After Gov. Bruce Rauner hired Illinois Policy Institute president Kristina Rasmussen as his new chief of staff, I reached out to one of the House Republicans who voted to override the governor’s budget and tax hike vetoes. How was he feeling?
“You mean after the irate phone calls and e-mails and the letter that arrived at my house today telling me and my wife (by name) to move out?” he texted back. “I’m doing fine—seriously I am. I can just guess what the new chief of staff might have in store for me.”
Rasmussen’s anti-tax group essentially weaponized its Facebook page against lawmakers during the run-up to and aftermath of the overrides of Rauner’s vetoes.
The group’s Facebook page generated hundreds of thousands of often profanity-laden, hate-filled and even some comments that appeared to advocate violent acts like lynching. It also succeeded in inundating legislators with calls and e-mails. At least one legislator, Rep. Steve Andersson (R-Geneva), reported receiving death threats. The group claims to have an “unblemished” record of “decency, civility, and candor,” but that’s not how some of those legislators see it.
So, instead of trying to woo back those 11 Republican legislators who crossed him on the budget, the governor instead brought in the very bane of their existence as his new chief of staff. You can’t send a clearer signal than that.
Rasmussen quickly filled the governor’s office ranks with ideological allies. She hired a new policy director, Michael Lucci (the Illinois Policy Institute’s former policy director) and new “special assistant” Jean Hutton (the Institute’s director of operations). Laurel Patrick, who worked for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, was hired as the new communications director. And Diana Rickert is reportedly being hired as the deputy chief of staff for communications. Rickert is the Illinois Policy Institute’s vice president of communications who once advocated for the firing of all state workers so that they could be rehired on a new, cheaper pension plan. Her idea was derided as unworkable and not legal.
Rauner has always been a big fan of the Illinois Policy Institute’s way of thinking and ways of doing business. He insisted, for instance, that Rasmussen be included in some policy meetings. Rasmussen reportedly voiced support at those meetings for things like shutting down some state universities and prisons, regardless of the consequences, including the possibility of a prison escape during a hastily arranged facility shutdown. That’s just the sort of “bold” thinking that Rauner likes.
As a corporate roll-up specialist, Rauner was a big fan of creative destruction and outsourcing. Underperforming executives were tossed aside like yesterday’s garbage. And he’s doing the same thing now. His once fiercely loyal staff is being treated worse than Pat Quinn’s staffers were when the Raunerites took over. If this looks like a hostile corporate takeover to you, it’s because it is.
And so we’re about to embark on an adventure that I don’t think any state has ever experienced. A governor of a large state is out-sourcing the operation of his government to a libertarian-minded activist “think tank” that he helped fund before he was elected.
The organization is hostile to unions, public pensions, taxes and government regulations. It has railed against this state’s governance for at least a decade, building up an impressive operation that supplies free news stories, opinion columns and even cartoons to cash-strapped newspapers throughout the state. It has a legal arm that has filed or is handling anti-union lawsuits. It has mastered social media to spread its gospel and whip up the public and lash out at opponents online. It took over a statewide radio news network. It employs researchers who regularly spit out pieces about how Illinois lags other states, particularly Indiana.
In other words, it’s the perfect fit for Rauner, a man of almost identical ideology who nurses a constant obsession about “messaging.”
The Illinois Policy Institute’s higher-ups didn’t seem all that troubled about the two-year impasse and heartily cheered on Rauner’s attempts to use the fiscal crisis as leverage to try and ram through his business and political reforms.
We can probably figure that new executive orders and rules are on the way to further the governor’s new agenda. But he’s also bringing in a bunch of governmental neophytes, so we can expect a lot of rookie mistakes.
But what we probably won’t see is any legislative progress. Perhaps just the opposite if the disaffected Republicans decide to continue crossing the governor.
- Anon - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 7:42 am:
I don’t care what people say about what damage caused over the past 3 decades because Rauner and the IPI are by far the worst thing that has happened in the last 50 years to this state.
- JPC - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 7:53 am:
==Rickert is the Illinois Policy Institute’s vice president of communications who once advocated for the firing of all state workers so that they could be rehired on a new, cheaper pension plan. Her idea was derided as unworkable and not legal.==
Failing upwards.
Lincoln’s “team of rivals” it is not. It sounds more like the sycophancy of social media made into government.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 7:53 am:
I was actually happy to see some of the Republicans, grow some backbone. We did not elect these people to be the rubber stamp of the govenor. They claim to be representatives, it is about time they chose the people over a one termer. Doing the right thing is never the wrong thing.
