Fighting fire with fire?
Monday, May 18, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Gov. Bruce Rauner during an April 25 speech to the Society of American Business Editors and Writers…
Rauner, who was pushing his “turnaround agenda,” including right-to-work zones, also said in that speech: “We have bipartisan failure. … The problem is which members in each party are on the take with the insiders. … And we’re gonna take ‘em on.”
The governor also told the group that “crisis creates opportunity.”
* So, if you think you have members in your own party who are “on the take” - particularly from unions - and you want to create a little “opportunity” ahead of the “right to work” House floor vote, what do you do? Well, perhaps you give your folks some money to put ‘em in your own back pocket…
Gov. Bruce Rauner has started doling out money from his campaign fund to fellow Republicans as the Illinois Legislature approaches what could be difficult votes on several big issues.
Rauner divided $400,000 among every Republican member of the Illinois House and Senate, spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said Saturday.
The contributions, made [last] Monday, come with just weeks to go before the May 31 end to the spring legislative session, and with Rauner looking to his GOP allies to support his pro-business agenda in the Democrat-controlled General Assembly. […]
Kent Redfield, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois at Springfield, called the donations and their timing in such close proximity to possible votes “very unusual.” While labor unions, businesses and other groups often ramp up their contributions this time of year, a governor or other elected official doing so “really isn’t something we’ve seen,” he said.
Redfield also said it could create a perception issue for Rauner, a multimillionaire who ran for office on a promise to “shake up Springfield.”
Yeah, it’s a cynical explanation, but those contributions weren’t exactly uncynical. However, accepting those contributions could sure raise questions for Republicans who abandoned the unions last week.
Your thoughts?
- DuPage - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:20 am:
This used to be called bribery.
- walker - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:24 am:
During the campaign, Rauner said he knows how to deal wth Madigan.
He wan’t talkin’ compromise.
- 47th Ward - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:24 am:
Thank God for Andy Shaw and the Better Government Association. They’ve been all over this from the get-go.
Oh wait, no they haven’t. Not a single peep out of the BGA.
- Chicago Cynic - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:26 am:
Rauner is setting the new price for legislators. Present votes cost $400,000 for all Republicans. Waiting to find out how much a yes vote goes for…
- a drop in - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:26 am:
Republican legislator: I am shocked, shocked to see bribery going on here. Rauner aide: Here’s your 20k.
- NewWestSuburbanGOP'er - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:26 am:
If I paid a state rep or senator to vote a certain way I’d be arrested and thrown in jail.
- Norseman - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:29 am:
Experts start backfires to contain larger fires. Amateurs start backfires that create disasters. I’m afraid that Illinois is going to experience the latter.
- Bulbous1 - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:29 am:
Finished my mandatory ethics training on line today..and then I get to read about this. Ironic to say the least.
- NewWestSuburbanGOP'er - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:29 am:
Thank God for Andy Shaw and the Better Government Association. They’ve been all over this from the get-go.
Oh wait, no they haven’t. Not a single peep out of the BGA
Governor Rauner won’t address that group again if the BGA called him out.
- Anonymous - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:30 am:
==If I paid a state rep or senator to vote a certain way I’d be arrested and thrown in jail.==
So are Madigan and all the lobbyists who attended his “party” last week are headed to jail, then?
- Nonplussed - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:34 am:
It will certainly be cheaper for Rauner to buy off Republicans, there being so few….
- blue collar - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:34 am:
Does not Madigan control the purse strings on the other side of the aisle, and use that control to demand certain votes? What is the difference?
- Austin Blvd - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:36 am:
My gut instinct, and maybe I’m wrong, is that even guys like Redfield aren’t as frank as they should be or could be — because they know Rauner will eventually come after them too.
- Anonymous - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:37 am:
Whoever (2) corruptly gives, offers, or agrees to give anything of value to any person, with intent to influence or reward an agent of an organization or of a State, local or Indian tribal government, or any agency thereof, in connection with any business, transaction, or series of transactions of such organization, government, or agency involving anything of value of $5,000 or more;
shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.
Just sayin’.
- Anonymous - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:40 am:
Rauner goes after anyone who disagrees with him. It’s pretty much extortion.
- Norseman - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:42 am:
NewWestSuburbanGOP’er, according to the Sun Times BGA is already having problems with the Gov’s folks. Not over contributions, but staffing.
http://chicago.suntimes.com/opinion/7/71/609954/rauner-gets-snarky-bga
- Norseman - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:43 am:
Or should I say Andy’s piece in the Sun Times.
