Having their cake and eating it, too
Wednesday, Dec 11, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Tribune published an editorial today that took a shot at Republicans who voted against the pension reform bill. They specifically called out Tom Cross and Kirk Dillard in an editorial entitled “Why did Republicans reject pension reform?” This was the paper’s chief explanation of its headline…
Many of the Republicans depend on union support, even a few who describe themselves as backers of the tea party, shrink-government movement. They’ll tell you they’re all for curbing government spending — but given the chance, they voted “no.” They rail against the state’s fiscal woes, but they rejected the most significant cost reform legislation that had a chance of passing.
The nuances of the Dec. 3 roll call abound. Those nuances also explain long-standing weakness and division in this state’s Republican Party. If you can’t wrest your members from the thrall of public employee unions, if you can’t get them to support spending reform and limited government, how exactly do you distinguish yourselves from the other side?
Republicans by and large run for office in this state and nationally on a platform of fiscal conservatism. They pledge to improve Illinois’ business climate, to make this state more attractive for investment, to keep taxes low.
But when it was time to push the green button for pension reform, they turned into impostors.
The unions had nothing to do with Cross’ “No” vote. And while Bruce Rauner led the public charge against the bill, there was not a single mention of Rauner’s name in the entire Tribune editorial.
Instead, the Trib adopted Rauner’s rhetoric against the unions to rail against Republicans who took Rauner’s side.
Fascinating.
* The Tribune editorial board tipped its hand about Rauner in a December 2nd editorial that also pushed for pension reform…
Because they’ve owned state government through the Rod Blagojevich and Pat Quinn governorships, Democrats do own these problems. But Republicans in the past have been complicit in ruining Illinois’ finances — and in this campaign cycle, they should project the bold willingness to overhaul Springfield that might attract swing voters next year.
Will one of the Republicans running for governor emerge as Illinois’ answer to New Jersey’s Chris Christie, Wisconsin’s Scott Walker or Indiana’s Mitch Daniels and now Mike Pence, Republicans who persuaded their respective electorates to vote for revolutionary agendas?
We don’t know. Several of the Republicans come across as go-along-to-get-along candidates, proud that they know everyone in Springfield. In a state as blue as Illinois, that small-bore approach is all but guaranteed to be a dead-bang loser.
To my eyes, anyway, that looks like a preview of a Rauner endorsement.
Just sayin…
- Chris - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 10:34 am:
“To my eyes, anyway, that looks like a preview of a Rauner endorsement.”
Is there any serious doubt? Seemed done and done, to me, once the field was set.
- too obvious - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 10:43 am:
I agree failure to mention Rauner was lame, but otherwise that editorial is excellent. Trib nailed it for a change.
And how do you know “the unions had nothing to do with Cross’ ‘No’ vote”? I don’t think Tom Cross has given a reasonable explanation for what he did, and if he did, who would believe him anyway about anything?
Tom Cross looks like a spineless goof who betrays his own positions. I do know that much.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 10:45 am:
The grave-dancers who own the Trib are desperate to unload it. They want out of newspapers so they can focus on bad TV and radio programming.
Rauner is wired to and the poster boy for big-money. This is no time to honk off potential suckers.
- Neil - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 10:47 am:
I used to enjoy the Trib, I even agreed with them most of the time but they have exposed themselves on this pension issue. It is almost like the ed board doesn’t read the paper itself. I get bashing on Dillard’s argument which is so weak but to bash on the other side after your paper wrote that the bill does not prevent the tax increase from expiring???
Rich you have done a great job exposing them, it has made me think that it might be time for the papers to stop wasting money on ed boards and put it back into real news. Or better yet, maybe the Trib could use it to pay down their own pension liability.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 10:47 am:
After all that huffing and puffing the Tribune Editorial Staff did, including their resident members who take such ‘Pride’ in Pension knowledge, the Tribune can not take Rauner’s side quick enough.
Maybe before they write an Editorial, how about they write it, then take 4 hours or so to decide if they should support it,
I mean, 4 hours is enough time for Rauner to tell you if he agrees too.
