72 Comments - TominChicago - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 8:02 pm: To paraprase LBJ, “If Rauner’s lost Hurricane Kristen….” - Mugsy - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 8:03 pm: Shorter headline: Rauner loses - Anonymous - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 8:04 pm: ==cannot seem to make, a compelling case == You mean the new team she was the #1 cheerleader for isn’t messagin’ like she thought they would? - 19th Ward - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 8:06 pm: I don’t think Rauner has lost until at least one GOP House member comes out in public for the over-ride. Or in the Senate for that matter, and before Sunday. - Keyrock - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 8:14 pm: You would have thought that the first thing the BTIA would have wanted to know was where the hotline was that Lance and ck used to dictate Katrina’s columns. It’s amazing that they somehow lost it, - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 8:15 pm: Rauner dismissed his 20 plus staffers to get “better” press. This ain’t it. Without malice, I say this; Kristen McQueary offered that a natural disaster was the way to change. Destruction of such magnitude, it was a reset. Kristen McQueary believes, in exceptional writing, Bruce Rauner is worse than a natural disaster, and further, being worse than a natural disaster is too far for her to go. The piece itself? It’s vintage McQueary when she was indeed the Statehouse Chick, and I say all of this, every word, with honest respect to the really fine piece she wrote. Like this… From the column… ===Republicans often criticize Democrats for supporting policies based on emotion, not math. Yet Gov. Rauner expected to get a pass on how his veto would affect the bottom line of school districts. Continually, Rauner’s focus seems to be at the wrong end: protecting wealthy school districts from losing what they have instead of advocating for low-income school districts and what they need.=== This is restaurant-quality. This is taking down a sitting governor and stripping down to the core of what is wrong with the AV, but what is wrong with Bruce Rauner. McQueary peels away the phony and reveals the Rauner seem these nearly three years. This is McQueary, eyes open, calling this fiasco as it is… From the column; ===He stripped out extra protections slipped into the bill for Chicago Public Schools; that was expected and justifiable. But then he expanded his surgery to limit the potential of the bill’s impact in property-poor areas throughout Illinois. Worse, he could not fully explain his changes and offered no real data to back up the claim that his version would benefit “the poorest and most disadvantaged school districts across the entire state.” Do we take him at his word? Or do we demand numbers to support his rhetoric? Rauner’s State Board of Education should have immediately released a district-by-district breakdown of how his Aug. 1 veto would affect public schools, many of which are days from opening their doors.=== This is as honest as McQueary has been in a long time. As honest to policy. As honest to politics. As honest… to process. As honest to process. This is some serious takedown language. Thank you Kristen. I look forward to more like this, because in reality “BTIA” has made it about ruining Illinois for all to see… and no one able to defend it. - Res Melius - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 8:17 pm: Thanks Kristen McQueary. Well said and this took guts. Gov. Rauner has lost an opportunity to move things in a better direction. In my life I have learned that participating in the process works a lot better long term than egg throwing at the end. - Anonymous - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 8:28 pm: Is she upset she wasn’t first round in the BTIA draft? - illini - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 8:28 pm: thank you, once again, Willy for pointing out the deficiencies and then hypocrisy in the Rauner Agenda. This break from a prominent State House reporter is a serious cut at the Rauner Agenda. Hopefully there will be a significant number of downstate members of the GA that will pay attention. - peon - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 8:43 pm: There comes a day when the crew looks at Captain Ahab at the wheel and thinks: “is this going to end well ?” - Norseman - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 8:46 pm: Quick, send a copy to the minions. Maybe it will shock some of them into reality when they see the disaster queen has parted with Rauner on SB 1. - Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 8:58 pm: Bravo, OW. I got nothin’ after your excellent comment. - Norseman - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 9:03 pm: AA +1 Well said Willy. - Tbd - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 9:29 pm: Are we sure this was authored by Kristen and not, say, the Russians? I’m worrried someone is impersonating her. - hisgirlfriday - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 9:30 pm: The downside of this column is that it is almost certainly getting my hopes up unrealistically for GA Republicans to buck Rauner and support an override. - Now What? - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 9:31 pm: Can’t say it any better than OW. Tip of the hat, sir. - Tough Guy - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 9:45 pm: Saw the Governor at the Coors tent at the State Fair Ground tonight. Did not look like he was in a good mood. Now I know why. - Anonymous - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 9:56 pm: Best messagin’ in America - Keyrock - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 9:59 pm: You must be mistaken, Tough Guy. The Governor has never been happier. - West Sider - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 10:03 pm: Willy- You are the Master- as all can rightly see, but I have to give it to: - peon - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 8:43 pm: There comes a day when the crew looks at Captain Ahab at the wheel and thinks: “is this going to end well ?” Pure, pithy, genius. Made me laugh out loud. - Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 10:08 pm: House Republicans, here is your cover. