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Rahm and Rauner: Montana vacation buddies?

Thursday, Oct 3, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Bruce Rauner is already taking a bit of heat from his Republican gubernatorial rivals over his very close ties to Mayor Rahm Emanuel...

It’s Rauner, after all, who advised Rahm in the late ‘90s to make his fortune as an investment banker and who hired him to represent GTCR in the purchase of a home-security company from SBC Communications. Proceeds from that deal, among others, put the Clinton operative, who had no prior business experience or education, on the fast track to earning $18 million in under 3 years. Fortune in place, Rahm sprinted down the road to elective office.

Rauner’s genuine chumminess with Rahm will not help the venture capitalist in the Republican primary, and neither will Rauner’s contributions to Rahm’s campaigns.

* Carol Felsenthal digs up another…

On April 17, 2012, before Rauner announced his exploratory committee for governor, the American Jewish Committee, at a dinner at the Ritz Carlton Chicago, honored Rauner with its Civic Leadership Award. More than 400 people attended, a AJC record. Mayor Emanuel introduced/roasted Rauner and presented him with the award.

Two people who were there that night told me that Rahm was extremely funny and that he mentioned that he and his family vacation at Rauner’s ranch in Montana.

That would be a nice little advantage for Rauner next fall, but, needless to say, not so much during the primary.

* Also, I did a quick Google search for the two men and found this speech by then-Congressman Rahm Emanuel in the Congressional Record on June 1, 2004…

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my good friend Bruce V. Rauner of Chicago and the Rauner Family Foundation for being honored by the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago, which is awarding Bruce with its prestigious Humanitarian Award at the Second Annual Hometown Heroes Awards breakfast. […]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of the Fifth Congressional District of Illinois and indeed all of Chicago, I am privileged to congratulate Bruce V. Rauner and the Rauner Family Foundation for this impressive honor, and I applaud the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago for bestowing this celebrated award on such deserving recipients.

It’s just the usual congressional boilerplate stuff, but the glowing language praising Rauner might not look so good when it’s referenced in a negative TV ad - that is, if anybody ever runs one.

…Adding… Frank Zappa’s “Montana” has been in my head since I wrote this post. I forgot how great the guitar solo is…

Gonna be a dental floss tycoon

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Learning from the past?

Thursday, Oct 3, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Congressional Republicans got royally hammered when they shut down the government during Bill Clinton’s presidency. This time around, they appear to have learned from at least some of their mistakes. An NRCC press release…

Rep. Bill Enyart today voted against providing immediate government funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation’s medical research agency tasked with making important medical discoveries and treating patients with the worst diseases. Recent media reports have said the NIH will have to turn away hundreds of patients, including children with cancer, due to President Obama’s government shutdown.

“How can Bill Enyart live with himself when he voted to keep Obama’s government shutdown and voted against funding for cancer patients?” said NRCC Communications Director Andrea Bozek. “Bill Enyart’s inexplicable decision to put Obama’s government shutdown ahead of cancer treatment for kids shows how wildly out of touch he is with everyone else in America.”

* They’ve successfully catapulted this issue into the mainstream. CNN…

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid fired off over a question about whether the Democratic-controlled Senate would vote to restore funding for children undergoing clinical trials at the National Institutes of Health.

Asked by CNN Chief Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash if the Senate would follow the House’s plans to vote for a bill to fund the NIH during the shutdown, Reid blasted the GOP-controlled House and insulted Bash.

“What right do they have to pick and choose which part of government is going to be funded? It’s obvious what’s going on here. You talk about reckless and irresponsible, wow,” he said. (

* Meanwhile, freshman Republican Rodney Davis is still struggling with his effort to placate both sides…

A Davis constituent tells The Huffington Post that a Davis aide told him Wednesday, “Congressman Davis is prepared to vote ‘yes’ on a clean [Continuing Resolution that funds Obamacare along with the rest of the government].” Asked for comment, Davis spokesman Andrew Flach told HuffPost that Davis isn’t “going to speculate” on what bills may come up in the House and “will continue to vote for proposals brought to the floor that will fund the federal government.”

…Adding… From opposition research specialist Will Caskey in comments…

Rich, just FYI, Rodney Davis voted against a full/clean CR yesterday. Democrats brought it up in a motion to recommit on the latest mini-CR. It was ruled out of order, which can be overruled by a simple majority.

Davis along with every Republican voted to table the motion: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2013/roll512.xml

So if he is saying he’s prepared to vote for a clean CR he’s lying.

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