- illini97 - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 7:56 am:
So, are we facing an experiment more similar to Kansas or Wisconsin?
I’m just imagining the failure of those experiments magnified by the effect of making the “petri dish” in this example the 5th largest state economy in the United States.
2018 can’t come fast enough.
- Now What? - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 7:59 am:
Excellent piece, Rich. Hope moderate ILGOP reps and good citizens alike see how extremist this governor is. Time to save Illinois from this governor.
- Anon221 - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 8:18 am:
After Mary Ann’s tweet on Sunday that Rauner wasn’t taking any Q&A after that flood tour and then seeing a lot of Proft “papers” touting Rauner’s tour, I’m starting to wonder if that’s the next step in “control and campaign”. By keeping the mainstream media outlets at bay, Team Rauner IPI can now totally control the news on at least radio (INN) and Proft papers, along with YouTube, Tweets, and Facebook. Tinfoil hat… maybe. Then again, maybe not.
- Aldyth - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 8:27 am:
Between Rauner and Trump, the Republican Party in Illinois should be in dire straits on November 7, 2018. Other than intransigent rural areas, the election results won’t be pretty for Republicans.
- Echo The Bunnyman - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 8:30 am:
As someone who is a centrist, this makes it even worse for I believe the majority like me in our state. Most “regular” folks can accept much of both parties. This type of attack, makes me hope there is some more GOP that actually defend their colleagues with the moderate thinking. That said, just as important for the Dems to step up to protect them for the good of the State. Let’s see who will step up for the rest of us?
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 8:30 am:
It seems that Governor Rauner has adopted a scorched earth policy in the wake of his budget defeat. Perhaps the goal is to leave the state in the worst possible shape when he leaves office. Beyond sad.
We are truly a house divided, and it won’t end well. Being in the minority of those on this site that place more blame on Madigan and his many minions for the state of the State, I fully recognize the immaturity that Rauner now demonstrates.
It is not unlike the way Madigan acts when anyone dares to cross him, and his vindictiveness is the reason so few ever do. Politics at its worst.
So look for the exodus from the state by businesses and residents to continue. Gloat when Rauner loses the next election and is replaced by the next Quinn / Blago. And put your head in the sand as the rest of the nation laughs at the joke that is Illinois.
- Shore - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 8:35 am:
I’m not that think tanks biggest supporter, but only in Illinois would the hiring of several conservative think tank employees (out of tens of thousands of public workers in the state) get this much attention. For decades think tanks like Heritage, AEI ect have staffed governments on the right in DC and Brookings ect on the left to none of this kind of outrage or charges. Rauner is a conservative. He’s hired staffers that share the same ideology like every other elected executive around the country. What is the big deal?
- Blue dog dem - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 8:37 am:
Shore. Rauner is no conservative.
- Perrid - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 8:40 am:
Shore, IPI has been VERY vocal and active in Illinois, and is very, VERY far right. Don’t know the meaning of compromise. So it is unusual. Also, the timing draws attention to it, right after the impasse ended and Rauner “lost.” So I don’t think they are being singled out unfairly here.
- DuPage Dave - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 8:40 am:
Rauner remains a complete and utter disappointment. Just when you think he’s sunk as low as he can get, he finds a way to get lower.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 8:43 am:
===Rauner is a conservative.===
Rauner is not a conservative. Rauner isn’t close to a conservative.
Rauner is a Raunerite, first, last, always.
===…would the hiring of several conservative think tank employees (out of tens of thousands of public workers in the state) get this much attention.==
… for Chief of Staff, Poicy, “operations”, and no Press Shop holdovers?
What are you swing that I’m not?
Heck, if IPI could, they’d change “CMS” to “IPI” so no one would be confused at what really happened.
===He’s hired staffers that share the same ideology like every other elected executive around the country. What is the big deal?===
No. Keep up.
For 3 1/2 years, nearly 4 years, Diana and Bruce Rauner played this phony game, with phony costumes, phony lines, pretend beliefs and statements, and hiding a Raunerism ideology whe in 2012 and 2013, it was seen and heard, and later “rebuffed”.
The big deal is Diana and Bruce have had enough of the phony, and ate betting being callous and thoughtless, through the IPI Crew brought on board will be enough to win in 2018, or enough to destroy what they want gone, if they do lose.
