74 Comments - langhorne - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 12:02 pm: how long will it take for rauner to get under rutherfords skin? will the abysmal anybody-but-quinn poll results come up? will they actually force the candidates to say anything solid about expiration of the income tax increase? i would dearly like them to ask rauner to explain any of his supposed proposals, in detail, with a couple followup questions. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 12:05 pm: I have instructed - Norseman - to hand out the Tribune Endorsemnt of OW/Bill only AFTER it is officially annouced. Please do not ask for an early copy, and the embargo is still ineffect for those who have the Trib endorsement of OW/Bill in hand. Thanks. - BDuty6 - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:04 pm: Is this an audio only feed or is there going to be video as well? My screen is still on the graphic of the four candidates. - BDuty6 - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:04 pm: Never mind. The video just came up. - The End Is Near - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:05 pm: The Sun-Times is reporting that Rutherford is currently sharing a room at the Tribune with three male gubernatorial candidates. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:08 pm: Wonky questions helpful for Rauner and Rutherford - wordslinger - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:09 pm: –The Sun-Times is reporting that Rutherford is currently sharing a room at the Tribune with three male gubernatorial candidates.– On state time, no less. My nominee for post of the year. Truly inspired. - Norseman - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:09 pm: Willy, it’s in the lock box. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:10 pm: CMS fixed by Mitch Daniels model in government … Well, the talking points are being hit. - The End Is Near - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:11 pm: Thank you, Word. Coming from you, that means a lot. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:12 pm: - Norseman -, that is why you are the best. Pensions, low hanging fruit to Rauner? He has heard of the Constitution, right? If it were easy, it would have already been done and ruled as constitutional - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:14 pm: “Union bosses” …this would be a tough “adult beverage game” “transition tough” - Rauner may not realize his own obsticles. - PoolGuy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:16 pm: Rauner again with the “dramatic” pension reform. if current pension reform is found unconstitutial, which he never addresses, his ideas for dramatic reform are completely meaningless. - Demoralized - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:18 pm: ==”We can find that money,” Rauner says about $4 billion hole when tax hike expires.== I’m sure it’s in the couch cushions. Reality once again escapes the man. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:19 pm: If knowing Pat Quinn since you have been 12 years old, than most of Quinn’s Fenwick classmates are qualified to run for governor? Please, do we have to know how long Dillard has known people? - Arthur Andersen - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:21 pm: D-Lard, stop with the Ellanoy! - CollegeStudent - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:22 pm: ==”We can find that money,” Rauner says about $4 billion hole when tax hike expires.== By robbing Fort Knox? /If you’re going to be a caricature supervillain, you might as well go all the way. //sarcasm - wordslinger - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:23 pm: AA, the ELL-anoy drives me crazy. Like ROOZ-evelt and WARSH-ington. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:24 pm: 401K - constitutional issue. Much easier to flip flop and explain a flip flop than make the 401K more possible and have it be constitutional. Rauner on Union Bosses, taking on Dems and the GOP together? The Rauner party, not like bi-partisan… bi-partisan cover? Not understanding governing. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:26 pm: How does Rauner plan to work with the General Assembly? Can’t do all this through the Executive? - Demoralized - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:27 pm: == Can’t do all this through the Executive? == He’s not aware he can’t rule by executive fiat like he can in a corporation. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:32 pm: ok, I try not to go “there”, but the “El-enoy”, enough. No interaction, everyone is getting a “pass” from the others. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:34 pm: @FakeBruceRauner - Confused. I think I am on the wrong side of the table. #OpEdWriter #EndorsementKingmaker - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:35 pm: Dillard holding pay for Legislature for balance budget. I keep reading that pesky constitution, where does the Executive get to hold Legislative pay? Hmm. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:39 pm: Rauner is really riding the talking points … shift to unions as much as possible. - Smoggie - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:40 pm: Great to see them nail Rauner for refusing to answer on downstate closings. