66 Comments - Formerly Known As... - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 11:47 am: We are now allowing state officials to “investigate” themselves? OK. - Not Rich - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 11:48 am: He IS, he ISN’T!! Unless more stories, let me change that, unless more individuals come out, NO MONEY will be the downfall of D.R. - wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 11:50 am: Any grown-ups left in Chicago media? Rutherford has been asked if he’s gay. He’s said no. You don’t have to believe him. But could the Trib and Sun-Times edit board’s explain to us the importance of the hotel room story? Could they tell us if a candidate’s sexuality is relevant when running for office. If so, why? If not, why do they persist in these prurient stories that have nothing to do with the sexual harassment allegation? - Stones - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 11:51 am: I’m not sure who this ongoing story says more about - Rutherford, Rauner or the news media. - Downstate GOP Faithless - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 11:56 am: In talking to people inside Rutherford’s office, one thing is clear-no matter where you stand on this issue, universally the employees want the media to back off the Executive Assistant. One person told me Fox Chicago showed up at this kids mothers home and the home of a past girlfriend. Unfortunately for the likes of Rich Miller and the numerous upstanding journalists, there is a Natasha Korecki/Suntimes or Mike Falnnery/Fox TV reaction. - peanut gallery - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 11:58 am: I worked for a very large retailer between ‘89 and ‘95 and went on several business trips that included bunking 2 people of the same gender to a room. So it’s not unheard of. Since then, every place I’ve worked has been one room per person, which does seem like a waste but I suppose it could save money spent on legal settlements. - wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:01 pm: PG, the “hotel room” is just the hook for the innuendo. If it weren’t that, it would be something else. Once you decide to go there, it’s easy to do. - Cook County Commoner - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:01 pm: Could this all morph into sympathy votes for Rutherford? - Amalia - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:02 pm: bad questions like these makes the quest of Sam to become an NFL player even more important because it strikes at the heart of phony macho culture and will have meaning for other areas of life in the USA. the question should be, did a person do their job. in this instance, ask about the political activity on public time. that is an actual issue. - Wally - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:05 pm: Great response by Brady - Excessively Rabid - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:06 pm: ==why do they persist in these prurient stories== If a public official has their squeeze on the public payroll and gives them big raises and promotions, that brings up the most serious questions about conduct and judgement, regardless of gender or orientation. Not convinced about any of this, and certainly not convinced the outlets concerned are interested in anything but readership. But still. - So. ILL - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:11 pm: The money saving thing is a joke. The money saved by double bunking with a subordinate just simply doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. Goofy goofy goofy. Penny wise and pound foolish anyone? Also, has the practice ceased? If not, it should. - IbendahlLuvsJBT - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:11 pm: The attacks and innuendo about Josh Lanning are disgusting. Josh doesn’t deserve to be dragged through the mud just because his boss is running for guv. - langhorne - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:12 pm: it frustrates the daylights out of me that the media continues to dig into this. gay? no, he said. they roomed together, so this mean what? probably poor management decision, but what? you room together more than X number of times you are gay? tell that to the army. or a university. my frustration is that the media is not giving similar depth of inquiry into the front runner. ok, all that stuff about levine, nursing homes, truckers, rendell, rahm, etc etc is “baloney”. i know bec the baron told us so on wls this am. “there is no there there”. so, lets accept that for the sake of argument. how about putting him on the spot to explain in real terms what he would do about ANYTHING? taxes. the income tax. spending cuts. medicaid. union bosses. explain what he would do. then explain how he would get a legislature controlled by the dems to do it. if he can do it, more power to him. if he stumbles or mumbles, show that. he is playing rope-a-dope with us. we could end up w blago 2.0. - A Modest Proposal - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:12 pm: The innuendo is completely ridiculous. The Sun Times should be ashamed of themselves. The Tribune did a little better at being more covert about the innuendo. “The Hotel Story” does say something. The executive assistant who stayed with him during both state events and campaign events has only been paid by the state. Is the assistant forced to work on the campaign? Did the raises come because he is working on the campaign? Does the assistant really have a choice whether or not he wants to campaign with Rutherford? Is the executive assistant really that generous to give up all that free time away from his home and his kid to dedicate his life to Rutherford’s goals? - haverford - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:14 pm: Stay classy, Flannery. ($10 says he follows it up with a story about a certain county employee talking to reporters on COUNTY TIME.) - Percival - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:19 pm: Michalowski has had no problem talking to a number of media outlets, such as interviews with the Tribune. He seems to be a bit picky to avoid less than sympathetic ones. If Flannery was not getting return phone calls from either Michalowski or his attorney, this was fair game. - Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:21 pm: === Does the assistant really have a choice whether or not he wants to campaign with Rutherford? Is the executive assistant really that generous to give up all that free time away from his home and his kid to dedicate his life to Rutherford’s goals? === I imagine that a title of “Executive Assistant” is Rutan exempt. If it is, then he really wouldn’t have much of a beef about the campaign work. - Raymond - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:27 pm: As superficial as Flannery’s story was (no surprise), I’m glad to see that somebody is challenging this accuser. Sorry, but this guy claims that his boss grabbed his crotch while the two of them were alone in a house, and he continued working for that boss for another three years? Surely, a lawyer and senior official for a statewide executive officer would have had other employment options. - Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:28 pm: It’s in the framing. The stories could just as easily be about who is the bigger cheapskate: the guy with the $18 watch, the guy with the Super 8 bargain card, or the guy who won’t pay for an extra hotel room. What really gets me is that the Trib has this VERY detailed report on room sharing. Imagine if they did this kind of in-depth work on how a candidate would operate the Governor’s office. They might compare what a candidate says to their past practices. Hmmm, what a concept. - A Modest Proposal - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:29 pm: ===If it is, then he really wouldn’t have much of a beef about the campaign work.=== I know I would have a beef about UNCOMPENSATED campaign work. Maybe the state my salary was increased to cover that… - Objective Dem - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:30 pm: I agree with the assessment that the Tribune was not as bad as the Sun Times but still had too much innuendo. It would not have bother me if they had objectively provided some context. For instance, they could have determined what are the standard practices of other state wide officials? Does Quinn, Madigan, Topinka, etc share a room when travelling for political or state business. Or what does CMS require for state travel? Instead, they had a sexual harassment expert say it was not a good idea to share a room, surprise surprise. - ISP Retired - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:33 pm: 250 an hour, hell I would do it for 50 an hour and I probably got more expertise than some former IRS Agent. - RNUG - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:38 pm: In the past at least one bureau in CMS did require doubling up in hotel rooms to attend conferences. Still remember the time the secretary making reservations goofed and assigned one male / one female to the same room. - Snucka - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:42 pm: Obviously, Mr. Michalowski had no trouble getting a new job. Not sure why he didn’t start looking for one after his boss grabbed his genitalia. - lake county democrat - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:44 pm: My memory could be off here but the Tribune made this a headline (at least in the online edition), the Sun-Times just mentioned it. If so, I’d argue that a headline has a lot more impact regardless of how strong the implication is made within the story. - woodchuck - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:45 pm: The federal judge assigned to this case should issue a gag order. This thing was goofy to start with and it’s just getting more goofy by the day. - Wensicia - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:46 pm: I think the Tribune did sink as low as the Sun-Times when they asked Rutherford if he ever shared a room with anyone besides Lanning, which he replied no, and then questioned his judgement. - Objective Dem - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:52 pm: Based on comments by Lake County Democrat and Wensicia, I have to agree that the Tribune sank at least as low as the Sun Times. - Chicago Cynic - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:56 pm: Obviously the ST and Trib are doing these stories for the innuendo. I get that. But there’s still something weird and creepy about a junior staff member being told he has to bunk with a statewide constitional office holder dozens and dozens of times. Was Lanning comfortable with this arrangement? I hear not. Did he feel pressure to accept the arrangement? I hear yes. These are legitimate questions to ask, particularly against the backdrop of the lawsuit. I know nobody likes the whole gay thing, but unfortunately it’s kind of a central point in determining whether these were weird arrangements or a form of harassment. - ah - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:56 pm: Flannery’s question was legit. It needed to be asked. - chad - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 12:57 pm: Rutherford says he’s not gay, so we should treat him as such. The Trib and S-T, despite employing many pro-gay writers, have impliedly communicated that Rutherford is guilty of something. Since these folks directly promote gay equality, what is motivating these obviously-juvenile articles, and what is Rutherford guilty of? Part of the answer is that it must enrage gay activists that Rutherford states he is not gay, when these activists might firmly suspect or believe he is. Over the last decade or so a lot of gay thought “orthodoxy” has become quite refined in the media and on campuses. This may be a contributing factor in causing these articles to have been printed. I suggest this is a reasonable take: If you are a single man and conduct your