A Rickey Hendon special
Tuesday, Sep 9, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This ad for aldermanic candidate Gabe Beukinga that slams Ald. Walter Burnett is appearing on African-American radio. As the title of this piece suggests, it’s a familiar style for longtime blog readers. And, of course, it’s a must-listen, even if an actor actually portrays the former state Senator in the spot…
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Point and counterpoint on corruption
Tuesday, Sep 9, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From today’s debate we have this coverage in the Sun-Times…
Rauner repeatedly worked to link Quinn and imprisoned former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, accusing Quinn of doing little to curb patronage and cronyism under his administration:
“The only difference between Pat and Rod is the hair,” Rauner said.
“[Quinn] is part of the same system that’s failed for decades…He, Blagojevich and Madigan, that got us into this mess. I’m gonna get us out.”
Rauner accused Quinn of expanding patronage under his administration, accusing the state’s Central Management Services agency of being a haven for political hires.
“He’s taken no action on it, Why? Because Central Management Services is a cesspool of cronyism and patronage,” Rauner said. “That’s where the machine, Springfield, Democratic patronage workers go. That organization, that bureaucracy is designed to maximize the number of people workin’ in it and the pay of the people workin’ in it. Pat Quinn won’t go after that because that’s the core of his campaign troops…that’s incredibly wasteful.”
* In response, Quinn mainly repeated what he’s already said about IDOT. It wasn’t his fault. It was the IDOT Secretary’s fault. And he mainly counter-attacked Rauner’s business dealings. Tribune…
Quinn maintained Rauner “made a fortune out of the misfortune” of everyday people in companies and nursing homes the challenger’s venture capitalist firm took over. […]
Quinn argued Rauner engaged in “pay to play” as his former firm GTCR got pension business in Pennsylvania and gave political contributions to Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell, who said earlier this year he once put in a good word to help Rauner’s private equity firm win pension business following Rauner’s $300,000 donation to Rendell’s campaign fund.
* More on that angle from the SJ-R…
Quinn said Rauner dodged responsibility with companies in which his former investment firm, GTCR, was involved. A criminal investigation found executives at a Michigan-based company falsified financial information to make the company appear more valuable. Rauner stepped down from the board and his firm sold most of its stock — making at least $32 million — shortly before the stock’s value plummeted, the Tribune reported. Investors lost about $285 million.
“This is a classic example of what was said to be one of the biggest accounting frauds in American history. … He ran out the door, took the profits and left all the shareholders and customers and workers holding the bag,” Quinn said.
Thoughts?
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Sep 9, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Attorney General Lisa Madigan [yesterday] announced a legislative proposal that will allow nursing home residents and their families to provide video or audio monitoring devices in their rooms to ensure their safety and well-being.
The initiative stems from recent complaints Madigan has received from residents and their families who are concerned for their relatives’ care and security. Madigan’s proposal would allow residents of nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities or their family members to purchase and install video or audio monitoring devices in their rooms.
The Attorney General cited an increasing need for additional safety measures at Illinois nursing homes as the state’s population continues to age. Currently, Illinois has over 1,200 nursing home facilities with over 100,000 residents. The U.S. Census Bureau also estimates that by 2030, 22.3 percent of Illinois’ population will be aged 60 and older, an increase of more than 28 percent from 2012.
“At some point, we are all likely to face having a family member in a nursing home,” Attorney General Madigan said. “Providing residents and their families the option to install monitoring devices in their rooms will provide peace of mind that our loved ones are being cared for in the best possible manner.”
* React…
In a statement, Health Care Council of Illinois, which lobbies on behalf of the nursing home industry, did not indicate whether the group was for or against the proposal.
“We look forward to working with our elected officials in reviewing data on this issue and making sure our residents are protected,” Pat Comstock, the executive director of the group, was quoted as saying. “The safety of all our residents is of the highest priority.” Comstock added that privacy of residents is also a serious concern.
* The Question: Do you support this concept? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
survey tool
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Ignoring undeniable realities
Tuesday, Sep 9, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From today’s debate…
Rauner was asked whether he was asking voters to take his budget and educations plans on faith since his plans to freeze property taxes and reduce income taxes so far don’t appear to add up.
“We have the money for our schools, if we put it in the schools,” Rauner began, before he was asked to come off of talking points and make his promises add up.
“We close corporate welfare loopholes, we reform our tax code, we cut wasteful spending, we put in regulatory changes to grow the economy,” Rauner offered as ways to balance the budget.
* Um, no. Unless he wants to raise taxes even higher than they are now. From the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability…
On July 17, 2014, Bruce Rauner, the Republican nominee for Governor, released his long anticipated position paper on fiscal policy, dubbed the “Bring Back Blueprint: Jobs and Growth Agenda” (the “Blueprint”). The Blueprint represents candidate Rauner’s most complete policy statement on how to resolve the very real and serious fiscal problems that have plagued Illinois state government for decades.
In summary, those fiscal problems start with a projected deficit of $6.5 billion in the General Fund budget that was enacted for the state’s current fiscal year, FY2015, which began on July 1, 2014 and will end on June 30, 2015. (CTBA’s analysis of the FY2015 budget that passed into law is at available at CTBA’s website www.ctbaonline.org or by clicking here and CTBA’s analysis of the FY2015 budget proposed by Governor Quinn which did not pass the General Assembly is available by clicking here). For context, the projected FY2015 General Fund deficit of $6.5 billion represents 26.4 percent of all spending scheduled for public services this year.1 Unfortunately, running a General Fund deficit is nothing new in Illinois. According to the state Comptroller, this is the 25th consecutive year the state has run a General Fund deficit. That is a problem because $9 out of every $10 of General Fund spending goes to education (Pre-K through higher education, 34 percent), healthcare (29 percent), human services (19 percent), and public safety (7 percent).
