* I asked Rep. Jeanne Ives’ campaign spokesperson today if her candidate and Gov. Rauner have spoken since the primary election. “They have not,” she replied.
The DGA has been persistently trolling Rauner about this while I was on break. From March 26th…
6 Days of Silence: Rauner and Ives Won’t Talk… But Maybe They Text?
It’s been six days since Governor Bruce Rauner was thoroughly embarrassed by state Representative Jeanne Ives, who earned 48% of the Republican primary vote. Despite Rauner’s obvious need to patch things up with his primary opponent, the two have not spoken since the election. In fact, Ives spent most of last week trashing the wounded governor even more.
Rauner said he has not spoken with Ives, but maybe he tried to reach her via text. It probably went something like this:
“Bruce Rauner’s lies and betrayals divided the Republican Party so badly that his primary opponent refuses to speak with him,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Rauner’s failed leadership turned away Democrats and Independents, and now 48% of Republican voters. With no accomplishments and no supporters, Rauner truly is the most vulnerable incumbent in the nation.”
* March 27th…
Day 7: Rauner’s Latest Failure - Reuniting His Party
GOP Members Keeping Their Distance from Rauner, Local Activists Talking Third Party
One week ago, over 48% of Republican primary voters rejected Governor Bruce Rauner and voted to replace him on the ballot. Rauner’s embarrassing “win” showed just how extraordinarily weak and vulnerable the incumbent governor is, and how far he has to go to reunite the Republican Party.
One week later, Rauner’s reunion tour is not going well. State Representative Jeanne Ives still will neither endorse nor speak with the Governor, and many Ives’ supporters are not falling in line:
State Rep. Allen Skillicorn: “State Rep. Allen Skillicorn said he wouldn’t support Rauner. ‘Absolutely not,’ he said. ‘His campaign was dishonest and dishonorable.’”
State Rep. Steve Reick: “He should be humbled – he should’ve lost. Honor? Calling Jeanne Ives ‘Madigan’s favorite Republican’ may have swayed enough people to put him over the top, but the smell it leaves behind is the smell of mendacity, and it will carry through to November.”
State Rep. David McSweeney: “The question at this point is whether Bruce Rauner wants conservative support. That really is a question. Obviously, he did a number of things, including the tax hike, the SB31 – the immigration bill, sanctuary state bill. And also, the taxpayer funding for abortion, HB40, that angered conservatives. And it’s really unclear at this point if he wants conservative support. He’s going to have to ask for conservative support. He’s going to have to acknowledge some mistakes and just focus on going forward.”
Saline County precinct committeeman Sandra Smith: “For Smith, this fall will almost be a moment of protest. ‘I choose to stand up for those conservative values,’ she said, adding that she may have to find alternatives for her vote … ‘I don’t see reconciliation in any form or fashion (for the party) because this is the breaking point … I personally don’t know that I will vote for Rauner,’ Smith said.”
Patti Howard, president of the Williamson County Republican Women of Southern Illinois: “‘It’s going to be harder to bring everyone back together’ … Howard said Republicans this fall will be faced with a series of questions. ‘Am I going to go with the party even if I don’t agree with the man, or am I going to sit out and not vote or am I going to go with a third party?’ she said.”
“After Bruce Rauner lied to and betrayed Republicans, it’s no surprise that they are unwilling to embrace him again,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Republicans made clear that Rauner failed them, and his refusal to reach out to Jeanne Ives and her supporters is just making a bad situation worse.”
* March 29th…
Day 9 - #TBT: Four Years Ago, Rauner Had Unity Luncheon the Day After Primary Election
Today, Rauner Still Has Not Spoken with Ives, Even Though She Received 48% of the Primary Vote
It’s now been 9 days since Governor Bruce Rauner was nearly rejected by Republican primary voters, but he still has not spoken with his primary opponent, state Representative Jeanne Ives. Republican State Representative David McSweeney lamented yesterday that “Democrats have already had a unity breakfast” and he did not know “where things stand on the Governor reaching out to conservatives and asking for support.”
Four years ago, it was a different story. The Illinois Republican Party held a unity luncheon the day after Rauner’s 2014 primary win where he focused on an “economic agenda and soft-pedaling social issues such as abortion.” Today, Rauner is still trying to unite the party by downplaying social issues, except this time Republicans aren’t buying it.
“It’s been nine days since the election, and Bruce Rauner has still not held a unity rally or reached out to the 48% of Republicans that voted to oust him,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Rauner’s campaign is in real trouble – with rock-bottom approval ratings and a fractured party behind him, his decision to ignore Jeanne Ives and her supporters is perplexing. Is Rauner just worried no one will come if he throws a party?”
* March 30th…
Day 10: If Sox and Cubs Fans Can Get Along, Why Can’t Rauner And Ives?
Today marks the 10th day since the Republican primary election, and in that time, Governor Bruce Rauner and state Representative Jeanne Ives still have not spoken. Ives’ running-mate even agreed there was “no love lost” between the two camps, and Rauner has failed to reach out to Ives or the 48% of Republicans that voted against him.
Maybe they should take a lesson from Sox and Cubs fans, who are united in celebrating their Opening Day victories. While both sides play up their storied rivalry, many Sox fans openly cheered on the Cubs during the 2016 World Series, including Chance, Common, and President Obama. Some Cubs fans even crossed partisan lines to cheer on the Sox during their historic 2005 World Series win (though not exactly with the same enthusiasm).
“If Sox and Cubs fans can get along sometimes, why can’t Bruce Rauner and Jeanne Ives?” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “It’s clear that Rauner’s failures and lies turned off Ives fans, but if he ever wants Republicans to cheer him on again, he’ll stop ignoring the 48% of primary voters who opposed him.”
Frankly, they’re acting more like Cubs and Cardinals fans than anything else.
I would hotly dispute the notion that Sox and Cub fans are united, however.
* Today…
Day 13: Rauner and Ives Feud Moves into Second Month
It’s no April Fool’s joke – Governor Bruce Rauner’s and state Representative Jeanne Ives’ GOP feud is moving into its second month. Thirteen days ago, Ives nearly knocked off the incumbent Rauner by running a primary campaign on his dishonesty and management failures.
Now, the calendar turns to April and Rauner has still not spoken with Ives or earned the trust of her supporters. Last week, Ives demanded Rauner run ads apologizing for his dishonesty before she would endorse him. And Ives’ supporters do not sound like they are happy with Rauner’s minimal efforts of reconciliation.
