[Bumped up to Tuesday morning for visibility.]
* The Tribune reports on a Nov. 14, 2008 FBI surveillance recording of a phone conversation between then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich and JB Pritzker discussing options for filling President-elect Barack Obama’s US Senate seat…
“I’m sure you thought of this one, but Jesse White,” Pritzker tells Blagojevich. “Even though I know you guys aren’t like, you know, bosom buddies or anything, it covers you on the African-American thing.” […]
Pritzker notes that elevating White to the Senate would open up another appointment for secretary of state, an office coveted for its patronage jobs. “It’d be a lot less pressure on you. You don’t have to put an African-American in that spot,” Pritzker says. […]
“All I would say is I think that there need to be more, you know, people of color that serve in public office,” Pritzker said. “I mean, I think that’s something, I’ve supported a lot of candidates over the years who are people of color and Jesse White’s, I think, a beloved person in the state of Illinois, so I can only imagine that’s what I had in mind.”
Interesting how Pritzker would point out to Blagojevich the immense patronage benefits of elevating White to the Senate and appointing his replacement. It’s not inconceivable that Pritzker could appoint White’s replacement if he wins.
* MAA’s take…
In listening to the recording again, it sounds to me that Pritzker’s main goal for this particular conversation was to dissuade Blagojevich from appointing then-Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. to the open seat. Blagojevich and Jackson had been close at one time, but they’d had a huge falling out and Pritzker could’ve saved his breath.
* OK, for this next part, you may have to first click here for some background information on Rev. Wright and click here for background on Bill Ayers. Here’s my transcript of the rest of the tape about possible Senate appointments…
Blagojevich: And how about this one? God, if I knew for sure I wasn’t running again…
Pritzker: Yeah.
Blagojevich: How about Rev. Wright?
Pritzker: Oh, my God! [Both laugh] Bill Ayers!
Blagojevich: How about f-ing sending Rev. Wright there? I’d bet ya he’d take it.
Pritzker: Hilarious.
Blagojevich: Huh? Would that be f-ing funny?
Pritzker: Hilarious. Oh my God. [Both laugh]
Blagojevich: Yeah. [Laughing] Right there on the Senate floor. It’s not ‘God Bless America,’ it’s ‘God Damn America!’
Pritzker: God damn America.
Blagojevich: ‘Well now, when Barack was in Sunday school, I used to tell him’…
Pritzker: That’s funny.
The guy had better get out the checkbook again.
* From Galia Slayen at the Pritzker campaign…
On the same day Bruce Rauner released a new attack ad in the Democratic primary with edited audio of illegally leaked calls, the Chicago Tribune has now released portions of calls they’ve chosen to sit on for nine months. JB has always made clear how much he admires Jesse White and believes he would have made a great Senator for Illinois. Bruce Rauner should spend less time colluding with a newspaper on how to play politics in another party’s primary and more time figuring out how to be in charge and stop failing this state.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Rauner campaign…
“The Pritzker campaign must be panicking because now they’re just making things up.”
https://capitolfax.com/2017/06/01/trib-reporter-denies-pritzker-story-was-a-rauner-leak/
*** UPDATE 2 *** Biss campaign…
On Monday, the Chicago Tribune published a never before released recorded phone conversation between J.B. Pritzker and former governor Rod Blagojevich revealing an inappropriate and ongoing conversation regarding Pritzker’s requests to be appointed to office by Blagojevich in 2008, after Barack Obama was elected president.
“The recorded conversations between JB Pritzker and Rod Blagojevich represent everything that’s wrong with the connection between money and power,” said Daniel Biss. “For too long our broken system has allowed the wealthy to have unfettered access to the decision-makers in our government. That’s what breeds corruption. And when that access involves two influential white men making political calculations based on skin color, that’s what perpetuates a racist system.”
“People shouldn’t be reduced to their race,” said Litesa Wallace. “Like anyone else, black people have individual strengths and weaknesses, and none of those are predicated on the color of our skin. When I hear conversations between the rich and powerful that minimize anyone based on race, or gender, or any other characteristic, it reminds me of the work that remains for all of us. We must stop treating people like commodities and build a world where we have co-governance and a true representative democracy.”
“JB Pritzker owes us all an apology,” continued Biss. “What JB said is racially insensitive at best and at worst reveals an attitude that is disrespectful to African Americans. He needs to stop blaming others and take responsibility for his actions, not hide behind statements issued by a campaign spokesperson.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** Kennedy campaign…
Ra Joy:
“To hear JB Pritzker say the words ‘least offensive’ to describe black men in America, black elected officials from Illinois, is beyond offensive. We are more than a ‘thing.’ We are leaders, we are voters, we are parents, we are sons and daughters, we are neighbors, and we are trying to overcome generations of racism. Structural inequities make that difficult, if not impossible, and JB Pritzker’s demeaning language unravels the progress we’ve made.”
Chris Kennedy:
“Our true character shows when we think no one is watching. JB’s conversations with Blagojevich are disqualifying and they’re a reflection of his integrity. The language he used to marginalize the African-American community is unacceptable. To use the term ‘least offensive’ to describe anyone, particularly one of our state’s longest-serving African-American leaders, is dismissive and disrespectful. JB Pritzker should apologize instead of blaming others.”
- OneMan - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:08 pm:
Damn….
