* As I told you back in May, the rumor mill has long buzzed that JB Pritzker is willing to spend $150 million on the general election. So, if Gov. Rauner matches dollar for dollar, $300 million would sound about right…
Some Illinois and Washington party officials think the contest might run well in excess of $300 million, blowing away the current record-holder for statewide office — the $280 million California governor’s race between former eBay executive Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown in 2010. […]
The $250 million to $300 million figure includes expected spending from candidates, super PACS and outside groups. […]
Several people close to Rauner said he was willing to withdraw as much as $150 to $200 million from his own personal fortune, and that he was determined not to let Pritzker outspend him. […]
One thing is clear, [said Curt Anderson, who helped to run Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s race in 2010, when over $150 million was spent]: it would be a mistake to begin airing slash-and-burn commercials anytime soon — a step, he said, that would badly turn off voters.
Um, Curt, they’ve already started.
*** UPDATE 1 *** If you click here, you’ll see Pritzker explaining why he isn’t raising money…
“One of the things you may or may not like about my candidacy is I’m not raising money. The reason that I chose not to do that was predominantly because Bruce Rauner, who people think self-funds, actually takes tens of millions of dollars from the Koch brothers. His largest contributor, $20 million, Ken Griffin, the wealthiest man in Illinois… And there’s going to be much more, probably the Uihleins and probably lots of others because they did this in 2016. And I want you to know that when I stand up in front of you and tell you that I’m for a progressive income tax, and that I’m gonna fight for 15 and that I’m gonna make sure we legalize marijuana, that those are the things I really believe and there’s nobody who’s gonna call me in the middle of the night who backed me, who wrote me a check or something, who’s gonna say to me ‘You can’t do that thing you said you were gonna do because we won’t back you in the next election.’”
*** UPDATE 2 *** From the Illinois chapter of Americans for Prosperity…
Rich,
I hope you ask Pritzker what he means by his statement that Rauner has actually taken tens of millions of dollars from the Koch brothers.
Is he saying that Rauner is taking illegal unreported contributions? As the person who has run a Koch-affiliated organization, Americans for prosperity, in Illinois, I can say that his comment is completely false.
Perhaps he should be a bit more careful before leveling accusations of illegal Blago-like activity.
Regards,
David From
On it.
*** UPDATE 3 *** From the Pritzker campaign…
“We appreciate David’s feedback, but unlike Bruce Rauner, our campaign doesn’t take cues from shady, dark money networks and radical anti-union crusaders. Since AFP is having trouble connecting point A to point B, we’re happy to spell it out. Rauner’s new extremist ‘superstar’ team comes from a Koch funded policy institute. Rauner’s donors come from the Koch network, with Ken Griffin and his $20 million leading the charge. And, Rauner’s agenda of forcing pain to make anti-union gains is right out of the Koch playbook. You don’t get a state government this devastating for working families without the Koch brothers lurking in the background.”
*** UPDATE 4 *** From AFP Illinois…
Rich,
I’m sure you’re not interested in an extended back-and-forth. But but for your future use, I wanted to set the record straight on a few things the Pritzker campaign said in their response:
1- IPI does not receive Koch network funding. They raise plenty of money on their own but do not receive Koch money.
2- Ken Griffin is not a Koch Bros. They do not direct Griffin’s political giving. And he does not direct Koch funding.
i’m sure the Pritzker crew will try to make these claims again as part of their boogie man narrative.
Thanks for posting the initial response.
Regards,
David From
*** UPDATE 5 *** From Galia Slayen of the Pritzker campaign…
When attempting to “set the record straight,” David might find it helpful to consult the actual record:
The Illinois Policy Institute Received Hundreds Of Thousands Of Dollars From The Koch Brothers, Koch Groups, And Koch-Related Donors Like The Knowledge And Progress Fund. According to the Center for Public Integrity, the Illinois Policy Institute received funding from the Donors Trust that was funded by The Knowledge and Progress Fund, The Charles Koch Foundation, and Koch-Related Donors. [Center for Public Integrity, accessed 7/10/17]
- @MisterJayEm - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 11:02 am:
“a step *** that would badly turn off voters.”
