A southern Illinois speech meant to build public support for Gov. Bruce Rauner’s legislative agenda amid a budget impasse with majority Democratic lawmakers instead turned into a test of the first-term Republican’s ability to stay on message, as he faced a flurry of taunts from union protesters.
Sign-carrying members of the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers Local 309 in Collinsville and the Caseyville-based Steamfitters Local 439 repeatedly interrupted Rauner’s nine-minute pitch at Eckert’s Country Store and Farm. The St. Clair County rally Monday afternoon followed a similar event earlier in the day in Marion. […]
“This is going to be a rough summer,” [Rauner] told reporters after the rally, during which he repeatedly laid fault for the impasse with the “Chicago political machine,” a reference that drew the event’s loudest cheers of support. “They’ve just not negotiated in good faith. We need bipartisan compromise.”
I think this was the first time since the campaign ended that union protesters have booed the governor.
When Rauner met with reporters after the speech, he repeated a warning he’s been giving a lot lately: Get ready for “a rough summer.”
“We’ve got to get the power away from (Madigan and Cullerton). They’re not going to give it up easily, this is going to be a rough summer,” Rauner said. “We’re going to negotiate in good faith. We have been for months. We want bipartisan agreement.”
“It’s going to be a number of weeks” before a deal is made, but Rauner said he wants to avoid a state government shutdown. But he said his office is “making contingency plans” anyway since none of the budget bills the General Assembly passed have been delivered to his desk.
A mix of cheers and boos among about 200 people greeted Gov. Bruce Rauner on Monday in Marion.
Both Mayor Robert Butler, as he introduced the Republican governor, and Rauner himself noted Democracy at work in response to the split crowd.
Many who turned out for the appearance at Black Diamond Harley-Davidson were union members with signs calling Rauner bad for Illinois and for jobs. Pro-Rauner signs carried a contrary message.
Rauner, when asked later about the protesters, characterized them as partisan supporters of Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan and Democratic Senate President John Cullerton.
“There are folks who, the status quo is good to them, and they’re loyal to Madigan, they’ve got a relationship there,” said Rauner. “The reality is, working families in this state are suffering. Suffering … Madigan and Cullerton aren’t for working families. They’re for the political class.”
Rich, I was wondering, would it be possible to include the time an item was posted when you post it. It would be helpful to those who can only check your blog once or twice a day.
So, six months into his administration and this new governor shows up in a part of our state that he handily won - and gets no warm audience.
Those citizens that booed him? They wouldn’t have been there if Governor Rauner knew what he was doing. Instead of battling for his budget and for his policies - he is battling people who normally don’t care to even show up at these things.
Bruce Rauner has burned down so many bridges that bind citizens he has made his work needlessly difficult. If he was smart, he would have first established governing credentials through bipartisanship and diplomacy. Even a governor who would know how to govern, would be challenged by our current situation. What Bruce Rauner showed us was that he hadn’t a clue how to be a governor, how to listen respectfully, how to build upon electoral success, or how to win friends.
Six months and this guy is already getting booed by people going out of their way to show their disapproval. What a loser.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”
To the Post,
I’m glad Rich grabbed this specific paragraph;
===“We’ve got to get the power away from (Madigan and Cullerton). They’re not going to give it up easily, this is going to be a rough summer,” Rauner said. “We’re going to negotiate in good faith. We have been for months. We want bipartisan agreement.”===
Looking at this, questions arise, and a framing is forming beyond the obvious(?)
“We’ve got to get the power away from (Madigan and Cullerton).”
The Governor has the same power, as in equal, to the legislative branch. Like the legislature complaining about the Executive branch, the different levers used in either’s co-equal power isn’t saying one has power over the other, and further, the powers of governing are co-equal, so is Rauner saying co-equal power needs to tip away from that, and Rauner himself should have more of the equal? Hmm.
“They’re (MJM & Cullerton’s) not going to give it up easily, this is going to be a rough summer,” Rauner said.”
Is the premise then, “once I usurp power from the co-equal branch, even after co-opting the GOP GA, then the impass will end”, that’s now to appealing in the governing. The man is 1/3 of state government, poking for a deal also means toning down the rhetoric. Both parties are co-equal and no amount of belly aching or speeches will make the co-equal part go away, Summer, Fall, Winter, or Spring. This is a major disconnect to the public messaging, and the back channel negotiating.
“We’re going to negotiate in good faith. We have been for months. We want bipartisan agreement.”
Easiest to see, easiest to try to find common ground;
Shared sacrifice to agreements, but I need a win to show I didn’t conpletely cave.
The irony isn’t lost on me that the Governor says this while on a tour, on flatbeds, challenging the “corrupt”, barn storming, while then explaining like a college sophomore that he’s working on his homework in the middle of hanging out on the quad.
This paragraph IS Governor Rauner; the good, the compelling, and the warts and ugliness packaged as a way to shield his ownership to things he knows will be painful to own, at the expense of understanding shared sacrifice in governing.
This paragraph isn’t hopeful, this barn storming isn’t helpful.
