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* Bruce Rauner talks about his conservative credentials…

“I’ve been a passionate free market conservative my whole life. I believe in limited government, low taxes and individual liberty, personal responsibility. The reason we are the most prosperous nation in the world in history is because of free market capitalism. I’ve built dozens of successful companies. I’m all about economic freedom as well as economic liberty.

“I’m a huge donor to the Americans for Prosperity, this group, but also Cato Institute, Club for Growth, Illinois Policy Institute, Heartland Institute.”

He didn’t mention his “huge” contributions to Democrats, but I suppose that wouldn’t add to his conservative cred.

* Meanwhile, Rauner’s name popped up in a rather odd story a new book about the 2012 presidential campaign…

On May 10, 2012, a woman dropped by the Evanston office of Pete Giangreco, a Democratic strategist advising the Obama campaign. The anonymous brunette passed along to one of Giangreco’s staffers a GOP consultant’s proposal to resurrect Jeremiah Wright as a campaign issue—remarkably just hours after it was pitched during a meeting at the Wilmette home of Todd Ricketts, whose SuperPac was poised to spend millions to defeat President Barack Obama.

Giangreco read the presentation and that same day raced the proposal over to the Obama re-election headquarters in the Prudential Building, handing it over to Obama campaign manager Jim Messina. Messina quickly put together a conference call which included Obama strategist David Axelrod. They wanted to leak the proposal about Obama’s former pastor to the press. And on May 17, The New York Times trumpeted the scoop on the front page. […]

After the meeting at Todd Ricketts home was finished, Fred Davis, the GOP consultant pushing to revive Wright, headed over to Evanston for lunch with Bruce Rauner, at the time mulling a GOP bid for Illinois governor and now in the 2014 contest. That lunch was a block from Giangreco’s office. […]

Todd and his brother Pete were at the meeting along with Brian Baker, the Ending Spending President. Joe Ricketts was not there, according to the book. Baker “thought the singular focus on Wright was a big mistake.” Tom Ricketts “was negotiating with City Hall for financial help in rebuilding Wrigley Field. ‘This will cause a massive problem for your brother, and for the team, Baker said. This will not go over well in Chicago.”

Baker—who drove Davis to Evanston for his lunch date with Rauner—said to Davis in the car “he was nervous about what the Romney camp would think of a Wright-centric super-Pac effort.”

Elements on the far right really wanted to use the Wright stuff against Obama again last year. They tend to lean toward the tinfoil hat spectrum, so I can only imagine what they’ll make of this.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 11:55 am

Comments

Rauner made his fortune by investing public pension funds and skimming off “management fees.” He’s not a beneficiary of the free market, he’s a beneficiary of government largesse.

Comment by AlphaBettor Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 11:58 am
The people hung up on the Rauner-Rahm or donations to Democrats as proof that Rauner isn’t a staunch Republican drive me crazy.

No one could listen to Rauner talk about unions or public schools for five minutes and not believe he is to the far right on economic issues. As a matter of fact I think Rauner might be the most radically right fiscally of all four GOP candidates. He might be so radical that I think it could cost him the general if he were to make it past the primary.

Comment by Johnny Q. Suburban Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 12:05 pm
It’s hard to tell these days whether the Ricketts family is more incompetent in their public relations, politics, or running a baseball team.

When Rauner talks about “conservative credentials”- are we throwing social conservatism in there too or just “I’m a rich guy and don’t want to give my $ or my companies $ to the government conservatism”

Comment by shore Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 12:05 pm
Man is that going to set the Rahm-Rauner folks off…

Comment by OneMan Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 12:09 pm
mmmm…maybe rauner is a guy that understands opposing opinions and ideologies? maybe he will not demagogue and divide because he truly cares about this state? could that even be on your radar? the cyinicsm of this state’s politics is rotting this state from the inside out- starting with the entrenched liberal media and career pols…

Comment by warhed Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 12:11 pm
So Rauner is the snitch in this story. Even if you can look past his friendship with Rahm, when Bill Daley backed out of running for governor, he said the GOP would win and Rauner was the strongest candidate. Daley’s strategist was Giangreco.

