* Background is here. Statement from Gov. Rauner…
CHICAGO (Aug. 22, 2017) – “Earlier today an email went out from my office that did not accurately reflect my views. I can understand why some people found the cartoon offensive. And I believe we should do more as a society and a nation to bring us together, rather than divide us.
“There are many passionate people engaged in public policy debates, and different people react differently.
“It is not my place to comment on every cartoon or picture that comes from people outside the governor’s office or to tell people how they should feel.
“I urge everyone to put this behind us so we can focus on solving the very real challenges of education fairness and economic opportunity facing our state.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** Galia Slayen at the Pritzker campaign…
That’s not a statement. That’s Bruce Rauner throwing the “Best Team in America” under the bus because he can’t find the courage to condemn blatant racism in his own state.
…Adding… Twitter reactions are kinda brutal…
*** UPDATE 2 *** Rep. Christian Mitchell…
“Bruce Rauner continues to undermine his moral authority by singing from the Donald Trump hymnal: saying that ‘different people react differently’ on racial caricature is like Donald Trump talking about ‘both sides’ of the horrible events in Charlottesville. The Governor’s abdication is the height of cowardice, beneath the dignity of his office, and raises additional questions.
Governor Rauner says his earlier statement did not ‘accurately reflect his views.’ What are his views? The people of Illinois still deserve to know. Does Bruce Rauner stand with the bipartisan, multiracial group of lawmakers who condemn the Illinois Policy Institute’s offensive practice of racial caricature, or not?
How is it that Rauner’s own words – from an emailed statement released by his spokesperson – do not reflect his own views? Though the wholesale takeover of the Governor’s office by the Illinois Policy Institute was disturbing, citizens expected that the Governor was still the chief executive. Given the incredible power of the Illinois governorship, the people of Illinois deserve an answer to a simple question: Is Bruce Rauner in charge of his own office?”
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 9:34 pm:
So is Mrs. Rauner no longer approving press releases? Who will be fired over this?
==It is not my place to comment on every cartoon or picture that comes from people outside the governor’s office or to tell people how they should feel==
So he continues the theme that he’s in no position, as Governor of the State of Illinois, to call certain things wrong. If that’s true, why the outrage over Trumps statements just last week?
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 9:34 pm:
Yeah, it’s that easy.
If BTIA had been looking out for Rauner rather than Tillman it could have been done a week ago.
I’m sure the NYT and WashPo stories will be a big hit on the weekend North Shore cocktail circuit.
Notice how Rauner throws BTIA under the bus in the first sentence. I guess he got sick of them doing it to him.
- igotgotgotgotnotime - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 9:36 pm:
Did I miss the agreement on school financing, or are Gov. Junk’s priorities now in the wrong place?
- blue dog dem - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 9:37 pm:
That ought to put an end to this issue.
- Chicago Cynic - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 9:38 pm:
A swing and a miss! BTIA strikes again.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 9:38 pm:
Why on earth doesn’t he just say the cartoon was inappropriate?
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 9:38 pm:
===“It is not my place to comment on every cartoon or picture that comes from people outside the governor’s office or to tell people how they should feel.===
Well said. Except in this case, half of the senior staff inside the governor’s office came from the very organization “outside” the governor’s office that published this offensive cartoon. So the governor can and should be expected to comment on things coming from IPI since he funds them, hires their staff, synchronizes messaging and political strategy, etc. it is hard to know where IPI ends and the governor’s office begins, so this ham-handed response hardly settles the matter in my mind.
It’s not like he was asked to comment on Sunday’s Dilbert strip. And it isn’t as if anyone should accept his weak attempt at an “outside the governor’s office” disclaimer as to which things he will comment on. He is the leader of state government and he is, therefore, expected to lead, that includes answering legitimate questions about the tactics employed by his allies.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 9:45 pm:
First, yikes.
