* Here we go again.
From 2011…
A group of drivers filed a lawsuit against Cardinal Logistics Management Corp. alleging that Cardinal misclassified drivers as independent contractors.
The drivers allege that they were employees, as opposed to independent contractors, and the misclassification allowed Cardinal to be relieved of the obligation to reimburse the drivers for any and all employment claims. The drivers also contend that Cardinal avoided giving them required meal and rest breaks, avoided keeping itemized wage statements and paying for workers’ compensation insurance.
The parties have reached a settlement which would require Cardinal to pay $3.75 million to create a settlement fund.
Cardinal Logistics Management Corp. was owned at the time by… you guessed it, GTCR Golder, Rauner...
“We are extremely pleased with Cardinal’s performance in growing the business profitably and we think the market for outsourced, specialized, high-intensity local fleet operations will continue to enjoy significant growth.
“Cardinal’s innovative capabilities and national infrastructure are ideally suited to create value for its clients in that arena,” said Dave Donnini, member of Cardinal’s Board of Directors and Principal of GTCR Golder Rauner LLC.
* From 2007, when the lawsuit was originally filed…
[Plaintiffs attorney] Jennifer Whipple characterizes the case as “one of the most blatant cases of deliberate misclassification” she’s ever seen. […]
The lawsuit claims that Cardinal directs and controls the work its delivery drivers perform, but has established an elaborate system and a series of documents to disguise the employer-employee relationship. For example, Cardinal requires the drivers to agree to provide their own equipment to perform deliveries, but also requires them to lease the trucks from the company and cover all costs, such as fuel and maintenance, the suit says. It also charges that as a condition of employment, the drivers are required to establish their own corporations or limited liability companies, which “serve no purpose other that to perpetuate and shield Cardinal’s scheme.”
The complaint stems from the specific case of Gerald Smith of Reno, Nev., represented by Whipple, who worked as a delivery driver for Cardinal, driving a Home Depot-labeled truck and wearing a uniform with both Home Depot and Cardinal logos from May 2004 to November 2006.
Smith worked eight to 10 hours a day, six days a week, receiving a weekly paycheck from Cardinal after the company deducted a substantial proportion of his earnings for expenses, calculated entirely by Cardinal, the suit said. All of his work was done at the company’s direction.
“This company ignores its legal responsibilities to its workers and is maximizing profits at the expense of its workers,” Whipple said. “It is illegal and grossly unfair, and we look forward to getting some justice for these drivers.”
* From 2012…
After a 15-year holding period, GTCR has sold Cardinal Logistics Management Inc ., a third-party transportation logistics provider with $325 million in revenue, to Centrebridge Partners, according to Jerry Bowman , president of Cardinal Logistics.
Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed..
Hat tip: William Kelly, who is a vehement Rauner hater. Still, those links don’t lie.
* By the way, GTCR bought Cardinal in 1997 and both were promptly sued by JB Hunt, which alleged Cardinal was trying to steal its employees and clients and attempting “blackmail.”
- RNUG - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:14 pm:
This just keeps reading like the plays in a corporate raider’s handbook.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:14 pm:
It appears we have seen but the tip of the iceberg.
And the S.S. Rauner is heading straight for it.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:20 pm:
The guy’s a corporate outlaw.
Believe him when he tells you he will run the state like he runs his businesses. And vote accordingly.
- Sir Reel - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:25 pm:
I wonder how Mr. Rauner will “maximize profits” as Governor?
Maybe turn State employees into “independent contractors.”
- MrJM - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:27 pm:
His world view couldn’t be clearer: Bruce Rauner is the Baron and the rest of us are mere serfs.
– MrJM
- Willie Stark - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:30 pm:
“Behind every great fortune lies a great crime.”
Honore de Balzac
- Cincinnatus - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:32 pm:
Any RICO settlements here?
