Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn hits Washington Thursday and Friday; one meeting is with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to discuss opening up foreign markets to more Illinois exports.

On Thursday, Quinn accepts an award from Americans for the Arts at a US Conference of Mayors winter meeting breakfast. (Mayor Rahm Emanuel is in Washington Friday to deliver a keynote to the group.)

Later Quinn visits with Clinton; Illinois exports are up 32 percent from last quarter.

Quinn is scheduled to guest on Fox News America's Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Martha MacCallum at 10:30 AM ET. He wants to discuss, I'm told, "how Illinois is facing down the national recession with less and less federal dollars by leading the nation's largest capital program and providing targeted tax relief for low-income workers."

On Friday Quinn, who is active in the Democratic Governors Association joins DGA chief Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley; Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer and Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy and labor leaders to discuss jobs and workforce training in Hanover, Md.