Zorn nails it
Wednesday, Sep 24, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Eric Zorn has a masterful, must-read takedown of Democratic Congresswoman Cheri Bustos and her refusal to abide by her 2012 pledge at a Tribune editorial board interview to give up 10 percent of her salary. You really should read the whole thing, but here’s an excerpt…
In short, there’s no evidence that it played even a tiny role in Bustos’ subsequent 53.3-46.7-percent victory over Schilling.
Still. There’s a principle to consider here, and it goes something like this: “Do what you say you’re going to do. Follow through. Exceed expectations. Reputations matter, in politics and in every field. You want to be known as someone who can be trusted to get things done and stick to your word.”
Who put it that way? Rep. Cheri Bustos to MSNBC earlier this year as part of the cable network’s profiles of “30 of the most dynamic women candidates seeking office in 2014.” […]
When I asked for comment, her campaign directed me to a recent Peoria Journal Star article in which Bustos told a reporter, “When I was in Chicago, I said something that I shouldn’t have said, but I never said it on the campaign trail. I never made it as a promise to the people in the 17th Congressional District.”
Again, go read the whole thing.
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 9:25 am:
It is a good piece, and I can’t believe she is trying to get away with that explanation. When you are talking to the media, you are talking to the voting public, albeit indirectly. Pay up, or give up because you can’t be trusted.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 9:27 am:
===When I asked for comment, her campaign directed me to a recent Peoria Journal Star article in which Bustos told a reporter, “When I was in Chicago, I said something that I shouldn’t have said, but I never said it on the campaign trail. I never made it as a promise to the people in the 17th Congressional District.”===
Note to self;
Congressman Bustos gets to decide which promises matter, and which promises aren’t promises?
Congressman Bustos’ word is as good as she decides she wants it to be.
Got it. So, Congressman Bustos word isn’t worth the breath it takes to say it.
- Streator Curmudgeon - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 9:27 am:
Sometimes mistakes are expensive. If Bustos is too cheap to sacrifice the $38K to retain her Congressional seat, maybe she’s not as serious about the job as she claims.
- Tweedledee Dum Dum - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 9:32 am:
Props to Zorn, a liberal, for calling out Bustos. Now when Rex W. Huppke writes a column actually criticizing Democrats, the earth will have stopped revolving on its axis.
- Carl Nyberg - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 9:32 am:
Cheri Bustos is practically begging to get promoted from Congresswoman to lobbyist.
Somebody of stature in the Democratic Party needs to set her straight.
“Never said it on the campaign trail”?
So promises made out of district don’t count?
This reminds me of Joe Walsh fighting over $100K he was alleged to owe his ex wife. Fighting about the money is more valuable to the opponent than the money.
It would take more money than whatever Bustos owes to do the ad buys to drive up her negatives.
She comes across as low class and just not very good at making political calculations.
- Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 9:33 am:
Self-inflicted wounds are the worst kind as they tend to have staying power. Too bad.
- Coffee Cup - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 9:37 am:
Bustos: My word is my bond except when I change my mind. You can go to the bank on it (unless I change my mind again).
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 9:37 am:
What’s the big deal? Just another lying politician, weaseling and slithering. The dexterity to do this while spending a majority of your time looking for money from potential co-conspirators instead of doing your job is, is, well….the norm
- Fight Fair - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 9:39 am:
Note how Ms. Buston doubled down in the Q&A rather than take the escape hatch. So, to Mr. Zorn’s theme — Is a promise made twice outside one’s district a promise? — let’s add:
If she coughed up the $38k this noon and claimed the sun will set in the west, who’d believe her?
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 9:40 am:
This arose last month.
We all unanimously told her to pay up in differing ways. We all told her that she needed to show sincerity, humility and honesty, then hope voters forgive her.
She has instead DONE NOTHING!
What did we just discover about her?
That she isn’t sincere.
She isn’t honest.
She can’t find the humility.
She can’t tell voters she made a mistake.
She can’t tell voters she was wrong.
She is telling us that she does not have the personal characteristics to be in Congress.
She had two years to fix this. She has had one month to fix it after it had become a major issue in her re-election.
Case closed.
BUH-BYE!
- Carl Nyberg - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 9:42 am:
Here’s the line that she should have used, “Being a member of Congress caused my personal cost of living to increase much more than I thought it would. I made the commitment before I realized how expensive it is to maintain a household in DC and participate in the social functions that go along with being in Congress. I was naive. I regret making the promise.”
- Norseman - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 9:45 am:
Memo to the guy playing Quinnocchio: Since Raunervich is not going to hire you there is a new gig available to you as Bustocchio.
- Tommydanger - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 9:47 am:
>>Here’s the line that she should have used, “Being a member of Congress caused my personal cost of living to increase much more than I thought it would. I made the commitment before I realized how expensive it is to maintain a household in DC and participate in the social functions that go along with being in Congress. I was naive. I regret making the promise.”