I think the Biss surge continues
- Thomas Zane Stepp - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:13 pm:
Hear that? That’s the sound of JB divebombing in the polls lol but seriously, this was the last thing you needed if you were on team JB after the recent 9 point dive in the polls.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:16 pm:
At some point, the weight of the tapes in totality, that’s what’s crushing to the overall, not just the snippets in their individual cutting ways.
How many more are out there?
Did they even KNOW they were out there, about what?
- Amalia - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:18 pm:
wow. arrogance run amok.
- OneMan - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:19 pm:
You can try and blame those who report it, but that dog at the end of the day isn’t going to hunt
- west wing - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:19 pm:
So glad the Democratic Party elites rushed to JB so early before knowing all of the baggage.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:25 pm:
===Did they even KNOW they were out there===
Good question.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:25 pm:
“I’ve been telling you your whole life, Don’t talk on the … phone, and now you understand, huh?.. Don’t worry, I think you gotta good chance of winning the Primary.”
- Conway Consulting, Inc…
- John Rawlsssss - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:29 pm:
Straight up unamerican talk from pritzker. he owes our country an apology.
- OneMan - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:31 pm:
Why do I think the following has been said in the last 2 hours…
What do mean you don’t recall what else you said to him?
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:37 pm:
Someone in the USAO or FBI must have just given Team Rauner all of the tapes as opposed to just the Senate seat stuff. Man, that’s really inappropriate.
- Al Czervik - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:38 pm:
OW with the Goodfellas beat me to it.
To the post,
I don’t think this sinks the JB ship. Primary voters won’t find it that offensive IMO and the general will just be a war of financial attrition numbing those who may get out and vote. If the Dems put the nonbinding cannabis ballot question out there to drive young voters JB or Biss will get strong turnout and sail to victory.
- JM1997 - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:38 pm:
Message to the Chicago Tribune: #ReleaseAlltheTapes
- Almost the Weekend - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:41 pm:
The timing of this is odd especially coming from the Tribune. But everything is fair game in 2018, I don’t know if it moves the needle more than what the tapes/commercials have already done.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:41 pm:
===Someone in the USAO or FBI must have…===
Mighty bold statement.
Dunno if Rauner is “worth it” to a person IN the USAO or FBI…
Thinking “other” source.
- Al Czervik -
It was low hanging, apologies, bud.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:41 pm:
This is just gonna keep getting worse for Pritzker since you know Rauner is holding a lot of the best stuff for the general.
- OneMan - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:43 pm:
The attempts at spinning this are going to be epic.
- blue dog dem - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:43 pm:
This guy may be to dumb to be governor….never mind. I forgot a couple previous ones
- JB13 - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:46 pm:
“It covers you on the African American thing…” Anybody want to ask him to explain what he meant by that?
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:49 pm:
==Dunno if Rauner is “worth it” to a person IN the USAO or FBI…==
True. People got no respect for the institutions anymore.
I am a ship carrying cargo that will never reach its port.
- TKMH - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:51 pm:
@JB13, not that tough to spin.
The Pritzker camp could easily say that JB believed that following the election of our first African American president, there should’ve been another AA appointed to fill the seat.
Now where do I cash this $7 million dollar check…
- Nieva - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:52 pm:
JB and the stock market both take a dive on the same day…
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:53 pm:
So is the Trib coordinating these releases with Rauner’s people? If they had all this before, why did they sit on it and not publish right away, unless it is because they wanted to use it in the aid of the campaign? based on their editorial board’s antics, I have to question the timing of the Trib.
- Seats - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:57 pm:
Three Dimension Checkers - He might have one last punch up his sleeve but I doubt he saves it for the General. I think the goal is to pull bo punches to get him out in the primary. I don’t think they save any bombshells for the general.
- Not a Superstar - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:59 pm:
In a sane Presidential administration, there would be a far-reaching investigation into the disclosure of sealed tapes. I just hope this still happens under a Trump-appointed US Attorney.
- Hottot - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:01 pm:
I don’t understand what the big deal is. Pritzker said he wanted more people of color in public service. That shows he isn’t prejudice. Second, William Ayers and Rev. Wright weren’t popular at the time because of Wright’s comments. The two of them were joking about it. I’m not defending him, but I don’t understand what the big deal is.
- Keyrock - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:08 pm:
==Someone in the USAO or FBI must have…=
Or, more likely, the defense team.
- Some Anonymous Dude (S.A.D.) - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:11 pm:
But wait, I’m sure there’s more coming.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:13 pm:
Seats, Biss would stomp Rauner. Biss has no crazy opp against him. He is imminently intelligent and sane, and this whole 2018 wave is about repelling against unstable Trump. Biss has a lot of middle class suburban appeal, and a supportive, intelligent black female running mate. He checks a ton of boxes. He would need money obviously, but would be a super strong candidate even with Rauner outspending him. Rauner wants Pritzker because Pritzker would make the campaign a referendum on Madigan and corruption the most. Second is Kennedy since Kennedy really looks like a dead fish campaigner. No way does he want to kill Pritzker now though.
It is the slow drip that hurts the most.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:13 pm:
===So is the Trib coordinating … with Rauner’s… ===
The last 3 years… the Trib Edit Board…
- Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:21 pm:
===Biss has no crazy opp against him===
Yeah?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:25 pm:
- Three Dimensional Checkers -,
Labor might disagree with you.
I’ve yet to know a sitting elected official who has had a record free of pitfalls.