Rauner disavows the IPI messengers that wrote this. The same IPI hires Diana Rauner and Bruce felt were better than the Superstars.
Let’s break some of this down…
===I can understand why some people found the cartoon offensive.===
Here’s exactly what this means… I can see it, but I don’t agree.
“why some people found”
… like the entire Illinois House of Representatives. Unbelievable.
===“There are many passionate people engaged in public policy debates, and different people react differently.===
Here’s a fun one.
It’s the reaction that is at fault? It’s not what caused the reaction, it’s pointing out “meh, people react differently”…
… and let’s remember, Rauner isn’t like “some people” who found the cartoon offensive… I mean, geez…
Now, why Rauner, after denouncing the “as a white male” spiel… they keep this in…
===“It is not my place to comment on every cartoon or picture that comes from people outside the governor’s office or to tell people how they should feel.===
It was wrong the first time, and now…
… now it sounds like a 1960s swanky New York cocktail discussion on Jazz with everyone wearing “Mad Men” type of suits and dresses.
“I mean, I like Jazz, and after a bourbon at The Stork Club, but hey, you like Jazz… ”
Is. Rauner. Even. Serious?
Now, here’s the close. It’s so ridiculous…
===“I urge everyone to put this behind us so we can focus on solving the very real challenges of education fairness and economic opportunity facing our state===
… the sole close is… “Please leave me alone, let this go, and please, let this be enough of a change so I, Bruce Rauner, won’t face any more press from the New York Times or Washington Post.
…
This is just awful, awful stuff. This is not winning messaging.
This is surrender messaging without admitting that he (Rauner) was wrong, but Rauner was “right” and “some people” are reactionary and unable to judge art in a way Diana Rauner can feel comfortable at Winnetka cocktail parties.
Way to go, IPI Crew, I mean Rauner Crew. Your clarification is “it’s not us, it’s you, please let Bruce move on”
Wow.
- Norseman - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 9:47 pm:
Translation: I can’t criticize my propaganda arm, but the BTIA came up with a really dumb cover story. Thankfully a friend at tonight’s cocktail party came up with this plausible but lame excuse.
- Roadrager - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 9:51 pm:
“I did not say that thing I said I said a few hours ago.”
I can’t fathom why this man can’t seem to get anything done.
- The_Equalizer - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 9:52 pm:
“People outside the governor’s office”? He is one the IPI’s money men, and he hired his new staff from them? Seriously?
- Real - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 9:52 pm:
Ok, this second statement from Rauner sounds like more of the same old “as a white male” comment that he made earlier. Rauner does not want to own up to anything and is constantly deflecting and saying there are bigger issues. The real issue is that he is governor hired most of his top staff from this organization yet he does not want to put them in a bad light because he knows the IPI trolls won’t know how to react.
- PragmaticR - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 9:53 pm:
It would have been better to pretend to be blind after viewing the eclipse without protective lenses.
- Emily Miller - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 9:56 pm:
So he issued a written statement to re-say what he said before, except this time the “white male” bit is coded rather than explicit. At least he sticks to his theory, without any hint of irony, that we should all stop whining about racism so we can focus on his inequitable public school funding plan,
- Real - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 9:59 pm:
I just wonder how the real “as a white male” comment came out from Rauner’s mouth. I’m sure his staff softened it up a bit and tried to make at as politically correct as they could (which they failed). But I think Rauner’s off the record comment was probably like “as a white male none of that concerns me” or something to that effect.
- Father Ted - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 9:59 pm:
I’ll give them this: it’s the best statement they’ve had yet on this issue; not that that’s saying much.
- Reality - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 10:02 pm:
I get that the cartoon was offensive, but in the end it was a cartoon. Does he have to have a statement ready to go each Thursday morning after new South Park episodes air on Wednesday nights?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 10:05 pm:
===Does he have to have a statement ready to go each Thursday morning after new South Park episodes air on Wednesday nights?===
When Rauner has the South Park writers, producers, voice actors as the new hires for his administration, ask me that question again.