- Finally Out (and now very glad to be) - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:43 am:
blue collar - What is the difference?
Rauner runs around the state saying legislators who take money are corrupt, then he gives them money. Maybe that’s the difference?
- Out Here In The Middle - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:49 am:
Just switch the players and tell me what it sounds like. What if AT&T showed up with checks the day of the vote on a new telecom act? What if Exelon started dropping checks off the day before their ‘zero emissions”
bailouterr, subsidy.- ~pfft - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:50 am:
720 ILCS 5/33-1 matches the recent GOP contributions almost perfectly. And in this case it’s one branch using $ to incluence the others’ voting.
- The Dude Abides - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:50 am:
So basically with the exception of Poe, the rest of the GOP, rather than cast votes to represent the best interests of their District, cast votes to appease the Governor.
- AC - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:53 am:
Rauner appears to understand optics about as well as Blago understood ethics. The attack ads will write themselves.
- Wensicia - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:57 am:
I’d hate to think my state rep’s vote was bought and paid for by the governor. He’s owns this mess in more than one way going forward.
- walker - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 12:00 pm:
Bad timing makes this an easy target. Another rookie move. His troops should already have had the trust that Rauner would eventually support them, after the session. Never saw Madigan tie funding to any specific vote or votes. Never had to.
- Anonin' - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 12:01 pm:
Redfield was incredibly profound…let’s be honest
and we paly whereis waldo to find Handout Andy how about a word from other reform phonies S. Garrett, C.Canary and Handout Tilman?
- Mama - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 12:04 pm:
“crisis creates opportunity” It appears Rauner wants a crisis. I am afraid that Illinois is going to experience a bigger crisis than we current have.
- Anonymous - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 12:07 pm:
@ Blue collar
There is a big difference. Rauner is the new RINO Blago.
- bored now - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 12:10 pm:
can madigan bring back his legislative language for rauner’s budget that got no votes (iirc)? maybe republicans will be more likely to actually vote for the thing w rauner cash in their pockets…
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 12:17 pm:
I’ve been thinking about this for a while. On its face, it’s as straightforward as it seems; Rauner talks about corrupt GA Members and money, and influence, and being bought. Rauner says these things, as his treasurer is writing checks hours before a vote.
Ok. That’s it. Rauner’s hypocrisy continues.
The undercurrent is what worries me.
I was very vocal about litmus tests and blood oaths. There needs to be an inclusion element in the ILGOP for the party to grow, and be a force in Illinois. Up to 2014, My Party was still struggling with the ideal of inclusion.
Enter Bruce Rauner.
Rauner has no social agenda I was assured. Rauner wants to build the ILGOP I was scolded. Rauner wants unity I was reminded. In less than six months, the Slytherin mindset has evolved to “us and those not us” in My Party.
I have no problem with a GOP governor running the state party. That IS the model, back to Thompson through Geo. Ryan. I have no problem with appointments, or staffing, or funding. I get it. I really do, and said do.
But, let’s look at these 6 months;
Rauner’s own $20 million for GOP discipline.
Funding the State Party, personally at times, in excess of tens of thousands of dollars. Not raising, personally funding.
So, what has happened, is the co-opting. Again, not a new revelation. Bruce Rauner, as a person, singularly, has made the apparatus of the ILGOP his, and made the “influencing” of the GOP GA a personal persuit.
All of that happening, we come to the “Slytherin-ing” of ILGOP, and its GA Members to a Raunerite “must”;
The $400K speaks more to the absolute “musts” of Raunerite governing than any words I could use. The GA can’t and mustn’t use “free will” or Rauner, he will use his will, or write a check to make it so.
You can not make a majority Party possible with single voting blocks of one man’s agenda.
“OW, Madigan does this!”
No. No he doesn’t. Two votes. “Speaker” and “House Rules”. That’s it. There’s not the overt usurping of independence present in that. There isn’t the ideal that governing by drone thinking is required.
There isn’t a co-equal branch demanding subservience fron another.
Governor is NOT a colleague in the same branch as Speaker or President, or even Leader is to their GA colleagues.
Rauner is destroying the ILGOP, and with his “Democratic” PAC, and the “Agenda” PAC, Rauner isn’t building consensus or showing solidarity, Rauner IS building the dream Blago had not too long ago;
The single government controlled by the Governor.
The autonomy of the GOP GA is lost. It is. Don’t fool yourself. Today, until the moment the GOP GA decides it wants automomy back, it’s gone.
