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* Tribune…
Chris Kennedy on Thursday asked Cook County Democratic leaders not to endorse a candidate for the party’s governor nomination, a plea made as J.B. Pritzker urged city ward and suburban township committeemen to side with him and against contenders who attack their rivals. […]
“We need to install in everyone that notion that government is a good thing. And in order to do that, we need to make sure that government is squeaky clean, that it is free from conflict, that elected officials do not have an incentive to use their office for personal gain. We need to reaffirm with the electorate that we work for them, that we are servant leaders and not leaders of servants,” Kennedy said in a meeting at the county party’s Loop headquarters.
“I don’t think there would be anything that we could do that would signal that more powerfully than to say to the electorate, ‘We’re going to have an open primary in the governor’s race and allow you to make the decision for the Democratic Party as to who will be the Democratic nominee for governor,’ and I’m asking you all for support in that today,” he said.
In light of Kennedy’s criticism of the party establishment, ward committeeman and Ald. Ray Lopez, 15th, asked the candidate why he showed up if he did not want to “be endorsed by insiders.”
* Kennedy’s full response to that question…
I’m here because I love the Democratic Party, I love Illinois and I think for Illinois to be saved the Democratic Party has to save it. We believe differently than the Republicans do. We believe government can be an agent of change, it can be helpful to people. But we need to ask the entire population of Illinois to make sacrifices, every taxpayer to make a sacrifice. I think they’re willing to do that. I think they’re willing to pay more for great government that will educate their children and keep their communities safe, but they’re only going to do that if the government is squeaky clean.
And I think calling for reforms like preventing elected officials from having a conflict of interest, mirroring the very laws that our United States Congressmen serve under, I don’t think that’s a big ask. I don’t think electing people who are banned from have a conflict of interest should be something that we’re stumbling over, that we’re wrestling with, that people think is a product of ‘aw, wow’ why would you ever think that would be OK. Because it’s OK everywhere else. Because it’s OK at the federal level. Because we need to return the faith people have in government and if we don’t we will never get the funding necessary to save the next generation.
A bit on the long side, but not a bad argument. It’s just not an argument that will work with party insiders, and you gotta figure Kennedy knew that going in.
* Raw video…
According to the Tribune, powerful Thornton Township Democratic Committeeman Frank Zuccarelli told his fellow county Democrats that they need to endorse Pritzker “right away.”
* Mark Brown…
Pritzker, who is expected to get the party’s backing, said as little as possible that might be regarded as controversial during his own appearance.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 3:55 pm
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Lot of “outsiders” running on the Dem side. Let’s see who actually files.
My guess is that if four “outsiders” get on the primary ballot, Pritzker money and organization support swamp the field. One “outsider” could make a go of it.
In the 2010 Quinn/Hynes primary, there were 916,000 Dem voters. Relatively small universe.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 4:06 pm
I thought Kennedy gave a great answer to the question.
He’s exactly right: “We believe government can be an agent of change, it can be helpful to people. But we need to ask the entire population of Illinois to make sacrifices, every taxpayer to make a sacrifice. I think they’re willing to do that. I think they’re willing to pay more for great government that will educate their children and keep their communities safe, but they’re only going to do that if the government is squeaky clean.”
That’s a message that can win over moderates and those hurting from IL and the federal government’s ineptitude
Comment by Rauners Carhart Costume Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 4:08 pm
Is Kennedy still leading in the polls?
Comment by Amalia Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 4:08 pm
Can’t believe we even have to have this conversation, whether or not to allow for an open primary or not. Solid response from Kennedy.
Comment by BeatRauner Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 4:16 pm
Kennedy is the candidate that polls, consistently 40% or higher in a multi-candidate field, leading by double digits, but lacks the vision, Crew, and right now the most important, cash, to close the deal and force others to see his numbers and his strength… and think twice.
It is the oddest campaign I’ve seen being run in a long while…
… that includes the “we don’t want/need back room endorsements, but did you see who came out and endorsed us” spiel.
This was a great response and explanation, but they are just lacking in finding out, “who they are”
They’re a head-scratcher.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 4:20 pm
Did the former federal prosecutor show up?
Comment by Chicago Cynic Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 4:26 pm
You lose half you audience after ‘agent of change’. Anyone around there doing original material?
