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* The Tribune pretty well sums up the policy and style problems with the governor’s new “grassroots campaign”…
After months of promising a major grass-roots effort to win public support for reforming the state’s government worker pension system, Gov. Pat Quinn on Sunday unveiled a plan that featured an incomplete online strategy, children wearing red plastic megaphones and an animated “Squeezy the Pension Python” mascot.
There were, however, no solutions offered on how to fix the nation’s most underfunded retirement system.
The Democratic governor, known for a style that sometimes veers into the corny, attempted to jump-start the pension overhaul push by lauding the power of “the people of Illinois, good and true” through what he called the “electronic democracy” of Twitter and Facebook. Quinn went so far as to encourage families gathering at the Thanksgiving dinner table to “speak to each other” about the pension crisis.
The approach left some lawmakers questioning whether the governor demeaned the severity of one of the most pressing unresolved problems facing state government in Illinois. State Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, called Quinn’s strategy “juvenile.”
* And here he is, ladies and gentlemen, Squeezy the Pension Python…
Sheesh.
* Go check out the website. Our own OneMan lays out some of the missteps pretty well…
The video is too long (it is the longest 3:44 of my life, do it in 90 seconds with a different host). Do not explain what a pension is in your intro video, have a different video for that.
Have some ways to illustrate the problem from a local perspective…
Enter your address and see how much the pension hole is for your school district(s) for example… How big is your family’s cut of the pension hole.
Have immediate next steps defined. There should be no ’stay tuned’, there should be we are having a meet-up/tweet-up/google+ meetup thing on X at Y and again at Z on A
Start taking names for an e-mail list… Gee, this is obvious.
* The overly long video…
* As ArchPundit points out, the hashtag they’re trying to push (#thanksinadvance) is already in widespread use and won’t stick out. For example…
If someone could kindly go and remove the sand from formby beach before tomorrow morning i would be very greatful. #thanksinadvance
* Finding the accompanying Facebook page ain’t easy, but here it is. Check out some of the comments…
#Peggy Glatz: How about politicians work for minimum wage FOR ONE YEAR. That would fix a lot.
#John C. Gallagher: What about the grants given to the families of large campaign funders? Maybe some of that money could have gone to funding the pensions in prior years. Always easy to say this caused that, Governor Quinn, but how does it feel coming the other way?
#Bob Madura: Posts are being deleted from this forum !
* But most of the comments are focused on the thing that Quinn’s new website completely ignores…
#Jim Johanson: Don’t Penalize The Employees Who Made Their Contributions…While The Politicians Underpaid The Pension Funds For Decades!!!!
Go check out the website and report back.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 3:29 am
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Jim Johnson has it right!
Comment by Blago's Hare Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 5:08 am
At least Sir Hiss came off the unemployment rolls for a bit. Too bad Terry Thomas wasn’t alive for the voice-over.
Comment by Anonymous in Aurora Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 5:52 am
And we’re paying someone how much to creative and promote this ‘campaign’?
Comment by Cindy Lou Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 6:14 am
oops…yes I know how to spell ‘create’, I think I was still snickering over being compared to a cartoon charactor sucking life out of the state.
Comment by Cindy Lou Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 6:22 am
I find myself beginning to agree with Ty Fahner
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 6:49 am
Perhaps Kaa would have been a better spokessnake than Squeezy on this issue for Gov. Man Cub.
Trust in me, just trust in me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1ILPl5FQaM&feature=related
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 6:59 am
Squeezy my neezy keep my pension so breezy
Comment by Champaign Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 7:05 am
I am astounded at how the video sweeps under the rug the real reason for the squeeze - that the government stopped paying its share while the workers never did stop paying theirs.
Also, that video is aesthetically a mess, a jumble of unrelated clip art off the internet. It distracts from the speech, more than it illustrates. After such a long wait for this we expected something more. I give it a c-minus.
Comment by Newsclown Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 7:20 am
Perhaps its just the start of a bigger campaign to reveal the seven dwarfs of Illinois politics. Nominations are open.
Squeezy
Needzy
Lazy
Crazy
Sleazy (no more than 50 nominations please)
Easy (see note on Sleazy)
Weezy (Louise Jefferson is a lock)
Comment by Tommydanger Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 7:26 am
“grassroots campaign” …when The Governor’s office is doing the entire thing, you are doing it wrong.
Comment by ArchPundit Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 7:27 am
While the web site is mostly factual, it is also slanted. While they mention it, they don’t spend much time on the underfunding. The COLA example cheery picks numbers to make their case; back it up to, say, 1970 and you will see the 3% COLA has been dead on for that period. No mention I could find of the Constitutional protection of the pensions.
Just viewing this site, it seems more like a campaign to (semi) educate the public on why the pensions need to be paid and laying the groundwork to eventually push for a tax increase.
Also, the domain name registration is a bit screwy. If you whois the name, it comes back registered personally to Mica Matsoff (the Gov’s spokesperson) with, I assume, his home address since that address is a residential building in Chicago. And it uses the .com suffix reserved for commercial businesses rather than the .gov suffix. While the use of those suffixes is often mixed up, with the name / address it does make you wonder exactly who is behind it.
Comment by RNUG Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 7:30 am
Got an email from Quinn basically saying that pensions are a monster eating up IL the same week as an invite to his fundraiser on his bday. Guess what? I’m a union member who is still waiting on my raise promised in the binding contract he signed. I think the governor has an oversized sense of his own relevance, importance, and entitlement.
Comment by Anonymous 45 Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 7:30 am
MF — got part of it. But i wonder this does look a LOT like Kaa from Junglebook and I wonder if their are trademark or copyright infringements taking place.
Wouldn’t it be to funny to see the monothic Disney suing the Governor for copying one of their characters?
And speaking of the cartoon, was this done ona no bid contract for the marketing? Who got the PR contract to develope this? Or os this a reflection of the kinder-care operation on the second floor?
Comment by Todd Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 7:32 am
I am certain that the intern that poached Kaa from their Disney House of Mouse clip art album is a good and qualified person….just like the new Sports Authority Executive Director….so be nice.
Comment by cogenerator Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 7:42 am
The governor is embarrassing. I’m speechless. I think he needs to have his sanity checked.
Comment by Cassidy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 7:43 am
Ridonkulous
Comment by Concerned Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 7:44 am
Somehow I knew a snake would be involved in this. The Squeezy part is nice also because that’s what’s going to happen to all of us when Pat the snake charmer Quinn gets done fixing our pensions.
Comment by nieva Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 7:50 am
I think I found both the inspiration for squeezy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovzPk2sl5rM
Comment by Don Bluth Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 7:54 am
The pension system was funded at around the same level in 1970 as it is now. Yet it’s never missed a payment to a retiree in those 42 years. Can Squeezy explain how that is possible?
Comment by Anon Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 7:54 am
This is part of a growing list of “things” others are doing/did, that I would have thought about and said, “Nah, that is too dopey, I try ti be better than that … I fail, but I try to be better than that.”
