* Bruce Rauner had some harsh words for Congressman Aaron Schock when he talked to Bernie Schoenburg recently. “I do not think he’s the right person or qualified to be governor — not even close,” Rauner said.
Schock fired back…
“I find that interesting,” Schock told me this week, “coming from someone who four years ago met with me and encouraged me to run for governor … and said that he and his friends would raise me all the money I ever needed.”
Schock said Rauner had “asked to meet with me” back then.
* Schock also had this to say about the upcoming primary…
“I think I can make the case to my primary voters that maybe we need to be thinking about who can actually win the general election,” he said. “Because at the end of the day, being the nominee isn’t worth anything if you can’t win the general election.”
* More from Rauner…
Rauner told me that creating wealth in Illinois and improving schools are among his passions. He said Indiana Gov. MITCH DANIELS is “sort of my hero.”
“It’s amazing that the worst-run state in the country (Illinois) is right next door to the best one,” he said. “They’re cleaning our clock, taking our jobs.” He also said their schools are “much better than ours.”
He described himself as a “free-market, conservative Republican,” but also said his wife, DIANA MENDLEY RAUNER, is a Democrat.
“Nobody’s perfect,” he said. “I love her anyway.”
* Meanwhile, Rauner recently penned an op-ed in support of allowing Illinois counties to impose their own so-called “right to work” laws…
A worker shouldn’t be under a union boss’ thumb any more than under a business boss’ thumb. Increasingly, employers are relocating to these pro-employment freedom states, and are only looking at those states when considering job expansion decisions.
These labor issues, along with high taxes, restrictive regulations and high litigation costs have pushed more and more employers out of Illinois for years. We used to lead the nation in manufacturing employment; now, we’ve declined to merely the national average. As employers and jobs leave, our tax burden is spread over fewer taxpayers, increasing the costs for all of us who choose to remain in Illinois.
The result is a long-term death spiral that can only be reversed by becoming much more attractive to businesses and their investors and much more pro-job creation for workers.
Illinois need not adopt the exact reforms found in Wisconsin, Indiana, or Michigan. But we sure need to move in that direction if we are going to compete for jobs.
One creative solution is available to us that has not been tried elsewhere. Under federal labor law, states may authorize their local communities to decide for themselves whether to embrace right-to-work.
Why not empower Sangamon County, or Effingham County, or any of our other local governments, to decide for themselves if they would like to compete for the jobs that come with new manufacturing plants or transportation facilities built by the many hundreds of companies that will only consider expanding in flexible work areas?
* The Illinois AFL-CIO President was not amused…
A 2011 study conducted by the Economic Policy Institute found that workers in states with right-to-work laws earned, on average, $1,500 less annually than workers in closed-shop states.
The wage discrepancy is even higher for women and minorities. The rate of employer-sponsored health insurance and pensions is also lower in right-to-work states. It is not a coincidence that eight of the top 10 poorest states are so called right-to-work.
While out-of-state corporations and venture capitalists would benefit by paying significantly lower wages and virtually no benefits, the very fabric keeping our communities together today would unravel. The “race to the bottom” would hasten the decline and harm working families who are investing their time and efforts to make their communities better places to live. Responsible job creation for all throughout Illinois is the key to rebuilding our economy, not selling out working families.
* Related…
* Jim Dey: Beleaguered GOP looks to avoid family fight
- PublicServant - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 7:05 am:
Bruce, can you and Bill Brady please run in the Republican primary for governor? I’m looking forward to a frank discussion of your ideas.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 8:08 am:
I wonder who Schock and Rauner are competing for at this point? It can’t be GOP primary voters, because Rauner’s name recognition has to be about zero.
I suspect it’s out-of-state, superpac sugar-daddies.
Dillard, Brady, Rutherford (Murphy?, Walsh, JBT?), enjoy the spectacle.
- Amuzing Myself - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 8:21 am:
Unions are the fabric holding our communities together right now?! HA! Now that’s funny!
- Excessively Rabid - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 8:28 am:
“I do not think he’s the right person or qualified to be governor — not even close,”
Neither do I. The scary thing is, he may be the closest we can get.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 8:28 am:
This is delicious.
Rauner is going to be the next Millionarie Dope who, when shined with the bright light of scrutiny, and the Illinois electorate sees the nastiness, will be thrown to the wayside.