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 10:10 pm: - West Sider -, it’s all good. Thanks. - AA -, - Norseman -, - illini -, - Now Whatt? - thank you all, and I appreciate your very kinds words. I also appreciate Kristen McQueary tonight. It was great reading. She should be proud. - JS Mill - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 10:14 pm: BVR to Kristen “The Hurricane” McQuerry- ” E Tu Brute?” - Blago's Hare - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 10:32 pm: O.W. - in your own words -”restaurant quality”. You are one of the reasons many of us read, re-read, and refresh and read again the comments here on the Fax. - Real - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 10:35 pm: I don’t know but to me it seems like Rauner and his state board of education might be withholding his av veto numbers until after they GA votes on an sb1 override. - Flyer - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 10:42 pm: She has listened to her neighborhood. - Pawn - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 11:03 pm: Wow. Did not see that coming. Slow clap. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 11:05 pm: - Blago’s Hare - Thanks. Appreciate that, sincerely. I know I refresh here waiting to read what Rich has cooking too… and the cavalcade of commenters that make this place so great. I’m glad to be in a huge cast of so many. I think the Post… is what Rich does so well, and puts this place head and shoulders above them all… and I know I learn here. Rich has the Post up, tonight, letting us all comment and giving exposure to McQueary’s words to so many in the real time McQueary had it up. Awesome. Rich working hard to keep us all “in the know”. That’s what’s so very cool. To the Post, A good point, this column being “cover”. These next few days leading up to Sunday, will there be public defections, leading to the green lights needed for override? Like me, Kristen McQueary hopes so. We will soon see if cover is used. - Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 11:31 pm: ==will there be public defections, leading to the green lights needed for override?== Or will there be quiet defections on Sunday and Wednesday? Might be easier to do this out of the spotlight. - DuPage Bard - Thursday, Aug 10, 17 @ 11:58 pm: So does any GOP member flip? Will all Dems vote for it? This is a good read but still doesn’t mean there are votes there for the override. Which Legislators are going to go against the Governor? Primary’s are already happening to the folks ho went after the budget. Anyone else willing to add their name to that? The Senate had 35 not 36 on the vote. The House had 60. You need one more in the Senate and 11 more in the House. That’s not a short order. - Chicago 20 - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 6:03 am: Looks the Tribune is saying Rauner’s ideology is light years away from appearing to be a centrist for the upcoming election. If the Tribune can’t find Rauner’s numbers there are no numbers. It’s just another hostage, just another fight that Rauner won’t win while paralyzing Illinois schools and degrading Illinois children’s education. - PublicServant - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 6:37 am: ===Primary’s are already happening to the folks ho went after the budget. Anyone else willing to add their name to that?=== Those that want to vote their constituents best interests absolutely should add their name to that list. That should be most of them, except for the few who make even Rauner look like Castro. - Scoot - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 7:16 am: I used to enjoy this blog… - Earnest - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 8:01 am: I’m impressed and humbled by the column–a clear statement based on quantifiable behavior. And she didn’t put in any qualifying observations to undermine her message–i.e., pointing out things she thinks are wrong with the bill, pointing out the process was only bipartisan to a degree, blaming the past or seeing disaster in the future. Once again, I am impressed and humbled by the quality of the column. - Demoralized - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 8:08 am: She has made perhaps the most eloquent argument against the Governor’s AV. His inability to explain what he has done. The peculiarity of the lack of numbers out of the gate to show the financial impact of what he had done. The seeming propping up of wealthy schools over poorer schools. The lack of any conversation with the person who has led the negotiations on school funding reform over the last several years - Senator Manar. If one needed a blueprint on the reasons why to oppose the AV she has provided one. Well done. - Demoralized - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 8:09 am: Ugh. This is frustrating when posts don’t show up. - Grandson of Man - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 8:14 am: Strong close. The GA should not allow Hostage II to play out. They should override the veto and know that in Rauner’s eyes, their jobs are less important than the courts ending union rights. Their jobs are so vitally important to us. - Real - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 8:19 am: Lets not all praise Kristen McQueary anytime soon just for finally deciding to speak the truth. Lets see if she will continue to speak the truth or get back on the Rauner bandwagon. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 8:37 am: ===Lets not all praise Kristen McQueary anytime soon just for finally deciding to speak the truth.=== This is why there is gridlock in life, policy, and politics. You take her words and this takedown and you thank her for her work, unconditionally, for this. ===Lets see if she will continue to speak the truth or get back on the Rauner bandwagon.