“The longer Bruce Rauner lets his feud with Jeanne Ives fester, the harder it will be to bring his divided party back together,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “With his rock-bottom approval ratings, Rauner’s already damaging his failing re-election campaign by allowing this battle to enter its second month.”
The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting a large concentration of severe bleeding caused by synthetic cannabinoid products in Central Illinois.
Of 32 cases reported statewide, 10 cases were in Tazewell County, six in Peoria County and one in McLean County. The rest of the cases stem from the Chicago area.
IDPH updated its numbers today. There are now 56 cases statewide with two deaths. Of those, 26 cases were in the Peoria area, with 14 in Peoria County and 12 in Tazewell County, which is right next door. By comparison, there were 17 cases in all of Chicago.
All cases have required hospitalization for symptoms such as coughing up blood, blood in the urine, severe bloody nose, and/or bleeding gums. Nine of these cases have tested positive for brodifacoum, a lethal anticoagulant often used as a rodenticide, or rat poison.
“We continue to see the number of cases rise,” said IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D. “IDPH is continuing to work with local health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with other partners, to try to identify common products. Without more information, IDPH does not know how much contaminated product is circulating or where. We strongly urge everyone not to use synthetic cannabinoids.”
Synthetic cannabinoids are human-made, mind-altering chemicals that are sprayed on to dried plant material. They can be smoked or sold as liquids to be vaporized in e-cigarettes and other devices. These chemicals are called cannabinoids because they are similar to chemicals found in the marijuana plant. The health effects from using synthetic cannabinoids can be unpredictable, harmful, and deadly.
IDPH continues to investigate to try to identify any common products and determine where they were obtained. Synthetic cannabinoids are found across Illinois and the U.S. in convenience stores, gas stations, drug paraphernalia shops, novelty stores, and online.
State funding cuts are threatening services for people living with autism, as families who receive help through a program called the Autism Project say they will be devastated by its elimination.
The Autism Project says Gov. Bruce Rauner confirmed the decision to cut funding for the remainder of the 2015 fiscal year Thursday - on World Autism Day.
• Collins’ claim: Governor Rauner’s FY17 budget proposal called for the same types of freezes and cuts from his FY16 budget proposal.
• Our finding: Rauner’s budget did call for these freezes and cuts. The Project for Autism, DHS’ Homelessness Prevention program and After School Matter wouldn’t have received funding. […]
• Collins’ claim: Rauner, again, introduced a budget [for Fiscal Year 2018] without funding the above-mentioned programs [including The Project for Autism].
• Our finding: Rauner’s proposed FY18 budget shows this claim is correct.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration has outlined more than $200 million in cuts officials say are necessary to help balance the budget lawmakers put in place over his veto, including reductions in areas he’s historically supported such as manufacturing, tourism and agriculture. […]
Among the cuts is $89 million that was set aside to pay for dozens of social service programs, such as homelessness prevention, addiction treatment and autism therapy
* Today…
Autism is estimated to affect 1 in every 68 births in the U.S. So let’s Light It Up Blue today, World Autism Awareness Day, to build greater understanding and acceptance for those with autism. #LightItUpBlue Learn more at https://t.co/RHOiogX1gShttps://t.co/nvd8pp3pwi
In his first year in office, Bruce Rauner cut autism funding on World Autism Day and has continued decimating critical services every year since. In 2015, Rauner suspended a $1 million grant for autism programs, and he froze or completely eliminated autism funding in each of his budget proposals. JB Pritzker released the following statement on World Autism Day:
“Today and every day, let’s celebrate the unique talents of those with autism and work together to create a more understanding and accepting society,” said JB Pritzker. “While the world comes together to recognize the accomplishments of people with autism, Bruce Rauner cut autism funding on World Autism Day and continues to undermine critical programs that help Illinoisans build better lives. Bruce Rauner is a failed governor devoid of a moral compass, and when I’m governor, I will stand with our families and ensure autism programs are funded so all Illinoisans can succeed.”
…Adding… Comptroller Mendoza…
Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza visited the Willowglen Academy Monday to mark World Autism Day and to see the amazing work the non-profit does with children and adults with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. Comptroller Mendoza cheered a music and dance performance by the academy’s students and listened to the administrators’ concerns about state funding.
Monday marks three years since Governor Bruce Rauner cut funding for state autism programs on World Autism Day. The Governor has routinely proposed cuts in funding for autism and other state programs every year up to and including the budget he proposed in February for Fiscal Year 2019.
“The dedicated efforts of staff like those here at Willowglen to help Illinois residents with special needs lead fulfilling lives and receive dignified care deserve our enthusiastic support and should not be the first line of attack to solve state budget problems,” Comptroller Mendoza said. “My office will continue to prioritize state payments to the most vulnerable in Illinois.”
About 70 percent of eligible Chicago voters skipped the March primary — but what if those who stayed away could have voted via an app on their smartphones?
That’s the bold vision of the future being pushed by former Illinois Deputy Gov. Bradley Tusk. He’s backing blockchain technology getting a trial run among members of the military eligible to vote in West Virginia’s May election; they’ll be able to cast their vote using Apple or Android devices.
Tusk — who both served under and gave testimony that helped convict former Gov. Rod Blagojevich — told Inc. that “hopefully, eventually everybody will be able to vote this way.”
By boosting turnout, smartphone voting could change the dynamic of primaries so that candidates no longer have to play to the highly partisan voters who are most likely to trek to a traditional polling place.
A staff member from Tusk Montgomery Philanthropies, which is helping fund the technology, has met with officials from Cook County Clerk David Orr’s office — which handles suburban elections — to pitch a trial locally, he said. But Orr spokesman Nick Shields said Orr has “no plans” to try out the technology.
The Better Government Association’s Andy Shaw recently shared a wish-list to help give Illinois voters the elections they deserve, not the ones they have been forced to take. Many items on the list are worth considering, including:
— Setting up a system to create truly independent maps not partisan ones that are drawn to keep the party in power in power.
— Holding elections on weekends, instead of a Tuesday, and moving primaries to a warmer month to increase turnout.
— Requiring more donor transparency.
— Creating a public financing system that would match modest donor contributions with pubic dollars to increase their impact on elections.
State lawmakers are trying to make changes to voting before the 2019 election. They’ve introduced a bill to get rid of precincts and create voting centers. Right now, area voters have specific locations where they go to vote. It’s on the voter registration card. If a voting center bill became law, and if the county opted in, voters could pick one of about 20 centralized locations instead of going to assigned precincts.