- Bill White - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:39 pm:
It appears that numerous drivers decided that they would prefer to be classified as employees. We are now honoring that request. We have no problem classifying those drivers as employees despite an established track record of such persons being independent contractors. We thank you for your concern, now move along peacefully, nothing more to see here.
/snark
- Hey There - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:39 pm:
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Rauner is beginning to make Mitt and Bain look like amateurs. And to think that more of these stories will likely be coming out over the next few weeks. Wow!
- Wensicia - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:40 pm:
This happened to my late husband. He was a driver for a small company that classified him as an independent contractor, though he drove exclusively for them 6 days a week, ten hours a day. I filed a compliant with the IRS, while I paid his SS and Medicare contributions (which weren’t matched by his employers). It took the IRS five years to decide he was their employee, not IC, and they wrote a letter to me saying I’d better make up his taxes, two years after he passed. This is a disgusting way for companies to make profits, especially when their business was compensated for my husband’s services by the state in this case. I never heard if any penalty was lodged against the company.
- langhorne - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:40 pm:
brucey, you got some ’splainin to do.
did you know? if not, why not? or was it a simple calculation–$3,750,000 settlement (almost a months pay for you) vs $325,000,000 in revenue stream. just a drip in the bucket.
drip, drip, drip
no press release, no ads. answers, please, if there are any to be had.
- langhorne - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:42 pm:
what is the business model here? serfs and fiefs? sharecroppers? or a combination?
- Demoralized - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:44 pm:
Fits right in with Rauner’s belief that we need to lower the minimum wage. Step all over the little guys while making your wealth. Rauner is the kind of person that gives all rich people a bad name.
- unspun - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:44 pm:
He’s the George Pullman of the 21st century. Exploit workers and milk every dime possible in the relentless and unabashed pursuit of profit, ignoring the collateral damage that is caused.
- PoolGuy - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:47 pm:
where are the “move along, nothing to see here” posters on this one. Bain Capital is looking like a no-nonsense do-gooder by comparison.
- circularfiringsquad - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:49 pm:
Opps Brucey gives everyone another vision of how his biz background will control the government…he is starting to make George & Blagoof look like reformers
- Dirty Red - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:49 pm:
If I were a producer at WTVP, I’d be ecstatic and keep my fingers crossed the Brucey doesn’t back out of tonight’s debate. The loyal “Illinois Stories” audience is in for a real treat!
- LincolnLounger - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:52 pm:
If he survives to the general, no amount of his vast fortunate can put enough lipstick on this well-fed pig.
Think of a GOP statewide ticket led by Oberweis and Rauner and consider the 30-second commercials that will blanket this state. They won’t be focused on the economy, pensions, or gross, irresponsible fiscal management by the Democrats. Instead we will talk about right-to-work, illegal immigration, pay-to-play, and corporate behavior that will make the Enron folks look cuddly by comparison.
Think the Illinois GOP largely is irrelevant now? Wait until that Gruesome Twosome drags down GOP turnout and sends independents and moderates screaming back into Pat Quinn’s incompetent arms.
Four more years, indeed.
- Formerly Known As... - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:52 pm:
@Wensicia - I just want to say that I am sorry to hear that. Your late husband sounds like he was a hardworking and honest man. Surely I am not alone in thinking so.
- Toure's Latte - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:53 pm:
At this point Quinn may be getting confused. Too much ammo for just one campaign.
- Whatever - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:54 pm:
Interesting that Dillard seems to have taken a page from this playbook — paying all his campaign staffers as “consultants”, ie. independent contractors.
- Snucka - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:54 pm:
Serious question to consider: how long can Rauner go, skipping debates and campaigning without answering questions from the media or candidates? I know he has a ton of cash, but voters need to feel like they connect with a candidate. Ads and press releases are fine, but not enough.
- Rauner's inner mono - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:58 pm:
“Look all we were doing was trying to help promote small business ownership. The more i think about it, the more i think tort reform (like by eliminating those pesky civil courts) is my number one priority. yeah, THATS the ticket”
- OneMan - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 2:00 pm:
I listen from time to time to the trucking channel on my satellite radio and there is a trucking business guy on who talks about this sort of thing I think (but I think they are more rent to own and or they finance you) and you are treated like a OO (owner operator) but in a lot of ways (because you are tied to the company) you are not really one.