That’s the $400K. That’s what it’s all about, the ball game Rauner is playing. GOP Members had more autonomy as Mushrooms. With Rauner, they are lights to be turned on or off for the color that pleases him; Green, Yellow, Red… and walking… that’s not courage, that’s handing your voting key to the donations needed to turn the key on for Rauner, a “more influence needed” signal.
Nothing. More.
My thoughts?
I could look at the hypocrisy, sure, and stomp my feet, and point, and try to draw from that angle the wrongs.
I am choosing to see that $400K as the reinforcement of steps 1 and 2 of the Raunerite Expansion.
What are we all prepared to do?
- Harry - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 12:19 pm:
Bloomberg bought himself a 3rd term as Mayor of NYC and was brazen about spreading money around with elected officials and interest groups for issues he cared about.
Rauner was paying attention.
- Anonin' - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 12:26 pm:
Mr/Ms OW
you forgot the mansion funder bein’ tossed on Wednesday. We are 100% certain no list will be kept that even hints the lobos makin’ a drop there will get their bills signed, grants unfrozen, etc.
Absolutely ain’t gonna happen, no time, no way no how.
Got it? Let’s move on
- Anonymous - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 12:30 pm:
Smart move personally rooting out corruption in his owned party
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 12:32 pm:
- Anonin’ -,
Got it. Maybe another question is, “Will this Governor understand his rules of governing may seem simple, but getting to a finish line is far more complex than $400K drops and speeches every so often?”.
I wouldn’t run a railroad like this, so the challenges to gettin’ all you’re sayin’ - Anonin’ - would be those I wouldn’t have to see or face(?)
- Anonymous - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 12:41 pm:
What’s the difference between Rauner’s donation and Speaker Madigan’s super fund that spends millions every election to support his minions? For that last twenty years he has held his caucus in shackles as everyone knows if you cross him you will have a seriuos primary challenge.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 12:44 pm:
- Formerpol -,
Is it easier to have a quote be your drive-by than to make an argument that counters mine?
We all have choices. You can choose to make an argument, or you can choose to look for quotes.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 12:46 pm:
- Anonymous -,
From above;
===…There’s not the overt usurping of independence present in that. There isn’t the ideal that governing by drone thinking is required.
There isn’t a co-equal branch demanding subservience from another.
Governor is NOT a colleague in the same branch as Speaker or President, or even Leader is to their GA colleagues.===
- BMAN - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 1:02 pm:
If all the GOP legislators got some of Rauner’s money, the only one that really earned it was Poe.
- Anonymous - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 1:03 pm:
It seems to me that Rauner is giving Madigan and his DPI apparatus a run for their money (pun intended) and a taste of their own medicine.
Woe to Illinois. Gridlock with two competing factions like this is going to be a train wreck.
- Anonymous - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 1:05 pm:
- Out Here In The Middle - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 11:49 am:
“Just switch the players and tell me what it sounds like…What if Exelon started dropping checks off the day before their ‘zero emissions” bailout err, subsidy.”
Umm, they do. When they passed “smart grid” Crain’s reported their lobbying and contribution spending spiked from $4 million per year to $17 MILLION. Bought a lot of votes!
- Rich Miller - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 1:13 pm:
===spiked from $4 million per year to $17 MILLION===
I looked for that story, couldn’t find it. But Exelon’s total campaign spending since the early 90s is $4.4 million…
http://www.elections.state.il.us/CampaignDisclosure/ContributionsSearchByAllContributions.aspx?ddlContributionType=All+Types&ddlLastOnlyNameSearchType=Starts+with&txtLastOnlyName=exelon&ddlFirstNameSearchType=Starts+with&txtFirstName=&ddlAddressSearchType=Starts+with&txtAddress=&ddlCitySearchType=Starts+with&txtCity=&ddlState=&txtZip=&txtZipThru=&ddlOccupationSearchType=Starts+with&txtOccupation=&ddlEmployerSearchType=Starts+with&txtEmployer=&txtAmount=&txtAmountThru=&txtRcvDate=&txtRcvDateThru=&ddlOrderBy=Last+or+Only+Name+-+A+to+Z&ddlVendorLastOnlyName=Starts+with&txtVendorLastOnlyName=&ddlVendorFirstName=Starts+with&txtVendorFirstName=&ddlVendorAddress=Starts+with&txtVendorAddress=&ddlVendorCity=Starts+with&txtVendorCity=&ddlVendorState=&txtVendorZip=&txtVendorZipThru=&ddlPurpose=Starts+with&txtPurpose=
- White Denim - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 1:13 pm:
Hear that, Anon? Willie’s answer is that it’s A-OKAY when Madigan does it, because it’s HIS body. It’s BAD when Rauner does it, because, well, he’s not Mike Madigan.
