* SJ-R…
Rauner met privately with House Republicans for about an hour Tuesday afternoon. He declined comment after leaving the session.
Rep. Raymond Poe, R-Springfield, said Rauner told the Republicans “everything is on track and moving forward.” Poe said his sense is that the House Republicans are all still behind the governor. Asked if he thinks things are on track and moving forward, Poe said, “What I read and what you listen to seems to be a little different. We’re going to have to start negotiating at some point.”
* Politico…
While behind closed doors, Gov. Rauner told the House Republican Caucus: “We are winning … Democrats are scared.” How does he figure? As low as Rauner’s favorability has fallen, he told members House Speaker Mike Madigan’s are worse, several sources with knowledge of the meeting tell POLITICO. […]
SCARED? “There’s a lot of anxiety out in the streets, more so in the Democratic districts,” a Republican insider told POLITICO. That’s largely due to the IllinoisGO PAC, funded by five well-heeled donors, including Helen Zell, the wife of billionaire Sam Zell . Some of them, including Mr. Zell, also happen to donate to and align with Rauner. The plan is to run primary opponents in a series of Democratic statehouse races - including against Madigan. There are signs that other Chicago House Democrats, including Ann Williams and Will Guzzardi are also targets.
STRATEGY - Sources familiar with the IllinoisGO strategy say a slate of candidates will be announced in the waning days of petition circulating, which runs Nov. 23-30.
Drafted to run - Democrats who are pro-charter and conservative on budget matters while left on social issues.
‘BLEED’ THEM - Running to the right of Dems in the city sounds like a recipe for failure but there’s a long game, says one Springfield insider familiar with the strategy. “Not win but bleed,” is the point here. “Bleed them and [Senate President John] Cullerton and Madigan have less money in the target general races they care about.” And there goes their two-chamber, supermajority.
Yes, the House Democrats are truly anguished. You can just feel their fear.
Right.
Also, all you’re going to accomplish by running somebody against MJM is to poke the bear and make him even more difficult to deal with in Springfield.
* And while I get the idea, it’s gonna take way more than primary opponents against Williams and Guzzardi (one of the hardest working people in show bidniss) to bleed Madigan dry…
House Speaker Michael Madigan reported another $105,800 in 18 contributions, including $50,000 from the plumbers’ union Local 130, $10,800 from energy firm Ameren and $2,500 from red light camera firm American Traffic Solutions. The Democratic Party of Illinois fund Madigan controls got another $23,000-plus, including $15,000 from a Comcast political arm.
Since Jan. 1, Madigan’s personal campaign fund has collected $573,000 from 122 contributions, while the state party fund has received nearly $1.1 million through 262 contributions, according to State Board of Elections records.
*** UPDATE *** From IllinoisGO…
Illinoisans for Gro wth and Opportunity (IllinoisGO) Executive Director Greg Goldner offered the following response to Natasha Korecki regarding her Politico report this morning:
“Since we haven’t spoken, and you haven’t spoken to any of our board members, there is no informed source as it relates to IllinoisGo’s political strategy.
Maybe so, but you can’t help but wonder if they’ll get their “political strategy” when a certain somebody gives it to them.
