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Because… Madigan!

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Illinois

* The Tribune on Gov. Rauner’s WJPF radio interview yesterday…

“Mike Madigan’s power, his tentacles, are everywhere, in all the branches of government. But I’ve figured out how to get around him,” the governor said, citing passage of a balanced budget.

All of Rauner’s talk about Madigan’s power prompted the show’s host, Tom Miller, to ask the Republican governor: “Bruce, are you saying that there’s a deep state in Illinois when it comes to Madigan?”

“Well, I can tell you there absolutely is, and it is corrupt. It’s corrosive, and it’s very powerful,” Rauner said.

“Madigan is the head of it, but he’s got his cronies, his minions all buried in the judiciary in the judicial branch, all through the General Assembly and unfortunately in most of the departments over in the administration, the executive branch of government,” he said.

And since the governor was speaking to a Downstate audience, Rauner added that his Democratic challenger Pritzker was a “super-liberal gun-grabber” who was “bad news for southern Illinois.”

The full interview is here.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 9:24 am

Comments

God,

This is your only begotten Grandson. Please make this stop after Nov. 6. You know why. Thanks.

Comment by Grandson of Man Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 9:29 am
Still no sign of those strawberries?

Tuning into most radio and cable-yakkers is like an elective lobotomy.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 9:31 am
My hope is if Rauner does go down, soundly and decisively, Bruce and Diana Rauner are gracious.

Harping on the same thing that has you down double digits, admitting you’re failed…

…Queeg like desperation like… alleging people in your own administration working “against you”…

Please, if Bruce leaves the stage, leave gracefully.

You’ve failed. Move on.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 9:31 am
He just makes it up as he goes along. If his lips are moving, he is lying. He has lost all credibility with anyone who is able to think. This stuff may work on the truly gullible, or the hardcore right, but it won’t work on a normal voter.

Comment by Retired Educator Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 9:34 am
That’s baloney /s

Comment by Gallactic Cupcake Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 9:38 am
Again he forgets that HE is the Governor. If there was this secret society of corrupt people within the administration, he has had 4 years to weed them out and get rid of them.

He’s unstable.

Comment by potato Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 9:40 am
“But I’ve figured out how to get around him,”

By signing your only budget that was passed with bipartisan support over your obstreperous objections? Which is the sole accomplishment of your disastrous administration.

Comment by Huh? Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 9:40 am
Special thanks to Atlas Genius and their song Trogans. I get this ear worm when ever Rauner speaks of corrupt Madigan.

Just change the lyrics to:
Take it off, take it in
take off all the thoughts of what we’ve been
take a look, hesitate
take a picture you could never recreate
…..
change the locks, change the scene
change it all but can’t change what we’ve been
Oh, oh your Madigan’s in my head
oh oh your Madigan’s in my head
Your Madigan’s in my head.

Comment by Cable Line Beer Gardener Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 9:41 am
The crazy train is officially off the rails.

Comment by unspun Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 9:42 am
Bruce believes in Bruce and money. Otherwise, there’s no there, there - other than saying what he thinks will help him in the moment. There is a diagnostic term for that kind of personality. From a material standpoint, it’s gotten him far in life.

Comment by Moe Berg Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 9:42 am
So Madigan is now an Irish Soros?

Comment by a drop in Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 9:43 am
Oswego Willy - Only two things left for Rauner to do.

1. Pick out which costume to wear when giving his concession speech.
2. Decide if it will be longer than the final three words uttered by the officiant in the “unholy union” commercial.

Comment by Dance Band on the Titanic Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 9:43 am
I would hope that he finds some level of grace after he loses. It’s in the state’s best interests.

Still, his utter lack of grace on the campaign trail should not be forgotten or forgiven. His rhetoric is disgraceful and should be called out as such.

Comment by slow down Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 9:44 am
His tentacles are everywhere, his cronies are everywhere, his minions are all buried deep. And I am powerless/not in charge. Sounds like a paranoid plot straight from a Phillip K Dick book.

Comment by zatoichi Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 9:45 am
The ironic thing about these statements is that Rauner tried to get his tentacles, cronies and minions dug in to all branches of government with a bunch of cash, but he just happened to fail.

Comment by Moby Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 9:46 am
==unfortunately in most of the departments over in the administration, the executive branch of government==

Mike Madigan and the Bruce Rauner Administration he controls…

Comment by Arsenal Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 9:55 am
“I’ve figured out how to get around him,”

Roll over on your back with arms and legs in the air and ask to have your tummy scratched?

Comment by Huh? Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 9:56 am
If Bruce didn’t have a Jewish spouse, he’d probably be saying that Madigan changed his surname from Madiganstein to Madigan, and is really Jewish. That would fit in quite nicely with the Jewish cabal, Soros/tentacles everywhere rhetoric coming from the wacky, far right.

Comment by Yiddishcowboy Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 9:57 am
Maybe he can wear all the costumes at once? Or hire the guy who did Bulls half time with 4 or 5 dummies tied to sticks on his shoulders for a one man Village People show.

Comment by Annonin' Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 10:01 am
In the “Rauner Zone”

Comment by d.p.gumby Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 10:06 am
“super-liberal gun-grabber”

Leave it to Bruce to make JB sound like a member of the Justice League.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 10:13 am
I wonder if Bruce said all that Madigan stuff while he was playing with his ball bearings in his hand. Agree with OW about hoping for a graceful exit statement without using Madigan as his main topic.

Comment by Big Joe Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 10:16 am
He’s been in a full term and still can’t figure out how to be a governor. What a wasted four years.