Every time Republicans take a step back, Democrats take a step back, and you are so far apart now that I believe it is conceivable we will go until the first week of September, with September 7th, Labor Day.
But don’t get your hopes up that we will be done by September for sure.
Remember the advice of Admiral James Stockdale, the longest serving American POW in the Vietnam War.
It’s the Optimists who always cracked first.
So, let’s put away our day planners and dust off our wall calendars.
===But he said his office is “making contingency plans” anyway since none of the budget bills the General Assembly passed have been delivered to his desk.===
The phony budget passed, that’s what Rauner wants?
Hmm.
Interesting statement; Rauner wants, is looking for, the phony budget passed be sent to his desk.
Talk about owning cuts, Rauner would then own a fair chunk, lol
==We’ve got to get the power away from (Madigan and Cullerton).==
What a sad, small, and completely conventional agenda. A turf war with Madigan, same as it ever was. Bruce Rauner has been thoroughly shaken up by the Springfield status quo.
– Were going to negotiate in good faith. We have been for months.–
Huh? About what? Centrifuges? Plutonium enrichment?
What issues are there before state government that after “months” of good faith negotiation you can’t arrive at the makings of a deal or determine there’s no deal to be made?
From published reports, the governor didn’t meet with legislative leaders the last two months of the session. He didn’t take questions from reporters the last two weeks. He reportedly at the end of May did not know that the budget he introduced in February was out of whack by at least $3 billion.
If he really wanted a deal, he would get more personally involved in his work, like real governors do, and put a lid on the frat boys.
But he doesn’t want a deal yet. He has to run the Bad Opera for his donors before he signs the tax increase.
I worry about a guy who tells whoppers, who knows that he’s telling whoppers, who knows that you know he’s telling whoppers, yet tells them anyway.
“Rich, I was wondering, would it be possible to include the time an item was posted when you post it. It would be helpful to those who can only check your blog once or twice a day.”
I think that it’s safe to presume that Rich’s items are posted within 5 minutes of the first (timestamped) comment.
The traveling roadshow of protest made it to a couple of stops. Not too big of a whoop. To me, the crowd looked to break pretty much along the lines of support vs. opposition. Not news.
On both sides the commenters fiddle while Rome burns.
Very Nero-esque. Rauner may be lighting the match but Madigan has left lots of petroleum all over the place. Meanwhile the people wait for an adult to take charge.
=== Meanwhile the people wait for an adult to take charge. ===
Republicans love having it both ways. Madigan is too powerful, except when you went him to be responsible for fixing everything, breaking lawmakers arms if he has to.
Madigan learned a long time ago - the hard way - that there are very real limits to the power of the legislative branch, and he does a pretty good job of staying in his lane.
He cannot, for example, force governors to sign budgets, and even where a veto is overridden he cannot force a governor to spend.
So, why send a governor checks he will not cash?
Rauner is gonna have to find his sea legs on his own. Every governor takes time.
- From the Stateline - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:49 am:
== “There are folks who, the status quo is good to them, and they’re loyal to Madigan, they’ve got a relationship there,” ==
So if anyone disagrees with his agenda, the *only* possible explanation is because they’re being controlled by Madigan, and not because they have genuine policy disagreements? Does he not realize that lots of trade union members voted for him?
anon - don’t know how old you are but it was in the prime of my Grandma’s career when Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938, which gave us 40 hour work week, minimum wage, overtime pay, an end to child labor.
Willy and Ars, these were publicly scheduled events. Only a fool would argue that there isn’t opposition to his positions. Quick blast email and you’ve got the loyal opposition out there representing themselves with their boos. No biggie at all. In fact, it’s democracy in action. It’s nothing compared to what Quinn faced at State Fairs and other stops from folks responding to the same eblasts.
Some folks disagree. Not exactly a bulletin. On balance his cheering section won the day. But truthfully, who cares.
Dear Governor, a little free advice: here’s the press copy you should run.
“It is regrettable that a lot of good, hard-working, and decent people have been led to believe that growing Illinois economically is bad. We’re only wanting to take the measures to fix the budget hole that is here so that the hard-working people of Illinois can continue to benefit from critical government services. The Speaker and his loyal opposition seem to not realize their budgetary choices have consequences, and the ultimate harm of those consequences will hurt the people who protested me today the most, unfortunately.”
So based on Rauner’s rhetoric belonging to a union automatically makes you “loyal to Madigan” and takes you out of the category of being in a “working family”?
Hoopdee: Good hopeful post. No doubt Trover would be willing to say that, and it might be an improvement.
What he would never say is that Rauner’s own proposed budget has almost as big a “hole” as Madigan’s. That wouldn’t flow well with the rest of his message.
Are the superstar staffers manning the Rauner Resolution war room going to be reassigned to arrange pro-Rauner demonstrations to counter the protesters at Rauner events? Or, will they hire a contingent of fans to ride around with the Gov?
P.S. Make sure your support signs have the requisite Rauner buzzwords.
–Hoopdee: Good hopeful post. No doubt Trover would be willing to say that, and it might be an improvement.