If I also recall correctly, he isn’t a fan.
- Samurai - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 2:06 pm:
shammerandsnake on those high worker compensation premiums saved. #workcompreform @screwlittleguy
- abc123 - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 2:07 pm:
“Blatant” — according to the plaintiff’s lawyer. Hmm.
- so... - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 2:08 pm:
Independent contracting is very common in the trucking industry. In fact, most, if not all, of Fed-Ex’s drivers are independent contractors. Lots of people don’t like it, particularly unions that want to organize the drivers, but this is not something that EVIL EVIL Bruce Rauner came up with on his own.
- Samurai - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 2:15 pm:
@ Whatever==Dillard seems to have taken a page from this playbook — paying all his campaign staffers as “consultants”, ie. independent contractors==
Oh, you mean like Bruce was paying Stu Levine as a $300,000.00 a year “consultant”, i.e independent contractor?
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 2:17 pm:
===this is not something that EVIL EVIL Bruce Rauner came up with on his own. ===
Stop arguing against points that were never made.
Stipulated that it’s common. Also, too, the company paid millions to settle.
- PoolGuy - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 2:29 pm:
I don’t think Bruce is evil and don’t have a problem he’s made tons of money. but he’s running for an elected office. Owning companies that mistreated seniors and drivers does not look good from a “running for office” standpoint.
and just because you have a PE firm and you set up multiple corporations that in turn own and operate other companies does not 100% insulate you from what those companies are doing. if so then I would say that PE firms themselves can be described as evil when they do these sorts of things to people.
he also wants to lower the minimum wage but he made $50+ million last year. he wants to cut workers pensions but he made millions off those same pensions. used to insider influence to get his suburban daughter into an elite Chicago prep school and denyed a disadvantaged Chicago youth from that spot.
any of this illegal or criminal? probably not. but it looks very bad for a mega rich equity investor wanting to be the next Governor of Illinois.
so when commentors say this has no legs, meh other people do the same or worse, deflect blame, or plausible deniability. those other people doing it are not running for Governor. if Bruce keeps saying baloney it’s really starting to sound like he doesn’t care about people — from a campaigning standpoint. my opinion of course.
- Montrose - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 2:31 pm:
If mainstream media starts covering these items, the unions might save a ton of money.
- oyvah today - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 2:31 pm:
Rich daley did the same thing with the hired truck scandal. …….is that birds chirping?
- veritas - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 2:37 pm:
One thing is abundantly clear even before more allegations are made: Rauner is not a genius investor with a Midas touch who can apply the same magic to state government. Another phrase for magic is “slight of hand” and that’s Cousin Brucey and his $18 watch that tells the time of day, but not the time to exit the playing field.
- He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 2:38 pm:
WOW, and to think I was going to have to change my Nickname!!!!
- PublicServant - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 2:39 pm:
Rauner is consistent at least. But consistently without morals isn’t what one should be shooting for.
- steve schnorf - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 2:41 pm:
sounds a little like Fast Motor Freight, which ended up costing a guY an election or two
- hisgirlfriday - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 2:44 pm:
Man that “past investments” section on the GTCR website is an oppo researchers dream.
Can I put in a request that Kelly or Ibendahl write about HomeBanc tomorrow? (Hint: mortgage meltdown + bankruptcy + “cultish” megachurch-centered business practices + shareholder & ex-employee lawsuits)
- Cincinnatus - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 2:44 pm:
- Whatever - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 1:54 pm:
Interesting that Dillard seems to have taken a page from this playbook — paying all his campaign staffers as “consultants”, ie. independent contractors.