I think @FakeJasonPlummer and @Stanley77 tweeted about Squeezy so I am not following them anymore!
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:11 am
Squeezy has a prominent place on my office door now. I am thankful this year for grassroots campaigns.
Comment by Waffle Fries Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:12 am
Well he now has a fan page…
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fans-of-Squeezy-The-Pension-Python/373950319360191
Comment by OneMan Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:28 am
See Disney’s Kaa
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:29 am
could this grassroots campaign really be a snake in the grass?
Comment by Todd Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:29 am
===Well he now has a fan page…===
I stand corrected, I am less Dopey … that is saying something.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:34 am
I thought the guy in the video was someone who got discarded for the footman role on Downton Abbey.
Comment by Cheswick Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:38 am
They should have put Fahner’s face on the snake and then had Ty Squeezy do the narrative. Just trying to help, Governor. Good luck with that slavery analogy. Brilliant, to say the least.
Comment by Bill Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:42 am
He would have been more effective pitching it as “I’m retiring in two years, and as a future Illinois pensions recipient myself…” Of course, admitting he’s done right now makes him irrelevant for the nex
hhaha I couldn’t even finish that though. Good luck Pat.
Comment by Jakita Wagner Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:42 am
So is the Daily Show on hiatus this week? I am guessing they are, so how many days will it take for them to get to Squeezy
Comment by OneMan Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:44 am
Even Bill Brady couldn’t screw up enough to lose the next gubernatorial election. I think Ty Squeezy would be a great campaign mascot for Quinn.
Comment by Bill Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:46 am
Why would Pat Quinn recklessly risk an international incident by vilifying a Burmese python on the same day that President Obama makes history by becoming the first U.S. president to visit Myanmar?
Partisan politics and pension posturing should stop at the water’s edge, Governor Quinn!
Comment by @SqueezyPython Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:48 am
===Even Bill Brady couldn’t screw up enough to lose the next gubernatorial election.===
Why o’ Why … why do we go down this road! Yes. Yes, the ILGOP can screw things up so bad they can lose.
When uses that statement, I think of myself and other Cubs fans. “They have to win sometime, they just have to win.”
Same boat. Same boat …
Please don’t give the ILGOP the thought they can’t mess things up, then they don’t change to do things to …WIN!
I am not a big fan of Squeezy, but @FakeJasonPlummer and @Stanley77 are “blowing up” The Twitter on how much they like Squeezy, so what do I know?
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:50 am
Who is the audience for this?
Comment by Quicknote Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:51 am
Where do you start on an effort like this? The first time I saw it I predicted a collective yawn, upon reflection I predict a collective laugh! This is it? After months of waiting and “planning” this is the best Governor Dufus and his crack staff could do? This is why we can’t trust them to have any meaningful role in the pension issue…….they are simply not competent! By the way taking away retirees pensions is not reform…..it’s theft!
Comment by Old and In the Way Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:53 am
Governor Quinn’s major effort to advance pension reform is full of glitches, mis-steps and overall a ridiculus embarressment ?
#CallmeSurprised #GovernorClumsy #Blagojevichian
Comment by siriusly Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:54 am
@SqueezyPython IS the reason I can’t be on The Twitter or The Facebook.
@SqueezyPython is just sad … I am embarrassed for the “tweeter”… Maybe the Tweeter IS a Cartoon Python? Yikes!
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:55 am
Hey!
Look on the bright side!
At least it’s not “Squealy the Pension Pig”!
I’m outta here.
Comment by Third Reading Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:55 am
==And we’re paying someone how much to create and promote this ‘campaign’?==
Bingo Cindy Lou.
Did the governor pay a creative shop to dream this up and implement the campaign, and if so, which one? Or is this debacle the result of a contest he ran for third graders to submit their ideas on pension reform?
Comment by Responsa Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:57 am
“Squealy the Pension Pig”!
Perfect! Quick! Send someone to the Disney site to steal another character!
Comment by Bill Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:00 am
@FakeSqueezyPython - I am a Python, not a Snake. I heard that the Speaker and Senate President are scared of ‘y’ being used as a vowel #SqueezyMustTweetEveryHourNoMatterWhat
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:01 am
@FakeSqueezyPython - For those who are wondering, my forked tongue allows me to Tweet 2 letters ata time! #TwoUsesForAForkedTongueInPolitics
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:02 am
I’m stunned Gov. Man Cub colored Kaa, I mean Squeezy, orange rather than AFSCME green.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:03 am
What do you say to 30 kids to make them attend a Sunday press conference? Are they the kids of political cronies, or does he find the kids at random and give the parents $20 if the kids will stand behind him?
Comment by The Elderly Man You Used to Love Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:04 am
I want to know if the governor’s office contracted out creative to a PR firm, and if so, how much did the contract cost. Would love to see the mascot names that didn’t make the cut.
Schreechy the Broken Promise Parakeet
Barky the Bounced Check Chihuahua
Baloo the Bankrupt Bear
Comment by Joe McCarthy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:04 am
Abdon Pallasch, call your office. We understand bud, the idea to leave for a government job, sounded so good, so much chance to do something good, but then you got sucked in and were forced to put up with this. It’s ok, you can come back, the right won’t hold it against you, the sun-times will give you your job back and let’s just forget this ever happened. Before you become lucio guererro and end up in 5 months doing a chicago tonight “I meant well and thought well going into the job but then it just blew up all over me”.
Comment by shore Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:05 am
How long until Squeezy runs into Mike The Mongoose…
Comment by OneMan Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:06 am
@FakeSqueezyPython - Look! Being a Caricature of a Caricature, of a Caricature is good work if you can get it. #TweetingIssuedOrientedSnarkGetsTedious
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:06 am
Joe, you’re close.
you’ll see Baloo early next year when Gov. Man Cub rolls out his budget plan and Baloo budget balancing bear explains the “bare necessities” to all of us.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:06 am
New and improved for the holiday season! It’s Squeezy the Pension Python. He chokes, he strangles, but most of all, he cuddles! Don’t let your children be without their very own squeezy doll.
Squeezy, just as spineless as your Governor, slippery as the Speaker, and as underhanded as the whole lot. Don’t try catching him, just like any real pension reforms, this snake will be lost in the grass before you have a chance to grab him.
*Available at all Al’s Toy Barn locations in the Tri-State area. May present a choking hazard, batteries not included.
Comment by NIref Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:11 am
Was this produced in Florida? Squeezie looks like a ‘gator and the spokesman looks like Jeb Bush!
Comment by Florida Fan Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:14 am
I just can’t wait to gather around the dinner table Thursday for a nice long discussion of pension reform.
Comment by Bill Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:16 am
We should all start working on a jingle to be Squeezy’s theme song.
Comment by Bill Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:20 am
Rich,
Is it too late to change my response to a previous Question of the Day?
– MrJM
Comment by MrJM Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:21 am
Oy. The hissing imposed over the latter half of the video, the implication that the Evil Pensions threaten children and All That is Right and Good in Illinois… And am I wrong in thinking the bit with the student is blaming pensions for the death of legislative scholarships?
