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* My Crain’s Chicago Business column…
He’s not a household name like Mike Madigan or Bruce Rauner, but House Republican leader Jim Durkin played an outsize role in delivering the first on-time budget in four years.
Durkin claims to this day that he was able to convince, cajole and drag other legislative leaders and the governor 90 percent of the way to a budget agreement last year until it all blew up in July. Ten of his GOP members broke ranks and voted to override Rauner’s vetoes of the state’s first full-year budget since before Rauner took office and an income tax hike to pay for it.
When the smoke cleared, Durkin had a problem. Some of his conservative members blamed him for not being tough enough on the members who bolted. And the insurgents were furious about all the pressure that Rauner had put on them about their votes. Mutiny was in the air.
Durkin had to pull his caucus back together quickly because a vote on a massive education funding reform bill would happen a month after the budget blowup.
But then Durkin had another problem.
Click here to read the rest before commenting, please. Thanks.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 9:20 am
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I can’t recall the last time Durkin and I agreed on an issue, but credit where it’s due: he has done very well in his role as minority leader.
Comment by thunderspirit Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 9:38 am
But Dan Proft told Jim Durkin, “You don’t know what the [banned word] you’re talking about[banned punctuation]”
And when has Dan Proft ever been wrong?
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 9:45 am
Rauner sounds as high-maintenance as the entire GOP caucus.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 9:55 am
He’s got the whole package: fastballs, curve, slider, changeup. The tougher the hitter against him, the better he gets.
Comment by walker Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 9:57 am
How many times can Durkin play the “King’s man” to Rauner and the GOP’s “Humpty Dumpty” politics? At some point, even Flex Seal ain’t gonna fix the breaks and cracks, and it doesn’t look like Rauner is going to finance a “Red Wave” as much as he did in the past.
Comment by Anon221 Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 10:11 am
=== Ten of his GOP members broke ranks and voted to override Rauner’s vetoes of the state’s first full-year budget since before Rauner took office and an income tax hike to pay for it. ===
Durkin got things done this year because of the 10 and the five others who voted to pass the bill. For the most part, they’ve sacrificed their political careers to do the right thing for the State of Illinois. Durkin gets a pat on the back for his efforts this year, but my admiration goes to Andersson, Harris … .
Comment by Norseman Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 10:18 am
Gee, where was Leader Durkin and who was he leading 3 years ago, 2 years ago? If being forced into a real budget in an election year is heroic, that diminishes the term. Now if he had stood up for a budget in Rauner’s first year, one that avoided all the debt Rauner piled up in unappropriated spending, Durkin might be seen as a legitimate leader. Praising him for some kind of leadership now does not make sense to me.
Comment by My New Handle Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 10:24 am
Proft and Tillman spent $1.8 mil trying to beat Durkin in the primary only to have their guy lose by 30 points. Next session let’s pass a law banning incompetent political advisors. The Proft/Tillman law.
Comment by 19th ward guy Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 10:31 am
=Praising him for some kind of leadership now does not make sense to me.=
Agreed.
Also has Durkin stopped lying that; “new revenues do nothing to address past due payments or pay down debt”?
Comment by Deadbeat Conservative (likely blocked) Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 10:47 am
It clearly took skill and strong personal relationships to pull together a badly fractured caucus. Had he been able to unite the caucus to oppose Rauner earlier, I would have been happier. That was a bridge too far.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 10:53 am
OW, this is an interesting article. Of course, All of RM’s columns are. But this one sheds some light on just how helpful the guy you keep calling a Phony was to his Leader, the guy you admire. Maybe it’s worth some extra thought.
Comment by A guy Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 11:08 am
Oh - A Guy - … LOL
Phonies like Mr. Breen stand for nothing but their own righteous indignation.
In reality, Mr. Breen now is as much of a supporter of HB40 as Diana Rauner, lol.
You and Mr. Breen, you guys keep telling everyone how it should be, but support the people who do the opposite anyway. That’s how phonies go.
