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“Bruce doesn’t have a social agenda”

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Gov. BRUCE RAUNER’s family foundation gave $100,000 in 2014 to Turning Point USA, a Lemont-based not-for-profit that identifies itself as a conservative activist organization.

“For too long the left has outperformed the right in grassroots organization,” states a 2014 year-in-review group newsletter. “TPUSA is here to change that.

“Our mission is to identify, register, educate, empower, organize, and mobilize student activists that believe in free markets and limited government,” it adds, saying it will organize an “army of activists.” […]

“Throughout the spring semester TPUSA will bring its Big Government Sucks campaign to over 1,000 college campuses nationwide,” the newsletter says. […]

In the 2014 newsletter, it notes that Rauner keynoted an event for the group, and it features a picture of Rauner and Kirk raising clasped hands, and a quote from Rauner that says, in part, “One of the greatest patriots and one of the greatest advocates for limited government and great conservative principles in the entire United States is Charlie Kirk. I think the world of this young man. He’s a superstar. I personally will do everything I can to help him expand his reach throughout the United States because his vision of America is the right vision for America.”

Former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh (described as its “chief activist”) spoke to the group at its winter meeting.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:14 am

Comments

So.. what does this have to do with abortion or gay marriage, which were the objects of the statement used for your title?

Comment by Paul Kemp Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:17 am
To be fair, if anyone was fooled by the claim that Bruce Rauner didn’t have a social agenda, it was because they desperately wanted to be fooled.

– MrJM

Comment by @MisterJayEm Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:18 am
Dr. Rauner was just misunderstood.

“No social agenda” means no money for social services.

The governor’s actions on that front could not be more clear.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:22 am
Not really sure what youre implying here with the header… its a grassroots organization that targets college kids with pro capitalism message. Young conservatives couldnt give a hoot about social issues like gay marriage. Ive been watching this organization for a while since Kirk was written about in Bloomberg and I havent seen much if any social agenda…

Comment by Nony Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:24 am
Big Government Sucks. Really? That’s the best they could think up?

Comment by IllinoisBoi Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:28 am
Good luck with that.

Comment by Honeybear Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:35 am
Like the Rauners, Fitzgerald’s Buchanans didn’t have a “social agenda” either.

I saw that what he had done was, to him, entirely justified. It was all very careless and confused. They were careless people, Tom and Daisy — they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.

The Great Gatsby (1925)

– MrJM

Comment by @MisterJayEm Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:42 am
MrJM - Exactly on point with both comments.

Comment by illini Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:48 am
Mr JM,

Perfect!

Comment by RNUG Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:54 am
Turning Point USA pushes conservative financial principles and smaller government such as those espoused by the late Milton Friedman. I’ve attended several of their events and at no time were “social issues” such as abortion, ever brought up.

Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 11:07 am
The irony is that more than half of the 1,000 colleges where they’ll be recruiting were created with public funds.

Someone should ask TPUSA how “free markets and limited government” is working for Flint, MI

Comment by Jocko Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 11:11 am
And I thought that Turning Point was an outpatient drug counseling center for teens and young adults in Skokie…

Comment by Beta Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 11:23 am
Walsh and the rest of his ilk cant have it both ways. They say they are social conservatives and then take cash from liberal “republicans” like rauner.

Comment by go4it Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 11:29 am
Joe Walsh needs to go away. He’s toxic, and any organization that brags him as a spokesman needs boycotted by donor class. And I’m a regular republican. Side note: super pacs are ruining our politics

Comment by Not Alan Keyes Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 11:38 am
I would like to thank the Governor for his donation to the Illinois State Police Heritage Foundation. A worthy cause he has been involved with for several years now. Thank you Governor.

Comment by proudstatetrooper Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 12:47 pm
Some people here clearly do not understand the definition of the word society.

Comment by Precinct Captain Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 2:02 pm
There’s that superstar word again; the 1970s wants their cliche back.

Comment by X-prof Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 2:07 pm
“Throughout the spring semester TPUSA will bring its Big Government Sucks campaign to over 1,000 college campuses nationwide,” the newsletter says.=

They better target the colleges and universities outside Illinois because the ones we have are dying a slow death.

Comment by Because I said so... Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 2:38 pm

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