* This is so bizarre…
Doug Finke: So you filed a suit against the Senate Leadership.
Sen. Sam McCann: Senate Republican Leadership.
Finke: Correct. Uh, why? You were trying to talk to them, were you not?
McCann: This is a classic case of taxation without representation and tyranny. The tyrannical Rauner has instructed his cronies who are in charge of the Senate Republican Leadership to do this, and what they’re essentially doing and what we’re trying to see restored is the ability to represent my constituents adequately. So way the taxpayer dollars flows — this isn’t about campaign dollars, this is about taxpayer dollars — when the taxpayer dollars come through the doors for legislative purposes, it gets divided four ways. The money that had always traveled to my office traveled through the conduit of the Republican caucus. So all we want is to receive the services that every elected Senator receives. I’m not worried about going back into the caucus room with the caucus. I’m not worried about them accepting me. What I am concerned about are my constituents who are being denied due process and the ability to be served adequately.
Mark Maxwell: To follow up on that, isn’t that just a little bit exaggerated? You still have the right to vote. You still have the right to debate on the floor. You still have LRB (Legislative Reference Bureau), LRU (Legislative Research Unit). How is your power as a legislator in any way void from what it was two weeks ago?
McCann: I think the way you phrased that question shows me you are not an honest arbiter in this process. Obviously, you’re with, uh, you’re with other folks in this process.
Oh, come on. Is Sam really implying that Maxwell is a Raunerite?
That’s just nuts.
* Moving right along…
Maxwell: I’m asking you…
McCann: If you don’t believe $30 million dollars comes into this building every year to be divided amongst 118 reps and 59 senators… That goes for constituent services out in the district. It goes for bill analysis. It goes for coordination of committees, coordination of the bills, where they are, where they’re dispositioned. None of that has happened. When my visitors come here, when constituents from my district come here, they send their kids here on an 8th grade field trip, they expect to get a picture back home. When Bill Brady says he’s not going to allow photographers to take a photo? You think that’s fair? You don’t think that’s not being… You think that’s not a diminishment? You don’t think that’s taxpayers… that’s taxation without representation?
He’s still focused on the photographer? Seriously?
* It gets “better”…
Maxwell: I think it’s less important than your vote. I think a staffer could take a picture with their iPhone.
McCann: I disagree with you. I disagree with you. And I think that this shows that you’re nothing more than a yellow journalist.
Sounds downright Trumpian. Get over yourself, dude.
* Skipping ahead a bit…
McCann: The dollars flow through one of four conduits. They either need to or continue the flow of taxpayer dollars for taxpayer services through that conduit or develop a fifth conduit. One or the other.
Maxwell: Maybe I’m missing something. Can you describe… You keep referring to this pool of money. Can you describe where it comes from and what it’s allocated for…
McCann: It’s taxpayer dollars.
Maxwell: Well, I get that, but…
McCann: I don’t think you do. I don’t think you’re listening to me. I’ve told you multiple times it’s taxpayer dollars. You pay your taxes. It comes into the state Treasury…
Maxwell: What does it get you in return? If you’re still in the Senate caucus, what things would you have that you don’t have right now.
McCann: I’ve already went over that with you.
Maxwell: So you still have access to LRB, LRU, right? These are still things… You can go down and draft legislation. Right? What am I missing?
McCann: Mark, You wonder why I…
Maxwell: I’m not a lawmaker. I don’t know how it works. You’ve got to tell me.
McCann: You’re a joke.
Yeah, Sam’s really got that gubernatorial temperament thing down pat. Sheesh.
* Skipping ahead again…
Finke: And are the Senate Republicans pressuring you into leaving early, do you think?
McCann: I have no idea.
Maxwell: Tim Butler called for you to resign last week.
McCann: And I would call for him to resign because he doesn’t listen to his district. He doesn’t care. He was appointed by Rauner as a Raunerite. He does nothing more than follow Rauner’s directives and orders and there are a lot of people in his district who feel that they’re not being represented well. And of course, he’s never really faced the electorate in a challenge so I guess we don’t know.
Maxwell: Just to make this point, I’m repeating what I heard from other people today who told me that you still have all of this access. So I’m just asking. I truly don’t know…
McCann: And again, I don’t know how many times do I need to repeat it for you. So we have in district services that we offer. At this point, we don’t even know…
Maxwell: You still have district staff, right?