Comment by Nonplussed Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 12:11 pm
“Club for Growth”

How fiscally conservative is defaulting on debt and throwing the global economy into chaos, and shutting down the government and negatively impacting the U.S. economy to the tune of $24 billion? But then again, Rauner is a shutdown kind of guy. Club for Growth supported default at the last minute, when the U.S. Congress voted to reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling.

Comment by Grandson of Man Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 12:14 pm
–It’s hard to tell these days whether the Ricketts family is more incompetent in their public relations, politics, or running a baseball team. –

That’s a hard choice. They certainly are cutting the spending on the Cubs, while not cutting the “taxes” AKA ticket prices. They are charging World-Series contender prices for a AAA ball club, at best.

Keep coming, it will be better in 2016, or so they say.

The Ricketts got stung badly on that silly proposal, and made Emanuel look ridiculous for playing ball with them. And a man in his position cannot afford to look ridiculous.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 12:14 pm
All I have to know about the guy is that he gives money to the Americans for Prosperity and the Club for Growth. He’s just another member of the “billionaires boys’ clubs that want to trash public workers and steal their pensions. And when they get done with that, they want your Social Security and Medicare. Slime.

Comment by kimocat Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 12:16 pm
“Man is that going to set the Rahm-Rauner folks off…”

Exactly. It’s unsubstantiated and pure speculation of course. But putting what’s already out there about Rauner’s relationship w/ the Chicago Democratic Machine together with this tidbit ain’t good for Rauner in the primary.

The book’s tidbit makes it look like somebody in Of course, it isn’t airtight and is speculation only. But just following the likely timeline of events plus the geography of it—there are very few people who could have sprung that leak. It seems like Messina received a hard copy. So this wasn’t some PDF email file that could rapidly made the rounds to hundreds of people in mere minutes. It was physically walked into a Dem office in Evanston, and then physically delivered to downtown Chicago on the same day as the meeting.

An almost instantaneous leak of a hardcopy document. Heck, the limiting variable based on the timeline here wasn’t somebody agonizing over what to do–it was the extent of any traffic jams between points A, B, and C….

Comment by John Galt Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 12:17 pm
It must be nice to have the resources to constantly re-brand yourself based on the audience you’re attempting to con.

He’s a huge donor to everyone and anything that serves his personal purpose - sounds a bit like like pay-to-play to me.

It’ll be interesting to see what these groups do in his behalf…Oh wait…Roser, Griffith, IPI, AFP, BGA and more have all been paying back in some fashion.

And only God knows what the DEMS he’s paid off will do for him in the future.

I remember the days when the T-party folks refused to believe that they were being co-opted by the rich and the GOP. Guess what? Fooled again!

Comment by Seriously????!!!!! Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 12:20 pm
===
I remember the days when the T-party folks refused to believe that they were being co-opted by the rich and the GOP. Guess what? Fooled again!
===

The activists in the ILGOP and some of the more hard core conservatives nationwide have what’s common to any victimhood mindset–the “savior syndrome.” They’ve found themselves in such a hold, some of them become incredibly susceptible to hucksters and frauds that promise a magic pill to cure their ills. They sink way too many resources into a fraudulent scheme, lose what little capital they had saved, and then have to start from scratch again.

“Get rich quick” doesn’t work for anybody, whether it’s an individual, a family, a downtrodden community, or a political party. No matter what way you slice it, it’s the fundamentals. Sure, you can get lucky with catching lightening in a bottle once in awhile. But if the fundamentals aren’t there for sustainable growth, any temporary boon will be quickly squandered (assuming that it even works the first time).

Of course, different people can debate what is or is not “good fundamentals” to some degree—issues, tone, etc. But some of the stuff is just common sense–precinct walkers, organization building, fundraising.

But this is human nature and it manifests itself in all level from the individual all the way up to major organizations and even civilizations.

Comment by John Galt Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 12:36 pm
Bragging about his ties to all these outside groups just to puff up his right credentials seems foolish and shortsighted.

