* From Saturday’s Democratic Women of the South Suburbs Candidates’ Forum…
* Moderator Craig Dellimore asked the question…
Gov. Rauner is not the only obstacle to improving Illinois. How do you think you will handle Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to get your agenda moving?
* JB Pritzker said he could get things done as governor just like he has in the private and public sectors and then said…
But I think we gotta stop throwing the leadership of the Democratic Party at each other. That is Bruce Rauner’s game. It is his game to make us fight each other in this primary so that he’s got an easier chance in the general elecction. That’s why I have not said one cross word about anybody that’s on this stage. I have been adamant about the fact that we need to focus every day on the failings of Bruce Rauner. That’s the guy that has made the mistakes in this state. That’s the guy that has stood up against working families. And I’m going to beat him in the general election.
Raw video is here.
*** UPDATE 1 *** ILGOP…
This weekend, we got even more evidence that J.B. Pritzker is Mike Madigan’s pick.
Asked at a Democratic forum how he would handle Illinois’ corrupt Speaker, Pritzker defended Madigan.
Capitol Fax reports that Pritzker responded by saying that “we gotta stop throwing the leadership of the Democratic Party at each other.”
It’s been widely reported that J.B. Pritzker is Mike Madigan’s handpicked candidate for Governor.
Just last month, Crain’s Chicago Business reported that Madigan was “breaking legs behind the scenes to help Pritzker”.
J.B. Pritzker has now made his position clear – he is unwilling to criticize Mike Madigan for anything.
He is unwilling to criticize Madigan for forcing through his 32% tax hike without reform. For refusing to bring term limits up for a vote. For using his personal attorney to kill the fair maps ballot initiative. For his decades of patronage hiring. For rigging the property tax system against hardworking taxpayers.
Nope, Pritzker is fine with all of it.
It’s easy to see why Madigan likes Pritzker so much.
Watch Pritzker defend Madigan here.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From Galia Slayen of the Pritzker campaign…
“Welcome back ILGOP. Good to know you still remember your tired talking points. In case you missed it while you were gone, your governor cleaned house, brought in a bunch of radical extremists, and is now holding funding for Illinois schoolchildren hostage. So hope you got some rest. You’re going to need it.”
Galia Slayen
- ILGOV2018 - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 10:11 am:
Bravo, JB, bravo.
- A guy - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 10:12 am:
With respect, I’d suggest the headline is a bit misleading in the sense that, even his supporters should be seeing this as yet another “missed tackle”.
And, the “cross words” will come when the money ain’t enough.
- Arsenal - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 10:13 am:
He’s right; if Democrats allow this election to become about who will fight with Madigan the most, Rauner will win.
The first big part of every competition is the meta-competition, deciding what kind of game you’re going to play.
- NeverPoliticallyCorrect - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 10:14 am:
Political Amnesia is one of the worst of all political diseases. Mr. Pritzker is showing all signs of now having this. Rauner is the one who has screwed up the state and the working families. Right. The decades long mismanagement of state budgets by democrats and by the decades long leader (He who must now not be named) is not relevant. If the Dems win back the gov. race good luck on anything changing for another generation. And since Illinois is in such good shape I guess that won’t matter.
- Thatguyintheroom - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 10:15 am:
The quote from JB is at the 37:29 minute mark in the youtube video.
- stannis - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 10:15 am:
Drury got his seat as state rep from Mike Madigan. He is a giant hypocrite.
- JB13 - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 10:16 am:
So maybe the question should be: How much of the blame for Illinois’ mess should be worn by the guy who’s been in charge for 40 years? If the answer is “None, because he’s a Democrat and so am I,” then we know we are dealing with an unserious partisan.
- LizPhairTax - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 10:19 am:
JB Pritzker is a total team player and this isn’t another billionaire ego stroke at all. He’s still nothing but an ectomorph blagojevich no matter how much mail he barfs out.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 10:21 am:
Pritzer’s ads are all over southern Illinois. He comes across as totally out of touch, and just part of the Madigan team. He’s going to have to do a lot better before he gets the votes down here.