- Keyrock - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 10:08 pm:
Has he blamed Lying CNN and promised to build the wall again yet? Oh wait, that’s the other guy using the same tactics.
- blue dog dem - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 10:17 pm:
EmilyMiller. I gotta give ya credit. We hide behind nicknames. You don’t. Not sure It helps your cause, but what the heck, it can’t hurt.
- Michelle Flaherty - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 10:17 pm:
So the governor basically overrode himself.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 10:18 pm:
==When Rauner has the South Park writers, producers, voice actors as the new hires for his administration,==
We can only hope this is the result of a Purge 2.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 10:21 pm:
- blue dog dem -
Emily Miller is the tops of the top. She does her name a huge credit by merely being the solid person she is.
To the Pritzker response,
It’s Patterson-Quality in its simplicity and cutting, taking a sharp edge of the words and mincing only the Rauner message.
Slayen is showing her own chops by simply calling Rauner out.
No frills, no bloviating, no rehashing.
Asked, then responded. Served cold.
- Anonymous Sox Fan - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 10:23 pm:
–Earlier today an email went out from my office that did not accurately reflect my views–
Wait, when did he get email?
- Whatever - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 10:24 pm:
Shockingly inept #BTIA(tm)
- Gooner - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 10:38 pm:
Trial lawyers love it when a witness will not give a straight answer. It means they get to ask the question again and again.
When the answer hurts your side, admit it the first time and move on. Or better yet, front it, by discussing it before others do.
This has been an absolutely textbook example of the wrong way to handle tough questions.
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 10:48 pm:
BTIA is just awful. This has to be the worst messaging I’ve ever seen. It’s poetic justice, because the IPI criticizes state workers as being overpaid. Now look who are the tax eaters.
It was such a short time ago that Rauner was praised for messaging. Remember the quick responses by ck and Demetrius that we used to see here. Now there’s nothing. Now it’s Rauner who’s careening from PR disaster to disaster, and it’s Democrats, especially the Pritzker campaign, who are pounding him daily.
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 10:49 pm:
“Demetrius”
Demertzis. Dagnab autocorrect.
- Workin' - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 11:07 pm:
A “better” team would ask for his half-mill back and donate it to the Illinois ADL and similar groups.
- Michelle Flaherty - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 11:08 pm:
C’mon BTIA, even the IPI figured out how to deal with the racist cartoon. They took it down. Like a week ago.
The only person keeping this controversy alive is Bruce Rauner, who has, once again, become his own victim.
- Michelle Flaherty - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 11:09 pm:
Is Steve Bannon part of their focus group?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 11:10 pm:
The important takeaway from Rep. Mitchell…
… but before that, it’s important to note that Rauner undermining his own alleged messaging is indeed “sweet irony” in such a sour and disturbing package as this.
To the grab…
===Though the wholesale takeover of the Governor’s office by the Illinois Policy Institute was disturbing, citizens expected that the Governor was still the chief executive. Given the incredible power of the Illinois governorship, the people of Illinois deserve an answer to a simple question: Is Bruce Rauner in charge of his own office?”===
Rauner has opened a new question…
Diana Rauner, John Tillman, IPI…
Who controls the governor’s office when a simple emailed message is so rogue, Rauner must disavow the message and the messengers sending it as the Governor’s
Whew.
That’s where Rep. Mitchell, in this next phase of the Rauner implosion, takes us, because Rauner has let this fester.
- blue dog dem - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 11:29 pm:
I wonder the percentage of Illinois voters that actually know of this crisis.
- Michelle Flaherty - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 11:32 pm:
blue dog dem, the way BTIA is going, they’ll start running ads to make sure everyone knows.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 11:37 pm:
==I wonder the percentage of Illinois voters that actually know of this crisis.==
Your mistake is thinking strictly in the present. The ads a year from now are being written as we speak.