- OneMan - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:26 pm:
Funny how the campaign isn’t denying it
- Pritzker's Toilet - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:28 pm:
Im making popcorn waiting for the rest of the campaigns to respond…
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:29 pm:
== Yeah? ==
I mean, I don’t know. You would know better than me. IMO, I much rather talk about that Super Pac, pensions, and math papers for the next nine months than see those spooky Pritzker redaction ads 1000 times over.
- SSL - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:29 pm:
Blago - the gift that keeps on giving. All the talk about how dumb Rauner is around these parts, but JB’s decision to talk to Blago repeatedly is not indicative of high intelligence. Particularly when considering the subject matter of the conversations. JB’s got big problems.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:30 pm:
===Funny how the campaign isn’t denying it===
The tape itself is too hot, even the idea of who dropped it is eclipsing the tape itself.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:31 pm:
==Labor might disagree with you.==
Can they really feel comfortable with Pritzker?
- Glengarry - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:32 pm:
Biss and his campaign have to be in hog heaven right now.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:36 pm:
===Can they really feel comfortable with Pritzker?===
Against Rauner? For the most part, they’re all in already.
Why?
Welp, there was that pension bill a while back, and one of the Senators…
Labor went 2 in 5 households for Quinn.
The blowback to Biss from Labor… I cant even get commenters here to see Biss is better than Rauner with Labor at times.
- Seats - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:44 pm:
OW - ” I cant even get commenters here to see Biss is better than Rauner with Labor at times.”
I would be one of those people. If Rauner goes after my pension I at least know the house and senate will stop him and paint him as the bad guy. If Biss decides to go after it, i’m not so sure he doesn’t find a way to frame it in a way that he secures the needed votes.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:45 pm:
== For the most part, they’re all in already.==
Labor leadership is all in for Pritzker. I don’t know how membership feels. Lots probably follow leadership, but many probably behave like regular voters. Hence the 2 in 5 stat.
In a general though, I can see membership rallying around Biss. Biss is actually middle class. He just needs to stick with an accessible, not wonky, message on the pension issue and move on.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:47 pm:
The fact Labor voters still won’t vote against Rauner is just mind boggling.
It’s like the past three years and Rauner’s threats if he wins just is lost.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:48 pm:
== If Rauner goes after my pension…==
You don’t need an if there. He’s been going after your pension for 4 years now.
- Seats - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:50 pm:
TDC - True, no ‘if’ for Rauner. But he doesn’t have the votes to accomplish it. If pushed I’d still vote Biss over Rauner. But if Biss still feels our pensions are too good, it worries me he could collect the votes to so something about it.
- wordslinger - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:57 pm:
That’s an oddly constructed story.
Here’s the headline:
–New Pritzker-Blagojevich audio from FBI wiretaps sheds light on race issue in governor contest–
A “new” tape from 2008 “sheds light on race issue in governor contest” in 2018?
How? It doesn’t say.
In fact, the revelations from the tape, despite being flogged in the headline, don’t have anything to do with the 2018 race and don’t show up in the story, after a tortured transition, until the twelfth graph.
Talk about burying the lede.
It looks like the Blago/Pritzker tape from 2008 was just dropped in the middle of an already completed story on race in today’s Dem. primary. Like Pearson did the original story and Coen the Tape Man shoehorned his bit in later, and that got the headline.
That’s convenient for Rauner. Now that the tape has been laundered in troncsylvania, his peeps can pick it up and use the naughty word bits in TV spots.
Gee, I wonder if Coen has any more “new” ten-year-old tapes and will write stories on them now? I bet Rauner hopes so.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:59 pm:
Seats, I doubt Biss would want to touch pensions. He’d have to govern like a politician that has actual concerns about upsetting constituents. The rich are less likely to care about constituent groups because they feel secure in just throwing their money around to win an election.
- Arsenal - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:00 pm:
==Labor leadership is all in for Pritzker. I don’t know how membership feels.==
He got 150 laborers to canvass in Springfield a couple weekends ago. Membership is just fine with him.
To the post…
So he recommended Jesse for the Senate seat, and made fun of Rev. Wright? Geez Louise. I know the substance doesn’t matter, I was arguing just this morning that “Blago” and “FBI wiretaps” is sufficient to make it a political problem. But that is some really boring substance.
- Arsenal - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:03 pm:
== JB’s decision to talk to Blago repeatedly is not indicative of high intelligence==
Was there another sitting Governor he could talk to at the time?
- TaylorvilleTornado - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:10 pm:
If it comes down to Biss and Rauner because of the hits JB is taking from these tapes, I’m voting Rauner.
They’re both whiney, economically illiterate, and two-faced but, in that case, I’ll take the one I know is ineffective.
- Arsenal - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:13 pm:
Also, recommending that Blago appoint Jesse pretty entirely blows up Rauner’s narrative, but it’s the era of Trump, so LOL, Nothing Matters.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:13 pm:
===Gee, I wonder if Coen has any more “new” ten-year-old tapes and will write stories on them now? I bet Rauner hopes so. ===
I would almost bet money that Rauner knows what’s next.
- Frankly - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:14 pm:
Seats, Biss has apologized 1,000 times for that pension vote and said it was a mistake. He’s not coming after your pension.
- wordslinger - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:14 pm:
–Straight up unamerican talk from pritzker. he owes our country an apology.–
LOL, really? Because he repeated what Wright said, when talking about what Wright said? Is it “treasonous,” too?
How did you talk about what Wright said, at the time? Did you repeat his words, or did you use sign language? Smoke signals? Pig Latin?
