SPRINGFIELD | The political shotgun marriage of Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn was never what you'd call blissful. But during Blagojevich's first term, they at least were able to keep up appearances.

No more. In the 18 months since the two Democrats were re-elected together, Quinn has publicly accused Blagojevich of being absent in the fight to lower utility rates. He has helped kill Blagojevich's proposed business tax hike. And he has called him out for failing to back campaign ethics reform.

The ultimate anti-Blagojevich moment may have been Quinn's recent push to create a recall election system, on the grounds that the governor's performance in office has been "a profound disappointment."

With a running mate like this, who needs enemies?

"Your first obligation is to the public," says Quinn, explaining his sharp break with Blagojevich after the two were re-elected together in November 2006. "You need to be a watchdog for the public and not a cheerleader for the governor."

Quinn, long derided in Springfield as a crusader and gadfly, is being taken seriously these days. It's partly because he has smoothed out his rumpled public persona since taking office -- and partly because Blagojevich is facing unofficial but increasing talk of impeachment or indictment.

"Had you been here 25 or 30 years ago, I don't think people would have said 'Pat Quinn' and 'governor' in the same sentence," longtime state Rep. Bill Black, R-Danville, said. "They do now."

Blagojevich's office didn't respond to requests for comment last week.

In an interview last week, Quinn said he and Blagojevich haven't had a substantive conversation in almost a year. He maintains that's by Blagojevich's choice, and that he views his own string of rebellions lately as "telling a friend what he needs to hear."

He professes not to be trying to replace the beleaguered governor but allows: "In this job, the lieutenant governor, you have to, by definition, always be ready. You never know what will happen."

Others question whether Quinn's relatively new rebellion against Blagojevich might have an element of ambition to it.

"I think he saw an opening in the same issue most of us see: The governor's having serious legal problems," state Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, said. "(Quinn) is trying to separate himself from Gov. Blagojevich in hopes of launching a bid to replace the governor himself."