affairs in a manner that allows innuendo that you are gay, you are gay to the Trib and S-T no matter your denial, and will be roundly trashed and punished for not having admitted it proudly in the first place. The sin you are guilty of is not being or appearing gay, but failing to observe the left’s orthodox views on these matters. I suggest this is just one of many factors explaining the Trib and S-T in their coverage of this race. - VanillaMan - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 1:00 pm: The issue isn’t homosexuality. If there was a gay GOP gubernatorial candidate running, we would be getting a completely different news report. What we could be hearing if that was the case is a reporter chasing down the other candidates and asking them if they have a problem running against someone who is gay - then digging around to see if their response could be substantiated. All the while, news reports would be presenting the gay gubernatorial candidate in a flattering light as a champion of civil liberties, a brave new face in Illinois politics, a groundbreaking candidate that if we rejected, would make us look unprogressive - regardless of the other issues. Rutherford is in an impossible situation when we have a press using him as the poster boy for gay rumors. Our intrepid reporters are falling all over themselves in order to make their least favorite political party fit the stereotype they enjoying putting it in. There doesn’t seem to be any interest in what happens to Mr. Rutherford or the middle-aged schlep portraying himself as a virgin who couldn’t figure out what to do when he thought he was propositioned by his boss. There doesn’t seem to be any interest in homosexuality either. What interests them is outing Mr. Rutherford and making the GOP look like heartless rubes that forced Mr. Rutherford into a closet resulting in him hitting on humorless middle-aged puritans in darkened rooms. Nothing would make these news sources happier than reminding voters that the Republicans hate a group that shouldn’t be hated. The longer Rutherford stays in this race, the worse it will be for the GOP if he loses the Primary. Because when Rutherford loses, his loss will look like a complete rejection of gay Illinoisans - regardless of whether there is any facts regarding Rutherford’s actual sexual preferences. - veritas - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 1:05 pm: = the IRS agent has been hired for $250/hour = Another way to put $250/hour in perspective is that Christine Svenson could review a lease for 14 hours at that rate!! I mean - she was paid for reviewing a lease, right?? This other stuff is just a coincidence, right?? - 47th Ward - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 1:19 pm: ===The issue isn’t homosexuality.=== The rest of your post kind of contradicts that first sentence, doesn’t it? - VanillaMan - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 1:28 pm: We’re not having a discussion about homosexuality. We are having a discussion around homosexual innuendoes. - chad - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 2:15 pm: I think V Man has great thoughts here. I’m out of my league on the gay thought “orthodoxy” issues (they have entire college majors and doctorates in this). But, I do think there is a new media environment as a result of that body of thought, and that there is a resulting increased willingness on the part of writers to use innuendo against people. At a minimum, it gives the Trib/S-T writers some theoretical justification when they brag to their editorial board how they tried to “crater another potential closeted politician.” Does not matter if the person is actually gay or not. What we might agree on is that innuendo is being used as a bludgeon against Rutherford to achieve political goals (whether it is anti GOP or pro-Rauner is uncertain). And, the deification of Michalowski as a “victim” throughout all of the political bashing of Rutherford by Michalowski’s attorney was, somehow, a misapplication of the policies withholding victim names. I have not thought that through enough, but perhaps there should be an exception for “victims” who actively engage in political campaign messaging and lever the media-provided cloak of anonymity. - IbendahlLuvsJBT - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 2:18 pm: Many people with their dirty minds always want to assume that a gay person cannot control themselves around members if the same sex. That a sexual relationship is always desired. I guess it’s completely inconceivable to some people that a 58 year old man who considers his coworkers as friends, and enjoys the bonds of a strong extended family, could mentor a young assistant and view him as he would a nephew or the don he never had. IF Rutherford is gay, he is still a person just like straight people, who have platonic, mentoring relationships with younger members of the opposite sex. These relationships are important to people who missed out on the parenting track, but still enjoy finding ways to teach the next generation. In other words, get your head out of the gutter Chicago media! - Tom Joad - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 2:20 pm: The story on the Executive Assistant getting pay raises amounting to 50% raises another issue. While Lanning received raises, Michalowski was promised raises but never received one. It seems that there were two standards in the Treasurers office. The disparate treatment of these two employees over a number of years would seem to be grounds for a separate count in the lawsuit. - IbendahlLuvsJBT - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 2:20 pm: *son, not don. Sorry. - Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 2:48 pm: =PG, the “hotel room” is just the hook for the innuendo. If it weren’t that, it would be something else.