Moreover, without a change in law, the General Fund deficit will worsen materially in FY2016. That is because the temporary state income tax rate increases passed as part of the Taxpayer Accountability and Budget Stabilization Act of 2011 (TABSA) are scheduled to phase-down, from 5 percent to 3.75 percent for the personal income tax, and from 7 percent to 5.25 percent for the corporate. Both state income tax rates will phase-down commencing on January 1, 2015, which is halfway through the state’s current fiscal year. This means the revenue loss from the rate phase-down is somewhat mitigated this year, as it will only pertain for six months. In FY2016, however, the lower income tax rates will be fully in effect for the whole year, causing significantly greater revenue loss. The net result will be that in FY2016, the state will realize a loss of revenue of around $3 billion from FY2015 levels—on top of the extant $6.5 billion deficit. [Emphasis added.]
But there’s plenty of money to go around.
Right.
* The CTBA also analyzed Rauner’s plan to cut nearly a billion dollars out of the budget and concluded that it would save a tenth of that.
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* During today’s debate, Gov. Pat Quinn claimed that House Republican Leader Jim Durkin told him that Bruce Rauner was trying to “buy” legislative votes against the pension reform bill. Rauner adamantly denied that he had offered anyone money or campaign contributions for a “No” vote.
Well, Leader Durkin and Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno just issued this joint response to Quinn’s “outrageous and false statements”…
“Governor Quinn has reached a new low and is so desperate to deflect from the fact he’s under federal investigation that he is now making up outrageous and unfounded claims about Bruce Rauner. The only person who bribes legislators for votes is Pat Quinn. The only candidate in this race under federal investigation for corruption is Pat Quinn.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** The governor is standing by his statement.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Last December, Leaders Durkin and Radogno talked to the media about the vote on the pension reform bill and the lack of Republican support.
“Did the Rauner campaign or his allies make this more complicated among your caucuses?” they were asked. Leader Radogno responded “Absolutely, that made it more complicated.”
Radogno was asked why…
“It’s the political influence. And obviously he’s very wealthy, and so that’s a piece of it, too. I mean, people think about campaign funding. They think about what support they’ll get when they’re running. They think about their own political futures. They think about the people that are around Bruce Rauner and how they relate to them and their campaigns.”
Listen…
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* From the Rauner campaign…
In case you weren’t watching this morning’s Chicago Tribune Editorial Board Debate, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn was unable to complete the debate without multiple incidents of staff passing him notes and whispering in his ear. Here’s one example caught on camera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sai06pWsWMg&feature=youtu.be#aid=P3NZURdtn4A.
Some of you may remember a similar incident in the Florida gubernatorial race back in 2010:
Aide fired over Florida debate foul
By the CNN Political Unit
October 26, 2010 1:36 p.m. EDT
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/26/florida.debate.foul/index.html
Tampa, Florida (CNN) — A campaign aide to Florida gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink has been removed after the Democratic nominee was sent a text message during a televised debate — in violation of the rules that the candidates agreed to.
Sink’s campaign did not name the advisor. But a campaign spokesman confirmed it was Brian May, who signed the rules agreement before the Monday evening debate.
The incident took place at the CNN/St. Petersburg Times Florida gubernatorial debate when Sink’s make-up artist delivered a two-sentence message on a cell phone during a break.
Republican nominee Rick Scott, who was sitting next to Sink in the nationally televised debate, noticed the violation and notified a CNN official. The CNN official approached the make-up artist and Sink, and confiscated the cell phone.
The message read: “The attorney who [w]on the Sykes suit said alex sink did nothing wrong. Tell not to let him keep talking about her.”
* There were no such rules during today’s debate, but here’s the video…
He’s the governor, so he ought to be able to debate his opponent without any help.
*** UPDATE 1 *** I just spoke with Brooke Anderson, who’s the person above whispering in Quinn’s ear. Anderson said all of her notes she passed, all of her whispers were to tell the governor one thing and one thing only: “Sit up straight.”
Apparently, the governor has a bad habit of slouching, which doesn’t look good on TV.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From the Rauner campaign…
Yikes.
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In retrospect…
Tuesday, Sep 9, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* We talked about this TV ad yesterday, but here’s something I didn’t catch at first…
Rauner’s campaign is running an ad that features Rauner talking to Ditka in Ditka’s Near North Side Restaurant in Chicago. Ditka tells Rauner how to treat special interests. “You attack…Bam… Hit ‘em right in the mouth.”
The aggressive advice from the former NFL player and Super Bowl-winning coach (currently an on-air personality) is hitting some people the wrong way just now. The NFL is currently taking a massive public relations hit itself for its initially lax punishment of Ravens running back Ray Rice, who was seen on video punching his fiancee right in the mouth in an Atlantic City elevator.
* That “Hit ‘em right in the mouth” quote got even worse when Ditka talked about that disgusting Ray Rice video on ESPN…
“I don’t know Ray at all,” Ditka said before, for some reason, feeling the need to continue. “I’m sure he’s not a bad guy, but he made a bad mistake.
“Hey, two lives, are ruined,” Ditka said. “These two lives are ruined. His earning power is destroyed. That’s an important thing.”
* Sports radio went batty on Ditka yesterday, but he also said this…
“If nothing comes out of this, if nothing ever comes out of this, except as a lesson to the players and the league today, understand, this cannot be tolerated and cannot happen, then you’ve accomplished something.”
Even so, it’s probably not a good idea to run that ad again.
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Rauner distances himself from Tillman remarks
Tuesday, Sep 9, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Bruce Rauner was asked yesterday about our post on controversial, possibly racial remarks made by the Illinois Policy Institute’s John Tillman in 2011 while Rauner sat at the same dais. From the Tribune…
Tillman argued that youths on the South and West Sides are hurt by a high minimum wage that keep employers from being able to offer them jobs.
“So those kids keep walking, and they walk, and they get to the corner. And what do they find on the corner? They find a member of the gang offering them a job to be a drug runner. Is that the choice we want to make?” said Tillman, whose group advocates eliminating the minimum wage.
Quinn’s campaign sent out Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle on the governor’s behalf, and she called the comments “100 percent wrong and offensive to those of us who have worked to stem the tide of violence and drugs in our communities.”
Rauner refused to answer questions about Tillman’s comments during his education event. A spokesman later said Rauner “does not believe the minimum wage leads to gang membership.” The policy institute said criticism was a desperate political attack.
