97 Comments - ZC - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 9:47 am: “the first official campaign tour” Misleading. Rauner essentially never left the campaign trail. - Arsenal - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 9:48 am: LOL, yeah, he’s only now starting campaigning. OK. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 9:49 am: No universities, community colleges, or contracted private service providers on the trip? Not interested in these core state responsbilities? No classes of high school seniors deciding on colleges? Wonder why? - RNUG - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 9:49 am: == Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner is launching the first official campaign tour of his re-election bid == Glad the used the word “official”. We wouldn’t want any inaccurate newspaper reporting. - Mike Cirrincione - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 9:49 am: Sure would be nice if he started Governin’ before campaignin’. - illini - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 9:50 am: This is big news to me - I didn’t think he ever stopped campaigning ! - A Jack - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 9:51 am: Is he starting to campaign again because that was the only successful thing he has accomplished in two years? - RNUG - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 9:51 am: Family got a invite to the Springfield stop. Let’s just say their response was less than complementary. - RNUG - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 9:53 am: I’m already sick of the duct tape commercial. Can’t imagine having to listen to it over and over on the campaign trail. - William j Kelly - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 9:54 am: The best re election strategy would be to have a successful first term as governor But I guess it’s too late for that. - Mama - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 9:54 am: “Governor Bruce Rauner will kick of his re-election campaign Tuesday…” Where have you news folks been for the past three years? Governor, if you want a budget deal, stop running around the state whining about Madigan. It has never helped before, and it will not help to craft a budget now. Stop spending all of your time campaigning & start governing. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 9:55 am: I do find it interesting that Rauner is stopping in Champaign at a manufacturing business, while purposely squeezing UIUC, a place where those who could help the manufacturing sector find the whole U of I system nearly $800 million short in funding, and growing daily. That’s my first blush impression… - Ray del Camino - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 9:56 am: Show us the balanced budget! C’mon journos, ask to see the balanced budget and proposed cuts. Make him put his (our) money where his mouth is. Be brave! - Rabid - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 9:58 am: Still campaigning with a plan forthcoming and no details on savings. You have talked the talk now it’s time to walk the walk - Porgy Tirebiter - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:03 am: Break out the Village People costumes - Bruce Rauner is on the road again! - Jocko - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:06 am: Word nails it @9:40. Speaking of, I was curious how #GovClassroomVisit turned out. Not surprisingly, no questions asked…much less mention of BVR. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:06 am: He’s campaigning on, No Budget? No Problem! - Arsenal - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:07 am: ==I’m already sick of the duct tape commercial.== I usually believe that any positive spot, even a poorly made one, is positive, but this has come in for pretty universal mocking. I think focusing on the duct tape metaphor was a mistake. - Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:09 am: “Rather than work to finally solve Illinois’ structural problems, politicians in Springfield want to duct tape over Illinois’ challenges with more spending, higher taxes, and no real reforms” Rather than working constructively with Democratic majorities in the General Assembly, and doing the doable, Bruce Rauner has willfully sabotaged the state budget, causing a million or more to lose social services, drastic cuts to higher education and social services providers, vendors getting stiffed, people leaving the state, ballooning debt and deficit, impasse with the largest state employee union. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:10 am: When you also can’t run for re-election with no accomplishments, you have to hustle like a challenger. Rauner currently is running ads like a challenger. That’s probably the most telling. Rauner is planning on having no accomplishments. That’s a scary thought to the governing. - William J Kelly - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:10 am: Illinois republicans need to stand together and put forth a challenger to Rauner. - Markus - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:11 am: S I went to Fix Illinois to look for the budget and reforms. All I found were the words “budget” and “reforms”. There was no Budget (you know, revenue versus spending with actual numbers and math applied) and there were no reforms explained in any more depth than Titles. Fix Illinois is an example of the substance provided by Rauner during his term so far. - Ghost - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:12 am: “Count de Monet/Jarrett: It is said that the people are revolting.” “King Louis Rauner the XVI: You said it! They stink on ice !” - Blue dog dem - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:13 am: Which one of my Democratic candidates is going to come out with a detailed plan to get a progressive income tax. They are them entitled to stick it to Rauner as the guy going after the working poor and middle classes. Its looks like this slate of rummies is content to run against Trump. Better yet immigration. - Veil of Ignorance - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:15 am: I’m not sure what’s customary, but if Rauner really wanted a budget agreement (as opposed to another stop gap) then he would’ve waited to launch his “official” campaign until after spring session. Just like his intervention on the Senate’s grand bargain negotiations, this decision serves as further confirmation that has zero interest in getting our state an actual budget. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:15 am: ==Illinois republicans need to stand together and put forth a challenger to Rauner.== Will you step up, donate money to yourself, then disappear again? We’d all support that - Precinct Captain - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:16 am: He’s not governing and this isn’t campaigning? So, what is the governor doing? - Sophie & Pete - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:16 am: His campaign for 2018 is appropriate, Fix ( NEUTER) Illinois. Watch yourselves! - illini - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:18 am: — “It is being paid with political resources out of an abundance of caution.” — So who exactly has been paying the bill for all his travels these past two years? Nevermind, I think I know. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:20 am: Let’s dissect… ===This tour is not the governor formally launching his reelection campaign.=== Ok, as campaign ads are running statewide, Rauner decides to take a tour, which governors actually should do, that seems to have a barnstorming flair that dovetails with the ads perfectly. To continue… ===He’s traveling the state to talk about the need for a balanced budget with reforms.=== Again, look at the ads running right now, don’t they have the “budget with reforms” as the only theme? By mere coincidence these ads and this tour are themed similarly? Then this? ===It is being paid with political resources out of an abundance of caution.=== The caution is the blatent dovetailing to the ads. It’s best to say it’s not campaigning, but pay for it as if it were campaigning. ===Thanks, Aaron P. DeGroot Illinois Republican Party=== No, thank you. A good phony release like this, contradicting everything going on, especially with the ads, says it all. - Earnest - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:22 am: >^Today, as Bruce Rauner chooses to hit the campaign trail instead of working to pass a much-needed budget “Bruce Rauner and the legislative Republicans fights for IT consultants and his ’superstars’ to get paid but fights against colleges, human service providers, healthcare providers for families of state employees and Illinois Vendors. Why are they supposed to feel the pain of no budget instead of anyone else?” Dear IDP, you have a political opponent who has telegraphed his every move and message. Why aren’t you putting up a fight? Why aren’t you pushing the media to do their job? Good on Rauner for showing them what political effectiveness looks like. - William J Kelly - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:23 am: Anonymous, disappeared? You need to go to www.citizenkelly.com and watch the show on Facebook live today. - Arsenal - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:24 am: ==Which one of my Democratic candidates is going to come out with a detailed plan to get a progressive income tax.== Err…all of them? http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/zorn/ct-biss-democrats-governor-income-tax-zorne-perspec-0326-jm-20170324-column.html - hot chocolate - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:25 am: fumblin, bumblin, stumblin…he could…go…all…the - Anon1234 - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:26 am: I’m trying to figure out why he wants to run again. What has he done that has been beneficial as governor? First, he kept the income tax at 3.75% longer than possibly anyone else could - that has saved him about $2 million per year and buddies like Ken Griffin even more. He’s arguably helped unseat a few Democrats, but was that because of his role as governor or because of his money? What else does he want to accomplish? Perhaps destroy Afscme, but for that to happen, the state will first have to survive a likely strike. I think he views killing that whale is worth any cost to the rest of the