I swear I’ve seen “Squeezy” before, but a quick perusal of Kaa images on Google doesn’t seem to support them being the same. At least to my eye. Any expressive cartoon constrictor is going to look fairly similar, but my hunch is that “Squeezy” was cribbed from some other source or from some Jungle Book spinoff. And if you try looking for yourself, fair warning: Leave Safe Search on.
Comment by jaranath Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:22 am
Thanksgiving Day Dinner - “Dear Lord thank you for our pensions this day and those our Governor is about to take away…oh yeah and thank you for this roast python..Amen!”
Comment by WazUp Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:24 am
BAZINGA!!!
Comment by RetiredStateEmployee Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:25 am
===We should all start working on a jingle to be Squeezy’s theme song.===
Oh, - Bill -, the fun is the Tweeter for Squeezy doing that, thinking its good and you spoof it.
My fearis that everyone here would come up with one so brilliant, Squeezy might use it as a real theme jingle.
Why make it easy on them? Isn’t the fun is watching the floundering?
Good Idea thou, - Bill -!
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:26 am
Quinn has the most to lose politically both from a bungling of pension reform and/or yet another Quinn income tax increase. The next big election coming up in Illinois is the one in which he will almost certainly be running–the Democratic gubernatorial primary.
So is this self-destructive or merely manipulative. This is a silly way of claiming he is for pension reform, but maybe voters are more likely to remember it than more informative media pieces on the subject. And if it doesn’t happen and he has to raise taxes? We’re supposed to remember that he tried.
I think RNUG is correct–this is a runup to a tax increase. You’d think we’d see through the Quinn/AFSCME Kabuki dances by now, but I’m not optimistic.
Speaking of Kabuki dances, what’s happening with the increases in state retiree health insurance charges. I understand they haven’t started charging the additional fees yet–or even determined what they will be. If the Quinn admin can’t even get that done, how likely, really, is pension reform.
Comment by cassandra Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:28 am
Well kids, you can sit here and talk pension reform with the adults or do the dishes…
Dishes, dishes….
Comment by OneMan Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:30 am
Who’s the narrator?
He’s like Dick Ingram crossed with Rodney Dangerfield with a touch of Mr. Belvidere.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:31 am
Hey wait a minute I think Quinn stole that idea from this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNZ64_HPYts
Comment by WazUp Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:33 am
===Who’s the narrator?===
Bill Kurtis … That could be priceless.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:33 am
=== ===Who’s the narrator?===
Bill Kurtis … That could be priceless.===
I meant of the Tweets … I don’t know who narrates.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:35 am
===He’s like Dick Ingram crossed with Rodney Dangerfield with a touch of Mr. Belvidere. ===
He looks like Frazier Thomas’ son.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:36 am
While this is a joke, how do we ever get to pension reform? The adults in the room created the mess and I am not hearing many voices of reason gaining any traction.
Comment by Shemp Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:40 am
Who launches an important media campaign on the Sunday before Thanksgiving? Is anyone even paying attention?
This seems designed to fail on every level.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:49 am
Just to be a laughing hysterical fly on the wall when Quinn and his crack staff accept this plan and speak of how this IS the gamechanger.
Comment by Tiny Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:52 am
Isn’t Nekritz now saying there is no rush to get pension reform done in January-that they have until the end of the fiscal year.
In which case, isn’t this “grassroots” campaign a bit early. Don’t these Democrats ever talk to each other?
Comment by cassandra Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:53 am
===Who launches an important media campaign on the Sunday before Thanksgiving? Is anyone even paying attention?===
This is a “soft Open” … The word of mouth for all the political types during Thanksgiving will lead to the 100% roll out of such incredible Tweeting, Pongee might even get off The Facebook and on The Twitter!!
Policy … via The Twitter … snarky … with Cartoon Snake …
Smells like a winner, or does it just smell?
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:55 am
===How long until Squeezy runs into Mike The Mongoose…
Mike the AFSCME Mongoose?
Comment by ArchPundit Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:55 am
===Who launches an important media campaign on the Sunday before Thanksgiving? Is anyone even paying attention?
This appears to be a feature and not a bug though probably unintentional.
===This seems designed to fail on every level.
Except on the humor level.
Comment by ArchPundit Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:57 am
In terms of humor level as a former governor once put it. “It is effin golden”
Comment by OneMan Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:59 am
This entire thing looks like a Saturday morning cartoon from the 1970’s.
Comment by zatoichi Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:59 am
===I just can’t wait to gather around the dinner table Thursday for a nice long discussion of pension reform.
Fortunately my sister has gagged my Brother-in-law over politics and religion so this will hopefully be avoided. As long as the Bears win tonight, I am pretty sure we can all agree on that and enjoy the dinner.
Comment by ArchPundit Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:00 am
Stay tuned for the next exciting espisode featuring our governor as cartoon hero Rikki Tikki Tavi slaying Squeezy the big bad pension python. Please tell me my tax dollars are not funding his animated fantasies…
Comment by Not a fan Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:00 am
Quinn hath loosed his fateful lightning.
Comment by WirePoints.com Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:03 am
Does Squeezey & AFSC(a)MEy work?
Everyone should pause because if the Bankrupt Tribbies hate there must be some merit!
p.s. did Annie Thompson get out in the nick of time or what?
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:04 am
There seems to be a dearth of support for Squeezy here this morning. Even the governor’s usual staff loyalists are strangely quiet.
Comment by Responsa Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:06 am
== There seems to be a dearth of support for Squeezy here this morning. Even the governor’s usual staff loyalists are strangely quiet. ==
They are having tryouts today to be the voice of Squeezy so they are offline working on their lines.
Comment by OneMan Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:11 am
I know times are tight in springfield but that guys pants look like they haven’t been ironed since 1982. wow. also getting an actor who doesn’t look like a used car salesman from 1971 would help.
Comment by shore Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:14 am
Really Governor? This is your big plan?
I’m wondering if this is a textbook example of too many “yes men” surrounding the boss. Nobody over there bothered to question this approach or what it does to further diminish his credibility? Really?
Oh please, someone alert Seth Meyers.
Comment by siriusly Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:14 am
Yet again, the governor who often speaks to us as though we are kindergartners insults our intelligence again. This top down, grassroots campaign will do nothing but amuse some and offend others. It seems as though there is little interest in receiving input from constituents based on what I’ve seen. Asking people how they would like to see this problem solved, rather than making a lame attempt at rallying people behind his vision for a solution would be a good start at improving this campaign.
Comment by AC Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:17 am
The only pythons I want to see are located just below Joe Biden’s shoulders.
Comment by The Captain Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:18 am
And what’s all this about discussing pension reform at the table on Thanksgiving? Some of us leave the state for the holiday. Others of us don’t/can’t talk politics with the people that gather for the holiday.
Comment by Cheryl44 Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:19 am
@Joe McCarthy, Tribune reported the production was in house. in which case, who are the staffers who should be named for taking credit for this Springfield cartoon?