Until then, the “scorched earth” style of trying to take out all threats, one by one, will be a spectacle. Plus, Rauner will fall into the “money trap”. …
“I don’t need a field operation against, Lisa, against Bill Daley, or even Pat Quinn! I have money and that is what wins in Illinois.”
Please, Aaron, I know it will seem like you are backing down to a fight, but please, forget this race and take your 10 years make Chairman of Ways and Means your future. It may look weak for about a year, but after this all shakes out, you will look like the smart one, still around and kicking.
- ZC - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 8:48 am:
Heh. Illinois need not enact the same reforms in Wisconsin -now-. That is Stage Two…
- Downstate - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 9:26 am:
How do we as a state remain competitive for attracting new business, when every other state around us is enacting “right-to-work” laws?
I love the idea of allowing each county to decide for themselves.
- western illinois - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 9:28 am:
I though Rauner was so rich why does he need to to impress superpacs? Maybe the Scrock/Rauner fight will result in an establishmnet win.
- Yogi - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 9:30 am:
so one of the larger missteps the Brady campaign made last election was opining on right to work rather late in the campaign when the unions were already beginning to sit on their hands with Quinn. Brady’s comments fired up the unions (both public and private) and cost him critical support in key areas–like Sangamon and Cook burbs (yes, a lot of tradespeople who would vote GOP live in cook burbs) Rauner, analyzing that election and with his team of DC consultants in place, chooses to begin his campaign on that note. Right to work impacts a lot of conservative trades unions– people that vote Republican that you will need in both the primary and general. It’s deja vu, all over again.
- Ahoy! - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 9:33 am:
–“Because at the end of the day, being the nominee isn’t worth anything if you can’t win the general election.”–
Glad to see a Republican recognize this, now they all need to take a hard left to the middle.
- Anyone Remember? - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 9:47 am:
Mitch Daniels? The guy who squandered Bill Clinton’s surplus, and when called on it, said he’s “not the White House librarian.” ??
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-07-14/news/0207140364_1_national-emergency-budget-deficit-president-bush
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 9:49 am:
–I though Rauner was so rich why does he need to to impress superpacs?–
It’s a new world of a lot more money, potentially, in state races.
As an aside, Charles Thomas interviewed Schock last night, and aftewards called Schock “a self-described moderate.”
Is that how Schock describes himself? If so, it’s an interesting position to take if you’re thinking of entering a donnybrook of a statewide GOP primary.
- Cincinnatus - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 9:52 am:
What’s better, lower wages and greater employment or the other way around?
- shore - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 9:59 am:
The party needs a bloody nasty fight. It’s not just about “winning” it’s what “winning” means. The party has no idea what it is or what it wants right now other than people who merely think like dillard they are “owed” office because they’ve hung around for a long time.
I don’t like Rauner but in fairness to the guy he’s the only one of the Brady, Schock, Dillard, Rutherford cabal who has taken strong positions on issues and gotten out there and done anything other than plot from the nosebleed seats.
If I were him I’d spend hours every day debating because he was not articulate at all and I think he, dillard and rutherford need to focus on their physical appearances because they’re not going to look good on tv especially the latter who are overweight against a telegenic guy like schock.
- OneMan - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:04 am:
Shore,
I would suggest he also spend some time on the ground, start calling folks, getting to know people.
Also give an understanding of why he wants to run.
- The Captain - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:06 am:
Whoa, slow down Republicans. At this pace I’m going to run out of popcorn.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:07 am:
===It’s not just about “winning” it’s what “winning” means. The party has no idea what it is or what it wants right now other than people who merely think like dillard they are “owed” office because they’ve hung around for a long time. ===
No, it’s about WINNING. Brady wins, we don’t have the Map Problems. But, make sure the “RINO”s get what’s comming to them, and let us not forget to punish the “Wingnuts”, to show them! We lose, but boy, we get taught lessons… lessons that are never learned, but get taught lessons none the less.
Sorry, it IS about winning.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:08 am:
–What’s better, lower wages and greater employment or the other way around? –
Are lower wages the goal of right-to-work laws? I’m shocked. All this time I thought it was about individual freedom.
Low wages and unregulated, laissez-faire capitalism aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be.