Not a few voters are already sick and tired of the 2018 campaign.
– MrJM
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 11:04 am:
Spend every damn dime you have Bruce.
I want to see you dependent upon the exact social network you so callously harmed as governor.
I want you to stand in line with every “tax eater” you and your malignent-souled supporter chastised and demonized. I want to see you living in your trash van.
According to Dr. Seuss, your heart will then grow to normal size.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 11:05 am:
That’s … $300 million… on the table and “AWillyWord Consulting” has yet to show up on a D-2.
That’s on me, I know…
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 11:06 am:
Um, Rauner started running spots in Summer 2015.
- DuPage Bard - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 11:08 am:
Slash and Burn has already begun in earnest. But before Pritzker can get to the really meat of the issues with bruce he has to get out of the primary. So far he’s the only one who hasn’t taken a hit at other candidates. Biss, Kennedy and Pawar have all taken shot at the “billionaire class”. So we’ll see if slash and burn comes after the signatures are in or if it starts sooner.
- Anon0091 - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 11:12 am:
I feel your pain Willy.
- Tom - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 11:13 am:
Negative suppresses votes. Academic study after academic study proves this point. Curt-Rauner isn’t nearly as smart as people think politically-just witness the last 72 hours but starting negative now is in my mind his only hope.
- Wensicia - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 11:22 am:
Whales gamble for Illinois’ highest office.
- walker - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 11:28 am:
Negative ad campaigning by Raunerites started long ago.
This will simply be a transition from “Madigan is the Devil Incarnate” to “Pritzker/Kennedy/Biss is Madigan Incarnate.” With a big helping of “Tax Thievery.”
- walker - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 11:31 am:
On JB’s update: The story that “I am better because I self-fund more than other rich guys” won’t play well with Dems. It’s still Trump’Rauner script.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 11:36 am:
To Pritzker update,
Best way to explain the self-funding in the “reverse”
The trick bag will be if Pritzker will keep that and this statement doesn’t come back to haunt if someone drops some “small” cash (when is, say, $10K, small cash?) and then this statement frames “how much is influential?”
If Pritzker goes it 99.99% his dough, then it’s moot, but it does put a flag now on if/when any donations occur.
There’s two Ls in the AWillyWord Consulting name, if there was confusion before…
- PJ - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 11:37 am:
Smart of Pritzker to entirely self-fund. If you’re that rich, you may as well just lean into it and play the “I’m not beholden to donors” angle. Sort of bizarre for a billionaire to go for the pseudo “take the money out of politics” bit, but it actually makes sense.
- Anon0091 - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 11:38 am:
I don’t agree Walker. I think Dems will understand exactly what he’s saying. Nobody owns me. I’m telling you what I’m going to do and nobody is going to pull my chain and force me to do anything. If you don’t like what I’m doing, that’s on me, not anyone else.
- Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 11:42 am:
JB must think Illinois voters are incredibly naive.
We are supposed to believe he will fight for a progressive income tax which will certainly cost a billionaire like him at least tens of millions of dollars each year, when he went to the extreme measure of removing toilets to save a quarter of a million dollars over a decade.
- Phil King - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 11:43 am:
Pritzker being in favor of marijuana legalization could be a tough issue for Rauner. IPI is in favor. Hopefully Rauner will come on board.
It’s a no-brainer issue fiscally and very popular with voters across the spectrum, but especially swing voters and millennials that Rauner needs.
- Hamlet's Ghost - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 11:45 am:
@Lucky Pierre
Your concern is duly noted. /grin
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 11:48 am:
===We are supposed to believe he will fight for a progressive income tax which will certainly cost a billionaire like him at least tens of millions of dollars each year…===
If you want to make the case Rauner is for the millionaires and billionaires, have at it.
No one will stop you.
Promise.
- Arsenal - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 12:00 pm:
==We are supposed to believe he will fight for a progressive income tax ==
You haven’t completely wrapped your arms around this whole politics thing, have you?
- DownstateKid - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 12:01 pm:
JB is the gift that keeps on giving. We saw this play out in 2016 and Dems didn’t learn then. But please, anoint him y’all!