==========================
And you probable discovered this strawman argument by looking at the Dillard D-2s. Were you able to deduce the folks working for the Baron that way? Oh, wait, you couldn’t because he skirted the campaign finance rules and kept doing it until he was caught…
- truth hurts sometimes - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 2:48 pm:
Bruce Rauner: “Alex Trebek, I’ll pick moral lapses for a $1000″
- McHenry Rube - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 2:49 pm:
Wonder if any township committees that endorsed this guy are having buyer’s remorse.
- Whatever - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 2:53 pm:
Cincy — while I agree Rauner shouldn’t be hiding his staff salaries behind a payroll company, that arrangement still likely means he’s at least paying payroll taxes. Dillard, er, not so much!
- walker - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 2:56 pm:
Fairly common practices now in America, no matter how ugly and unfair.
“If it makes me more money, it must be right, because the “free market” would correct itself if it were wrong.”
Adam Smith would roll over in his grave, if he knew how political Conservatives have trashed his best ideas.
Studying Rauner is going to be a course on just how immoral our corporate cultures have become in the past thirty years, with economic justifications for destructive behavior, the decline of unions, and less regulation.
Rauner’s not special; he’s typical.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 3:15 pm:
“EVIL EVIL Bruce Rauner”
These stories that have been coming out add to the already negative image I had of him. I hope that Rutherford wins. I don’t support the other two guys, Brady and Dillard, but my God, they’re human beings. If any of you support the other two, I give you my best wishes for success in this campaign.
After reading these stories, wow. Greedy super-rich people trampling over the poorest and sickest people for profit, and ripping off workers who earn so much less than them. Speechless.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 3:17 pm:
–sounds a little like Fast Motor Freight, which ended up costing a guY an election or two–
Cosentino? That was a hard fall late in the game.
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 3:21 pm:
State workers-your retirement savings were invested in this scam. Lason, nursing homes? Yep. Them too.
Remember that when this arrogant snake oil salesman rails against “union bosses” and touts his “tremendous returns.”
- Chavez-respecting Obamist - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 3:22 pm:
And next, his employees will be paid in scrip and forced to buy from the company store.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 3:28 pm:
AA, spot on.
- Norseman - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 3:32 pm:
Sign outside of the offices of GTCR Golder Rauner LLC. “Please leave your ethics at the door.”
- Ghost - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 3:40 pm:
=== Independent contracting is very common in the trucking industry. In fact, most, if not all, of Fed-Ex’s drivers are independent contractors. Lots of people don’t like it, particularly unions that want to organize the drivers, but this is not something that EVIL EVIL Bruce Rauner came up with on his own. ====
Fed Ex is facing some 40-50 class actions suits. But I am not sure when 2 wrongs made something right.
Guy rob’s a bank so therefore its ok for all to rob banks?
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 3:55 pm:
It may not be right but everyone else does it and gets away with it, in order to be competetive, your company probably has to do it. I speak in generalities, of course
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 4:02 pm:
Presumably, this is how Rauner intends to run the state. All state employees will be “independent contractors.” So much for the unions! We could run the schools this way as well. This method also solves the pension crisis. Imagine the money he will save us by running the prisons like a chain of nursing homes?
Now, who wants to tell Bruce that he can’t line his pockets with the savings?
- Percival - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 4:11 pm:
I can see that this is a common practice in a lot of industries. But he’s running for Governor, and the saintly requirement is a bit high. The image problem to me is with the average voter realizing how much power the Governor has over their benefits, pensions, whatever. The track record here is telling people that he is unafraid to utterly screw them. This guy is getting more and more wide open to an ad campaign body blow. I doubt it will be long in coming, given the union intent. With this much red meat, I suspect they will go full tilt to get him out in the Primary. It is one thing for Rauner to say in ads that “The Union Bosses are trying to stop me.” Fair enough. But it is a somewhat different story if the unions are using facts.