Pretty embarrassing “read”, considering a lack of acknowledgement of the political reasoning.
On the bright side, it fits the space awfully swell, and the spelling is better than mine…. so….
- walkinfool - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 10:48 am:
Ok, Attack those who voted against the pension bill, and then endorse the key candidate calling for a No vote.
Makes perfect sense in Trib world.
- CircularFiringSquad - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 10:58 am:
“Exposing” Billboard “30Votes” Cross and DLard really not needed. It might have been breathtaking to see if the Tribbies could say anything nice about Ds who they spent years yelling at like some junior highers
- Bill White - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 11:01 am:
Based on today’s Tribune Editorial Board logic, Michael Madigan is the real hero of the hour.
- just sayin' - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 11:04 am:
Sam Zell is a big contributor to Rauner’s term limits effort. Of course, the Tribune is going to endorse him. Rauner was an owner of the Chicago Sun-Times and now they are - all of a sudden - going to start making endorsements again. So - what does that mean? It means Rauner has bought up the Tribune and Sun-Times just like he has everyone else.
- AFSCME Steward - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 11:04 am:
Now even the extreme right Tea Party backers are RINOs ?
“Many of the Republicans depend on union support, even a few who describe themselves as backers of the tea party, shrink-government movement. They’ll tell you they’re all for curbing government spending — but given the chance, they voted “no.” They rail against the state’s fiscal woes, but they rejected the most significant cost reform legislation that had a chance of passing.”
- Jechislo - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 11:05 am:
Bill Brady also fits in here somewhere.
- olddog - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 11:05 am:
=== The Tribune editorial board tipped its hand * * * Will one of the Republicans running for governor emerge as Illinois’ answer to New Jersey’s Chris Christie, Wisconsin’s Scott Walker or Indiana’s Mitch Daniels and now Mike Pence, Republicans who persuaded their respective electorates to vote for revolutionary agendas? ===
Yep. Sounds like they hope the Koch brothers will change their minds about buying them.
- Powell - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 11:09 am:
an utterly ridiculous and completely lazy editorial. the trib’s laziness on the bill will ultimately crush their credibility on this issue overall.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 11:13 am:
“thrall of public employee unions”
More hatespeak and dog whistles from the Trib. Unions are castrated dogs and now slave keepers.
“Fascinating”
And hypocritical, if the Trib goes on to endorse Rauner. The Trib’s hatred of unions would skew any consistency in its viewpoints. It will support the candidate who is harshest to unions.
- dupage dan - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 11:20 am:
=== It is almost like the ed board doesn’t read the paper itself ===
yep
- tominchicago - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 11:22 am:
Powell - “an utterly ridiculous and completely lazy editorial. the trib’s laziness on the bill will ultimately crush their credibility on this issue overall.”
Hate to say it but the Trib lost its credibility on pretty much every issue a while ago. The paper is a rag now. The RedEye has more credibility.
- for the record - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 11:26 am:
Tribune endorsement?!?
Who cares? Their track record stinks.
They haven’t endorsed a winner since George Ryan.
- John Galt - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 11:31 am:
That was pretty sloppy writing. In reality, the ILGOP is all over the map,on the pension votes. You’ve got:
1) “NO” votes due to some members being owned by the public sector unions.
2) More moderate “YES” votes from either anti-union legislators recognizing a need for incrementalism, or alternatively typically pro-union legislators perhaps getting heat from their right flank to show some independence from the unions..
3) Hard core anti-union legislators who reject the incremental approach.
What’s strange is a GOPer could easily vote “NO” on this, and their reasoning could be diametrically opposed to a fellow “NO” vote, even on the same side of the aisle.
- BMAN - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 11:39 am:
PERHAPS! Those that voted against the pension reform bill, did so because it was the right thing to do and had enough conscious and spine to stand against the madigan machine.
- Chris - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 11:46 am:
“Sam Zell is a big contributor to Rauner’s term limits effort. Of course, the Tribune is going to endorse him”
Um, Zell doesn’t control the Tribune Company anymore. And the company is bearing the risk of a number of Zell’s tax-avoidance structures. If corporations were more like people, the Tribune Company would be Seriously ticked off with Zell.
- Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 12:01 pm:
I hope Bruce Dold and other members of the edit board have been working hard on their yoga as the contortions they’re going to put themselves into require some serious intellectual, err, shall we say, FLEXIBILITY.
- Princess Leah - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 12:03 pm:
Finally, an editorial that exposes rank and file GOP for what they are — but more importantly — how they have behaved for years. The Dems have done virtually all of the heavy lifting while the GOP members throw rocks and run for cover.
GOP members have sunk to the lowest common denominator, blaming the State’s fiscal condition on everything from “illegal aliens” to Chicago Public Schools.
Editorial boards have bought into this and given the GOP rank and file cover to behave that way. Every editorial board in the state ought to reprint the Trib editorial and name names.
The pension vote is but a small example of what the GOP members have been able to get away with. They profess to go to Springfield to solve the State’s fiscal problems, but when the time comes to take a tough vote, their spines turn to jelly.
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 12:06 pm:
==Will one of the Republicans running for governor emerge as Illinois’ answer to New Jersey’s Chris Christie, Wisconsin’s Scott Walker or Indiana’s Mitch Daniels and now Mike Pence, Republicans who persuaded their respective electorates to vote for revolutionary agendas?==
Christie & Walker didn’t run on “revolutionary agendas” when they were originally elected. Yes, Walker won the recall, but he could not have run against what he just did. However, the electorate here is different from Wisconsin.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 12:25 pm:
Seems appropriate given title of the post. To the Trib editorial board and ownership: BITE ME!!!
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 12:28 pm:
===Will one of the Republicans running for governor emerge as Illinois’ answer to New Jersey’s Chris Christie, Wisconsin’s Scott Walker or Indiana’s Mitch Daniels and now Mike Pence, Republicans who persuaded their respective electorates to vote for revolutionary agendas?===
A good way to get …hammered … here is to compare Illinois to any state, and then to say Illinois needs what another state has is a close second to that …hammering.
What makes Chris Christie unique is that Chris Christie is uniquely “New Jersey”.
You can make that “same” case for Walker, (if you have to, but why?), but recognizing that Walker and Christie are special and unique for their state and circumstances, whining about Illinois not having “one” and bashing every ….
Union understanding, social moderate, from outside cook and the Collars, tough, unafraid…
Sounds like Jim Edgar.
Union understanding, politcally a master of the governmental aspect of governor, big agenda, big idea, and not a Chicago basher, embracing the economic engine …
Sounds like Jim Thompson.
Edgar and Thompson are to Illinois what Christie is to New Jersey and Walker is to Wisconin;
They were/are products of what is seen as “best” of what we want our state to be, and moving agendas towards that goal is/was a calling card.
Wake up, Trib. Edgar and Thompson Republicans are getting phased out … by Griffins and Rauners, Slytherins and Purity.
Makes you wat to go OUT and get ….hammered.
- cicero - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 12:52 pm:
How can the Trib blast GOP legislators who voted no yet endorse the Republican who led the fight against the bill? Orwell would’ve called it doublethink.
- PoolGuy - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 1:14 pm:
the average voter could read what Rich posted above 4-5 times and still be like huh? what? no comprende…
and if there was a Tea party candidate, would they have supported or opposed it and for what reasons too? jeesh confusing times we live in, at least here in Illinois.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 1:19 pm:
“Christie & Walker”
These pols are the darlings of the Trib and Kochs, but their bubbles of untruth need a little popping. Their economic policies are not working out so well. New Jersey has one of the highest unemployment rates, and Wisconsin performed badly in job creation for most if not all of Walker’s term–possibly even less than the national average. Liberal Minnesota has been doing much better economically, and it may also be fiscally decent. Corporate tax breaks in both states failed to produce the jobs they were supposed to produce. Both states had big budget cuts.
- Richard Tanner - Wednesday, Dec 11, 13 @ 9:52 pm:
In the little town I live in, 60 years ago everyone had an outhouse out back. Number 1 item to be found in there was the Tribune. My Dad used to say he didn`t read it he smelled it. It was all you know what anyway.