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Biss campaign rejoices at being attacked by Pritzker

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Illinois

Biss hopes to use the resulting revenue in areas where he said Illinois has struggled, including K-12 education, higher education and infrastructure.

“The issue’s not that we don’t have the money to solve problems. The issue is the money’s going somewhere else because of who’s making the decisions, and this is a campaign about taking power back for the rest of us,” he said.

Biss frequently criticized Pritzker during the meeting, calling him “Madigan’s hand-picked candidate” and pointing to his efforts to avoid paying taxes. Biss defended his own record of both working with and standing up to the speaker.

“The amount of opportunity that Rauner has to attack Pritzker is, frankly, flabbergasting,” Biss said. “(Rauner) wants to have an ugly, nasty … campaign that will be dispiriting to the entire state, and he wants to run against Madigan’s candidate who has ties to (former Gov.) Rod Blagojevich.”

* Biss campaign…

Late last week, JB Prtizker launched two attack ads in two days against Daniel Biss following two polls - including his own - showing Biss surging and Pritzker faltering.

The Pritzker panic rolled over into this week, with his campaign spokesperson posting five straight tweets targeting Biss this morning alone.

Judging by his campaign’s growing preoccupation with, and repeated attacks on, Biss, it’s fair to say JB Pritzker woke up this Groundhog Day weekend and saw nothing but a giant Daniel Biss-shaped shadow.

* Tweets…

* Meanwhile, the Belleville News-Democrat is hoping for a Biss-Ives matchup…

Illinois politics could be so much more interesting were it to act more like a fantasy sports league, where we pick our players and create our own match-ups.

The clash of the billionaires for Illinois governor is too predictable to be very interesting, and who really trusts the political machines that handed us the current system. How much more interesting the race would be between the folks positioning themselves farther right and farther left of the party heirs apparent.

In this corner, Republican state Rep. Jeanne Ives. And in the opposing corner, state Sen. Daniel Biss.

Now that would be a clash of ideals.

* Biss at DePaul: “I tell people that Bruce Rauner has been a horrible governor for the state of Illinois, but one of the best governors the University of Wisconsin has ever had,” Biss said.

* Biss calls for education reform, criticizes Rauner at campus discussion: Following the discussion, much of the audience stayed to make phone calls for Biss’ campaign. Allie McRaith, a field organizer for the campaign, said she believes the enthusiasm and excitement Biss has been building among volunteers will help him as the primary campaign enters the stretch run.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 2:12 pm

Comments

I don’t see the JB camp’s hits on the complicated pension issue gaining steam outside of the union base, which is already coalescing behind him. They’ll need something more than that to weaken Biss support from voters looking for an anti-JB candidate.

Comment by NIU Grad Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 2:16 pm
===“I tell people that Bruce Rauner has been a horrible governor for the state of Illinois, but one of the best governors the University of Wisconsin has ever had,” Biss said.===

(Face palm)

Try…

“…one of the best governors the University of Iowa and Iowa State has ever had,”

Those numbers of Illinois students are staggering.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 2:19 pm
I did find it unusual for JB to release ads attacking Biss. I figured that JB wouldn’t bother introducing anyone to the State Senator.

Comment by AlfondoGonz Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 2:23 pm
He’s not wrong that this indicates that JB perceives Biss (correctly) as his biggest threat in the primary, but that’s not worthy of much celebration.

Comment by Arsenal Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 2:24 pm
–with his campaign spokesperson posting five straight tweets targeting Biss this morning alone.–

Staff on both campaigns have too much free time on their hands.

Comment by King Louis XVI Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 2:26 pm
Any chance Biss is surging too soon?

In the early days of this campaign, I figured Biss would benefit from a destructive battle between JB and Kennedy in which they ran up each other’s negatives, opening a late path for Biss to emerge as an alternative to the rich guys fighting each other.

But it’s Biss and JB taking the incoming rounds (JB taking it from Rauner.) If he displayed more political competence, Kennedy might be able to take advantage of being ignored and emerge unbloodied to make a threatening stretch run.

Comment by Roman Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 2:28 pm
==If he displayed more political competence, Kennedy might be able to take advantage of being ignored and emerge unbloodied to make a threatening stretch run.==

If.

Comment by TKMH Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 2:29 pm
–..it’s fair to say JB Pritzker woke up this Groundhog Day weekend and saw nothing but a giant Daniel Biss-shaped shadow.–

Still haven’t heard back on that application to the Iowa Writers Workshop, I bet.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 2:30 pm
Who’s shadow goes from what can be self-described as big… but turns into a tall, much thinner lanky shadow?

Tie-ins are “swell”

Me?

I woulda tied in the “six weeks of winter” and the six weeks of the Primary left until Election Day.

Easier, and more thoughtful bridge.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 2:37 pm
Good to see DePaul is allowing public speakers again.

Comment by City Zen Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 2:39 pm
In true Biss form his “rejoicing” about being attacked now will turn into whining during the general election as Rauner spends endless streams of cash painting him as being a political wind sock that’s only constant quality is that he rolls over for Madigan.

Comment by Concerned Dem Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 3:47 pm
It is a tad premature to worry about Rauner attacking Biss. But I don’t doubt that he will be whining about the general even if he isn’t in it.

Comment by former southerner Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 3:54 pm
Biss is now my least favorite candidate. He’s against Amazon and wants rent control. Very dangerous.

Comment by Ron Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 3:58 pm
Isn’t Biss also now pushing a financial transaction tax in Chicago? Kiss Chicago bye, bye with that insane idea.

Comment by Ron Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 4:08 pm
- Ron -
Biss isn’t the only one who doesn’t want Amazon. It would be one thing if we weren’t offering Amazon the kitchen AND the sink, but we are in forms of tax “incentives”and that’s a huge problem. Amazon HQ2 is a race to the bottom, but I think that’s a topic for another thread (CC: Rich)
Ironically, this is a point that IPI agrees with as well, otherwise known to libertarians out there as “Corporate Welfare”

Comment by ILDemVoter Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 4:13 pm
==- King Louis XVI - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 2:26 pm:==

It’s comms staff, it’s part of their job.

Comment by Precinct Captain Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 4:29 pm
Ron. Just wondering. Do you believe in tax credits for all?

Comment by blue dog dem Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 4:38 pm
Ron,

On the same page with you. I want to wholly support Biss , but the transaction tax and rent control push are very misguided agenda items.

I can only hope these are not even close to being reality because I won’t vote for JB or Kennedy.

Comment by CityGal Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 4:54 pm
Citygal. Without the transaction tax, nearly all of Biss’ campaign promises are merely that.

Comment by Blue dog dem Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 5:12 pm
Almost certainly voting for Rauner again. I wanted to like Kennedy, but he ain’t cutting it for me.

Comment by Ron Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 5:30 pm
*nod*

Comment by CityGal Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 6:17 pm
I will not vote for Biss

I will either vote for Kennedy or JB

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 6:30 pm
Biss is crying like a Baby that spilt its Milk

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 6:31 pm
Well, Pritzker is justifiably scared. That’s a good thing for Biss. And for the state.

Comment by Frankly Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 8:46 pm