Rauner denies he’s making excuses
Tuesday, Apr 11, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Gov. Rauner was on “The Big John and Ray Show” on WLS Radio this morning. After going through his usual litany of how he’s changed the things he could change and has been blocked by Madigan on everything else, co-host John Dempsey asked him this…
You’re running for reelection and you’re saying the General Assembly has blocked us, things are unfair, the system is rigged. It’s one excuse after another. Would you hire somebody who came in and just offered one excuse after another?
* The governor’s response…
Well, that’s interesting, I’ve never heard Madigan’s majority called an excuse.
The reality is they rigged the system. It’s broken. It’s the reason we lead the nation in property taxes. It’s the reason we lead the nation in out-migration. They’re the reason we have so much cronyism and corruption. The system’s broken, it’s rigged by career politicians.
And I’m the one person as a volunteer - I’m not taking any compensation, I’m doing this because I love Illinois. I’m fightin’ against that corrupt machine and we’re gonna win ’cause it’s the right thing for the people of Illinois.
The full audio of the show is here. Many thanks to John for sending me the audio of his exchange with Rauner…
- Chucktownian - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:18 am:
Please just resign and do us all a favor.
- O - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:19 am:
Funny you didnt offer any commentary on this Rich.
- don the legend - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:21 am:
What a spineless man. Takes no responsibility and always has someone else to blame. A pitiful excuse for a governor. I really feel sorry for his children. Can you imagine having such a weak person as your father?
- Montrose - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:21 am:
Volunteer, eh?
And some kind of help is the kind of help
That helping’s all about
And some kind of help is the kind of help
We all can do without
- Handle Bar Mustache - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:22 am:
He’s not a volunteer.
He takes free housing, transportation, food and other benefits of governing. He doesn’t reimburse the state for that stuff.
“I’m a volunteer” trope is another in Rauner’s growing list of barf lines.
- Jocko - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:22 am:
==I’m not taking any compensation…==
Ahh…noblesse oblige. It’s just a coincidence that he’s banked an additional 1.5 million for keeping taxes artificially low.
- Blue dog dem - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:22 am:
I think martyr is more like it.
- Terry Salad - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:23 am:
You’re not taking any compensation Gov. Well, goody for you! There are a lot of Professors at NEIU who are not taking any compensation this week. They have no choice. That is your fault. The Profs are doing their job (trying, anyway). DO YOURS!
- Jocko - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:24 am:
BTW - You’re not a volunteer but an elected public servant. Start acting like one!
- Not Rich - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:25 am:
Blago with more money..
- Flynn's mom - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:26 am:
Really, now he’s our volunteer in chief?? Crazy!!
- Dee Lay - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:26 am:
So let me get this straight - he was asked a question about why he has so many excuses.
He then repeated those same excuses back to them as an answer.
I’ll cut them slack as a morning show, but can we get a journalist to use this line of questioning and actually call him out on using the same excuses as the excuses that we’re just used to ask him the question!?
- A Jack - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:26 am:
Munger isn’t a crony? Not buying it, Governor.
- Austinman - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:28 am:
Hmmm what an ineffective volunteer.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:28 am:
===Funny you didnt offer any commentary on this Rich===
There’s really no need.
- AC - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:28 am:
It’s not an excuse, it’s a lack of respect by Rauner for the wishes of Democratic voters who voted for their Senators and Representatives the same way they voted for the Governor.
- Henry Francis - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:29 am:
That laugh. Whenever he gets asked a direct question that highlights something negative about him he laughs.
It’s his tell. That the question goes to the heart of what he is trying so hard to hide.
Good job Mr. Dempsey in asking a question - a fair and honest question - that this Guv rarely ever gets asked. We need much more of this.
- Flynn's mom - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:30 am:
@ Dee Lay- he repeated back those excuses and then added some more.
- Earnest - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:32 am:
And the coordinated, cohesive response from the IDP each time Madigan is referenced is…..?