- Seats - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 10:23 am:
I like that JB hasn’t fired any shots at his primary opponents but if we get close to January and he is still behind Kennedy I suspect he starts swinging.
Would be ideal to be able to win without creating enemies in the process though.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 10:23 am:
===I have been adamant about the fact that we need to focus every day on the failings of Bruce Rauner. That’s the guy that has made the mistakes in this state. That’s the guy that has stood up against working families. And I’m going to beat him in the general election.===
Right here.
Right. Here.
This is some good work, but they don’t tie off the end.
Here’s how they haven’t.
===I have been adamant about the fact that we need to focus every day on the failings of Bruce Rauner.===
This is good. Isolating this about Rauner and choosing the Anti-Rauner tact. Good.
===That’s the guy that has made the mistakes in this state.===
… since “Day 1″ and every day thereafter. Rauner is a 1st term governor, damaging this state by his own device. Be crisper.
===That’s the guy that has stood up against working families. And I’m going to beat him in the general election===
This is all good. In pieces, the overall, even better.
The tying of the ends?
“I’m focusing on running for governor. The Senate President, the Speaker are people any governor must be able to work with to move Illinois forward and Bruce Rauner failed the most elementary jobs any governor has.”
- Arsenal - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 10:27 am:
BTW, I hate the “I have always said…” verbal tic that every politician has. I know why it’s there (they want to display consistency, and they really *do* say the same thing over and over), but it’s a waste of words. Just say what you want to say.
- Illinois O'Malley - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 10:33 am:
Thumbs up to JB. Rauner is a failure. Apparent Bruce still has no clue that the GA is a co-equal branch of government.
- Chicago Cynic - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 10:35 am:
“- stannis - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 10:15 am:
Drury got his seat as state rep from Mike Madigan. He is a giant hypocrite.”
Absolutely true. And then when he “stood up to Madigan”, he whined about not getting his clock. Total [former Federal prosecutor] loser.
- illinoised - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 10:49 am:
Our next governor.
- A guy - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 10:55 am:
==Drury got his seat as state rep from Mike Madigan. He is a giant hypocrite.==
And you don’t see anything wrong with that first statement? A dude on the SW side of Chicago chose the rep for a seat in the NW suburbs? As if the people who live there don’t matter?
At least he chose a Former Federal Prosecutor, right? /s
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 11:00 am:
Pritzker. Mike Madigan’s right hand man.
- lake county democrat - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 11:03 am:
So now us lifelong loyal democrats are supposed to sit in the corner and stay quiet no matter how many terrible things Speaker Madigan has done because it might help Rauner win in the general election?
Um, no.
- lake county democrat - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 11:07 am:
For everyone making fun of Drury, his ego, and the clock:
In the same debate Drury talked-up the idea of permitting the state to buy out pensions as a way out of the crisis. (Presuming *only* the state could do this, it’s a good idea: it would survive constitutional muster by giving the pensioners something of value they don’t have, and though it has a cruel regressive whiff to it, it might be effective as people would trade “money now” for money later. I might make it impossible for pensioners to give up a social-security level benefit to protect them from themselves). Anyway, how about next time you make fun of Drury it’s coupled with some substantive discussion?
- SwingVoter - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 11:23 am:
A guy, if towns border Lake Michigan, they aren’t “NW” suburbs. They are northern suburbs
- ILGOV2018 - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 11:25 am:
The ILGOP/Rauner party always throw out the “corrupt” Speaker Madigan…blah blah blah….
Where is the proof?
Working Illinois families and especially union families better realize, Speaker Madigan, the Democratic party and a few non-Raunerite GOP’ers are the only ones standing up to the Governor. A vote for BR is a vote to let him gut unions.
- ILGOV2018 - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 11:29 am:
and continue his assault on social services. Along with his spouses’ approval.