- Tommydanger - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 9:50 am:
follow up to my 9:47 post:
and then she should have said, “But I made that promise and if there is any hope of restoring people’s faith in their elected representatives, its not enough to make promises-we need to keep them, and I will.”
- Angel's Sword - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 9:52 am:
It was a stupid as hell promise which she never should have made, but, yes, she should stand by her word. I think it would be fair for her to do it for the first two years, and then run for reelection publicly stating she planned to take her full salary. That’s what she should have done if she wanted out of it. Not simply unilaterally decide to not follow through on a pledge.
- Kasich Walker, Jr. - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 9:53 am:
It sounded like the interviewers had a lot more experience cornering candidates than she had in getting out of a corner.
Someone told me Red Foxx once said, “Heroes aren’t made — they’re cornered.”
Her holding on to the 10% isn’t a reason to vote for her opponents.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 9:56 am:
Carl, you’re right as far as a campaign response should go to cover her lie. However, I think its past time when people running for office should be held accountable for their pandering promises. We’re seeing more of this from politicians who promise not to accept pay raises or pensions.
Kudos to Zorn.
- JeffingingChicago - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 10:09 am:
This is the worst kind of promise to renege on. If you pledge to raise spending for schools and it does not happen, you can blame your opponents in Congress or lack of revenue etc. This promise is completely broken or kept by her own actions. No one else is to blame.
- Kasich Walker, Jr. - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 10:14 am:
An approach Bustos could try:
“Yes, I held on to 10% of my salary after being foolish enough to tell the Chicago Tribune editorial board I’d surrender it. My mistake. It has impacted my campaign. But, unlike my opponent, at least I didn’t (support/oppose)……”
- walker - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 10:28 am:
What’s Chicago? The twilight zone?
- Apocalypse Now - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 10:29 am:
Bustos’ reasoning/explanation is why people are cynical about politicians of either party.
- Kasich Walker, Jr. - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 10:34 am:
“This is the worst kind of promise to renege on….”
@Jeffinging — I’m not so sure I agree with you.
What if a rep change a vote on gay marriage after promising constituents to go one way or the other?
What if a rep promised to vote to against bombing Syria or the enemy of the month, then backed out to vote bombs away?
What if a rep said they would oppose fracking, then voted to support it?
Bustos failed at standing up to the Chicago Tribune Editorial board and keep her 10% salary give away promise, but that seems less significant to me than the examples above.
- Jake From Elwood - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 10:35 am:
Good work Zorn.
There should be no free pass here. If Bustos had vision on this, she would pay the 10% and keep a like same amount in her campaign coffers to pay herself back once her political career ends. Or did they finally sew up that loophole?
- Madison - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 10:41 am:
38k? For acongressional seat? Give em the dough and then campaign next term on needing the dough or making it 5% next term or whatever. Watching Bustos do this groveling makes me proud of my boy Rodney…he spent more than that on steakhouses!
- Peoria guy - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 10:43 am:
Bustos is lucky to be in a Democratic leaning district. This gives her a chance that she does not deserve.
- Almost the Weekend - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 10:53 am:
Cheri Bustos seems to be following the playbook of her predecessor Phil Hare who didn’t have a response/answer to: “I don’t care about the Constitution!”
This needs to be paid, the longer it sits out there the worse it becomes. Wait until Schilling or the NRCC airs an attack ad on this. Won’t sit well in a blue-collar congressional district.
- Kasich Walker, Jr. - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 10:53 am:
LIke the Rauner - Quinn campaign, the failings of a preferred candidate don’t seem like valid reasons to vote for the other candidate, assuming the other candidate represents ideals/policies opposed by the party the voter identifies with.
Maybe those failings are enough to lead voters to go third party or withhold a vote.
- Peoria guy - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 11:05 am:
^^^Maybe those failings are enough to lead voters to go third party or withhold a vote.^^^^
Or to vote for the Republican. I think more and more voters are not blindly following party lines.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 11:25 am:
She is a fool, good call-out by Zorn.
- West Side the Best Side - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 12:05 pm:
If a tree falls in the forest … if a candidate doesn’t promise something on the campaign trail … does that mean nobody hears nothing in either case?
- D.P.Gumby - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 12:22 pm:
Just pay the money and get rid of the issue. Boom. Done.
- Tequila Mockingbird - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 1:24 pm:
Peoria guy - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 10:43 am:
Bustos is lucky to be in a Democratic leaning district. This gives her a chance that she does not deserve.
You realize the district was gerrymandered by democrats, right?
- Peoria guy - Wednesday, Sep 24, 14 @ 4:42 pm:
^^You realize the district was gerrymandered by democrats, right?^^
Yes I do.