* In case you need to refresh your memory, the Chicago Tribune story is here. From the Chris Kennedy campaign…
The tapes speak for themselves.
* Sen. Daniel Biss’ campaign…
Including JB’s $230,000 property tax scheme, this is part of a disturbing pattern that JB is using the same rigged game that the rich and well-connected have played to benefit themselves at the expense of the rest of us
* Ameya Pawar’s campaign…
“This is what billionaires and political insiders do and people across the state are tired of politics as usual. Ameya Pawar’s record of beating the Chicago machine and passing legislation on behalf of working families represents a break from the status quo. If elected governor, Ameya will be a voice for the millions of Illinois families who have been left behind to fight over scraps.”
I haven’t heard back from Bob Daiber.
Rate ‘em.
- Stir - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 3:52 pm:
All of them terrible, as it’s clear that JB is TURNING DOWN a seat because he wants to avoid corruption.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 3:52 pm:
Stick a fork in him, he’s done.
- Amalia - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 3:54 pm:
res ipsa loquitur!
- jim - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 3:56 pm:
not a fan of JB, but I don’t see anything in there that is really bad.
- Mission accomplished - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 3:56 pm:
By commenting on Rauner’s attack on JB the democrat candidates give Rauner residual benefits to his attack.
Kennedy response the best
But isn’t this whole thing why nothing gets done in government anymore.
Rauner points out a conversation JB had in 2008 of which the only thing badnin it was whom he was talking to.
And what’s funny is this conversation is not as damning a governor appointing a comptroller and then funneling campaign money through her account to legislative races, oh then giving her a job.
But really, how does this conversation pay the backlog of bills and balance outer budget?
- Lance Mannion - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 3:56 pm:
Gov Rauner provided the following comment:
“I’m shocked that JB Pritzker tried to use his family name and vast inherited fortune for his own political advantage. Who does that? But doing so with Blago is doubly bad. It’s truly stunning behavior on the part of a charter member of the Billionaires Club of Chicago. This is totally unprecedented in Illinois history.”
- AlfondoGonz - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 3:56 pm:
Biss wins, Pawar 2nd, not because it’s good but because Kennedy didn’t bother.
That said, the referendum should be on Rauner. Counterproductive to cannibalize.
- Highland Il - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 3:57 pm:
I get it. Blago bad. But really what was so bad? Talking to bad Blago?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 3:57 pm:
Kennedy’s is the best.
By miles. By miles and miles.
“Why?!”
Pritzker has yet to get ahead of the damage in a reasonable way, and has yet to fully engage in making the campaign about Rauner, and Rauner’s failures… Like Rauner did when hits came, and Rauner put the pressure all back on Quinn.
Kennedy is best here.
Why get in the way of Pritzker?
- Mission accomplished - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 3:58 pm:
Sorry for the typos
- Perrid - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 3:59 pm:
As far as I can see, the tapes show no wrong doing, so Biss’ and Pawar’s shots are misguided. However, if we ignore the facts, then Biss has a much better attack than Pawar, but Pawar included a good spin about himself. Not memorable enough though, so I’d give it to Biss. Kennedy didn’t even try…
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 4:00 pm:
Pawar’s… the worst…
===…Pawar’s record of beating the Chicago machine and passing legislation on behalf of working families represents a break from the status quo. If elected governor, Ameya will be a voice for the millions of Illinois families who have been left behind to fight over scraps.”===
What was the issue again?
If you’re going to comment on a damaging piece of oppo, 3/4 of it has nothing to do or tie it to how Pawar is better in that framing, as I grab all that… and what as the issue again?
- Gruntled University Employee - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 4:04 pm:
Meh. Meh. And take a look at Minnesota and get back with us.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 4:08 pm:
- Lance Mannion -
Hmm…
Press release, 8/2/2016
===”…We are so grateful to the J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation for sharing our belief in these innovations,” said Diana Rauner, president of the Ounce of Prevention Fund. “By developing strong leaders and programs, empowering parents and strengthening early learning systems, together we can change lives for children and families.”===
Diana Rauner thinks pretty highly of JB Pritzker.
Then again, Pritzker bailed out Diana and The Ounce, given that The Ounce said Bruce Rauner’s Administration owed them $7+ million at one point.
- Lance Mannion - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 4:09 pm:
Meh. Rauner’s was best because well, it was so genuine. /s
- Robert the Bruce - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 4:11 pm:
Kennedy’s is the best if it was a two person race. Keep the focus on Pritzker.
But Biss’ response was the best attack, and keeps Biss’ name in the newspaper, important for him in a multi-candidate race. So I give this round to Biss.
Pawar loses this one, as OW explained.
- Sheesh! - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 4:14 pm:
How was Pritzker blindsided by the release of these tapes?
He had to know that the recordings existed, but the clumsy responses from the campaign make it appear as if the candidate was totally unprepared to deal with the issue.
He ought to admit to making a “bonehead” move (worked for Obama) in talking with Blago and change the subject fast.
