Hedging his Madigan bets?
Wednesday, Jun 27, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Gov. Rauner on FOX Business’ “Varney & Co” on Monday…
I’m committed to picking up nine seats in the General Assembly this election cycle. And if we do that, our corrupt political boss Michael Madigan, who’s been in the Legislature since 1971, we get him gone and we’ll make big changes.
* Gov. Rauner on Roe Conn’s show on Friday…
Roe Conn: If Mike Madigan is still gonna be there after this election, which I guess he is.
Gov. Rauner: Probably. Yep.
Roe: And still Democratic majorities in both the House and the Senate. They may be smaller but they still may be majorities.
Gov. Rauner: That’s right. Uh-huh.
* More from that interview via the Tribune…
While Rauner has spent millions of dollars to sully Madigan, he said it didn’t mean the veteran House speaker had to be defeated.
“We need to shrink the bureaucracy. We have too many layers of bureaucracy, and we can get that done,” Rauner said.
“Frankly we don’t need Speaker Madigan to be gone,” the governor said. “What we do need, though, is a few more legislators who are reform minded, who want to change the system and know that it’s not working. Republicans as well as Democrats. This is not really a partisan election or a partisan issue. It’s a good government issue. It’s about the people against a broken system,” he said.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 11:56 am:
–“We need to shrink the bureaucracy. We have too many layers of bureaucracy, and we can get that done,” Rauner said.–
Yeah, but not by off-shoring personal staffers and political hacks at six-figure pay on agency payrolls to make it look likes he runs a tight ship.
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20180503/bill-preventing-offshoring-of-governors-office-salaries-heads-to-rauners-desk
If Rauner is serious (I kid) someone in BTIA(TM) could earn themselves an extra pudding cup if they bothered to read the state Constitution and showed him Article V, Section 11.
- Roman - Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 12:02 pm:
I don’t think he’s consciously hedging. It’s just when you’re b.s.-ing all the time, it’s hard to keep your b.s. straight.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 12:08 pm:
–I don’t think he’s consciously hedging. It’s just when you’re b.s.-ing all the time, it’s hard to keep your b.s. straight.–
I think that’s right.
- Chicago 20 - Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 12:12 pm:
–I don’t think he’s consciously hedging. It’s just when you’re b.s.-ing all the time, it’s hard to keep your b.s. straight.–
Or just pandering to the perceived audience.
- G'Kar - Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 12:33 pm:
“What we do need, though, is a few more legislators who are Raunerite minded, who want to change the system and know who they work for. Republicans as well as Democrats. This is not really a partisan election or a partisan issue. It’s a Raunerite issue.”–there, fixed it for him.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 12:34 pm:
=“We need to shrink the bureaucracy. We have too many layers of bureaucracy, and we can get that done,” Rauner said.=
In places where he could reduce the bureaucracy and improve or even create efficiency (sounds like his campaign promises) he hasn’t lifted a finger. He could easily improve the ISBE without any legislative input and has his hand picked people there and yet all we have is even more red tape and more regulation. Dealing with them has become more time consuming and burdensome.
Bruce Rauner is a pathological liar.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 12:42 pm:
There is no rationale for a second term for Bruce Rauner.
- Macbeth - Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 12:51 pm:
My understanding was that there were “dozens” of dems wanting to support Rauner.
We know Dunkin was one — and now he’s not. Okay.
But then what about the rest? Are they gonna stay in the shadows? Or are they gonna finally come out during a potential Rauner second term?
(I suspect the “dozens” is actually the single old lady that purportedly comes up to him in restaurants across the state and begs him to “stay strong”).
- Pundent - Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 1:00 pm:
Rauner’s problem continues to be that he can’t resolved his campaign rhetoric with the realities of governing. He would be no closer to accomplishing his objectives in term #2 than he was in term #1 and refuses to concede that any course correction is needed on his part. If the presence of Mike Madigan and the Democratic majority resulted in him “not being in charge” the last four years how would four more years be any different?
- ZC - Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 1:16 pm:
Devil’s advocate: a more coherent case might be, “We’re not getting many if any seats this time around, but if I’m still governor in 2020, then we have a 50/50 chance to gerrymander Illinois in favor of Republicans. On to 2022!” But that might be a hard story to explain in 30 second ads to a mass public. It also begs the question what he’ll be doing in the interim period (besides still getting beat by the Democrats).
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 1:38 pm:
==Rauner’s problem continues to be that he can’t resolved his campaign rhetoric with the realities of governing.==
He’s smart enough to realize this, but considering he won’t be governor after January of 2019, it doesn’t really matter anymore. We know it, he knows it. Why should he bother changing now?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 2:05 pm:
Rauner talks to his audience.
I don’t think here he’s lying every time.
He believed what he said every time to each audience.
Whew.
- Langhorne - Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 2:44 pm:
Words: buzzwords “We need to shrink the bureaucracy. We have too many layers of bureaucracy, and we can get that done,” Rauner said
Deeds: no plan. No analysis. No attempt to build support, just a sound bite. Typical, just like attacking higher ed admin bloat
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 27, 18 @ 10:32 pm:
Bruce get it through your thick skull your finished