[Bumped up to Thursday morning for visibility.]
* The advisory is silent on media questions at the governor’s campaign event tomorrow, which starts at 12:30 in the afternoon…
MEDIA ADVISORY: Governor Rauner to Visit Machesney Park Business Tomorrow
Tomorrow, Governor Rauner will visit Midwest Aero Support Inc. in Machesney Park, Illinois. He will tour the facility and speak with employees. […]
Governor Rauner will tour the facility and speak with employees
* No press questions will be allowed at the governor’s Peoria event, according to his official public schedule…
Daily Public Schedule: Thursday, July 26, 2018
What: Gov. Rauner takes action on Senate Bill 3527 regarding the River’s Edge Tax Credit
Where: Peoria Riverfront Museum Plaza, 222 SW Washington St., Peoria
Date: Thursday, July 26, 2018
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Note: No additional media availability
* And there’s good reason why he won’t take questions in Peoria…
* SJ-R…
“It seems to me the governor is avoiding spending any time with the president,” Pritzker said. “On the one hand, he stands with the president in so many ways and is silent in the face of so many of the president’s policies that are bad for Illinois.” […]
In the meantime, while Trump is in Granite City, Rauner will be visiting other areas of the state. Rauner said Tuesday that he was just in Granite City to act on legislation and was not planning to return right away.
“He’s obviously avoiding (Trump),” Pritzker said. “This governor seems to want to play both sides of the issue.”
* Some Illinois Republican officials will be in Granite City, however…
* And DPI’s new executive director will also be there, but I seriously doubt he’ll be on stage with the president…
DPI Executive Director to Join Local Protests Against Trump’s Proposed Health Care Cuts
Granite City, Ill. — Tomorrow, Democratic Party of Illinois Executive Director Christian Mitchell will join local protests against Donald Trump’s first visit to Illinois as president. Mitchell will highlight Trump’s attacks on healthcare and attempts to undermine Illinois working families.
* These local House Dems in districts won by Trump in 2016 probably won’t be picketing, however…
State Rep. Jerry Costello II, D-Smithton, and state Rep. Monica Bristow, D-Godfrey, are applauding the steel tariffs put in place by Republican President Donald Trump ahead of his visit to the Granite City Works steel mill on Thursday.
“I am glad to see the reactivation of two blast furnaces at the Granite City mill,” Costello said in a news release. “Our region is witnessing the positive results of our country’s new tariffs on steel. As a result, middle-class families, local businesses and others are seeing the real effects of investment in our capable workforce and community. We need to continue to push policies on both the state and national level that will continue to foster the creation of good-paying jobs.”
Bristow commended the President’s efforts to bring back steel jobs in the metro-east.
“One of my main priorities in Springfield has been fighting for local jobs and to restore those that we have seen outsourced overseas,” Bristow said. “I am encouraged and excited to see the reactivation of two blast furnaces in Granite City, restoring local jobs to our communities and providing jobs for middle class families.”
…Adding… Snark from Team Pritzker…
While Donald Trump makes his first visit to Illinois as president today, Bruce Rauner is playing hooky, stating : “I, uh, I do not plan to go. I was just in Granite City just in the past week.”
Really? He really can’t visit Granite City twice in a week’s time? Everyone knows Rauner is a staunch Trump supporter — whether he’s a silent partner or cheerleader — so what’s the real reason Rauner won’t appear with Trump?
“Bruce Rauner is ditching his partner in crime on his first presidential visit to Illinois, and he’s pretending it’s a scheduling conflict,” said Pritzker campaign spokesman Jason Rubin. “It’s time for this failed governor to level with the voters about the real reason he won’t appear with Donald Trump.”
…Adding… John Shaw, Director of the Paul Simon Institute, on WSIL TV…
“Democrats believe this is a seat they can win. They believe it’s a democratic-leaning seat,” Shaw explains. “While Republicans need to hang on to this seat in order to keep control of the House, and they have incumbents. You can’t lose incumbents in a very competitive year.”
Vice President Mike Pence has already shown his support for Bost by attending a Metro-East fundraiser for him in mid-July. Shaw says President Trump’s upcoming visit to the area will further secure votes for Bost among Republican voters.
“I doubt the president is going to win over new converts to the republican party, that’s just not his style,” Shaw says. “I think he’s going to do a good job in solidifying the republican base, which is the reason I think Bost is welcoming his visit.”
However, Shaw doubts the president’s appearance will have a lasting impact on the mid-term elections. “I think its probably a helpful development for Bost in the short-term, but I’m not sure there’s going to be any permanent change in the structure of the race due to one Presidential visit,” he says.
* And Brian Mackey for NPR…
President Trump’s trade fights with China, Canada and Europe have put some members of Congress in a tough spot. Do they stand with American steelworkers, whose mills might benefit from newly imposed tariffs, or soybean farmers, whose exports are at risk in a trade war? Brian Mackey of Illinois Public Radio reports from the southern part of that state.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jul 25, 18 @ 7:59 pm:
Machesny Park! Dang it. I had Galena in one pool and Brookport in another.
