Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner began airing two television ads today highlighting the campaign’s focus on controlling spending, job creation and reforming state government. The ads are running on broadcast and cable statewide.
“After months traveling the state, it’s clear that Illinoisans are ready to take on the status quo in Springfield, clean up state government, get spending in line, and make it easier to create jobs and grow a business here,” Rauner said. “Those are my top priorities, and I’m committed to reaching as many voters as possible with that message.”
Prior to announcing his campaign for governor, Bruce made more than 65 stops on a statewide Listening Tour getting to know the thoughts and concerns of thousands of Illinoisans. Bruce is currently on his Bring Back Illinois campaign tour. He participated in an employee town hall and press conference in Peoria last week and an open press employee town hall in Chicago yesterday. Bruce is in Wheeling today.
* Here are Rauner’s two new ads. First, “Upside Down”…
* Rauner also issued a statement today about Bill Daley’s candidacy…
“I respect Bill Daley and welcome him to the governor’s race. Unfortunately, one more candidate from the entrenched Illinois political power structure doesn’t hold much promise for fixing our serious problems. The same old political dynasties have literally had decades to address our economic decline, our pension disaster, and our failing schools. They haven’t done the job. Illinoisans aren’t going to fall for that again. We need a clean break from the political machines that have been in charge for too long. It’s time to clean house, shake up Springfield, and bring back Illinois.”
Says “People of Illinois can’t wait” for Springfield to fix itself.
Former White House Chief of Staff to President Obama Bill Daley filed a D-1 form today with the Illinois State Board of Elections to run for Governor, declaring in a campaign video that Illinois can’t wait for politicians in Springfield to clean up the mess they created.
Citing last month’s disastrous legislative session as a motivating factor, Daley took aim at Governor Pat Quinn for failing to bring all sides together to get things done. “Our state needed a productive legislative session, but what happened? Pension reform failed again. Marriage equality dies at the last minute. Protecting our kids from illegal guns—another joke,” said Daley, who announced on his campaign website, www.BillDaleyIllinois.com.
“We can no longer stand idly by while our pension debt bankrupts our schools and robs our children of a better future. From the stinging injustice of inequality to the painful toll of unemployment, the people of Illinois are paying a perilous price for political failure. We need solutions. We need action. We need leadership that gets things done. And the people of Illinois can’t wait,“ added Daley.
The “we can’t wait” refrain has its roots in Daley’s efforts to help President Obama break a similar logjam in Washington.
“When I was Chief of Staff to President Obama, the Republican Congress tried to grind the federal government to a halt. So we launched the ‘we can’t wait’ campaign. On issue after issue, President Obama took executive action when Congress failed to act. We need that same urgency in Illinois. We can’t wait for the legislature to get well on its own. We need a Governor that takes the field, takes command and gets things done. And for those that aspire to lead this state, now is the time to proclaim we can’t wait.”
Daley closed the video by issuing a call to voters help break the logjam in the state legislature. “If you agree with me that we can’t wait to fix the pension mess, join this campaign. If you agree with me that we can’t wait for marriage equality, join this campaign. If you agree that we can’t wait to take on the scourge of illegal guns, join this campaign. This will be a campaign of action and urgency because that’s the leadership the people of Illinois deserve. Join me and let’s get things done, “ said Daley.
A longtime banker and businessman, Daley headed the Amalgamated Bank of Chicago, served as president of SBC and later held top positions at JPMorgan Chase.
Daley said he plans to put together specific plans on top issues. But he’s already got some thoughts on what are expected to be two of the top issues of the 2014 campaign: taxes and pension reform.
On taxes, Daley said in an interview that at this point he would “absolutely not” support an extension of the 67 percent hike in the personal income tax rate jammed through a Democrat-led legislature and signed by Quinn in January 2011.
“Everybody got hit, the person who was hardly making anything or those of us who have been blessed,” Daley said. “And at some point, we’ve got to say, ‘Is this fair?’” […]
“I’m in, period,” said Daley, who noted he’s spent months considering a run for governor. “I’m totally committed, 100 percent in it.”
“He’s in, period,” Daley strategist Peter Giangreco told the Sun-Times on Tuesday. “He’s totally committed. He’s 100 percent in.”
Despite the “exploratory label” attached to the campaign for now, Daley has hired staff, has a website and a roll-out strategy in place.
For Tuesday and Wednesday, the Daley team will mainly let the video announcement speak for itself for seep into the Illinois political bloodstream; on Thursday Daley will be speaking to the media.
“The news from Springfield always seems to be bad,” Daley said in a video announcing his run in a campaign video that featured the slogan, “We can’t wait.”
