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The fight for second place

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Illinois

* Mary Ann Ahern…

A Democratic candidate for Illinois governor accused another on Tuesday of not playing by the rules when it comes to affordable housing.

State Sen. Daniel Biss said one of his opponents, Chris Kennedy, is pushing people out of their neighborhood with the Wolf Point development on Chicago’s Near North Side.

One luxury high-rise is already up and another is on its way in the Wolf Point development, owned by the Kennedy family, along with three others.

But Biss claimed Tuesday that Kennedy should have considered how to provide affordable housing in the building - an issue that may have never surfaced had Kennedy not first criticized Mayor Rahm Emanuel of a similar offense. […]

“When Chris Kennedy skirts the rules by using his connections to powerful attorneys to avoid affordable housing requirements, that doesn’t just make him richer, that pushes people out of a neighborhood and makes working families struggle more,” Biss said Tuesday.

However, Kennedy fired back and claimed Biss is misinformed.

“There was no law broken, there was no law skirted, there was no payoff,” Kennedy said, arguing that the land was zoned back in 1973, and therefore the city rules on affordable housing do not apply.

I’m not clear about how the Wolf Point development is “pushing people out of their neighborhood.” Seems overly dramatic.

* On to Mark Brown, who points out that a big aspect of Biss’ press conference was a push for rent control legislation…

On Tuesday, Biss used a luxury high-rise development being constructed by one of his opponents, Chris Kennedy, as the backdrop to make his case for repealing the state’s rent control ban.

Biss and his lieutenant governor running mate, Rep. Litesa Wallace, were joined at the press conference by Rep. Will Guzzardi, who is the main sponsor of the repeal legislation, and Ald. Roberto Maldonado (26th), who said he wants the city to enact rent control. […]

But he’s found surprising company on the rent control issue from Pritzker, who also has staked a claim to it as he tries to burnish his own progressive credentials and fight back against Biss’ portrayal of him as just another out-of-touch billionaire.

In an interview last week, Pritzker told me he also favors removing the state “moratorium” so that local communities could “choose to have rent control.”

“That’s one example of how we might be able to begin to fight gentrification,” he said.

Pritzker also pointedly noted: “That’s not something that Chris Kennedy has advocated.”

A Kennedy spokeswoman confirmed his opposition to rent control and accused Biss of “political pandering.”

“Chris supports affordable housing and the need to put an end to strategic gentrification. Rent control is not a solution solving either of those issues. In fact, studies show that rent control worsens income inequality in gentrifying cities,” she said.

* Greg Hinz on the politics…

But with Pritzker believed to be well ahead in the polls—though short of 50 percent—the only way to catch him may be for either Biss or Kennedy to effectively implode or otherwise be made irrelevant, leaving the survivor with a better shot.

Biss’ pivot to attacking Kennedy is “a smart move,” said Democratic consultant Tom Bowen, who is not working for a candidate for governor this winter. “The battle for the No. 2 position is the only way to block Pritzker. Fracturing the vote won’t work.”

Put a different way, with Pritzker having consolidated support from labor, committeemen and much of the rest of the party establishment, the question is whether Kennedy or Biss will be able to do so among progressives.

Said a close Kennedy ally, “Biss has no choice” but to go negative on Kennedy. “He has to find a way to step over Chris to have a shot against Pritzker.”

Pritzker doesn’t need 50 percent in a multi-candidate primary, but the rest of this is right. Biss has to somehow leapfrog Kennedy.

But this fight for second place can’t last too long. The object is to win, not come in second. Kennedy’s famous last name keeps him in the race. Biss has a few million bucks to play with, but that’s not enough to overcome Kennedy’s inherent advantage.

Your thoughts?

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 9:52 am

Comments

I think Biss should push marijuana legalization, something he supports and something Kennedy is negative about and does not yet support. Kennedy not supporting legalization is a dealbreaker for me in the primary.

Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 10:02 am
Been quite a while since the last poll of the democratic primary.
I don’t expect a lot to have change but we’re 9 weeks out and that is plenty of time for the ground to shift.

All that said, if they aren’t going to have a positive vision message for themselves, Illinois and the Democratic Party then Biss and Kennedy need to go negative against Pritzker with both barrels from now until March.