Drew Penrose, law and policy director of the non-partisan group Fair Vote, said primaries where everyday voters participate in elections were meant to battle corrupt political parties selecting candidates and office holders without voter input.
Some states have closed primaries where voters register for a party before voting. Penrose said Illinoisans on primary day do things differently.
“It’s the only state that I’m aware of where you go, you declare a political party affiliation and then the person who is handing you a primary ballot has to announce in a voice loud enough for people to hear in the polling place which party affiliation you are affiliating yourself with,” Penrose said.
In the House, Rep. Ryan Spain, R-Peoria, has introduced a proposal to amend the Illinois Constitution. Spain would take redistricting away from self-interested lawmakers and give it to a bi-partisan commission of non-elected Dems, GOPers and Independents appointed by state Supreme Court justices.
In the other chamber, Sens. Julie Morrison, D-Deerfield, and Heather Steans, D-Chicago, have introduced the same proposal. (Both Spain and Morrison are former students of mine: Ryan at the U. of I. and Julie at Knox College.)
Democratic Speaker of the House Mike Madigan will fight these proposals tooth and nail. Above all else, Madigan craves political control. If a Democrat is elected governor in November, that party would control the redistricting process after the 2020 Census.
Fair Vote, a nonpartisan election reform group, advocates for a move to ranked-choice voting. Under the system, voters have the ability to rank as many candidates as they want in order of preference.
Geoffrey Cubbage, secretary of the Illinois Green Party, says an election reform like this already is a part of his party’s platform. He said ranked-choice could improve the system by eliminating the so-called “spoiler effect.”
“It gives everybody the ability to vote for their first choice,” Cubbage said, “even if that is a candidate from a party with less institutional support, with less overall membership, who, perhaps, has less of a shot of winning.”
If no candidate secures a majority of first-choice votes, the lowest performing one is eliminated and second-choice votes then are added to the tally. Drew Spencer Penrose, law and policy director at Fair Vote, said one benefit to the system is more civil campaigns.
Since record keeping began in 1994, the March 20 General Primary Election saw the most ballots — about 447,000 — cast in suburban Cook County in a gubernatorial primary election. A record number of registered voters — 1.5 million — and record-high numbers of early voters — more than 110,000 — cast nearly a quarter of ballots.
There are earlier records, of course, but they’re on paper. Even so, you get the idea.
* Hearings planned ahead of automatic voter registration: Public hearings will begin next month throughout Illinois regarding the state’s automatic voter registration system. Under the new system, people will be automatically registered to vote when they apply for or renew a driver’s license. Even though the new system will be more convenient, Adams County Clerk Chuck Venvertloh says it could hurt voter turnout.
Several suburban Republican senators are calling for legislative action on a bill that would put stricter consequences on those who are behind the bothersome robo-calls and scam calls, which seem to keep cell phones ringing non-stop.
Senate Bill 2573 was announced last week, aiming to address the growing problem of robo-calls throughout the state. Several suburban lawmakers came together to co-sponsor the legislation, noting that these types of fraudulent calls are an ongoing form of harassment for many throughout the state.
The legislation strengthens the Illinois Automated Dialers Act by making the act of “spoofing,” where callers disguise their real number by showing up as a different number from the recipient’s caller ID system, a separate violation. The bill also requires prior written consent before callers can use an auto-dialer to initiate a telemarketing call. Both of these changes would align Illinois law with federal law, and would also make the unlawful practices subject to enforcement by the Attorney General. […]
“Now, more than ever, callers are able to easily afford these mass phone calls, and the low cost of auto-dialers is allowing them to makes thousands of calls daily, putting so many people at risk of falling for their deceitful tactics,” said State Sen. Michael Connelly (R-Naperville). “This is good legislation that protects Illinois’ most vulnerable citizens.”
* Not mentioned in the glowing account is that the amendment actually deletes existing statutory language allowing consumers to sue…
(c) Enforcement by customer. Any customer injured by a violation of this Act may bring an action for the recovery of damages. Judgment may be entered for 3 times the amount at which the actual damages are assessed, plus costs and reasonable attorney fees.
(c-5) In addition to the damages authorized under subsection (c), a consumer may obtain statutory damages in the amount of $500 per violation.
* Other stuff…
* Illinois eye doctors at odds over who can perform procedures: Patients’ health would be put at risk if optometrists in Illinois are successful in their quest for state approval to remove benign nodules and lesions, drain cysts and take tissue samples on the eyes and eyelids, according to physicians who are fighting the proposal. “These procedures are clearly surgery and will clearly jeopardize patient safety if done by someone who hasn’t attended medical school and a residency,” said Dr. Chris Albanis, an ophthalmologist in the Chicago area and a past president of the Illinois Society of Eye Physicians & Surgeons. But Effingham optometrist Dr. Matthew Jones said statements by Albanis and other ophthalmologists are “a gross hyperbole of the truth.” Jones, a trustee of the Illinois Optometric Association, said ophthalmologists — medical doctors specializing in eye care — are overreacting.
* Reduced court fees could ease debt: One stops the state from suspending a driver’s license when someone stops paying a ticket. Another allows someone to have records sealed or expunged even if they still owe court fees. The third would reduce some costs overall. At least one traffic attorney says he’s happy to hear the state making the changes. All three bills are the result of a 2013 task force. It was created to find solutions for excessive court fees and fines.
* Illinois officials to address lack of sexual-assault nurses: The Illinois Attorney General’s Office is working with state lawmakers to draft legislation that would require hospitals to have a specially trained medical provider available to examine a sexual-assault victim. Of the more than 196,000 registered nurses in Illinois, only 32 are certified by the International Association of Forensic Nurses to work with adult sexual-assault patients, the Chicago Tribune reported. A dozen of the sexual-assault nurse examiners are certified to treat children. The draft legislation would require hospitals to have a trained medical professional available within 90 minutes of a patient’s arrival. Hospitals would be required to implement the change by 2023.
For a median-income family with two kids in Madison County, @robertmartwick's progressive tax would mean a $617 tax hike. The same family in St. Clair County would see a $554 tax hike. https://t.co/QT8MaOMgP9
Why the policy institute should never be taken serious. 1.) this bill was filed in Feb. 2017 - you know before the budget was passed. 2.) There is a tax swap in it lowering property taxes (among a ton of other things) which they don’t mention. https://t.co/3TOIu211h1
Any school district that reduces its operational property tax levy for the 2019-2020 school year in relation to the district’s operational property tax levy for the 2018-2019 school year is eligible to receive a distribution from the [Education Property Tax Relief Fund].