That’s the big deal.
- lake county democrat - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 8:45 am:
What a tragedy. “The Combine” put this state on a long slouch to economic ghemorrah. After reformer-turned-puppet Quinn proved so inept that this deep blue state was ready to elect a Republican reformer, we got an inept 1%er so immature that when he couldn’t get his way he threw a tantrum and dismissed every loyal person around him who wouldn’t promise to keep their mouth shut when the emperor decided to wear no clothes.
We don’t need “moderates,” we need reformers. The “Moderate GOP” is Kirk Dillard cutting deals with labor to win the GOP primary. The “Moderate GOP” is the one that ran Peter Fitzgerald out of the party for questioning George Ryan. The “Moderate GOP” is the current leadership that is fine with gerrymandering (protects *their* seats even if it costs their party) and responds to the 80% of voters who “strongly” favor term limits by agreeing to limits on leadership positions.
- cdog - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 9:11 am:
Setting aside current personnel inflows and outflows, something has to be done in Illinois.
I will give these new folks a chance.
The reality is that a blue state utopia is unachievable and 40 years of pursuing it, or ignoring the forces trying to achieve it, has left Illinois in dire straits.
Illinois is already one of the highest taxed states but still has the ridiculous payables and pension obligations.
Let’s hope all of Springfield wakes up soon, both parties and everyone in between. Thank goodness for the NY rating agencies who are doing a great job of keeping the pressure on this internationally recognized fiscal disaster.
Rauner needs a six year plan, that’s radically candor-ish and not a bunch of his typical phoniness, that includes serious pension funding, surplus budgeting, and non-existent overdue payables.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 9:13 am:
Rauner’s buying off the IPI types by making them political payrollers stops their attacks from the right on his greasing the tax increase.
Rauner held a lot of cards to block the override, but chose not to play any of them. Instead, he facilitated the immediate override and implementation of the tax increase.
Now he can go into the election pretending that he was against the tax increase without contradiction from a loud voice in his base.
- Bob Cobb - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 9:19 am:
Oswego Willy,
What’s your obsession with Diana Rauner? Rich makes no makes no mention of Mrs. Rauner in this post, yet you bring her into the discussion. This exact scenario has previously happened countless times with you.
She’s his spouse. Obviously, she plays the game and provides him counsel. This is a common thing in politics (IE…Hillary/Bill, Barack/Michelle, etc…). Still, you act as if Diana Rauner is the brainchild of the last 2.5 years.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 9:24 am:
- Bob Cobb -
Diana Rauner, a avowed Democrat, just last October put her own name to $9 million to defeat Democrats…
Diana Rauner the head of The Ounce, called suing her husband, the governor, by social service agencies “a business decision”, while securing $5 million for the Pritzkers, including JB…
Diana Rauner’s own The Ounce asked and promoted the idea that the override of her husband was needed…
Then?
Then Diana Rauner, according to Sneed, was an influencer in removing or forcing the resignation of loyal Staff and Crew, and install IPI faces to force a clear message that Raunerism and the IPI are taking over the Illinois Executive.
Keep up, please.
Thanks.
- Bob Cobb - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 9:38 am:
OW,
I am aware of all of this and stand by my original comment. Your obsession with the governor’s wife is “interesting,” especially since you seem to be the only person on this blog with this obsession.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 9:41 am:
- Bob Cobb -
When Diana Rauner rolls out the full-tilt phony again, you get back to me.
You put your name to $9 million to defeat the party you most align with, that’s rank hypocrisy, and Sneed makes clear your involvement with IPI taking over. That’s not a “babe in the woods” just sitting back watching the game.
Capiche?
- Liberty - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 9:42 am:
Truth or consequences - no more Mr. Nice Guy…
- Arsenal - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 9:57 am:
==For decades think tanks like Heritage, AEI ect have staffed governments on the right in DC and Brookings ect on the left to none of this kind of outrage or charges.==
For one thing, it’s fair to look at federal politics and decide you don’t want your state to emulate it. For another, many DC think tanks are run by former officials (CAP and Podesta, Heritage and DeMint). IPI has always been quite a bit more of a gadfly organization.
- Anon221 - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 9:58 am:
To those commenting today defending Dr. Rauner’s “Democratism”, ask yourself: How many Democrats have donated so many times to Republicans?
https://tinyurl.com/yawecjcs
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 9:59 am:
===have staffed governments===
That’s true, but one never really took over a staff.