- thatsoutrageous - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 11:40 pm:
so he’s got Brittany Carl who’s made offensive comments in recent months about nazi eugenics and women’s right to choose; a former bodyman who made racist and homophobic comments on twitter and was fired; and a highly offensive cartoon at IPI, the same IPI who’s he’s given hundreds of thousands of dollars in the past and now employs their former top staff in the Governor’s office.
now he wants everyone to leave this all alone and move on, but he is the one who dragged this story out over 6+ days. and earlier today he said he was a white male and couldn’t talk about it, and hours later he disavows even making that white male comment while also making a “both sides” argument. and to top it off, he still hasn’t clearly stated whether he has seen the cartoon or not.
does he really think this story is over?
- thatsoutrageous - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 11:46 pm:
==I wonder the percentage of Illinois voters that actually know of this crisis.==
a higher percentage than 6 days ago and probably still growing.
==That ought to put an end to this issue.==
have you been reading the twitter posts over the last hour? if there had been session tomorrow I can’t even imagine the comments from the House floor after his latest statement. good grief.
- DuPage Bard - Tuesday, Aug 22, 17 @ 11:55 pm:
It’s simple- I agree and stand with the House. Racism has no place in Illinois.
- Glengarry - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 12:28 am:
Par for the course for this administration.
- allknowingmasterofracoondom - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 12:31 am:
This has been handled horribly. But I still don’t think the cartoon was racist. So just to be clear, the racism in the cartoon was because how the child was drawn/depicted?
I am being serious here. Is that what is so racist about the cartoon?
- Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 1:08 am:
Nice way to throw BTIA under the bus while essentially agreeing with everything they said for you. So pathetic. Such a failure.
- Glengarry - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 2:45 am:
Obviously racoons don’t know much.
- Retired Educator - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 3:31 am:
Hey; House and Senate Republicans–Are you embarrassed yet by this guy? Just override anything he vetoes and you should be good. He and his team are going to cost a lot of you your jobs. I can not imagine taking orders from this guy, no matter how much money he has. But you go along with him, and I will look for you at the next employment fair.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 4:57 am:
“Earlier today an email went out from my office that did not accurately reflect my views.”
Nope, it was pretty accurate, especially when Rauner keeps using “funhouse” mirrors for his “reflecting”.
Deflecting won’t help with this “reflection”.
- Huh? - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 5:49 am:
Look at all the fun that people miss when they are asleep. It is nice to see that 1.4% has not disappointed anybody.
- Union proud - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 6:18 am:
““It is not my place to […] tell people how they should feel.”
But you try to tell people how to feel all the time. About unions, taxes, Madigan, Democrats, Chicago, Chicago teachers, a union that represents Chicago teachers, selling the Thompson center, property taxes, tifs, pensions, term limits, workmans comp, etc…
You pour millions into organizations and campaigns to influence how people feel. But one racist cartoon from one of your allies and all of a sudden you’re hands off…
- Keyrock - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 6:22 am:
IPI digs hole in mud. Bruce Rauner dives into it, face first. Rinse and repeat.
- Rabid - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 6:23 am:
White man speaks with fork tongue
- Langhorne - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 6:39 am:
Best Trumpisms in America
Ordinarily, Diana would tell Bruce to can them all and start over, but a Plan C is pretty difficult to pull off.
- Sonny - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 7:55 am:
Asking IPI to communicate effectively on pretty much any issue with normal people is like trying to program a robot’s feelings. Does not compute. As an aside, it’s shocking that Rs were able to tag liberals as the out of touch eggheads when these policy lab bots are the competition. Hey maybe give it a third (?) try today and nail down that little has he seen it issue yet.
- Earnest - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 7:59 am:
>And I believe we should do more as a society and a nation to bring us together, rather than divide us.
Unless we’re trying to pit downstate against Chicago. /s
- Henry Francis - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 8:07 am:
Have you seen the Breitbart headlines since Trump fired Bannon? Do you think the Guv wants that from the IPI?