Notable that this a) doesn't include the fact that IL has a lower outmigration rate than most states (prob is low in-migration), b) focuses on higher inc hh in Chicago area when losses here v concentrated among low income ppl https://t.co/yHIdy363qy
As for what’s causing the population loss, [Chicago demographer Rob Paral] says it’s a “complex stew” of factors that includes race, income and immigration.
“One way to explain the population loss is largely due, in part, to African-Americans leaving. We’ve had a dramatic departure of blacks from Illinois to southern states,” he said, adding the trend has been going on for decades. In addition, he said the Latino population is growing more slowly, while whites are growing in the city but declining in the suburbs.
Last year Paral conducted a study that compared the number of whites living in Chicago and elsewhere in Illinois. Historically, whites who lived in the city had lower incomes than others across the state. But now that trend has reversed, according to Paral. “Whites in the city are wealthier than elsewhere in the state,” he said. They’re moving to the city for high-paying jobs that require educated and skilled applicants, he added.
Immigration has also dropped off in recent years. From the ‘80s to the early 2000s, “Illinois had really high immigration numbers, (which) covered up some of the other problems we’re talking about,” Paral said. In 2007, immigration, especially from Mexico, began declining nationally and in Illinois.
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner stopped by the Illinois Veterans’ Home Wednesday morning, a day after the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs announced two veterans had been diagnosed with Legionnaire’s disease.
The governor was there for a tour of the recently-completed water facility. The state completed the extensive $5 million renovation of the water system this year after 12 people died and 54 were sickened last summer as a result of the disease. Dozens of others were sickened. But health officials never found a source for the outbreak.
State officials have confirmed a third new case of Legionnaires’ disease at a western Illinois veterans’ home since an outbreak there last year killed 12 people and sickened 54.
State officials are looking into more than a dozen cases of respiratory illness at a LaSalle Veterans’ Home.
Eleven residents tested positive with pneumonia over the past several months. One of the residents also tested positive for Legionnaires’ disease. A spokesperson for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs says the 97-year-old resident had multiple underlying issues and has since died.
A week and a half later, the IDPH chief of staff took a leave of absence to work campaigns.
While the Department of Public Health faced the baffling return of Legionnaires’ disease at a state-run veterans home in 2016, a top administrator left to work on Republican campaigns for the Illinois House, records reviewed by The Associated Press show.
Erik Rayman, the chief of staff to Public Health Director Dr. Nirav Shah, took a leave of absence in October and November 2016, just two months after the return of the deadly disease at the Quincy veterans home that claimed 12 lives the previous summer and another last fall. Four new cases were reported last month. […]
State Sen. Tom Cullerton, a Villa Park Democrat and chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, criticized the move.
“Why is the chief of staff doing campaign work?” Cullerton asked.
“I understand that people come out of different offices and take leaves of absences, but it’s never a chief of staff,” he said. “With everything going on in Public Health, the chief of staff is the most important person in that department.”
Gov. Bruce Rauner is unconcerned that his Public Health Department’s chief of staff took a 2016 leave of absence for political campaigning while the Quincy veterans home battled Legionnaires’ disease.
The Republican told reporters in East Peoria Wednesday that the home recorded no Legionnaires’ cases during Erik Rayman’s absence. The Associated Press reported Tuesday that Rayman took unpaid leave in October and November 2016 to work on Republican House campaigns.
Rauner said that at the time, “There hadn’t been any cases in quite a while.”
* Meanwhile, from the Pritzker campaign…
A day after Bruce Rauner declared “we in Illinois must strive every day to make it Veterans Day,” his Department of Public Health announced late on Friday that two dozen residents and staff at the Quincy Veterans’ Home had fallen ill with what they suspect is norovirus.
The announcement came in the form of a Friday news dump press release, a step above the administration’s “mind-boggling” and “inexcusable” six-day delay in announcing the Legionnaires’ outbreak in 2015. Under Bruce Rauner’s failed leadership, the Quincy Veterans’ Home continues to be plagued with health issues — from recurring fatal outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease to the potential norovirus reported last week.
“With Bruce Rauner still failing to get the Legionnaires’ crisis under control, new health issues are now coming to light at the Quincy Veterans’ Home,” said Pritzker campaign spokesman Jason Rubin. “The lives of our nation’s heroes continue to be jeopardized by staggering incompetence at the highest levels of Bruce Rauner’s administration.”
*** UPDATE *** IDPH…
Erik Rayman was on a leave of absence from October 3 - November 30, 2016. During this time, IDPH continued to operate with a director, assistant director, and chief of staff. The previous IDPH assistant director, Michelle Gentry-Wiseman, served as the acting the Chief of Staff. Ms. Gentry-Wiseman was with IDPH from 1990-2003 in various roles, including serving as the first Chief of Staff at IDPH. Ms. Gentry-Wiseman returned to IDPH in March 2015 as the assistant director and served until she retired from public service in June 2016. She was well versed and involved with IDPH’s response to the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Quincy. For a week prior to his leave of absence, Mr. Rayman overlapped with Ms. Gentry-Wiseman to ensure a continuity of operations.
Please remember that IDPH’s role is a technical advisor, working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Adams County Health Department to advise the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Illinois Veterans’ Home at Quincy on infection control procedures and water remediation efforts the facility should be taking. .
Melaney Arnold
Illinois Department of Public Health
Public Information Officer
* Related…
* Vietnam War veterans honored in Springfield: “How many governors do you know have actually gone to live at a veterans’ home,” [Veterans Affairs’ director Erica Jeffries] said, referring to Rauner’s one-week stay earlier this year at the veterans home in Quincy, which has seen several cases of Legionnaires’ disease. “Why did he go there? Because he wanted to be able to get to know those men and women who served our country. He wanted to get to know our staff who care for those veterans every single day. He does that in his walk as governor, and as a private citizen, every day.”
* Federal budget bill could benefit Illinois Veterans Home: U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth said the omnibus budget bill passed by Congress last week includes more than $500 million for “construction at state-run veteran health facilities” such as the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy.
* This one has it all. A Proft paper quotes Proft’s pollster in order to give a pro-Proft GOP legislator a platform to advise Gov. Rauner to move to his right… in Illinois… before the general election…
A post-primary poll shows that re-election prospects for Gov. Bruce Rauner look bleak. An Odgen & Fry survey shows him down 22 points compared with Democratic nominee J.B. Pritzker, and in an almost certain death knell for a politician, Rauner’s unfavorables are nearly double his favorables.
Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-East Dundee) and other Republican legislators say that for Rauner to have any chance in November he needs to start listening to his base, which includes the conservative and traditional Republicans he angered when he signed a taxpayer-funded abortion bill and a bill that made Illinois a “sanctuary state.”
“One of the things he can do to show he’s listening right off the bat is promise to veto every gun-control bill that comes his way,” Skillicorn told the McHenry Times.
Skillicorn said that Rauner also needs to rethink his budget proposal.
“He talks about rolling back the income tax increases but his budget has every cent of new tax money already accounted for,” he said.
Veto all gun control bills and slash spending. Yup. That’ll work here.
* But let’s turn the weird up a notch, shall we? The JB Pritzker campaign actually linked to that very same Proft poll within a recent press release…
* Also, according to the Pritzker campaign, Gov. Rauner may actually be taking Skillicorn’s advice. Press release…
Despite pleas from immigrant rights groups, Bruce Rauner supports Donald Trump’s latest attack on immigrant communities in Illinois and across the country.
The Trump Administration announced it would ask respondents of the 2020 census whether they were U.S. citizens, which experts warn would severely reduce the response rate in immigrant communities and undercount the national population.
“Donald Trump is launching a direct attack on immigrant communities in Illinois with the full support of his local partner Bruce Rauner,” said JB Pritzker. “By using the U.S. Census as a political weapon, this bigoted president wants to keep immigrant families in the shadows. As Trump and Rauner seek to divide and attack, I will make Illinois a welcoming state and protect every resident as governor.”
* Nice headline for the governor from WICS TV: “Governor Rauner: I support doing a large capital bill.” But there’s a catch…
He said negotiations are currently ongoing between his office and the General Assembly.
“Infrastructure investment is critically important,” Rauner said. “I support doing a large capital bill. I believe if we would truly balance our budget and bring more government efficiency and pension reform, we will have the money to pay interest on bonded debt. And bonding is an appropriate way to pay for infrastructure.”
When asked if he would support a motor fuel tax to cover some of the costs, Rauner said he doesn’t support raising any taxes for Illinoisans to pay for infrastructure improvement projects.
Maybe I’m missing something there, but I thought the money from his pension reform plan was already spent on a $1 billion tax cut that’ll probably never happen? Either way, he’ll probably blame Speaker Madigan for killing a tax cut and making it impossible to do a “large” capital bill without a huge tax hike.
Without repairs and improvements, roads will get worse, TRIP Executive Director Will Wilkins said.
“These conditions are only going to get worse, increasing the additional costs to motorists, if greater investment is not made available at the state and local levels of government,” Wilkins said in a statement. “Without adequate funding, Illinois’ transportation system will become increasingly deteriorated and congested, hampering economic growth, safety and quality of life.” […]
The governor provided few specifics about how to pay for infrastructure improvements, but said he was opposed to raising gas taxes.
“Here’s the bottom line, the people of Illinois are taxed out,” Rauner said. “We should not be discussing any new taxes at all until we change our system and really drive more value for taxpayers. Really we should be reducing the tax burden, not increasing it, and growing our economy to increase our revenues, not increasing our tax rates.”
So, he’s all-in for more spending and dead-set against taxes. Simple to understand.
* A recent Rauner campaign press release…
In January, JB Pritzker told the Daily Herald that a Vehicle Miles Traveled tax is an idea worth exploring, advocating for a tax increase on the millions of Illinoisans who drive to work everyday or utilize a vehicle for their job.
A Vehicle Mileage Tax would place a monitor in registered vehicles in the state of Illinois and track mileage traveled. Fellow Democrats like State Sen. Daniel Biss oppose the measure as “a serious violation of privacy.”
Just another example of how JB Pritzker’s plan for Illinois is more of the same: higher taxes and more corruption.
A VMT may sound familiar. A proposal in the Senate back in 2016 would have given drivers the choice between installing a device to track their mileage or pay a 1.5-cent-per-mile tax on a base 30,000 miles traveled per year. That measure was quickly shot down.
At just over $0.30 per gallon, Illinois state gas tax is already higher than neighboring states like Missouri, Kentucky, and Indiana.
Charging gas taxes based on how many miles people drive instead of how much fuel they burn could pump up revenues to help fix Illinois’ roads and bridges, Democratic candidate for governor J.B. Pritzker told the Daily Herald editorial board.
Called a vehicle miles traveled or VMT tax, it’s an idea worth exploring, the billionaire Hyatt hotel heir said in a Thursday interview where he also pushed for a graduated income tax, but gave few specifics.
Voters don’t do nuance. Pritzker opened the door to that one.
Most reporters and pundits believed that state Rep. Jeanne Ives trounced Gov. Bruce Rauner in the Jan. 29 debate hosted by the Chicago Tribune editorial board. One columnist wrote that Ives “crushed” Rauner. And I wrote about Ives’ “almost complete thumping” of Rauner. We were all correct about the moment, but that debate probably saved Rauner’s behind.
At the time of the debate, Rauner’s own polling showed he was ahead of Ives by 50 percentage points. The governor then made the almost fatal mistake of ignoring his GOP primary opponent. But when she eventually started gaining on him, he let loose with a barrage of ads using video clips from that very debate everybody said he’d badly lost. Rauner’s campaign pulled selective bits from the debate to make the case with voters that Ives was in cahoots with Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan. So, for example, when Ives said during the debate that she’d work “with” Madigan, one of Rauner’s ads claimed that Ives would work “for” Madigan.
It was all horribly dishonest on Rauner’s part. Ives is a staunch Madigan foe. But that’s politics. Rauner didn’t beat Ives by much, but he won, and as people used to say when I was a kid, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker was absolutely pummeled by his primary opponents and the pundits for not agreeing to a televised downstate debate. They all said he was insulting downstate voters by not agreeing to it. But come election day, Pritzker took 53 percent of the downstate vote. That win was bigger than in other regions in the state, even 8 points higher than his Chicago victory. He essentially ran up the score on his opponents outside the Chicago area.
* My weekly syndicated newspaper column was written the day before I went on vacation…
The oddest political couple in all of Illinois did pretty well in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.
Two years ago, progressive firebrand Cook County Commissioner Chuy Garcia helped lead Bernie Sanders’ Democratic campaign in the Chicagoland area and was eventually named a national Sanders media surrogate.
