* CBS…
The White House is proposing to offer governors individualized reports about refugees in their states.
White House chief of staff Denis McDonough said in letters to all 50 governors that upon receiving a governor’s request, the State Department would send back a “tailored report” on refugees resettled in the last month and throughout the year so far. […]
McDonough says the State Department would update the information monthly on a password-protected website. He says it would break down refugees by nationality, gender and age range.
White House Press Secretary Joshua Earnest said Wednesday that the White House “will provide more frequent updates on refugees resettled in their states and increase information-sharing on our extensive security precautions.”
* But the governor is rejecting the idea…
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner was not placated. He still wants Illinois to temporarily halt acceptance of Syrian refugees in the aftermath of the Nov. 13 terror attacks in Paris. Likewise, more than half the nation’s governors say they are rolling up the welcome mat. […]
Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said the letter completely ignores the governor’s request that background vetting information be provided to state officials prior to refugee resettlement in Illinois.
The White House “wants to provide limited information after resettlement has already occurred,” she said.
“Given the close coordination that exists between state and federal officials on a range of issues related to homeland security, the White House’s continued refusal to provide vetting information to states prior to resettling refugees is truly puzzling,” she added.
* Lynn Sweet…
In essence, it appears that Rauner wants veto power over the refugees sent to Illinois.
Frankly, I’d be happy if he expended a tenth of this effort dealing with the state’s violent street gangs.
*** UPDATE *** Related…
* Chicagoist: Meet The Nuns Who Are Preparing Their West Ridge Home To Take In Syrian Refugees
- chi girl - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:07 pm:
“Frankly, I’d be happy if he expended a tenth of this effort dealing with the state’s violent street gangs.”
SO ON POINT. Yes.
- Spliff - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:13 pm:
So did they time this to coincide with the Kirk ad?
- old pol - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:14 pm:
The Governor has more to do than to wait on the GA to act. Ball is in their court.
The White House’s refusal to provide any substantive information lends credence to the perception they have very little info on these refugees.
I want a governor who can multi-task.
- Formerly Known As... - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:15 pm:
The activists and pols pandering may outnumber refugees.
- vole - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:16 pm:
Projections of puzzlement abound in the glass walled office of the governor.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:19 pm:
What’s truly puzzling is the governor’s confusion as to what office he holds. He’s the governor of Illinois, not the president of the United States.
Under what theory of federalism does a governor have veto power over movement of those legally admitted to this country?
How’s about he try to do his own job?
What’s the governor’s plan on enforcing Illinois state law regarding the 50K or so likely illegally armed individuals who were denied or had their FOID cards revoked when they were found, after due process of law, to be a threat to themselves or others?
Gov. Rauner has that information — names, last known addresses. He is constitutionally charged with executing that law.
What’s the plan?
When’s the last time you heard of a Syrian refugee in the United States committing an act of violence?
How many times have you heard about a nut with a gun spraying in a public place and inflicting mass casualties?
Rather than play at someone else’s job, the governor needs to do his own.
It’s ridiculous to talk about public safety in regards to Syrian refugees when you have a large illegally armed, mentally ill population and you’re doing nothing about it.
- Albany Park Patriot - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:20 pm:
Archbishop Cupich has spoken pretty forcefully on this issue. Rauner is on the wrong side. It may be good politics, but it isn’t right.
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:25 pm:
“In essence, it appears that Rauner wants veto power over the refugees sent to Illinois.”
The hallmark of this governor has been his disregard for the duties of his office, coupled with an obsession with matters having little or nothing to do with the job for which he was elected.
To call Bruce Rauner a dilettante would grossly overstate his interest in the role of chief executive of the State of Illinois, as prescribed in the state constitution.
– MrJM
- Anonin' - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:26 pm:
We will not be satisfied until the SuperStars fire up the Harleys and go door to door grabbin’ the 216 placd here since 2010.
Maybe there can be a live feed
- nixit71 - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:30 pm:
Have any of the refugees ever balanced a budget? If so, wave them through.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:33 pm:
The refugees are not the issue.
They are pawn in a larger issue that is not being addressed by Democrats. As long as the Democrats continue to face this issue as one based upon fear and partisanship, they will lose the majority of voters on this issue.
This will go away if Democrats acknowledge the same concerns. Once they reestablish ties with voters about security concerns after Paris with careful and thorough presentations ensuring the safety of citizens, they can stop losing political support.
The governors, including Rauner, can keep milking the political benefits of being the only ones publically addressing national and state security concerns which have arose since Paris regarding Syrian refugees.
The Democrats aren’t even trying to get into the game on this.
Funny how the same political party can quickly jump into the “Black Lives Matter” fears and concerns, but utterly fail on this fears and concerns issue. It should have been easy to pander on both for the Democrats.
Pander people! Pander! Defuse this thing and lets move onto more important stuff!
Obama is not running. Dump him. Pander to the voters you need to get elected. He is so irrelevant, no one, including the most devoted Democrat, should be following his lead here. Obama’s lead on this issue is toxic. Pander!
- Michelle Flaherty - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:40 pm:
Gov. Rauner backs up his “nobody in, everybody out” philosophy.
- illini97 - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:41 pm:
It’s almost as though this Governor does not understand what his duties are and are not as executive of this State.
State Budget - Governor’s duty
Federal naturalization policies - Not a Governor’s duty
Less grandstanding, more working, please.
- Handle Bar Mustache - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:42 pm:
What Would Jesus Do?