Right under the bus.
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Chicago media finally catches on
Tuesday, Sep 9, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Notice a pattern here? Tribune…
Republican governor candidate Bruce Rauner on Monday promised to pump more money into education from preschool through college should he be elected, but failed to say how he’d pay for it and keep his earlier pledges to lower the income tax rate and freeze property taxes.
The so-called “blueprint” for education follows the pattern of similar proposals the first-time candidate has released in recent months about how he’d govern, containing broad themes but few specifics. Rauner previously has called for an overhaul of business tax credits, said he’d phase out the 2011 income tax increase over four years while broadening sales taxes to include some services and talked about cutting the state budget.
* ABC 7…
Republican candidate for governor Bruce released his education plan for Illinois on Monday and it calls for more spending, but fails to say where the money would come from.
Despite promises to roll back the state income tax rate and freeze property taxes, Rauner vows to increase, not cut, education spending.
* Sun-Times…
Rauner was pressed on how he could increase education money while freezing property taxes, which right now make up the bulk of funding for local schools. Rauner vowed he would increase money in his first year in office — something at least one expert called “fantasy.”
“We will increase education funding in year one, yes, absolutely,” Rauner said. “Other programs will need to be cut,” he said, without specifying which ones. […]
“There’s no way to make the numbers work in the short term without either massive cuts or to shift to broad-based consumption taxes,” said University of Illinois at Springfield Political Science professor emeritus Kent Redfield.
“If you’ve got a deficit situation and you take out a huge source of revenue, then you can’t increase funding in one area without massive cuts to social services, higher education, mental health institutions … It’s just a fantasy to believe that this can be done and still maintain the basic level of services that we have.”
Rauner said he has pointed to ways to cut government waste in the past and to tax services. But Redfield said Rauner’s proposal to tax services was not broad enough to do all that he’s promising, in part because it excludes financial services.
* AP Chicago Bureau…
Rauner’s 26-page education plan, laced with statistics and graphs, was short on specifics of how the venture capitalist would proceed with his ideas or what exactly he wanted to do. He called for an overhaul of how the state doles out money to school districts — a contentious issue in Illinois — but didn’t say what should be in the funding formula. His plan called for changing the way Illinois schools grant tenure and cited a Florida practice allowing annual contracts, but Rauner said he wouldn’t do away with tenure completely. […]
Rauner’s campaign didn’t provide a cost estimate on the plan, saying some ideas such as the tax credits were “revenue neutral.” However, Rauner vowed to increase education spending, even in the first year of office, without extending the temporary tax increase or raising property taxes.
He said his policies would help Illinois’ economy grow so much that additional revenue would come in from new jobs and, combined with other steps such as eliminating waste in state government, Illinois would be able to close a budget hole.
* Our beloved commenter and experienced budget hand Steve Schnorf will get the final word on this aspect of the Rauner proposal…
I like it that Bruce Rauner is becoming increasingly specific with the newer position papers he is putting out. To his paper:
>much of it is simply facts about our current education system, both K-12 and Higher Ed. Many of those facts are quite damning, that is undebateable.
>many of those nasty facts can’t be blamed on Governor Quinn since they have been bad for a long time before he became Governor. However, the significant reduction in education funding over the past 6 years is owned by the person who is Governor.
>some new (to Illinois) ideas are included, and some of them are probably worth trying.
>increasing both K-12 and Higher Ed funding is, in my opinion, a good and necessary idea. Inadequate K-12 funding does drive up property taxes, and inadequate Higher Ed funding has imposed a very large hidden middle class tax increase in the past 10 years.
>most of those new ideas will cost new money.
Aye, and now we come to the rub, don’t we? Bruce Rauner simply HAS to tell us how he’s going to pay for these things. Governor Quinn can’t pay for them in FY15 (and perhaps beyond), because the legislature has chosen to reduce our state tax revenues considerably. Candidate Rauner has told us he wants to reduce our income tax rate below even what it will become Jan 1. Fine, but cognitive dissonance is starting to kill me, since I can fairly quickly back of the envelope round number what our state tax revenues will be 5 years from now, giving Rauner credit for his policies increasing tax revenue growth at rates above what I believe they will actually be, and adding in his new proposed tax on services (which I think is a good idea, just not taken far enough). So far it just doesn’t add up. I’m looking forward to what’s to come.
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Rauner, Quinn to spar at 10 this morning
Tuesday, Sep 9, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The live video stream link is here. From the Tribune…
The contentious Illinois governor campaign will be coming to the Tribune editorial board today, as Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn, Republican challenger Bruce Rauner and their running mates will appear to answer questions about their platforms and certainly take shots at one another as the race enters its final months.
The candidates will appear at 10 a.m., and the debate will be streamed on chicagotribune.com.
* Follow along with ScribbleLive…
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NRCC slams Enyart for raising debt ceiling
Tuesday, Sep 9, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the NRCC…
“Congressman Bill Enyart has sided with Nancy Pelosi over Southern Illinois families at every turn in Washington. Instead of fighting for the folks of the 12th District, Enyart has voted alongside the most liberal in Congress to raise the debt ceiling and give President Obama a blank check. Southern Illinois families have a better choice this November and that’s proven leader Mike Bost.” – Katie Prill, NRCC Spokeswoman
* The new TV ad…
* The script…
ANNCR: Bill Enyart promised to lead, but in Washington, he fell right in line.
On almost 90% of his votes, Enyart took Nancy Pelosi’s orders.
Voting 3 times to increase the debt ceiling.
Bill Enyart’s just not who we thought.
There is a better choice: Mike Bost. Will cut the debt and balance the budget.
A firefighter, former Marine.
Mike Bost won’t back down to party leaders.
A fighter for Southern Illinois.
The National Republican Congressional Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising.
Since one of the few item on Congress’ fall plate is raising the debt ceiling, I suppose the obvious question created by this new ad is where Rep. Bost stands on a potential government shutdown.
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* It’s about the minimum wage. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. From a press release…
Republican Bruce Rauner’s belief that the minimum wage should be eliminated completely is highlighted in a new 30-second television ad released today by the Quinn for Illinois campaign.