McCann: I do, but we don’t know if she will be paid or not.
Maxwell: Really?
McCann: That should have to be determined.
Maxwell: Who would decide that?
McCann: Evidently, Bill Brady. That’s why we had to bring the lawsuit.
Maxwell: Has there been a threat that she would not be paid?
McCann: When other services are cut off, we don’t know. We don’t know where that line is at. That’s what we’re trying to determine.
He filed the lawsuit over his district office allotment? That’s not what the lawsuit says. (Also, his allotment is guaranteed by statute.)
* But, really, get a thicker skin, Sam. And if you think Maxwell can be tough, try sitting down with Mary Ann Ahern, or Carol Marin, or Mike Flannery, or Rick Pearson, or Amanda Vinicky, or a whole lot of others. This doesn’t get any easier, bub. Welcome to the jungle.
[Headline was changed after friendly advice from a grammar cop.]
- Reality - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 11:07 am:
Looks like local 150 better get a handler on their horse.
- RNUG - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 11:11 am:
Realistically, McCann has to know he can’t win, so as long as he has no future plans to run for office, he can be totally off the wall if he wants to.
It’s going to be an entertaining campaign season …
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 11:16 am:
Someone tell him he doesn’t need to answer anything right now.
Then again, McCann is focused on the Trumpkin voters Rauner is afraid to court, and conservatives that feel Raunerites have left conservatives behind.
That said, McCann needs to cool his jets, get thicker skin, let the process play out…. “my lawsuit speaks for itself”… Rauner wants to silence conservatives… and see if he can get the signatures and stay on the ballot.
Come January, McCann isn’t coming back to the Senate.
The focus needs to be to “seem” like a stable alternative for Trumpkins and conservatives… this stuff isn’t helping… while the noise could be better directed.
McCann might implode before his signatures are turned in.
- Huh? - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 11:17 am:
Something about not fighting with someone who buys ink by the gallon comes to mind.
- TominChicago - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 11:18 am:
McCann is kind of sounding Capt. McQueeg like with “Raunerite” as a substitute for the strawberries.
- Perrid - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 11:18 am:
Nitpicking here, but Rich you might have meant he implied it. Inferring is picking up or deducing something from evidence, implying is making a thinly veiled suggestion.
- wordslinger - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 11:21 am:
–Sounds downright Trumpian.–
And Trump’s strong supporters love that kind of stuff. Mike Bost rode a premeditated, juvenile temper tantrum all the way to Congress.
I doubt very much that these kind of outbursts will hurt McCann with his target audience. He’s positioning himself against the Rauner swamp monsters. In fact, I suspect we’ll see more of this going forward.
- hfkddh - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 11:27 am:
I believe each caucus gets the same amount of money for staff and resources, and each member gets a separate amount for their district allotment.
I’m not defending Sam’s crazy comments, but it was crappy of the Senate GOP to drop his support services. Meeks was an independent and the Dems continued to provide him with services. Ives was running against Rauner, and the House GOP continued to provide her with services. It seems like a petty and short sided move by Brady.
- RNUG - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 11:29 am:
== It seems like a petty and short sided move by Brady. ==
Are we sure it was Brady’s idea?
- The Captain - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 11:31 am:
I get that the idea of Sam McCann in the Governor’s race was appealing to a certain set but the real McCoy has some issues.
- Swift - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 11:32 am:
Why have a well-reasoned answers to a reporter’s questions about a publicity seeking lawsuit when you just continue the nuttiness and accuse the reporter of bias?
- People Over Parties - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 11:34 am:
Instead of taxpayers showing outrage that Sam won’t get their funds to take a picture, as he is calculating, they may very well wonder why their tax dollars are being spent on that in the first place. Not exactly a resonating issue.
- walker - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 11:39 am:
“”That’s just nuts.”"
You said it, Rich.
“”I doubt very much that these kind of outbursts will hurt McCann”"
Yes. Bost launched off of “Let My People Free.” But will McCann’s “Taxation Without Representation” appeal widely enough to do him much good? The risk at this point, after the primary and as a “third party,” is that he slides into crank status.
