Rauner Camps Sends 'Quinnochio' Character To Mock Quinn

(CBS) – The Illinois governor's race took an unusual turn Thursday, just one day after Gov. Quinn's budget message.

His Republican opponent opponent is using a children's character to target the Democratic incumbent.

CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine was waiting for the governor on the Northwest Side -- and he wasn't alone.

Quinn ducked in the back door of a school, rather than confront Bruce Rauner's stunt-double, whose nose was growing, Rauner said, for making what was supposed to be a temporary tax hike permanent. His name: "Quinnochio."

"I haven't had a chance to interact with that person," Quinn said. "I will say this, though: Anyone who proclaims themselves to be an advocate of education excellence who starves our schools and cuts their budget by 20 percent – that doesn't add up."

As the Governor was speaking, in Springfield, House Speaker Mike Madigan's proposed constitutional amendment for a 3 percent tax surcharge on million-dollar incomes was picking up steam.

"I think it's a good idea to have it fully examined," Quinn says.

Madigan earlier this week voiced strong support for Quinn's budget plan to ease the sting of the higher income tax.

But Thursday, we learned Quinn is also eliminating the current 5 percent real estate tax rebate.

What that means is: Anyone with a property tax bill over $10,000 will actually be paying more. Also, nobody's really netting $500.

Take someone with a $5,000 tax bill who now gets a $250 rebate. That would go away. So, the governor's 500 dollar check would only net the homeowner $250.

Only those paying next to nothing in real estate taxes will get anything close to $500 to offset the income tax hike.

So, is $500 really $500? Is Quinnochio's nose getting longer?

This all could be more ammunition for Rauner, though he's been MIA since last Thursday, probably resting in one of his mansions counting his $500 rebate, and realizing he too is losing money on the deal.