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I think I finally figured it out

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Illinois

* Press release…

Bruce Rauner doesn’t want to “dwell on the past” after 13 Veterans and spouses died on his watch and 11 families are suing the state for negligence after Rauner failed to end the Legionnaires’ crisis and keep our Veterans safe.

When asked if he thought an administration email trying to blame his fatal mismanagement on combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth was “proper,” Rauner responded, “I don’t think we should dwell on the past.”

“Bruce Rauner let 13 Veterans and spouses die on his watch and then his administration tried to pin it on our combat Veteran U.S. Senator, but Rauner doesn’t want to ‘dwell on the past,’” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Years of fatal mismanagement and blatant cover ups deserve our full attention, and to suggest otherwise is an insult to the wellbeing of our nation’s heroes.”

* Video…

Um, wait.

* This is how the Senger campaign responded last week, with emphasis added by me…

The simple, bipartisan fact is that for years, including the past Blagojevich and Quinn administrations, our veterans homes suffered from chronic underfunding that impacted the care our veterans received along with the critical maintenance and modernization of the state’s veterans facilities.

There is no doubt that the lack of proper funding for veterans over the last decade has exacerbated the problems we currently face. If we choose to ignore the past, systemic failures to fund our veteran’s programs, then we are destined to continue to face these challenges in the future and that was the point of my comment–we need to understand how and when these problems started in order to find long-term solutions.

Not to mention that the governor almost constantly talks about the disastrous years before he was elected. That’s almost his entire schtick.

So, does “the past” actually start in December of 2014?

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, May 7, 18 @ 1:46 pm

Comments

“So, does “the past” actually start in December of 2014?”

If you told me that November 4, 2014 was when this darkest timeline branched, I wouldn’t argue with you.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Monday, May 7, 18 @ 1:57 pm
To the Post,

Rauner and Senger complain about funding “before”?

“VA funding, Rauner vetoed that”

‘Nember that?

“I’m frustrated too, but reforming Illinois is more important than a short term budget stalemate”

Turns out, that gamble from 2015 and the budget fix until July 2015… the start of FY2016 and FY2017 not having budgets…

So… how can a governor who has never signed a whole fiscal year budget… complain about anyone not fully funding… anything?

“Funding for Rauner’s agencies?”

Rauner vetoes that.

Oh… y’all wanna talk about vetoing that 32% Madigan Tax… and it matters…

… welp, then it matters just as much as Rauner vetoing funding for the VA

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 7, 18 @ 1:58 pm
I’m sorry but I’ve never seen a less genuine person hold public office in my lifetime. Absolutely feckless.

Comment by Stark Monday, May 7, 18 @ 1:59 pm
He does not want to dwell on the past as it relates to him and his administration everyone else’s past fair game
Wait till he explains how he really was not in charge so not his administration’s fault. He really is a piece of work

Comment by DuPage Saint Monday, May 7, 18 @ 2:03 pm
Heckuva job, Brucie.

You’re close to sounding as incoherent as a Trump tweet.

Or a Trump speech.

Or Trump.

Comment by Macbeth Monday, May 7, 18 @ 2:06 pm
– that was the point of my comment–we need to understand how and when these problems started in order to find long-term solutions.–

The comment was: “We can maybe tie this back to Duckworth.”

That seemed like amoral political hackery to me.

Who knew it was actually an enlightened call to learn from the past in order to build a better future.

Thanks for clearing that up, Senger. I’m so ashamed I misunderstood your true motivations.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, May 7, 18 @ 2:07 pm
And to think that they were calling Darlene Senger “Bruce Rauner’s Hand-Picked Candidate”.

Comment by SAP Monday, May 7, 18 @ 2:12 pm
I feel sorry for the Pritzker media team. It’s like going to one of those restaurants that have a huge menu and you have to make a decision on what to order.

Comment by Been There Monday, May 7, 18 @ 2:13 pm
Rauners version of “back to the future”

Comment by Generic Drone Monday, May 7, 18 @ 2:20 pm
Dalene Senger wanted to blame a combat veteran, wounded, someone who has been in hospitals and rehabilitation facilities for veterans… and was never a part of the coverup Ms.Senger had hoped to blame on Sen. Duckworth… that’s who Darlene Senger is.

Good to know.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 7, 18 @ 2:20 pm
Shorter Rauner: “You’re on your own Darlene.”

Comment by 47th Ward Monday, May 7, 18 @ 2:25 pm
“…having political attacks and finger-pointing around the health, safety, & welfare of our veterans is inappropriate.” (5/7/18)

“Pat Quinn is, in the end, responsible for the failings at DCFS. If it was a one-year problem or a temporary problem you could say, ‘OK, maybe, there was, it’s not really his responsibility.’ But he’s been governor for six years.” (10/7/14)

Comment by Jocko Monday, May 7, 18 @ 2:39 pm
Actually, Rauner wants to live in the past. Back when there were no unions, no 8-hour-days, no child labor laws, and when robber barons got the respect he thinks they deserve.

