* Finke…

Speaking Wednesday night at the Sangamon County GOP’s Lincoln Day Dinner, Gov. Bruce Rauner said he had to leave the Prairie Capital Convention Center and “go back over to negotiate some more with the legislators. We’re in the middle of heated negotiations around getting a balanced budget” with needed changes. […]

He also lauded Democrats in the Senate for working with Republicans on issues including term limits, property tax relief and reducing the regulatory burden on business.

“This is a major breakthrough,” Rauner said. “We’ve got to applaud them. It’s hard. They’re getting attacked from all sides. … But we’ve got to compromise, listen to each other, but get a good, fair deal for taxpayers.”

OK, first of all, I’m kinda betting he left because he didn’t want to be in the story about Corey Lewandowski’s speech to that GOP gathering. I mean, he keeps saying he’s hands off the Senate’s grand bargain talks. What could he be negotiating?

Secondly, I’m glad he acknowledged that Senators are being “attacked from all sides.” But that would include attacks on the Senate Republican Leader, who’s being whacked hard by several of Rauner’s own pals. Click here, for the latest.

* From a press release sent by Sen. Kwame Raoul on yesterday’s floor votes…

I do believe many of my Republican colleagues wanted to vote in favor of these measures, but they were undermined by the governor’s office and members of the far right, who are sabotaging work towards a compromise that will allow us to create the stability our state needs.

* And then there was this…

With Gov. Bruce Rauner and House Speaker Michael Madigan having locked horns from day one on the issue of a budget — with little progress to show for it — Cullerton and Radogno began their compromise negotiations without either one being part of the mix.

Now, however, Cullerton is calling on Rauner to raise his voice on the issue, contending a push from the governor in the right direction could make a world of difference in finally making the bitter stalemate between him and Madigan a thing of the past.

* And this…

Further, Cullerton says, expedience is necessary because the plan raises $6.5 billion in new revenue – in part by raising the state income tax to 4.99 percent, retroactive to the start of the year. Get too far into 2017 without making the new rate law? Making the change, and counting on the revenue from it, will no longer be possible. […]

Republicans’ reluctance may stem from their awaiting a signal from Rauner, who has used his personal wealth to largely fund the Illinois Republican Party, which in turn funds many senators’ campaigns. Rauner has continually voiced his appreciation to Cullerton and Radogno for their work, but he has been unwilling to take a public stance on what they’ve crafted. Some of the governor’s staunch allies, including the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Policy Institute, are actively campaigning against the plan.

“I think the pressure should be on the Republicans from the business community to realize that they finally have to do something quickly. That’s what I’m hoping will happen,” Cullerton said, as he held up a report released this week by Standard & Poor’s that said the Senate plan could help to alleviate pressure on Illinois’ deteriorating fiscal condition.