state. Meanwhile, many people look to leave the state while this battle takes its toll. Hard to watch. - DuPage Bard - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:26 am: If you look at Politico Illinois, they have the official Governor and Mayor schedules for the day. It says the Governor has no official scheduled events. So, question Aaron, if this isn’t campaign is it official Governor business? If so, is press allowed at these events? Are there opportunities to ask questions? Is the Governor going to be talking about the need to get more seats from Madigan? - Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:27 am: There is no way that’s from the ILGOP, they didn’t shoehorn madigan into it. - GOP Extremist - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:27 am: Oh, ok Aaron, if you say so!!! - CrazyHorse - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:28 am: ==Come learn about the Governor’s plans to turnaround our state.== Of course he removed a few croutons but this is the same salad he tossed in 2014. What’s the definition of insanity again? - don the legend - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:29 am: …This tour is not the governor formally launching his reelection campaign. He’s traveling the state to talk about the need for a balanced budget with reforms… What a big pile of dung! Talk, Talk, Talk about a balanced budget. Jeez Louise would some democratic candidate please jump all over this, today, tomorrow and the next day. All this bozo governor does is talk. - illini - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:29 am: Willy@9:55 - don’t you remember the last ( or maybe the one and only time ) the BVR was on the Campus? The students were rude, crude and disrespectful of his policies and plans. That was well over a year ago, as I recall. And before the full impact of his “plan” was fully comprehended or felt by the University Community. Can you imagine what it would be like today? - Skeptic - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:30 am: “This tour is not the governor formally launching his reelection campaign” In the words of a former Republican President’s Budget Director, “If it walks like a duck…” - A Jack - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:33 am: Actually he has a lot to run on: what United did to only one passenger, Rauner did to all the sick and needy of the state. We should hear the Governor’s plan to re-accommodate the state of Illinois. - GOPgal - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:38 am: The Governor will be talking about the need for a balanced budget but won’t actually be submitting one as the Illinois Constitution requires him to do, out of an abundance of caution. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:40 am: The guy is running spots that says he has a balanced budget plan. Would it be the acme of foolishness for the media to inquire as to where it is? Or at least ask him what the number is in which his proposed spending equals projected revenues? Any media that let’s that bald-faced whopper go by unchallenged and unreported is complicit in that lie, for reasons they should ask themselves. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:42 am: ===I’m trying to figure out why he wants to run again.=== That’s super-easy. The 2020 map. That’s why he’s running again. The destruction is working perfectly. Now it’s about the map. The tricky part is fooling enough people to win again. - SAP - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:43 am: - Anon1234 - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:26 am: Save $2 Million a year on taxes but dump 10 times as much into the campaign fund, doesn’t quite add up. - Archiesmom - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:44 am: Are my taxpayer dollars paying for this little tour? - Cubs in '16 - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:44 am: ===I’m trying to figure out why he wants to run again.=== The map. - Archiesmom - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:47 am: I think the Democrats need to come up with their own duct tape commercial. How about a picture of a university building wrapped in duct tape and being held hostage by a governor who won’t negotiate? Then again, Rauner would call Madigan the hostage taker. Anyway… - AC - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:47 am: ==The tricky part is fooling enough people to win again.== Sadly, OW, and I know it’s very early, but I still think it’s Rauner’s race to lose. - RNUG - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:47 am: So it’s not a campaign … but we’re doing fund raising? About that duck … - GOPgal - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:48 am: If the Governor approaches you with a roll of duct tape, do not be alarmed. But it would probably be best if you didn’t make direct eye contact, out of an abundance of caution. Thanks, Team Rauner - Jane A. - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:54 am: Oh yes, the map. Because how can he run on his record? He’s basically acting as a placeholder in the redmap strategy. Never was an intention to actually govern. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:55 am: $50 to recruit volunteers? I think that’s called astro-turf, not grassroots. Rauner begging for $5 reminds me of an old Monty Python bit in which oil sheiks begged for pocket lint from the homeless. That was satire. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:56 am: How does he get around so quickly? I’d love the press to get some pics of him walking off his fancy private charter just like so many normal Americans like Trump, the Kardashians, Jay Z etc - Dee Lay - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:58 am: To the IL GOP and Mr. DeGroot, I dedicate this song… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJGFQ7O9h-M - Valvino - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 10:59 am: What is the Governors budget plan? For two years we have heard the same old story. Maybe it is time for a new ajenda, since this one has worked so well. - Ok - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:05 am: Ac. Sadly, OW, and I know it’s very early, but I still think it’s Rauner’s race to lose. …… Unfortunately, OW said the same thing about Munger who ended up being defeated so I take that opinion with a grain of salt. - Ok - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:12 am: Ac. Sadly, OW, and I know it’s very early, but I still think it’s Rauner’s race to lose. ________ Unfortunately, OW said the same thing about Munger who ended up being defeated so I take that opinion with a grain of salt. - J. Nolan - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:13 am: http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/poll-rauner-approval-rating-up-but-still-near-bottom-nationwide/ Sorry to burst y’alls bubbles but these are re-election numbers right here. - Ducky LaMoore - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:13 am: Basically, the plan is to double-talk the opposition into such complete frustration that they stop paying attention for health reasons. It is the only possible strategy that could work. - Blue dog dem - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:13 am: Arsenal. My point exactly. Lip service. I want specifics. I want ownership. I want a take charge guy. I want my candidate to say,”after taking the oath as gov, i will dispatch xyz to gather signatures. I will then take necessary legislative action……” thats the guy i want. - Ducky LaMoore - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:17 am: ===Sorry to burst y’alls bubbles but these are re-election numbers right here.=== Maybe with Hillary Clinton as president. - Chucktownian - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:17 am: Since he, like Trump, doesn’t seem to think there’s much of a job to do, why not go out and campaign some more? He and Trump have the same approval rating now. I’m astonished it’s mid-thirties. I guess those are the hardcore R types who are still left. I think the devil himself might get mid-thirty approval ratings given that’s the GOP percentage in the state. Well come to think of it, Rauner is pretty close. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:19 am: ===Unfortunately… said the same thing about Munger who ended up being defeated so I take that opinion with a grain of salt=== Your memory ain’t too good… Given that Munger did t do what I said she needs to do, like spend $10 million dollars to bury the grossly inept Mendoza Crew and the mere fact that Mendoza won by 4 points, due in large part to Labor and Democrats coming home and not because of Mendoza running a competent campaign, I think your own analysis is disingenuous to what I actually said, and you think Mendoza ran a competent campaign. Two falsehoods, but keep trying, lol. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:21 am: ===Sadly, and I know it’s very early, but I still think it’s Rauner’s race to lose.=== It’s difficult to beat an incumbent governor. Especially a governor more willing to spend $100 million and campaign than actually committed to the governing job. See; Blagojevich, Rod. - Ducky LaMoore - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:23 am: ===See; Blagojevich, Rod.=== While that is true. Rod had the political winds at his back. Bruce has them in his face. Still a toss-up. The dems need a good candidate and money to spend. - Langhorne - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:31 am: DEMS! UNIONS! you cant let rauner keep messaging unchallenged. He has paid and free messaging. What have you got? Run a split screen ad. Left side scroll specific carnage. Right side keep repeating “happiest i have ever been”, ” energized by trench warfare” , “winning”. It doesnt have to be a huge buy, but it does need to play in the various markets. It should trigger a lot of discussion, in social media, but also electronic and print. There needs to be a sharp counterpoint to rauners unchallenged “i have a popular sounding plan, full of tested buzz words”. Undercut that w a litany of specific carnage, versus rauners utter callousness. - Ok - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:32 am: Your memory ain’t too good… Given that Munger did t do what I said she needs to do, like spend $10 million dollars to bury the grossly inept Mendoza Crew and the mere fact that Mendoza won by 4 points, due in large part to Labor and Democrats coming home and not because of Mendoza running a competent campaign, I think your own analysis is disingenuous to what I actually said, and you think Mendoza ran a competent campaign. Two falsehoods, but keep trying, lol. _________ Not true OW. You claimed Munger would win all the way up to election day. Then she lost! - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:42 am: ===Not true OW. You claimed Munger would win all the way up to election day. Then she lost!