=== Sure, there’s a caution to an overall. I can’t worry about tomorrow when I can’t predict what will happen the rest of today. I’m grateful for her work here, it speaks for itself. With respect. - wordslinger - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 8:51 am: Curious. Was Rauner previously making a compelling case for his agenda when he was gutting social services and higher ed while piling on an extra $10B to the backlog of bills? All he — and the tronclodytes — peddled was shallow slogans, for years. Certainly no rational ROI. Why the epiphany now, I wonder, this demand for quantifiable projections that can be put to the test? The principle is the same for the Turnaround Agenda as it is for this AV. - the Patriot - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 8:54 am: This is where democrats may win the battle, but lose the war. Rauner is all wet on this, true. He has no alternative proposal, true. But continuing to remind folks the democrats, who had complete control of the legislature and governor for 12 years, have been working on this problem for 10 years and did nothing about it, does not build confidence in their plan. One undeniable fact, we still will not adequately fund education. He may be speaker until he dies, but this will be the last nail int he coffin of the Madigan legacy. He has proven once again, being speaker is more important than the solution, even when it comes to kids. - Da Big Bad Wolf - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 8:55 am: 19th ward, I believe Michael McAuliffe is leaning towards overriding the veto. Part of his district is in Chicago. - You just don't get it - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 9:01 am: The Governor could have done better job with this. Just pull out the extra money for Chicago and call it a day. That would have met with the results of the bi partisan group that drafted the original legislation. - SAP - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 9:12 am: We really are through the looking glass. - Huh? - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 9:18 am: The first column slamming 1.4% was the hardest to write. Once the disillusionment sets it, the second and third columns will be easier. - Skeptic - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 9:22 am: “Lets not all praise Kristen McQueary anytime soon..” Sometimes you just have to know how to win. - ILGOV2018 - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 9:22 am: From now on, I am going to post as HoneyBadger. With that out of the way, I agree with Honeybear. I also want to point out, maybe this the Troncs way of making it possible for someone even more to the right of Rauner to primary him. A Dan Proft pick, perhaps? - illini97 - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 9:24 am: I’m with Honeybear on this. Thanks for the editorial, but I’m giving some serious side eye to Katrina. And a perfidious Governor and complicit editorial is going to lead people to some serious distrust. Did Rauner actually decide to “take the loss” on this one and ask the Ed Board to cover for the soon to be defecting Republicans? Doing so would indicate he may actually care about an outcome and the ILGOP, not just Raunerites. Who knows? Who knows anything anymore? - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 9:27 am: ===A Dan Proft pick, perhaps?=== Dan Proft’s Matt Besler is running the political shop for Rauner, even after funding Ken Dunkin for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Proft’s newspapers are funded by Rauner allies, Proft will have his own PAC flush with cash for Purity Primaries… for Rauner. Short answer. No. ===Sometimes you just have to know how to win.=== All sides could learn from this. - Michelle Flaherty - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 9:28 am: Can’t lose what you never had. For all the other pro-Rauner, anti-Dem rhetoric, she’s been a supporter of education reform and SB 1 specifically. She’s saying a targeted AV by The Bruce could have won her support, but he blew it with this huge overreach. Focus Bruce, focus. - TinyDancer(FKASue) - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 9:31 am: =the democrats, who had complete control of the legislature and governor for 12 years== An=d who was in control of all three branches of Illinois government in 1995? Who, in 1995, gave the mayor complete control of CPS? Who gave the mayor the unlimited ability to borrow and the power to divert tax dollars earmarked for pensions to other things? Who was that? - Honeybear - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 9:33 am: HA! Perfect! Welcome Honeybadger! Honeybadger don’t care. Honeybadger don’t give a ……. Love those videos. - Grandson of Man - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 9:34 am: “being speaker is more important than the solution” That’s actually Rauner, for whom judicial union-busting is more important than legislative solutions. I cast a side-eye at The Hurricane as well. However I want a functioning government and to find occasional or rare common ground with people who’s views almost always are opposite of my own. Plus, its bad for the governor when one of his own opposes him, which should be good for his detractors. - Lamont - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 9:42 am: === TinyDancer(FKASue) - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 9:31 am: =the democrats, who had complete control of the legislature and governor for 12 years== An=d who was in control of all three branches of Illinois government in 1995? Who, in 1995, gave the mayor complete control of CPS? Who gave the mayor the unlimited ability to borrow and the power to divert tax dollars earmarked for pensions to other things? Who was that?=== Jim Edgar was governor in 1995. - DeseDemDose - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 9:50 am: Almost all decent folk when the chips are down will stand up for children. Kristen gave in to her heart on this one. - Chicago_Downstater - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 9:57 am: @Honeybear Don’t you think calling her “Vichy” is a bit hyperbolic? I mean the Vichy colluded with Nazis. Was the hurricane nonsense ridiculous & harmful? Yes. Do her editorials sometimes drive me up the wall? Yes. But does she deserve to be called Vichy? No. I just think there’s danger in demonizing columnists just because they disagree with my POV. Maybe just take it down a notch. - PragmaticR - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 10:01 am: ==Or will there be quiet defections on Sunday and Wednesday?