- DeseDemDose - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 11:29 am:
The enemy of the middle class and poor of Illinois are the Raunerites. Madigan isnt running for Governor.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 11:33 am:
===Drury talked-up the idea of permitting the state to buy out pensions as a way out of the crisis===\
Talking is one thing, introducing a bill is another…
http://www.ilga.gov/house/RepBills.asp?MemberID=2429&Primary=True
Maybe I missed it, but I don’t see that bill on his list.
- Northsider - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 11:41 am:
LCD @ 11:07 a.m.: If/when he does something substantive, we’ll discuss it.
- Come on Man! - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 11:51 am:
The Madigan Question is an interesting one for Democrats to tackle this cycle.
On the one hand the Speaker and his operation are the reason Illinois is not a Red State after the 2010 blood bath. This has staved off the threats of social conservative policies become entrenched. Yay us!
On the other hand, we have a leader, whether in truth or in lore, has operated the levers of power in the State with a firm grip for the last 40 years. The state is in fiscal and ethical bankruptcy. Yay us?
Rauner has undoubtedly caused harm over the last two years but his existence was created by conditions created by the Democrats mentioned above. For Democrats its hard to imagine a party infrastructure with or without MJM. That is why this question is so hard to answer.
- Chairman McBroom - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 11:59 am:
Lol to the update from the Pritzker camp. Seems like a childish reply.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 12:02 pm:
Dear Galia Slayen,
That’s some fun Comm response.
Nicely played,
OW
To the Pritzker Update,
Speaking off the “typical” back and forth a d going more direct and less “structured” only highlighted the Rauner talking points response and the fact it has been a few days since the Rauner Word Jumble got fired up with tired talking points.
It was very clever.
Almost “John Patterson” clever and that’s a high bar to be compared to in this.
It was fun.
- A guy - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 12:09 pm:
OW,
Do you really think that’s “well played?” It strikes me as a perpetuation of smart alleck responding, rather than smart.
It’s not played well in my opinion. I’m tired of all the clever poop being thrown back and forth. I suspect I’m not alone. Hardly matters. Few will see the kitschy response anyway. Ugh.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 12:27 pm:
- A guy -
The reason Patterson is so good and so biting and so sharp is when Patrerson frames a response to flat out mock the Rauner Word Jumble, it’s fun and it’s smart politics.
You many not like it for any number of reasons but what it does do is make a mockery of the state Raunerite Party and the Rauner Word Jumble ridiculousness.
It’s fun. I like the tact.
How will that Raunerite State Party respond?
Talking points? lol
- Jack Kemp - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 12:35 pm:
Complete bush league response from the Pritzker campaign.
A word of advice to Ms. Slayen - if you’re going to harp on “talking points,” you should probably stop using that phrase in virtually every single public statement you make.
The irony is not lost on some of us.
- blue dog dem - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 12:52 pm:
Should a ‘moderator’ make a political statement prior to asking a question? Remember, I am totally disappointed in Rauner/Trump, but I gotta believe questioning like that seem a bit unusual. Even if it was a Dem forum.
- lake county democrat - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 12:56 pm:
I won’t argue it’d be better if he’d put up a bill, but I don’t think that takes away all the value of making the proposal (and I wouldn’t be surprised if others have proposed this, but in the context of how terrible our budget crisis is and a debate amongst the candidates, it was the most intriguing. I hope the media asks what the other candidates think of it).
- Mama - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 3:41 pm:
Here is the real reason Rauner attacks Speaker Madigan, “Speaker and his operation are the reason Illinois is not a Red State after the 2010 blood bath.”
- walker - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 3:57 pm:
LCD
Yes it’s a fun idea for the frat boys to toss around. It makes no fiscal sense whatever, unless you’re sitting on a pile of cash.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 4:03 pm:
===unless you’re sitting on a pile of cash. ===
Yeah. Good point.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 24, 17 @ 6:55 pm:
–Pritzer’s ads are all over southern Illinois. He comes across as totally out of touch, and just part of the Madigan team.–
LOL, his spots talk a lot about the Madigan team, do they?
Out of touch with what, out of curiosity?