At the same time, Garcia also endorsed House Speaker Michael Madigan against a well-funded Democratic primary opponent.
“Now more than ever,” Garcia said in a statement back then, “local families need Michael Madigan in the State Capitol fighting for them.”
It was mainly a marriage of convenience. Madigan needed help with his ward’s Latino voters, and Garcia had some plans of his own that Madigan could help him with. Madigan also likely wanted to make sure that Garcia’s future plans didn’t include trying to knock him off his perch.
Garcia, along with his allies in the Bernie Sanders Our Revolution organization, ran the table in Cook County last week.
They helped trounce Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios by almost 12 points. They soundly defeated Rep. Dan Burke, the younger brother of one of the most powerful Democrats in Chicago (Ald. Ed Burke, who they are going after next). They cruised through a hotly contested four-way primary to replace retiring Rep. Cynthia Soto, D-Chicago, with Delia Ramirez by 27 points. They buried machine-linked Sen. Martin Sandoval’s (D-Chicago) daughter Angel by 15 points in the race to replace Garcia on the county board despite massive spending by. They won a judicial race. And, of course, Garcia walked away with his own congressional nomination by 45 points.
Speaker Madigan carried Mayor Rahm Emanuel to victory in the 13th Ward in Emanuel’s 2015 race against Garcia, but after Garcia endorsed Madigan in 2016, Madigan allied with Garcia on some of this year’s races, including the defeat of Sandoval.
There was admittedly nothing that Madigan could do to help Berrios outside of the 13th Ward (which Berrios won with 56 percent). Berrios had become so toxic that even several politicians who’d endorsed him wouldn’t put his name on their election-day palm cards for fear of alienating voters they needed for other races.
And Rep. Burke was beyond saving as well. Progressive Latinos are demanding their own representation. But because of Madigan’s relationship with Garcia, it’s a fairly safe bet that Aaron Ortiz, who beat Burke, won’t be a thorn in Madigan’s side when he takes office next year.
Without Madigan and the hundreds of precinct captains he controls, U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski would be polishing up his thin resume this week. The conservative Democrat Lipinski narrowly defeated a progressive challenger.
And with Assessor Berrios defeated, that’s one less issue that Gov. Bruce Rauner will have against Madigan’s favored gubernatorial candidate JB Pritzker, who won last week by 18 points over two public Madigan haters, Chris Kennedy and Sen. Daniel Biss.
Madigan also won some House races against Democratic candidates who talked openly about opposing him.
Madigan’s 17th House District candidate Jennifer Gong Gershowitz won by almost 600 votes over Candance Chow, who had vowed to vote against Madigan for House Speaker. Madigan’s candidate Lamont Robinson won a four-way primary to replace Lt. Governor nominee Juliana Stratton by 14 points. Madigan’s bitter foe Ken Dunkin came in third in that primary, scoring just 18 percent.
Jill Bernal had pledged to vote against Madigan, but she lost to the pro-Madigan Lance Yednock by 15 points to take on freshman Rep. Jerry Long,R-Streator.
Madigan’s ally Rep. Lisa Hernandez (D-Cicero) fended off her primary opponent by 15 points. The House Speaker’s favored candidate to replace retiring Rep. Carol Sente, D-Vernon Hills, Daniel Didech, prevailed by 21 points. His candidate to take on Rep. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, Marsha Griffin, sailed through by 26 points.
Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, triumphed by over 65 points. Rep. Thaddeus Jones, D-Calumet City, dominated with a 29-point victory. Madigan lieutenant Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island, thrashed his opponent by a whopping 53 points despite countless negative news stories about his past.
The one candidate Madigan reportedly didn’t want to win in the crowded primary race to replace retiring House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago, was Flynn Rush, the son of US Rep. Bobby Rush. The younger Rush lost to Curtis Tarver by 9 points.
As far as I can tell, not a single anti-Madigan candidate won a House Democratic primary last week.
As I write this, nobody has yet compiled Democratic state central committee race results, so we don’t yet know how Madigan fared there. So, stay tuned on that, because Madigan is the state party chairman and several folks were running to topple him.
* And speaking of those central committee races, this is from March 27th…
Peter Janko, a former Bernie Sanders delegate who said he spent just $600 on his campaign, is the only progressive candidate to win a seat on the state central committee from a slate of 13 endorsed by Our Revolution Illinois, the grassroots political organization that grew out of Sanders’ run for president.
Unofficial primary election results suggest Madigan has held the state central committee spots he needs to keep his grip on control of the party — but he’s not leaving anything to chance.
Madigan called Janko Tuesday morning.
“I knocked on 100 doors myself and generally when you’re getting out to the McHenry area it’s almost universal that they want Mike Madigan out. I got elected by telling people that I will vote against him, and I plan to do that,” Janko told the Sun-Times on Tuesday. “I made it clear to Michael Madigan. So I’m supposed to have lunch with him next Tuesday because he wants to convince me to change my mind.”
The northwest suburban Marengo resident said he spoke with Madigan for about 30 minutes: “I told him I want to be a bridge between the Bernie side of the Democratic Party and the old establishment. I’m not here to turn anything upside down. I live in a very red district, 14th, and I’m not going into this as a protest candidate, but I want to rebuild the party.”
Meanwhile, ProPublica has a story about how a 13th Ward precinct polling place is in somebody’s basement and how a poll watcher left the basement in order to stand beyond the 100-foot legal perimeter so she could hand somebody a palm card and how all of this means that Madigan can stay in power forever. Or something.
* Time to go, campers. It’s been real. Too real, if you ask me. My plan right now is for some fairly light posting during the second week of the GA’s spring break. So I’ll see you a week from Monday.
I can’t stop listening to it. The full story is here.
She also told McKinney that while she intended to vote for Rauner, she didn’t plan to endorse him and wouldn’t campaign with him.
* Meanwhile, on the Democratic side…
Illinois AFL-CIO and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin Host Democratic Unity Breakfast
WHAT
The Illinois AFL-CIO and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin will host a unity breakfast bringing candidates together to defeat anti-worker politicians in November.
WHEN
Saturday, March 24 at 9:30 AM
* Maxwell…
In Urbana, a sanctuary city, @GovRauner says “I was falsely accused of… making Illinois a sanctuary state. That’s false. I do not support Illinois being a sanctuary state and Illinois is not a sanctuary state. I do not support any city that wants to be a sanctuary city.” pic.twitter.com/Lo4DoxG5mi
“Pritzker hides his money in the Bahamas so he doesn’t have to pay income tax. He rips the toilets out of his mansion so he doesn’t have to pay property taxes,” Rauner said. “And what really frosts me is he hides his money so he doesn’t have to pay taxes, but his number one proposal is to raise your income taxes.