Earlier this year, Rauner publicly advocated for lowering the Illinois minimum wage and said he was “adamantly, adamantly” opposed to Gov. Quinn’s efforts to raise the minimum wage.
Then, just last week, new video surfaced showing Rauner - THIS YEAR - admitting that he advocated for eliminating the minimum wage completely.
Bruce Rauner has put his money where his mouth is, outsourcing American jobs to countries where child labor is prevalent and wages are low. He also is bankrolling a Tea Party organization that is working to eliminate the minimum wage in Illinois.
Said Quinn for Illinois Deputy Press Secretary Izabela Miltko:
“Billionaire Bruce Rauner’s true position, that there should be no minimum wage in Illinois, illustrates exactly how out-of-touch he is with Illinois values and how his policies would hurt working families.
“Mr. Rauner does not get ‘do-overs’ when it comes to his true belief that there should be no minimum wage in Illinois. His attempts to paper over his hostility to workers are as shameful as his position itself.”
* The ad…
* The script…
Narrator: “Bruce Rauner in his own words:”
Bruce Rauner: “I am adamantly, adamantly against raising the minimum wage.”
Narrator: “Now billionaire Bruce Rauner was caught saying he wants to eliminate the minimum wage completely.
“Eliminate the minimum wage? Taking thousands of dollars out of the pockets of hard-working families.
“Did Bruce Rauner really think no one would find out?”
*** UPDATE 1 *** From the Rauner campaign…
It should come as no surprise that Pat Quinn is lying about Bruce’s position on the minimum wage as he continues lying to the people of Illinois about corruption on his watch. The fact remains Bruce is the only candidate who has a real plan to raise the minimum wage.
*** UPDATE 2 *** McKinney reports this is a $750,000 buy…
Quinn’s campaign is putting roughly $750,000 behind the ad, which is running in television markets in Chicago, Champaign, Peoria and Paducah, Ky., a source familiar with the ad buy told Early & Often, the Chicago Sun-Times’ political portal.
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Question of the day
Monday, Sep 8, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a Bobby Schilling press release…
It has been more than two weeks since audio surfaced where then-candidate Cheri Bustos (D-East Moline) promised to give back 10 percent of her pay if elected. She still refuses to answer whether she will follow through on that promise. That refusal continued Friday in an interview with reporters in Peoria—the same group of reporters she ran away from two weeks ago.
And honestly, we wish we could stop banging the drum on this, but she just won’t answer the question:
Reporter: Congresswoman Bustos, will you follow through on your promise to give up 10 percent of your pay?
Bustos: “You know, it’s a diversion from what I want to be talking about.”
Jon Schweppe, communications director at Bobby Schilling for Congress, released the following statement:
“Congresswoman Bustos continues to dodge simple ‘yes or no’ questions about whether she will give up ten percent of her pay like she promised—that’s $34,800 she owes us. Now she is dictating to the media what they will and won’t be covering.
“Congresswoman Bustos can end this controversy quickly with a ‘yes or no’ response—the people deserve an answer. Will Congresswoman Bustos follow through on her promise to give up ten percent of her pay? Or is she going to break her promise to voters? Yes or no?”
* She doesn’t come off great in the video…
* From what I gather, Bustos doesn’t want it to look like she returned or donated her salary because Schilling demanded it. There are some Democrats who believe she can win without dealing with this issue, so they’ve counseled her to ignore the whole thing. On the other hand, this isn’t going away anytime soon. Sooo…
* The Question: What should Bustos do about her 2012 promise? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
surveys & polls
And, yes, some of you will see a typo. I tried to fix it, but can’t get the fix to immediately appear. Sorry.
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* Bruce Rauner is holding a press conference on education reform. Click here to read it. From the twitters…
‘’
* This one also caught my eye…
* I was told early this morning that Rauner would not be calling for the end of teacher tenure. Well, according to NPR, Florida’s law essentially ends tenure for all new hires and teachers who move to new districts..
Rating teacher performance. The law requires districts to rate teachers and administrators annually, according to a legislative analysis, with half of their score based on student Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test Performance over a three-year period.
How teachers are paid. New hires will no longer have to climb the decades-long seniority ladder to earn the highest salaries. Now, the highest-rated teachers can earn the top salaries just a few years out of college. Highly-rated teachers already working can opt out of the merit pay system — but if they switch districts they would be paid on their performance, according to a United Teachers of Dade Q & A. Teachers will also no longer be guaranteed additional pay for advanced degrees.
Job security. New hires will no longer enjoy long-term contracts, but instead must be rehired on an annual basis. Those already teaching are again exempted from the new law, but teachers who switch districts would then move to annual contracts.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From the IFT…
“Bruce Rauner’s blueprint reads like a Greatest Hits of failed education experiments that penalize good teachers instead of addressing the fact that Illinois schools are some of the worst funded in the nation,” said Dan Montgomery, President of the IFT and a high school English teacher for eighteen years.
“When it comes to what ails us, teacher tenure and merit pay are red herrings. There is no evidence that giving teachers due process negatively impacts student achievement, but research overwhelmingly shows the devastating effects of poverty and under funding schools. As a teacher, I saw firsthand the heartbreaking impact on a student when a parent lost a job or struggled to pay the bills.
“If Rauner was really interested in our students, he wouldn’t advocate eliminating the minimum wage.
“If Rauner was really interested in our students, he wouldn’t propose budget ideas that would cut billions out of public education resulting in teacher layoffs, larger class sizes, and higher property taxes.
“We want great teachers for all of our students, and if the goal is to improve education, we don’t need to pit teachers and parents against each other. We need the resources to make success possible.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** Paul Vallas…
“Bruce Rauner’s education blueprint includes a lot of promises, but predictably fails to pay for any of them. In reality, Rauner’s plan will put an additional one million dollars in his own pocket while laying off 1 in 6 teachers by blowing a $4 billion hole in Illinois’ education budget.
“This is reckless and irresponsible. The outcome of Rauner’s plan - larger classroom sizes, higher property taxes and cuts up and down the line to education - will represent disaster for our public schools.
