46 Comments - Cassiopeia - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 12:51 pm: The Rauner campaign is simply managing the issue in a way that best benefits his campaign and he has no reason to do it any differently. The Quinn administration is incapable of any message discipline, especially from the chest-beating Governor Goofy. It did manage to throw Lavin under the bus in record time though. - Aldyth - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 12:55 pm: The old soft shoe. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 12:55 pm: These Rauner and Rauner Crew responses remind me of the… You said enough, to say too much. If you give an order, and your orders are always followed, why did Santiago have to be transferred? ===So, which is it? Either he doesn’t have a plan or he has one and he’s waiting until after session ends.=== You can say so little, that can be seen as so troublesome. - sal-says - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 12:59 pm: I guess that there still is no plan. Without knowing HIS plan, he apparently wants me to take on faith that he has a real fix. No chance; no plan; no consideration to vote for Rauner. - Frenchie Mendoza - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:00 pm: Rauner is definitely not a good public speaker. He looks like he’s reaching back into his head to go deep and remember the careful script. Lots of pauses, sentence restarts, a few “ums”. He’s struggling to believe himself — and he seems relieved to get the end of each sentence. Very strange. He’s at all charismatic, and very … well, more than slightly: odd. He doesn’t inspire confidence. - CircularFiringSquad - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:01 pm: Capt Fax To use the new ShakeyMittRauner bumper sticker — “No body’s perfect” — which means when he contradicts himself on every, single statement and issue, when his business fraud is not fully explained and when he reverses course on all issues, your dopey reporters and tax payers should just believe all Mitt will do is smash union bosses —- unless they sit on pension boards and funnel $$$ to Shakey’s scams. - Arizona Bob - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:02 pm: This is just smart communications. If Rauner came out with a detailed plan now, the conversation would change from Quinn’s ineptitude, incompetence and impotence and the corruption and dysfunction of the GA to nitpicking about details of Rauner’s proposal. Rauner wants the conversation to be about Quinn patronage, corruption and his willingnes to damage the state and taxpayers to keep the corruption gravy train running. Rauner doing anything to disrupt that narrative would be just plain stupid, and Rauner’s smart enough not to fall into that trap as many GOP candidates do. - Norseman - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:04 pm: Translation of Rauner campaign statements: Please don’t get in the way of our rhetorical narrative. We don’t want to come out with a realistic plan because is would show too many folks how adversely they would be affected by our rich guy. - Chicago Cynic - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:08 pm: Rauner will continue to bob and weave and avoid answering specific questions because the answers are not be politically palatable. Sooner or later… - Amuzing Myself - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:15 pm: Arizona Bob: Bingo. Nobody wants the plan. They just want ammo to use against Rauner. The Dems spending is coming home to roost while they still control everything (as has been the case for A DECADE now) and have no one else to legitimately blame. “I get the politics, but…”? This is Illinois. When did governing suddenly supersede politics here? Certainly not recently. Good luck holding Rauner to a higher standard than every other elected official in this state. - Cheryl44 - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:19 pm: I know, I’m a boor, but no one is a citizen of Illinois. We’re residents. You can only be a citizen of a country. I think Rauner’s plan should be he just reaches in his own pocket and donates enough to put the state back in the black. - wordslinger - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:19 pm: His specific plan will be on something of the order of “cut waste, end corruption, run things like a business.” Then, if he gets elected, he’ll come out and say “things are a lot worse than I thought.” He’s not the first to pull that stuff and he won’t be the last. For crying out loud, Nixon in ‘68 got away with saying he had a “secret plan” to end the war, and people on both sides were dying all over. If you can get away without sharing a plan that would supposedly save lives, you can get away with a phony budget plan. - Anon - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:20 pm: If there were some simple, pain-free solution, as Republicans claim, then Rauner would’ve proposed it already. The fact that he has a secret plan, not ready to be announced, indicates there is no simple, pain-free solution. If and when he gets the responsibility to propose a balanced budget, it will be too late for voters to do anything about either tax hikes or savage cuts to basic services, or both. - Demoralized - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:23 pm: I’d like to know what Rauner’s plan is so I can evaluate the candidates. I know what Quinn’s plan is. I don’t know what Rauner’s is except that he opposes Quinn’s plan. Not good enough. - Wensicia - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:24 pm: It’s easier to react to everything Springfield does as wrong, than offer any solutions of your own. What would be right Bruce? - OldSmoky2 - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:27 pm: Classic old-school political tactics from Rauner: just blanket the airwaves with negative attacks on the other guy, then smile a lot and say, “You can trust me because I just want to make everything better.” Richard Nixon spent the entire 1968 campaign smiling and saying he had a secret plan to end the Vietnam War. I imagine Rauner’s secret plan to fix the Illinois budget is worth about as much as that promise turned out to be worth. But