What he would never say is that Rauner’s own proposed budget has almost as big a “hole” as Madigan’s. That wouldn’t flow well with the rest of his message.–
Funny, if I were writing the Democratic response, it would point out the lack of funding for the pensions, and call it “more of the same.”
==Quick blast email and you’ve got the loyal opposition out there representing themselves with their boos.==
That is true, and it pretty thoroughly flies in the face of the idea that it’s a “travelling roadshow”.===
yeah Ars. ALL of them were local. Lived just down the road apiece. Grab me that data file on the e-blast when you get a chance. It’s always a roadshow. No shock the people who live the closest are more inclined to show up. Jeesh.
A Guy, you’re all over the place on this one. All I’m saying is that the article specifically identified the union protesters as from local unions. If you’ve got evidence that they weren’t, I’d be very interested in seeing it. But I can’t do anything with this until you at least pick a lane.
Really fellas? C’mon. If there’s anyone here who’s picked a lane; it’s me.
I do now know the definition of spin though; Anything you disagree with. Because you’re always right.
The only problem is that you’ve never been right about this guy from the start. You had him losing the primary, losing the general, getting a swirly from the Speaker, getting Wet Willies (not personal) from the Senate Pres.
He’s standing his ground and pushing back hard on policy. He’s won over the people (who don’t have a special interest, legit or otherwise). He’s won over the editorial boards; all of whom are bad and uninformed now (imagine that- all of them!)
You don’t like him. You think the sky’s gonna fall. Don’t give our state the therapy it needs. Go slow. If we follow his plan; it’s rehab. If we follow yours, it’s palliative care.
VanillaMan————I’m old and the 12 hour work day has never existed in my lifetime. Want to bring up conditions around the time of the Civil War?
If you insist, old timer!
That President Lincoln! Ending slavery, just like that? He abused the presidency and inflicted upon us higher taxes and busted budgets! We couldn’t afford ending slavery so he made my taxes go up, didn’t he?
(That’s the problem conservatives face when they base governmental decisions upon the arguments that “we can’t afford it” or “we’re broke” to resolve moral issues - it leads to the worst decisions possible, doesn’t it?)
===He’s standing his ground and pushing back hard on policy.===
Rauner has no budget, Rauner has no legislative achievements to his agenda. All this is “good”?
===He’s won over the people (who don’t have a special interest, legit or otherwise).===
Those booing him may say otherwise, lol… Unless Rauner is only a governor of those “who” are co-opted by him, bought by him, or are just scared of him. Otherwise, the “Us-Them” polarizing Rauner thinks those not agreeing with him are corrupt? Yikes…
===He’s won over the editorial boards; all of whom are bad and uninformed now (imagine that- all of them!)===
Yeah, like the Owl Sandack; they know better than to cross Rauner. Even @StatehouseChick, who literally has “statehouse” in her Twitter handle is willing to be an Owl by making the comical case that Rauner, unlike every governor before him, and every governor after Rauner, own their cuts.
Pretty embarrassing considering the work she did on Quinn’s lump sum budget or the Edgar Ramp, both owned by governors.
You have a crush on Rauner, - A Guy -, like the Tribune, but “your guy” isn’t as beloved as you want him to be, and you can’t point to accomplishments to make a case for him.
Read Rich’s post in the “Tribune Crush”…it might help.
Won’t Rauner be at the state fair on Republican day? Seems like in a normal year he could expect a friendly crowd. Of course, this isn’t shaping up to be a normal year … maybe you’re both right.
==If we follow his plan; it’s rehab. If we follow yours, it’s palliative care.==
What’s “my” plan, Guy? I’m pretty sure I don’t have one beyond, “RTWFL is bogus and we really can’t balance the state’s budget without revenue.” The Governor has dropped RTWFL and agrees with me on revenue, so really, the only difference between our plans is that he wants to humiliate Mike Madigan before he does anything else. And I mean, that’s not a dealbreaker for me, but let’s be honest, another turf war with Madigan is just exactly the Springfield status quo.
His polls may, too. Hell, the Governor himself may; you don’t ready a $30 million ad blitz two summers before an election if you’re confident that you’re in the political catbird seat.
Quinn was booed too, but by his own employees and that still took several years of his governorship before it reached that level. Rauner has very quickly surpassed Quinn both in time and the size of his circle of unhappy constituents. So I guess he can add that to his accomplishments.
I had a couple drinks with Rauner the other night at Obed’s. People kept a respectful distance, but he worked the beer garden at one point and was warmly received by everyone.
– He’s won over the people who don’t have a special interest–
Who are these disinterested people? Maori tribesmen? Luxembourgers? Or just good people like yourself with the purest of pure motivations for trying to reduce other people’s standard of living?
Guy, perhaps you could dig even deeper than your usual analysis and give us a rundown on specific items the govneror wants enacted and what the benefits of those would be and for whom.
==If there’s anyone here who’s picked a lane; it’s me.==
A Guy: This is now the third time in the past week you’ve contradicted yourself and been called out on it. There’s a pattern, and it ain’t us.
–“We’ve got to get the power away from (Madigan and Cullerton).”