= I’ll say it again. No, it’s not the “innuendo” it’s the “something else” that will most likely determine how voters will vote. It’s also not the overall “sharing of rooms,” its sharing a room with a subordinate that will most likely be the issue and the responses to the allegations. One way to look at the numbers as to who may or may not vote for Rutherford, is to look at the professions of many of those who vote in the Primary and if the suit goes on, the General. One could assume that those who are familiar with HR policies in large businesses and who understand the reason for such policies (i.e., to avoid litigation) may question the decision to double-bunk over saving money. For others, who are not familiar with such policies, who don’t understand them or see them as too restrictive, or who do but are willing to accept the higher risk to keep costs low, probably will not see the decision as an issue. To believe that the question regarding policies that were in place at the time, the interpretation of those policies in making decisions regarding double-bunking, and general “practice” will only be part of the litigation is probably not a good bet. It’s one of the few “fact-based” assumptions that voters can analyze in trying to determine for whom they will vote. I don’t think that this would be much of an issue if, for example, Mr. Rutherford had been double-bunking with someone at his level and thus someone whose career he really had no control over. I’d say he still has a chance, but it depends on how people view the decision. - IbendahlLuvsJBT - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 2:51 pm: Tom Joad, the Assistant’s starting $20k entry-level pay was intern level pay. For the increasing demands of the job, including extensive travel, $60k is still on the low end for an Executive Assistant. There’s no there there. - wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 3:05 pm: When I was a kid in DeKalb, I lived in the 3rd Ward, home of the Fighting Finns. I’m a Norskie, but Finland was close enough for my peeps. The Finns built the neighborhood, and they worked at the U.S. Steel plant by the UP tracks. Down the street from my house was the Finnish Bath. These old dudes would get naked, sit in a steamroom, talk, smack each other on the back with tree branches, drink vodka and take the schwitz. Every New Year’s Day, they would take the schwitz and run outside in their bathing suits and do a polar bear plunge in the snow. The Daily Chronicle would take pictures. It was always on the front page on Jan. 2. It was a holiday tradition, like a new Beatles album, lunch at Sully’s on Christmas Eve, or glug down at Hallgreen’s Lumber. These men included the fire chief, cops, ComEd linemen, steel workers, etc. It didn’t seem like a gay thing to me. Some of those dudes were the baddest men in town. Maybe some of them were gay. I don’t know, I don’t care. But I’m certain there was nothing sexual about it. Unless you’re into old naked Finns. - Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 3:14 pm: I’ll also add that my observation was in addition to what people will believe regarding the actual allegations in the Complaint. And that the efforts to try to position this as a sexual orientation issue, isn’t going to help as my guess is that those who might cast a “sympathy vote” are going to get teed off that someone would accuse them of not being able to see beyond the “innuendo.” - Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 3:16 pm: Or, even worse, pointing out “innuendo” where others may not see it and thus annonyingly interfering with their ability to focus on a logical analysis. - wondering in Lake County - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 3:32 pm: What is surprising is that Rutherford has always been surrounded by a “whisper” about him being gay. Why would he be so bold to share a hotel room with another man? Particularly one 30 years his junior? Also why on junkets that were funded by third parties? I always though he would be smarter than that. Has anybody ever asked him if he is Bisexual or Questioning? There is a distinct difference in the LGBTQ world. - Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 3:37 pm: I read the whole Trib article. In-depth reporting with lots of relevant sources including counter-points. I do not typically read the Trib any more, so maybe I missed it, but has the Trib put this kind of effort into any substantive campaign issue? Do we have a deep report on how any candidate would be able to balance the state budget if the income tax increase is allowed to expire? That would be an informative and USEFUL article. Whether the Treasurer sharing a hotel room to save money is a good idea…not so much. - Phineas J. Whoopee - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 3:51 pm: Good Lord, my company makes us share rooms for trips, conderences, ect. If you want your own room, you have to pay half. I think I can parlay this innuendo stuff into getting my own room. - Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 4:08 pm: RNUG, which part of our alma mater was that? I know which bureau it wasn’t lol. When I first started there, at the old DAS, I had to double-bunk once with my boss (who was old enough to be my dad) in Chicago I think because there was a convention and rooms were in short supply. Great guy, but snored like a hibernating bear. No sleep. Never happened again to me and I never made folks do it. - Smoggie - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 4:19 pm: Anybody wondering why so many have a low opinion of the press need only watch that Flannery tape. The guy is at work. Leave the guy alone. The tape show that Flannery is a self-important twerp who doesn’t understand basic boundaries. - Product of the 60's - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 4:19 pm: Your bath story is a lesson in history. There wasn’t anything sexual in the baths. BUT, I think it is well possible that probably all of those same fine men would have had/thought the prevailing attitude of their time towards gay men. - Precinct