don’t anyone let that get in the way of swallowing Rauner’s narrative that he’s not a politician. - Frenchie Mendoza - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:28 pm: I ask this because I’m curious — and it’s something I don’t understand — but how can you claim that you “don’t have a social agenda?” I mean, having no agenda seems to me to be worse than coming down on party lines or actually discussing social issues. He’s a governor. Don’t all governors need a social agenda of some kind? I mean, don’t they need to advocate — and be an active advocate for — social issues? You may not agree with the issues — but advocacy and identification of the issues are important (at least to me). Failure to advocate or address or advance social issues seems a failure in leadership. Besides, how can this lack of a social agenda sit well with the state’s GOP? Are hard core GOP’ers actually happy with this guy? And happy that he has no social agenda? I’m confused. - OldSmoky2 - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:29 pm: Ah, I see Wordslinger beat me to the Nixon comparison while I was typing that - orzo - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:33 pm: Republicans are most successful when they keep it vague (Nixon and George W.Bush were elected president avoiding emphasizing their conservative agenda). Rauner has made the calculation that it’s better to take a few hits from the pesky press for his unwillingness to talk specifics than to say what he plans to do and risk losing. It’s working so far, and I believe it will carry him through in November (especially since Quinn isn’t feeling much love, even from his own party). - Joe M - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:38 pm: Rauner is waiting to hear back from Mitt Romney if he can use Mitt’s plan. 1. Stimulate the economy. 2. Increase jobs. 3. Cut government spending 4. Reduce taxes. What more of a plan could anyone want? Oh, details on how he is going to do that? Rauner will tell us that he will have those details available after the election. - Walter Mitty - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:41 pm: If the parties were reversed, there would be silence… Smart move… I thought this was the job of our legislators in session now? So a candidate should bail them out this week? Uh, no. He has run a very disciplined campaign, why change that? Whatever they decide, he will have to show his plan… Not now. He has an election to win. Besides, I am sure they enjoy all the bumbling PQ is doing… - Chi - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:43 pm: I wish Quinn would cut waste and run the State like a business. What’s he waiting for? - MIghty M. Mouse - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:51 pm: ===The Rauner campaign is simply managing the issue in a way that best benefits his campaign and he has no reason to do it any differently.=== Rauner thinks he doesn’t have to say anything substantive. I think he can run but he can’t hide. We’ll see. - Decaf Coffee Party - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:54 pm: Kind of reminds me of one of my favorite “West Wing” episodes where Josh, filling in for CJ at a press briefing, ends up telling the press corps that the president has a secret plan to fight inflation. - OldSmoky2 - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 1:56 pm: ==Republicans are most successful when they keep it vague (Nixon and George W.Bush were elected president avoiding emphasizing their conservative agenda)… It’s working so far, and I believe it will carry him through in November== It’s painful to think that Rauner might work out as well for Illinois as Nixon and George W. Bush worked out for the country. - wordslinger - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 2:03 pm: –If the parties were reversed, there would be silence..– Why do you say that? Part of the Grand Conspiracy against Eternal Victims? - Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 2:07 pm: ===If the parties were reversed, there would be silence=== Oh, for crying out loud. Even Orion Samuelson criticized Rauner (to his face) the other day for failing to have any discernible agriculture policy or even an ag advisory committee in a huge ag state like this. Wipe the crocodile tears from your eyes. - wordslinger - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 2:09 pm: –Republicans are most successful when they keep it vague (Nixon and George W.Bush were elected president avoiding emphasizing their conservative agenda)– I don’t recall any kind of domestic agenda from either one of them, while running, or while in office. Nixon ran on “law and order,” but didn’t give a hoot about domestic policy. He did start EPA, institute wage and price controls and let the currency float through executive action. All I can recall from W on the domestic front is cutting some taxes, higher spending (Medicare prescription drugs) and more borrowing. There wasn’t anything “conservative” about any of it, from either one of them. - Yellow Dog Democrat - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 2:12 pm: It’s pretty simple. Rauner is not unveiling his plan because Madigan will gladly put it up for a vote and watch it die a painful death as the majority of Republicans vote against it. Rauner is for softening the rollback of the tax increase, we all know it, Radgno telegraphed it, the Civvies endorsed it. Rauner just isn’t ready to own it while he is accusing Quinn of breaking his promise because the Rauner plan…breaks the same promise, just not as much? Look, it is either break the promise on revenue or break the promise on spending. Well, technically, it is “renegotiating.” - Mason born - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 2:30 pm: It sucks but i actually don’t blame Rauner on no plan right now. There is an old saying “when your enemy is doing your job for you don’t interrupt him.” Should Rauner come out with a plan he will immediately change the subject and give PQ and MM something to go after. It is much better at the moment to make PQ squirm under the press of the Tax Increase. (I Know not a tax increase but i think that is how john q. public is viewing it) Now don’t get