“If it’s pay-to-play with Blagojevich, a corrupt property tax cut from Joe Berrios, or bank-rolling Mike Madigan’s political organizations in exchange for Madigan’s support, then J.B. Pritzker has “been there”. Pritzker is trying to cover up his record as a corrupt insider who uses public service for personal gain and voters should be worried about that.” - Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot
Today, Capitol Fax reported the Pritzker campaign released a new ad citing events in his life that highlight his “progressive values” between 1992 and 2017.
Unsurprisingly, the ad conveniently left out what Pritzker was up to between 1993 and 2016. Here’s what Pritzker is trying to hide:
1996 - Pritzker, wearing a dark green suit, says he helps Blagojevich with “fund-raising” (Chicago Sun-Times, “In Mell’s World, It’s Politics as Usual,” Jorge Oclander, March 23, 1996)
1997 - Pritzker says “Rod [Blagojevich] is going to be very helpful” in his potential 1998 race for Congress
2001 - The Chicago Sun-Times reports Pritzker would help fund Blagojevich’s first gubernatorial race if Pritzker would receive backing from Blago’s father-in-law, Dick Mell, in a potential 2002 race for Congress
2002 - Pritzker gives $20,000 to Friends of Rod Blagojevich (State Board of Elections)
2003 - Blagojevich appoints Pritzker to the top post of a state government commission (The Associated Press, “Governor Appoints Mikva Head Of State Human Rights Commission,” 7/27/2006)
2006 - Pritzker gives $100,000 to Friends of Rod Blagojevich (State Board of Elections)
2006 - Blagojevich authorizes $1 million state grant to a group where Pritzker serves as the finance chief
2008 - FBI wiretaps reveal Pritzker schemed with Blagojevich to be appointed Illinois Treasurer, among other state offices. In the same call, Blago also pressed Pritzker for campaign contributions and Pritzker said “I hear ya, I hear ya”
2012-2016 - Pritzker rips out the toilets of a neighboring “uninhabitable” mansion and Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios approves an 83% property tax cut, slashing the property tax bill on his multi-million dollar Chicago mansion by $230,000
2000-2016 - Pritzker’s lawyers who won him the property tax break gave more than $100,000 in campaign contributions to Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios and his affiliated political organizations (State Board of Elections)
2016 - Pritzker and his company contribute $900,000 to a Super PAC run that a Democratic political operative referred to as a “Madigan joint”
2017 - Madigan steers unions, interests groups, and politicians to throw their support behind Pritzker’s campaign for governor
2017 - Pritzker selects Madigan-backed running mate as his lieutenant governor canidate
Whether it’s pay-to-play and quid pro quo with Blagojevich, a corrupt deal with Joe Berrios to cut his property tax bill, or bankrolling Mike Madigan’s political organizations in exchange for Madigan’s support, Pritzker has “been there”.
J.B. Pritzker is trying to cover up his record as a corrupt insider who uses public service for personal gain and voters should be worried about that.
- Epic - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 9:24 am:
C, as a primary ad it plays to the base but can’t help but notice the large gap between his 1993 pride parade participation and the 2017 science march. He has a 24 year gap between the two and I’m supposed to believe he’s a long time supporter of liberal values?
- Come on Man! - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 9:27 am:
This is the problem with campaigning so far before an election you run out of things to talk about. I think this Trump angle is asinine. Rauner has went out of his way to distance himself from Trump. No amount of money is going to make that stick.
- anon - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 9:28 am:
I give it a strong B. Shows that JB has been there for the causes Democrats care about for many years. When you run for office, everybody can talk about what they will do, but few can demonstrate their commitment to those values the way JB can. I also find the music and the way his face disappears behind one of the protestor pictures to be effective. I think the whole ad makes me feel even more connected to JB. Strong B.
- Welcome Back Kotter - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 9:30 am:
Obvious omission: Pritzker was there when Blagojevich needed his $$$$$.
- John Rawlssss - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 9:31 am:
Literally half this ad is about things Pritzker did while actively running for office. Then a 24 gap? Wonder what he was doing in between? Helping Blago and begging for an appointment, for a start. Terrible ad. F minus
- Seats - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 9:33 am:
B-
If he could have threw in 2-3 more pictures between 1993-2017 I would have gave it an ‘A’.
- Anon221 - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 9:36 am:
Agree with several of the other comments on the “gap”. It immediately gave me pause, and drowned out the remainder of the spot. Incomplete for a grade.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 9:39 am:
I dunno if you step into the “Wayback Machine” until you’re actively ready to address Blago, or the gap between the 1992 and today, and that video, while interesting to the timeline, allows the questions and the wondering of “glossing over” two decades.