Comment by amalia Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:24 am
The loop will officially be closed on this when Squeezy is somehow connected to Pongee. The Misadventures of Squeezy and Pongee.
Comment by The Captain Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:26 am
==Nobody over there bothered to question this approach or what it does to further diminish his credibility?==
I dunno about that. I’d be willing to bet there are at least a few smug “told you sos” floating around there today.
Comment by Responsa Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:28 am
== And what’s all this about discussing pension reform at the table on Thanksgiving? Some of us leave the state for the holiday. Others of us don’t/can’t talk politics with the people that gather for the holiday. ==
It’s a bit like when my dentist talks to me about flossing…
Comment by OneMan Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:29 am
This Just In …
For Immediate Release.
POTTER DEFEATS PYTHON - PENSIONS SLITHER ON
Hogwarts- Harry Potter, (G - London), Has just stabbed the Python through the mouth with the Sword of Cedric Gryffendor. Though first reports were unofficial, this “Chemical Ali” video, taped in 1975 because of the clothing and dialog has been thrown out to dispel this rumor, but Mr. Potter confirmed the demise of the Python just moments ago.
“By the Sword of Cedric Gryffendor, I slay Squeezy the Python. This outdated, ill-porduced video, from a VCR which had pop spilled in it, shows. The only weapon strong enough to take out this Spoof better was the ‘Madi-Knife’ but its powers can only be wielded by Michael Madigan himself or Sirius Snape.”
A stunned Pat Quinn, (D - Chicago) continues to point the the video as proof positive a Spoof to promote negative policy action works.
Ginny Weasly (G- the Scottish Plains) was unhurt, again.
###
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:31 am
@Oswego Willy…..I can picture your post flying through the air in Hogwarts. hilarious!
Comment by amalia Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:33 am
Cassandra: I am pretty sure no one of importance (i.e. Cullerton, Madigan) has been talking to Quinn, otherwise this lamest of efforts would never have seen the light of day.
Comment by Loop Lady Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:36 am
==could this grassroots campaign really be a snake in the grass?==
“He’s a snake in the grass, I tell you, guys
He may look dumb, but that’s just a disguise.”
Charlie Daniels, Uneasy Rider
Comment by Anonymice Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:39 am
@amalia thanks for the heads up. Time for public shaming! The comedy gods demand a sacrifice! Fall on your swords now, ye of little creativity and even littler common sense!
Comment by Joe McCarthy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:44 am
Dear Mr. Squeazy- Bite me. In the grassroots. #ThanksInAdvance
Comment by msg for Squeazy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:45 am
I don’t think I’ve had 100 comments on a post before noon since Rod was in office.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:50 am
A little-known email was sent to Governor Quinn around State Fari time, which was a Game-Changer and led to the creation of Squeezy.
“Dear Governor Quinn,
It has been brought to the Legal Department’s attention here that you intend to introduce a cartoon animal to explain a policy issue and energize the grass roots of Illinois in taking part in the pension problems facing your great state.
While, as a corporation, we encourage the exchange of thoughts, and would love to assist government in moving forward to make, for example, your state, a better place for its citizens.
While we seem to be in concert with your thoughts, an “Alligator that ate a clock” is indeed the property of ABC/Disney, and any attempt to use a “tickig Alligator” as the cartoon poster child for your Grassroots efforts will lead to litigation. We appreciate your cooperation.
Have a ‘Diseny’ Day, and stop with the ‘Ticking Alligator’
Sincerely,
The Walt Disney Company.”
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:56 am
The thing is, Squeezy looks cute. Do you really want to create a tangible representation of a concept that you consider the enemy (pension growth) and make it cute?
Comment by cermak_rd Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:57 am
Well this concept is very Rod Like…
Comment by OneMan Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:57 am
#SnakeInTheGrassRoots
– MrJM
Comment by MrJM Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:58 am
A few things come to mind after seeing the clip. 1. It was 70 years worth of legislators that misspent and created the probliem, but employees paid in. 2. Why are we listening to rich fatcats; was not the nation wide referendum November 6 loud enough to be heard. 3. I’m reminded of that graet line ina movie: “Don’t pay any attention the man behind the curtain.”
Comment by BMAN Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:59 am
Hell must be frozen over, I actually agree with Jack Franks. However, I am amused that he called the Governor’s action juvenile. Hey Jack, that’s the pot calling he kettle cast iron. Would you classify that all your attempts to pandor to the media and populists as Juvenile? You are a bigger joke than Quinn and the biggest Media W#%@e in the General Assembly. You actually probably learned something from the website because you have no clue about this issue.
Comment by Dirt Diver Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 11:00 am
Welcome to the jungle, Rich!
Comment by Not a fan Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 11:01 am
The image doesn’t even make sense. If the taxpayers are the ones who are getting or will be getting squeezed, shouldn’t the snake be squeezing Illinois? Quinn living in his bubble…
Comment by Anon Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 11:04 am
CARTOON VILLANS UNION TO SUE IL GOVERNOR
For Immedate Release.
Far Far Away - A Cartoon attorney representing the Cartoon Villans Union #650 based in Far Far Away, is filing an injunction with the state of Illinois and with, specifically, the Governor of the state, Patrick Quinn. This legal response was brought on by the Local as an answer to ‘Squeezy the Python’ as a villian to Illinois Pensions.
Standing with Cruella De Ville, Snow White’s Witch, and Lot’s O Huggin Bear from Toy Story 3, the legal action was read to all animated squirrels and bunnies, as is the tradition in all evil proclamations.
“We can not let Pat Quinn have a ’scab’ villian scare Illinois. We at Local #650 Demand to see Union Credentials for ‘Squeezy’ and if those credentials are in order, why do we not have ‘Squeezy’ on our books as a member. This travesty must end, and we will end it through the legal means of the real wordl, not our Cartoon World.”
Cartoon Villians Local #650 was founded too long to remember, and by too many villians to count.
Local #650 has yet to hear from Illinois, the Governor’s Office, or ‘Squeezy’ regarding the litigation.
###
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 11:09 am
Jessica Rabbit hired as new Squeezy spokesperson.
“He’s not bad, he’s just drawn that way,” she says of ill-advised snake scheme.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 11:13 am
===Jessica Rabbit hired as new Squeezy spokesperson.
“He’s not bad, he’s just drawn that way,” she says of ill-advised snake scheme.===
The more I try, the more I lag behnind you, - Michelle Flaherty -
Well done
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 11:15 am
It left me flat and confused. Too childish.
Voters don’t care much about the history or theory of pensions — “a 70-year problem which is now strangling us” should be enough to say.
No real call for any definite action. “Just tell your legislators to fix it now” would work.
More weak stirring of the pot. Better than Fahner, though.
Comment by walkinfool Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 11:15 am
Is changing the font at Illinois.gov to comic sans the next step?
Comment by Cheryl44 Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 11:18 am
Considering this I think they already changed the font in their minds to digbat
Comment by OneMan Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 11:20 am
The video is childish. I have this mental image of the governor and staff watching this for training and education on the intracacies of pensions.