Yesterday, watching the game, I sat in a chair with my Hawks hat on and drank a beer during the national anthem. Is that unAmerican and treasonous? Did you stand at attention with your hand on your heart?
- Dog on Sheffield - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:19 pm:
==Labor leadership is all in for Pritzker. I don’t know how membership feels.==
A good number of union painters canvassed for JB on the northside last wekeend
- wordslinger - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:21 pm:
–I would almost bet money that Rauner knows what’s next.–
Yeah, me too. Just need to cook up more “news” hooks to launder “new” ten-year-old tapes through the tronc pages so you can use them in spots.
The one today is a stretch. But someone in troncsylvania is trying to help. Which is nice.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:22 pm:
===I would almost bet money that Rauner knows what’s next.===
The silliest mistake will be thinking “this is it”.
The first rule of Oppo research is “Know all your own Oppo research on you”… Before you do anything, actually, you do an up to down, left to right, full vetting on yourself. Everything… ever.
If you can find it, they will too. If you forgot it, it won’t forget to find you.
If they all forgot he talked to Rod or how many times or about what… they’ll be chasing this and chasing and chasing.
- Pot calling kettle - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:31 pm:
==The first rule of Oppo research is “Know all your own Oppo research on you”==
JB needs a friend at the Trib to drop the tapes to him. (Or at the USAO if they are still dropping tapes to the Trib.)
I also wonder if Rauner is on any tapes with Rod. That would be fun…I mean, as long as the USAO is dropping tapes…
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:38 pm:
It’s clear to me now, why they just couldn’t put the first leak to bed, to tie off the end, to eat it, own it, rehabilitate from it, and leave a marker for later…
…
… they just have no idea what else could be coming and dropping a marker would be far worse if you’re not prepared what is coming next, and about what.
Are they flying blind into who knows what?
Again, for me, it’s the totality of the weight of continued leaked tapes. These are a decade old. There’s nothing illegal, they were under seal…
… but what else is out there… how much is out there.
- wordslinger - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:39 pm:
–I mean, as long as the USAO is dropping tapes…–
Defense attorneys got the tapes, too. I think Blago left a big unpaid bill. Networking with big-shots can lead to future business.
- Real - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:41 pm:
As a black voter this only further makes me vote for Jb. Rauner has done nothing and is very desperate.
- Anon221 - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 4:57 am:
Team Rauner buying from Team Blago would be very interesting. One of Rauner’s stories prior to being elected was his son cautioning him not to get arrested. If these tapes did come from Blago’s defense team, then Rauner may not get arrested, but he is colluding with someone who did. Why not just pardon Blago and go all in, if that’s the case. /s
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 6:36 am:
==Straight up in American talk from Pritzker, he owes our country an apology.==
Pritzker was in a private conversation making fun of what he thought Rev. Wright might say.
- Rabid - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 6:42 am:
Ignoring court orders is the centerpiece of reelection. FBI raid at tronc, reporter jailed
- #WaterTape - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 6:50 am:
What are the chances that both presidents 44 and 45 are on the other Blago tapes?
- @misterjayem - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 7:35 am:
On the up-side, I’ve found it useful to be reminded of how much I loathe and despise Rod Blagojevich — and of how his appalling corruption of his office, coupled with his vulgar contempt for people of Illinois, fully merited his crushing sentence.
– MrJM
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 7:55 am:
To the politicos on this site, the tape is big. To the general electorate, JB will survive all of this.
- lake county democrat - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 8:01 am:
Mr.JM - I’m not sure how great the distance is between Blago and a party leader who rewards people convicted of stealing $100,000 from schools (http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-05-05/news/ct-met-madigan-admissions-20100505_1_relatives-applicants-law-school - among other things of course) - one serves twice the time as your average rapist does, the other is the most powerful man in the state. Other than one is smart enough not to get recorded or tick off a loose-lipped relative.
Pritzkers best friend is the split opposition. Kennedy’s only hope is a Carole Mosley Braun-like sneak-in-while-the-top-two-bash-each-other victory. Wouldn’t think that has any chance, but if this Pritzker trend keeps up, who knows? Still would prefer Biss offer to cut a deal with him - it’s not like there’s much on Kennedy’s agenda that Biss would, or should, disagree with.
- PC - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 8:06 am:
Can’t wait to see what the FBI drops a week before the IL Gov election
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 8:11 am:
===…what the FBI drops…===
(Sigh)
What makes you think it’s the FBI, your tin foil hat?
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 8:16 am:
Maybe Blago’s defense team released the tapes to reminded the Supreme Court that honest services fraud is dumb. Blago’s appalling corruption dealt with extorting children’s hospitals (behaviour that has increased under the current governor). This is just log rolling, and there is nothing illegal about it.
- Sigh - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 8:18 am:
Back in the day of the Blago case, didn’t the feds issue a subpoena to the Tribune seeking memos?
- Leonard Washginton - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 8:23 am:
Brilliant investigative work from the Trib. The gall for some people on this site to suggest collusion with the Rauner campaign is above the pale and shows how hypocritical Democrats can be.
Hopefully this boasts some subscriptions for the coming months.
- PC - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 8:28 am:
What sounds more plausible: 1) a private citizen is risking arrest and felony prosecution to leak tapes taken from FBI/DOJ to help Rauner; or 2) a fed employee of organization led by Jeff Sessions is leaking tapes to help Rauner?