As for Leader Durkin, who I have called the most important person under the dome, I don’t recall a righteous indignation towards policy or a finger waving ideologue, but someone who read his caucus and understood that phonies like Mr. Breen, meh, they burn their ships and swim back, hoping no one notices.
I am with Leader Durkin all day. Every day and twice on Sunday too. In the end leaders know phonies will know when they need to fall in line.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 11:19 am
Had Durkie known there would be this much slobbering 3 years he might have stood up to GovJunk rather than handin’ out the rental checks. Could have stopped a lot of destruction
Comment by Annonin' Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 12:00 pm
==In reality, Mr. Breen now is as much of a supporter of HB40 as Diana Rauner, lol.==
This is so idiotic, I don’t even know where to begin.
Comment by A guy Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 12:19 pm
“”they burn their ships and swim back, hoping no one notices.”"
Great line, O’Willy. Restaurant quality.
But I see Breen as strictly loyal to his “pro-Life” mission, and shows consistency in doing anything and everything he needs to that end. Loyalties to people and party come and go as useful in that overriding context.
Comment by walker Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 12:26 pm
- walker -
Appreciate the kind words.
To your comment too, if I may…
===But I see Breen as strictly loyal to his “pro-Life” mission, and shows consistency in doing anything and everything he needs to that end.===
Agreed, which is confusing and quite phony, when you think on the words in the “Manifesto of Beliefs” that then begat the 100% support of Bruce Rauner.
So Mr. Breen has a flexibility rigid set of unwavering beliefs?
Breen wrote what he wrote, that’s on him. Righteous indignation can bring out phony lines that one will cross.
To Durkin and all this, to bring it back, there was never this ideological line that pragmatism had to navigate. It was about being, and still being the most important person under the dome. Mr. Breen, to his own chagrin I’m sure would like to unwrite that Manifesto, because if Mr. Breen stands by that, how can I take serious someone who wants his moral compass to be taken serious within policy like abortion?
Breen was an utter phony writing it, or worse, a bigger phony after retracting it’s meaning.
Meanwhile, Leader Durkin was more consumed at keeping a caucus together and working to keep that caucus focused on Illinois and themselves, and sidelining Rauner for the betterment of both. Tough ask, Durkin showed he could do it.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 12:35 pm
===I don’t even know where to begin.===
Start here…
Capitol Fax…
===Rep. Peter Breen (R-Lombard) last year after Gov. Rauner signed HB40…
In the face of overwhelming evidence of Rauner’s inability to competently administer the Illinois government, inability to stand up to Mike Madigan effectively, and inability to keep his word and his commitments, I can no longer support him.
* Peter Breen today…
The people have spoken. They gave Gov. Bruce Rauner the edge. Gov. Rauner stated in the media that he’s heard the message, and I believe he has. Gov. Rauner is our party’s nominee, and I support him 100%===
Mr. Breen and his hollow “Manifesto of Beliefs”, he and Diana Rauner support the governor that signed, arguably, the most liberal state abortion bill in America.
That’s who Mr. Breen is. You don’t like him being called a phony, but a phony he is, either with the Manifesto or his complete retraction, and his support of a governor that embodies *allegedy*… lol
Durkin has been pragmatic. Leaders that understand pragmatism aren’t phonies to policy or beliefs. They can be phonies in other ways, but Breen’s righteous indignation wants the framing about his righteousness, not me judging what i think he meant.
So, “In reality, Mr. Breen now is as much of a supporter of HB40 as Diana Rauner, lol.”
Yep.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 12:49 pm
Durkin has finally done his job. I applaud this effort, but I have to wonder about the last three years, when he was nothing but an enabler for Rauner. It is good he finally got it right, but 3 1/2 years of wrong is hard to overcome. I think he knew he had another potential rebellion on hand. He was able to make it look like he controlled his caucus, when in reality they would not have followed Rauner again. They understand the Governor is a lame duck, and following him off the cliff again, would be counter-productive
Comment by Retired Educator Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 3:41 pm
Nope OW. Your explanation is a dog. And the dog doesn’t hunt. His comments after Rauner signed the bill were indeed harsh and authentic. When offered a choice, he chose to support a person who would not have signed that bill. She lost. His option then was to support the nominee or not. His option was to support his Leader, who I’m sure was very grateful to have his steadfast support. He’s taken plenty of tough votes for his Leader, and I would assume he’s helped him keep the troops together. I guess in your book that’s a phony. And today, you proclaim he and Diana are in lockstep on HB 40. It’s still, 2 explanations later by you, among the most idiotic things I’ve ever heard. Oy.