Comment by Soccertease Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 11:26 am
This just in …
AFSCME to unveil “Flippy the Bird” in response.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 11:41 am
imagine of they were to be put in charge of the ethics training what it would look like?
How about if they were put in charge fo training for a cancealed weapons permit? Oh the humanity . . .
what other videos do you think they could produce Willie and MF?
Comment by Todd Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 11:43 am
Quinn is an embarrassment and there is no way his staff can hide how absolutely stupid his grass-roots campaign has made them all look.
Comment by Cassiopeia Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 11:50 am
At first I thought that this was the motto for the US Attorney’s office.
But to no one’s surprise this is a Quinn creation. And it was introduced on a Sunday afternoon.
A new low?
Comment by Jake From Elwood Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 11:51 am
“AFSCME to unveil “Flippy the Bird” in response” + Diet Coke = spit take
Comment by Takes one to know one Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 11:54 am
===what other videos do you think they could produce Willie and MF?===
This will take some thought, - Todd -, unlike “Squeezy”, but i digress …
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 11:56 am
Can we get a cartoon of the Tootsie Pop Owl finding out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a pension problem?
Comment by Liam Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 11:56 am
CARTOON PYTHONS PUT THE SQUEEZE ON ‘SQUEEZY’
TALKING CARTOON PYTHONS SPEAK FOR GOV. QUINN?
FORKED TONGUES ARE BAD, EVEN CARTOON ONES
‘SQUEEZY’ LAYS EGGS ON IL PENSION TALK
‘SQUEEZY’ MAKES SOME QUEASEY
PYTHON NOT MIGHTY, OR MONTY
COILED FOR MOCKING, ‘SQUEEZY’ IS INTRODUCED
LIKE ALL PYTHONS, ‘SQUEEZY’ HAS NO TEETH
NO JOKE, A PYTHON SPRINGS FOR GROUNDSWELL
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 12:03 pm
After successfully squeezing the life out of state worker morale, Governor Man Cub released Squeezy to constrict the necks of retirees. All the while Squeezy says……Trussssssssssst in me.
Comment by Johnnie F. Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 12:12 pm
At the staff meeting where Pat lays out his grass roots plan, including Squeezy, of which he is very proud, he looks around the table and says, “Let’s do this in-house. Anyone here on Twitter?” And across the table, @PatQuinnsBrain quietly closes his computer….
Comment by Cheswick Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 12:14 pm
@FakeJasonPlummer - Oswego Willy, the ‘Squeezy’ Coloring Book you sent is making Losing Congress a little bit better. No hard feelings! #ColoringBooksMakeNewFriends
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 12:15 pm
Cheryl44- that made me laugh so loud everybody in the room turned to look at me.
And I will just say — I always thought Madigan was a parseltongue. So….
Comment by soccermom Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 12:15 pm
I guess we can call the snake Squezzy Pat. If I get the message ight, PAT is trying to say a promise and a hand shake can’t be trusted in Illinois. So if you belive anything Squezzy Pat says, don’t
Comment by JIM Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 12:36 pm
==AFSCME to unveil “Flippy the Bird” in response.==
WIN!
Comment by uniongal Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 12:41 pm
There will be memes. Oh yes. There will be memes.
Comment by Dirty Red Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 12:45 pm
Quinn isn’t Gov. Man Cub - he’s more like King Louie the chimp, singing to Man Cub Scott Walker “ooohh…it’s true-ooo, I wanna walk like you, talk like you doooo”
Comment by Palatine Princess Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 12:51 pm
Poor Ken Dunkin probably woke up this morning, heard the Governor’s grassroots campaign featured a snake named Squeezy and thought he had become an overnight celebrity. Oh to be a fly on the wall…
btw - Dan Proft is quoting this post on his Facebook. Well done, Governor. Bipartisanship at last!
Comment by Dirty Red Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 12:55 pm
OMG. This is so laughable. Really, you had to includee: “The word itself comes from the Latin ‘pensio’ (’a payment’).” This couched in a site that looks like a cartoon for kids. It’s also so sad that this is type of product developed by the Quinn’s office. One Man, OW, Bill and so many others have made so many good comments all I can say is “me too.”
Like RNUG, the video had a mixed message. For example:
- promises are made all the time, some that can’t be kept. (So is Quinn saying that we should or shouldn’t keep promises.)
- pensions were needed to attract quality employees because of poor salary. (So quality people aren’t important now. Plus, MC staff have actually had decreases in salary in the form of furloughs over the last 6 years.)
My Thanksgiving meal conversation will focus on how Quinn is attacking public employees with a cartoonish website.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 12:56 pm
If Quinn wants to start a true divide and conquer campaign
He needs to enlist the Koch bros.
Comment by foster brooks Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 1:02 pm
Ok, as usual I will question the convention wisdom that I’m reading on this and other blogs.
First and most important, the Governor is doing something. He is engaging dialogue and and hoping the issue is presented to a wide audience. Part of that audience appears to be kids, which does make sense. Kids are a great target audience when you want to get their parents to take an issue seriously; recycling and anti-tobacco campaigns come to mind in this regard. So, a cartoon character there makes some sense.
And I would note that based on the huge volume of comments here, it’s getting the job done in terms of talking about the issue, albeit with some snickering involved. So I say, Squeezy do your thing.
Comment by phocion Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 1:34 pm
Squeezy is bound to go viral. It’s that hilarious.
Comment by Just a Citizen Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 1:39 pm
Phocion,
“some snickering”? This is perhaps the dumbest things I’ve witnessed at the Capitol in decades. If you think this is a good approach, please submit your resume to the Quinn Administration. There’s probably a six-figure assistant director of something available for you.
Ok, back to the mocking …
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 1:40 pm
===First and most important, the Governor is doing something. ===
What? Seeing if Stan Lee has an opening? Sending drawings to Hanna-Barbera? If being put in a position to be mocked for an inept answer to “what are you doing about pensions” Cartoons?
===He is engaging dialogue and and hoping the issue is presented to a wide audience. Part of that audience appears to be kids, which does make sense.===
If you call the Members of the General Assembly “kids”, while some may mock that, the audience Qunn needs to engage are adults, and the adults of the General Assembly. All the kids want to know is what color to make “Squeezy”. You give a simple explanation, I will give simple mocking. Kids are far smarter than we want to admit, but THAT is the best way to attack this?
===Kids are a great target audience when you want to get their parents to take an issue seriously; recycling and anti-tobacco campaigns come to mind in this regard.===
Kids aren’t making the debt, adults are. Kids were smoking, so having ads towards kids made sense. When a kid does NOT pay the pension obligation, then you can go with a cartoon.
===So, a cartoon character there makes some sense. ===
No sense, adults do NOT pay the pension-obligation, kids just DON’T pay their parents back for songs they buy on iTunes, for example
===And I would note that based on the huge volume of comments here, it’s getting the job done in terms of talking about the issue, albeit with some snickering involved.===
Some? That is like the Captain of the Titanic saying, “We have a minor ‘leak’. Sometimes press can be bad, and make you look silly and out of touch with problems. This is that choice, and these are those posts. Not good at all.