Comment by A guy Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 4:31 pm
–Anyone around there doing original material?–
You mean like “reform?” Rauner invented that, right?
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 4:33 pm
1) I expect the former federal prosecutor had to be in Springfield to not vote on imperfect but genuine compromises.
2) Daniel Biss had the right energy level, vision, message and
passion to actually get Democratic voters engaged.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 4:34 pm
Endorsements dont make a primary any less open. This is a self interested plea from an “outsider”. Everyone wants to be an outsider until they dont get to come inside the toolshed.
Comment by Dr. Bonners Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 4:35 pm
Sling, I thought we we’re discussing Kennedy here. But as long as you asked, like him or not, there is plenty of original material coming out of Rauner’s crew. He didn’t invent “reform”, but they’ve found all manners of ways to describe it everyday with a new twist.
Heck, even the bit players on the Dem side you’re sneering at daily have taken new cracks at describing reform with phrases not borrowed from the Bill Clinton years.
Comment by A guy Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 4:37 pm
–He didn’t invent “reform”, but they’ve found all manners of ways to describe it everyday with a new twist.–
LOL, whatever that means.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 4:39 pm
Anyone ask Mr Squeaky Clean about his donations to Alderman Burt Natarus and whether they coincided with any zoning requests in the 42nd Ward?
Comment by Free Set of Steak Knives Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 4:52 pm
Because Madigan….only in Illinois is a Kennedy considered a ‘democrat party outsider.
Comment by A Modest Proposal Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 5:08 pm
Wasn’t Kennedy crony Jay Doherty in trouble for running Kennedy’s prior Senate Campaign out of a not for profit in Chicago? I think Kennedy is a reformer when it suits him.
Comment by KathyP Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 5:08 pm
===but they’ve found all manners of ways to describe it everyday with a new twist===
Hammer and shake. Also, shake and hammer. Turnaround. What else?
Maybe they’ll come up with some pro-gun legislative reforms and call those Arms and Hammer.
Or maybe Rauner will get behind legal pot and call that reform Shake and Bake.
That’d be original.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 5:14 pm
He showed up because the media would be there. And he’s already got egg on his face because the Dem establishment doesn’t think he has what it takes to beat Rauner. So he shows up, says he doesn’t want their endorsement in front of the media and tries to milk that for all he can to paint himself as an “outsider” which is laughable.
Comment by Shytown Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 5:46 pm
>>“We need to install in everyone that notion that government is a good thing.”
Comment by tomhail Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 7:19 pm
Actually I think Blago started the “reform” movement. Wasn’t he a reformer?
Dog and pony show all the way around. The day is long passed when the Cook County “machine” can force any committeeman to be for someone they aren’t really for already. Any committeeman who wants to be for Kennedy will be for Kennedy, making it an “open primary” in those wards and townships.
Comment by Michael Westen Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 8:33 pm
MW, every politician at some time is a “reformer” or “change agent.” It’s like “new and improved” in advertising.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 22, 17 @ 9:40 pm
With great respect to Mr. Kennedy, the Democratic Party primaries are open to anyone. Ask Tio Hardiman. Ask Scott Lee Cohen. Ask LaRouche.
The Democratic Party, AFL-CIO, Personal PAC, Sierra Club, and other civic groups has a duty to offer their informed opinion on which candidate is most closely aligned with its values and which candidate it thinks is most likely to carry those principles into action.
And just so we are clear here: you were an early an ardent supporter of Hillary Clinton against Bernie Sanders, weren’t you? And you were just recently touting the endorsement of county chairmen from Southern Illinois?
So, what makes the endorsement of white Democrats from Southern Illinois okay but the endorsement of Democrats from Cook County somehow tainted?
The problem for Kennedy is that his whole campaign was premised on him being the guy with the deepest pockets and the access to lots of out of state fundraising. Well, another guy looked at his deep pockets argument and thought it was a pretty good one. And his fundraising has been anemic.
Comment by Free Set of Steak Knives Friday, Jun 23, 17 @ 7:51 am
Kennedy’s answer is a total loser. What he said about government validates Rauner’s entire argument why he should be reelected. Kennedy is completely tone deaf once he is outside the Democratic bubble.
Honestly, Rauner will get reelected if it is a choice between more government or better government.
Stop talking like you’re running for governor of Chicago and get some mature blue collar taxpayers in these campaigns!
Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Jun 23, 17 @ 8:03 am