Now any time Club for Growth and their ilk do something untoward or controversial (like say that Heritage study about Latinos and intelligence) its a story about Rauner because he wants to claim he’s the 3rd Koch brother or something.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 12:51 pm
“–It’s hard to tell these days whether the Ricketts family is more incompetent in their public relations, politics, or running a baseball team. –

That’s a hard choice. They certainly are cutting the spending on the Cubs, while not cutting the “taxes” AKA ticket prices. They are charging World-Series contender prices for a AAA ball club, at best.

Keep coming, it will be better in 2016, or so they say.”

WS, might want to avoid talking baseball, if that’s your current level of understanding of where the Cubs are in the process.

http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/2013/11/source-cubs-will-increase-payroll-by-25-35m-over-last-year/

Also, when you look at their minor league system, it looks like the big league club is going to start seeing the first reinforcements in the second half of 2014, with a likely continuing stream of talent occurring in 2015 and beyond.

Btw, if you want to take a look at how the Rickett’s family is approaching building up the Cubs minor league operation, here’s an example:

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/articl … e_62796468

A look at the new spring training complex. Even more of the new facilities

http://boysofspring.com/sneak-peek-cubs … digs-mesa/

Rahm knows a winner (especially, a potential long term future winner) when he sees one. That’s why he’s working with the Rickett’s family.

Chicago’s got some serious issues to deal with. Rahm needs some successes attributable to his leadership. He needs more chips in his hand. Having multiple successful Chicago sports teams works out to a pretty nice pile of chips, in all sorts of ways.

Just saying…

Comment by Judgment Day (Road Trip) Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 1:16 pm
- wordslinger -! Love me some Citizen Kane, well done.

To the Post,

When a candidate needs to scramble to list “credentials” that are not apparent to those following along, then those aren’t called credentials, they are called “talking points to refute facual perceptions”

The Narrative of the 3;

Tens of thousands to Rich Daley. Tens of thousands to Rahm Emanuel. Tens of thousands to Ed Rendell. Let PPC talks about those donations if the discussion must be about… ALL donations.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 1:17 pm
Got the correct link:

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/chc/cubs-new-spring-training-home-making-progress?ymd=20131010&content_id=62796468&vkey=news_chc

Comment by Judgment Day (Road Trip) Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 1:20 pm
” They are charging World-Series contender prices for a AAA ball club, at best.”

Just last week, I received a call from the Cubs saying, lucky me, I had worked my way up the season ticket waiting list and would I like to sign up. I had asked to be added to the list when I first moved into my neighborhood more than 15 years ago. I’m not from Chicago so I did not have any allegiance. Since then, I became a White Sox fan due to my sons’ enthusiasm and it had been so long that I had forgotten about it.

When I told the caller as much and that I was a White Sox fan, he still put the hard sell on me. Must not be much of a waiting list at those prices and that performance level.

Comment by 32nd Ward Roscoe Village Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 1:50 pm
Adding… and I grew up watching the AAA Wichita Aeros farm club, that is, until it became the Cubs’ farm club and they were consistently in last place.

Comment by 32nd Ward Roscoe Village Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 1:53 pm
@FakeBruceRauner - Hey, i know who I gave money to. Believe me! #QuidProQuo #CostOfDoingBusiness #PolitcalBaloney

@FakeBruceRauner - When you have Billions, who keeps track of Tens of thousands of dollars #DuhBillionairesDo #WhereIsTheReturn

@FakeBruceRauner - Club for Growth is huge for me #SchockedItWasntDiscussedBefore

@FakeBruceRauner - My Wife signs loads of checks, I mean, sometimes I have no clue who gets what #VacationBuddyRahmKnows

@FakeBruceRauner - I am a conservative. I conserve my money to give to people I can influence for MY better good #WhatIsInItForMe

@FakeBruceRauner - I give money to schools, and build schools, and make money off pensions, and NEVER have I personally put myself in the middle for my own good #OopsPaytonPrepCloutingOfDeniedDaughter

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 2:10 pm
Bruce “The Libertarian” Rauner forgot to mention The Rauner’s longstanding financial support of Personal PAC.

Let the record so reflect!