- VanillaMan - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 10:00 am:
When ILGOP was bought by Rauner, ILGOP was not told the truth about their gubernatorial nominee. Rauner did not tell anyone what his real plans were regarding his stands and policies after election. Rauner knew that if the truth spilled out, he’d lose. Rauner knew that he had to cover up his own plans. When directly asked, Rauner wouldn’t tell the truth. Our election resulted in electing a man promising conservative, small government credo, but harboring hard-core anti-government means to reach them.
At best, we can say that Rauner favored “creative destruction”, but reality repeatedly shows us that Rauner focuses on “destruction” and assumes the rest. No one as governor has ever gone to such destructive extremes, as Rauner has. Most officials are concerned over how their policies impact citizens, but not this one. His actions reveal a faith and ego unquestioning in his self-righteousness. Rauner believe that he and his faith supersede all others. ILGOP has a governor who is out of control and harming everything, including it.
ILGOP has to primary Rauner. ILGOP has to do the right thing for Illinois. They have to stand up for themselves and conservative government. The damage Rauner has done to ILGOP is serious. It has to end by ending Rauner’s hostile takeover.
- Honeybear - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 10:03 am:
Bob Cobb- speaking only for myself and not OW. I find the perfidy of Diana Rauner to be even more egregious. To me she is operating a partisan cell out of a hospital. She is fully facilitating attacks and providing cover for Bruce on humanitarian grounds. “He has no social agenda” swayed suburban women.
She is indicative of the dark perfidy
She is no innocent
She is complicit
With the ruse
- crazybleedingheart - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 10:39 am:
==When ILGOP was bought by Rauner, ILGOP was not told the truth about their gubernatorial nominee. ==
Boo hoo hoo. Who and what Bruce Rauner stood for was perfectly obvious to anyone who wanted to peek at his actions over his giant pile of money and steaming, stinking, meaningless words.
GOP members can tap a pretty dance but shilling for the con man can’t be excused by the failure of grown adult professionals to perform due diligence.
- Lt Guv - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 10:41 am:
Bob Cobb. . . what is wrong with you?
- don the legend - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 10:47 am:
cdog says …Rauner needs a six year plan, that’s radically candor-ish and not a bunch of his typical phoniness, that includes serious pension funding, surplus budgeting, and non-existent overdue payables…
I agree with you that this is what an honest man would have done in 2015 but he immediately abandoned any pretense of honest governing. He has no six year plan or any plan at all for honest governing. He has a plan for destruction.
The trick is to stop believing it’s not possible and start believing what his action say about his goals.
- Fredo Corleone - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 10:58 am:
Rauner may be all those things ascribed to him by those commenting. Whether vindictive, immature, the devil etc…
What I don’t get is where is the outrage against the 30 plus years of policies by the Madigan / Cullerton regime? Enriching themselves and the chosen friends and family through gaming the system. Real estate tax appeals as a primary source of business while running the state down the drain. Placing friends and family in high paying state jobs. Failing to address an out of control public pension system that is so egregious it will burden this state for the rest of our lives, regardless of your age.
The sooner Rauner goes the better. What will you people talk about then? JB can’t fix it. Kennedy can’t fix it.
I’ll tell you right now, this state will continue to lose businesses and residents. The tax base will shrink, and the tax rates will go up further. The retirees will flee in great numbers when they start to tax retirement income. All this caused not by the evil Rauner, but St. Madigan.
But hey, don’t let me stop you. Go after Rauner like a birthday piñata.
- Colby jack - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 11:34 am:
## Other than intransigent rural areas, ##
Speaking of intransigence, when was the last republican mayor of Chicago?
- Ginhouse Tommy - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 11:36 am:
Vanilla I don’t like Republicans. Never have but this is a state with 2 not 3 political parties and we need to one to keep the other in line. It’s worked for years why change now.
I still can’t figure out why he wanted to close down universities, cut social services completely and cause such chaos statewide. He has got to be crazy.
- Ginhouse Tommy - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 11:42 am:
One more thought. Wasn’t Mike Z in charge of Rauner’s campaign. Wasn’t he the driving force behind he robocalls and all. A smart and well run campaign. He just left and that leaves these new people with no experience in charge. Those who voted to override should be breathing a little easier I think. Just saying.