Comment by Anonish Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 10:02 am
Biss just wants to replace Jan Schakowsky. And a better paying job.

Comment by TMYK Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 10:07 am
“I’m not clear about how the Wolf Point development is “pushing people out of their neighborhood.””

The Sun Times was across the street and moved west. Could he be talking about that?

Comment by Juice Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 10:10 am
This nomination was Kennedy’s to lose, and he has. Now Democrats need to decide if they are the party of insider billionaires, or the party for everyday citizens.

I’m thinking that Illinois Democrats are the party for insider wealthy players, not guys like Biss.

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 10:22 am
Back when Pawar was still in it, I repeatedly said Biss’s only path to victory is a head-to-head with JB. Biss can’t overcome both Kennedy and Pritzker. However, the only way for Kennedy to win is for JB and Daniel to drop out, or drop dead, or otherwise leave him alone with no opponents

Comment by MissingG Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 10:29 am
–I’m not clear about how the Wolf Point development is “pushing people out of their neighborhood.”–

A few homeless people, I imagine. But a bunch of squirrels and rabbits.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 10:31 am
For the life of me I cannot fathom why many unions gravitate towards JB as the Pritzker Group has opened/expanded manufacturing plants not only into RTW states, but also into China and Mexico.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 10:34 am
Guzzardi has a dubious history with rent control back when he was growing up in NY. Not sure JB or Biss should align with him, even if they agree with the concept of rent control, which is a bad concept to begin with.

Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 10:36 am
You know what I see that’s interesting here? This is the second time in two weeks JB has pointedly gone more progressive than Kennedy, complete with calling him out on it. That tells me that Kennedy’s the one he’s worried about.

Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 10:36 am
===I cannot fathom why many unions gravitate towards JB===

Because Bruce Rauner.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 10:39 am
==Not sure JB or Biss should align with him, even if they agree with the concept of rent control==

You can agree with someone on policy without really getting “aligned” with them in the public eye, though I guess Guzzardi has been a big Biss supporter/surrogate. Still, not many people are gonna dig up that stuff on a state rep.

Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 10:41 am
**Guzzardi has a dubious history with rent control back when he was growing up in NY.**

When he was a kid? Really? You’re going to attack Guzzardi for something his parents may have done?

Comment by JoeMaddon Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 10:44 am
===For the life of me I cannot fathom why many unions gravitate towards JB===

Have you seen Biss’ AFL-CIO lifetime voting record?

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 10:47 am
The politicians’ smile is used to hoodwink voters. Kennedy can never be accused of this.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 11:01 am
–**Guzzardi has a dubious history with rent control back when he was growing up in NY.**–

“Stop the presses and get me re-write. I smell Pulitzer.”

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 11:01 am
=== Have you seen Biss’ AFL-CIO lifetime voting record? ===

Versus the record of JB adding jobs in countries where the AFL-CIO or even unions have no influence.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 11:08 am
==But this fight for second place can’t last too long. The object is to win, not come in second. Kennedy’s famous last name keeps him in the race. Biss has a few million bucks to play with, but that’s not enough to overcome Kennedy’s inherent advantage.==

Really, one of them needs the other to just completely implode. But I’m not sure how that’s supposed to happen.

Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 11:11 am
== You’re going to attack Guzzardi for something his parents may have done?==

Not may have. Use the google. And I’m not attacking him, just providing context to see if similar controls would be put in place here.

Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 11:22 am
**And I’m not attacking him, just providing context to see if similar controls would be put in place here.**

LOL, okay. You said: “Guzzardi has a dubious history with rent control back when he was growing up in NY.”

So saying that Guzzardi has a dubious history is not an attack? Or at minimum an attempt to discredit him?

And it isn’t based on anything that Will did, but where he lived growing up?

Don’t be absurd.

Comment by JoeMaddon Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 11:44 am
To the Post,

Here’s the rub.

As Kennedy and Biss continues(d) to see how they can differentiate thenselves, either from property taxes, 1%, gun control, class/caste politics…

… Pritzker decided “I’m going to spend, and I’m going to run like every single day I’m running for the macro support of Illinois voters by building micro groups that can be a constituency others can be comfortable enough to support me too.