Comment by JoanP Monday, May 7, 18 @ 2:45 pm
The past matters only when convenient. Right now it’s not convenient for the Gov. to discuss the deaths of the Quincy veterans.

Comment by anon2 Monday, May 7, 18 @ 2:45 pm
If I were Bruce I’d want to live in the past. The past as in 2014. The past where he was ahead in polling, the past where he got to hold Pat Quinn accountable, the past where the only negative was being Rahm’s buddy and $1000 bottles of wine, the past where he threw bombs at the entire Dem. party.
That’s the past he needs and wants to live in. This immediate past is really starting to show. He’s starting to look like the old man in Poltergeist 2.

Comment by DuPage Bard Monday, May 7, 18 @ 3:00 pm
Rauner responded, “I don’t think we should dwell on the past.”
Priceless
Where does GovJunk get this stuff?
The MO Gov who uses blindfolds and handcuffs as foreplay?
Guiliani?

Comment by Annonin' Monday, May 7, 18 @ 3:01 pm
Just to circle back to today’s earlier post on Mendoza as MJM’s “political lapdog”: wouldn’t the state have been better served during the IVHQ Legionnaire’s disease outbreak had the IDPH Director and the IDVA Director been of the same caliber as Susana Mendoza?

I certainly would have preferred a Mendoza-like public servant in both positions - and I bet the families of the vets who died and those who were taken ill before the outbreak was announced would, too.

Comment by dbk Monday, May 7, 18 @ 3:11 pm
At some point it isn’t how the problem started but what have you done to fix it. How does a successful businessman not get this? People will vote if you can fix other peoples problems. They won’t vote if all you ever do is complain about those problems.

Comment by NeverPoliticallyCorrect Monday, May 7, 18 @ 3:13 pm
It’ perfectly acceptable in politics to say what Rauner says, and it’s politically par for the course to blame predecessors for current problems.

Thats why politics and politicians have to show results. Everyone knows that they all lie.

It’s delirious to keep going on about how Senger’s comments about the previous administrator is worse because of Duckworth’s life as a wounded veteran. It’s giving Duckworth cover because of how she is politically defined over accomplishments.

Politicians just do what they do and they’re about as believable as Kindergarteners. No matter what party.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, May 7, 18 @ 3:31 pm
The Mark McGwire defense never works.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Monday, May 7, 18 @ 3:43 pm
“How does a successful businessman not get this?”

For the umpteenth time, he’s not a “successful businessman.” He’s a successful financial engineer. Not remotely the same thing.

Comment by Anon0091 Monday, May 7, 18 @ 3:57 pm
This reminds me of when former America’s Next Top Model winner Adrianne Curry was married to Christopher Knight, on the reality show “My Fair Brady.” They were having a big fight, and he said, “You keep bringing up things I said in the past.” And she responded, “It was AN HOUR AGO!!!”

Comment by Soccermom Monday, May 7, 18 @ 4:04 pm
=At some point it isn’t how the problem started but what have you done to fix it.=

Bingo.

Rauner cannot control what happened before he took office. I guess he is still saying he is not in control….

Comment by JS Mill Monday, May 7, 18 @ 4:16 pm
Good god. For Rauner to say this is absurd and bizarre.

What about IVPP? It was Rauner and barickman’s Benghazi for weeks and weeks.

Comment by Anoniphone Monday, May 7, 18 @ 4:36 pm
- fact is that for years, including the past Blagojevich and Quinn administrations, our veterans homes suffered from chronic underfunding-

The fact is that not only Vets Affairs but virtually every state agency was underfunded and had suffered big cuts in staff thanks to George Ryan’s early retirement program.
The problem is that Rauner ran for governor claiming the agencies were bloated and he was going to cut them down to size.
He either didn’t know what he was talking about or was simply lying.
Whichever it was, there’s no reason to re-elect him

Comment by Truthteller Monday, May 7, 18 @ 4:57 pm
Folks its time to start talking about Rauner in terms of ‘past’ tense.

Comment by blue dog dem Monday, May 7, 18 @ 6:29 pm
==giving Duckworth cover==
No a disabled veteran shouldn’t be given cover if he or she has done something illegal or immoral. Is that the case here?
Senger didn’t say in the original email we should tie this to underfunding, did she? Senger didn’t bring up any other Directors of Illinois Department of Veterans. Why not? And anyway, how much control over funding does a director have? Does the GA hand her a checkbook and say “have at it?”

“We can maybe tie this back to Duckworth” is hideous even without Duckworth being a disabled vet. I can’t blame people for having a visceral reaction. Or as you call it “delirious”.

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Tuesday, May 8, 18 @ 8:06 am