32 Comments - Perrid - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 10:13 am: In other words, “Small wins still count as wins” - Oswego Willy - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 10:23 am: Perspective? Mr. Hays was an active participant in ensuring gridlock, as part of the bought and paid for Raunerites of the House. When it mattered, not when this was said, Mr. Hays voted Raunerite. The advice itself? Timeless. When the Executive bought the Caucuses, it didn’t take 30 seconds to learn Rauner wanted “no $&@#% problems”, and members obliged, hurting Illinois. Durkin coulda tried to cobble 60 to help Rauner, that’s what Radogno tried, and was rebuffed. I like Rep. Hays, I do, he’s right here too… … tough to forget a whole General Assembly was seated and went Sine Die… and Raunerites were pleased… - RNUG - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 10:23 am: Yep. Salami slice what you can, then come back for a second helping. - wordslinger - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 10:25 am: Good advice, but talk is cheap. - Saluki - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 10:26 am: Never have truer words been spoken. Rauner beat at the gate with his money for four years, but it won’t be enough to have mattered. Gotta give him a few wins on crim justice reform, but that’s about it. - Skeptic - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 10:30 am: “Gotta give him a few wins on crim justice reform, but that’s about it.” A correlary to the advice: “Accept victories when they’re given to you.” - Henry Francis - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 10:32 am: Jeeze Rep. Hays, when was the last time you watched baseball? The 80s? No one plays baseball like that anymore. It’s all about the 3 true outcomes: home run, walk, and strike out. That is how the Guv plays the game. With Madigan pitching - because he has such dominating control, the Guv ain’t gonna be able to draw any walks. So it is nothing but HRs and KOs for the Guv. The problem for the Guv is he has Dave Kingman’s strike out numbers but with Mick Kelleher’s HR numbers. - 47th Ward - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 10:38 am: Good for Representative Hays. I’m happy that he discovered his vocal cords. Better late than never, and it is really good advice. - Oswego Willy - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 10:38 am: To be even clearer… Those who “betrayed” Rauner by giving Illinois her budget… How can one betray, if working to get a budget means taking small wins, in the minority, and Raunerites only see total victory as the only victory… … Raunerism and this advice seem to be at odds. - Juvenal - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 10:50 am: Another great baseball analogy, first used by Rich Miller, and I am paraphrasing a little: When the guy on the mound can’t find the strike zone, you pull him. No manager ever asks “Am I sure my bullpen is better?” because no manager ever got fired for pulling a pitcher who could not get on out, even if the reliever gives up a grand slam. And so it is with Governors. - Grandson of Man - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 10:55 am: Excellent advice, for those who would accept it and govern correctly. For those who don’t care a whit about governin’ and use an elected office to relentlessly attack opponents, like the governor is doin’, it falls on deaf ears. - don the legend - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 10:55 am: OW. With Rep Hays and the other Raunerites who are now speaking up. Is it possible that they honestly believed that starving the government and not compromising would cause the democrats to break with Madigan? But now they have had their come to Jesus moment and are repentant and now believe that Rauner is a phony savior. The other option is that they are lying through their teeth now. Thanks. - cover - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 10:56 am: = The problem for the Guv is he has Dave Kingman’s strike out numbers but with Mick Kelleher’s HR numbers. = There’s a blast from the past reference, thanks for the nostalgia trip! - A guy - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 10:57 am: This is Big 10 country. 3 yards and a cloud of dust. Then; do it again. With any luck, you’ll get 3.3 yards and a friendly spot. Otherwise, keep playing field position until you can win by 3 at the very end. This is all predicated on capable defense… - Annonin' - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 11:03 am: Prison reform Gibe him credit but admit if a D had suggested the GOPies would be yellin’ early release. - Huh? - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 11:05 am: There was a wonderful quote last week from a Chicago alderman “Some people don’t know a win when they’ve got a win…” 1.4% in a nutshell. - Oswego Willy - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 11:11 am: - don the legend - ===Is it possible that they honestly believed that starving the government and not compromising would cause the democrats to break with Madigan?=== Maybe. To be even more fair to the bought Caucuses, the Rauners put $20 million in the bank and demanded no $&@#% problems. Some were salivating at the thought to ruin Illinois, others I hope were troubled, but in the end, they voted Raunerite. My optimistic feel is that it was more fear than love, because fear lasts longer. - wordslinger - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 11:12 am: –The problem for the Guv is he has Dave Kingman’s strike out numbers but with Mick Kelleher’s HR numbers.