- Corrupt Collectivist - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 12:22 pm:
Wordslinger wins the insight award, as always. The comment cuts right to the heart of the matter — this is yet another cynical strategy from a cynical, cynical man. He knows that integrity is in short supply and almost anyone can be bought. In this case, he even does it on the state’s nickel.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 1:37 pm:
You put your name to $9 million to defeat the party you most align with, that’s rank hypocrisy, and Sneed makes clear your involvement with IPI taking over. That’s not a “babe in the woods” just sitting back watching the game.
Capiche?
You bash “the party you most identify with” and defend it’s biggest nemesis day after day after day.
That is called rank hypocrisy.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 1:45 pm:
- Lucky Pierre -
The RaunerS are Raunerites.
I’m not a Raunerite.
Diana, thru that $9 million for Durkin, et al, for Raunerites, via the embarrassing fascade of GOP… That’s Diana’s hypocrisy. Not mine.
Keep up, please.
- Harry - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 1:54 pm:
It sounds like Rauner is creating an intellectual monoculture with nobody there to ask the right question when the group goes off the rails.
Rauner seems top have decided that the small tokens he offered Madigan were rejected, so he is going to all-out war. Which may be an understandable reaction from his point of view, but it is not at all clear that he has the preponderant forces to win.
We will see what happens next Spring, but my guess is they will badly over-reach and lose even more legislative and media support, and even popular support, in the run-up to the 2018 election.
Rich made a good military analogy to the World Wars. I will offer another: Rauner may wind up like King Harold at Hastings.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 2:11 pm:
You surely are not a Raunerite but a Madiganite. Stange pick for a die hard Republican.
You are not an advocate for a smaller state government, pro business reforms, local control- all deeply held Republican principles.
You say you are an Edgar Republican, which is more like an Obama or Daley Democrat. Spend today, pay tomorrow. Or more like 30 years in the future.
As Bob Cobb says you are obsessed with Diana Rauner.
As a fan of the Godfather, she is a civilian and should be off limits.
You are the only commentator that does this and you should stop.
Why would anyone go into politics when their families are subject to such over the top criticism?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 2:21 pm:
===Madiganite===
lol, me and Jim Edgar, the “Madiganites”
Good try. It’s not about me.
===You are not an advocate for a smaller state government,===
Smallest headcount in a long time.
===pro business reforms===
Anti-Labor, trade labor? Hmm…
===local control-===
Property Tax freeze, statewide, taking away local control… “unless”… which that “unless” must include ending prevailing wage and collective bargaining?
Again, good try. Those are Raunerite things Diana Rauner funds.
===…all deeply held Republican principles.===
Nope. And you should no the Reagan Rule of 80%. Republicans that agree 80%… Raunerism is religious in nature, Slytherin is scope, and unforgiving in independent thought.
===As Bob Cobb says you are obsessed with Diana Rauner.
As a fan of the Godfather, she is a civilian and should be off limits.===
Appears in Ads, talks policy, trades on her own “credibility”, cites her own political (alleged, lol) affiliation, and donated in her own name… millions… That’s… millions… At destroy that party she (snicker-snicker) identifies with?
Diana Rauner ain’t no civilian. Diana Rauner is aiding and abetting the destruction of Illinoiscsll by herself. Ask Sneed, lol.
===Why would anyone go into politics when their families are subject to such over the top criticism?===
When other spouses do the same as Diana “I’m a Democrat, honest” Rauner, get back to me.
- Honeybear - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 2:41 pm:
Lucky Pierre, as OW has pointed out time and time again, you aren’t reading or keeping up. I also consistently hold Diana Rauner accountable. She is not an innocent. She is a collaborator. Her perfidy is egregious. I get that you like to joust with OW. It gives you meaning in some kind troll manner.
But Diana Rauner knew the perfidious lie she told to swindle suburban women into voting for her husband. She new the perfidy she was commiting by staying on with Ounce. It is to support the lie that Rauner cares and that “they” give millions.
Ignore my charges of perfidy all you want.
Many many others have picked up on it
perfidy is in the public discourse
LP change your name to Black Knight
OW has given you “flesh wounds”
Every day
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 2:45 pm:
- Homeybear -
Humbly. Thank you.
You keep up your work. You inspire the likes of me that the fight is worth fighting.
Oswego Willy
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 17, 17 @ 5:49 pm:
As if the Kirk folks weren’t totally inexperienced in state government.