“Education is for everyone - not just the elite.
“This is just another example of Mr. Rauner looking out for people like himself at the expense of the working families of Illinois.”
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The minimum wage and an upscale biker club
Monday, Sep 8, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Natasha Korecki is absolutely right when she wrote that the key ingredient missing from Gov. Pat Quinn’s minimum wage challenge last week was “stress”…
It’s not really something you can put a dollar amount on. Quinn gobbled his banana and presumably stepped right back into a car driven by his security detail. At night he rested his head at his Galewood home.
People like Dollie Brewer, who works with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, see the stress first-hand.
“Anytime you don’t have enough money, you go to bed thinking: ‘Where am I going to sleep?’ You think: ‘What am I going to eat? I would like to eat quality food, but I have to eat what’s left over,’ ” Brewer said. […]
“We’re working and can’t even afford to pay the parking if we work downtown. And we’ve got parking meters in the parks, parking meters are in the schools, parking meters are everywhere. And where’s the money coming from?” Brewer said. “Raising the minimum wage and trying to have the minimum wage keep up with inflation will at least give us the opportunity to try to have a quality lifestyle, to pay a few bills. No, you won’t have enough to pay all your bills, but at least you won’t have to be on public assistance. You will get your dignity back.”
Quinn kept the issue on the front burner last week, but it could have been handled so much better. Then again, it’s not every day that Dollie Brewer is quoted in a big city newspaper.
* On the other side of the spectrum, Kurt Erickson writes that Bruce Rauner’s $140,000 wine club isn’t the only organization he belongs to. He’s also a member of a “motorcycle club”…
Rather than go on poker runs and cruise through the corridors of corn and beans in Illinois, this club takes its members to places like Spain, Italy, Croatia and Turkey.
According to the website for the American Flyers Motorcycle Club, Rauner has gone on three tours with the group since 2009, including one in West Virginia and two in Utah.
Photos on the club website show members relaxing after a day in the saddle, drinking wine and smoking cigars. None of the photos show members crumpling cans of Natty Light on their foreheads.
On the West Virginia trip, club members stayed at least one day just over the border in Pennsylvania at the Bedford Springs Resort. Safe to say it is not the Super 8. A basic room at the inn starts at $455 a night.
* Rauner also explained to reporters on Friday about why he used his $18 watch in his early TV ads…
“My watch, it is what it is. The campaign wanted to make sure the voters knew who I am. That’s who I am.”
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* Click here for the A-1. That’ll get some city tongues wagging.
*** UPDATE *** Lewis says it’s a loan. Sun-Times…
“It’s a sign that I’m trying to raise money,” Lewis tells Early & Often. “People have to see that we’re trying to raise money now. We have to do all kinds of other things.”
That includes getting a campaign office to operate out of.
The money comes as petition circulators have begun their work on her behalf.
“We had petition training on Saturday. It was a big drive — 500 people showed up, it was amazing,” she said.
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IFT launches fall mail program
Monday, Sep 8, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Illinois Federation of Teachers says this mailer will be sent to all member households in the state (about 100,000) this week. This is the “first of many, and in addition to an unprecedented ground game and member-to-member program.”
Keep in mind that the IFT polled its members and this is only going to member households. It’s not designed for mass consumption, so rate it for what it is, please. You can click the pics for a larger, pdf version…
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Checkbook campaigning
Monday, Sep 8, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
Gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner drove his 1993 van to a South Side credit union on Friday where he made a $1 million deposit aimed at helping to provide small business loans for the African-American community.
Rauner spent about 10 minutes talking to the South Side Community Federal Credit Union’s president, before depositing the money via a wire transfer. Rauner said he contributed $200,000 as a donation to the institution, and deposited $800,000 into an interest-bearing account.
Rauner pledged his support to the credit union near 54th and Wentworth in July. […]
But the Republican multimillionaire told reporters that his decision to contribute to the credit union was not political. He called accusations he’s buying African-American votes by donating the money “baloney” and “political spin.”
* Yeah, right. This is all about making an investment. The Tribune blows up that notion pretty handily…
Rauner said he would be receiving interest on his $800,000 credit union deposit at a rate he said was “small” but did not specify. “We’ll get our money back with an interest return,” Rauner said.
While Rauner described his deposit as an investment, he acknowledged the credit union had a 25 percent default rate on its loans. Records of the National Credit Union Administration, the federal agency that monitors credit unions, showed that as of June 30, the organization managed $3 million in deposits for 1,550 members.
On its website, the credit union advertises personal, auto and business loans for its members, including payroll advance loans at an interest rate of 16 percent and payday alternative loans at interest rates of up to 28 percent.
Yikes.
* Meanwhile, Phil Kadner got a tip that Rauner was meeting with African-American ministers in Harvey the other day, but he arrived too late to hear what Rauner had to say…
Rauner said he would use his contacts in the business community to encourage them to create a program that would make more jobs available to ex-cons, [David Gethers, minister of St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in Harvey] said. […]
[J.R.] Jordan and Gethers said Rauner also spoke about his interest in improving public education. They came away with the impression that Rauner, as governor, would increase school funding.
I asked if he said how he planned to do that. Rauner has said he would cut the state income tax, meaning Illinois would have less money for education, among other things.
I was told Rauner had implied that he might dip into his personal wealth to fund some programs.
“He would use his own money?” I asked.
“That’s what he said,” Jordan replied. “He said he had been investing his own money in education for years. He said one thing he would do is make sure every teacher in Illinois is certified, and he has funded programs in the past to make sure teachers are properly trained.’
…Adding… This explains a lot…
“As my wife will say all the time, I’m pretty cheap. I don’t like to spend money I don’t have to. I invest in assets. I’ve done very well with my investments,” said Rauner, an equity investor from Winnetka.
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Tillman: “False charge of racism”
Monday, Sep 8, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Let’s start the coverage of this story with the react from John Tillman at the Illinois Policy Institute…
One of the most harmful actions one can take with respect to racial issues is the false charge of racism. Today we have seen Gov. Quinn do just that in his desperate bid for re-election. It is a failure of leadership of the highest order.