- OneMan - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 4:20 pm:
What?
Didn’t everyone here say it was no big deal yesterday? Why aren’t the other Democrats saying the same thing?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 4:22 pm:
===Didn’t everyone here say it was no big deal yesterday? Why aren’t the other Democrats saying the same thing?===
… because it’s a campaign, it’s June, it’s “something” to gin up your name against an opponent…
- Clark - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 4:35 pm:
“Didn’t everyone here say it was no big deal yesterday? Why aren’t the other Democrats saying the same thing?”
Someone has to win the primary.
I like Kennedy’s response the best. Short and simple.
- City Zen - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 4:35 pm:
==The tapes speak for themselves==
That goes without saying.
- Arsenal - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 4:39 pm:
==Didn’t everyone here say it was no big deal yesterday?==
Well, no, they didn’t, but even if it weren’t a big deal, that wouldn’t preclude other candidates from trying to make hay out of it.
- Ruce Bauner - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 4:41 pm:
I don’t understand how these tapes are available to the general public. If there was no crime committed here, the tapes should be no one’s business. Illinois law says both parties have to be aware of recording unless there is a warrant. Of course there was a warrant but unless there is a crime, that part should be redacted.
- Ron Burgundy - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 4:43 pm:
Frankly, I agree with the earlier comment from another thread that the worst thing in the Blago tape was the cavalier joking about a bank failure that cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
- Walter Concrete - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 4:57 pm:
Slightly off topic: little did we know that the Broadway Bank operated by the family of Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (mentioned during the taped conversations) was also about to tank too.
An estimated $878.4 million dollars in losses occurred at Broadway Bank.
- Really Off Topic - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 5:15 pm:
==An estimated $878.4 million dollars in losses occurred ==
$389 million per the Receivership Balance Sheet Summary https://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/broadway.html
- orzo - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 5:34 pm:
Kennedy’s “less is more” probably prudent. Anyone whose comments here imply directly or indirectly that Pritzker’s conversation with Blago reveals nothing improper miss the point. Voters who are not as immersed in politics as the people who comment here will be turned off by the conversation. Pritz took a hit, for sure. But it’s early.
- Walter Concrete - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 5:42 pm:
@Really Off Topic:
“The FDIC announced that it and MB Financial Bank would share $878.4 million in losses, for a cost of $394.3 million to the federal Deposit Insurance Fund.”
Six of one, half a dozen of the other.
- Rocky Rosi - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 6:07 pm:
Hillary 2.0
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 6:11 pm:
===Hillary 2.0===
Hillary never ran for Illinois governor.
I don’t get this “drive-by”…
- Regular democrat - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 6:31 pm:
Kennedy wins this one. This is the opening he needed lets see if he can jump through . And he should never let jb off the hook
- Just Me - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 7:52 pm:
If the current property tax system is so awful, then why hasn’t Biss sponsored legislation to change it? His district is from Cook County, so he had the opportunity to reform it but has waited until now to be interested in the matter.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jun 1, 17 @ 11:27 pm:
Biss has been on point lately
- Gruntled University Employee - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 7:26 am:
==Hillary never ran for Illinois governor.==
Don’t give her any ideas Willy.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 7:29 am:
- Gruntled University Employee -
If she ran for Senate from IL and not NY… What a different history we may all have had.
- S-Town - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 9:09 am:
This doesn’t hold a candle to what our state has suffered the past two years. If people turn their back on JB now, they deserve Rauner for another term.
- Flip357 - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 9:49 am:
So much for a clean primary.
- Colin O'Scopey - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 9:56 am:
What’s interesting to note, and not in a negative way, is that JB had a direct line to power. In this case, that direct line happened to be a corrupt Governor of Illinois. It is not a crime to have a direct line to power and JB’s wealth and influence dictates that he get his calls answered. Rod Blagojevich would have gotten out of the shower to take a call from JB. And JB inquiring about his interest in an open treasurer seat, should it become available, is not “business as usual”. It’s politics.
There is not “there” there.
- OneMan - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:05 am:
What advantage does JB have over the other candidates besides money?
You lose the Billionaire Bruce Rauner argument because at least Bruce didn’t start life being part of an extremely wealthy family,
You lose the argument of ‘no government experience is bad’ because heck now Bruce has a lot more government experience that JB.
What makes JB a better candidate and perhaps a better governor over the rest of the field besides his cash, that’ cool, but own it then.
If anything I would think Bliss in some ways is your best bet in terms of differences with the governor and I think Kennedy is on to something with the property tax stuff.
- Anon0091 - Friday, Jun 2, 17 @ 10:18 am:
OneMan,
He’s a better candidate for many reasons other than money. Better personality. Likes people and connects with people. Great experience pulling large groups of disparate people for a common task (1871, Holocaust Museum, etc.). Great history of public service inside and outside of government. Knows how to revive an economy and build an industry (we didn’t used to have a tech community in Chicago). The list goes on.