- Bemused - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 4:20 pm:
Reading this and yesterdays Nursing Home stuff it starts to bring into focus his dislike of Unions. Them uppity Union Bosses with their rules and regulations can be pesky and cut into profit margins. Worker Misclassification is rampant in a number of industry’s and along with what else has been brought up here it results in a lot of tax fraud. There have been a couple of college study’s on what this costs in lost taxes.
From the point of view of someone who will not be voting in the Republican primary you almost wish this stuff had not come out till after then. As a human being you have to hope this is enough to get the guy kicked to the curb. Just another Brilliant entrepreneur who reads the term “Think outside the Box” as “cut corners and bend or break rules”. Let the little people suffer the consequences.
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 4:26 pm:
I am not sure all the reasons companies would want truckers to be independant contractors but one must be skirting workers comp premiums.
- D.P.Gumby - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 4:31 pm:
Barbarian is through the Gate and in the primary!
- hisgirlfriday - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 4:32 pm:
@Phineas - An old employer of mine (not in trucking) illegally classified me as an independent contractor for a while to save on payroll taxes until their accountant caught it and put a stop to it. I’d guess that is the motive for most businesses who do this, although there’s also implications for personal liability lawsuits, of which you would have a lot of risk in the trucking business in the event of a highway accident.
- MrJM - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 4:37 pm:
Whet Moser wrote a piece on the psychology of the hyper-rich for Chicago magazine. www.chicagomag.com/city-life/January-2014/If-Youre-Rich-You-Probably-Think-You-Deserve-It-Heres-Why/
Give it a read and decide for yourself whether it reminds you of the Baron.
– MrJM
- justsayin' - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 4:37 pm:
Hi Bemused - appreciate your thought on this and it was my thought as well. But I am a Republican voter. I will not be voting for Mr. Rauner. There is no way for this stuff not to come out. From the perspective of the average GOP voter, they really only know what they see on TV, hear on talk radio, and what they gossip about on social media. They don’t trust mainstream media and the anti-union message resonates with them. HOWEVER….the issue above may be a union issue but it is also an employee one. Most GOP voters are employees and they have had bad experiences in the workplace too. No one likes to get screwed. Unless the GOP is going to be anti-employee, it is an important story to tell. But whoever is going to fund these TV and radio spots better get a move-on. Most GOP voters have no idea about any of this and wouldn’t trust the Sun-Times or Trib to tell ‘em anyway. Tying Rauner to Rahm will explain a lot to them. I think Rauner is a disgrace - so I hope someone has a strategy to overcome his bucks.
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 4:42 pm:
Obviously, the 3.75 mil in damages has to go to the workers who sued. What about all the money in taxes and in insurance premiums that was not paid out? If you wonder why work comp premiums are so high, it is because so many companies misclassify
- Juvenal - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 4:53 pm:
I love the “everybody else was doing it too” argument.
Once again, another page straight out of the Blagojevich campaign script.
Too bad there are too few journalists in Illinois to cover all the Rauner stories.
Either that, or Rauner bought all the news stations while we were not looking.
At this point, the unions might be thinking they are better off keeping their powder dry for the general.
There is this to consider: Rauner ripped off enough workers and denied enough adequate care to the elderly that he can afford to be up from tomorrow through November if he wants to, with a new ad in the rotation every two weeks.
What are we looking at? 40 weeks until election day? $60 million should cover that, right?
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 4:57 pm:
PJW, as a one-time independent contractor, I had to file and pay taxes both as employer and employee. I paid both side of the Social Security tax, but got to deduct the half I paid as the employer.
I’m guessing most of the payroll taxes got paid, but paid by the wrong people. The $3.75M ought to be going to the employees wrongly classified who paid too much in taxes because of it.
- Langhorne - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 6:06 pm:
My (bad) advice for bruce in tonights debate–
- dont wear a tie or dress shirt, thats what the insiders do. the regular guy thing is still working
-re trucking, standard practice in a tough industry. Cardinal was very successful for many years. But yeah, “someone”made a mistake. They settled the complaint. Employees got what the court asked. We sold the company when this came out. My hands are clean.