In short, Pritzker has been running for the big picture winning, while Biss and Kennedy… they want to win the small battles as building blocks for the unknown next battle to fight.

Kennedy shoulda been overarching with rhetoric and vision, being a person with the vision to see Illinois “as I do” and build that bigger vision with soaring and searing rhetoric against Rauner and for a better Illinois.

Biss shoulda been (earlier) building that groundswell where 100s and 1,000s are waiting for him or begging him to be where they are. There should be a runaway train, but statewide versus national stage (and media) makes it like playing pro ping-pong with a big wool mitten on the paddle.

That’s why it’s devolved for Kennedy and Biss to this sludge in the sop trying to be leading “the other”.

Then the money?

Biss needs his money to be sharp and smart and organized and accurate… to who he knows votes, and who he knows will vote Biss and will bring 3 friends

Kennedy is “The Bamboo Room” in Goodfellas. Take it in the front, the consultants and staff bleed it dry in the back room. They all have yellow cardigans, but Kennedy can’t get a sweater on TV. When they torch the campaign, with scorched earth against any and every Dem they can, it won’t matter. It’s over. That’s why they’re torching it in the first place.

So, Kennedy, hey Biss…

These 70 days left for y’all needs to be about building, gathering, PR, and vision.

Make voters know you, like you, see you, and want to be with you.

Keep going after Pritzker as the case is now, what the end game that Wednesday after “the Tuesday”? Join someone else at a podium to endorse?

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 2:09 pm
“Have you seen Biss’ AFL-CIO lifetime voting record?”

I heard at a recent forum, Wallace said she’d work with citizens to hold Biss accountable. That’s something the current LG hasn’t done, she’s complicit in Rauner ’s destruction and no other candidate for LG seems to have that kind of stance. And she has nearly a 100% voting record with labor. I guess that’s why they haven’t brought up her record.

Comment by AngelFire Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 2:13 pm
A family was relocated, over a decade ago — a family of beavers. They were chomping down all of the Wolf Point trees. They were relocated to a nice new home.

Comment by Mart Denizen Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 2:13 pm
==Kennedy shoulda been overarching with rhetoric and vision, being a person with the vision to see Illinois “as I do” and build that bigger vision with soaring and searing rhetoric against Rauner and for a better Illinois.==

In other words, Kennedy is mad that JB is running the campaign he wanted to run. Sure, JB doesn’t really do “soaring rhetoric”, but the whole “Think Big” isn’t just self-deprecation, he’s trying to sell himself as the guy who can get big things done. He’s spending big money to do it, and building a big organization to support it. All the things that we were promised with Kennedy…

…but here we are.

Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 2:36 pm
===In other words, Kennedy is mad that JB is running the campaign he wanted to run.===

If there’s a nugget of truth there, it’s as big as a boulder.

With $12-14 million, and the Kennedy name…

===…but here we are.===

There’s that boulder again.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 2:46 pm
==If there’s a nugget of truth there, it’s as big as a boulder.==

But the funny thing is, if JB weren’t running, would anything be different? It’s not like JB is sucking up all the donors.

Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 3:02 pm
===It’s not like JB is sucking up all the donors.===

… but how many has J.B. sidelined, like Labor for example.

Plus, a Dem donor now realized if they gave, let’s say Biss for this argument, $2 million, without JB, that’s a big number, but with JB, that’s not even a 1/3 of what Pritzker gives when he’s self funding.

I remember when Rauner ran 4 years ago and Dillard would get a big number and Rauner would “acquire” 5 times the amount in 48 hours.

Even then, the question was “what are we really talking about, 250K or the struggle or ease one gets that?”

Without Pritzker, the sidelined money would be out there, and not parked until April.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 3:24 pm
== but how many has J.B. sidelined, like Labor for example.==

Indeed. JB is a rare freebie endorsement for the unions. Saves the local and nationals lots of money.

If Kennedy/Biss somehow won the primary, they would receive gobs of union money for the general. But until then, why should the unions support them when their messages are just as union-friendly as the self-funding candidate?

Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Jan 17, 18 @ 3:59 pm