- OneMan - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 8:29 am:
I think the “least offensive” crack is a problem for him, even if he said it to his barber and it got out. It just sounds bad and it is bad.
The G–D America comment is also a problem regardless, it isn’t going to do him any favors.
So how does he respond when asked about all of this.
If he complains about the trib and leaks and doesn’t admit or deny he said this stuff he sounds like a weasel IMHO.
If he denies it and it turns out there are tapes he looks really bad.
If he admits it and says sorry, he admits he said G-D America and basically said a bunch of political folks are offensive to some degree.
As much as I find the complaints about how this was obtained entertaining I don’t see a voter going ‘Well since the Trib shouldn’t have had this information, I am going to pretend it never happened’, that isn’t going to happen.
- PeoriaPaul - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 8:30 am:
This taped conversation feeds into the public cynicism of Illinois politics. For many, it confirms what they’ve always thought. For others, it’s uncomfortable because it details the “sausage making” of politics.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 8:32 am:
Here’s what real…
The Rauner Crew will have a 3rd and 4th ad on the overall tapes, and will have 3-4 seperate ads piluncing on Pritzker and that Pritzker Crew chasing it, still possibly wondering “what else is out yhere?”…
“Meanwhile”
Where o where is a decent ad about the porch deal - blind trust “broken trust”?
For cripes sake, what are y’all waiting fir?
Seriously.
It’s your Achilles’ Heel. Seen it for months…
Exceptional at rollout and making a narrative… poor at trying to respond with hard hitting negatives…
I really don’t understand it. It’s confounding.
You have the dollars, the Crew, why am I still waiting for a passable… passable… back porch negative ad.
Y’all might be busy now, but Rauner is doing what Rauner does…
No quarter, flat out pressure, no room to breathe.
You seem wounded.
Get up. Get going.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 8:36 am:
===Brilliant investigative work from the Trib. The gall for some people on this site to suggest collusion with the Rauner campaign is above the pale and shows how hypocritical Democrats can be.
Hopefully this boasts some subscriptions for the coming months.===
Aw. This is fun, lol
You really don’t read the Trib Editorial page.
===a fed employee of organization led by Jeff Sessions is leaking…===
Ugh. The tapes are sealed, but out in the open.,Rauner is not worth it to a “Sessions” or an “organization” led by the Attorney General of the United Ststes.
- Iggy - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 8:39 am:
Honestly, I almost expected Biss to Pull a Bernie Sanders, “Can we just move on from D*&n Emails” - in regards to Hillary. And do his version of can we just move on from these 9 year old FBI wire tapes. Instead he came out swinging, and slammed JB so hard making his campaign manager’s tweets look insanely out of touch and unsympathetic to the obvious racist undertones of the Jessie White conversation.
- PublicServant - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 8:39 am:
I was angry with Quinn for his backing of SB1, but I voted for him against Rauner. Now we’ve got a guy, Rauner, who’s driven our state into the toilet, harmed our most defenseless people, and single handedly dealt a blow to higher ed in this state that may be unrecoverable for many of those institutions. And he’s trying to throw dirt at the Dem candidates? Please. I’m voting for the self-funded Pritzker, so the Dems can focus their money fending off the Koch/Uihlein-funded legislative candidates. It’s a no-brainer for me.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 8:42 am:
–The gall for some people on this site to suggest collusion with the Rauner campaign is above the pale…–
If you’re going to make up your own idioms, you have to define them.
Otherwise, it’s beyond the pale, dude, i.e., out of bounds.
- Scoot - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 8:48 am:
J.B. is looking like Blair Hull pt 2?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 8:53 am:
===J.B. is looking like Blair Hull pt 2?===
No. Not yet, at least. No.
They need to do TWO important things right now.
1) Figure out, honestly to the Oppo… what the heck is stil out there and prepare and get a handle on it.
2) Get going and start going after Rauner… like not waiting on this “phony trust / broken trust” back porch dealing.
Until those two prongs are figured out, they’ll flail around a bit… but it’s not an irrecoverable tail spin that is/was Blair Hull.
They just have to do it.
I’m waiting.
- Ahoy! - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:03 am:
I”m wondering when Pritzker is going to blame the leaks on some kind of Trump/Rauner conspiracy….
Billionaires are weird people.
- Real - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:03 am:
Pritker saying God damn America was meant to be funny of comments made by Wright but either way him saying that won’t upset black voters. If anything it might upset some white republicans.
- Lunchbox - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:04 am:
This is what primaries are for– get it all out in the open. Pritzker had an ad ready to go for these tapes, but the response of “I haven’t done anything wrong” isn’t good enough.
- Real - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:07 am:
This tape is being made bigger than what it is. The Chicago Tribune is acting as campaign staff for Rauner. They all should be locked up for releasing sealed tapes. If it had been a average person doing this by releasing sealed tapes of Rauner they would be locked up.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:10 am:
===Pritzker had an ad ready to go for these tapes, but the response of “I haven’t done anything wrong” isn’t good enough.===
The response Ad seemed “fine”, what didn’t do nearly enough and was below a “Gentleman’s C” was the :30 second small swipe at the back porch, broken trust, and that the last :15 seconds is “did nothing wrong”.
Two messsges, both lost, both watered down and ineffective.
Why go so cheap? Still confused about that.
Now is the time to figure out the two things I mention above and move forward on those. That’s how I see where they are right now.
- Real - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:11 am:
Just last week the fiance of Suge Knoght was sentenced to 3 years in jail for selling a sealed video tape to TMZ. Talk about double standard and privilege.