We stand by every word I said in the video that Gov. Quinn’s campaign office released today. Those remarks from October of 2011 convey what we have long believed: that the free enterprise system and the founding principles of this country are the best way to help all of our people, but especially the poor, disadvantaged and minorities. That is what the Illinois Policy Institute fights for every day.
Any fair viewer of that video will see the falseness of Gov. Quinn’s press release from this morning.
We will have more to say on this later in the day.
John Tillman
* Now, let’s move back a step and hear what the Quinn campaign had to say a bit earlier this morning…
Quinn for Illinois spokesman Izabela Miltko issued the below statement regarding new video showing one of Rauner’s top allies making the case that cutting the minimum wage is the best way to help “minority people.” After the comments, Rauner donated more than half a million dollars to the organization, which is currently pushing to eliminate the minimum wage in Illinois.
“Bruce Rauner is not only bankrolling an organization that is currently pushing to eliminate the minimum wage - he is closely aligned with a tycoon who has said that the minimum wage turns ‘minority people’ into gang members.
“Such extreme, bizarre policies and racial stereotypes have no place in Illinois.
“It’s extremely disturbing that Mr. Rauner surrounds himself with these out-of-touch individuals and Tea Party organizations.
“Bruce Rauner owes the people of Illinois an apology. He should immediately renounce these ugly, racist remarks and disassociate himself from the Illinois Policy Institute and its CEO, John Tillman.”
* OK, now here’s the video which started it all. Bruce Rauner was on the podium with Tillman for this 2011 event. Tillman’s remarks in question start at the one hour, 27 minute mark, but you probably should start just a little earlier…
* Transcript provided by the Quinn campaign…
John Tillman: “Think about the minimum wage: they love to talk about how the minimum wage helps poor, disadvantaged, and minority people.
“Think about that video we saw of Jack Roeser’s life earlier and those children walking to St. Elizabeth’s school. You saw those kids on that video. You remember them walking in, some of them were 7, 8, or 9 years old. Imagine those kids when they’re 17, 18, 19 years old walking down the street on the south side of Chicago or the west side of Chicago.
“If we have a low minimum wage so employers can afford to bring in a new employee who’s just learning how to work, developing their skills, trying to get a leg up in life- help wanted signs go out.
“When we raise the minimum wage to $8.25, those kids when they’re 17, or 18 and grown up out of St. Elizabeth’s walk down that same street when they walk by those stores, the help wanted signs are taken away because that employer can’t afford $8.25 an hour.
“So those kids keep walking and they walk and they get to the corner, and what do they find at the corner? They find a member of the gang offering them a job to be a drug runner. Is that the choice we want to make?
“Those kids are our heroes on why a lower minimum wage is better, not a higher minimum wage because it changes those kids’ lives for the worse if you raise it, it improves their life if you lower it.”
* The Rauner campaign wants to remind you of this story from earlier this year…
An outspoken Chicago pastor connected Republicans to the Ku Klux Klan and suggested that GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner stands for “evil,” as he appeared next to Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn on Thursday to give the Democrat his endorsement.
The governor remained silent as the Rev. Walter “Slim” Coleman, a long-time left-wing activist, spoke at his side during a press event where Quinn accepted the endorsement of several mostly African-American clergy members.
But…
Shortly after speeches concluded, Quinn disappeared out the back door of the Chicago Lakeshore Hotel, where the endorsement event was held, without taking questions from reporters. Following inquiries from WBEZ, the governor’s re-election campaign sought to distance itself from Coleman’s comments on Thursday.
Spokeswoman Brooke Anderson told WBEZ that Coleman was invited to speak at the event by another minister, not by the campaign. In a statement Anderson said the governor does not support Coleman’s statements.
“We couldn’t disagree more strongly, and the Governor believes this rhetoric has no place in politics,” Anderson wrote in an email.
So, considering that the WBEZ story is being pushed by the Rauner campaign, it’s probably only fair that they react to Tillman’s video and his later response, right? Or am I missing something here?
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Callis goes on the attack
Monday, Sep 8, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Democratic congressional candidate Ann Callis has a new TV ad. Last week’s ad was positive. This one’s a negative, but it’s done in a humorous way.
UPDATE: Callis has now released the new ad on YouTube, so I deleted the other code from the NRCC video and added this one…
* Script…
(GENE, FARMER)
When I first heard that Congressman Rodney Davis had spent forty grand in D.C. steakhouses, I said “well done.”
(PETE, BUTCHER)
Me too. But then I found out Davis voted to chop Medicare…
(GENE, FARMER)
But not perks for himself, like first class flights, pensions, or healthcare for life.
(PETE, BUTCHER)
Hey, steak is great, Congressman, but it’s time to trim some fat in DC.
(GENE, FARMER)
Putting yourself ahead of the middle class is a load of bull.
Pretty good. We’ll see if it moves any needles.
* From the NRCC…
Ann Callis is up on TV with an ad attacking Rodney Davis. Callis must now realize that her friends at the DCCC aren’t coming in so she will have to do her own dirty work and go negative right out of the gate.
The problem with Callis’ new ad is that she attacks Rodney on first class travel and health care for life for members. Callis didn’t do her homework because Rodney actually voted to ban first class travel for members and also voted to end health care for life for members. See for yourself HERE.
Callis also didn’t mention the perks she will receive after retiring as a judge – both a pension and health care which are paid for by Illinois families. Seeing Callis doesn’t like elected officials receiving perks, will she refuse to accept her state pension and state health care for life?
NRCC Statement: “The latest attack ad from Ann Callis is dishonest and factually incorrect. Rodney Davis has voted to end congressional perks all while Ann Callis plans to collect a state pension and health care. The only one in this race who wants to milk Illinois families is Ann Callis and this latest attack ad is just plain bull.” – Katie Prill, NRCC Spokeswoman
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Rauner wants IDOT workers fired now
Monday, Sep 8, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The IDOT hiring scandal continues to brew. Sun-Times…
Rauner also called on Quinn to “take action” on alleged patronage jobs within the state Department of Transportation.