Caterpillar just lost half their four-quarter income — about $600 million — after they got snookered buying a former state-owned enterprise in China where the books were apparently a little less than transparent.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/simonmontlake/2013/01/21/alleged-fraud-at-caterpillars-chinese-acquisition-puts-spotlight-on-u-s-principals/
- Cincinnatus - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:22 am:
As usual, you read into people’s comments your own meaning. The goal of right-to work laws are as stated in Rauner’s article:
“A worker shouldn’t be under a union boss’ thumb any more than under a business boss’ thumb.”
You often come out for “choice” but when that choice is a workers right to work in an entity like state government, you feel that right is trumped by the rights of unions. Should not a worker be able to work in a closed shop if he chooses to not join a union? And don’t get me started about how the union should be “paid” because they are negotiating for all the workers and can opt out of the political portion of the dues. That is nothing but eyewash to allow closed shops.
Unions provided America with safety and humane treatment of workers, a role taken over by the government in the past few decades. What is the role of unions now? I don’t know if they have evolved and are consistent with a 21st century economy.
- walkinfool - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:24 am:
Rauner and Schock are both unqualified for the office. But what’s new?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:24 am:
Just an aside ….
Where was Rauner when Jason Plummer ran for LG? Was Jason more qualified then, to Aaron Schock’s qualifications … now?
Does …money … make someone more qualified?
According to the silence of Rauner in the past, all the while recruiting Aaron for governor (allegedly), and silence on Plummer?
Rauner/Plummer? Both have money, they are business leaders, they know about small business …
Just an aside … what are/were Rauner’s thoughts on Plummer, being a “hearbeat” away from running the 5th largest state? “Not even close”?
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:28 am:
Cincy, the words I read were yours:
–What’s better, lower wages and greater employment or the other way around? –
Were you not talking about right-to-work laws?
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:41 am:
I’m glad President Obama mentioned income inequality in his inaugural address. Income inequality in my opinion is a major problem, and people like Bruce Rauner make it worse. The U.S. is ranked at the bottom of rich nations in income inequality.
Rauner is trying to scare us about our neighbor states and is not fully telling the truth. Wisconsin was just ranked 42nd in job creation, and it has a higher income tax than Illinois. Wisconsin has tried tax cuts for relocating corporations to attract business, but that doesn’t seem to be working. Illinois lost jobs to Indiana in 2010 or 2011, but the loss was offset by a gain in startups. Michigan enacted right to work like a thief in the night, and its governor cited Indiana as proof that it works, but there is a counterargument to this also.
Right to work states don’t do as well economically for wage earners compared to union states. Higher costs of living in some union states bring the numbers closer, but those costs are willingly paid by residents of states like New York and California, because the states have great amenities. If we approve of higher costs of living because we like what we are paying for, then right to work states are even worse.
- Kasich Walker, Jr. - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:44 am:
“…with safety and humane treatment of workers, a role taken over by the government in the past few decades…”
I heard Nader the other day talking about this: there are more workplace related deaths in the US each year than those who died — including the terrorists — on 9-11.
If the minimum wage had kept up with inflation it would be about over $10/hour.
If US leading employers are no longer concerned about employee health care costs it’s probably because they don’t offer coverage or they don’t won’t to upset their insurance industry brethren believers in the healing power of Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent market place solution by lobbying for universal single payer coverage.
- Kasich Walker, Jr. - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:58 am:
LOL, even the NY Times…oh, I forgot: to indicate how far right this country has fell, that publication is commonly referred to as “liberal” — has written editorials backing minimum wage increases.
- shore - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:04 am:
===It’s not just about “winning” it’s what “winning” means. The party has no idea what it is or what it wants right now other than people who merely think like dillard they are “owed” office because they’ve hung around for a long time. ===
No, it’s about WINNING. Brady wins, we don’t have the Map Problems. But, make sure the “RINO”s get what’s comming to them, and let us not forget to punish the “Wingnuts”, to show them! We lose, but boy, we get taught lessons… lessons that are never learned, but get taught lessons none the less.
Sorry, it IS about winning.
——-You are correct on this point. But there’s no remap in 2014-2018-it’s weird to say that year-and schneider, bustos, enyart, and foster can all be beaten anyway.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:12 am:
===We lose, but boy, we get taught lessons… lessons that are never learned, but get taught lessons none the less.===
That could not have been better said, Shore. Bravo.
