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Friday, Mar 3, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Steve Schnorf’s “celebration of life” will be Thursday, March 30th. Steve asked me to emcee, and we’ll have a few folks speak at 2 pm in Statehouse Room 212. It’s likely that others will be asked to offer up their own stories as well. A reception with food and beverages will follow across the hall in Secretary of State Jesse White’s office. Many thanks to the Senate and to Secretary White for agreeing to help. There will be an after-party (or two), so ask me about it.

Willie will play us out…

And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair

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Blasts from the past resurface

Friday, Mar 3, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Newton N. Minow endorsed Bruce Rauner in 2014 and is now endorsing Chris Kennedy…

“Why this Democrat is voting for Rauner?” was the headline of my commentary that the Tribune published on March 19, 2014. Borrowing a quote from President John F. Kennedy that said “sometimes party loyalty asks too much,” I explained that as a Democrat I supported Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner because Illinois was in grave financial peril and that we needed to change our financial direction.

After Rauner was elected, the Tribune published another piece I wrote where I urged Gov.-elect Rauner to fire his campaign staff, stop campaigning and start governing with advisers “who are problem solvers, who are not partisans, and who know how to compromise.”

Sadly, our state’s financial situation has continued to deteriorate. Problems have not been solved, bitter and excessive partisanship is accepted political strategy in Springfield, and “compromise” is a dirty word. I do not believe it’s all Gov. Rauner’s fault. It is the fault of both the Democratic and Republican parties. At least Democratic Senate President John Cullerton and Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno are trying to find compromise while House Speaker Michael Madigan insists it is his way or the highway. And while I continue to like and respect Gov. Rauner and his wife, Diana, I believe we need a change if we are to reach compromise and progress.

That is why I will enthusiastically vote for and support Chris Kennedy for governor of Illinois in 2018. As a friend of his mother and father for more than 60 years, I’ve known Chris since his birth. His dad, the late Robert Kennedy, and I were on the 1956 campaign staff of Illinois Gov. Adlai E. Stevenson when he ran for president. Because Bob Kennedy and I were about the same age, we were often roommates on campaign trips. And because we both had children of similar ages, we often talked about our families and our values. As the years passed, Chris grew up, married Sheila Berner, and moved to Chicago to manage the Merchandise Mart.

* Brief gubernatorial candidate and not exactly successful White House chief of staff Bill Daley demands solutions to the city’s crime problem…

Commentary: Enough! Chicago cannot keep tolerating gun violence.

* And former mayoral and presidential candidate Willie Wilson is spending about $8K for a month of cable TV ads on the city’s South Side…

Of all the items above, however, Wilson’s effort is probably the most important and genuine.

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*** UPDATED x3 *** Much-hyped meeting goes badly for Chance the Rapper, Rauner

Friday, Mar 3, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Liberal Rapper whose father worked for Obama has unproductive meeting with Republican governor who never provides a straight answer to questions on just about anything. Surprise!…

@chancetherapper leaves @GovRauner meeting. "He gave me vague answers." @cbschicago. pic.twitter.com/GakcMKRuK1

— Edward Marshall (@edmarshallcbs2) March 3, 2017

* Sun-Times…

The West Chatham native left Rauner’s Thompson Center office Friday feeling “flustered” after a 30-minute conversation with the governor that centered on funding from Chicago Public Schools.

Chance said he discussed the $215 million that had been earmarked for CPS in a budget deal that collapsed earlier this year.

“He asked me where I thought the $215 million was supposed to come from,” the rapper said, frowning, as a scrum of reporters crowded around him at the elevators.

Asked as he stepped onto an elevator what his message was, Chance said, “Take our kids off the table.”

* Tribune…

“I’m here cause I just want people to do their jobs,” the musician told reporters after the meeting. “And I did speak with the governor. I asked him about funding CPS with that $215 million that was discussed in May of last year and was vetoed in December over, you know, political arguments and (stuff).”

* From a friend at the Thompson Center…

The most media I’ve seen on the 16th floor, they are stacked past the elevators.

This was the most over-hyped Chicago media event of the year.

* Be careful with this video. It’s got some words which are not safe for work, but if you can deal with that, have a look…

Hear from @chancetherapper about his meeting with Gov Rauner

A post shared by Mary Ann Ahern (@ahernnbc5) on Mar 3, 2017 at 10:26am PST

* He did have some valid criticisms of the media…

CTR: I want you all to do your jobs. Like, seriously, all your publications that you guys work for… If you guys could give a comprehensive history on how we ended up here

Reporter: What did the governor say, may I ask you?

CTR: He gave me a lot of vague answers. So we’ll see what happens. He has my personal number. He told me that in 48 hours that, you know. Springfield is in session next week, so we’ll see.

* Rauner had a far more upbeat take…

“We had a discussion about education and education funding,” Rauner said. “Good exchange of views on what the options are, what the possibilities are.”

Rauner said Chance the Rapper was “very focused on getting quickly more money for CPS right now, and I share his passion.” The governor said he had offered to work over the weekend with the music artist to find a solution to the funding problem. He said the two agreed to remain in communication.

“I think we agreed that we’re going to talk further in the coming days, and we talked about working together,” Rauner said.

* The governor also told reporters he asked the rapper to work with him…

I said it’s an incredible opportunity to change our system. If we stood together, Chance, I have some power. I have power in some ways, you have great power in other ways. If we stood together, worked together to figure this out, then we could get big things done.

…Adding… As a commenter notes, that sounds a lot like Darth Vader’s infamous offer to Luke Skywalker.

*** UPDATE 1 *** Oh, for crying out loud…

For his part, Rauner said the pair had agreed to talk more with Chance over the weekend on a school funding solution that the two could present to the legislature when it reconvenes Tuesday.

*** UPDATE 2 *** Doomed! Doomed, I tells ya. Doomed!…

If Gov. Rauner is going to let foul mouthed Rapper help make state education decisions, we are all doomed.

— Jeanne Ives (@JeanneIves) March 3, 2017

*** UPDATE 3 *** Raw video from WTTW. Again, several not safe for work words…

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