois millstone.

So why isn't Quinn campaigning for Barrett? Is it because Barrett doesn't want him?

Wisconsin voters certainly don't want their state to end up like Illinois.

Who would want that?

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