* At this moment, I agree with one of our commenters…
How many Illinois voters are going to pick up on this? Or the ties between Rauner (and Rahm) and the Sun-Times?
What they MIGHT pick up on is that pretty much every major newspaper in Illinois has endorsed Rauner, regardless of what’s behind those endorsements.
* So far, at least, the back story is being ignored by the rest of the media. For instance, here’s the AP…
The Chicago Sun-Times has endorsed Republican Bruce Rauner over Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn in the race for Illinois governor.
The endorsement published online Saturday calls Rauner “an extraordinarily capable businessman” who might be able to “break the stranglehold of uninspired, self-serving, one-party rule in Springfield.”
The newspaper calls Quinn a man of integrity. But it says his “uninspired tinkering on fiscal matters” won’t save Illinois.
The Sun-Times announced about three years ago it would no longer endorse candidates. It says it reversed course because of the importance of the race.
No mention of the McKinney controversy. No mention of the Quinn campaign’s reaction to the endorsement. Nada. Outside of here and a few other blogs around the interwebtubes, nobody out there in Voter Land knows about this.
* Another AP story…
Republican businessman Bruce Rauner has picked up more newspaper endorsements in his bid for Illinois governor.
The Belleville News Democrat, The (Champaign) News-Gazette and the Journal Star in Peoria endorsed Rauner over Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn in editorials published on Sunday.
Rauner also was endorsed by the Chicago Sun-Times in an editorial published online on Saturday.
He also has been endorsed by the Chicago Tribune, Crain’s Chicago Business and the (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald.
* From the Rauner campaign…
What They’re Saying About Pat Quinn
Newspapers across Illinois are endorsing Bruce Rauner over Pat Quinn. Here’s what they’re saying about Pat Quinn’s record of failure.
“Today’s Illinois, then, is broke and broken. Quinn’s most dubious achievement is a four-year income tax increase he now wants to make permanent.” – Chicago Tribune
“A vote for Pat Quinn, which is really just a vote for Madigan, is a vote for the same old crumbling thing. A vote for Bruce Rauner is a vote for bold and dramatic change, which cannot come soon enough. Pat Quinn seems content to manage our state’s decline.” – Chicago Sun-Times
“Gov. Pat Quinn has had six years in which to put the state back on course, but ultimately has shown he is not the leader we need.” – Daily Herald
“Gov. Pat Quinn has had more than 5 years to guide Illinois toward a brighter fiscal future. Instead, his incompetent leadership and regressive policies have driven the state to the brink of financial collapse…Simply put, Quinn’s tenure as governor has been a complete failure.” – Shaw Media
“…[Quinn]’s been in office for six years, he espouses policies that have landed the state in deep trouble and his perception that there’s no problem another tax increase can’t cure isn’t good for what ails Illinois.” – Champaign News-Gazette
“Quinn can’t blame Republicans for the failures. His Democratic Party holds a supermajority in both houses. The issue is Quinn’s failure to lead.” – Belleville News-Democrat
“Illinois has the worst credit rating of any state. It also retains title to the highest unfunded pension liability. Its overall business climate and actual economic performance rank 46th among 50, its economic outlook 48th. Illinois’ unemployment rate is near bottom of America’s barrel.” – Peoria Journal Star
“Mr. Quinn unfortunately has fallen victim to the vices of one-party rule, promoting patronage and passing around political favors…He is too ready to spend taxpayer money on projects that we can’t afford.” – Crain’s Chicago Business
* Also from the Rauner campaign…
What They’re Saying About Bruce Rauner
Bruce Rauner is sweeping newspaper endorsements across Illinois. Here’s what they’re saying about him.
“For the broke, broken Illinois of 2014, Bruce Rauner is two challengers in one: He’s challenging an incumbent who tried and came up short. He would challenge the power brokers who like Illinois just as it is. No wonder they loathe Rauner. He makes them sweat. He deserves your vote.” – Chicago Tribune
“Today we are putting our chips — we’re all in — on an extraordinarily capable businessman who just might have what it takes to break the stranglehold of uninspired, self-serving, one-party rule in Springfield.” – Chicago Sun-Times
“He is an outsider with no accumulated political debts and no reason to accumulate any…He can lead independently, without fear of abandonment by the voters or his party, and therefore work to build consensus that considers all interests fairly.” – Daily Herald
“Rauner will not be beholden to the special interests that have helped to corrupt Springfield…Bruce Rauner gives Illinois hope. That’s why we endorse Rauner, the Republican nominee for governor.” – Shaw Media
“Rauner has offered his skills to help the ship of state land safely, and voters should answer with an emphatic yes to his request for support.” – Champaign News-Gazette
“Rauner won’t take a salary or a pension, and he’s not beholden to any of the special interests in Springfield.” – Belleville News-Democrat
“If you believe as we do that state government — the whole culture of corruption and incompetence — really has to change and that single-party control just isn’t cutting it, then our best bet is with an independent candidate of the opposite party who emphasizes that ‘I don’t owe anybody anything’ and ‘being reelected is not on my bucket list.’ Bruce Rauner is endorsed.” – Peoria Journal Star
“Bruce Rauner is the best candidate to pull the Illinois economy out of its low-growth rut. For that reason, above others, he earns our endorsement for governor.” – Crain’s Chicago Business
* Maybe something will happen during tonight’s debate. Quinn better hope so, and he’d better hope it results in some actual news coverage, or all these newspaper endorsements - if used properly in a solid Rauner ad - are gonna hurt.
…Adding… Rioppel covered part of the controversy for the Daily Herald…
Chicago Sun-Times Capitol bureau chief Dave McKinney has hired former Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Collins to look into whether Republican Bruce Rauner’s campaign for governor tried to influence the longtime reporter’s employment because of a story.
Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn has jumped on the story in the heated campaign with the Winnetka businessman. “We’ve seen Rauner bully and bribe to get his way before, but trying to silence a journalist is a new low,” Quinn spokesman Brooke Anderson said in campaign email Saturday.
Rauner campaign manager Chip Englander said the campaign believed one story was unfair and wanted the paper to disclose that McKinney is married to a Democratic strategist.