Rauner is a political neophyte and he is going find out very shortly that power wears out those who don’t have it.
I was at Rauner’s stop in Marion. His speech can best be described as a ranting tirade consisting of Orwellian type doublespeak combined with divide and conquer rhetoric.
++“We’ve got to get the power away from (Madigan and Cullerton). They’re not going to give it up easily, this is going to be a rough summer,” Rauner said. “We’re going to negotiate in good faith. We have been for months. We want bipartisan agreement.”++ How can you bad mouth & want to get rid of the people you need for a bipartisan agreement? In your next breath, you turn around and say you want a bipartisan agreement. You are totally contradicting yourself guv. You can not have it both ways.
Good for Governor Rauner…so he gets a few boos. So? People who are about to have their fat little nest-eggs crushed probably should boo (and hoo too). But I don’t care. We’re done with you boo-hoo crew.
Rauner is as fake as it gets. I have seen first hand how badly he treats those who actually helped him get elected ! Rauner is quite aloof to all but the very wealthy and any of his public sympathy for middle class working families is just so much hot air.
- SAP - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 9:40 am:
==I think this was the first time since the campaign ended that union protesters have booed the governor.== The campaign ended? I hadn’t noticed.
- connor - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 9:41 am:
Rich, I was wondering, would it be possible to include the time an item was posted when you post it. It would be helpful to those who can only check your blog once or twice a day.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 9:41 am:
Seems like “bipartisan agreement” is another term in Illinois that has been twisted similar to “reform.”
- ssi - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 9:48 am:
==I think this was the first time since the campaign ended that union protesters have booed the governor.==
He got it pretty bad at the South Side Irish Parade in Chicago. Sure, they weren’t really protesters, but they were certainly union folks.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 9:52 am:
So, six months into his administration and this new governor shows up in a part of our state that he handily won - and gets no warm audience.
Those citizens that booed him? They wouldn’t have been there if Governor Rauner knew what he was doing. Instead of battling for his budget and for his policies - he is battling people who normally don’t care to even show up at these things.
Bruce Rauner has burned down so many bridges that bind citizens he has made his work needlessly difficult. If he was smart, he would have first established governing credentials through bipartisanship and diplomacy. Even a governor who would know how to govern, would be challenged by our current situation. What Bruce Rauner showed us was that he hadn’t a clue how to be a governor, how to listen respectfully, how to build upon electoral success, or how to win friends.
Six months and this guy is already getting booed by people going out of their way to show their disapproval. What a loser.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 9:52 am:
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”
To the Post,
I’m glad Rich grabbed this specific paragraph;
===“We’ve got to get the power away from (Madigan and Cullerton). They’re not going to give it up easily, this is going to be a rough summer,” Rauner said. “We’re going to negotiate in good faith. We have been for months. We want bipartisan agreement.”===
Looking at this, questions arise, and a framing is forming beyond the obvious(?)
“We’ve got to get the power away from (Madigan and Cullerton).”
The Governor has the same power, as in equal, to the legislative branch. Like the legislature complaining about the Executive branch, the different levers used in either’s co-equal power isn’t saying one has power over the other, and further, the powers of governing are co-equal, so is Rauner saying co-equal power needs to tip away from that, and Rauner himself should have more of the equal? Hmm.
“They’re (MJM & Cullerton’s) not going to give it up easily, this is going to be a rough summer,” Rauner said.”
Is the premise then, “once I usurp power from the co-equal branch, even after co-opting the GOP GA, then the impass will end”, that’s now to appealing in the governing. The man is 1/3 of state government, poking for a deal also means toning down the rhetoric. Both parties are co-equal and no amount of belly aching or speeches will make the co-equal part go away, Summer, Fall, Winter, or Spring. This is a major disconnect to the public messaging, and the back channel negotiating.
“We’re going to negotiate in good faith. We have been for months. We want bipartisan agreement.”
Easiest to see, easiest to try to find common ground;
Shared sacrifice to agreements, but I need a win to show I didn’t conpletely cave.
The irony isn’t lost on me that the Governor says this while on a tour, on flatbeds, challenging the “corrupt”, barn storming, while then explaining like a college sophomore that he’s working on his homework in the middle of hanging out on the quad.
This paragraph IS Governor Rauner; the good, the compelling, and the warts and ugliness packaged as a way to shield his ownership to things he knows will be painful to own, at the expense of understanding shared sacrifice in governing.
This paragraph isn’t hopeful, this barn storming isn’t helpful.
Long summer.
- Anon - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 9:55 am:
==Rauner said he wants to avoid a state government shutdown.==
What exactly is he talking about? Is he going to lock out union employees and call it a shut down?
- Juvenal - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 9:58 am:
=== “It’s going to be a number of weeks” ===
Try months, governor.
Every time Republicans take a step back, Democrats take a step back, and you are so far apart now that I believe it is conceivable we will go until the first week of September, with September 7th, Labor Day.
But don’t get your hopes up that we will be done by September for sure.
Remember the advice of Admiral James Stockdale, the longest serving American POW in the Vietnam War.