Re nursing homes, tough industry taking care of our wonderful and plentiful seniors, going thru tough times BECAUSE OF THE GOVT CUTS. GOVT: BAD. Very profitable providing quality care for many years, because of our good management, but “somebody” made serious mistakes. Hey, people fall down. My hands are clean.
This is old news. Cases settled long ago. Trying to divert attention from real issues: MADIGAN, TERM LIMITS, UNION BOSSES, POLITICAL CORRUPTION, WORST GOVERNOR, deflect, deflect. Scotty, warp speed, get me out of here. Roll tape.
- A guy who knows - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 10:55 pm:
Posting on this topic appears to be closed, which is probably good given the level of vitriol. But I would note a few interesting points:
Most of the “facts” are quoted from the complaint,so it’s pretty one- sided.
Of the three named plaintiffs, one had left cardinal and then came back, writing on his subsequent app that cardinal was a great comapny and he didn’t know how good he had it, another had a little issue with charging fuel to the company inappropriately. Sometimes you just stroke a check and move on. Several members of the class elected,to continue running their businesses as contractors to cardinal and other companies.
Regardless the facts of the case, Rauner wasn’t active in management or constructing the business model. Cardinal probably would have won this one
The comments about hunt are equally misinformed. In the unlikely event that moderators open up comments and post this
- A guy who knows - Thursday, Jan 23, 14 @ 11:09 pm:
Posting on this topic appears to be closed, which is probably good given the level of vitriol. But I would note a few interesting points:
Most of the “facts” are quoted from the complaint,so it’s pretty one- sided.
Of the three named plaintiffs, one had left cardinal and then came back, writing on his subsequent app that cardinal was a great comapny and he didn’t know how good he had it, another had a little issue with charging fuel to the company inappropriately. Sometimes you just stroke a check and move on. Several members of the class elected,to continue running their businesses as contractors to cardinal and other companies after the settlement.
Regardless the facts of the case, Rauner wasn’t active in management or constructing the business model.
Most observers think Cardinal may very well have won this one at trial. Whipple handed the management of the case over to another firm that settled for a tiny fraction of the aleged damages. Maybe they didn’t think they had such a swell case.
The comments about hunt are equally misinformed. I realize that PE firms are viewed as evil but the whole snidely whiplash characterization, while great politics, is a distorted fantasy of the class envy malcontents that dominate the public square today.
Maybe a state that has been bankrupted by politics as usual could benefit from somebody who doesn’t owe anybody, isn’t looking for a payoff and happens to be a pretty smart guy who tries to do the right (ethical) thing. Luckily I am no longer a resident of that unfortunate locale.
- justsayin' - Friday, Jan 24, 14 @ 5:36 am:
Rauner’s entire campaign is pretty one-sided. His is a disinformation campaign with millions of dollars behind it. If GOP voters knew about his relationship with Rahm, his donations to Democrats, the union pension fees he has gotten wealthy from, and his other good pal Stuart Levine they would realize that he had tricked them - lied to them - and he would not have their support. So I’m not going to cry any tears over an article criticizing Rauner’s self-interested history.
- Juvenal - Friday, Jan 24, 14 @ 8:26 am:
“Run government like a business” is one potent line of attack.
Perhaps better suited for the General.
Hodas and the Dillard campaign struck a glancing blow off of what is probably the more effective line for the Primary.
“Not our Values.”
Bruce Rauner clearly does not share the values of mainstream Republicans.
But the argument needs to be framed in terms of Values, not Ethics, Morality, Greed or Corruption to be effective.
Force Republicans to take a hard look at Rauner’s values, and he is toast.
“i can’t imagine the outrage of the families who lost a loved one in a nursing home due to the misplaced values of Bruce Rauner. Life is sacred, but Bruce Rauner’s company valued profits more than life. Those arent the values of the Republican Party. Those arent the values of Illinois families, and those certainly arent the values of my family or my faith.”
Go get em, fellas.