“He has said the answer to our budget problems is, let’s do a massive income tax hike. Come on, that’s not going to solve any of our problems.”
1/Now that I've had a few hours of sleep, I wanted to share a few - brief - thoughts about last night. Beginning with this awesome shot of @JBPritzker thanking hotel workers after he gave his speech last night. JB loves people - fundamentally and completely. #twill#ILGovpic.twitter.com/VzncvITnXS
* Metro Chicago shrinks again: For the third year in a row, the population of metropolitan Chicago has dropped, and though the number of people is small, the trend is causing angst among local officials.
* I’m shutting down the blog sometime in the early afternoon today. I desperately need a vacation, so I’ll be back a week from Monday. If you’ve been mulling over a comment, now would be the time to post it.
Until then, use this as an NCAA tournament open thread.
Garry attacks Rahm for being a bully. Rahm attacks Garry for Trump praising Garry. Garry attacks Rahm for taking $50K in Trump donations and praising Rahm. Rahm says no way he would have given it back so Trump would have used it for his 2016 race.#DayOneChiMayor
A new editorial from the Chicago Tribune is calling out J.B. Pritzker’s tax plan for Illinois, pointing out that Pritzker seems to only want one thing – tax hikes and more spending the state can’t afford.
It has been reported that Pritzker has refused to pay his own fair share in taxes – he’s been caught claiming that his Gold Coast mansion is “uninhabitable” to get huge property tax breaks and has reportedly set up offshore shell companies in the Bahamas with the likely aim of dodging federal taxes.
But on the trail, Pritzker’s promised to raise taxes even higher, and it’s leading the Chicago Tribune to ask, “Does Pritzker get it?”
“What we’ve heard and read so far is that Pritzker wants to tax and spend the state to greatness…raising taxes is no cure-all. It’s a move that will drive away even more employers, jobs and residents.”
J.B. Pritzker’s plan for Illinois is a blatant exercise in hypocrisy – he supposedly won’t pay his own fair share in taxes, but will hike taxes on everyone else.
“It’s not right that government can destroy your credit and confiscate your car because you can’t afford a few parking tickets,” he said on election night. Hmm, so Gov. Pritzker would pay your parking tickets, too? We’re not sure, but that sounds expensive.
That’s so disingenuous. The idea is to stop criminalizing poverty, not make the state pay parking tickets. They certainly know that.
* Anyway, back to the premise. Voters don’t do nuance. And Rauner’s main message is easy to understand and was summed up well in the RGA release: Pritzker avoids taxes while hypocritically wanting you to pay more.
Pritzker counters that he doesn’t want regular folks to pay more, he wants the well-off to pay more via a graduated tax. But he hasn’t specified what his rates would be at what income levels. And one of the only graduated tax bills out there is this one that the Illinois Policy Institute is relentlessly attacking…
House Bill 3522, filed by state Rep. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, would tax incomes between $0 and $7,500 at 4 percent. For income between $7,500 and $15,000, the rate would be 5.84 percent. For income between $15,000 and $225,000, the rate would be 6.27 percent. And for income over $225,000, the rate would be 7.65 percent.
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Sign the petition today to tell your lawmaker to oppose the progressive income tax.
Pritzker was asked earlier today if he supports Martwick’s bill. He said he didn’t and claimed the Illinois Policy Institute was just trying to get Rauner reelected.
I’m not sure what the heck Rep. Martwick was thinking (I asked him if he had any second thoughts this morning, but haven’t heard back), unless the plan is to kill the bill to show Democrats are against those goofy rates.
* From the Rauner campaign…
Now that the general election is here, we need to focus on the issues that unite us, like cutting taxes, so that we can continue building a better future for Illinois.
Meanwhile, JB Pritzker is focusing on figuring out a way to raise taxes on middle-class families. We can’t let that happen!
Donate $10 to our Unity Fund today to show the Democrats that we are ready to take on JB Pritzker in November.
The trouble with Rauner isn’t his agenda. It’s his inability to advance it and his accurate but repetitive excuse for failing to do so. In an editorial four months ago titled “Stop griping, Governor, and make your case,” we made ours: Rauner needs to ease off his blame crutch — House Speaker Michael Madigan — and expand his own case for re-election.
We aren’t claiming success. During a recent news conference, Rauner mentioned Madigan’s name 31 times in less than 13 minutes. The Ward Room, WMAQ-Ch. 5’s political blog, posted a mashup of his remarks and it is something to behold. Madigan, Madigan, Madigan. […]
These are issues on which Illinois voters deserve a full debate between now and November. Rauner can provide the contrast. He can try to build support for his agenda. Instead, he seems obsessed with a singular talking point: Madigan.
That might have helped him get elected in 2014. But nearly four years later, it’s a strategy that should be revisited and soon. Why? Broken records don’t sell.
I always say that when editorial boards start clutching their pearls about your campaign message, your message is working. See: Poshard, Glenn; 1998 TV ad; Killer truck barreling down on the camera.
Maybe I’m wrong this time. We’ll find out in November.
Illinois state Comptroller Susana Mendoza is one of three female politicians House Speaker Michael Madigan named to “take the lead on facilitating a statewide discussion about the role of women” in the Illinois Democratic Party after two Madigan operatives were forced out amid allegations of harassment and other inappropriate behavior.
Mendoza and the others — U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos and state Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana — have vowed their work will be done independently of Madigan and the state Democratic Party. But records show Mendoza has ties to the ousted operatives, Kevin Quinn and Shaw Decremer, who both have worked on her political campaigns.
Kevin Quinn notarized Mendoza’s 2016 nominating petitions, which he did for everybody running with the 13th Ward’s support. Kinda tenuous, but Madigan has used less tenuous ties to whack the stuffing outta people on the other side more times than anyone here can count. And one can only wonder if this issue will come up in other campaigns.
The same goes for the less than $100 that Madigan paid Decremer for political work on Mendoza’s behalf years ago. And the $500 Decremer’s firm gave to Rep. Ammons last year, and the $250 Decremer’s firm gave Mendoza. It may all seem unfair, but MJM has made larger mountains out of smaller mole hills than these.
