* Sam says a lot of things and the governor’s office denies this, but Rauner has made some pretty nasty threats over the years, so here you go…
[State Sen. Sam McCann] said that he will run as an independent for either state Senate or governor this fall, and would announce his plans by mid-April. […]
McCann said he was barred from a Senate Republican caucus at the Statehouse Wednesday, but did not specify why. He said he and Senate GOP Leader Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, “agreed to address the issue” after the break. The Senate is scheduled to meet next on April 10. […]
McCann said he was called to Rauner’s office “a couple of times” to talk about the bill, with the final meeting being the day the Senate was to vote to override the veto. He said Rauner suggested he skip the vote if he wouldn’t vote no, but made it clear that there was “one way to make him angry,” which would be a “yes” vote.
“And he looked at me, and said, ‘I’ll destroy you and your family if you go through with this,’” McCann said.
…Adding… I’m told that several Senate Republicans had seen the report from the night before the caucus meeting that McCann would run for Senate or governor as an independent. “There was the assumption he left the party,” explained one SGOP official, who said McCann arrived at the caucus right before it ended.
- Sue - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 10:51 am:
Seems the gov learned something on his vacations with Rahm
- Flat Bed Ford - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 10:55 am:
Was this before or after Sam used campaign funds to buy a $60K SUV?
- DuPage - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 10:56 am:
Sounds exactly like Rauner.
- Just Me - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 10:57 am:
This is what happens with “business leader” become executives in government. They expect they can get their way just like the way they ran their company, and they don’t know what to do when people say “no.”
- Claud Peppers - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:04 am:
Do these things happen?
Blago V Jacobs
http://qctimes.com/news/local/mike-jacobs-unloads-on-unethical-threats-from-governor/article_66aa38d7-f214-5ccb-8516-63d8e5ddc058.html
- Anonymous - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:07 am:
that sounds eerily similar to the threat reported by the female employee of his from before he was governor. I recall that deposition floating around somewhere. Sam probably made it up or is just practicing a bit of reader’s theater.
- wordslinger - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:10 am:
–McCann said he was barred from a Senate Republican caucus at the Statehouse Wednesday,–
Get some Corinthian leather in that phone booth, and it will feel just luxuriously roomy for the rest of them.
- Barrington - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:12 am:
I believe this, as it has all the signs of a wealthy individual with little experience in politics. Experienced politicians stab you in the back and twist but you never know who did it.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:14 am:
What McCann did to Radogno, and his word…
This on its own, Rauner himself wanted no $&@#% problems from whole caucuses. Now I’m being asked that the same guy who commanded that to whole caucuses wouldn’t go after single members?
Hmm.
- wordslinger - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:15 am:
Keep in mind, McCann’s vote was superfluous, as anyone who can count without taking off their shoes knew at the time.
Rauner went psycho and bankrolled a primary opponent over a meaningless vote to intimidate all other GOP GA members.
How’s that working out, these days?
- Blue dog dem - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:17 am:
Not one much on violence, but somebody threatens old Blues family, we’re gonna have an old fashioned throw down. On the spot
- zatoichi - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:17 am:
Rauner is really big on this ‘destroy you’ and ‘bury you’ stuff. Just the kind a person you want to nit pick at just to irritate them.
- Norseman - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:19 am:
Well said Word @ 11:15 am.
McCann is riding off into the sunset. Hopefully for the sake of IL, Rauner will be rode off into the sunset.
- RNUG - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:19 am:
Given some of the rdeported Rauner threats over the years, I’m inclined to believe McCann on this one.
If Sam is going to run as an independent, I hope it is for State Senator. My fear is a 3-way Governor’s race might let Rauner wiggle to a victory.
- A guy - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:21 am:
This is just one of those good old fashioned duels where you really hope both guys succeed. /s
- Real - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:22 am:
If Sam is going to run as an independent, I hope it is for State Senator. My fear is a 3-way Governor’s race might let Rauner wiggle to a victory.
-Umm McCann would be going after republican votes so not sure how you see this.
- Archiesmom - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:23 am:
I wonder if Rauner gears up for big things like veto overrides, big votes and campaigns by watching the Godfather movies and Goodfellas on a loop for a week or so. He really is a noxious cartoon character.
- Chicago 20 - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:25 am:
I would think Rauner would have actually said ‘I’ll destroy the State of Illinois, you and your family if you go through with this.
Anyone can see Rauner has destroyed the State of Illinois along with you and your families.
- Leigh John-Ella - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:26 am:
It wasn’t political.
The super-minority Senate Republicans remodeled the “leadership” office when they only had 19 members. They left a little wiggle room for the future, but c’mon, they’re small-government conservatives. So fire code limits them to 21.
Sam just needed to get there earlier and it would have been someone else getting barred from attending.
- Archiesmom - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:27 am:
“… and your little dog, too!”
- Cubs in '16 - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:32 am:
Rauner’s tall enough to do it too Sam. /s
- Arsenal - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:33 am:
==Umm McCann would be going after republican votes so not sure how you see this.==
I can see a way where he soaks up enough downstate union votes, I guess?
But generally, yeah, Sam McCann has no appeal to the city and the suburbs, and I suspect he’d be reliant on trade unions to prop him up, and they’d probably yank the money if that got too close to happening.
- Real - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:40 am:
I would believe Sam is smart enough to go after would be Rauner voters since Sam would be running for gov as payback to Rauner. I doubt he would be going after Union votes and instead would go after votes from the right.
- Nick Name - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:40 am:
===If Sam is going to run as an independent, I hope it is for State Senator. My fear is a 3-way Governor’s race might let Rauner wiggle to a victory.
-Umm McCann would be going after republican votes so not sure how you see this.===
McCann could peel union votes from the Dem candidate.
- Real - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 11:54 am:
McCann could peel union votes from the Dem candidate.
-That is true but it all depends on the platform McCann runs on.
- Anonymous - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 12:01 pm:
Well, BVR sure was good at destroying the families of the Quincy veterans.
- Old Time R - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 12:08 pm:
If I am Rauner this might be a good idea by Sam. If JB is the favorite then it stands to reason he will get those Union votes that like either JB or Rauner
- 47 - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 12:32 pm:
Three-way race would be a problem for BVR so he is smart enough not to let that happen. The election code is hysterical when it comes to trying to run statewide as an independent - you have to get a comically high number of signatures. If he returns to the senate as an independent, he will have a lot of prestige and he should go that route.
Also for all of you ripping on Rauner for his comments, this is politics not church bingo.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 12:55 pm:
I will bury her.
I will hang Madigan around people’s necks.
I will blow up Pritzker.
I will destroy McCann and his family.
It’s believable.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 2:01 pm:
“this is politics not church bingo”
And now for some kamikaze bingo, courtesy of Larry David.
https://tinyurl.com/y9jqvkwe
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 2:13 pm:
Sorry, wrong “Curb Your Enthusiasm” link.
Here is some kamikaze bingo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBruxedXUes
- Alex Ander - Friday, Mar 16, 18 @ 3:07 pm:
Quite simply, Rauner believes all reps represent him, not his district.