Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  Here's the latest from the Illinois political scene:

Cross Attempts To Slow Down Thomson Deal
Illinois House Republican Leader Tom Cross is attempting to stall a proposed deal in which the state will lease Thomson Correctional Center to the federal government to house certain terrorism detainees currently being held at Guantanamo Bay.  Cross wants to see a bipartisan panel assembled to examine questions surrounding the proposal.  But State Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston) is pushing back, noting that the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, which he co-chairs, is already providing an "exhaustive public process" and is on track to complete its inquiry by the end fo the year.

Giannoulias Releases Tax Returns
On Wednesday, Alexi Giannoulias released his recent tax returns to the media.  Fellow Democratic Senate candidate David Hoffman, who had earlier challenged the state treasurer to make the filings public, has subsequently tried to make hay out of the amount Giannoulias received from his family's bank in recent years: In 2007 and 2008, he took in $2.5 million in dividends related to his father's death, $1 million of which was absorbed by income taxes.  Giannoulias' campaign told the Tribune that he "didn’t have a say in whether to sell the shares because he divested himself" in 2006.  Meanwhile, the Hoffman campaign is trying to paint the treasurer as "out of touch" by highlighting his earlier statement that the amount of the overall $70 million payout received by himself and his siblings was "minimal."  Hoffman, incidentally, is the benificiary of a "sizable trust fund" left for him by his grandfather, the former CEO of GEICO Insurance. 

Brown Drops Petition Challenge Against Stroger
Cook County board president candidate Dorothy Brown has dropped her challenge of the petitions filed by incumbent Todd Stroger. Scott Cisek, campaign manager for Democratic contender Toni Preckwinkle, had this response on Twitter: "Again Brown makes a move that benefits nobody but the sewage boss - no surprise."  Cisek was referring to suspicions that Brown is a stalking horse for the only white candidate in the Democratic primary race, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District President Terry O'Brien.  Brown's petitions are also being challenged.  

Schock Endorses Kirk
Freshman GOP congressman Aaron Schock has endorsed fellow Republican Mark Kirk in the U.S. Senate race. Schock said that Kirk would “bring the tried and true two-party system back to the U.S. Senate to correct the imbalance that now exists.”