>Would you hire somebody who came in and just offered one excuse after another?
Nice to see the question asked.
- Just saying.... - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:37 am:
Uhmmmm…NEWS flash Govna…you just made another excuse! “FAILED”!!!
- Montrose - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:37 am:
“You have consistently said Madigan is the problem. You campaigned on the message that you were the person to take him on and “shake up” Springfield. Since, as you regularly point out, have not done what you said you would do, why should Illinoisans re-elect you as Governor?”
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:37 am:
Let’s be clear;
Rauner blames Madigan in tv ads, editorials, speeches, every and any chance he gets.
Rauner also says he’s there to fight the Status Quo, while proposing phony sham budgets as his counter.
Rauner also complains thru DeGroot, Yaffe and “ck” the continually dishonest governing of hostages as “trying to change Springfield” at the cost of social services and higher education… purposely.
Rauner has no intention to help higher education or social services when hurting those groups is the wedge Rauner proudly proclaimed is the way to destroy Af-Scammy.
Rauner’s excuses stalks the ball for his wanted destruction.
Rauner having it both ways is being called out here… on a radio show.
Rauner has no answer. He doesn’t need one. Things are going as planned, and blaming Madigan with $100 million works when only Rich, a handful of reporters, and this radio segment call Rauner on it.
This is a “moment”, not the narrative.
It should be, these questions, but they’re not. So Rauner can continue his phoniness.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:38 am:
“When you’re explaining, you’re losing.”
- Annonin' - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:39 am:
Rauner has created a vast army of volunteers with his mumbo jumbo…thank goodness he still has state funded troopers, cars, cell phones, flunkies to cart him around “listenin’”
- AC - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:40 am:
My follow up question would’ve been, “How did Madigan block the grand bargain in the Senate?”
- Decaf Coffee Party - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:41 am:
The guv kinda reminds me of Kramer from Seinfeld when he got canned from a job he wasn’t even being paid for:
“I don’t even really work here.”
“That’s what makes this so difficult.”
- @misterjayem - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:43 am:
Dear Bruce,
You already won.
You’re the Governor of Illinois. You have been for more than two years.
That fact probably slipped your mind because you’ve accomplished so very little since winning the election, but it’s true.
your pal,
– MrJM
- Vole - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:43 am:
Ah yes, some mighty fine duct tape projection goin’ there, Mr. Fix It.
Keep wrappin’ yourself in it.
- Because I said so.... - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:43 am:
Rauner doesn’t know how to govern. He hasn’t gotten out of campaign mode since he’s been elected.
- PDJT - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:46 am:
“I’m the one person as a volunteer - I’m not taking any compensation,”
I wish Rauner would take a salary, then maybe he would feel more obligated to do his job.
- Deft Wing - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:47 am:
These types of interviews are dangerous for Rauner — even on WLS 890, a favorable station — because whenever asked something outside of his stump talking points, he often messes up. That “volunteer” shtick is straight-up lame. Sure, he’s not taking the salary, but a volunteer Governor?!
Volunteer at a non-profit if you want to help out, but Illinois needs a full-time Governor leading the State.
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:48 am:
Who’s Rauner kidding about blaming cronyism and corrupt career politicians? Rauner profited massively from this system, through huge public employee pension business and decades of low state income taxes.
“And I’m the one person as a volunteer - I’m not taking any compensation”
Yeah, after Rauner made $188 million in 2015. Curiously, he mentioned public employee pensions during that presser. How much did he make at the public trough and off of public employees?
Hello, Democrats, will you ever get a press shop up and running to immediately respond to this rubbish and follow with counterattacks?
This guy’s not ever going to govern, folks. Ever.
- 37B - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:50 am:
We’re getting what we’re paying for.
- Anon221 - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:51 am:
Capitol Connection (WCIA Champaign) had an extended interview with Rauner this week. Mark Maxwell asked some of the same questions. Mark even asked him about Trump and, you guessed it, crickets (11 minute mark).
http://www.illinoishomepage.net/capitol-connection/extended-cut-governor-rauners-full-interview/689499843
- Langhorne - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:54 am:
Gov, would you keep someone, and renew their contract, if they just about doubled a deficit in a short period of time?