- Annonin' - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 11:40 am:
McCann ought to reflect on the fact the Maxwell has done a good job of getting some decent coverage his maverick campaign.
- Langhorne - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 11:41 am:
Sam needs to show more significant loss of services than no photographer, to generate support.
- Lucky Pierre - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 11:43 am:
“Mike Bost rode a premeditated, juvenile temper tantrum all the way to Congress.”
Sure a 300 page pension bill worked on for 1 1/2 years completely changed 10 minutes before the vote provoked a “premeditated” response
I guess you think its ok to ask representatives to vote for bills they have no idea what is in them because the Speaker wants the bill passed.
Budgets, bills, why do we elect representatives anyway if they just follow their leader lock step?
- Rich Miller - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 11:45 am:
===provoked a “premeditated” response===
I recall reports that he practiced the toss.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 11:47 am:
===…why do we elect representatives anyway if they just follow their leader lock step?===
“I don’t want any $&@#% problems”
- Bruce Rauner to his paid-for Caucuses.
The vacuum you live in…
- wordslinger - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 11:56 am:
–..provoked a “premeditated” response–
If it was “premeditated,” then it wasn’t “provoked,” comrade. Those words mean something in English.
–why do we elect representatives anyway if they just follow their leader lock step?–
I think it’s adorable that you don’t see the absolute hilarity in posting that on a thread about McCann and Rauner.
- Anonymous - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 12:05 pm:
I don’t think Sam McCann wants reporters starting to ask questions about how he spends taxpayer money, but instead of keeping that door secured he’s inviting them in.
- INI - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 12:21 pm:
Al Salvi wouldn’t even act this childish
- Juice - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 12:22 pm:
“Sure a 300 page pension bill worked on for 1 1/2 years completely changed 10 minutes before the vote provoked a “premeditated” response”
That is some nice revisionist history. The GOP was made well aware of the language that was going to be in there, and there were numerous calls and meetings to discuss it. Bost was upset because the Dems wouldn’t call the GOP amendment to strip the pension cost shift out of the bill. Oh how times change.
- PJ - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 12:25 pm:
I wonder if he’ll get invited to debates. Watching him go full Trump on Rauner would at least be funny, I guess.
- Anon - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 12:26 pm:
Any smart republican knows the party isn’t going to do well come november.
I don’t understand why they want to throw McCann under the bus so quickly (oh wait yes I do, it’s because they love Rauner’s money)
Rauner has shown us that the IL republican party will literally bend over backwards for a wealthy guys money.
McCann should put up a fight and once Rauner moves to Italy the Republicans will actually come back to him begging for his support because they will realize Rauner’s money didn’t buy them enough votes.
- nadia - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 12:30 pm:
It’s all Rauner’s fault, come on Sam, stay on message, that’s how Governors handle these things.
- Downstate D - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 12:36 pm:
Maybe Sam is just trying to set the table ahead of time if any reporter brings up old tax liens and Marine Corp questions. Like if you bring up issues I don’t like I’m going ballistic on you Mr Reporter
- Anon312 - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 12:37 pm:
More like Sam McCan’t. What an embarrassing display. The guy doesn’t even seem to know what’s actually inside his own lawsuit, and he can’t explain where money comes from except to shout “the taxpayers!”
I guess his idea of a public service is taking pictures and sending out press releases while unelected staffers do the real work of writing the laws. Almost as noble as his tours in the Marine Corps.
- People Over Parties - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 12:41 pm:
===Rauner has shown us that the IL republican party will literally bend over backwards for a wealthy guys money.===
Almost like an ad lib, replace “Rauner” with “Pritzker” and “IL Republican Party” with “DPI” and look at that. Lol
- Claud Peppers - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 12:42 pm:
Sam did get it spot on regarding Tim Butler. When a legislator family member is on the state payroll it presents a conflict.
- Michelle Flaherty - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 12:50 pm:
that’s ridiculous.
Maxwell’s not “yellow”
- Hypocrisy check - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 12:50 pm:
Anon @12:26-
Tell us how the Democrats are acting with JB’s money again…
- TominChicago - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 12:53 pm:
Not to be a grammar Nazi but you were correct the first time. McCann is not implying anything. He flat out called the guy a Raunerite. That said, McCann had to have inferred from the question asked that the reporter was a Raunerite since the reporter did not preface the question by warning McCann that he was in fact a Raunerite. Imply is what a speaker does, infer is what a listener does.