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 12:07 pm:
===We saw this play out in 2016 and Dems didn’t learn then. But please, anoint him y’all!===
We saw a billionaire with no claim of “it’s his turn” and no experience in a political building of chits to cash to be anointed?
Where was that?
- Arsenal - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 12:18 pm:
==Where was that?==
I mean, he’s in the White House now, but that’s probably not what DownstateKid meant. Analogy kinda got away from him, there.
- BIG R. Ph - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 12:19 pm:
“===and there’s nobody who’s gonna call me in the middle of the night===”
It’s 3am…”Hi this is Mike Madigan”
Are you going to hang up JB?
- Arsenal - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 12:22 pm:
==It’s 3am…”Hi this is Mike Madigan”==
Not to worry, Madigan doesn’t have a cell phone.
- Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 12:24 pm:
If you want to make the case that Illinois Democrats led by Speaker Madigan are fighting for middle class families before the interests of trial lawyers and unions no one will stop you.
An inconvenient fact would be the highest property taxes in America and the highest middle class tax burden in America.
That was the fact before Governor Rauner was elected and just got worse.
- Real - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 12:25 pm:
JB is the gift that keeps on giving. We saw this play out in 2016 and Dems didn’t learn then. But please, anoint him y’all!
…..
Umm if the Clinton/Trump race was counted the same way as every other political race in the country then Clinton would have won and Trump would of lost.
- Arsenal - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 12:29 pm:
==If you want to make the case that Illinois Democrats led by Speaker Madigan are fighting for middle class families before the interests of trial lawyers and unions no one will stop you.==
Yeah, ’cause you know it’s right.
- BP - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 12:30 pm:
Kennedy’s branding and message is stronger. I predict Pritzker doesn’t sit well with voters.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 12:31 pm:
- Lucky Pierre -,
lol, that’s not the argument you made… Here’s your argument…
===We are supposed to believe he will fight for a progressive income tax which will certainly cost a billionaire like him at least tens of millions of dollars each year…===
Now you want to pivot off that?
The state universities received $695 million to be funded… when Rauner vetoed that funding.
Rauner can’t even enjoy funding anything thru a budget until July 1… 2018.
lol.
That’s fun.
- Arsenal -
===I mean, he’s in the White House now, but that’s probably not what DownstateKid meant. Analogy kinda got away from him, there.===
:)
Fun stuff, ain’t it?
- Real - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 12:33 pm:
JB is the gift that keeps on giving. We saw this play out in 2016 and Dems didn’t learn then. But please, anoint him y’all!
…
Three things!
The Illinois governors race is not decided by the electoral college.
Clinton won the popular vote.
Illinois governors race is not decided by electoral college.
- Norseman - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 12:35 pm:
Too bad we can’t tax campaign spending. Those numbers would bring in some a decent chunk of change for Illinois.
- Been There - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 12:43 pm:
===“===and there’s nobody who’s gonna call me in the middle of the night===”
It’s 3am…”Hi this is Mike Madigan”
Are you going to hang up JB?====
You might want to throw the AFL, CFL, Building trades councils, etc on the call list also. I know JB is actually doing the unions a favor by letting them spend their money protecting the flank but after thousands of foot soldiers have knocked on doors for you it would be hard not to take those calls.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 1:03 pm:
===actually takes tens of millions of dollars from the Koch brothers.===
Welp… you say it, and get called, let’s see how this finishes…
- DownstateKid - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 1:11 pm:
Hey Real,
Thanks for the Civics lesson! But please, nominate him and prove me wrong.
Kid
- Doofman - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 1:21 pm:
The correct answer is: “Rauner and Griffin have made the distinction between campaign money and dark money basically meaningless under Citizens United. The veil of ‘non-coordination’ has been lifted by Rauner when he pledged his nuptials to IPI.”
- Simple Simon - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 1:26 pm:
David From…what a weak response! To insert the word “illegal” into Pritzker’s argument is so lame it doesn’t deserve airplay here.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 1:37 pm:
David From, I’m guessing the Pritzker people will be happy to discuss with you through the media all day, every day, Rauner’s relationship with AFP and the Koch boys.