=== Oh I did, but that was solely because of the inept, grossly incompetent Mendoza Crew that ran ads that touted her ignoring her oath and constitutional duties. It was Democrats and Labor, not Mendoza’s Crew that won that race. If you’d like, we can discuss the horrible Mendoza campaign and then the “epiphany” that what I said is best.., “Appeal” the ruling to pay legislators, but pay them all the same. The “surprise” is how much of an utter drag Mendoza’s own campaign caused, nearly 11 points compared to Duckworth and Clinton. - Ok - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:46 am: Good job OW.. Compararing locally known Mendoza to nationally known Clinton and Duckworth who also had more millions than Mendoza. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:53 am: ===Comparing locally known Mendoza to nationally known Clinton and Duckworth who also had more millions than Mendoza=== Hmm… “…who also had more millions than Mendoza.=== I said, navy times, this… “Given that Munger did t do what I said she needs to do, like spend $10 million dollars to bury the grossly inept Mendoza Crew…” You complain about the millions, I said $10 million, and Munger didn’t spend that or bury Mendoza. Mendoza ran a grossly inept campaign. You are now complaining about the millions spent to expose that campaign crew, and Democrats and Labor bailing her out, and yet you can’t see how an error by Munger, not spending the money she “had”… You need to get over it. Mendoza’s Crew nearly blew it as much as Munger lost, lol. - Arsenal - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:54 am: ==Arsenal. My point exactly. Lip service. I want== -to move the goalposts when confronted with facts, got it. Have fun never being satisfied. - Ok - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 11:59 am: Ow You said Munger would win up to election day… She lost! Please save the excuses. Stop comparing little known Mendoza to household names of Clinton and Duckworth. Clinton and Duckworth and Munger all had more money than Mendoza… Mendoza won so let it go. You were wrong! - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 12:04 pm: ===You said Munger would win up to election day… She lost! Please save the excuses=== “Asked and answered” You keep asking/saying these ridiculous things. I said what I said, I’ve stood by it, 100%, and explained why. ===Stop comparing little known Mendoza to household names of Clinton and Duckworth. Clinton and Duckworth and Munger all had more money than Mendoza…=== Mendoza ran a grossly incompetent campaign based upon the premise her oath didn’t mean anything, and yet, as comptroller, followed the plan I thought was best, competency. You keep bringing up this race, not me. “Why?” Great campaigns lose. Grossly incompetent campaigns wins. Mendoza’s Crew proved that one. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 12:09 pm: To bring this all back (whew!) If Rauner learned anything from Munger losing, it’s the “Jack O’Malley”… The “Jack O’Malley” is not spending nearly enough when a wave may be seen in the distance (Punch 10 for O’Malley, Labor and Democrats overcoming the Mendoza Crew incompetentcy) and leaving monies that can be got on the table when burying your opponent (here for Rauner it’s swamping the messaging over Democratic unsatisfactory) is the best way to head this all off at the pass. This is Rauner learning from Munger… and O’Malley. - Hhood - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 12:15 pm: Gov if you want votes. Put your work abilities where your money is. What you haven’t told anyone. Is the duck tape is for the lottery car fleet. That’s right. All those junkers are currently driven by state union workers. What he didn’t tell you. Management and the perfected staff arei driving the new cars they just got in. More important. To keep management riding save in the offices. While state union staff drive the long past gone cars. I hope he put duck tape in every state car. Cause they need it. And duck tape on broken office chairs - Joe Maddon - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 12:21 pm: OW- So how does Munger beat Mendoza next time if both ran sub par campaigns? - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 12:28 pm: ===So how does Munger beat Mendoza next time if both ran sub par campaigns?