- the Patriot - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:13 am:
What does it mean to be “qualified?” If you mean experience in private and public sector, understanding of government, finance, and pure intellectual competence the most two qualified candidates we have had since Edgar were Brady and Dillard. You may not like Brady gassing dogs, but do you really thing Quinn has a better understanding of how to run a responsible government? People cried saying you can’t cut 10% from education and Quinn is at 11% and counting. You don’t have to be qualified to be elected governor in IL. You need to pander to AFSME and the IEA, promise not to gas anyone’s dog, and keep sending entitlement checks. This is why Madigan is in trouble.
- Small Town Liberal - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:16 am:
Cinci - Middle class wages have remained flat and union membership has sharply declined in the last few decades, so where is this huge surge in overall employment you speak of?
- langhorne - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:20 am:
rich guys to the rescue. maybe rauner can get oberweis to run for lt gov w him.
- Cincinnatus - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:23 am:
STL,
I did not SAY that. I ASKED a question. As Rich would say, “Discuss.”
- Small Town Liberal - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:29 am:
Cinci - My bad, I assumed it was rhetorical. My answer would be that the question has no answer, because the economy and business cycles are much more complex than just wages.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:29 am:
===You are correct on this point. But there’s no remap in 2014-2018-it’s weird to say that year-and schneider, bustos, enyart, and foster can all be beaten anyway. ===
They can? With what? Ground game?
The Map was a lesson that it appears you still haven’t learned about. As the “RINO”s and “Wingnuts” both pound thier chests and say “we can get that back, that seat should be ours next time…” what is being done to stave off their re-elections besides the in-fighting.
It IS about winning, your response shows nothing is learned yet again, and when we Republicans get beaten on the streets and in the precints and in the polling places, both the “RINO”s and “Wingnuts” will say, “Well I hope *they* realize they blew that seat”, instead of looking at ALL of us blowing opportunities for each other.
- Formerly Known As... - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:30 am:
Talk about blundering the handling of this.
Schock and staff hit out at Rauner. Rauner calmly leans back and plays the fatherly figure. “He’s a nice kid and all, but he’s just not the right guy right now. It’s not a big deal. Don’t know why he’s coming after me so hard with these false claims. Maybe he feels threatened?”
Now mentioning Rauner previously supported the idea of Schock running for Governor 4 years ago? That’s an open invitation for Rauner to explain why he no longer considers Schock to be the sort of leader he expected and thought Schock would be after 4 years of evaluation.
Meanwhile, the contrast is self evident.
31 year old House Republican and lifetime politician arguing with a 56 year old successful businessman and education reform advocate married to a Democrat.
Rauner may not be the right guy for the job either after his donations to Democrats, but Schock and his staff are doing one heck of a job raising the profile of this guy early.
Quickly pointing the finger at Rauner without proof was a messy idea.
Inviting Rauner to explain why he no longer thinks you are a good candidate for Governor is even messier.
- Cincinnatus - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:44 am:
STL,
Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar!
- Formerly Known As... - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:48 am:
=== “Well I hope *they* realize they blew that seat”, instead of looking at ALL of us blowing opportunities for each other. ===
Oswego Willy, I could kiss you right now.
It’s like a bunch of kids all fighting to be king of the molehill while their neighbors build a mountain. With gold thrones. And chariots.
Shore, you too.
If a challenger strong enough to win a bloody primary and unite a winning coalition somehow emerged from the ashes, that sort of thing could immediately alter Republican fortunes in this state. A conservative, GOP version of Obama would be ideal.
The downside, of course, is if that challenger is strong enough to damage others and survive the primary but too weak and flawed to unite a winning coalition against Democrats.
*Winning a primary gets you, well… a really good seat at unity breakfasts. And maybe, if you’re lucky, some really good seats to the swearing in of your opponent.*
Even if you’re each making somewhat different points, you’re both making some sense and looking towards a brighter, more successful future.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:54 am:
Being a businessman doesn’t necessarily qualify you to be governor either. I laugh when people say that government should be run more like a business. Fine. Exactly how do you suggest that be done. People from the private sector business world come to state government and usually have a gross misunderstanding of what can and cannot be done. You cannot simply change things by fiat like you can in a business. Government is a series of convoluted rules and laws that you must wade through in order to govern effectively. You can have grand ideas, but unless you know how to work those ideas through the system, you will be most unsuccesful.