- hisgirlfriday - Wednesday, Jul 25, 18 @ 8:02 pm:
So 2 and a half weeks ago Rodney Davis was wary of tariffs and wouldn’t even say he voted for Trump…
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20180706/rep-davis-wary-of-tariffs-wont-say-if-he-voted-for-trump
Now he’s celebrating tariffs and putting on the MAGA hat for the Metro East market?
Pick a lane, dude.
- Chicago 20 - Wednesday, Jul 25, 18 @ 8:23 pm:
Does Trump’s steel tariffs include the blast furnaces that US Steel buys from China because it’s cheaper than relining their existing furnaces?
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jul 25, 18 @ 9:17 pm:
–State Rep. Jerry Costello II, D-Smithton, and state Rep. Monica Bristow, D-Godfrey, are applauding the steel tariffs put in place by Republican President Donald Trump ahead of his visit to the Granite City Works steel mill on Thursday.–
Sixteenth-century mercantilism with a dash of Soviet central planning taxpayer handouts for the soy and corn processors.
Any way you slice it, gubmint-pickin-winner-and-losers entitlements.
Not free-market capitalism.
- lollinois - Wednesday, Jul 25, 18 @ 9:58 pm:
Davis will try to talk out of both sides of his mouth until November and avoid having to actually face his constituents and get called out on it. Tariffs are bad when they hurt his district but great when they give him good photo ops.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jul 25, 18 @ 10:33 pm:
–Machesny Park! Dang it. I had Galena in one pool and Brookport in another.–
Has Rauner ever been put to the test on Lincoln County?
- Rabid - Thursday, Jul 26, 18 @ 5:51 am:
Protestors, show up with red hats and Rauner signs, chanting Rauner
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jul 26, 18 @ 8:26 am:
This is easy.
Jobs = good.
All you have to do is shut up and applaud.
Extraneous comments are completely unnecessary.
Don’t matter what party.
Just smile and have a good time.
So sad to see the worst GOP governor in the US, failing to even do this.
- PJ - Thursday, Jul 26, 18 @ 8:32 am:
Let’s get Jerry Costello’s reaction to the 12 billion taxpayers will be handing out in farm subsidies because the tariffs destroyed our agriculture markets.
Nothing says “American capitalism” like government picking winners and losers arbitrarily.
- BlueDogDem - Thursday, Jul 26, 18 @ 8:57 am:
Apparently old Blue has lost some standing in the world. After a 2 1/2 hour drive tis morn to Granite, I was Informed that my VIP invite was null and void. It’s tough when they put you out to pasture…
- illini97 - Thursday, Jul 26, 18 @ 9:29 am:
Rodney Davis has a mighty confusing line to walk.
Tariffs help a steel mill in his district, yaayyyyyyy.
Tariffs whack farmers, who outnumber steel mill workers in his district, booooo.
Government steps in to give welfare to farmers to make up for the self-inflicted harm. Umm, yaaayyyyyy and boooooo at the same time.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 26, 18 @ 9:31 am:
===Apparently old Blue has lost some standing in the world. ===
Probably about the same time old Blue went 3rd person for no apparent reason.
To the Post,
Trump will have regional appeal, and regional disgust. Statewide officials are best to remember that things don’t happen in a vacuum, and once you show something somewhere, it will show up everywhere.
- Deadbeat Conservative (TBB?) - Thursday, Jul 26, 18 @ 10:13 am:
=Now he’s celebrating tariffs and putting on the MAGA hat for the Metro East market?
Pick a lane, dude.=
Those who reside in Rodney Davis’ district see two Rodney Davis’. One is the nice caring family guy in central IL, outside of his district he is just another shoot, pollute, and swindle House-GOP malefactor.
- Medium - Thursday, Jul 26, 18 @ 11:22 am:
Sabato’s Crystal Ball has listed Davis as a Safe Republican. Davis should hold on.
http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/?mod=article_inline
- Small town taxpayer - Thursday, Jul 26, 18 @ 2:37 pm:
===Do they stand with American steelworkers, whose mills might benefit from newly imposed tariffs, or soybean farmers, whose exports are at risk in a trade war?===
I wonder if Rauner is supporting the Illinois steel workers or the Illinois soybean farmers when it comes to the trade war?
- get real - Thursday, Jul 26, 18 @ 2:56 pm:
Can understand why IL pols don’t want to be around Trump, a guy who gets stuff done. They just look more irrelevant, small and useless.
- Dean - Thursday, Jul 26, 18 @ 9:38 pm:
The swindler of enormous experience in robberies, frauds and scams possesses 86 fraudulent companies dedicated to the deceit and capture of income of undue form. I speak of the masterful and dirty mind that runs a network of extortion, fraud, contraband and fraud: Philippe Ballesio. Do not forget that name, remembering it can make the difference between being stolen or not.
- Olmsted - Friday, Jul 27, 18 @ 1:22 am:
Every person who attended the Trump event in Granite City are now(if not before) die heart supporters of Trump, well maybe with one exception-the media.