Ammons got $10K from Friends of MJM, Mendoza received $650,000 from DPI. That’s a bigger dealio, but not unusual. It’s the state party. That’s what the party is supposed to do. But, again… Karma.
Ammons said that won’t sway her, that she’ll pursue the issue independently even if the panel finds fault on the part of Madigan or others in the party hierarchy. […]
Also regarding her independence, Mendoza said: “Under this story’s standard, any woman who has worked with the party to get elected would not be able to serve on this panel. That’s ridiculous.”
Betsy Londrigan’s big win in the 13th Congressional District Democratic primary — taking 24,334 of the 53,226 votes cast, or almost 46 percent in a five-way race — seemed to surprise everyone but her.
“Nobody on our team thought about percentages. We know that we are on the ground every day, all day for nine months. Our confidence came from our interaction with the voters,” she said.
As for Londrigan’s Republican opponent in November, U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, the National Republican Campaign Committee was quick with its take on the contest with this message Tuesday night.
“Elizabeth Warren acolyte and D.C. insider Betsy Dirksen Londrigan couldn’t be further out of touch with the district,” said Maddie Anderson of the NRCC. “Repeatedly touting her Dick Durbin and Emily’s List endorsements tells voters everything they need to know about her — she does not share their values. We look forward to watching Rodney Davis soundly defeat Londrigan in November.”
13th District. Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, a former fundraiser for Sen. Dick Durbin, won the Democratic nomination over a field that included Erik Jones, a former congressional staffer and Illinois assistant attorney general. Perennial candidate David Gill has been a thorn in Democrats’ side in previous cycles but was destined to finish a distant third or fourth. Londrigan had support from Durbin and EMILY’s List and will face GOP Rep. Rodney Davis in the general election. While Trump won the central Illinois district with nearly 50 percent, this race could certainly get more competitive. Rating: Likely Republican.
Davis is going to be very tough to beat even, I think, in a wave year.
DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Luján today announced that small business owner, non-profit leader, and IL-13 Democratic nominee Betsy Dirksen Londrigan has earned a spot on the DCCC’s highly competitive Red to Blue program.
Betsy Dirksen Londrigan has worked hard in central Illinois to earn a spot on Red to Blue by surpassing aggressive goals for grassroots engagement, local support, campaign organization and fundraising. Beyond her demonstrated abilities to build a winning campaign infrastructure, Londrigan has deep roots in the district and a persuasive health care message that helped drive her to a decisive victory in the Democratic primary.
“Betsy Dirksen Londrigan almost lost her son to a life-threatening illness, and she is running for Congress to ensure that families like hers have affordable health care coverage when they need it most,” said DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Luján. “Betsy has shown that she is going to put working families above Washington politics and special interests, and fight to create jobs, rebuild infrastructure in central Illinois, and make health care more affordable. With her deep roots in the district and impressive primary victory, Betsy has shown that she is ready to compete and win in this district in November.”
Londrigan, who is a professional fundraiser, collected more than $600,000 for her own campaign, plus got an endorsement from the Emily’s List political organization that earned her more than $185,000 in uncoordinated campaign assistance, mostly mail pieces.
I didn’t see all that many stories about Londrigan’s Democratic primary, probably because, as far as I could tell, the candidates stayed positive. Coverage follows conflict and there wasn’t much of any conflict in that one.
* Wednesday, the Rauner campaign released a video featuring JB Pritzker’s Democratic primary opponents trashing him. Today…
Today, the JB Pritzker campaign released a new video, “In Ives’ Own Words.” The video highlights Bruce Rauner’s primary election opponent, Jeanne Ives, holding him accountable for his failures as governor.
“Jeanne Ives and 48% of Bruce Rauner’s own party know he has been a failure as governor, accomplishing nothing and causing real pain across the state,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “As Ives said, Bruce Rauner has ‘lied to everybody about everything’ and Illinois families are ready for change.”
I think I like the Rauner spot better (mainly because Kennedy and Biss were better speakers than Ives).
*** UPDATE *** DGA…
Governor Bruce Rauner barely survived a tough primary battle against state Representative Jeanne Ives and is in need of her political endorsement and support. But it’s pretty clear he’s not getting it yet – Rauner has not spoken with her since the election, and Ives has blasted the wounded incumbent governor in public.
Yesterday was not any better for Rauner. Asked again if he had spoken with Ives, Rauner said no. And Ives told the Daily Herald she’s still withholding her endorsement.
“Bruce Rauner desperately needs Jeanne Ives’ support, but their GOP family feud does not look like its ending any time soon,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Hundreds of thousands of Illinois Republicans showed their disappointment with Rauner’s failed leadership this week – and he still can’t pick up the phone.”
* This made the rounds on Twitter yesterday. Buried deep within a Tribune story…
On Wednesday, Rauner traveled to Ives’ home turf for a campaign event at a manufacturing plant on the outskirts of DuPage and Kane counties. One plant worker said employees had been ordered to attend, and were made aware that they’d be part of campaign photos and videos.
Isn’t Rauner a freedom at the workplace kinda guy? I thought that’s what the Janus case was all about. This doesn’t look all that free to me.
Gov. Bruce Rauner on Thursday compared the business practices of Illinois’ powerful House speaker with mafia tactics, opening a new attack on his longtime political foe while urging Republican unity following a bruising primary he barely won.
New? This isn’t new. From last December, when Rauner said he wasn’t in charge…
Rauner accused the veteran speaker of running a “mafia protection racket.”
Not to mention that the governor compared the House speaker to Al Capone this past Monday. Rauner also claimed that Madigan was “a unified force of bad, of evil” last Friday. The AP really needs to get around more.
The most mendacious thing said in a campaign filled with mendacity came last night when Bruce Rauner said: “I am honored and humbled by this victory.”
He should be humbled – he should’ve lost. Honor? Calling Jeanne Ives “Madigan’s favorite Republican” may have swayed enough people to put him over the top, but the smell it leaves behind is the smell of mendacity, and it will carry through to November.
A friend of mine observed early on that Bruce Rauner looks at the members of the General Assembly, especially the Republican members, as employees at a company he just bought that he wouldn’t have hired had he been in a position to do so in the first place. That pretty much sums it up.
So Governor, now that we’re stuck with you, here’s a little bit of advice. You need us more than we need you. The only way you can win in November is if Republican House candidates drag you across the finish line. But for that to happen, you’re going to have to check your ego at the door and accept the General Assembly as a co-equal branch of government and admit that we don’t work for you.
