Dunkin grabs mic after CSU presser
Friday, Feb 26, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* ABC 7…
Immediately after Chicago State University officials announced to reporters that layoffs were looming due to a lack of state funding, state Rep. Ken Dunkin unexpectedly took over the platform to discuss his bill to fund the state’s public universities.
During the impromptu press conference, Dunkin, a Chicago Democrat who is running for re-election, called on residents to urge their lawmakers to approve his proposed HB 6409.
CSU officials, who attempted to stop him, said Dunkin’s press conference was not approved.
You gotta do what you gotta do, I suppose.
* Meanwhile, from Public Radio…
At a South Loop debate last night, Dunkin asked his opponent how she could be for criminal justice reform but still hammer him on a mug shot from his past.
“If that’s all y’all have to talk about, keep bringing it,” Dunkin said. “And I thank you for it, by the way. And you’re gonna have to answer to God, too, young lady.”
His opponent, Juliana Stratton, said that mug shot is relevant to the campaign.
“We’re looking at issues of aggression toward women,” Stratton said. “We’re looking at failure to pay child support.
- VanillaMan - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:29 pm:
He leaps, he bounds, he is in motion while all along embarrassing himself as we see him flounder about, looking for someone to believe in him.
Awkward.
- Stones - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:34 pm:
I suppose Dunkin had to use the CSU press conference because nobody attended his presser yesterday?
- Shark Sandwich - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:35 pm:
” And you’re gonna have to answer to God, too, young lady.”
Young lady? Aren’t they both about 50? Isn’t this on par with saying something like ‘you people’?
- A guy - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:36 pm:
===You gotta do what you gotta do, I suppose.===
That’s pretty much it in a race like this one.
- Cubs in '16 - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:36 pm:
Dunkin thanks Stratton but in the next sentence says she’s “gonna have to answer to God”? I’m confused.
- not annonin' - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:36 pm:
Perhaps this is why CSU didn’t want Dunkin to speak.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomwogan
A Madigan political operative running their external relations. Seems like a school deeply conflicted between what Madigan wants politically and what they need to stay open.
- Anon221 - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:37 pm:
From the ABC7 post- Dunkin, chairman of the House’s Higher Education Appropriations Committee, said on his Facebook page on Thursday that the “Lobbyist Registration Administration Fund and the Tobacco Settlement Fund will be swept to fund our students.”
***
Well, if it is only those funds that will be swept, then why not specify that in your bill Ken? Why hold your bill “hostage” to SB3044?
- Politix - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:38 pm:
“Young lady”? Really? lol
I love watching him squirm.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:38 pm:
Keep the pressure on Dunkin…
A Dunkin win is a Democratic Raunerite victory. Make no mistake.
Dunkin’s actions are to preserve Raunerite leverage. Dunkin knows, a Democratic Raunerite rips apart Illinois Democrats, and he loves to be that destroyer of that party.
But, Dunkin needs his fallacy. Grabbing a mic is part and parcel of an act to fool Democrats.
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:40 pm:
Stratton is working on a new “work release program” for Dunkin. He’s getting released from his work.
- Me too - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:40 pm:
CSU has more links to Emil the elder, and he’s in bed with Rauner now isn’t he? Anyway, I think that CSU isn’t in favor of his bill, which funds the Unis by giving the governor a bailout on his bills coming due. I think they want their regular money, and they’ll thank you very much.
- @MisterJayEm - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:42 pm:
Lecturing Ms. Stratton and then calling her “young lady” isn’t a good look for Dunkin, but it’s definitely on-brand.
– MrJM
- Me too - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:44 pm:
The guv is putting out fires one at a time. Right now it is the unis, later it will be k-12 and paying back the fund sweeps. He doesn’t care about money being there. Look at the homeless youth shelter. He is essentially transferring value out of “subsidiaries” (withholding payments due) and into the “parent company” (the state) while bankrupting the subsidiaries. It has been his business model all along.
- Anon221 - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:44 pm:
God- see Rauner. Source Dictionary of the Raunerites. Author: Ken Dunkin. /s
- Mouthy - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:46 pm:
I’m thinking Dunkin got his grab the mike training by this instructor..
http://www.politico.com/story/2011/06/breitbart-takes-over-weiner-presser-056359
- Rufus - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:48 pm:
Dunkin is his own worst enemy. He is digging his own hole, maybe he should hand off the shovel to Rauner. /s
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:49 pm:
Since no one is coming to Dunkin’s town hall meetings, he has now resorted to hijacking other people’s events.
- Honeybear - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:49 pm:
Dunkin sure presents one janky mug. As they say here in ESL “you just can’t get you no get right”, can you? James 5:4 Dunkin James 5:4
- Beaner - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:49 pm:
“young lady” is a big step forward from “dancing monkey”, so it really must be election season.