“Gov. Quinn does not need to do another review. He needs to take action and actually follow through on his word,” Rauner said. “Pat Quinn has not taken action. They are still inside the government, dozens and dozens of them. My question to the governor is ‘Why are these folks still on the payroll, illegally taking money from the taxpayers?’ Who is he protecting. What’s he hiding?”
A report by the state executive inspector general released last month questioned the hiring of hundreds of staff assistants with IDOT.
“Unlike Bruce Rauner who takes no responsibility for fraud and mismanagement happening right under his nose, Gov. Quinn has already acted to reform the agency, appoint a new secretary and make sure everything is being done right,” Quinn spokeswoman Brooke Anderson said. “Bruce Rauner takes the money from fraud happening at his own business and then goes home quietly.”
* Crain’s editorialized on it as well…
Lately, however, Mr. Quinn looks like just another standard-issue ward heeler, overseeing a department handing out jobs to cronies like candy to Halloween trick-or-treaters. The state’s top investigator reported late last month that IDOT improperly hired more than 250 people in the past decade, and the practice accelerated under Mr. Quinn.
Investigators found no evidence that Mr. Quinn or his staff members were aware of impropriety, but former IDOT Secretary Ann Schneider, whom Mr. Quinn appointed in 2011, said recommendations for agency hires came from the governor’s office.
Perhaps it was too much to hope that Springfield was ready to be cleaned up. But it was nice to think that if anybody was going to try, good ol’ Pat Quinn would.
Now he has handed another self-styled reformer, Bruce Rauner, a ready-made cudgel, which the Republican gubernatorial candidate has been swinging gleefully at Mr. Quinn on the campaign trail. And Illinoisans are left with just that much more reason to doubt that anyone who promises “reform” will ever deliver.
* From the Rauner campaign…
“Pat Quinn doesn’t need another review; he needs to fire those who were illegally hired. My question to the governor is this: who are you protecting and what are you hiding? We need a new governor who will follow through on his promises.” – Bruce Rauner
On Friday, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn was confronted about dozens of illegally hired patronage cronies who remain in state jobs. Instead of promising to fire them, Quinn said he would order another “review.”
When asked to respond on Friday, Bruce Rauner correctly pointed out that Quinn had already claimed he conducted a review and that the Inspector General presented his findings to the governor – a long with the list of 250 illegal hires – back in June. Watch the clip.
Who is Quinn trying to protect? The governor does not need to do another review – he needs to take action and keep his word.
Discuss.
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Durbin sends out red alert on Uihlein TV ad
Monday, Sep 8, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the Dick Durbin campaign…
The man who has done more than any other in Illinois to fuel the Tea Party movement across America has quietly put down hundreds of thousands of dollars in television advertising this week in a stealth effort to smear Dick Durbin with ads that completely distort the truth. It’s an effort to advance Jim Oberweis’ extreme agenda and dangerous ideas that will do nothing but harm to Illinois’ middle-class.
Our America Fund, whose sole donor is Illinois Tea Party funder Richard Uihlein of Lake Forest, purchased television advertising on Chicago broadcast stations this week with an ad that takes quotes from Karl Rove and other conservative leaders and attributes them to respected news sources.
Uihlein recently moved 1,000 jobs from his company in Illinois and moved them to Wisconsin.
The attack ad claims that Dick Durbin pushed the IRS to investigate only conservative organizations, when in fact Durbin clearly was asking for an investigation of non-profit organizations whom use their tax-exempt status to do political work — which is against Federal law.
Sen. Durbin has posted all communication he had with the IRS on his Senate website — and it has been there for four years. It clearly shows that Sen. Durbin asked for an investigation of any C4 organization “that are directing millions of dollars into political advertising.”
“This ad is trying to fool the voters of Illinois,” said Ron Holmes, Communications Director for the Durbin Campaign. “And the true intent of Richard Uihlein is to elect Jim Oberweis, because his group shares with him ideas that are out of the mainstream and downright dangerous for Illinois’ middle-class.”
* Rate the ad…
* It appears that this group will also be playing in two other Senate races. One in Michigan and one in Iowa.
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* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
The Illinois Education Association has always leaned more Republican than its Illinois Federation of Teachers counterpart, but at least one of the IEA’s endorsements raised a few eyebrows this year.
Conservative state Rep. Dwight Kay (R-Glen Carbon) was endorsed by the IEA last month. The Illinois AFL-CIO assigns the Metro East legislator a rating of just 36 percent so far this session. The Illinois Federation of Teachers, which is affiliated with the AFL-CIO, endorsed Kay’s Democratic opponent Cullen L. Cullen. The IEA is not an AFL-CIO union.
The Kay endorsement is not what you’d call an everyday occurrence. Yes, the IEA endorses a fair amount of Republicans, but it’s pretty well documented that Kay was on friendly terms with the Tea Party when he was first elected in 2010. The IEA is not exactly enamored with that bunch.
According to a story published by the fiscally hard-right Illinois Policy Institute, Rep. Kay attended one of its press conferences last year with a handful of other Republican legislators who “showed their support” for the group’s budget legislation, including a proposal to move all current teachers and government workers into 401(k) style pension plans. Kay, however, did not co-sponsor that plan and it was never brought to the House floor for a vote. The IEA, of course, was and still is dead-set against the Illinois Policy Institute’s plan.
And according to a report in GOP Illinois USA, Kay and others “spoke very highly” of Rep. Jeanne Ives, who is perhaps unrivaled in the General Assembly for her harsh criticisms of government employee unions. Rep. Ives recently donated to Kay’s campaign.
And speaking of money, Chicago radio talk show host Dan Proft, who’s no friend of the teachers unions whatsoever, told me he and Kay have discussed whether Proft would contribute to Kay’s campaign. Proft has a huge campaign fund, so I suppose it’s possible that Kay might wind up receiving cash from both sides of the teachers union debate.
Kay and Cullen, I’m told, had identical answers to questions posed by the union. Kay voted against the state pension reform bill, which the teachers appreciated because they fought so hard against the bill’s passage. And, according to folks at the IEA, Kay clearly went out of his way to obtain their endorsement this year. So, after rejecting him three elections in a row, the union awarded it to the Republican.