===So I say, Squeezy do your thing.===
What, make Quinn look like a Buffoon? Well than, “Squeezy” did that, “Squeezy” squeezed all the sanity and leadership out of the room. Sucking all the air out of the discussion is world class bufoonery.
Keep it up, “Squeezy”!
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 1:46 pm
This must be a test run to see how much support Quinn will get with this…or not!
Comment by Rusty618 Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 1:52 pm
Toby the Tire comes out of this looking like Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 2:01 pm
Next we’ll have the Pillsbury Dough Boy come up with a solution …
Comment by RNUG Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 2:13 pm
Wow Michelle and Willy - I did say I was defying the comment Board’s conventional wisdom. As Al Gore famously said, “there’s no need to get snippy about it.”
You may likely end up being correct that this will turn out to be a PR dud. But all I’ve heard is criticizing this approach - no ideas on what might be a better approach that hasn’t already been attempted. And by the way, I’m not in the Quinn Administration or employed by any governmental body. Nor would I want to be.
There are just too many smart people outside of government who have all the answers. Best never to try anything different when what’s been going on before has worked so effectively. Why would anyone want to work for the government and actually try to get something done?
Comment by phocion Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 2:13 pm
Phocion, if you think this is actually “doing something” you’re right. It’s making Quinn look like a bigger doofus than I thought was possible. I mean, seriously, how can the people on his staff look at this nonsense and think it will be taken for anything other than what it is? Did the idea meeting go about like this:
“Hey, let’s make a cartoon snake and get kids and their parents to talk about pension reform!”
“Brilliant!”
“Thank you!”
“Raises for us all!”
Brilliant!”
“Thank you!”
Comment by Liam Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 2:16 pm
Just think … they could have used Elsie to talk about how the retirees are milking the system …
Comment by RNUG Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 2:18 pm
==Ok, back to the mocking … ==
“Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!”
Comment by Anonymice Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 2:20 pm
“Squeezy” just leaves us hangin’…more of the same… never resolved…bettin’ on a come. We know the promises that you made to the workers and we know the taxpayers are on the hook for the promises, but what is the promises made to the kids that you reference…thanks in advance?
Comment by ya gottta be kiddin' me Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 2:20 pm
Phocion,
Oh, there’s no likely about it.
Ideas? Here goes: How about the governor not publicly shift his stance on pension reform legislation every six weeks. How about the GOV himself invest some time and energy with edit boards to make the case with real numbers.
What has been sorely lacking in the mansion is an adult in charge. Someone who conveys the seriousness of the situation. And what do we get instead? An orange snake cartoon. Rather than Squeezy, his name should be Irrelevent.
I believe we’re all laughing at this because the alternative would be to cry.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 2:26 pm
===What has been sorely lacking in the mansion is an adult in charge. Someone who conveys the seriousness of the situation. And what do we get instead? An orange snake cartoon. ===
Oh, c’mon, I’m sure Lincoln would’ve used the same image to free the slaves.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 2:36 pm
Rich, are you telling me you didn’t see Anna, the abolitionist Anaconda cartoon at the Presidential Library. Doris Goodwin said the South wouldn’t have been defeated if it wasn’t for the freedom snake marketing campaign.
On a serious note, I don’t think Pat Quinn could snake a drain, let alone pass pension reform.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 2:44 pm
So I’m wondering if Squeezy is behind the recent mass exodus of the gov’s press staff.
Comment by uniongal Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 2:45 pm
==How about if they were put in charge of training for a cancealed weapons permit? Oh the humanity . . .==
OK admit it Todd, Elmer Fudd came to mind here, didn’t he?
Comment by Responsa Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 2:47 pm
===Anna, the abolitionist Anaconda===
Freedom snakes! Yeah!
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 2:48 pm
And percussion! Red white and blue rattles.
Comment by Responsa Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 2:51 pm
Pat Quinn’s grassroots zoo…
Could be a whole thing at the state fair.
Comment by OneMan Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 2:52 pm
Wasn’t Sherman’s March part of the Anaconda Plan, to divide the South and Squeeze it’s resources?
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 2:55 pm
Oswego Willy finally finds the rationale for the entire Sir Squeezy program.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 2:56 pm
I was holding out … why not let Quinn and Co., kinda hang out there ….
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 2:58 pm
The hard truth is I knew this would happen all along. I’ve been baiting the governor about his “grassroots campaign” for months because I figured whatever he came up with would be supremely goofy and give me some blog fodder.
Worked.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 3:01 pm
Or maybe … Quinn WANTED this to happen! Crazy like a Python, maybe?
I am hoping for Playing Cards and Action Figures, isn’t everyone?
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 3:05 pm
Willy, I’m hoping for a Squeezy bobble head myself. He would look nice next to the Blago bobble on my shelf.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 3:18 pm
Just wonder how long before Quinn and Co. get hit with a copyright lawsuit over that stupid snake. Looks an awful lot like one from Disney. So here will go another million $$ to lawyers.
Comment by Not Cynical Here Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 3:26 pm
I went to the FB page. I’m not sure what to make of the ad to right from Amazon: A suggestion to buy a biography of Custer. This whole pension fiasco will be Quinn’s Little Big Horn.
Comment by G'Kar Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 3:37 pm
===Just wonder how long before Quinn and Co. get hit with a copyright lawsuit over that stupid snake. Looks an awful lot like one from Disney. So here will go another million $$ to lawyers. ===
See above … Litigation is in the works …
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 3:39 pm
Quinn talks bad of scott walker maybe he needs to move north 50 to 100 miles.Iam sure walker would let him move in, and then there would be two nuts in the same house. Quinn would tell walker I like walking in your shoes. Iam against state emeployees two.
Comment by quincy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 4:11 pm
==OK admit it Todd, Elmer Fudd came to mind here, didn’t he? ===
YUP, quinn in FUDD hat and hunting does waskawee wepublicans on pensions.
To change the thoughts for a minute, so does this make Quin from the house of Slytherin, which do Madigan and Cullerton come from?
I would have thought Quinn to be from Hufflepuff, but it seems he is Slytherin. do you think Blago knew this when he put the sorting hat on him?
Comment by Todd Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 4:15 pm
- Todd -
I only write the Copy, no one told me I needed to come up with the back stories too!?!?!?
I am just a man!
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 4:23 pm
I think this program is designed to more broadly communicate, to otherwise disinterested persons, the basic problem, in a colorful manner. It is not aimed at the readers of the Capitol Fax blog, most of whom understand the issue and already have their own policy preferences.
So you may laugh and scoff at the Governor if you like. He cannot legislate, he did not create, and he cannot solve this problem–the solution will be prescribed by your legislature and the courts.