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:40 pm: Trying to pin Rauner, no yes or no. Now to some non-Policy issues… - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:42 pm: Rutherford, absolute in his response. - Big Muddy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:42 pm: Dillard could barely contain himself on the Rutherford allegations against Rauner Q! Priceless. - Sparky - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:43 pm: Rauner will not be satisfied until every state worker gives up half their pensions to fuel his overhaul. What a stand up guy! - Formerly Known As... - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:44 pm: Tribune questioning why the Rutherford situation isn’t being handled by the Inspector General. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:45 pm: Rutherford open this door … “Abseence of Malice”? - Formerly Known As... - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:47 pm: Rutherford again pivoting from addressing the allegations to blaming the allegations on Rauner. Rauner says he has absolutely nothing to do with them. Tribune says “still having a hard time understanding” how Rauner is behind this. “It seems like a giant leap to say that” - SG8prl - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:49 pm: Rauner still doesn’t know the facts surrounding Levine?!?! What???? - Demoralized - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:49 pm: ==Tribune questioning why the Rutherford situation isn’t being handled by the Inspector General. == That was a question I had too. You are required to report ethics violations. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:50 pm: Schools … Rauner needs to answer for Duncan, Payton, Rendell, donations … - Formerly Known As... - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:52 pm: Rauner quotes Rutherford, “This is hardball politics. I’ve been attacked for a year.” - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:53 pm: How can you ask for a “principal list” … and not think that is not special? Especially not living in Chicago. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:55 pm: Donate millions … but not ask for special favors, but makes a huge point of the donating millions to Chicago schools? - Formerly Known As... - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:55 pm: @Oswego Willy - ask and ye shall receive. Here comes Payton Prep. @Demoralized - same here. He says only complainants can bring issues to the Inspector General, but the Treasurer’s office cannot bring issues to the Inspector General. - Chavez-respecting Obamist - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:56 pm: She wasn’t qualified–she lived in Wilmette. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:56 pm: Statehousechick lets Rauner off the hook. No answer to when you bought a Condo??? “Nothing more, so let’s move on.” Wow!!! - Arthur Andersen - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:58 pm: Bruce, the Sgt. Schultz routine on Levine is less believable each time you tell it. - Big Muddy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 1:59 pm: Dillard doing he best Ross Perot “Here’s the plan, see.” - Demoralized - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:01 pm: ==Tribune questioning why the Rutherford situation isn’t being handled by the Inspector General. == I guess I thought the Ethics Act required wrongdoing to be reported to the IG. If they want to go to a lawyer that’s fine but I thought there was an obligation for the person who believes there was wrongdoing to report it to the IG. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:01 pm: A man buys a condo, can’t remember when he bought property, especially when marrying that to applying to a Chicago school…. Now talk about Meeks … interesting the question, schools, and Rauner and Meeks … - veritas - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:02 pm: Rauner’s in touch with the electorate: He bought a multi-million penthouse - actually 2 separate million units in Chicago, but can’t remember when that was. How many of you don’t remember when you bought your home?? I know - he heas NINE, but that’s the point. - veritas - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:05 pm: So - let me get this right: Rauner admits he gave a $300,000 donation to Ed Rendell when he was head of the DNC, but some members of the Ill. GOP are Dem. lite??????????????????????????? - Smoggie - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:05 pm: Rauner is going to form a task force? I really hate it when candidates claim the solution is a task force. If you don’t have answers, don’t run. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:14 pm: Bruce Rauner is the “Office Space” Candidate. He will bring in the “two Bobs”… “That will be great …” - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:17 pm: Rauner utterly clueless on how the office of Governor works. Referendum is “a dodge” Good on Dold to call him on it. - Smoggie - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:18 pm: Nothing says “leadership” like “I need a referendum to make up my mind.” Rauner definitely has a cowardly streak running through him. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:20 pm: “fundamental” … the fundamental way you will be the Executive, speaks to how you will be governor. Very telling that Rauner speaks to nothing about his own views, wants the voters to “decide” yet Illinois is not designed to be run that way. “Fundamentally” unaware of the rigors of the office? - Chi - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:36 pm: One of the three needs to call Rauner on the cowardice inherent in refusing to state your viewpoint on one of the defining issues of then day. They, and the Trib board, completely let him get away with it. - Formerly Known As... - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:38 pm: Rauner is EXCITED to lead. In case you missed it. - too obvious - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:39 pm: The Trib can’t endorse Rauner after his cowardly performance in this debate. And yet they will. - Formerly Known As... - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:41 pm: While Brady wants to make Illinois a “shining star” among states. Not a shining star, fundamentally and excitedly. Just a shining star, regular-type. +1 Rauner, lol - too obvious - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:41 pm: Rauner says he never “interacted” with Levine, and yet we know he pitched Levine at a May 2003 TRS board meeting. When will the press decide to stop being played for chumps by this guy? - veritas - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:44 pm: Rauner didn’t know Levine was a bad guy when Levine was on his payroll - one of maybe 600 guys making more than $200,000 a year for him. Then turns around and says he will get to know all legislators on a first name basis. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:46 pm: Nothing shifted in the universe, and in fact, left on the table the idea that the “3″ just refuse to mix it up with Rauner, when it was “allowed” in the format. Fellas, You are down double-digits, you have no clear money to get a sustained message of your won out, let alone getting your message out and frame Rauner, who has spent millions already defining you and every “Career Politician”. Why so passive? The editorial board gave some opening, and yet all 4 looked liked sophomore debate team members searching for how to answer the question before its their time. Counting on the “2PACS” is dangerous, given forums like these allow some chances to give jabs that lead to more questions. Nothing, “fundamentally” changed. That is too bad. - too obvious - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:51 pm: About the only news I saw to come out of this weak Tribune meeting (besides Rauner changing his story a bit on his daughter’s school admission), was Rutherford contradicting Svenson’s story about a complaint filed with the inspector general. Rutherford said definitely no such complaint as of Friday. That’s very curious. - Smoggie - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 2:54 pm: At least until mid-January, I was one of the people saying Rutherford needed to stay positive with the thought that if he did so, SOMEBODY would go negative and Rutherford could then ride it in. So far, nobody at all is willing to go after Rauner. Rutherford went after Rauner only on the personal stuff from last week. Looks like they’ve all decided to give Rauner a free ride. Good for Rauner, bad for the GOP since no way Quinn is going to go easy on him. The GOP is going to end up with a candidate that has not really been tested. Quinn must be thrilled. - wordslinger - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 3:18 pm: –Dillard: Wants to restore Illinois as the business capital of the Midwest.– Done and done. On the Planet Earth, the Chicago Metro ranks 8 in foreign born residents. For the United States, it ranks fourth behind New York, LA and Miami. They ain’t coming here for the climate, folks. They’re coming here to make a buck. Seriously, how can a rational person make a comment like that? - AFSCME Steward - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 3:20 pm: Am I hearing this right ? Rauner wants to be Governor so he can take power away from himself ? “Rauner: Again calls Mitch Daniels his “role model.” Says he wants to take power away from special interests.” - AFSCME Steward - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 3:24 pm: Arnie Duncan’s answer should have been, she has no chance since she wasn’t a Chicago resident. I’m sure everyone else wanting to get similiar information also had the same access to Arnie Duncan, right Bruce ? “Rauner said he consulted with then CPS CEO Arne Duncan only for advice on how to help his daughter’s chances. Didn’t ask for a favor.” - shore - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 3:36 pm: as we talked about 4 years ago the tribune edit board interviews are the best debates of the cycle aside from wttw and they need to do more video like this going forward. For what I care about the ILGOP I don’t like the I want to be scott walker/daniels ect because this is not those states politically-they don’t have cook county and those are the role models that are keeping us from the throne. Politically Illinois is much more like the pnw/midatlantic/california/new england and all of these candidates especially rutherford and dillard who seem to have policy chops and an understanding of matters could have used time to find messages that expand party values to communities we haven’t done as well with. kudos to the trib for doing this. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 3:38 pm: ===Arnie Duncan’s answer should have been, she has no chance since she wasn’t a Chicago resident.=== Arne Duncan, a Rich Daley appointee allowed a Daughter, from a very clout-heavy suburban family, who reminds everyone the millions they donate to school, clouted the denied suburban-living daughter into the Chicago school. Note: I know when I bought my house, and prior houses, I know what the rate of mortgage, the even know where the closing were. Bruce Rauner had no idea when he bought the Condo, if he was a Chicago Resident at the time, and if he directly spoke to Arne Duncan, evn though he denied that to Bernie, admitted it to Jay, but the Trib Ed Board, no response … Although, the “3″, they have nothing to hit Rauner with, money-wise, to make this stick, and wasted months and months to create a narrative. “It’s all there, black and white …” - Formerly Known As... - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 3:39 pm: Perhaps Dillard was thinking not of our thriving foreign-born population, but our anemic general population growth: “Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Vermont and Illinois posted the slowest population growth, all at or near a tenth of 1 percentage point.” http://articles.latimes.com/2013/dec/30/nation/la-na-census-data-20131231 We’re going to need a whole lot more foreign born residents or new residents from other states to prevent from losing another Congressional seat in 2020. - wordslinger - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 4:15 pm: –We’re going to need a whole lot more foreign born residents or new residents from other states to prevent from losing another Congressional seat in 2020.– FKA, it’s a fascinating subject, but I’m not sure what artificial state borders, or state government or politics have to do with it. My Farmor had nine live births. My Mormor, 11. I don’t know how many didn’t get that far. My mother, five. My wife, three. My Mormor had nine girls in a row, two who died young. “Finally,” a son was born at number 10. And then, my Morfar insisted they give it another go for another son to run the farm, as insurance. The farm. Can you dig it. I can stand up straight because I don’t have to pick rocks out of the field every spring — and make those quaint fences — to grow grass for the cows and potatoes. My daughter will have as many children as she chooses, but she won’t be breeding labor as an insurance policy. I see that as progress. - veritas - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 4:25 pm: With this active news day - the most relevant item might have been glossed over: Another blog provides the recent poll numbers for Gov. After Rauner has spent millions and his GOP opponents have been ridiculed for lack of funds - all 3 are leading Rauner in margin of victory against Quinn: 9% to 8%. Methinks not all of them have drank the kool aid and bought into the cheap watch & the hammer. - veritas - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 4:27 pm: By them - I refer to the electorate - or as Rauner & Roeser would say, “The great unwashed.” - Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 4:52 pm: === glossed over: Another blog provides the recent poll numbers=== Dude, that was my poll. Posted on my blog. Sheesh. - Wensicia - Monday, Feb 3, 14 @ 4:52 pm: Rauner’s performance? There’s no there there. - RNUG - Tuesday, Feb 4, 14 @ 1:28 am: There was more honest discussion of the pension “reform” bill here than when it was passed. It was also clear that everyone except Rauner expects additional revenue, either short or long term, must be part of any fiscal solution going forward. Rauner did a good job of spinning most of his answers back to his talking points. He did seem to get a bit irritated at some of the pointed questions and keep spinning away from answering them. Rutherford did a good job with his denial and turning it back on Rauner. If Rauner can be tied to any of the outside groups, his clear denial here should sink him IF the others have enough money to get the message out. It’s more insider stuff, but the Stu Levine denial just didn’t ring true. If all Rauner wants is to get Pat Quinn out, why isn’t he backing one of the other three candidates? Why is Rauner running himself; specifically, what is so f&*#@%> golden that Rauner has to run himself? Payton Prep stuff also rings false … too much I don’t recall. It also becomes clear that Rauner believes he can just order things done. If he was to get elected Gov, it would be interesting to see just how far he would push the amendatory veto provision. He’s just reinforcing my impression the other day that Rauner will cost the State more in defending lawsuits that Blago & Quinn combined. I liked hearing the emphasis on K-12 and voc tech schools by everyone. That part of the educational system needs to be improved. Rutherford’s quip in closing about traveling around the world was a nice light touch. Rauner’s closing was phrased such that he believes his election is a foregone conclusion and from there he spun to all his talking points. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.