But there are a couple of other important angles here.
The IEA is understandably worried about what could happen if Bruce Rauner is elected. Rauner has howled about the evils of teachers unions for years. The IEA will need allies in both parties to fend off Rauner’s expected attacks on their collective bargaining rights and tenure. A friendly voice in the House Republican caucus probably wouldn’t hurt when a Gov. Rauner is pushing those legislators to fall into lock step.
Also, I’m told, the IEA rank and file has quite a few members who really don’t care for House Speaker Michael Madigan, particularly Downstate, but also in some parts of suburbia.
Speaker Madigan went after teachers’ pensions a few years after he took tons of campaign money from Bruce Rauner’s anti-union education reform pals. Madigan used that cash to stave off a Republican onslaught and then led the charge on school reform.
Madigan, of course, has also been known to try and “flip” a member whenever he deems it necessary. So, a candidate beholden to Madigan might not always be considered trustworthy. Rep. Kay, on the other hand, could never be confused with being a Madigan ally, and also has an independent streak when it comes to his own party.
And, there are those under the Statehouse Dome who figure that Madigan, despite his anti-Rauner campaign rhetoric these days, might eventually decide to work with the Republican against the teachers unions just like he did a few years ago. So why give Madigan another “duckling” like Cullen when a Republican might very well turn out to be far more trustworthy?
In other words, the IEA’s endorsement of Rep. Kay makes perfect sense – at least as far as anything makes sense at the Illinois Statehouse.
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An instant classic: “Right on, Bruce Rauner”
Monday, Sep 8, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The IEA’s new YouTube video is the funniest political spot of the season so far…
* Script…
Woman in limo: “I’m not paying attention to all those negative ads, because I know the real Bruce Rauner will stand up for me.”
Man in upscale bar: “A tax system that favors the wealthy… for once. When are the poor and middle class gonna start paying their fair share? I’m with you, Bruce Rauner.”
Woman in tennis outfit: “I want my little princess to go to the best private schools around. And I want taxpayers to pay for it all. I know I can count on you, Bruce Rauner.”
Woman in limo: “We need a governor who knows how to create jobs… in China. Outsourcing, wage cuts, union busting. Bruce Rauner will help job creators like me boost that bottom line.”
Old man with young woman: “Pensions! Who cares about pensions? If you want to retire comfortably, marry rich. Right on, Bruce Rauner.”
Narrator: “Tax breaks for the rich. Attacks on public schools. Union busting. And more! They’re standing with Bruce Rauner because Bruce Rauner is standing with them.”
The first few times I heard “Attacks on public schools,” I thought the narrator was saying “A tax on public schools.” The video succeeds on multiple levels.
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* If you happen to be watching today’s Bears game, you may have just seen a new ad featuring Bruce Rauner and Mike Ditka. From a press release…
Bruce Rauner just launched a new television advertisement and digital campaign featuring Mike Ditka.
Visit www.DitkaTough.com to watch the ad and learn more.
The spot aired moments ago during the Chicago Bears regular season opener against the Buffalo Bills.
* If you weren’t watching, or were channel surfing during the commercial break, here it is…
That’s one of the best Ditka ads I’ve seen in a long while.
I’ll open comments on Monday.
* Crain’s ran a story not long ago about Ditka’s broad appeal…
Seventy-one percent of sports fans in the United States know who Mike Ditka is, according to New York-based Q Scores Co., which polls 2,000 fans ages 13 to 64 nationwide every six months. That makes him the second-most-recognizable sports figure with strong Chicago ties, behind only Michael Jordan (87 percent) and more prominent than Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (68 percent), former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher (62 percent) and Bulls guard Derrick Rose (61 percent). […]
Mr. Ditka’s agent, Steve Mandell, declines to say how much his client pulls in, but industry experts peg his annual take at $2 million to $3 million. Messrs. Jordan and Rose likely are the only Chicago sports personalities who earn more each year from product deals. In the 32 years since he became the Bears’ head coach, Mr. Ditka, 74, has made far more than he earned playing or coaching and still commands up to $250,000 per national brand endorsement, according to media buyers who have worked with him. […]
Mr. Ditka’s reputation as a hard-nosed, working-class American also stretches across generations, says Stormy Simon, co-president of Salt Lake City-based Overstock.com, which used him and former Bears quarterback Jim McMahon in a series of ads in December. The coach, her research showed, even connected with kids born after Mr. Ditka’s coaching career ended.
“They didn’t know his success from football. They knew him as ‘Juice Box,’ “ she says, a reference to his character in the 2005 movie “Kicking & Screaming.” “He’s just this guy who keeps himself relevant in various ways.”
…Adding… Pearson…
Ditka, who has licensed his name for clothing, wine, Bloody Mary mix and sausages, was not paid for the spot, Rauner spokesman Mike Schrimpf said in an email.
…Adding More… From a Democratic strategist…
I can’t recall the last time I saw polling for Ditka, but I guarantee you he isn’t a strong mover with independent women in the suburbs. It’s a dumb strategy, just like most of the TV spending in that race.
…Adding Even More… The Sun-Times points out that Ditka can’t vote for Rauner because he’s been registered to vote in Florida since 2000. But…
Rauner campaign spokesman Mike Schrimpf told Early & Often that Ditka’s voting credentials shouldn’t be issue now since they weren’t four years ago – when Ditka endorsed Quinn over Republican Bill Brady and appeared in an ad for the Democratic governor.
“Pat Quinn certainly thought he was qualified in 2010,” Schrimpf said. […]
Quinn’s campaign publicly sidestepped slamming the revered former Bears coach for not being registered to vote in Illinois and endorsing Rauner.
“Only a billionaire with a $140,000 wine club membership could afford to run such expensive ads during the Bears game,” Quinn campaign spokeswoman Izabela Miltko said in a prepared statement.
“Not to mention, if Mr. Rauner is such a Bears fan, why’s he a part owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers?” she said.
The 2010 Ditka endorsement of Quinn is here.
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