If you want to make the Governor wear the jacket for the legislature’s acts and omissions over the last 20 years–you’ve got the wrong Governor. What are well-respected statesmen Jim Thompson and Jim Edgar doing these days to educate the electorate about the budgets they approved that created this problem?
Comment by Rudy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 4:24 pm
This is too funny.
Agree that a cartoon snake is the wrong way to go, but leave that aside for a moment, let’s look at the graphic itself for a moment, and imagine that the word comes down from on high “The Governor wants a graphic of a snake illustrating the pension problem.” Even with that, there are a few problems with the illustration:
1) The snake itself, along with its name, looks somewhat cuddly, not menacing.
2) The snake is squeezing the capitol building, which some people might like to see! Why not squeeze, say, a hospital (health care cuts), a school, or a family of taxpayers
3) The sky is bright blue with some clouds. It should be menacing rainstorm/dark clouds to keep up the image of this being a problem.
Or maybe this whole thing is Quinn’s master strategy of “Can’t you see, pension reform won’t come from me, it’ll come from the legislature, so stop asking me about it!”
Comment by Robert the Bruce Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 4:25 pm
Meanwhile, over at The Cell, Kelly Kraft kisses desk. Deeply.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 4:29 pm
Rudy, your blasphemy is unwelcome here. Quinn is stupid. The campaign is stupid. Everyone who comments on CapFax blog is of superior intellect and ability.
Comment by phocion Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 4:33 pm
- Rudy -,
Edgar, Cullerton, even Madigan …
Did not create “Squeezy” as a solution.
Here endeth the Lesson.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 4:34 pm
===Everyone who comments on CapFax blog is of superior intellect and ability.===
I’m a Dope. Please do NOT lump me with the Intellectually Superior posters here. I know I know nothing.
And I know I didn’t create Squeezy.
Thanks.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 4:37 pm
Rudy,
The problem is (as much as I enjoy mocking Squeezy) is not Squeezy..
Big Problem One…..
The very basic problem is that they don’t have a suggested course of action for people to take/promote.
Any internet era grassroots thing has an issue and an immediate course of action such as call your congressman, give $5, send a packet of soy sauce to the CEO, something.
They don’t have anything as a course of action besides ’stay tuned’.
Big Problem Two:
Anyone could have looked at the site and said, people are going to focus on the snake. What is the snake doing to move the issue and action forward? The answer is basically nothing, it is a little side character and it is getting the focus.
FAILURE, huge massive FAILURE…
Again, at the very base of it. It comes down to grassroots requiring and issue and a call to some sort of action. There is no call to action here, that is the big problem. Not some snake…
Comment by OneMan Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 4:42 pm
AA is right. We need a bobble head! Actually, a complete Springfield set: Squeezy, Quinn, the leaders, and Rich. Somebody could make big money. Or raise it for charity.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 4:45 pm
==If you want to make the Governor wear the jacket for the legislature’s acts and omissions over the last 20 years–you’ve got the wrong Governor==
As I recall, this governor wanted the job really really bad when he ran for election a couple short years ago. So he’s the governor in office and that’s why he’s the one who gets to “wear the jacket” and is supposed to leading and helping to solve the problems facing our state now.
Comment by Responsa Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 4:45 pm
@FakeJasonPlummer - “We need a bobble head! Actually, a complete Springfield set”, please let it be in my Value Meals. #TheBobbleheadsAreTheValueInMyMeal.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 4:50 pm
===here is no call to action here, that is the big problem
How dare you–The Governor wants us to talk about pensions over Thanksgiving Dinner. That’s a call to action!
Adding to OneMan’s already long list of particulars–no one besides those of us laughing at it, is going to sit through that video. It’s boring, has no clear point, and is rambling.
Comment by ArchPundit Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 4:54 pm
I haven’t laughed this hard at blog posts since Rod was governor. Keep it coming! Let’s go for 2 hundred hits.
Comment by Bill Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 4:55 pm
They should have named the snake Coily and had Governor Q*Bert bouncing around trying to avoid it.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5e/Qbert.png
Comment by Independent Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 5:08 pm
I wonder how Abdon feels right now.
Comment by Bill Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 5:11 pm
Common willie we could be like rogers and hammerstien
Abbot and costelllo
Laural an hardy
The germans and Pearl harbor
Comment by Todd Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 5:16 pm
Just when I thought the Governor had set an unbeatable standard for comically extreme ineptitude–he beats it. I can’t wait to see what comes next. Best thing to do with this Governor is ignore him. I will be curious to see how his fundraising goes—can’t imagine who will contribute to him this cycle.
Comment by jake Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 5:17 pm
- Todd -
Just think if we just wrote what actually happens, no one would believe us.
Rich wants people to actually READ his blog, so once we workj out the kinks, Rich will get first crack at our story.
It will be funny, it will stink, it will be ours.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 5:20 pm
From now on, I think everytime we comment, it should be in a Squeezy voice. As in,
Thissssss issssssss one of the sssssssstudipesssssst conccccccceptssssss ever devissssssssssed.
Can we at least have a Talk like Squeezy Day on Capitolfaxssssssss?
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 5:21 pm
Time to again break out the unknown comic headgear for traveling across state lines …
Comment by transplant Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 5:21 pm
(Cullerton to MJM)
It’s Just you and me, isn’t Speaker.
(MJM, looking at the picture of Squeeezy, cuts an Apple with the ‘Madi-Knife. MJM continues cutting never looking at Cullerton)
Yep …
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 5:23 pm
Is the Madi-Knife big enough to stop Squeezey?
Tune in next week, for another episode of . . . .
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 5:32 pm
OMG how bad can they make our state look. This comes from the Gov office? Now I know why we have the management and Directors we have now. It is a sad joke that could have been made a difference. Posts are getting deleted and they are not all obnoxious ones! Oy! …as Rich would say.
Comment by Maxine on Politics Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 5:34 pm
==I wonder how Abdon feels right now==
Just a guess: Kicking himself? (Probably a lot like Mark Buehrle feels).
Comment by Responsa Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 5:34 pm
Gov:”Ok who’s gonna walk around the capitol in a lifesized Squeezy costume? Jack? Jerry? Sheila? Brooke?”
Comment by Bill Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 5:36 pm
Do I see some economic opportunity here? AA’s suggestion for a “Squeeezy” bobblehead. Perhaps a couple of t-shirts. One for public employees and retirees that says something like, “Squeeezy the Pension Python, fed by Springfield Politicians,” or “Squeeezy the Pension Python, Pat’s Pitiful Plan for the Problem.”
Comment by Norseman Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 5:45 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4t6zNZ-b0A
Comment by champaign Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 6:00 pm
Which of our many talented and award winning Chicago or Springfield investigative reporters will be the one to bravely answer the call? Who will sniff out and pen the real story and insider drama of how the squeezy campaign came to be? Who will name names? Who will be able to entice leakers with loose lips and wring out the truth from behind closed doors? Yes. I am throwing down the gauntlet, journos.
Comment by Responsa Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 6:00 pm
“Fire Squeezy”….???
