* Background is here. Mark Brown…
Former Gov. Jim Edgar put the Illinois political world on alert the other night by using the words “somewhat incompetent governor” in what most of his listeners took as a dig at fellow Republican Bruce Rauner.
Edgar told me Friday he wasn’t referring to Rauner at all, but rather to former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
“Bruce Rauner might be a lot of things. He’s not incompetent,” the former governor said after I called him to clarify remarks he made the previous evening at an event Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. We’ll get to the actual remarks later.
I believe Edgar, just as I believe he really was referring to Rauner when he also noted in the same talk that House Speaker Mike Madigan is “not the big problem here.”
I was glad Edgar saved me the trouble of defending Rauner’s competency, although a little disappointed he wouldn’t help me elucidate the “lot of things” that might better describe our current governor’s shortcomings.
- Rocky Rosi - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 11:36 am:
Looks like he got the old school phone call and changed his mind/statement. This is Chicago/IL. Land of the unspoken.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 11:36 am:
===Edgar told me Friday he wasn’t referring to Rauner at all, but rather to former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
“Bruce Rauner might be a lot of things. He’s not incompetent,” the former governor said after I called him to clarify remarks he made the previous evening at an event Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. We’ll get to the actual remarks later.===
In comments on Friday, - Wordslinger - made his well-made point that Rauner knows what he’s doing, and - Norseman - said Edgar was being polite, and I agreed with both…
My point?
This clarification makes quite clear… Edgar thinks Rauner knows what he’s doing. Rod was just flat out incompetent.
The phoniness for Rauner? To hide the actual end game.
- In a Minute - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 11:43 am:
Rauner is smart and competent. And in my view, his policy prescriptions are what Illinois needs to stabilize its finances and get its economy growing in all parts of the state.
I don’t think Rauner came to the job fully aware of the level of resistance those policies would meet by people and organizations whose very livelihood depends on the insider deals. But that would have been hard to fully gauge since no one has ever tried to really change the system the way Rauner is trying to do.
Its funny, when I saw Edgar’s comments reported I knew immediately he was referring to Blagojevich.
- King Louis XVI - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 11:51 am:
–Rauner is smart and competent.–
–I don’t think Rauner came to the job fully aware of the level of resistance…–
A quality of being “smart” is being “aware.”
- Anonymous - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 11:57 am:
King Lou, the man made $200 mil last year. I’m pretty sure he is “aware.”
- Me Again - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 12:01 pm:
Anyone who thinks that Rauner’s plan will be good for the citizens of Illinois is fooling themself. Rauner only cares about the rich!
- Anonymous - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 12:03 pm:
=I don’t think Rauner came to the job fully aware of the level of resistance those policies would meet by people and organizations whose very livelihood depends on the insider deals.=
“In Illinois there’s been a long-time history of what I would call social service, social justice, a bigger role for government in the safety net than in many other states. I think we can drive a wedge issue in the Democratic Party on that topic”
— Bruce Rauner, September 18, 2012.
The “wedge” that Rauner spoke to in 2012 tells me that he’s smart and aware of exactly what he’s doing.
- Anonymous - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 12:03 pm:
@in a Minute By the Administrations own numbers their turnaround agenda would save the state about $300 million a year. That’s not anywhere close to what’s needed to get us to balancing our budgets.
- Deft Wing - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 12:16 pm:
Edgar was talking about Rod with that comment? Yeah right.
- Arsenal - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 12:30 pm:
“Why, no, I wasn’t referring to Rauner when I completely demolished his only talking point, why would you ever think that?”
- A guy - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 12:39 pm:
In short, it’s just Jim Edgar being Jim Edgar. He becomes even more Jim Edgar as time goes on.
- Anonymous - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 12:45 pm:
Jim Edgar, Shut Up.
- Flip357 - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 1:04 pm:
Was at the talk. Context of the comment was in relation to current budget standoff; comment was definitely towards Rauner. Now this is political back-pedaling.
- illini - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 1:25 pm:
@Flip - “political back-pedaling.” I was there as well. And that is also the way I remember it.
- Annonin' - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 3:11 pm:
So does this mean DopeyDuct will produce some purse $$$ for harness racin’ at the fair or will purses match entry fees like last year.
No one else has been this incompetent. No one.
- RNUG - Monday, May 8, 17 @ 10:28 pm:
== No one else has been this incompetent. ==
More accurately, No one else has been this DELIBERATELY incompetent.