=== Munger is a lot like “Jack O’Malley”… That crew didn’t run a sub-par campaign, they ran a “frugal” (yikes, millions for comptroller is frugal, but… I digress… ) campaign, they should’ve spent almost double what they did, bury Mendoza and use the additional monies to focus on Munger instead of 6 House seats, that up to the moment of the returns the ILGOP didn’t think they’d have any statehouse victories. Munger winning > 6 House seats. Rauner is learning that now. Rauner maybe realized that… that night, I dunno. Mendoza? Abdon has done Yeoman’s work answering and attacking Rauner within the Governmental for the Political, and right now, Rauner on a statewide ballot might help Mendoza with competency seen in her own job. Neither campaign is going to ask me for advice, so I’m sure they’ll figure it out on their own, lol With respect. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 12:39 pm: “Asked and Answered” You are now left with drive-bys. - walker - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 12:54 pm: OW: always with respect — Just take your lumps and move on. You know as well as anyone, “When you’re explaining …” - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 12:58 pm: - walker - With equal respect, as always. I said I missed it, said it many times. Analyzing why I missed it, or where I think errors were made by both sides, that’s just me getting baited, lol. - Boone's is back - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 1:00 pm: Do they mention how many $5 contributions it will take to match the boss’ $50 M drop? - Huh? - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 1:08 pm: Why anybody would bother to donate to the 1.4% re-election campaign is beyond me. The schlub has a $50 million war chest to pay for his campaign and many others. I was wondering, does 1.4% have to pay the salaries of his card carrying union member States Police security staff while on the campaign trail? - Winnin' - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 1:17 pm: If Trump can do it, Rauner can probably do it again, despite being inept at his job. Talk big in a Carhartt, spend lotsa money pullin’ the wool over people’s eyes, and blamin’ Madigan. The formula works. - Signal and Noise - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 1:32 pm: This will be the first ever grassroots volunteer team to be wearing $160 loafers - Huh? - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 1:35 pm: I think it is an insult to the People if Illinois for 1.4% to be begging for money when he has self funded his campaign to the tune of $50 million. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 1:54 pm: To the update… ===Rauner refused to say he’s running for re-election, saying it’ll be “discussed later on.” He insists the tour as simply “communication with the people of Illinois.”=== … as the messaging is being tested and some in concert with proven messaging airing in ads now… and being paid by the campaign fund. Yikes, man. - Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 2:07 pm: Did anybody catch where the Springfield event is being held? AA is aware of a nice, fresh, broom clean and empty warehouse not owned by the State that would be a great spot! Not tons of parking, but folks could drive right in and park via the fancy loading dock. Maybe sit in the Buick and listen to Bruce or hop out, use the new restrooms, and get a hot dog. If Team Rauner played this right, they could possibly nab live local teevee coverage of the whole shebang. - anon2 - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 2:31 pm: There has been no budget during his first term because of, according to Standard & Poor, “policy ultimatums placed upon the state’s budget process.” No other state has gone without a budget for four years. Given that sorry track record, it takes some chutzpa to run for re-election. - RNUG - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 2:45 pm: == Did anybody catch where the Springfield event is being held? == Thought I saw on Facebook that it was Fulgenzi’s. Not that I go there anyway, but I did note it so I could avoid the area … and I know some of my other favorite places will be “safe” today. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 3:09 pm: –Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner says his two-day trip across Illinois “has nothing to do with the election” even though it’s being paid for out of his campaign fund.– What do you call it when someone lies when they don’t have to, and they know that you know that they’re lying, but they lie anyway. Can’t be good. - RNUG - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 3:15 pm: == What do you call it when someone lies when they don’t have to, and they know that you know that they’re lying, but they lie anyway. == Hubris ? - DuPage Dave - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 6:16 pm: Rauner remains a complete and utter disappointment. Maybe that’s a campaign slogan- “A Complete and Utter Disappointment, but Not Madigan!!!” - Roscoe Tom - Tuesday, Apr 11, 17 @ 6:32 pm: Is this like Washington where you just go to the Budget Office for a copy? What color is the cover, Governor? Do you throw in a roll of duct tape to hold it together? Please the people of Illinois are not fools. - Rabid - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 6:25 am: Govenor already said he was a candidate. Was he fibbing then or now? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.