* Despite the push-back, I don’t doubt that Gov. Rauner told Sen. Durbin something at least close to this a year ago…
“‘If you have a problem with the union, call me,’” Durbin recalled saying to the governor. “ ‘I’ll sit down at the table with you. And if they’re being obstructionist, I’ll say it publicly. I’ll back you up.’”
“He says, ‘You don’t get it,’” Durbin said. “‘This is not about negotiating with them. They just have to go away.’”
Lance Trover, spokesman for Rauner, responded later that Durbin “has a history of exaggeration and today takes it to a whole new level. The governor never said that.”
“The timing of Senator Durbin’s comments are peculiar given that he never spoke out while his party ran Illinois into the ground the last 10 years. While we thank the former majority whip for his thoughts, its seems a little ridiculous taking budgeting advice from elected officials like him in Washington, who have not passed a balanced federal budget in years.”
Durbin also said during the interview that others have also told him Rauner made similar comments about unions going away.
“He’s said it to legislators, ’cause I’ve recounted this conversation,” Durbin said. “They said, ‘Oh, he said the same thing to us.’ So this is not a new statement. He’s pretty unequivocal.”
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 9:37 am:
The very lonely takeaway for me from this “dust up” is;
If the Labor Movement fails to work with Democrats and Social Services and their Advocates in the 2016 election, Primary and General, Rauner will destroy Labor, all Labor, any way he can.
Did the trades forget Lincolnshire? I didn’t.
- A guy - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 9:39 am:
Durbin does have a reputation for exaggeration. Why does he necessarily even need Rauner there to make his points to the union? Has he been a thought leader on this for the past couple of years? It’s escaped me.
- Dan S - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 9:43 am:
Pot calling the kettle black.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 9:50 am:
Who would you believe? Durbin or this guy?
– “Pushing any specific labor regulation is not my priority at all,” he (Rauner) told Illinois Radio Network less than a month before voters went to the polls. Four months later, he unveiled the Turnaround Agenda.–
- Anonymous - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 9:50 am:
I know Rauner said the same thing to Preckwinkle several years ago. He fundamentally believes that public sector unions should be ‘broken’.
- DC - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 9:51 am:
The last quote in the post is exactly right. Rauner has said the same thing in meetings with multiple legislators. I’m no Durbin fan, but I believe his account of what Rauner said is 100 percent accurate.
- hisgirlfriday - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 9:52 am:
So maybe Rauner is waiting to do a budget until the Supreme Court kills the unions he hates the most. Oral arguments in the California teachers union case were this morning.
http://www.scotusblog.com/2016/01/argument-preview-new-threat-to-public-employee-unions/
- Anonymous - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 9:53 am:
Dick Durbin is a has been, who did little when he was a somebody
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 9:56 am:
The Decatur PowerPoint presentation(s) discussing how people make too much money and lower wages will “Bring Back Illinois”…
Rauner can’t remember who he talked to on Election Night, now I’m suppose to believe a man with that kind of memory?
Rauner wants to destroy all Labor.
It’s up to all Labor to remember that. Every day.
Rauner won’t forget Labor is “the enemy”
- plutocrat03 - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:01 am:
Funny that Sen. Durbin has another claim that cannot be verified. The tactic is so common that it is funny.
Working families will someday realized that the open border types, such as Sen. Durbin, who are keeping the floodgates open for millions of poorly trained immigrants to enter this country are doing more damage to their paychecks than any policy the evil Republicans are being accused of. It’s simple supply and demand.
- Wensicia - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:02 am:
Why would Rauner pretend the elimination of all unions is not his goal? Does he believe people in this state ate that stupid?
- Juvenal - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:11 am:
=== Durbin does have a reputation for exaggeration. ===
“I’ve been successful at everything I’ve ever done.” - Bruce Rauner
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:13 am:
=== Durbin does have a reputation for exaggeration. ===
… Like Rauner saying he spoke with Speaker Madigan and President Cullerton on Election Night exaggeration, - A Guy -?
- Team Sleep - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:17 am:
After watching Senator Durbin run around the state for years and promise communities the Sun, the Moon and the Stars - and taking into account his “work” on the boondogglish “high-speed rail” shenanigans - he is to me like the Senior Boy Who Cried Wolf. Even if candidate Bruce Rauner said this, I have a hard time taking Senator Durbin seriously and/or taking his word as gospel.
- A guy - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:24 am:
OW, I’m not sure you spoke to the comment. Did I miss it?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:27 am:
Oh - A Guy -…
You made a point that Durbin exaggerates. I’m just remindin’ ya, besides Rauner never failin’, Rauner exaggerates who he’s even speakin’ too…
So… there’s that.
