History as the governor sees it
Tuesday, Aug 15, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Rauner often blames Madigan for the state’s woes, and on Monday he accused the longtime speaker of raising uncertainty about whether schools would open in an effort to force legislators to buck his veto. The governor compared it to when Republican lawmakers joined Democrats last month to enact a budget and tax hike against his veto.
“He held our budget hostage for two years, and he finally broke some Republicans. Some Republicans in some districts that had community colleges that were threatened to be shut, some Republicans that had universities Downstate that were threatened to be shut, and they finally said, ‘I surrender, Speaker, you win, I’ll vote for a tax hike even though it’s a disaster,’” Rauner said. “He’s doing that to our children and our teachers right now. It is wrong, it is mean. We as the people in Illinois should stand against it.”
* Also, we talked about this yesterday, but my Steve Brown react was posted kinda late in the day, so some of you may not have seen it…
Rauner on Monday called on Democrat and Republican legislative leaders to meet to try to reach an agreement. Cullerton issued a statement saying he looks forward to a meeting with Rauner and legislative leaders.
House Democrats countered that those negotiations are already taking place.
“Somebody may want to brief him on what’s going on,” Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said of Rauner.
* More from the Sun-Times…
While Illinois Senate President John Cullerton said he would look forward to a meeting with the leaders and the governor, Rauner spokeswoman Laurel Patrick in an email said the governor intended for the meeting to be just among legislative leaders.
Madigan spokesman Steve Brown criticized Rauner’s call for leaders meetings.
“The governor put out a press release telling people to do what they’re already doing. Those have been going on. The governor has been busy doing his national media thing so he probably ought to be briefed on what is actually happening in Illinois because that has happened and will continue to happen as time provides,” Brown said.
* Amanda Vinicky asked him last night about those leaders meetings and why he wasn’t attending…
VINICKY: You have called on legislative leaders to try to work out a deal, to work out a compromise. From my understanding, that is actually is happening but you haven’t been part of those talks. And in your call today saying legislators, get together, leaders get together, come up with a deal. Why aren’t you a part of these meetings? You’re the governor.
RAUNER: Well, so I’ve talked to members of both sides of the aisle in the general assembly. I’ve talked to President Cullerton, I’ve talked to Cardinal Cupich, who is actually helping try to negotiate compromise and come up with new solutions.
VINICKY: For the school voucher-ish plan?
RAUNER: Well, also other elements of the plan as well. He cares very much about school equity and fairness, and he’s an advocate for reform. You know, this has been something we’ve tried to achieve in Illinois for decades, and I am very excited, we are on the verge of a wonderful transformation in the way our schools are funded that’s more equitable for all our kids.
VINICKY: How long is that going to take? I mean, you need to sign off on a plan, so what good is it having the four legislative leaders getting together if you’re not in that room saying what you would agree to and what you would say no to?
RAUNER: So, what I am doing is talking with them virtually every day, encouraging them. I am a little frustrated and disappointed in the General Assembly that they didn’t deal with this back when they passed the bill in May. They waited for two months, I think to create a bit of a crisis, but at least now they are meeting and talking. And I am encouraging them, saying let’s get together and come up with a solution. I hope they will just vote to create a bill that does everything my amendatory veto does, because that is the best.
VINICKY: They’re not going to do that. I mean, the Senate already overrode your veto. And, you waited for those two months to unveil the changes, that were part of your plan. You could have introduced a new piece of legislation, or at least had those talks. There was a lot of talk about a CPS bailout, but your amendatory veto did a whole lot more than that.
- Keyrock - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 1:40 pm:
Potential QOTD: “How can you tell when the Governor is not telling the truth?”
Oh, I guess that can’t be the QOTD because there is only one answer: “When his lips are moving.”
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 1:42 pm:
==the governor intended for the meeting to be just among legislative leaders.==
Then what is the point? They come to an agreement and then the Governor will decide to add his two cents and blow up everything. Does the Governor not realize what it takes to govern? Either sit down with everyone and figure things out or get out of the way.
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 1:46 pm:
Only one of the two participants in that interview understands how the government of Illinois works and it ain’t the Governor.
– MrJM
- New Texian - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 1:46 pm:
As I watch this now from Texas, I can’t help but wonder if the wagering should now be on the margin Rauner loses by not whether he’ll lose. I’ve never seen such a display of sheer incompetence in my three decades of adulthood watching politics in four different states.
- Anon221 - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 1:50 pm:
RAUNER: “So, what I am doing is talking with them virtually every day, encouraging them.”
How… through the Magic Mirror?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 1:51 pm:
===Only one of the two participants in that interview understands how the government of Illinois works and it ain’t the Governor.===
Time and again, Vinicky gave the impression, be it in follow ups or in direct questions, that Rauner lacked an understanding of the realities, and what Rauner sees as his reality.
The takeaway from the whole exchange is what - @MisterJayEm - stated… Only one… and the RaunerS were worried about messaging.
- Linus - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 1:51 pm:
All. Stalling. Tactics. Every day, all day.
Plausible deniability, in order to repeatedly scuttle anything resembling settlement of the state’s many problems. The goal remains to pull everything down–unions, functional state government, etc.
His previous staff weren’t hittin’ the gas pedal (or is it the brakes?) hard enough for him, but his IPI staff are helpin’ him stomp on it good and hard.
- Montrose - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 1:53 pm:
“encouraging them”
Because what’s been missing to date are daily pep talks from the Governor.