me wrong BR better have something to put out there soon. However i have to say waiting until the current Tax Increase drama is over seems the best politically. I want to see just what he is proposing but if he ends up as an also ran it doesn’t matter what he proposes. - low level - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 2:35 pm: It’s pretty simple. Bruce doesn’t have a plan other than he’s a bored rich guy who thinks he knows everything. - VanillaMan - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 2:45 pm: It is pretty simple. Quinn has the job and it is his job to demonstrate that he can do the job by Election Day. If he can do that, then he gets reelected. If he can’t then voters can consider the alternative. Demanding that Rauner put out some kind of plan is unrealistic and politically stupid. The moment Quinn begins to demonstrate an ability to be governor is the moment he begins winning this election. It is pretty simple. - Walker - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 2:55 pm: 47th nailed it. If Rauner had a budget plan consistent with some of his general statements, and it came before the legislature now, the Republican Reps and Senators would be running for the doors rather than being forced to vote on it. They won’t even take a position on the budget plan on the table that assumes the tax increase goes away on schedule. I doubt he has one, but no matter, it won’t ever help him politically to be specific. - 47th Ward - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 3:18 pm: Um, thanks Walker. But Yellow Dog Democrat is a way better writer and much smarter than I’ll ever be. And once again, he’s absolutely right. - A guy... - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 3:28 pm: If it was his intent to keep you all guessing; he’s succeeding. If he reveals he has one just about ready to roll out, my guess is he does. If there’s anything incredibly ingenious in there that no one else has thought of or proposed or looked at the right way, it’s a matter of timing. In either case, he’ll have to present it before the election. What he doesn’t have to do is present it before the end of the session when it’s an obligation and duty of the Governor and the GA to present one. Any reasonable person should conclude he’s acting strategically smart. Anything he put out now or before would just add more distraction to the most distracted State Capitol in the country. I think we’re all just gonna have to wait for the River card. - Walker - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 3:28 pm: 47th/YDD: Both tops in my mind. Sorry If I confused you two. - Walker - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 3:48 pm: A guy: I bet you that River card is never dealt. Not before the election. He thinks he’s holding a winning hand without it. I’ve been wrong before. - a drop in - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 3:54 pm: Then it would make sense to me to pass a tax extension to the end of the fiscal year. If Quinn wins they can come back and make it permanent. If Rauner wins, well…he bought it, he owns it. - wordslinger - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 4:01 pm: –Demanding that Rauner put out some kind of plan is unrealistic and politically stupid.– Why’s that? He wants the gig, doesn’t he? –In either case, he’ll have to present it before the election.– “Cut waste, end corruption, run it like a business (just not like my businesses).” You’ll never s half page of revenues and expenditures from this guy. - A guy... - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 4:01 pm: === Walker - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 3:48 pm: A guy: I bet you that River card is never dealt. Not before the election. He thinks he’s holding a winning hand without it. I’ve been wrong before.=== You could be right Walk. My guess that he’s going to show something is that he’s been telling people in the media that he will. They’re not pushing him hard because I think they understand (or have been explained to) when he would do his big reveal. If he doesn’t they’ll be all over him. They aren’t now. I’m reading tea leaves like everyone else. My best guess is that we get something after 5/31 and it’s something that some pretty shrewd people have been working on. Just my guess. - wordslinger - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 4:07 pm: – If he doesn’t they’ll be all over him. – No they won’t. Most media have no interest in budget stories. They certainly don’t want to deal with math. - A guy... - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 5:01 pm: We’ll see. - Anonymous - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 5:11 pm: when your opponent is in the process of shooting itself in the foot, with everyone’s sole and staring attention, you don’t do anything that distracts the onlookers away from that until after the trigger gets pulled. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 5:11 pm: ===We’ll see.=== No. It’s… “It’s coming”, “We’re working on a plan”, “We will unveil our plan soon”, you know, use the proper Raunerite Talking Points… - Pot calling kettle - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 1:04 am: Quinn has put out two plans to Rauner’s none. If the Quinn people are smart, they will make this a campaign issue by asking Bruce for his secret plan. If he doesn’t show it, the Quinn people will accuse him of hiding a tax increase or cuts for schools and seniors. If he does show it, they can pick it apart. IF the Quinn people are smart, they can work this to their advantage (or at least counter the bad press they receive). That is my hope: a campaign over an actual issue that educates the voters. (You know, I just read what I wrote and realized I must be dreaming.) - A guy... - Wednesday, May 21, 14 @ 10:40 am: ===Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 20, 14 @ 5:11 pm: ===We’ll see.=== No. It’s… “It’s coming”, “We’re working on a plan”, “We will unveil our plan soon”, you know, use the proper Raunerite Talking Points…==== No, it’s we’ll see. Then you can rationalize whatever BS pops into that active mind of yours. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.