Just trying it on.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 6:15 pm
Snuggle up to Squeezy ?
Comment by RNUG Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 6:23 pm
Too much “grass” in this “grass roots campaign?”
Comment by Rich Miller Sr Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 6:58 pm
The governor should have asked Rich and his readers for ideas for his website. Perhaps next time he will.
Comment by Another thought Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 7:10 pm
Did Rod get out on a pass and direct this ‘effin effort?
Comment by geneseo gent Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 7:29 pm
Perhaps given what some people see as parallels with the Badger State and the hallucanitory nature of some of the top man’s ideas, this famous viral video will serve as the “kid friendly” version of the video Rich posted above:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIyixC9NsLI
Comment by Animator Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 7:34 pm
Bill, if the EEC has it right, Genius Vaught may have at least a platoon of political puffers over at D-Cay-O available to pull a shift as Squeezy.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:06 pm
Someday Squeezy is going to be his own chapter in about Pat Quinn…
Comment by Oneman Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:08 pm
Quinn, the Cartoon Governor. Grass roots politicking and social media are not the same thing. Social media is grass roots when you start a successful change.org petition to eliminate the $5 monthly Bank of America ATM fee. Social media is not grass roots when the State of Illinois makes an a** of itself. I’m talkin’ to you, Mr. Quinn. I will be contacting my state reps.
Comment by Emily Booth Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:27 pm
Inside the Squeezy costume - John Filan?
Comment by Smitty Irving Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:45 pm
Rudy-You couldn’t possibly miss the point of all this by any wider margin. Everyone knows there’s a problem. Everyone knows something needs to be done. But all we get from the Quinn camp is an idiotic cartoon that makes him, and the state, look completely buffoonish.
Comment by Liam Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:50 pm
Reading these comments is 10 times as much fun as watching the Bears.
Comment by DuPage Dave Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 8:58 pm
Of all the previous 199 post, some of which were just great, sadly Liam summed it all up……….
Comment by Old and In the Way Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:00 pm
200 + posts - bleepin’ golden!
Comment by Smitty Irving Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:01 pm
EB, I’m sure Governor Quinn is really nervous about you calling your state reps to protest his cartoon.
Comment by chubs mahoney Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:05 pm
–Everyone knows there’s a problem. Everyone knows something needs to be done. –
Not true at all.
Comment by chubs mahoney Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:07 pm
Orange snake ( python) skin boots… Yep… We are going to need ‘em when the by product of the “squeeze” starts flowing.
Comment by Hellinois.... Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:12 pm
Quinn’s stunt is so bad, I assumed Brad Tusk had been hired back.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:16 pm
Maybe next time, if they want, run it past CapFax & see how it goes before running this out. I could have helped… helped mocking it!
Now you get the public Mock. I feel bad for the flack who is going to have to defend this from now on. Tough gig.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:29 pm
I wonder how long it took the J-R reporter to find somebody to say something nice about Squeezy.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:32 pm
I’ll help …
“Squeezy is a nice shade of orange as far as colors for a Python”
That was something nice.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:35 pm
Michelle, excellent point!
Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:37 pm
Now, some constructive criticism;
I would have gone “Peter” the Python. “Squeezy” seems redundant.
“Peter the Python is squeezing the life out of Illinois Pensions”
Lemons - Lemonade?
I am here to help, like state government!
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:41 pm
Sometimes you unveil the python, sometimes you are the python …
http://www.sj-r.com/top-stories/x919524645/Quinn-budget-cut-continues-to-squeeze-regional-school-offices
I wonder how many times and Sunday news conferences in his life Pat Quinn has talked about squeezing the Capitol or budget or whatever …
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:48 pm
Sure “Squeezy” can talk, but can “Squeezy” do math?
I think that is the question that needs to be answered.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:51 pm
Even with all the pokes we’re taking at Squeezy, Quinn is forcing a conversation that way too many Springfield policymakers just don’t want to have. If it takes a silly cartoon character, so be it.
Comment by chubs mahoney Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 9:56 pm
If you call having your Administration look like the biggest Dopes for having a cartoon python be the face of your grassroots uprising for pension reform, at the cost of your professionalism and your credibility, then Pat “Squeezy” Quinn wins.
Yea Squeezy Pat, you are a real cartoon.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:00 pm
Chubs, no he’s not. No one’s outside the media is going to pay any attention to this. If an orange cartoon python is what it takes to succeed in Illinois, then I will pack my bags and leave.
Meanwhile, couldn’t the gov have thrown some cash Samuel Jackson’s way? He’d be a much better spokesman on this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4t6zNZ-b0A
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:11 pm
Oh, I am going to pay very close attention to “Squeezy”, that you can bet on.
Honestly, in the last six months, if I would have said/done the things some of these guys have done, Rich would have banned me for “Bad Taste”.
Rich may ban me for my own bad taste, but look how low the bar is now? I can’t make this stuff up, honest. My sensor inside my empty head won’t even allow this to come out.
But, here we are…
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:18 pm
I have to agree with Michelle and Willy. The only forced conversation I am detecting is either a) Rod-level snarky posts here on the Blog or 2) very awkward attempts by teevee newsreaders to say something neutral/objective about this piece of tripe. My local newsies, who are pretty good, called the campaign “Thanks in advance.”
Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:23 pm
Meanwhile, inside Bruce Rauner’s money bin….
Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:29 pm
So when will the Squeezy character (in full costume like the Liberty Tax guy)be standing out front of the Capitol or the Thompson Building waving to cars as they go by?
Or have a minimum wage worker spend all day holding/shaking (dance with?) a three piece info sign at a stop light by all state buildings.
Comment by zatoichi Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:42 pm
Why oh why couldn’t the gov have done this BEFORE Halloween? I gotta wait a year to figure out my Squeezy costume.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 10:47 pm
Rich, that might be a record in comments, don’t you think?
The governor’s grassroots initiative is sad and beyond stupid. Let’s pretend it never happened, and move on.
Seriously, what were the creative executions that were rejected before they arrived on “Sqeezy.”
Let’s get real. We put on the big boy pants and we pay our bills. It’s not nearly as bad as Ty ande the Zell Boys would tell you, if you believe in America.
Do, every year, what you are supposed to do, in investments, and it starts to work out.
The SOI has never missed a payment on pensions and bonds. And they never will.
Ty and Sam are way out line pretending that they will. The short the state, every day.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Nov 19, 12 @ 11:40 pm
===Rich, that might be a record in comments, don’t you think?===
Roland Burris’ appointment got about 400 comments. Whatever you say about Squeezy, it’s not nearly as dumb as that move.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Nov 20, 12 @ 12:19 am
The kids should know about this. They’ll be paying for it.
Comment by Rudy Tuesday, Nov 20, 12 @ 12:42 am
–The kids should know about this. They’ll be paying for it.–
Another victim heard from, this one, Mrs. Lovejoy.
“Won’t someone thing about the children?!”
No, we’ll be paying for it. As we should have all along.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Nov 20, 12 @ 7:04 am