Comment by Juvenal Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 2:21 pm
Oswego and Word,

Why is it that the social conservatives of Lake and McHenry are embracing Bruce Rauner to such a degree. There is a lake County Straw Poll in Gurnee Saturday 11-9 and it is shaping up to be a.Bruce Lovefest. These are the same folks that mostly backed Brady in 2010.

TIA

Comment by Samurai Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 2:33 pm
–Oswego and Word,

Why is it that the social conservatives of Lake and McHenry are embracing Bruce Rauner to such a degree–

Ask them. I don’t know that they are, and I don’t care. I didn’t post anything about Rauner.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 2:41 pm
- Samurai -

Lake Forest, Highland Park, Long Grove, Libertyville ….

Ron Gidwitz …

Money follows Money, if they think the money, can make them more money.

Keep in mind, As Bruce Rauner is “maxing” out donors at the same time, how many have an Illinois address?

Add in for the rest there the ignorance, the Webster definition, of who Bruce Rauner is, including all the monies to Rich Daley and Rahm Emanuel.

Bruce Rauner is not facing that out there as a Narrative against him, as Payton Prep Clouter Bruce Rauner tries to sell, as a “saleman” this Bruce Rauner who is going to “shake up” and “bulldoze”, and yet, has no clue how that will work in a Co-Equal government, working together …Payton Prep Clouter is winning the Narrative, and the other 3 haven’t even put who Rauner is in the discussion for Rauner to defend … in Lake County …or McHeney County.

Hope that helps …

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 2:45 pm
Thanks Willy!

Comment by Samurai Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 2:49 pm
- Samurai -,

And let me be even more clear …

It is not about Lake County or McHenry County …it is far bigger and far broader. This is a “problem” through the state, every county, every region. The “3″ are losing the Narrative of who PPC is, to the “Bruce Rauner” being “sold” as genuine …Carharrt jacket and all.

Those 2 counties to the specific are no different than the other counties in Illinois, and “Lincoln and Reagan Counties too” in his Carhartt … for PPC.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 2:51 pm
@Judgment Day - Before you get to laudatory of the Rickettses for stuff like their new spring training facility as a sign of their investment with the Cubs, remember that the facility was a result of the Ricketts family successfully shaking down taxpayers in Mesa for $99 million. (This despite Papa Joe funding populist anti-corporate welfare PACs/groups like Ending Spending and Taxpayers Against Earmarks)

But thanks to the treachery and backbiting around this Jeremiah Wright plot, Illinois and Chicago taxpayers were rescued from the Ricketts shakedown on Wrigley thanks to the public humiliation and political fallout that this mysterious tall brunette caused by leaking this stuff to Team Obama.

Whoever you are anonymous hero, even if you were Bruce Rauner himself in a wig, I salute you for this act on behalf of me and all Illinois taxpayers.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 3:19 pm
Daley has subsequently opined that Rauner would be the easiest candidate for Quinn to beat. He mathces up with Quinn’s playbook very well!

Comment by itsericwithaK Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 3:24 pm
“maybe he will not demagogue and divide because he truly cares about this state?”

Nooooo, Rauner is not a demagogue and divider–see his statements about unions.

Comment by Grandson of Man Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 3:49 pm
–warhed, 12:11p , “maybe rauner is a guy that understands opposing opinions and ideologies? maybe he will not demagogue and divide because he truly cares about this state?”–

you are kidding, right? you almost made me spit my soup on the keyboard. rauner has a skewed view of the world, who is in that world, and how they behave. just look at the loaded terms and imagery he uses, while playing loose w the facts. just one, “is it fair that government workers get a pension that makes them millionaires when they retire at the age of 52? BR june 13, 2013

Comment by langhorne Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 3:51 pm
===you almost made me spit my soup on the keyboard===

One should always avoid eating soup while reading comments.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 3:55 pm
–”maybe he will not demagogue and divide because he truly cares about this state?”–

LOL, is that how you’ve seen it so far? Farmer Bruce can write some powerful checks. Apparently, the social media campaign apparatus is up.