== It is very unlikely that any Republicans will announce plan to override in advance. Still hoping for ‘compromise’ trailer bill to provide cover. There are almost surely 36 votes in Senate for override, there are likely 37 votes, and there may even be 38 votes. I doubt there will be more than 1 defection in the Senate, but nothing unifies Democrats like the chance to override the Governor’s veto while voting to fund public schools. This is not like an override vote to raise taxes. Forecasting the outcome in the House is more complicated. The all or nothing brinksmanship does work to unify reluctant Democrats. It is difficult to think of a Democrat on the fence deciding that the chaos of no funding and protracted negotiation is politically better than SB1 override. So, there are likely at least 65 Democratic representatives that will vote to override. One republican, McAuliffe, voted for SB1 and his vote will not change because he represents a district with Chicago residence. Are there 5 more Republican votes? Fortner did not vote on SB1, is not seeking reelection, and voted to override the governor on the budget. There are other representatives from downstate districts that might prefer the certainty of SB1 to many of the potential outcomes following further negotiation. - Annonin' - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 10:05 am: We are still thinkin’ Katrina pullin’ a reverse psycho thing on us….if she writes bad stuff we will conclude it A-OK. - TinyDancer(FKASue) - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 10:08 am: ==Jim Edgar was governor in 1995.== Exactly my point. And the R’s had control of both the house and senate. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 10:10 am: ===It is very unlikely that any Republicans will announce plan to override in advance.=== This isn’t an override that includes “a tax hike”, but also funds the stats of Illinois. I think it’s still a 1 in 4 proposition this gets overriden, and the trailer bill where “everyone wins” is the smart way to end this, but a Republican, especially a downstate Republican would be wise to announce they “support our schools” before being Green here to maximize the positive coverage “back home” on this awful AV threatening schools. - Lamont - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 10:22 am: === - TinyDancer(FKASue) - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 10:08 am: ==Jim Edgar was governor in 1995.== Exactly my point. And the R’s had control of both the house and senate.=== My bad, Tiny. I thought you were make no the opposite point. - Pawn - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 10:28 am: DeseDemsDose: really??? And just where was her “heart” during the budget impasse? Certainly not with the children or anyone else who was affected. Count me in the side eye crowd. I’m glad she wrote what she wrote but remain suspicious of her motives. Maybe she is just a rat leaving a sinking ship. - HoneyBadger - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 10:29 am: OW- thanks for reminding me (us) about the Dan Proft machine. I forgot. - @MisterJayEm - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 10:34 am: I welcome Ms. McQueary’s use of facts and logic, and encourage her to apply those tools of reason to the rest of Bruce Rauner’s Turn Around Agenda. – MrJM - northsider (the original) - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 10:49 am: Maybe, just maybe, some eyes are blinking open for a split second. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 10:55 am: - HoneyBadger - It’s all good. Ya need 2-3 programs to keep up with all the players hiding in the weeds. - HoneyBadger - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 10:58 am: https://capitolfax.com/2017/07/21/meeks-goes-silent-as-sb-1-fight-cranks-up/ If he truly cared about the education funding injustice in Illinois, he would stand up and speak out. Sorry not buying his silence on the matter. - Robert the Bruce - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 10:58 am: Cover from the biggest paper in town. Less influential than they once were, but I think this moves the needle slightly on the chances of override - put me down for $1 on override at your still-fair odds, OW. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 11:24 am: - Robert the Bruce - ===Cover from the biggest paper in town. Less influential than they once were, but I think this moves the needle slightly on the chances of override..=== Which is exactly why being “silent” when the raw numbers, and the cover here will be seen as a strong move to come out and say… “I’m for an override” Until at least one HGOP member comes out in support of override, publicly, I’ll keep the odds there. Thanks for seeing their “fairness”, they still may move, lol The politics now make it a silly move for a HGOP to still be silent on override with numbers and cover and back home pressure so “lopsided”, might as well make real hay if you’re going to override anyway. Take the praise. Take the kudos… - Honeybear - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 11:27 am: CD- I don’t find it hyperbolic as I witness the destruction first hand in my job serving the poor, disabled and elderly. I also have to pay upfront for my dental work and it took six months to find a dermatologist to see my daughter with our state insurance. My close Union sister just got laid off at at NEIU. Financial ruin for her. It’s not hyperbolic from my station in life. - DHS Jim - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 1:48 pm: When the Dems overrode Rauner’s veto to finally pass a budget, I thought that Rauner had a good chance of successfully using that in 2018 to say that Madigan and the Dems raised taxes. Not this time. Rauner has made a serious miscalculation with his AV on this one. Never mess with getting our kids to school on time in the fall. - Politix - Friday, Aug 11, 17 @ 4:07 pm: She’s smart enough to know when you’re beat, you’re beat. And Governor, you are beat. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.