It’s the Optimists who always cracked first.
So, let’s put away our day planners and dust off our wall calendars.
- William - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 9:59 am:
Nice to see union supporters have all this free time in the middle of the day.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:00 am:
==
==Rauner said he wants to avoid a state government shutdown.==
What exactly is he talking about? Is he going to lock out union employees and call it a shut down?==
I guess that would depend on whether state employees would want to show up to work while there’s no money allocated to pay them
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:01 am:
- William -,
How do you explain the other half that showed up?
- Crispy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:02 am:
“Nice to see union supporters have all this free time in the middle of the day.”
***
As opposed to the anti-union people, who were, what? Independently wealthy? Or maybe unemployed?/s
- William - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:02 am:
Speaking of someone with nothing but free time in his day…
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:05 am:
- William -
No one is on your lawn…
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:08 am:
===But he said his office is “making contingency plans” anyway since none of the budget bills the General Assembly passed have been delivered to his desk.===
The phony budget passed, that’s what Rauner wants?
Hmm.
Interesting statement; Rauner wants, is looking for, the phony budget passed be sent to his desk.
Talk about owning cuts, Rauner would then own a fair chunk, lol
- Cassandra - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:10 am:
Well, I suppose it’s better to be booed than ignored. Especially if you take it gracefully.
Not sure who is going to win this popularity contest, but isn’t it all a distraction, really.
Both parties want to raise taxes on Illinois’ middle class-as high and as fast as they can.
That’s what folks should be boo-ing.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:11 am:
==We’ve got to get the power away from (Madigan and Cullerton).==
What a sad, small, and completely conventional agenda. A turf war with Madigan, same as it ever was. Bruce Rauner has been thoroughly shaken up by the Springfield status quo.
- Wordslinger - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:14 am:
– Were going to negotiate in good faith. We have been for months.–
Huh? About what? Centrifuges? Plutonium enrichment?
What issues are there before state government that after “months” of good faith negotiation you can’t arrive at the makings of a deal or determine there’s no deal to be made?
From published reports, the governor didn’t meet with legislative leaders the last two months of the session. He didn’t take questions from reporters the last two weeks. He reportedly at the end of May did not know that the budget he introduced in February was out of whack by at least $3 billion.
If he really wanted a deal, he would get more personally involved in his work, like real governors do, and put a lid on the frat boys.
But he doesn’t want a deal yet. He has to run the Bad Opera for his donors before he signs the tax increase.
I worry about a guy who tells whoppers, who knows that he’s telling whoppers, who knows that you know he’s telling whoppers, yet tells them anyway.
We’ve seen that movie.
- MrJM - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:24 am:
“Rich, I was wondering, would it be possible to include the time an item was posted when you post it. It would be helpful to those who can only check your blog once or twice a day.”
I think that it’s safe to presume that Rich’s items are posted within 5 minutes of the first (timestamped) comment.
– MrJM
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:25 am:
Nice to see union supporters have all this free time in the middle of the day.
Wow - that’s a statement straight from the 19th Century, isn’t it? Sounds like someone who is still angry over unions ending the 12 hour workday.
- A guy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:26 am:
The traveling roadshow of protest made it to a couple of stops. Not too big of a whoop. To me, the crowd looked to break pretty much along the lines of support vs. opposition. Not news.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:30 am:
- A Guy -,
The governor wanted these events to gin up news. If the news also reports people booed him too, thems the breaks.
It’s not lost that Rauner loves him controlled environments. In this instance, there were enough boos and protesters to warrant a note of it.
It’s news. Why? It’s news because Rauner ginned up these events to make news, and sometimes, there are other takeaways from an event.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:32 am:
==The traveling roadshow of protest made it to a couple of stops.==
We’re back to this? The story clearly identified the union members as local.
- walker - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:35 am:
In case you missed it, these were local Locals. This was only one traveling show there.
- Southern Illinois Hoopdee - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:35 am:
On both sides the commenters fiddle while Rome burns.
Very Nero-esque. Rauner may be lighting the match but Madigan has left lots of petroleum all over the place. Meanwhile the people wait for an adult to take charge.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:38 am:
==On both sides the commenters fiddle while Rome burns.==
Yeah, but that’s only half as useless as commenting ABOUT the commenters.
Besides, there’s not really anything commenters can do as commenters.
- Wensicia - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:43 am:
“The reality is, working families in this state are suffering…”
Not yet, but they will be when Rauner cuts their pay and benefits.
- anon - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:47 am:
VanillaMan————I’m old and the 12 hour work day has never existed in my lifetime. Want to bring up conditions around the time of the Civil War?
- Juvenal - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:49 am:
=== Meanwhile the people wait for an adult to take charge. ===
Republicans love having it both ways. Madigan is too powerful, except when you went him to be responsible for fixing everything, breaking lawmakers arms if he has to.
Madigan learned a long time ago - the hard way - that there are very real limits to the power of the legislative branch, and he does a pretty good job of staying in his lane.
He cannot, for example, force governors to sign budgets, and even where a veto is overridden he cannot force a governor to spend.