- Sigh - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:13 am:
Oh, Leonard Washington —The gall for some people on this site to suggest collusion with the Rauner campaign is above the pale.—
Do you recall when a reporter with the other Chicago newspaper was as placed on leave two days after his Oct. 6, 2014 Rauner story, and was told that his exile might be permanent?
Well, sometimes past events makes one question current events.
- TopHatMonocle - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:15 am:
Maybe JB has been spending so feverishly to lock voters in before all this came out. Who knows. But this is going to leave a mark. These tapes were already going to cost him in the suburbs where Biss is strongest, and if this particular tape gets spun into Pritzker being racially insensitive and he starts losing support in the city then he’s in trouble. Blaming Rauner for these tapes, while maybe true, is not a real response.
- Swift - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:19 am:
Ives: “Here’s my ad about the people I hate.”
Everyone: “Talking about Ives”
Team Rauner: “Hold my Moscato”…
Pritzker: “African-American…GD America…”
Ives: “drat”
Pritzker: “must find comfort food…”
Biss: “sweet”
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:21 am:
word, I shared your reaction to the odd juxtaposition of the tape into the middle of the article.
As far as “sourcing,” am I the only one who remembers that two troncies wrote a book about Rod’s investigation and trials with well, fawning depictions of the various Feds involved in the process? That book also had tape cuts and other things no one ever knew before. Look no further.
- Moe Berg - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:23 am:
It’s fine for the Trib to have become a GOP house organ. That’s the first amendment and a return to the highly partisan roots of newspapers.
Why non-Republicans want to purchase it and give it their money, and why Democratic candidates any longer waste time with its questionnaires and go groveling for its GOP ed board’s blessing, I don’t really understand.
Can we ask Dave McKinney for a comment on whether he things Michael Ferro is now using the Trib to help the GOP and his plutocratic pals? Trib reporters know they better get with the program if they want to keep their jobs in an industry in which they continue to disappear.
- Nishi - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:25 am:
This is beyond troubling. Pushing this undecided Dem toward Biss.
- A guy - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:36 am:
It’s beyond any credible belief that you would forget having a conversation like this; Jeremiah Wright for Senator??
A true lack of savvy while talking to a known con guy.
The conversations being dripped out like this would surely point to the fact that there are more of these hyper-embarrassing conversations. One thing is very clear here. JB wanted to be appointed to something. Darn near anything it appears.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:39 am:
–One thing is very clear here. JB wanted to be appointed to something. Darn near anything it appears.–
He said treasurer. Explicitly. In the second spot Rauner is running. It’s on the TV box now.
- ArchPundit - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:40 am:
Best part of the call:
“(White)’s totally, he’s totally, you know, uh, he’s Senate material in a way that Emil Jones isn’t, if I may say,”
I mean, if you want to have Pritzker try and explain anything, that’s the one that would be fun to watch.
No, tell me what it is about Emil Jones that isn’t Senate material. Go on…..
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:40 am:
To Kemnedy and Joy…
Joy frames the discussion as he can in his role as the LG candidate and continues to do himself incredible good. So very impressed with Joy, he’s really a great campaigner.
To Kennedy…
=== “Our true character shows when we think no one is watching…====
This is their best work-product in weeks or months.
It puts front and center what they want the discussion to be about, not just the words.
Really good stuff there.
- Obamas Puppy - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:41 am:
The Chicago Tribune is desperately trying to save Rauners campaign.
- A State Employee Guy - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:44 am:
Man, how often does it happen that we can pinpoint the exact moment someone’s political career died?
- ArchPundit - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:44 am:
===On the up-side, I’ve found it useful to be reminded of how much I loathe and despise Rod Blagojevich — and of how his appalling corruption of his office, coupled with his vulgar contempt for people of Illinois, fully merited his crushing sentence.
Can I get an Amen from the choir (in Rod’s really poor attempt at Reverend Wright’s voice.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:47 am:
Ra Joy, keep it up. spot on.
- Nick Name - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:48 am:
===All the talk about how dumb Rauner is around these parts===
You don’t have to be smart to be cunning or sneaky or dishonest.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:49 am:
–As far as “sourcing,” am I the only one who remembers that two troncies wrote a book about Rod’s investigation and trials with well, fawning depictions of the various Feds involved in the process? –
That can be a good indication — in political books and articles — of who’s providing the best inside dope.
Like Robert Novak said, you’re either a source or a target.
- Grand Avenue - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:50 am:
The most interesting quote to me is that Pritzker knew that Obama was asking for Valarie Jarrett to be appointed and that Blago was asking for something in return - which is what got him convicted.
So it looks to me that Pritzker knew Blago was trying to leverage the Senate seat to get something back for himself.
- Nick Name - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:51 am:
===The fact Labor voters still won’t vote against Rauner is just mind boggling===
Trust me, OW, any Dem candidate could desecrate the Mother Jones gravesite in Mount Olive, live on prime time TV, and Labor would still vote for any of them over Rauner.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:57 am:
- Nick Name -
Labor is on notice. Rauner already, and continues to, has made clear it’s Janus and Af-Scammy… and those RTW Zones too.
For Labors own sake, they hope you’re right more than my confusion, bud.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 10:01 am:
To Biss and Wallace,
While I understand the tie-in to the “billionaire” thingy abd hanging their hats and riffing off that to then go in other directions, they sound like they are more concerned about fitting their own narrative to it then going after what they are troubled by it.
