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Two speeches, two messages

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Illinois

* I don’t necessarily see this as completely contradictory. One was a campaign speech at a political convention, the other was a governing-style speech at a different sort of event…

A day after a partisan pep talk in which he told Republicans they must pick off Speaker Michael Madigan’s Democrats in the November election, Gov. Bruce Rauner on Sunday suggested the opposition party should help him reach a grand compromise on a state budget.

Rauner’s call came as lawmakers prepared to return to Springfield for the final days of the regular session, which is scheduled to end May 31. By calling a rare Sunday news conference to make his case, the governor was trying to set the tone for the week, casting himself as willing to compromise and sending the ball into Democrats’ court.

“This is not about partisan politics,” Rauner said at a steel plant in Bedford Park. “This is about coming together to get to compromises to reform our economic climate, grow jobs, grow family incomes, get more value for taxpayers. Right now, we’ve got nine days left. I’m excited, I’m optimistic that we can come together with the General Assembly and get bipartisan reforms done.”

That was a different tone than Rauner struck a day earlier at the Illinois GOP convention in Peoria. There, Rauner called on Republican supporters to help “bring in the resources and put together the biggest ground game that’s ever been done in legislative races in Illinois history,” in order to “pick up seats against (Democratic House Speaker) Mike Madigan’s Democrats and the Chicago Democratic machine.”

Look, it’s not like a grand bargain would cancel the entire campaign. It would just cancel a whole lot of impasse-related blame game advertising. The GOP finally has the money to mount a whole lot of races. They’re not giving that up even if by some miracle everybody holds hands this week and sings Kumbaya. And neither will the other side. I mean, heck, SEIU has been running ads for months against House Republicans.

It is what it is.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:30 am

Comments

“This is not about partisan politics”. LOL. Why would you have the event in Madigan’s back yard on the last week of session if it wasn’t about politics?

Comment by out of touch Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:32 am
In that speech at the steel plant he was still insisting on pension reforms. He just doesn’t get it.

Comment by MSIX Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:32 am
Always good to see Capt Fax tryin’ to make the BigBrains look like this is all part of the loopey dupey plan. Makes one wonder if they have bought more than one prepaid life subscriptions?

Comment by Annonin' Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:34 am
===Makes one wonder if they have bought more than one prepaid life subscriptions? ===

It’s been my experience that the ones who are bought and paid for loudly assume everybody else is as well.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:40 am
Two different audiences, two differebt speeches..,

But… Rauner continues to ratchet his alleged leverage when any Governor set on compromise might have had a solid compromise already.

Locations of speeches matter too. Bedford Park wasn’t an accident.

Until Rauner realizes he owns his vetoes, the “grand bargain” touted by Rauner is just a device to have people ignore the Rauner Vetoes

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:41 am
===Bedford Park wasn’t an accident. ===

OK, but what about MJM’s labor rally speech last week?

Ain’t nobody’s hands clean here.

And everybody needs to take a breath rather than looking for any reason at all to blow things up.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:43 am
I found it super interesting that Rauner mentioned ground game. I think that’s what got them in the primaries, union ground game. Better get your 40% gift cards and free t-shirts ready Raunerites. You have to pay for your support. Even then your turn out is so far pathetic.

Your so called “Tax payers” are going up against VERY motivated and united union folk who have had their livelihoods’ and communities threatened. As you’ve seen gift cards don’t drive folks, necessity and survival do. Thanks Gov. Rauner for giving Labor the gift of solidarity.

Comment by Honeybear Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:44 am
Of “it is what it is- is that a view of potentiality, ambiguity, or defeat? This phrase has taken on too much of a life of its own. To me it represents a shrug of the shoulders and an implication to just take the consequences, whether a decision is poorly thought out, or exquisitely made. I may get a “bite me” response, but to me this phrase represents “not much can be done about it” reaction. And if we continue down that path, then further fragmentation of parties, of cultures, of communities will deepen.

Comment by Anon221 Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:46 am
===OK, but what about MJM’s labor rally speech last week?

Ain’t nobody’s hands clean here.===

Point taken.

At some point they all have to agree to want to agree and not recognize the differences between the politics and the governing because all involved have taken the “good politics is bad government” position to try to gain some leverage.

That won’t work either side.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:55 am
“This is about coming together to get to compromises to reform our economic climate,…”

Read that phrase a couple of times.

That is first-rate gibberish. The meaningless words just come out at random now.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:12 am
=Ain’t nobody’s hands clean here.

And everybody needs to take a breath rather than looking for any reason at all to blow things up. =

This is exactly the truth. There are no heroes here.

Until Madigan and Rauner actually feel some of the pain that they are inflicting on others (if that is even possible) I doubt much will change.

Comment by JS Mill Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:15 am
I’m not sure what is wrong with a governor asking for compromise, anywhere, anytime, anyhow.

Comment by justacitizen Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:37 am
Rauner will never feel some of the pain that he is inflicting. He simply does not care.

Comment by Mama Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:43 am
Madigan simply asked the crowd what they thought of each item on Rauner’s Turn-Around agenda, and the crowd responded - NO!

Comment by Mama Monday, May 23, 16 @ 10:47 am
So we are guessin’ that means multiple prepaid lifetime subscriptions — good for the Capt Fax

Comment by Annonin' Monday, May 23, 16 @ 11:13 am
Annonin’…You’re Annoyin’.

Comment by Emmanuel Can't Monday, May 23, 16 @ 11:23 am
Is crafting a budget Rauners idea of compromise .Agree to destroy the unions and we get budget?

Comment by tobor Monday, May 23, 16 @ 11:30 am
” differences between the politics and the governing”

Exactly - but unfortunately I am not optimistic that either side understands the difference! Or, if they do understand, they “do not care”.

Comment by illini Monday, May 23, 16 @ 11:48 am
“Is crafting a budget Rauners idea of compromise .Agree to destroy the unions and we get budget? ”

- tobor - Yes

Comment by Mama Monday, May 23, 16 @ 12:08 pm
Has Tauner or Rodango or Durkin produced their balanced budget yet so the dems can support it????

Puff the magic dragon…….

Comment by Ghost Monday, May 23, 16 @ 12:38 pm
Two speeches with 2 messages. Which speech is the real message that is being sent?

The NPR story about the Peoria convention speech included in the sound bite the line about corrupt politicians which I’d just a tired rehashing of his never ending campaign speeches.

The speech about getting a grand bargain seemed wishful thinking. After over a year of insisting on his budget and bashing the Dems, what has changed in Springfield?

From the distant outside, not much has changed.

Comment by Huh? Monday, May 23, 16 @ 1:03 pm