So, why send a governor checks he will not cash?
Rauner is gonna have to find his sea legs on his own. Every governor takes time.
- From the Stateline - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:49 am:
== “There are folks who, the status quo is good to them, and they’re loyal to Madigan, they’ve got a relationship there,” ==
So if anyone disagrees with his agenda, the *only* possible explanation is because they’re being controlled by Madigan, and not because they have genuine policy disagreements? Does he not realize that lots of trade union members voted for him?
- Southern Illinois Hoopdee - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:50 am:
–Yeah, but that’s only half as useless as commenting ABOUT the commenters.
Besides, there’s not really anything commenters can do as commenters.–
Of course, but it’s just as useless to note that too.
That said, it is useful to say blame can be placed on both sides.
- Southern Illinois Hoopdee - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:52 am:
–Does he not realize that lots of trade union members voted for him?–
Apparently the answer is NO, considering he pushed proposals against unions that have nothing at all to do with the state budget hole.
- Wordslinger - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:53 am:
– The traveling road show of protest–
Right, they’re being bused in from Havana or Pyongyang or something. Invisible buses, apparently.
It’s quite a price to be a member of the club when you feel the need to traffic in obvious lies.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:53 am:
===Does he not realize that lots of trade union members voted for him?===
Rauner is only concerned with today, not how he got to today.
Rauner has 3 years from now to worry about running again.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:54 am:
anon - don’t know how old you are but it was in the prime of my Grandma’s career when Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938, which gave us 40 hour work week, minimum wage, overtime pay, an end to child labor.
To me that is not that long ago.
- A guy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:55 am:
Willy and Ars, these were publicly scheduled events. Only a fool would argue that there isn’t opposition to his positions. Quick blast email and you’ve got the loyal opposition out there representing themselves with their boos. No biggie at all. In fact, it’s democracy in action. It’s nothing compared to what Quinn faced at State Fairs and other stops from folks responding to the same eblasts.
Some folks disagree. Not exactly a bulletin. On balance his cheering section won the day. But truthfully, who cares.
- Southern Illinois Hoopdee - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:56 am:
Dear Governor, a little free advice: here’s the press copy you should run.
“It is regrettable that a lot of good, hard-working, and decent people have been led to believe that growing Illinois economically is bad. We’re only wanting to take the measures to fix the budget hole that is here so that the hard-working people of Illinois can continue to benefit from critical government services. The Speaker and his loyal opposition seem to not realize their budgetary choices have consequences, and the ultimate harm of those consequences will hurt the people who protested me today the most, unfortunately.”
Could Trover write that?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:57 am:
=== It’s nothing compared to what Quinn faced at State Fairs and other stops from folks responding to the same eblasts.===
Rauner hasn’t been to the fair as governor yet, lol
- pundent - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 10:58 am:
So based on Rauner’s rhetoric belonging to a union automatically makes you “loyal to Madigan” and takes you out of the category of being in a “working family”?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 11:02 am:
- Southern Illinois Hoopdee -,
Governors own budgets, governors own cuts.
Always have, always will. Rauner, with the help of some Owls and the Chicago Trubune, is trying to change the equation.
Rauner will sign a budget. It will be his. Cuts will be his, a revenue plan will be Rauner’s too.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 11:05 am:
==Of course, but it’s just as useless to note that too.==
Probably even moreso, but I’m not the one comparing people to Nero.
- walker - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 11:07 am:
Hoopdee: Good hopeful post. No doubt Trover would be willing to say that, and it might be an improvement.
What he would never say is that Rauner’s own proposed budget has almost as big a “hole” as Madigan’s. That wouldn’t flow well with the rest of his message.
- Norseman - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 11:08 am:
Are the superstar staffers manning the Rauner Resolution war room going to be reassigned to arrange pro-Rauner demonstrations to counter the protesters at Rauner events? Or, will they hire a contingent of fans to ride around with the Gov?
P.S. Make sure your support signs have the requisite Rauner buzzwords.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 11:09 am:
==Quick blast email and you’ve got the loyal opposition out there representing themselves with their boos.==
That is true, and it pretty thoroughly flies in the face of the idea that it’s a “travelling roadshow”.
- anon - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 11:12 am:
Yep Anon 10:54, 77 years ago, pre-WWII is not long ago. That was about the time Al Gore invented the Internet, right?
- Peoria Guy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 11:13 am:
I have always thought it rude to shout and disrupt a elected official during a speech. That is just me I guess. Civility is certainly lacking.
- Southern Illinois Hoopdee - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 11:15 am:
–Hoopdee: Good hopeful post. No doubt Trover would be willing to say that, and it might be an improvement.
What he would never say is that Rauner’s own proposed budget has almost as big a “hole” as Madigan’s. That wouldn’t flow well with the rest of his message.–
Funny, if I were writing the Democratic response, it would point out the lack of funding for the pensions, and call it “more of the same.”
- Chicago 20 - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 11:30 am:
Rauner has been booed previously.
In the South Side Irish parade which is in the middle class Beverly Morgan Park neighborhoods that Rauner claims to be fighting for.