– Kelleher career HR, 11 years: 0 Kingman career HR, 16 years: 442 (with 1,816 Ks, not a bad ratio by today’s sad standards). One of the greatest baseball brawls I’ve ever seen, sometime in 1977: 6′6″ Padres Kong slides hard into second at Wrigley, taking out 5′9″ Cubs shortstop Lil’ Mick. As Kingman is getting up, Lil’ Mick jumps on his back and starts pounding lumps on Kong’s thick noggin before the benches clear. If anyone ever associated with WGN can find that clip somewhere, it belongs on You Tube. And at Cooperstown. - Obamas Puppy - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 11:15 am: There is a depth of knowledge in that analogy that people need to study. Hays is one of the most thoughtful guys I have met in a long time and him leaving due to the circumstances that surround his decision (which I respect) should serve as a big concern to those of us who strive to find good people on both sides to work with. Glad he is around for the rest of May and the rest of the 100th. - Occam - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 11:21 am: Here’s a guy arguing the merits of playing “Small Ball” while he’s losing 18-2 in the bottom of the 8th inning. That’s what losers do. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 11:23 am: Ah so Rauner is not in charge, got it. He should just let the Speaker continue to manage the decline of Illinois because he is not a change person Wordslinger, I was at that game, a double header if I am not mistaken - Jibba - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 11:27 am: Rep. Hays is not wrong, and this is clearly how a minority should operate. However, I was struck by the lack of self analysis about why one is in the minority in the first place, and why it would be considered good to even get a win by guile, which would mean overcoming the will of the people. I know, I know, politics ain’t beanbag. - Rich Miller - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 11:52 am: ===That’s what losers do=== So, Rauner’s a big winner then? - VanillaMan - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 11:55 am: ==He should just let the Speaker continue to manage the decline of Illinois because he is not a change person== You keep thinking that Rauner could do better, yet Rauner has shown us without bias, that he is worse than Madigan. Rauner shows us that broken government with Madigan managing a decline - is still better than having him as governor. Time’s up - Rauner is a complete failure. - wordslinger - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 11:58 am: –Wordslinger, I was at that game, a double header if I am not mistaken– In those days, you and I’m guessing about 5,000 or so unemployed so-and-sos, as Lee Elia would later term them. I just remember Brickhouse on the broadcast choking on his ever-present big ball of phlegm, trying to suppress the laughter at the spectacle of Mick taking on Kingman. - don the legend - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 12:09 pm: WS and LP from the Wikipedia. August 7 – In the second game of a doubleheader at Wrigley Field, Mick Kelleher of the Chicago Cubs and Dave Kingman the San Diego Padres are involved in a bench-clearing brawl—a melee with a rare mismatch between the two major combatants. The 6-6, 210-pound Kingman, apparently angered over being hit by a Steve Renko pitch leading off the second inning, responds by sliding hard into Kelleher, the Cubs’ 5-9, 170-pound second baseman, on George Hendrick’s ground ball one batter later. Kelleher responds by jumping onto Kingman’s back and pummeling him with blows. Both Kelleher and Kingman are ejected from the game, which the Cubs win 9-4. - wordslinger - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 12:11 pm: Thanks, Don. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 12:12 pm: I was unemployed because the game was in 1977 and I was just a wee lad. It is still clear as day to me, a beautiful, late summer weekend double header. I am sure I had my mitt with me that day. Karma brought Dave Kingman to Chicago the next season where he shared a tiny locker room with Mick for the next three years. - wordslinger - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 12:32 pm: –I was unemployed because the game was in 1977 and I was just a wee lad.– Wasn’t knocking you, just wanted to get Lee Elia and how the Cubs used to draw back then in there. - Lucky Pierre - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 12:40 pm: Understood about the Elia quote where he made a classic Kinsey gaffe and accidentally told the truth in that disastrous 1983 season. The Cubs would recover and in 1984 went to the NLCS and were up 2 games to zero with wins at Wrigley before collapsing and losing the next three at San Diego - Skeptic - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 3:09 pm: “Understood about the Elia quote” I’ve been trying to figure out how to paraphrase that to fit the TA but alas I’ve failed. - Kyle Hillman - Monday, May 21, 18 @ 10:00 pm: There are some advocates this session I wish would read this. 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