After twenty years of bad governors, MJM has stepped in to fill the vacuum of leadership in Illinois. Yeah, he’s no one’s top choice to do that, but he’s in control thanks to Ryan, Blagojevich, Quinn and Rauner. We’ve seen two felons, one impeachment, a Long Recession, and population loss. Our budget’s is busted, our taxes too high and our pension costs inflating.

We needed a governor capable of demonstrating stability and control. We are still looking.

You are a failure, not because of Madigan, but because you had nothing but disrespect for anyone with public service experience. Your wealth was built on failures and disrespect. Naturally you took what worked for you into the Mansion, where it had no place to be.

You are being fired Tuesday.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 10:16 am
The Madigan obsession has corrupted Rauner’s mind.

Comment by Wensicia Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 10:20 am
It’s universally known that the Speaker is the most powerful person in state government…has been for 20+ years. Just once, I’d like him to accept some responsibility for the issues that the state faces and provide a plan to address them. I know that he won’t do it, because he’s a politician first and foremost. Until then, the Because…Madigan campaign works for me.

Comment by Anon Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 10:22 am
When you lie as often as the Governor does I think you get to the point where it’s hard to separate your lies from the truth. He was laying it on thick yesterday. I would anticipate that after Tuesday he will be pointing fingers at others for his loss rather than accepting any responsibility for his rebuke from the voters.

Comment by The Dude Abides Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 10:38 am
Rauner tried to distance himself from Trump, but this phony conspiracy theory is full Trumpian. I hope the polls are accurate and this failure is sent packing to Italy.

I also think Madigan will be leaving in a short time. The state GOP will have to spend tons of money to vilify a new state Dem leader. That seems to be their only game in IL.

Comment by Norseman Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 10:41 am
Here’s 2 places Rauner had opportunities where he didn’t have to “get around” Madigan: the EPA and Veterans Affairs. He blew it, and he blew it.

Comment by Lefty Lefty Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 10:53 am
I don’t think Rauner will exit gracefully. I’m not sure he has it in his character. He won’t take any responsibility for the outcome. He’ll just revert back to his ‘lack of messaging’ meme.

Comment by Cubs in '16 Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 11:08 am
Rauner has only a few days left to prove Pritzker and Madigan are witches by throwing them in the lake to see if they float!

Comment by Harvest76 Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 11:10 am
=The state GOP…will vilify the new leader=

Because…Lou Lang.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 11:18 am
We hope that 1.4% gets fired on 11/6 but he has until 1/14/19 to clean out his desk.

Comment by Huh? Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 11:21 am
If it comes time for rauner to concede, i expect he will scold us for not heeding his warnings of the evils about to befall us. And not joining him in his “turnaround agenda.”

He gave his mea culpa, and occasionally talks about small steps and cooperation. But then he says he has figured out how to work around madigan. He has learned zero. 30/60

Comment by Langhorne Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 11:23 am
Irony in the Governor’s words. The senior state employees, 20+ years of service and in places where they can get things done, were all hired by GOP administrations. Doesn’t mean they are all conservative, but a lot are … especially the Governor’s Office staff that usually end up embedded in agencies at the end of a Governor’s term.

If you still had any doubt of Rauner’s politics naivety, that statement alone should end it.

Rauner’s 4 years have been nothing but one wasted opportunity after another. About all he has for accomplishments is some criminal justice reform and being smart enough to go along with the school funding reform.

Comment by RNUG Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 11:25 am
–Agree with OW about hoping for a graceful exit statement without using Madigan as his main topic.–

Wouldn’t that, though, be the height of hypocrisy? He’s spent the last four years howlin’ that everyone is a crook but him. At the end, he’s goin’ to wish them well?

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 11:35 am
It is certainly true that as the leader of the Democratic party in Illinois since 1998 and the longest serving leader of any state or federal legislative body in the history of the United States, Mike Madigan certainly has his tentacles everywhere in Illinois Government.

It is also true that the Speaker’s legacy is one of a severe decline in confidence in Illinois government, business competitiveness and population.

Comment by Lucky Pierre Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 11:58 am
==It is certainly true that…

LP, you left off that it is also certainly true the Governor has been a spectacular failure by his own standards of “Pat Quinn failed.”

Comment by don the legend Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 12:21 pm
It is certainly true that Bruce Rauner took office four years ago crowing about his ability to reshape the Illinois political landscape by beating Mike Madigan at his own game. He would certainly force the hand of every Illinois dem and make them answer to the public for every mess that Bruce would soon clean up, while also electing republican majorities under his leadership.

It is also true that the Speaker’s legacy will be one of Bruce Rauner being forced out of that same office four years later as a broken man, babbling on his way out about conspiracy theories while also likely handing dems veto-proof majorities in both chambers and control of the 2020 remap.

Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 12:31 pm
Rauner taking credit for passing the balanced budget by having his own Republicans have to turn agaist him to save Illinois and vote with Madigan and the Democrats. This is how Rauner claims he has figured out how to get around Madigans tentacles? Call the men in the white coats.

Comment by DeseDemDose Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 12:48 pm
Are those Republicans who “saved Illinois” running for re-election?

Of course not because a majority of their constituents don’t think Illinois has been saved.

Comment by Lucky Pierre Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 1:52 pm
===Of course not because a majority of their constituents don’t think Illinois has been saved.===

… or Rauner and Proft ran them off with either Slytherin ideals, or Rauner’s money anger.

You notice, you keep touting all these republicans leaving, the party is shrinking at the same time.

Not an accident.

But Rauner signed an unconstitutional, unbalanced budget

Why are you still supporting Rauner? LOL

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Nov 2, 18 @ 1:59 pm