First Lady In Chicago To Raise Money For Quinn As Rauner Courts Women Voters
CHICAGO (CBS) -- It was all about women in the race for Illinois Governor on Tuesday, beginning with First Lady Michelle Obama at the UIC Pavilion.
The first lady headlined a rally less than a week after her husband, the President, was here raising money.
"If you don't want women's bosses making decisions about their birth control, if you think women should get equal pay for equal work… then we need you to step up," Michelle Obama told the crowd.
A few hours earlier, there was a Rauner for Women event on the Gold Coast. For Rauner, attracting female voters, especially suburban women are critical to his hopes. But a new We ask America poll out today, commissioned by Rauner's own supporters, shows Pat Quinn now leading Rauner 44 percent to 40 percent with 11 percent undecided.
Among women Quinn's lead is even greater, 44-36 with 15 percent undecided with a margin of error, plus or minus 3 percent. Those poll results released on a day when leaked legal documents from a messy business failure show a fired former female CEO claiming Rauner threatened her.
"If you go legal on us...... we'll hurt you and your family," Christine Kirk claims Rauner said to her on the phone.
But in Kirk's deposition, provided by Rauner's people today, she said the call was about severance after she'd been fired.
"Was that call entirely professional," she was asked. "Yes I believe so." she replied.
But Rauner didn't deny another exchange critical of Kirk's leadership.
"The only thing Chris did on a consistent basis...was spend. Thats the easy thing to do....the hard thing is cutting expenses....laying people off. But that's what good companies do when times are tough...." Rauner said in the deposition.
"Sometimes tough decisions to cut costs are necessary in order to have a long-term future. There are no jobs in a company that goes bankrupt," Rauner said Tuesday.
You can watch Governor Pat Quinn and Bruce Rauner face off in their first Chicago television debate next at 6 p.m. next Tuesday on CBS 2. CBS 2 is partnering with the Chicago Urban League and business leadership council to bring you the hour long debate.