–“I’m a huge donor to the Americans for Prosperity, this group, but also Cato Institute, Club for Growth, Illinois Policy Institute, Heartland Institute.”–

And a huge donor to Rich Daley, Rahm Emanuel, Forrest Claypool, Ed Rendell……

Plus, he’s on the Better Government Association Civic Leadership Committee. And the Civic Committee.

They’re all united by Farmer Bruce’s belief that if puts a bet on every square at the roulette table he might win something.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 4:10 pm
–WS, might want to avoid talking baseball, if that’s your current level of understanding of where the Cubs are in the process.–

JD, I’m well aware of where the Cubs are in “the process,” believe me. “The Process” has been ongoing since the Kaiser was a kid, and Nicholas was Tsar of All the Russias.

In my 50 years, I’ve seen many lousy Cubs teams, yet those of the last two years are historically bad. Yet the Cubs charge Yankee prices.

Theo knows what he’s doing? Maybe, maybe not. But he didn’t win this way. He spent big money signing juicers like Manny, Big Papi and Schilling.

The Cubs signed Anthony Rizzo for seven years. Yeah, buddy.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 4:21 pm
PPC Bruce Rauner cares about the state, the city, the schools …

PPC cares about them all …

If the “Return” rate is “right”, PPC cares about Pensions too.

This idea that PPC Rauner and “Bruce Rauner, Carhartt Coat wearer” are the same, could be the same, or the Carhartt wearer is… the real Bruce Rauner … is just Folly and you are being “sold” … by the “salesman” looking for a solid ROI, or a chance to Clout for himself, his family, or his investors.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 4:22 pm
My favorite part of the rather odd story:

===Others pointed at Todd Ricketts’s wife, who was in the Wilmette house during the presentation, or his domestic help.===

The butler did it? Maybe if it was an SEIU butler, but I can’t see Ricketts hiring a union member to help him domestically. The wife? What does it say about Ricketts that his wife was a suspect? Is she a brunette?

That is a very odd story. Hope we learn more about it someday.

Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 4:48 pm
What hubris!

Rauner did not “build” any companies but his own.

He gambled on the right entrepreneurs, the right financial instruments, and the right ideas, and smartly avoided many of the risks inherent in managing investments.

He might have a lot of admirable skills, but he’s an investor and fund manager, not a builder.

Comment by walkinfool Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 6:14 pm
This Republican Primary is reminding me of the 2002 Democratic Primary for Governor in more ways than I can count.

Rauner, like Blagojevich, is no substance, lotsa baggage,
but all the money and the right connections.

Brady, like Burris, has his base and appears content.

Rutherford, like Vallas, is unconventional on the issues, a workhorse on the trail, but it is unclear how he plans to raise the money to really compete.

And Dillard? Worst “also ran” candidate ever, although he probably draws votes pretty even from all opponents (polling with “second choice” question is needed) i think Rauner benefits most from keeping Dillard in. Anything that dilutes earned media coverage makes paid ads much more valuable.

Comment by Juvenal Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 6:37 pm
From liberals to conservative, Brucie will argue ’till he’s blue in the face that he, of COURSE, has “credentials” to satisfy the whims of EVery Illinois Voter…sure.

Comment by Just The Way It Is One Monday, Nov 4, 13 @ 9:20 pm
@Just the Way It Is:

As I see it, the gaping hole in Rauner’s armor is that he cannot argue he is a SOCIAL conservative. In the GOP primary, that is a fatal flaw.

More than 60 percent of GOP primary voters identify as Conservatives. Only 15 percent identify as Fiscal Conservatives. Even if Rauner corners the market on fiscal conservatives - which I think is impossible - and pulls in his fair share of votes elsewhere, it is only good for third place.

Now he could go after Rutherford, which might bump Rutherford down to second, but he still winds up in third, with Brady as the nominee.

The best hope for Rauner is some big nominations, just as Blagojevich lined up the AFL-CIO endorsement. But it is unclear who could and might provide the breakaway conservative endorsement. NRA? Nope. Right to Life? Never.

And then of course you have to figure out how to ’splain away that endorsement in the General.

Comment by Juvenal Tuesday, Nov 5, 13 @ 8:01 am