- LizPhairTax - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:28 am:
Lance, where did you used to work? Before you dismiss the US Senate as an invalid source of knowledge you might want to check some resumes around your office.
- Demoralized - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:30 am:
It wouldn’t surprise me if the Governor said something like this. The Governor clearly doesn’t like unions and it seems from his actions would like them to go away. The Governor is a CEO. He doesn’t like people that get in his way. Unions get in his way by preventing him from dictating the things he wants done. Unions are also a pain to his business friends as unions make it difficult for them to pay lower wages and offer crappy benefits. The bottom line is that this Governor is about helping his business friends. That’s the extent of his goals. Whatever he can do to get them more money is what he wants to do. Unions get in the way of that.
- Honeybear - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:38 am:
You got that right Demoralized. We’re not going to just get in the way though. We’re gonna get in some faces. With you Demoralized, with you!
- Anonymous - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 10:53 am:
He’s has said it several times and his actions speak louder than his words!!
- Anonymous - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 11:02 am:
Is this really some secret? Why deny it? As reported above, several legislators have reported similar comments from the Governor in multiple private meetings.
- WutBudget - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 11:19 am:
Durbin has said the same story often. I’ve heard it from him personally several times, since at least July. And no, he’s not running for Governor.
- Keyser Soze - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 11:46 am:
If he didn’t say it, he probably thought it. Can’t imagine him missing AFSCME.
- Ginhouse Tommy - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 11:49 am:
Rauner has to realize that the unions are not going to go away. He should just try to get the best deal he can and move on. He won’t. The same goes for the budget. He also wants lower union wages and almost no tax on businesses. Seems like he wants to put the labor movement back 150 years. Not happening either and so here we are. The trouble is nobody wants to blink in this standoff. Where do we go from here?
- Juvenal - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 11:51 am:
“‘If you have a problem with the union, call me,’” Durbin recalled saying to the governor. “ ‘I’ll sit down at the table with you. And if they’re being obstructionist, I’ll say it publicly. I’ll back you up.’”
“He says, ‘You don’t get it,’” Durbin said. “‘This is not about negotiating with them. They just have to go away.’”
So, Trover isn’t denying that the first half of the conversation happened, only the second?
1) Seems unlikely that Durbin would only make up half a conversation
2) If Durbin offered to help with AFSCME, why hasn’t Rauner taken him up on it? Seems like a missed opportunity.
- hisgirlfriday - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 12:03 pm:
Sounds like a majority of scotus agrees. the same majority that gave us citizens united is almost certain to kill afscme/seiu/aft this term.
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/supreme-court-public-sector-unions-fees-217572
- Norseman - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 12:15 pm:
=== Rauner has to realize that the unions are not going to go away. ===
Do you realize that he’s going to do everything in his power to make it happen. Budget Impasse is exhibit A. If you don’t want to see unions going away, you better back up your words with deeds.
- Cheswick - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 12:44 pm:
Poor Lance Trover. He and has party, so helpless. His boss, so misunderstood. Poor Lance Trover.
- Beaner - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 2:07 pm:
- Anonymous - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 9:53 am:
Dick Durbin is a has been, who did little when he was a somebody
Dear Anonymous - Senator Durbin is the Chair of the Senate Appropriation Committee.
- walker - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 3:13 pm:
This has become a pattern. Rauner says lot of very controversial things to individuals and small groups, when he thinks it might make him look smart or tough. He then has to pretend something blander with larger groups and when the press is present. In search of the politically correct for the Governor.
Perhaps Lance should just go with the flow, and encourage Rauner to go “Full-on Trump” and stand by whatever dramatic things he might say at random.
- Independent retiree/lawyer/journalist - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 6:08 pm:
The reason the Superstars grant the press only limited access to Rauner is that the Governor isn’t good on his feet. He needs Trover and Schimpf and CK to stay on message for him. Regardless of what one thinks of Durbin, it makes eminent sense to me that Rauner revealed his true goal in an off-script conversation.
- cannon649 - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 8:19 pm:
- hisgirlfriday - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 9:52 am:
So maybe Rauner is waiting to do a budget until the Supreme Court kills the unions he hates the most. Oral arguments in the California teachers union case were this morning.
There appears to reasonable chance this will happen. Money talks and this would be a blow - possibly a very major when union “income” if cut by a large amount.
- James Knell - Monday, Jan 11, 16 @ 9:53 pm:
I wish Mr. Rauner would go away.
- burbanite - Tuesday, Jan 12, 16 @ 6:45 am:
The fair share employees are going to be in for a rude awakening if the SCOTUS rules in their favor. Be careful what you wish for. Hope they like minimum wage and at will employment.