- Sigh - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 10:03 am:
“Our true character shows when we think no one is watching….
This is their best work-product in weeks or months.
It puts front and center what they want the discussion to be about, not just the words.
OW- I could possibly give Kennedy credit for saying that, but I’ve heard Ruiz use this line (or something close) at every debate. In fact last night Sharon Fairley even referenced Ruiz as saying this. When one takes a comment (or similar comment) from another campaign, it’s kind of hard to say that this is their best work product in weeks.
- McGuppin - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 10:05 am:
Man, the Gov Carharts and the BTIA must REALLY be afraid to face JB in November. Of course, with his approval rating in the gutter he may not get the opportunity… Ives/Uihlein coming on strong.
- Nick Name - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 10:06 am:
===For Labors own sake, they hope you’re right more than my confusion, bud.===
Honestly, I hope I am too. There are always bad apples (e.g., Janus) but after three years of this, I think the vast majority of Labor learned its lesson about the dangers of “teaching a lesson.”
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 10:08 am:
Rauner alone
Caused 72000 students to leave IL universities
Rauner alone
Over a million Illinoians to lose services they depend on
Rauner alone
Destroyed the private social service network
Rauner alone
Granted hundreds of millions in corporate welfare
Rauner alone
Sabotaged the budget process for two years
Rauner alone
Created crisis after crisis
Hurting innocents
All to destroy labor and
The administrative state
For the profit of big business
Rauner is a profit supremacist
I don’t care if Pritzker pushes old ladies in the street for fun.
Rauners media integration
Rauners media allies
Are trained on Pritzker
Do you see what they are capable of?
Even with Pritzkers crew and money.
Do you think Biss
Without the crew
Without the money
Could hold up to this?
Think on it
Biss would be destroyed
Rauner would win
Labor, All labor
Would be destroyed
Democrats would be destroyed
Without labor money
The wedge Rauner is using
Is between Labor and Progressives
Wake up
One goal
One purpose
One focus
Destroy Rauner
- Unclean Hands - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 10:09 am:
The attacks on Pritzker via the illegally released tapes still seems like more of a scandal than the (formerly) private conversations in them.
Questions:
If they were sold to the Trib/Rauner campaign, does the campaign have to report how much they paid for them?
I wonder what a Rauner phone tap would sound like?
Rauner’s private conversations could be much worse than Blago’s. Can we hear them too?
That’s our two-party system - picking the least-worst option.
- Leonard Washginton - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 10:13 am:
- This tape is being made bigger than what it is. The Chicago Tribune is acting as campaign staff for Rauner. They all should be locked up for releasing sealed tapes. If it had been a average person doing this by releasing sealed tapes of Rauner they would be locked up. -
So Real wants to jail journalists? Ha. I’ve seen it all now. The Democrats are pushing a corrupt individual and desperately playing partisan politics to cover for him.
I’ll remember this the next time Trump or any other Republican gets criticized for attacking the press.
Oh, Real, I’ll remember.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 10:13 am:
- Sigh -
LOL
If you think Ruiz made up the line, and it hasn’t been used before, (Geez Louis I’ve used it often in 2014, lol) and borrowing doesn’t happen when looking for the right words on things like chsracter, your experiences in politics might be limited.
- Veil of Ignorance - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 10:14 am:
These newly released audio clips are pretty sad, but not disappointing. I think for many of us, we assume this is how the wealthy and powerful talk behind closed doors. The words and framing in this conversation signals how Blago and Pritzker view the black community and politics in general. I questioned last year whether Dems that rallied to Pritzker early had really vetted him or just saw dollar $ign$ and jumped. If there’s still more to come, the Pritzker Dems will either sacrifice their integrity providing cover for Pritzker or will need to choose a braver path.
- Veil of Ignorance - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 10:16 am:
Darn it, meant “surprising,” not “disappointing” in 1st sentence. Doh…where’s that coffee?
- A guy - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 10:26 am:
**- wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:39 am:
–One thing is very clear here. JB wanted to be appointed to something. Darn near anything it appears.–
He said treasurer. Explicitly. In the second spot Rauner is running. It’s on the TV box now.**
“Don’t forget “you’re an Attorney, right?” He was quite open to being AG as well.
- Henry Francis - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 10:27 am:
Does anyone here think that Rauner, as a private citizen and as a sitting Governor, hasn’t had similarly politically crude conversations where he said something similarly offensive?
The only difference is such conversations don’t have the stigma of “Blago” and “secret FBI wiretap”.
Wasn’t it in an email where Rauner called CPS schools prisons and said most of its teachers were barely literate?
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 10:35 am:
–”Don’t forget “you’re an Attorney, right?” He was quite open to being AG as well.–
I haven’t forgotten anything. I’m just paying attention to what’s actually being said.
Blago brought up AG. Pritzker said he wanted Treasurer. Can’t simplify that any further.
- Say What? - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 10:42 am:
Nobody complained when the Tribsters had the sealed divorce files of Blair Hull or Jack Ryan disclosed.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 10:45 am:
===Nobody complained when===
You should probably get checked out soon for memory loss.
- Sigh - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 10:49 am:
-Willy-
No limited campaign experience here. I’m an OR person. Of course Ruiz didn’t come up with the line. But when the line has been a theme of someone else’s campaign in the same campaign cycle, I’ have a hard time agreeing that Kennedy’s “comeback” is his best work product in weeks.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 10:53 am:
===I’ have a hard time agreeing that Kennedy’s “comeback” is his best work product in weeks.===
Have you been watching the Kennedy Campaign?