Looks like the middle class doesn’t believe Rauner cares about them.
http://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/7/71/442733/boos-handshakes-rauner-south-side-irish-parade
- Norseman - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 11:30 am:
=== Civility is certainly lacking. ===
I’ve noted that from the Governor’s press and legislative staff as well.
- A guy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 11:32 am:
===Arsenal - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 11:09 am:
==Quick blast email and you’ve got the loyal opposition out there representing themselves with their boos.==
That is true, and it pretty thoroughly flies in the face of the idea that it’s a “travelling roadshow”.===
yeah Ars. ALL of them were local. Lived just down the road apiece. Grab me that data file on the e-blast when you get a chance. It’s always a roadshow. No shock the people who live the closest are more inclined to show up. Jeesh.
- walker - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 11:35 am:
==A turf war with Madigan, same as it ever was. Bruce Rauner has been thoroughly shaken up by the Springfield status quo.==
Best comment in quite some time.
Rauner has bought into the Springfield Republican worldview. Ironic.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 11:40 am:
- A Guy -,
I can’t wait to hear about Rauner the State Fair and your dizzying spin, lol
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 12:01 pm:
A Guy, you’re all over the place on this one. All I’m saying is that the article specifically identified the union protesters as from local unions. If you’ve got evidence that they weren’t, I’d be very interested in seeing it. But I can’t do anything with this until you at least pick a lane.
- Lahkonysm - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 12:04 pm:
A number of conservative gop union state employees voted for rauner; as did a number of minority groups egged on by their religious leaders.
“….this is the [governor] we’ve chosen; I didn’t ask [what he was going to do to state workers and programs for the poor]…..”
- Precinct Captain - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 12:15 pm:
==- Arsenal - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 12:01 pm:==
Don’t expect a lane choice, expect the spinning car to crash into the mountain.
- wuzzaboggio - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 12:25 pm:
There was a lot more than just booing going on!
- A guy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 1:00 pm:
Really fellas? C’mon. If there’s anyone here who’s picked a lane; it’s me.
I do now know the definition of spin though; Anything you disagree with. Because you’re always right.
The only problem is that you’ve never been right about this guy from the start. You had him losing the primary, losing the general, getting a swirly from the Speaker, getting Wet Willies (not personal) from the Senate Pres.
He’s standing his ground and pushing back hard on policy. He’s won over the people (who don’t have a special interest, legit or otherwise). He’s won over the editorial boards; all of whom are bad and uninformed now (imagine that- all of them!)
You don’t like him. You think the sky’s gonna fall. Don’t give our state the therapy it needs. Go slow. If we follow his plan; it’s rehab. If we follow yours, it’s palliative care.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 1:09 pm:
VanillaMan————I’m old and the 12 hour work day has never existed in my lifetime. Want to bring up conditions around the time of the Civil War?
If you insist, old timer!
That President Lincoln! Ending slavery, just like that? He abused the presidency and inflicted upon us higher taxes and busted budgets! We couldn’t afford ending slavery so he made my taxes go up, didn’t he?
(That’s the problem conservatives face when they base governmental decisions upon the arguments that “we can’t afford it” or “we’re broke” to resolve moral issues - it leads to the worst decisions possible, doesn’t it?)
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 1:34 pm:
===He’s standing his ground and pushing back hard on policy.===
Rauner has no budget, Rauner has no legislative achievements to his agenda. All this is “good”?
===He’s won over the people (who don’t have a special interest, legit or otherwise).===
Those booing him may say otherwise, lol… Unless Rauner is only a governor of those “who” are co-opted by him, bought by him, or are just scared of him. Otherwise, the “Us-Them” polarizing Rauner thinks those not agreeing with him are corrupt? Yikes…
===He’s won over the editorial boards; all of whom are bad and uninformed now (imagine that- all of them!)===
Yeah, like the Owl Sandack; they know better than to cross Rauner. Even @StatehouseChick, who literally has “statehouse” in her Twitter handle is willing to be an Owl by making the comical case that Rauner, unlike every governor before him, and every governor after Rauner, own their cuts.
Pretty embarrassing considering the work she did on Quinn’s lump sum budget or the Edgar Ramp, both owned by governors.
You have a crush on Rauner, - A Guy -, like the Tribune, but “your guy” isn’t as beloved as you want him to be, and you can’t point to accomplishments to make a case for him.
Read Rich’s post in the “Tribune Crush”…it might help.
- olddog - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 1:39 pm:
@ A Guy 10:55 and OW 10:57 a.m. –
Won’t Rauner be at the state fair on Republican day? Seems like in a normal year he could expect a friendly crowd. Of course, this isn’t shaping up to be a normal year … maybe you’re both right.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 1:40 pm:
==If there’s anyone here who’s picked a lane; it’s me.==
Then no one here has picked a lane, because you’ve gone from “It’s a roadshow!” to “Of course mostly locals showed up!” to yet another Ode to Bruce.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 1:44 pm:
==If we follow his plan; it’s rehab. If we follow yours, it’s palliative care.==
What’s “my” plan, Guy? I’m pretty sure I don’t have one beyond, “RTWFL is bogus and we really can’t balance the state’s budget without revenue.” The Governor has dropped RTWFL and agrees with me on revenue, so really, the only difference between our plans is that he wants to humiliate Mike Madigan before he does anything else. And I mean, that’s not a dealbreaker for me, but let’s be honest, another turf war with Madigan is just exactly the Springfield status quo.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 1:48 pm:
==Those booing him may say otherwise==
His polls may, too. Hell, the Governor himself may; you don’t ready a $30 million ad blitz two summers before an election if you’re confident that you’re in the political catbird seat.