You can’t ignore one part from the history then have the ask be “I’ve supported… now fast-forward”…
It’s like Elaine’s “yada-yada-yada” over things or the “best part”
It’s a bit too short and cute to the moment.
It’s a “C+/B-”… If it was worse done, editing and packaging wise, it could be just “busy work”
It’s not a fail, it’s an incomplete if you think it’s a fail, and that’s where the hole(s) exist.
- Hit Em With The Hein - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 9:43 am:
C- this ad does ok to play to primary base which he will already have come election day. This ad does not help him win down state voters who are still angry Trump voters. This will drive those voters to Rauner. Head to head he loses, once again Rauner will be able to dress up and talk like a populist riding his motorcycle. JB can’t do that, IMO.
- Harry - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 9:49 am:
Maybe a C. Assuming he is nominated, Pritzker will run for Governor of IL, probably against Bruce Rauner. Not for President.
I could hardly care less about anything he says about Donald Trump. Rauner has given the Democrats plentiful ammo to use against him. If Pritzker can’t show how he would use all that to beat Rauner, maybe Pritzker isn’t the right candidate.
EVERYONE in the Democratic primary will dislike Trump–candidates and voters. Who dislikes Trump more, on a scale running from “a lot” to a “a big lot” is of no bearing on the gubernatorial election. This ad does nothing to differentiate Pritzker as the one best suited to beat Rauner.
- VanillaMan - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 9:51 am:
Can the Trump dump.
It’s boring.
C
- Deft Wing - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 10:00 am:
He marches and stands up to Trump. Got it.
It’s a “D” product. This guy, ironically, seems to come from the Rauner school of early & bad political messaging.
- Century Club - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 10:14 am:
With the kind of money Pritzker is spending, not every ad has to be a winner, and this one isn’t. Not bad, just vanilla.
But the positive name ID will keep climbing.
- Norseman - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 10:44 am:
If you don’t connect it with Rauner, it fails.
- A guy - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:01 am:
Hearing JB referring to fitness in any context is a really ironic and bad play. It begs for the response of;
JB is just unfit. Period.
Why he’s banging the Trump drum bewilders me a bit. Unless he’s just conceded everything, and I mean everything, south of I80.
These kinds of ads actually hurt his chances in a primary. Not smart.
The ad is pedestrian at best.
- Chris P. Bacon - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:12 am:
If I didn’t dislike Rauner so much I would just let Democrats hang themselves but the Dems have a huge problem. The most popular person in the Democratic Party, Bernie Sanders, isn’t even a Democrat. This crazy pandering to the far left fringe could very likely allow Rauner to grab victory from the jaws of defeat. Gin up Trump supporters in this state and watch Rauner win, even though he doesn’t deserve to win or deserve help from the President. Dems are as delusional and out of touch as the actors at the Emmys.
- Responsa - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:27 am:
Grade C-. The problem with having so many Dem primary candidates is that the messages and memes that may assist most in winning the primary may be exactly the wrong memes and messages to win the general. This is a problem all the Dem campaign staffs will face and have to deal with. I think the Pritzker campaign early on is misreading the challenge the most, however.
- Trapped in the 'burbs - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 12:00 pm:
He’s up and running ads. That puts him ahead of the competition. Kennedy is counting on his name so JB has to buy a lot of ads between now and the primary. The content isn’t as important as the frequency at this point.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 12:02 pm:
===That puts him ahead of the competition===
The last released polling says otherwise.
Until public polling changes where the race is, the measure that was released had Kennedy leading, albeit in head to head match ups that flaw the overall, but it’s still the latest poll, and Kennedy leads.
- A guy - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 1:42 pm:
Willy is absolutely right. He is NOT ahead of the competition, tens of millions of dollars later and running against a guy who’s stumbling daily.
With all that money, you’d think he’d contend for the “Most interesting man in the world”. He’s not even contending for the “most interesting Democrat in this race”. He’s not interesting. He’s boring.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 1:47 pm:
(Sigh)
===… is absolutely right. He is NOT ahead of the competition===
You can’t speak for me. You’ve misrepresented me, again.
I wrote…
===Until public polling changes where the race is, the measure that was released had Kennedy leading, albeit in head to head match ups that flaw the overall, but it’s still the latest poll, and Kennedy leads.===
Your “Jump to Conclusions” map is not working too well.
Since that latest released poll, there’s nothing out there stating of anything has changed.
- A guy - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 2:04 pm:
++
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 12:02 pm:
===That puts him ahead of the competition===
The last released polling says otherwise.+++
Have no idea how I could’ve so foolishly misrepresented you after reading this.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 2:44 pm:
===Have no idea how I could’ve so foolishly misrepresented you after reading this===
Funny you stopped there.
What, you read what wanted to read… then stopped?