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Pritzker, DGA pounce on Rauner missteps

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Illinois

* Pritzker campaign…

In 2014, then-candidate Bruce Rauner made his pitch to business leaders by saying “I’m not a politician” and promising to “take arrows” when things go wrong. Rauner said leaders “take on the responsibility and you take the heat and you take the blame when things don’t go well, but you give the credit to your team.”

Fast forward to today, with an administration in absolute turmoil, the Bruce Rauner who said he would take responsibility is nowhere to be found. Yesterday, Rauner went so far as to name names as he threw his staff under the bus for his own failure to address blatant racism from the Illinois Policy Institute. If leaders “take the blame when things don’t go well,” then what does that make Bruce Rauner?

“In Bruce Rauner’s own words, leaders ‘take arrows.’ What Bruce Rauner has done as governor is take those arrows and hurl them at everyone around him,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “As we’ve seen time and again from this governor, he takes no responsibility for his failure to lead this state and instead makes his staff, allies, and Illinois families expendable as long as it advances his own interests.”

Emphasis added because, well, that should be obvious.

* The video…

* And from the DGA…

Yesterday was a little weird for Governor Bruce Rauner. Reeling from his office’s inability to respond to a cartoon published by a close political ally, Bruce Rauner announced he was clearing house for the second time in as many months. Gone were four communications staffers all brought on just over a month ago. Rumors were that more departures were on the way.

The day turned bizarre thereafter. In a conference call with his (temporarily) remaining staff, Bruce Rauner then warned his administration was surrounded by “enemies” like the media and former colleagues:

“‘The reality is in addition to the enemies on the other side of the aisle (Democrats), we have enemies in the media and enemies who should be on our side, some of them former members of the administration,’ the source recounted Rauner as saying.”

And then came the untruths. In the same conference call, Rauner rejected “rumors” that more staffers were headed for the exists, including his (new) chief of staff and general counsel. He did the same to reporters later:

REPORTER: “Are you keeping your chief of staff?”
RAUNER: “We announced some changes in the communications department, and that’s all the changes there are.”

By the afternoon, Rauner’s office issued a press release announcing his General Counsel was also leaving. Throughout the day, Rauner blamed his staff for the Illinois Policy Institute cartoon headache and declared the staffers who were leaving were “not a good fit.” At no time did Rauner take any responsibility himself for the fallout. And this morning did not start any better - The Quad City Times Editorial Board called Rauner’s administration “on the brink of collapse.”

Failing administration. Staff purges. Conspiratorial view of enemies. Blatant untruths. And a lack of personal responsibility. That could describe someone else’s week. Strange how they both have the same disapproval rate in Illinois.

“Governor Bruce Rauner’s operation is falling apart at the seams,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “At no point this week did Rauner show an ounce of the executive leadership he touted in 2014 or the moral leadership required to lead the state. Rauner’s accelerating staff purges and inability to take any responsibility is confirming voters’ impression of him as failed leader. Illinois families are worse-off under Bruce Rauner’s flailing administration.”

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 25, 17 @ 12:19 pm

Comments

“Tiiimmmmbbbeerrrr”

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Aug 25, 17 @ 12:23 pm
Geez, who’s writing these releases, Tolstoy?

If anything from these releases is going to be picked up by the media, it will be the quotes. You don’t need all that exposition to set them up.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Aug 25, 17 @ 12:26 pm
Editing would help.

Pritzker Crew,

You’re introducing a :30 clip with 75 seconds of “follow me” writing.

That isn’t your best work. Don’t regress.

To the DGA…

It was great, yep, when I wasn’t looking at the appendix to the cites or the monotone sounding blathering, I felt stereo instructions are the only words less boring.

Regressing. You both are regressing.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 25, 17 @ 12:31 pm
Hmmmm, I guess in politics you just blame everything on Madigan, refuse to articulate any plans to achieve your vaguely whispered goals and hide whenever asked to stand for anything important. Can the Businessman Bruce show up?

Comment by Trapped in the 'burbs Friday, Aug 25, 17 @ 12:32 pm
More press releases from the Susana A. Mendoza School of Meandering. I know that we’re all doomed to fifteen more months of “Rauner = Trump” (which is certainly strategically right if intellectually dishonest), so it’s weird that the DGA decided to make that connection all the way down in the fifth graf without even naming Trump.

“Strange how they both have the same disapproval rating.” No, this is too cute by half. You’re a press release, say things clearly.

B- for Pritzker (there’s such a thing as too many press releases and not enough substance), D- for the DGA.

Comment by Chris Widger Friday, Aug 25, 17 @ 12:33 pm
==Geez, who’s writing these releases, Tolstoy?==

I hope it’s not DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro, a “Political Research and Communication Professional”.

Comment by City Zen Friday, Aug 25, 17 @ 12:39 pm
Zzzzzzzz….

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Aug 25, 17 @ 12:51 pm
I’m not sure what the ‘payoff’ was supposed to be on that ad, but I don’t think it ever materialized.

And I’m no fan of the Gov, but that was 30 secs of weaksauce for sure.

Comment by How Ironic Friday, Aug 25, 17 @ 1:26 pm
What they ought to do is simply edit out the statement he makes about accepting arrows. Then in rapid fire, edit in a few select times where he buries his staff, and others for his failures.

That’s what is needed. IMHO

Comment by How Ironic Friday, Aug 25, 17 @ 1:32 pm
“Geez, who’s writing these releases, Tolstoy?” No, William Faulkner.

Comment by Skeptic Friday, Aug 25, 17 @ 1:56 pm
Funny that this guy campaigned on being a smooth operating businessman. If a burger stand was operated this poorly they’d lose the franchise.

Comment by Albany Park Patriot Friday, Aug 25, 17 @ 3:17 pm