- Xavier Woods - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:43 pm:
Trying to look tough on foreign policy already Governor? Maybe you should try to fix the problems in Illinois before you let any national aspirations get in the way of your current job.
- Elo Kiddies - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:45 pm:
Haven’t we concluded that none of the Paris attackers were refugees, so this is a non-issue? That’s awkward for Kirk, who yesterday put out an ad blasting Duckworth for her position on refugees, but facts should trump policy (& politics ).
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:49 pm:
“What Would Jesus Do?”
“Jesus? Ain’t that one a them Mexican names?”
– MrJM
- Michelle Flaherty - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:49 pm:
This just in:
Rauner to require legislative leaders to produce birth certificates to prove they are U.S.-born before they can attend today’s leaders’ meeting in gov’s office.
- Cook County Commoner - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:51 pm:
“Rauner is on the wrong side. It may be good politics, but it isn’t right.”
Since when did right supersede good politics in Illinois?
- IllinoisBoi - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:54 pm:
>>>- Elo Kiddies - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:45 pm:
That’s awkward for Kirk, who yesterday put out an ad blasting Duckworth for her position on refugees, but facts should trump policy (& politics ).
- Nick Name - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:55 pm:
Once U.S. Congress passes Rauner’s Turnaround Agenda…
- IllinoisBoi - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 12:56 pm:
My comment on Elo Kiddie’s post was cut off. It was:
Please don’t use the words “facts” and “trump” in the same sentence. Thank you.
- Stuff Happens - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 1:01 pm:
And to everyone who said he’s not eyeing a run at the presidency down the road, I give you a exhibit A.
That NPR reporter had it right.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 1:03 pm:
I’m confused as to what they want with the background vetting info. Do they want to then vet them themselves?
And can we please stop talking about the Governor halting refugee resettlement in the state. A governor does not have that power.
If you are going to come into this country to do harm you aren’t coming through the refugee process. If you’re a citizen of a visa waiver country (as many of the terrorists in Paris were) you’re just going to walk into the country so long as you aren’t on any terror watch lists.
This Syrian refugee issue is just the latest issue in which politicians are pandering to the hysterical public. They should be informing people of the process not engaging in fear mongering.
- Not Rich - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 1:04 pm:
People:You have it all wrong.. The Governor has detailed info from his sources at the CIA that Obama is planning on sending Syrian refugees into Illinois who are all members of the Syrian branch of AFSME..
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 1:24 pm:
“Since when did right supersede good politics in Illinois?”
Once upon a time, from 1893 to 1897, Illinois had a governor named John P. Altgeld…
– MrJM
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 1:25 pm:
I don’t think this means Rauner is running for president some day.
Unless I’ve missed it, there isn’t a prominent Republican in the country who’s bucked Trump on this issue.
I have no reason to believe that Rauner would be the first.
- Anonin' - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 1:26 pm:
“What Would Jesus Do?”
Sell Corn and go short on bean derivatives
- Jack Stephens - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 1:38 pm:
It would be nice if he also kept White, Male, Chrisitan refugees from entering too. They seem to have a predilection for terrorism!
- burbanite - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 1:47 pm:
Too bad there wasn’t a civics requirement when the current admin was in school. Federal law PREEMPTS state law.
- walker - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 2:40 pm:
Sounds like the Feds threw Team Rauner kind of a compromise, and they insisted on a complete turnaround or nothing.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 2:44 pm:
Walker, every refugee could bring a note from Pope Francis and it wouldn’t be good enough for this year’s brand of Republican.
It’s their bread-and-butter political issue, it has nothing to do with public safety.
But, to be fair, some of them have said shooting up medical clinics is “wrong.” So, there’s that.
- Jocko - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 2:47 pm:
Does Bruce see the irony in forbidding entry to a Middle Easterner during the Christmas season?
- Cheryl44 - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 2:48 pm:
This makes it official. Rauner is afraid of half-starved children.
- Emily Booth - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 3:01 pm:
I guess you have to be in a union or a Syrian refugee to get Rauner’s attention.
- Annon3 - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 3:19 pm:
Oh those nuns and their Ignatian Spirtuality and Values, oh that’s right the Holy Fsther is a Jesuit.
- drop the soapbox - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 3:24 pm:
The Clintons have two large mansions. How many refugees will they be housing?
- FormerParatrooper - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 3:29 pm:
Dear Bruce, Please spend more time on the Illinois budget and on the problems that already exist in Illinois. The Syrian refugees are not the the problem you are making them out to be. That is a Federal responsibility, be more concerned with the State responsibilities you have. Sincerely your Constituents.
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 3:33 pm:
“The Clintons have two large mansions. How many refugees will they be housing?”
How very droll.
I believe your brand of wit and wisdom would be more appreciated elsewhere — may I suggest PoliticalMeatheads.net?
– MrJM
- Wensicia - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 4:34 pm:
Rauner: “I can’t support the legal right of refugees to enter this state (horrors!) though I do support the illegal activity of gunrunners to bring unlicensed weapons into this state and distribute them to Chicago gangs.”
- Jack Stephens - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 4:36 pm:
@wensicia:
And for those on Terror Watch List to have their “2nd Amendment” rights protected.
- drop the soapbox - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 4:39 pm:
I’ve read your attempts at wit and humor here many times MrJM, I’ve got nothing to worry about from you.
- Wordslinger - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 5:04 pm:
Drop there is no lack of church groups willing to sponsor Syrian refugees. The governor just wants to get tough on them to get his Trump card punched.
- Wensicia - Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 5:12 pm:
Drop, drop it…You’re way outta your league.