Captain - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 4:40 pm: How many people railing against innuendo about Rutherford possibly being gay are deniers that there is such a thing as racial code words to mask racism? - Precinct Captain - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 4:51 pm: Interesting theory chad, a secret gay cabal running the media demanding orthodoxy. The media, higher education, they’re all in it against the oppressed cishets. Too bad it’s bigoted nonsense. And VanillaMan, remind me again which major American political party has an official policy of discrimination against gay people? - Chad - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 4:54 pm: PC: I would say nobody. Same basic concept, although the implementation is different. - Chad - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 5:03 pm: PC: My posting is intended to highlight the significant development of gay studies and relevant evolved media practices. There is no centralized enforcement of these concepts, which have been adopted as orthodoxy by the leaders of credible organizations like gladd and hrc. It is rational to conclude that development of this academic field, and it’s general embrace by the media, has impacted news coverage. - wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 5:13 pm: –There wasn’t anything sexual in the baths.– Well, if there was, ain’t nobody’s business but their own. Mind your own business, and it will keep you busy all the time. I’ve been banging my head against the wall on this for days. Some refuse to get it. Here we go, again: A charge of sexual harassment is serious, and needs to be taken seriously. Here comes the part that’s tripping some of you up: A person’s sexuality is none of your business. Can you dig it? It never has been. It is vulgar to ask the question. Didn’t your momma teach you all manners? The most damning thing in all of this is the behavior of the Chicago media with their homophobic freakshow. In the year 2014, for Chicago journalists to participate in prurient, smarmy homophobia is unbelievable. It’s disgusting. It’s a g-d disgrace. JHC Almighty, it’s Chicago, not Moscow. How can you face your friends, Natasha and Monique? How can you defend your dishonest journalism? For crying out loud, “The Score” is more progressive than you. I can’t believe it. The idea that Chicago readers are a bunch of window-peepers who want to know how the g-d state treasurer gets down is beyond me. If you want to out someone, do it, if you think it’s important. Put your name on it and own it. Own it. Otherwise, what’s wrong with you? - Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 6:31 pm: S-T is reporting that the report will not be released because of the lawsuit - steve schnorf - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 6:32 pm: oops, that was me - ZC - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 7:05 pm: Yes just saw that, the internal report will not be released according to Chicago Tonight. OK, I think it’s now officially over for Rutherford. - Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 7:33 pm: Am I reading the latest stories correctly? Rutherford just hired an attorney today–or was it last Thursday? - ArchPundit - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 8:17 pm: I haven’t read the Chicago Reader’s movie reviews in a while, but it appears that the Trib and Sun Times have pretty much adopted the Reader’s movie reviewers’ practice of seeing gay themes in everything. For those who don’t remember, the Reader used to take every movie and turn it into a story of repressed homosexuality. So Rambo–gay. Die Hard–way gay. Terminator—YMCA gay. But then Tom Hanks in Cast Away–dude the volleyball is wayyyyy gay. Now the Trib and Sun Times with Rutherford…man that guy has a volleyball he really loves. - ArchPundit - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 8:24 pm: ===The attacks and innuendo about Josh Lanning are disgusting. Josh doesn’t deserve to be dragged through the mud just because his boss is running for guv. I think I know what you mean here, but let me say, it’s not disgusting if Josh is gay or bi or anything of that nature–and it sounds like he is not from having past girlfriends and such, but so what if he was. What’s awful about what they are alleging is that he is sleeping with his boss to get ahead. No evidence or even claim other than news reporters just deciding to be schmucks suggest this is the case and it’s not fair to him. I want to hand it to whomever fed the story to these reporters–they accomplished their goal–they have no soul, but they accomplished their goal. - Just The Way It Is One - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 8:49 pm: The very fact that we gravitate to this Story and just can’t help but to keep talkin’ about it, no matter really WHAT is even the “latest” on it, just goes to re-iterate, how, like it or not, the Rutherford brand of Toast has just been SO burnt-up now that we’re just really trying to wave the smoke in the Kitchen away from your face…! - Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Feb 13, 14 @ 11:30 pm: Imagine if all of these reporters spent this much time and effort trying to figure out where and how Rauner made his fortune. - Walter Mitty - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 7:02 am: I think blame and outrage should be directed at Dan. Anyone that is a supervisor that consistently shares a room with a subordinate shows a lack of awareness and judgment. When you have a Seinfeld news conference and then say the NHL does it. They don’t. Teammates. Not supervisors. I am disappointed in the poor judgment. I am disappointed more that he let me down as a real hope. The reason I leave out the innuendo or whatever is. Because I don’t give attention to foolishness.. - RNUG - Friday, Feb 14, 14 @ 8:35 am: AA, It was originally part of the Department of Finance. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.