- A Jack - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 1:50 pm:
Quinn was booed too, but by his own employees and that still took several years of his governorship before it reached that level. Rauner has very quickly surpassed Quinn both in time and the size of his circle of unhappy constituents. So I guess he can add that to his accomplishments.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 1:55 pm:
To the person I just deleted: Don’t be daft.
I had a couple drinks with Rauner the other night at Obed’s. People kept a respectful distance, but he worked the beer garden at one point and was warmly received by everyone.
- Wordslinger - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 2:05 pm:
– He’s won over the people who don’t have a special interest–
Who are these disinterested people? Maori tribesmen? Luxembourgers? Or just good people like yourself with the purest of pure motivations for trying to reduce other people’s standard of living?
Guy, perhaps you could dig even deeper than your usual analysis and give us a rundown on specific items the govneror wants enacted and what the benefits of those would be and for whom.
- Skeptic - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 2:44 pm:
==If there’s anyone here who’s picked a lane; it’s me.==
A Guy: This is now the third time in the past week you’ve contradicted yourself and been called out on it. There’s a pattern, and it ain’t us.
- A guy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 2:55 pm:
Skep, in fact it is “us”.
Sling, I’ll get back to you on the Maori, that’s a very difficult precinct to walk, and customs call for bare feet.
On the specifics of the Governor, you don’t have to go too far. Just consult this site. You’re welcome.
PS. Luxemborg is such a small precinct, we choose to mail into it. /s
- Skeptic - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 2:57 pm:
A Guy: Denial isn’t a river in Africa.
- Wordslinger - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 2:58 pm:
Guy, yeah, that’s what about what I thought you’d say…
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 3:03 pm:
- A Guy -, then it should be easy enough for you to find Rauner Agenda successes, because you can’t say there’s a budget, can ya?
- A guy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 3:18 pm:
Not for ‘16 OW. There is for ‘15, but the ball went in the hoop on it’s own for that one.
We’ll see what the Governor signs among other bills. I think you favor some of them.
- A guy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 3:19 pm:
====Wordslinger - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 2:58 pm:
Guy, yeah, that’s what about what I thought you’d say…====
Sling, yeah, that’s what about what I thought you’d say…
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 3:24 pm:
- A Guy -, please keep up, the Rauner Turnaround Agenda, what he’s touting all the time, you know, having the HGOP press “yellow” on…
I’m not seeing to much here…
- A guy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 4:44 pm:
Willy, I believe there are some bills he could sign that would make you happy. Outside of the turnaround.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 4:49 pm:
There are quite a few, including the prison reform bills already out there.
The sad part in all this? The time wasted by all.
- HGW XX/7 - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 7:01 pm:
–“We’ve got to get the power away from (Madigan and Cullerton).”
Rauner is a political neophyte and he is going find out very shortly that power wears out those who don’t have it.
I was at Rauner’s stop in Marion. His speech can best be described as a ranting tirade consisting of Orwellian type doublespeak combined with divide and conquer rhetoric.
- Mama - Tuesday, Jun 9, 15 @ 7:43 pm:
++“We’ve got to get the power away from (Madigan and Cullerton). They’re not going to give it up easily, this is going to be a rough summer,” Rauner said. “We’re going to negotiate in good faith. We have been for months. We want bipartisan agreement.”++ How can you bad mouth & want to get rid of the people you need for a bipartisan agreement? In your next breath, you turn around and say you want a bipartisan agreement. You are totally contradicting yourself guv. You can not have it both ways.
- Heywood - Wednesday, Jun 10, 15 @ 12:45 am:
Good for Governor Rauner…so he gets a few boos. So? People who are about to have their fat little nest-eggs crushed probably should boo (and hoo too). But I don’t care. We’re done with you boo-hoo crew.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jun 10, 15 @ 8:14 am:
It looks like people applauding other’s losses usually do have a problem sleeping at night.
Good. Stay crabby.
- A guy - Wednesday, Jun 10, 15 @ 8:50 am:
===The sad part in all this? The time wasted by all.===
We could not agree more!
- Wordslinger - Wednesday, Jun 10, 15 @ 8:56 am:
- We could not agree more!–
Wow, all of you?
- BringBack ILjr - Wednesday, Jun 10, 15 @ 2:17 pm:
Rauner is as fake as it gets. I have seen first hand how badly he treats those who actually helped him get elected ! Rauner is quite aloof to all but the very wealthy and any of his public sympathy for middle class working families is just so much hot air.