Given his lack of real accomplishments, that is all he has left. He can’t lose them.
I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more coded statements and dog whistles given the sanctuary bill he says (today) that he will sign on Monday.
- illini97 - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 8:40 am:
It’s like he’s falling off his roof and hitting every rung on the ladder down.
Fail hard.
- A Song On Ice And Fire - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 9:10 am:
John Kass and all the other beat writers got the game of thrones comparisons wrong. If you take a close look at westeros and Illinois, you will see that it is Bruce Rauner who is the Night King with his Illinois Republican Party as the zombies… Illinois Policy Institue are the white walkers lutenients who surround the night king. Madigan and the Chicago Democrats (Mitchell, Lou Lang, Hastings) clearly are the greedy midevil insiders controlling westeros making money off the backs of peasants. The zombies and white walkers are there to clean up the moldy human race on westeros who ran society with greed and fear. Unfortunately Rauner and white walkers end up destroying everything in their path (not just the Lannisters) to Lay waste to Illinois. Once the 2016 election concluded and grass roots conservatives propelled the winds of winter to come into D.C., the Night King (Rauner) got his zombie dragon and his white walkers want him to flame throw the ice wall to water so nothing stands in the way of the zombies eating all the unions. Madigan and the insiders are hiding in Kings Landing plotting ways to steal money from the poor and acquire more power if somehow one of these dem candidates emerge as a Jon Snow or Daneroys to take out the night king in the battle of Winterfell (2018 election)
- annnon - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 9:12 am:
why is this happening
- Chris Widger - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 9:34 am:
==This has been handled horribly. But I still don’t think the cartoon was racist. So just to be clear, the racism in the cartoon was because how the child was drawn/depicted?==
There seem to be two schools of thought if you read the initial set of reactions from public officials, though they aren’t always artfully distinguished and made clear. (1) The cartoon is racist due to the caricature it creates of stereotypically black physical features, and (2) The cartoon is racist because depicting a poor black child begging for money from a rich white man creates a caricature of black conditions/implies that minorities always want handouts/etc.
I’m a pretty strong believer in the Louis CK quote that “When a person tells you that you hurt them, you don’t get to decide that you didn’t.” I also think that, well, opportunists are going to opportune, and since politics is sports and we’re all just rooting for our team with little regard for substance, it’s not very important how anyone actually feels about it. It’s very important, however, how those feelings (pretend or real) are handled by the Governor, and he’s handled this Hindenburgly.
- Father Ted - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 9:37 am:
Just imagine the amusing responses we would have been receiving all along had reporters held Rauner’s feet to the fire like this over the state budget. You could start with his failure to propose a balanced budget and just work outward from there.
Unfortunately, he was let off the hook time and time again.
- Sonny - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 9:40 am:
Are you looking for a job with IPI or the Governor’s office? I hear they are looking for eager self-starters ‘unclear on the concept.’
- DarkHouse - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 9:40 am:
So Rauner has recently unveiled his pick for Attorney General candidate, who happens to be a woman of color. Is she ok with this cartoon? Shows the complications of running with the Gov when he almost entirely funds your campaign.
- Anonish - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 9:51 am:
Well, if Pritzker ends up as the nominee his comms team will be fully ready after all this warm up and practice.
- Jose Abreu's last homer - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 10:26 am:
I’m surprised The Boondocks has lasted as long as it has on Cartoon Network.
- Honeybadger - Wednesday, Aug 23, 17 @ 10:38 am:
==I wonder the percentage of Illinois voters that actually know of this crisis.==
All Illinois voters who vote in the Republican primary will know about it. And should Rauner happen to make it past that every Illinois voter for the general election in 2018 will know because I am sure whatever democrat or republican who runs against Rauner will pound that home the cartoon and the revolving door of the best team in America personnel.