- JS Mill - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:51 pm:
Desperate. He looks incredibly desperate.
Anybody holding any kind of event with the press present should be cautious about letting Dunkin in the room.
They should also have someone positioned near the sound system on/off switch. Just in case.
- NSideLady - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:55 pm:
If Dunkin keeps this act up, Stratton might not have to do as much campaigning as she thought. I guess Dunkin isn’t worried about answering to God himself…
- Joe M - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:55 pm:
==Perhaps this is why CSU didn’t want Dunkin to speak.==
Or is it because the bill is poorly written and the ramifications were not thought out. Plus the law that allowed all of those funds to be swept - also called for that money to be paid back into the funds. And also perhaps because the bill is only a small band aid for serious hemorrhages in the state budget, and even the higher ed budget.
- Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 2:55 pm:
Hey Ken, Alan Keyes called, he wants his bit back.
- wordslinger - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 3:00 pm:
–…Dunkin, a Chicago Democrat who is running for re-election, called on residents to urge their lawmakers to approve his proposed HB 6409.–
Note he didn’t urge residents to read HB 6409. It doesn’t earmark a dime for CSU. Or EIU, for that matter.
How much do you think those two schools are going to get from IBHE when every public university in the state has been stiffed since July 1?
It also requires the Madoff-like finance scheme of SB 3044 to pass.
For a pre-primary election stunt, you’d think Dunkin and Phillips could have made it look better.
- Honeybear - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 3:02 pm:
Stratton may have to answer to God, but you’ve got to answer to the man you made the deal with at the crossroads at midnight Dunkin. I think you’re getting nervous that the debt from the deal you made may be called in sooner than you thought.
- Double Nickel - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 3:02 pm:
Coming from the guy who sold his soul to the Governor.
- Precinct Captain - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 3:03 pm:
I thought Baskets starred Zach Galifianakis.
- X-prof - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 3:03 pm:
We’ll talk later, Dunkin. You just sit down. … Some people never change.
- There is power in a union... - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 3:09 pm:
““If that’s all y’all have to talk about, keep bringing it,” Dunkin said.”
No you’ve given us plenty to talk about. I like to spend my time phone banking members and telling them about that time you hid in New York while the 1229 override was being voted on.
Don’t worry, it’s being brought…
- Steelerfan - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 3:11 pm:
I have a question about Illinois campaign finance laws. Does someone like state representative Dunkin get to keep his campaign cash when he leaves office as long as he pays taxes on it?
- Politix - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 3:17 pm:
@360 Degree TurnAround - Thanks for the laugh!
- Former Downstater - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 3:17 pm:
Will any money be raised into Maze Jackson’s new committee in time to play in this election? http://elections.il.gov/CampaignDisclosure/CDPdfViewer.aspx?FiledDocID=602249&DocType=Image
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 3:26 pm:
My pleasure Politix, what else are Friday afternoons supposed to be, except laughter.
- walker - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 3:37 pm:
Not that concerned about a pol walking in and getting some mic time during someone else’s presser. Have seen Murphy, Chapa, and Quinn do the same thing.
In those cases, however, the hosts didn’t much mind.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 3:49 pm:
===Perhaps this is why CSU didn’t want Dunkin to speak===
It was most likely to do with the fact that he has no discernible allies in the Democratic super majority.
- RNUG - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 3:49 pm:
Because … Durkin and the mic he controls!
- RNUG - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 3:50 pm:
Dunkin … darned small phone, fat fingers and auto-correct
- TinyDancer(FKA Sue) - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 4:00 pm:
I thought this move belonged to Reverend Meeks:
https://capitolfax.com/2015/11/20/isbe-responds-to-harsh-criticism/
- HangingOn - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 4:24 pm:
So is Dunkin the Kanye West of the GA now?
- burbanite - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 4:25 pm:
Is there video of the press conference.
Can’t blame Dunkin at the debate, he can’t help but be aggressive with the ladies.
- The_Equalizer - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 5:01 pm:
“- HangingOn - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 4:24 pm:
So is Dunkin the Kanye West of the GA now?”
That brought a LOL from me. Well said!
- Hamilton - Friday, Feb 26, 16 @ 5:12 pm:
Stratton’s response at the debate after Dunkin said “answer to God” was amazing. 5 minutes of calm refrained response: “A campaign is about making a case. One instance isn’t the entire case. That’s why I want to tell you about … instance with Rep. Dunkin.” She continued that way for at least 5 minutes, making point after point. I wish I had a video of it.
It was professional politics beyond anything we’ve seen for some time.