- RatherBGolfin' - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 1:14 pm:
Have any of the Republican legislators refused to take the money?
- Rich Miller - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 1:16 pm:
===it’s A-OKAY when Madigan does it,===
You must not be a subscriber.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 1:24 pm:
- White Denim -
Nope.
I explained that Madigan hasn’t attached specific required voting to real time donations, while also pointing out that co-equal branches that have one becoming subservient to another isn’t the constitutional separations described.
Pretty straight-forward.
- Arsenal - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 1:24 pm:
@ White Denim
1) Anon can’t hear anything, because text is a visual medium.
2) He certainly didn’t hear *that*, ’cause it’s not what OW said.
- nadia - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 2:01 pm:
Big difference when campaign funds receive funds from DPI, Friends of MJM, Democratic Senate majority, or Cullerton during the campaign season; that’s about winning an election in a district. This was for a “vote” that potentially could of impacted the entire State, paid for by a member of the Executive branch. When is the last time anyone can remember Madigan, Pate, Lee, or Cullerton making at mass campaign contributions directly prior to a big vote in the GA?
The GOP has continually lost GA seats with bad tactics, strategy, and policy. So the only thing left is to out spend the Dems and to apparently buy votes as needed. I guess we’ll see if that works for them.
- Demoralized - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 2:47 pm:
To all of you whining that “Mike Madigan does it too.” Well, duh. That’s not the issue. The issue is the Governor railing about the corrupt influence of money while engaging in the exact same practice.
- Louie Bubba - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 2:49 pm:
There should be an ethics law that prohibits seated officials from making donations and should be a crime for such donations to be accepted. Ethics 101
- nona - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 3:36 pm:
=== The problem is which members in each party are on the take with the insiders. ===
Of course Rauner and Griffin are not “insiders,” according the Rauner’s definition. Consequently, GOP legislators couldn’t be accused of being on the take to insiders for accepting their money shortly before taking controversial votes.
- ~pfft - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 4:12 pm:
Louie…there is a law…
Blago signed it.
- downstate commissioner - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 4:16 pm:
Poe stood up to Rauner-anybody really believe that a Rauner’s guy can beat Poe in the primary?
- Obamas Puppy - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 4:35 pm:
Its only corrupt if it is anyone else’s money. At some point he will have to put some of these legislators on a pay as you go plan.
- BEST Dave - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 4:36 pm:
Rich,
Here is the link to the lobbying funding referred to above. It was $16 million (not 17 million) and it was ComEd (not Exelon).
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20121215/ISSUE01/121219835/comeds-lobbying-power-surge
- Rich Miller - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 4:41 pm:
===link to the lobbying funding===
LOL.
That includes advertising.
C’mon.
- Wordslinger - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 6:16 pm:
Gov, Rauner isn’t some kid shooting his mouth off. He knows what he’s saying. He’s been a major playa for years.
I can’t think of anyone who would know better as to whether specific Illinois lawmakers are “on the take.”
Prior to running for governor, Rauner dropped millions on Illinois politicians on both sides of the aisle while he was pursuing public business.
He had Stu Levine on the payroll for $25K a month, who testified his job was to land public business by any means necessary. Stu testified to some of those means.
Now, Rauner is building funds of tens of millions of dollars to influence lawmakers to make “tough votes.” He handed out $400K last week like it was candy.
When a man like that tells you there are Illinois lawmakers “on the take,” I believe he knows of what he speaks. When he starts dropping money on lawmakers like that, I believe he knows what he’s doing.
He has a duty as governor to uphold the law. He should share his knowledge of corrupt officials with law enforcement.
- nadia - Monday, May 18, 15 @ 8:05 pm:
Yep put up or shut up, tell us who is “on the take”. Not who is contributing or receiving legal campaign donations but who is taking illegal donations i.e. “on the take”.
- Property of IDOC - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 12:58 am:
We all can see the corruption is from within-and rauner is obviously as practiced at paying for influence, as the GOP is at accepting the payoff. The payola may not have been so brazenly distributed, but certainly has been done before, and he is prepared to continue the practice. This gov doesn’t care about the legality or the ethics of it, I believe his narcissism/sociopathy asks, “Who is gonna stop me?”. Do we have an answer? I hope so…
- vole - Tuesday, May 19, 15 @ 6:45 am:
Where “here is yours” and “where is mine?” cross paths where moral and ethical restraint are constrained to the max. Rauner pays to play in the spring patch.