Pat Quinn sworn in as Illinois' new governor

Illinois has a new governor, lawyer, onetime consumer advocate, and some say, political gadfly, Patrick Quinn.

Pat Quinn has been sworn in as Illinois' new governor. Quinn took the oath of office moments after the state Senate voted to remove Rod Blagojevich, who was ousted on charges of abuse of power.

Quinn is a strong supporter of our troops. I don't believe he has missed a single funeral of a single Illinois soldier who was killed in action serving our country in the War on Terror. And he did this without an entourage, and without fanfare.

Quinn had served for two terms under Blagojevich, but the two had little in common. In fact, Quinn has said the men have not spoken in more than a year, and Blagojevich said last year that Quinn was not even part of his administration.

Quinn was a running mate with Blagojevich twice, and was a beneficiary of Blago's strongarm fundraising tactics. In 2006, Quinn said Blago was "a person who's honest and one of integrity." He also said of Blagojevich, "I have confidence the governor does the right thing all the time."


Quinn's rise to the governor's mansion, although not as amazing as Barack Obama's rise to the presidency, is quite a story. CBS 2 Chicago's Mike Flannery wrote that Quinn has "been a thorn in the side of the state's political establishment for 33 years."

Flannery recalls that Quinn is the only man in history who received a standing "boo-vation," a three minute boo-fest, by members of the Illinois House.

The last dark horse candidate to win the White House, Harding, an avid poker player, explained his rise to the presidency this way. "I drew a pair of deuces and filled."

As did Quinn.

While still lieutenant governor, Quinn promised Illinoisans that he's remove those obnoxious "Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor" signs from the state's toll roads.

Quinn is a 60-year-old former state treasurer and tax attorney. He is best known for his efforts to cut big government and protect the little guy. One of the most pressing issues for him is the state's deficit of more than $3 billion.