Comment by A guy Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 5:00 pm
Oh, - A Guy -, lol
Mr. Breen stands for nothing that is considered a character issue. His word and his righteous indignation is embarrassing to his character issues HE felt were so important…
===His option then was to support the nominee or not.===
… over his own character issues.
Some people stand for things, so much so, their righteous indignation means something.
That’s NOT Mr. Breen. Mr. Breen says one thing, then folds, not to stand for those principles again.
You don’t like it, but he did that.
Mr. Breen’s hollow words mean nothing, except to be mocked.
===I would assume he’s helped him keep the troops together. I guess in your book that’s a phony.====
No, I’ve explained why Mr. Breen’s a phony.
===Rep. Peter Breen (R-Lombard) last year after Gov. Rauner signed HB40…
In the face of overwhelming evidence of Rauner’s inability to competently administer the Illinois government, inability to stand up to Mike Madigan effectively, and inability to keep his word and his commitments, I can no longer support him.
* Peter Breen today…
The people have spoken. They gave Gov. Bruce Rauner the edge. Gov. Rauner stated in the media that he’s heard the message, and I believe he has. Gov. Rauner is our party’s nominee, and I support him 100%===
lol, that’s why.
===And today, you proclaim he and Diana are in lockstep on HB 40===
What I said…
“In reality, Mr. Breen now is as much of a supporter of HB40 as Diana Rauner, lol.”
Yep, they want the signer of arguably the most liberal state abortion in America to be our governor again.
Breen supports Rauner.
Pro-Life supporters should be reminded about Breen’s support of Rauner. Breen is now no better than those he feels to chastise. Mr. Breen burned his ships and now, 100%, supports Rauner, no different than Diana.
===the most idiotic things I’ve ever heard===
Mr. Breen supports arguably the most pro-abortion governir in America, with righteous indignation about being lied to as he did it, lol
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 5:20 pm
- A Guy -
I’ll make you a deal, Mr. Breen too.
If he stops his “Manifestos”, there won’t be a reason for me to question his intents.
It’s a teaching moment. I hope he doesn’t decide to put himself in these positions again, no matter how strong he feels he must seem to stand.
He can always be more pragmatic, like Leader Durkin.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 5:29 pm
Good article. Pragmatism is politics is sorely missed. Compromise is a pillar of democracy.
Comment by The_Equalizer Monday, Jun 4, 18 @ 6:35 pm
==He can always be more pragmatic, like Leader Durkin.==
I’m in no position to make any deals for anyone else. Maybe he’ll read this. Don’t know.
Don’t lose sight of the fact that Breen is a guy who greatly influences the ability of Durkin to be “pragmatic”.
Comment by A guy Tuesday, Jun 5, 18 @ 9:30 am
===Maybe he’ll read this. Don’t know.===
Mr. Breen doesn’t read what I write.
===Don’t lose sight of the fact that Breen is a guy who greatly influences the ability of Durkin to be “pragmatic”.===
Don’t lose sight…
===In the face of overwhelming evidence of Rauner’s inability to competently administer the Illinois government, inability to stand up to Mike Madigan effectively, and inability to keep his word and his commitments, I can no longer support him.===
And…
===The people have spoken. They gave Gov. Bruce Rauner the edge. Gov. Rauner stated in the media that he’s heard the message, and I believe he has. Gov. Rauner is our party’s nominee, and I support him 100%===
… that Mr. Breen’s righteous indignation is swayed by vote totals.
So “because vote totals”… Rauner has the ability to competently administer the Illinois government, can stand up to Mike Madigan effectively, and magically can keep his word and his commitments?
You go with that, lol
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jun 5, 18 @ 9:37 am