This is the best they’ve done in weeks and months… as far as Kennedy has done.
===But when the line has been a theme of someone else’s campaign in the same campaign cycle…===
A line in a drop versus a “whole” campaign theme doesn’t make the statement any less impactful to that one moment.
It’s not like Ruiz is polling 80% name is, and leading by 20 points either, so Kennedy is piggy-backing off a middle of the pack AG candidate polling below 30%?
Granted Kennedy is at 11% but still, lol
- Swift - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 10:59 am:
To all the “illegal” leak comments and the Tribune “working” for Rauner, unless the Tribune enticed an individual to illegally obtain the recordings, the Tribune has not committed a crime. Whoever providing the tapes/transcripts may have committed a crime, but the Tribune is free and clear to publish the tapes.
Secondly, the leading Democratic candidate for governor having close ties, to include discussing an appointment for himself and an appointment to a U.S. Senate seat, to a former Democratic governor currently in prison for crimes committed during his term is newsworthy.
- California Guy - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 11:35 am:
@Honeybear
Pritzker bowing out is not going to bring a Democratic apocalypse. House and Senate still under control of Dems for the foreseeable future.
- Flip357 - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 11:55 am:
If team JB wants to put this to bed, they should push to have the entirety of the tapes released. Follow that up with a ask-anything-you-want press conference. Talk it to death. Pritzker knows how to work a room, this would work in his favor.
- Soccermom - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 12:04 pm:
Honeybear, I love your blank verse. It’s as though Walt Whitman were a member of the commentariat…
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 12:11 pm:
With respect CA guy I believe that it would.
Judge my reasoning.
Only Pritzker has the money to challenge Rauners vertical integration of media
150 million will destroy Biss
Kennedy is still looking for the nearest elevator
If Pritzker loses the primary
Biss doesn’t stand a chance (I feel)
“The strong will do as they will
The weak will suffer what they must”
If Rauner wins
He will destroy AFSCME
He will destroy AFL-CIO
He will destroy the Trades
Without union money
The IL Democratic Party
Will be reduced minority
Within two gubernatorial cycles
8 years
Nothing will stop that
Nothing
Anti- billionaire is political death
Till citizens United is overturned.
Till then we must fight millions with millions
Dollar for dollar
Biss cannot win with anti billionaire.
I hate that real politik Trumps democratic socialism
But I see no other way.
Labor must survive
The tribulation proceeds the second coming of labor.
We cannot afford to think
That the good wins
That merit prevails
That the best ideas win
That to me is the hubris of
Privileged progressivism.
- Shark Sandwich - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 12:15 pm:
Now reading Honeybear’s above post to the tune of “I Alone” by Live.
- California Guy - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 12:34 pm:
@ Honeybear
Your reasoning is that Rauner can win based on money alone. His approval is in the gutter, the Republican brand is badly damaged, Illinois is a blue state, and voters are very motivated to rush to polls and simply vote blindly for anyone that isn’t a Republican. College towns will chip away at his rural advantage along with his pro-choice decisions.
If Biss takes a more moderate tone on taxes, healthcare, and government reform after the primary (as most candidates move towards the middle) he can win. For example, Biss can take the California example and water down the minimum wage increase for different areas of the State and still ride the “progressive” bus.
- A State Employee Guy - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 12:38 pm:
Shark Sandwich, great tune. Great album. What a time to be alive, the 90s.
- don the legend - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 12:39 pm:
—Follow that up with a ask-anything-you-want press conference. Talk it to death….
Alan Alda’s character, Arnold Vinick on the West Wing tried this. Worked on the teevee show but he still lost his election.
- PC - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 1:06 pm:
No doubt the contents of the tapes in the Tribune’s possession are newsworthy. But that was also true of much of what was possessed by Wikileaks. The problem was that Wikileaks selectively distributed that info in a way designed to do maximum damage to the Democrats. Now, maybe, we are seeing similar selectivity by the Tribune.
- Steve - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 1:34 pm:
@ Honeybear
You assume that money always and everywhere matters. In some races, like in Illinois, it’s not that important. The law of diminishing returns eventually kicks in. Daniel Biss, might be able to beat Rauner with spending 3% of what Rauner spends. It’s actually possible. Any doubt that no Republican could win the Chicago Mayoral race no matter how much they spend??? Any doubt that Donald Trump couldn’t win Illinois no matter how much he spent in 2020 no matter who runs against him???
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 1:54 pm:
Shark- great song
Although I must confess I can’t figure out what the lyrics mean. Thus I don’t know if yours was a compliment or insult.
No matter- cool song.
Steve-
Here’s the thing.
I can’t afford to take a chance
My job depends on it
My job and the union
That I love and fight for
Depends upon
The correct choice
I have thought and thought
About as hard as I know how.
Pritzker, I believe is the best shot
But money is almost everything
Given
Citizens United
Money has certainly made a
Conversation
10 years ago
A big story
Which sways voters
Perfideously
To make what I think
Is a bad call
In supporting Biss or Kennedy
I do not underestimate Rauner
His media integration
Or his use of perfidy
And deception
I have also met Pritzker
Talked with him
Several times.
I trust him
I believe him
And
I stand behind him
100%
- Shark Sandwich - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 7:15 pm:
Honeybear- not an insult at all, just a little fun. Just remember, fear is not the end of this. November is.