“We need a hard spending cap”. Why?? How? At what leve? We cant pay our bills, and have a huge backlog. Why wouldnt we apply every available dollar to reduce that backlog? Or do you “cap spending”, to leave bills unpaid?
This from a guy who wont detail cuts.
- Annyong - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:59 am:
He’s not taking any compensation…. besides the millions of dollars he makes per year. Sorry, my heart does not break for the Rauner family.
- IllinoisBoi - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 12:09 pm:
Governor, if you’re so ineffective at dealing with the legislature, which has only a small Democratic majority, why should anyone ever vote for you again?
- sal-says - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 12:19 pm:
Co-host John Howell maybe?
- The Captain - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 12:21 pm:
Rauner, in 2014:
It’s now 2017, he has no successes to hang his hat on and sees no blame in himself, only others. Three years ago he won by convincing voters he could translate his business success into government success on their behalf, now he desperately needs them to believe his excuses are both valid and warranted, a rather desperate gambit.
- WhoKnew - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 12:27 pm:
Highest Property Tax in the Nation.
29th in Total Tax, which includes Property Tax!
http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/total_taxes/total.html
Find a new Shtick Governor. Put your name on something, anything, that could work!
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 12:28 pm:
More oink plop from the ‘Constant Campaigner’
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 12:35 pm:
It must burn Rauner to play the weakling, and not be able to explain that he’s actually using the strongest powers of any officeholder in the state to accomplish much of what he wants.
It’s just that his Darwinist/Randian agenda is socially unacceptable in many circles, so he can’t cop to his effectiveness to date in carrying it out.
But he is carrying it out effectively, as you can see every day from new reports on the destruction.
- walker - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 1:09 pm:
My guess is Rauner doesn’t think he needs any excuses, because he is succeeding.
- Winnin' - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 1:11 pm:
It’s simple. If Bruce Rauner can’t negotiate or make tough budget decisions, it is time to declare him inept.
Governor Inept.
- Passive Agressive - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 1:44 pm:
He doesn’t take any compensation but yet his income increased by well more than $100 million in his first year in office. The disconnect with reality is unbelievable.
- anon2 - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 2:06 pm:
=== They’re the reason we have so much corruption. ===
So is Madigan to blame for George Ryan’s corruption? How about for the scandal during the Edgar administration? A look at the history of this state shows that political corruption is remarkably bipartisan, and asserting otherwise is dishonest.
- gdubya - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 3:25 pm:
Takes no compensation. The Governor makes 3 million a week from his other job. How did he triple his salary in a year when he’s supposed to be doing government work? Maybe he should donate the money he’s making from his other job, things might get serious.
- Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 3:53 pm:
Democatrs say they are for cts and revenues
Then the House passes a budget that has neither and don’t reconcile it with the Senate
Then they leave town and start campaigning
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 4:00 pm:
- Lucky Pierre -
Rauner, 3 years running, proposed phony, grossly unbalanced, status quo budgets…
… then campaigns he (Rauner) is fighting the Status Quo.
I thought Rauner was against the Status Quo, let alone being a major part of it these past 3 budgets.
Heck, Rauner agency heads and budget director this year couldn’t name one cut they would approve.
Hmm.
- Flyer - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 4:57 pm:
Are you kidding me? - he wants a pat on the back for not taking less than 1% of his income?
- Chicago 20 - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 5:40 pm:
One of these days, some reporter will ask Rauner a question and have the professional integrity to demand a answer to the question asked.
One of these days…..
- Sox fan - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 9:41 pm:
Hey Guv: Why don’t you “volunteer” some new ideas to fix our state? Seeing as you basically have one last shot at making an impression (ie, next year is the election), and your current plan was DOA two years ago.