Everything old is new again
Tuesday, Jun 20, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Illinois Public Radio…
As Illinois legislators prepare to return to Springfield this week, Democrats are being attacked in a new TV ad campaign from Governor Bruce Rauner.
The commercial says (quote) “Madigan’s puppets blocked the budget” (unquote).
The ad does NOT mention that Rauner himself blocked Senate attempts at a bipartisan “grand bargain.”
* Some guy named Rich Miller, two years ago today during Rauner’s first post-session TV advertising blitz…
On June 16, Rauner launched a nearly $1 million TV advertising blitz slamming Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan for blocking his reforms.
Then again, here’s a question almost nobody is asking: “Did Rauner miscalculate?”
We’ll know more when the real pain hits and everything goes to hell, but I wouldn’t yet bet too much on a massive Democratic cave-in.
In July 2013, Gov. Pat Quinn vetoed lawmakers’ salaries and stipends out of the state budget. He “hit them in the wallet,” he said, to spur action on pension reform.
Instead, all legislative progress suddenly and completely stopped on pension reform for a few months until a court finally ruled that the governor’s veto was unconstitutional. No way were legislators going to let Quinn push them around.
I could very well be wrong, but if legislators wouldn’t cave to protect their own pocketbooks, what makes anyone think they’ll cry “Uncle!” over somebody else’s problems?
Plus, legislators surely know, as they did with Quinn, that they can’t allow a precedent like this to be set: getting Rauner’s approval on the budget by giving in on his legislative agenda. If Democrats capitulate now, then the governor will just do it all over again when next year’s budget negotiations begin. […]
Yes, we’ve never seen a governor like Bruce Rauner before. Yes, the ads he’s running and the budget crisis he apparently is willing to create to obtain his goals are unprecedented.
But if past is prologue, I sure hope the governor has a Plan B in mind.
He didn’t.
- Conn Smythe - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 12:46 pm:
You forgot
*Ron Howard narrating*
“He didn’t.”
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 12:50 pm:
Any governor demonizing his political opposition isn’t governing.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 12:53 pm:
No Plan B.
And since we’re back here 2 years later, also a slow learner.
- Jerry 101 - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 12:58 pm:
This isn’t funny anymore (not that it ever was).
I don’t want my prediction that a budget won’t be signed until a new governor takes office to come true. That would be bad. Not good. Bad.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 12:58 pm:
seems to be a pattern
- Casual observer - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 12:58 pm:
His plan B kicks in after being reelected and flips the house in 2018. I hope he has a plan C.
- Red Rider - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 1:00 pm:
Plan B is plan C
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 1:06 pm:
It must be frustrating for Rauner to keep announcing that the time for the shakeup is now, but voters keep voting for stability.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 1:07 pm:
Maybe his plan is simply to be the most memorable in history of Illinois
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 1:08 pm:
QUICK!
Someone tell him he’s governor and accountable now!
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 1:11 pm:
Plan A is to diminish as much of “collectivist” government functions as he can — running up so much debt that they can’t be restored — while using his propaganda machine to distract from what’s happening.
That continues and is going just swell.
- TopHatMonocle - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 1:13 pm:
For Rauner this isn’t really about the budget, or governing. It’s all about the campaign. The Dem candidate will blame Rauner for the lack of a budget, and Rauner will point the finger at the Dems/Madigan. Whoever swing/independent voters believe more wins.
- Keyrock - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 1:18 pm:
I think Plan B was to take the State through bankruptcy, and unload the debts on somebody else.
Hasn’t worked, so far.
- Nick - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 1:34 pm:
I wonder if the people who did not like Quinn wish they could vote for someone else?
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 1:37 pm:
“Plan A is to diminish as much of “collectivist” government functions as he can”
While he apparently profits massively from collectivism elsewhere, if not here in Illinois. He told us so himself when he released his 2015 tax return, talkin’ about public employee pensions, or retirement savings accounts, as he basically calls them when he wants to look good. His income more than tripled, thanks to collectivism.
Rauner will say anything or refuse to comment, as long as he benefits, no matter who it hurts.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 1:48 pm:
Plan B is to find a used computer parts-needy senior citizen living in a Florida nursing residence!
- Boone's is back - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 1:50 pm:
===But if past is prologue, I sure hope the governor has a Plan B in mind===
LOL
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 1:58 pm:
I think what is happening is Plan B
- Langhorne - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 3:01 pm:
Remember, he told us he has never been happier.
Gotta be competitive, before we can be compassionate.
We are close.
Lots of dems privately support me.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 4:27 pm:
== Lots of dems privately support me. ==
We need to legalize and tax whatever the Governor is on.
- Anon221 - Tuesday, Jun 20, 17 @ 4:33 pm:
Maybe Plan b is a typo and it was supposed to be Plan 9…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=18qfLWrKUnc