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 1:02 pm:
Kudos to Maxwell and his station for taking the (relatively) high road and not running any of the insults on teevee last night.
- The Dude Abides - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 1:07 pm:
C’mon Sam, develop a thicker skin or you’re going to blow that 3-6% we all want you to get.
- James Knell - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 1:19 pm:
I don’t live anywhere near Sam McCann’s district, but I admire him for bucking Daddy Bigbucks. I hope he can smooth out his message.
- Linus - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 1:30 pm:
Not quite on the level of Kennedy fleeing into the hotel elevator while berating multiple reporters–but really not too confidence inspiring, either.
- Ill_Will - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 1:46 pm:
A point of clarification. Sam called him a “yellow journalist “.
I don’t think he means “chicken or cowardly “.
Yellow journalism is a long standing term meaning scandal-mongering, unprofessional, unethical, or sensationalistic. From Wikipedia.
To the post: Sam, answer the questions. And do get a thicker skin.
- jim - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 1:55 pm:
The phrase yellow journalist comes from the “Yellow Kid” cartoon, is meant to describe sensational, lurid news reporting of questionable accuracy.
most people have no idea what it is, even if they have heard the phrase. they just toss it out when they want to make what they think is a denigrating remark. obviously, McCann doesn’t know what he’s talking about.But what else is new.
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 2:00 pm:
==I doubt very much that these kind of outbursts will hurt McCann with his target audience. He’s positioning himself against the Rauner swamp monsters. In fact, I suspect we’ll see more of this going forward.==
Agreed, and I very much look forward to it. Between the Friends of Trey Childress contract shenanigans, the Deloitte stuff, financial threats from the back porch of the executive mansion, and spending wads of tax dollars to hire do-nothing cronies like Munger and Senger - there’s a very long list to get through before November. Sam will hammer him from the right (abortion, sanctuary state, exploding the debt and wasting taxpayer money). As OW is fond of saying, “left-coast limousine liberal” Bruce Rauner.
- Deadbeat Conservative - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 2:03 pm:
=Sam needs to show more significant loss of services than no photographer, to generate support.=
Sam has always been a low-functioning sort, that was his appeal to his district’s voters. Remember that he got his first government job as an anti-government tea party demagogue.
- King George - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 2:05 pm:
Short Sammy thinks Maxwell is too sensationalistic? He’s the one screaming “tyranny” and “taxation without representation” because he can’t get a polaroid with some Girl Scouts.
He’s a true Constitutional conservative. A guy who really understands why the Founders rebelled. Because King George wouldn’t give them a respectable oil portrait.
- Norseman - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 2:06 pm:
That was a really sad performance Sam. Try to end your political career with some dignity.
- Retired Educator - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 2:22 pm:
Brady and his boys created this mess. They gave Sam a venue to let them have it. The entire Raunerite Caucus has reverted to doing things the Rauner way. I guess getting all that money to campaign on makes you lose sight of doing what is right. The entire thing could have been avoided. They chose The battle, Sam is just fighting the skirmish he was presented.
- Return to Sender - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 2:50 pm:
Maxwell is sharp, thorough and relentless. Sam on the other hand…he’s the joke.
- Anonymous - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 3:01 pm:
McCann is a phony, but of a different sort than Rauner. “Mesmer-eyes McCann”. Lol. (Anon: you are correct, most legislators will bend over (and sometimes backwards) for Rauner’s money)
- VanillaMan - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 5:34 pm:
He is a protest candidate, so he can act like one.
- Ron - Thursday, May 3, 18 @ 8:17 pm:
What is a Democrat that supports Rauner called?
- Rabid - Friday, May 4, 18 @ 7:06 am:
Confused
- VanillaMan - Friday, May 4, 18 @ 7:34 am:
A hate-filled troll.
- theCardinal - Friday, May 4, 18 @ 10:06 am:
He thought the SGOP was going to host a warm fuzzy for him? He must have been something at a frat dance yelling “Photog over here”. Taking a shot at Butler who has a ton more GOP street cred that Sam could ever hope for shows him for who he is. Your 15 mins is just about up, try to go out with some class.