Today’s quotables
Monday, Jul 14, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Bruce Rauner was in Peru the other day and gave a brief interview to a local reporter, who asked…
Are you going to release a more detailed budget?
His response…
“We shouldn’t get hung up too much on any one tax rate … or any one year’s budget,” Rauner said.
He said his goal was to reduce income tax to 3 percent, and that more plan outlines would be released soon.
* Meanwhile, freshman Congressman Bill Enyart talked to the Post-Dispatch…
His proudest moment? When he was the single “no” vote on a measure that would allow chaplains to go on military bases during the government shutdown last fall, but without pay.
Enyart thought it a symbolic vote to avoid images of chaplains being turned away from military bases or being arrested trying to enter them during the shutdown. Democratic leaders pleaded with him to change his vote. He felt the chaplains should have been paid, their offices opened and heated, even if the federal government was shut down. “If you are going to pass a piece of legislation, then let’s pass a piece of legislation that means something,” he said.
“My phones blew up,” Enyart said, with callers telling him, “you are voting against chaplains, you are against God.”
“I know better than anybody else in this Congress what chaplains do,” he thought at the time, having commanded 37 in the Illinois Guard. “And by God, you people are not helping them. That vote, more than anything else, expressed my frustration.”
From the NRCC…
Over the weekend, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran an article where Congressman Bill Enyart discussed his proudest moment since being elected in 2012. What was it? Being the only NO vote on a measure that would have allowed military chaplains to do their jobs during the government shutdown last year.
Yes, you read that right. The freshman Congressman is defying all logic and highlighting one of the worst and most embarrassing votes he has taken in the last year and a half. While every other member voting that day supported the measure, Enyart was the only politician to vote NO.
So folks as wide ranging from Jan Schakowsky to Michele Bachmann all realized this was a good piece of legislation, but Bill Enyart was the only one to vote NO showing what a partisan politician he has become in Washington.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:17 pm:
So those hundreds of successful companies…and that he has always been successful… there us never a plan or a budget?
Got it.
- Jorge - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:19 pm:
It would be so ironic if Rauner owned a piece of the Dodgers rather than the Bosox.
- Formerly Known As... - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:26 pm:
Rauner and Enyart have one thing in common.
Both are unimpressive politically.
- Goooner - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:27 pm:
The NRCC’s response is really disappointing.
Enyart is the one who stood up for what Republicans consider their values, and they still rip him.
If the Republicans religion is as real as they claim, their god is not going to be happy with that one.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:31 pm:
Rauner himself keeps bringing up “soon”.
Sooner or later, saying soon is too late to take back as a plan.
If trotting out “Slip and Sue” and 10 page outlines is the schtick Rauner thinks will get him elected, we will see more of that than anything that resembles a plan.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:37 pm:
“We shouldn’t get hung up too much on any one tax rate … or any one year’s budget,” Rauner said.
LOL, what job does this dude think he’s running for? State New Age Guru?
“Relax, baby, you’re way too tense on these taxes and budgets. They’re just negative energy. One year is just the blink of an eye in eternity. Just close your eyes, breathe deeply and let Dr. Bruce sweet-talk all those hangups away….”
- Illinois taxpayer - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:38 pm:
Good for Enyart.
But it shows why fewer and fewer sane people are willing to get into politics. Common sense positions that require an explanation are overwhelmed by the noise from the professional demagogues.
- Responsa - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:42 pm:
==Enyart is the one who stood up for what Republicans consider their values, and they still rip him.==
How do you figure that, Gooner? Double check. Are you sure you understand what the legislation was about, that he was the sole “no” vote on from either party?
- Jabes - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:43 pm:
Re Enyart, if there was only one “no” vote, it could hardly be partisan, could it? He was out there on his own.
- Pete - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:44 pm:
Bill Enyart was the only one to vote NO showing what a partisan politician he has become in Washington.
____________________________________________
Wonky Spin.
If your the only vote how does that make you partisan?
- Bill White - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:51 pm:
“We shouldn’t get hung up too much on any one tax rate … ”
and additional comments that suggest a 3% tax rate is an aspiration instead of a commitment.