- dave - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 12:30 pm:
**Should not a worker be able to work in a closed shop if he chooses to not join a union?**
Cincy… the ironic thing is that RTW laws involve MORE government intervention in the market, not less. I thought you conservatives were against more government?
Further… as a conservative, do you now think that business owners have the right to enter into whatever contracts they so choose? Because there is no such thing has a private sector union shop that the employer did not agree to.
- dave - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 12:37 pm:
Oh… and this Shock/Rauner show is going to be fun to watch.
- Ahoy! - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 1:19 pm:
–RTW laws involve MORE government intervention in the market, not less.–
Dave, I’m actually torn on RTW laws and do not have an opinion on them yet. I do not understand the quote from above, can you explain this please?
- Endangered Moderate Species - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 1:43 pm:
The Champaign TV market ran the negative Schock ads all weekend. If Rauner is behind those ads, then he is serious about knocking the kid out this race before Schock gains any traction. Dillard and Rutherford may need to be concerned about what will happen if one of them move to the front of this race.
- Ahoy! - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 2:00 pm:
Also, didn’t we have a crowded Republican primary before with a rich guy running really negative ads against another candidate and than a candidate that nobody thought had a chance won?
That didn’t work out very well for anyone…. Except Governor Quinn, it worked out pretty well for him.
- Pot calling kettle - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 2:13 pm:
==Unions provided America with safety and humane treatment of workers, a role taken over by the government in the past few decades. What is the role of unions now?==
I thought that the Republican position is for less government oversight. If so, they should be promoting unions as a private sector solution.
If you look at recent coal mine disasters, they were caused by safety law violations in non-union mines. Why? Because there are not enough government inspectors and the system relies on reporting from workers. Union workers have a safe means of reporting.
This lack of regulators is true in all areas. The safe and humane treatment of workers relies on those workers reporting violations. In a non-union shop, that is asking to be fired.
In a union workplace, the union helps to ensure enforcement of all those wonderful workplace laws that would otherwise be ignored. The unions are very, very busy providing oversight which is paid for by dues and saves the government a lot of money on the enforcement side.
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 2:30 pm:
Rauner says we should limit unions so we can attract manufacturing jobs. There is some bad news about the manufacturing recovery. It’s full of lower-paying jobs. These are not the jobs that used to bring workers into the middle class. These jobs make investors wealthy, and they don’t want to put their money into businesses that have unions. How this wage degradation helps the economy escapes me.
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-01-16/business/36383975_1_factory-workers-factory-jobs-labor-union
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 2:47 pm:
I’d rather have either guy, than Quinn. You guys are posting like Quinn is an adequate governor or something.
Arguing, just to argue? Politics stink.
- dave - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 3:25 pm:
**–RTW laws involve MORE government intervention in the market, not less.–
Dave, I’m actually torn on RTW laws and do not have an opinion on them yet. I do not understand the quote from above, can you explain this please?**
Simple — RTW laws forbid private employers entering into a specific kind of contract with a private organization. That, by definition, is the government intervening in the private sector, correct?
- reformer - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 4:30 pm:
In the last GOP primary, the candidate with deep pockets (McKenna) attacked Dillard and Ryan, which allowed Brady to snatch the nomination. Who will benefit from Rauner’s negative campaigning in ‘14? Could be Walsh — the only Republican Quinn could beat.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 4:48 pm:
==In the last GOP primary, the candidate with deep pockets (McKenna) attacked Dillard and Ryan, which allowed Brady to snatch the nomination==
Ugh. You have a bigger problems than that.
Total GOP Primary Voters: 767,000
Total Dem Primary Voters: 915,726
General:
Quinn: 1,745,219
Brady: 1,713,385
Those 150,000 Dem primary votes look a little large, don’t they?
Have I mentioned? Cook County going — for the GOP at 29% — casts more GOP votes than DuPage, Lake and Will together?
What did Willie Sutton say?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 4:54 pm:
- wordslinger -,
How is your back? Thanks for carrying the facts along to dispel some thoughts of what needs to be done, and WHERE it need to BE done.
- Ruby - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 5:45 pm:
Of all the potential Democratic and Republican challengers, only Lisa can defeat Governor Quinn. But we won’t know if she will run until closer to the primary.