Those Rapalas are attractively shiny and wiggly, but you should pass them by. They can sting when you bite.
- David - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 1:45 pm:
I find it interesting that David admitted to being a front for the Locus.
- Jimbo - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 2:36 pm:
I think he’s playing a different card here. Everyone assumed Trump self funded though that wasn’t true. The Governor has been careful not to link himself to Trump, but I think this is Pritzker attempting to do so.
- Jimbo - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 2:38 pm:
And I’m shocked that LP is offering such great advice to Dems on how to win elections. His previous comments don’t seem to favor them
- Last Bull Moose - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 3:51 pm:
Side issue. Since Madigan does not have a cell phone, what happens when landlines go away?
- Anon0091 - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 3:58 pm:
“JB is the gift that keeps on giving.”
Yup - he’s giving cover to Democrats and even some Republicans targeted by our failed governor. Just keeps giving support to Democrats. Man, I hate that.
- BIG R. Ph - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 4:00 pm:
===”Not to worry, Madigan doesn’t have a cell phone”===
Land Lines still work at 3am. (As long as AT&T wants them to)
- Redraider - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 4:29 pm:
I love this line about the Koch brothers not contributing to the IPI. I have had this discussion with them before. The Koch brothers corporation does not contribute to the IPI, but as individual donors they are heavy contributors. Slick group, that IPI
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 5:03 pm:
David From, that’s a nice thing you’ve done today for the Pritzker peeps, letting them go on and on about the Koch boys, Rauner, dark money and such.
Now, do yourself a favor.
Your AFP web bio brags on how you were campaign manager for Dennis Hastert.
Give a rethink to featuring that accomplishment.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 5:21 pm:
Dear AFP…
Meet Galia Slayen. She’s handing you your lunch.
Ya shoulda just stopped when it coulda been seen as a “draw” by partisans.
Please stop typing.
OW
- ArchPundit - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 5:21 pm:
=== Slick group, that IPI
Not really–saying Charles Koch doesn’t give us money when you can track Charles Koch giving money to others to give to them is too cute by half.
- ArchPundit - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 5:24 pm:
Wordslinger–IPI is trying to Dox you on Twitter. Not even sure if it’s accurate, but they are trying.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 5:39 pm:
“IPI is trying to Doc you. . .”
Who knew Wordslinger was Steve Brown?!? There are a group of commenters on the SJ-R that keep accusing people of being Steve Brown too. What is it with this “Steve Brown is lurking in a comment section near you” weirdness?
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 5:39 pm:
Arch, thanks. I just looked.
Freakin’ hilarious, in so many ways, that super-sleuthing.
- ArchPundit - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 7:08 pm:
===Arch, thanks. I just looked
Not the sharpest knives in the drawer.
- walker - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 7:21 pm:
It’s called dark money for a reason. Maybe Mr From could just clear this all up by outlining for us the paths that large donors’ money took to arrive in IPI’s account.
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 7:29 pm:
Brownie may indeed be “lurking in a comment section” but he ain’t Wordslinger.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 8:03 pm:
AA, considering that for two years I’ve been ripping the Madigan communications effort on virtually a daily basis as pre-Guttenberg, these IPI secret agents ain’t exactly Double-O material.
Let’s hope the crew the guv hired from over there have some game. Because they have real jobs now.
Unless… my criticisms were all an elaborate ruse, to mask my true identity…..
It’s a devious game in a hall of mirrors, this deep espionage. To know what’s real, you need a decoder ring….
- georgeatt - Thursday, Jul 13, 17 @ 8:15 pm:
He comes right out and says he will legalize marijuana. I admire that….no beating around the bush, “maybe this, maybe that, if this”, no just said it.
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Friday, Jul 14, 17 @ 8:14 am:
David From,
1. Ok, so IPI didn’t receive Koch Brothers money today or yesterday. How about before that?
2. The Koch brothers aren’t the only rich anti-middle class folks in the country.
3. Nobody is saying Koch Brother money is illegal. Saying it’s Koch Brother money is bad enough.