Sounds like Bruce Rauner is open to raising taxes. And that suggests he is thinking past November 2014, as in “What do I do if I win?”
- 47th Ward - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:52 pm:
Good for Enyart. The bill was stupid. If he was playing this the DC way, he’d say he voted to prohibit Muslim Imams from infiltrating US military bases and spreading radical Islam among our troops during the shutdown.
It’s just as true as what his opponents are saying about his vote, maybe more so.
- mr. chapman - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 12:59 pm:
Ridiculous premise by enyart. So all his other yes votes were for perfect bills? It was a reasonable response to a bad situation.
- Wumpus - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 1:10 pm:
Enyart’s response does not matter unless he can effectively explain it to the populace.
- Carl Nyberg - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 1:16 pm:
Bruce Rauner is a policy lightweight.
Corporate media has been far too permissive in letting Republicans run for office without clarifying their policies beyond pablum about cutting waste and cutting taxes.
- Apocolypse Now - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 1:18 pm:
=Enyart’s response does not matter unless he can effectively explain it to the populace.=
Not sure how you do that in a 30 second tv ad, but I would assume his opponent, Mike Bost, can run a nice negative piece in 30 seconds or less.
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 1:21 pm:
My thought on this Enyart thing is, OK great, you took a stand on principle, but that’s all you’ve got to show for the last two years? Really?
- The Prince - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 1:36 pm:
Rauner sounds exactly like Blago when he said “It’s more than just the budget”, or “it’s not all about the budget.” Some reporter found Gov. Edgar, told him about the quote and he said ” It IS all about the budget. That’s why you get a house, a limousine and a plane.” Maybe Rauner should cut a commercial where he recites the order of presidents like savant Blago did.
- Michelle Flaherty - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 1:51 pm:
A 3 percent tax rate might be doable in 2045 when the unfunded liability in the pension system is paid off.
- Streator Curmudgeon - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 1:52 pm:
Asking Rauner when he’s going to release his budget has become the biggest time waster among Illinois media.
Instead, they should be asking him questions like, “Why are you afraid to release your budget plan?” “Don’t you think your waffling on the budget makes you look like a career politician?” or “Isn’t stalling on releasing your budget the same kind of trick career politicians play?”
- John A Logan - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 1:56 pm:
It’s hard to tell if Enyart is tone deaf, or sincerely principled on the Chaplin issue. Fact is, the no vote on that issue makes no sense at all. As someone on this blog once said, “when your explaining your losing” Enyart is losing on this issue and then doubled down on it. A fools play.
- walker - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 2:09 pm:
When is soon?
Sounds like the permanent sign in the tavern “Free Drinks Tomorrow”
- PolPal56 - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 2:34 pm:
Whenever Brucie is asked a policy question, we may as well just dub in Charlie Brown’s teacher, “Waa wa wa wa waa, wa wa.”
Honestly, he doesn’t even try blowing hot air into his empty suit.
- salary - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 2:42 pm:
What has Congressman Enyart done for in washington? Collect a paycheck!! The only thing I hear from him is the VA crisis. What about the Coal mine crisis, the Illegal boarder crossings, and unemployement? It appears he is in Washington to collect a pay check and who cares about his district. I can’t say anything good about his opoinent either.We need to clean house of all the career politions and elect people who care about other people.
- Frustrated Voter - Monday, Jul 14, 14 @ 5:04 pm:
Wow, Enyart is a really terrible politician. That’s his “proudest moment”? Are you kidding me? That was the issue he chose to take a “principled stand” on? Voting “no” on that bill was a lose-only situation. Even if somehow in his twisted mind it was the right thing to do…you’re going to get absolutely killed in TV ads, and to explain yourself, you’d have to respond with an ad so long that you’d lose everyone’s interest.
- Work Accident Lawyers Peoria IL - Tuesday, Jul 15, 14 @ 7:23 am:
I constantly emailed this blog post page to all my associates, as if like to read it afterward my friends will too.