- Sir Reel - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 1:53 pm:
Gotta give Amanda credit. She keeps asking the Governor the right questions. Unfortunately, he continues to not answer any of them. He makes it sound like there’s all this work he’s directly involved in going on, but in reality, there’s nothing.
Luke the car with its wheels spinning furiously and smoking, but not moving.
- Roman - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 1:55 pm:
Here’s some real history:
“We sort of have to do a do-over and shut things down for a little while, that’s what we’re going to do.”
- Candidate Bruce Rauner, March, 2014
“Crisis creates opportunity. Crisis creates leverage to change … and we’ve got to use that leverage of the crisis to force structural change.”
- Governor Bruce Rauner, April, 2015
- GA Watcher - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 1:55 pm:
Governor: You were voted into office because you were going to apply new solutions to the way the State is managed and governed. Now, you are counting on Cardinal Cupich to negotiate compromise and come up with the new solutions?? That’s your job, sir!!
- Markus - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 1:59 pm:
==How… through the Magic Mirror?==
Possibly but more likely through the looking glass. There is a bit of a Mad Hatter quality in his rhetoric and actions of late.
- Can - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 1:59 pm:
==I hope they will just vote to create a bill that does everything my amendatory veto does, because that is the best.==
Clueless. And I loved Amanda’s response: “They’re not going to do that.” Heh.
- Anon221 - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 2:05 pm:
Hat tip to Markus
- Blue Bayou - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 2:09 pm:
“some Republicans that had universities Downstate that were threatened to be shut, and they finally said, ‘I surrender…”
Bruce Rauner wants community colleges and state universities to shut down. He wants only people with money to have access to higher ed.
He cares nothing for lower income people of this state. He cares nothing for minorities struggling to make better lives for themselves.
He should be ashamed.
- Skeptic - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 2:21 pm:
“Possibly but more likely through the looking glass.” I think you’re on to something there, the BTIA™ is kind of like the white rabbit, “I’m late, I’m late for a very important date…”
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 2:22 pm:
Now I think Bruce took the interview so he could find out what’s going on with everybody - he sure doesn’t have a clue.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 2:30 pm:
That’s some revisionist history. I can’t get my rose colored glasses to focus on it.
- Mike Cirrincione - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 2:33 pm:
Dont ask Bruce. He used to manage the Nursing Home Cafeteria Drink Machine. His biggest decision was to hook up a new tank of pop or fill the ice machine.
- Joe M - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 2:34 pm:
Do we really want Cardinal Cupich, the leader of a large number of private schools, negotiating public school appropriations from Illinois taxes? Perhaps best to keep his hand out of the cookie jar.
- Porgy Tirebiter - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 2:38 pm:
He forgot to add the part about going apple picking with Scooby-Doo.
- Moe Berg - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 2:41 pm:
Rauner: “I hope they will just vote to create a bill that does everything my amendatory veto does, because that is the best.”
Well, actually the House Democrats have done that. It’s SB 1947, sponsored by Majority Leader Currie. Up in committee tomorrow at 9 a.m. Then, no doubt, on to the floor. So, House Republicans will have a chance to stand with their governor on his amendatory veto “that is the best”.
- DeseDemDose - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 2:42 pm:
Vinicky was lucid, informed, coherent during the interview. Rauner was confused and babbling half the time. Wish there was time for a commentary panel after the interview was over.
- Swift - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 2:46 pm:
So when do the Republican legislators start realizing that no amount of Rauner money is going to offset the hit they are going to take being associated with him?
Rauner is going to have to catch a runaway horse on Governor’s day at the fair to get his numbers back up.
- Passive Agressive - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 2:51 pm:
=So when do the Republican legislators start realizing that no amount of Rauner money is going to offset the hit they are going to take being associated with him?=
He’s leading the Illinois Republican party right off the cliff.
- Ed Equity - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 2:58 pm:
In Illinois politics there are few people who don’t lie, but thank goodness Cardinal Cupich is in the mix.
Perhaps we have a trustworthy broker in the mix?
Perhaps this is why we actually have a compromise coming together and tax credit scholarships are the glue?
- James - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 3:28 pm:
The Cardinal senses a moment of opportunity and is requesting a bailout for the Archdiocese.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 3:52 pm:
Regardless of how the Tribune spins things, it is generally clear that John Cullerton is, almost always, the only grownup in the room in matters of legislative leadership and the governor.
- Annonin' - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 4:00 pm:
Maybe Cupich will deliver some blessin’ on all supporters too.
- KeepSmilin' - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 4:36 pm:
And Rauner was touted as a smart businessman? What did he really bring to the table in his businesses? Was it brains, or just money?
His interviews and answers show what he brings to government.
- Jocko - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 5:40 pm:
==He held our budget hostage for two years, and he finally broke some Republicans.==
He doth protest too much, methinks.
- G'Kar - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 5:56 pm:
This is just my observation, but it seems to me Rauner’s old team kept him away from interviews like this. He appeared with friendly hosts or with local reporters who would be too intimidated to push him. Now, though, BTIA seems to think making him do more high profile interviews will allow him to get his message out. But, instead all BTIA is doing is show that Rauner is clueless.
- Huh? - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 6:35 pm:
“I’ve talked to members of both sides of the aisle … I’ve talked to … Cullerton, I’ve talked to Cardinal Cupich…” When was the last time he talked to Madigan?
- justacitizen - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 10:37 pm:
The only thing all of this proves to me is IL is blue, Madigan calls the shots, and that’s reality in Il.
- DuPage Bard - Tuesday, Aug 15, 17 @ 11:16 pm:
Maybe he should have brought his duct tape along?