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* During today’s debate, Gov. Pat Quinn claimed that House Republican Leader Jim Durkin told him that Bruce Rauner was trying to “buy” legislative votes against the pension reform bill. Rauner adamantly denied that he had offered anyone money or campaign contributions for a “No” vote.
Well, Leader Durkin and Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno just issued this joint response to Quinn’s “outrageous and false statements”…
“Governor Quinn has reached a new low and is so desperate to deflect from the fact he’s under federal investigation that he is now making up outrageous and unfounded claims about Bruce Rauner. The only person who bribes legislators for votes is Pat Quinn. The only candidate in this race under federal investigation for corruption is Pat Quinn.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** The governor is standing by his statement.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Last December, Leaders Durkin and Radogno talked to the media about the vote on the pension reform bill and the lack of Republican support.
“Did the Rauner campaign or his allies make this more complicated among your caucuses?” they were asked. Leader Radogno responded “Absolutely, that made it more complicated.”
Radogno was asked why…
“It’s the political influence. And obviously he’s very wealthy, and so that’s a piece of it, too. I mean, people think about campaign funding. They think about what support they’ll get when they’re running. They think about their own political futures. They think about the people that are around Bruce Rauner and how they relate to them and their campaigns.”
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 11:58 am
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Dang. That one packs a punch, and then some.
Not a smart move by Governor Quinn to say what he did.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:00 pm
Ouch!!!
Comment by Western Ave. Doug Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:01 pm
me thinks durkin protests too much!!
Comment by anon Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:08 pm
let’s go to the videotape
Comment by northshore cynic Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:10 pm
==me thinks durkin protests too much!!==
Methinks Pat Quinn better have a recording of Durkin saying it, or Quinn went too far!!
Comment by Western Ave. Doug Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:11 pm
Stupid comment by Quinn! An understandable denial by Durkin and Radogno who are recipients of Rauner’s $$$$.
However, make no mistake that the “Corrupter” (Rauner)has the history and clear willingness to “BUY” anything he wants including votes for legislative initiatives whether it is via direct contributions or through 3rd party entities…Rauner and his $$$$ is the root of political corruption more times than not.
Comment by Seriously... Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:13 pm
Let’s look at the evidence: How much did Rauner donate to House Republicans who voted against the Madigan pension bill that Leader Durkin supported? If the answer were zero, then I would find Durkin’s denial more credible.
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:18 pm
That’s 15 more yards for “piling on” another dumb move today. Quinn is a very distracted and unfocused guy right now. On your scorecards, these are all E-1’s. I’m sure the staffer knew better but felt she had no choice in the first incident of passing him a note. They all know better and they’re very aware of how that looks. She did it because she must have heard the “code red” alarm somehow. The second gaffe of trying to taint Durkin and Radogno qualifies as the dumbest move yet. Quinn’s lost some self control and self discipline. That usually doesn’t get better at this stage of a race.
Comment by A guy... Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:19 pm
The fact is that Durkin had trouble delivering GOP votes for SB1 because Rauner came out strongly against the bill. That’s why House Dems provided a much larger share of the vote for SB1 than the GOP.
There is no question that Rauner had an influence. The only question is whether any promises were made about donations.
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:21 pm
:(
This is tin foil hat stuff. Now we know how Pat keeps his head from getting sunburned.
Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:23 pm
known fact that Rauner was actively ,aking calls working against SB1..if he didn’t offer anything of value I guess that would be the first time he didnt put his money where is mouth was.
Comment by anon Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:24 pm
Whether Durkin said that or not only he and Quinn know.
But, for crying out loud, Rauner’s on record stating that he was going to reward legislators who make “tough votes” with campaign contributions.
And he’s been spreading around the money pretty thick since the primary up to now.
Is there any argument that GOP officials haven’t been been pledging loyalty to get on the Rauner gravy train?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-bruce-rauner-campaign-donations-met-0729-20140729-story.html
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:26 pm
Nothing more than he said / he said. I trust the word of politicians of both parties as far as I can throw them. Quinn should provide audio of the exchange or go back to talking about the minimum wage.
Comment by Jay Dee Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:32 pm
=== Quinn should provide audio of the exchange===
Do you expect a governor to record all of his conversations with legislative leaders?
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:34 pm
“Do you expect a governor to record all of his conversations with legislative leaders?”
Of course not, but he should be able to prove what he is alleging, or why say it when Durkin can simply say it’s not true?
Comment by Jay Dee Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:40 pm
=== === Quinn should provide audio of the exchange===
Do you expect a governor to record all of his conversations with legislative leaders?===
No, that’s the job in the past of the US Attorney(?)
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:40 pm
Hey, hey LBJ
Let’s make that ### - ### deny something today
Comment by Bill White Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:48 pm
Better have a witness or be wearing a wire, if you are going to make a claim like that.
Comment by Aldyth Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:49 pm
Why would Rauner want to stymie a bill whose enactment would drive a wedge between the Governor and the unions? The best reason I can think of is that Republican opposition might help lure the unions over to the Republican side, but who would bet good money on that happening at all, much less that any goodwill Durkin might earn with the unions would translate into votes for Rauner?
Comment by Anon. Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:51 pm
–Why would Rauner want to stymie a bill whose enactment would drive a wedge between the Governor and the unions?–
He said, publicly, that it didn’t go far enough.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:55 pm
OW - I expect a Governor not only to not record conversations with legislative leaders, but also, not to make those conversations public unless agreed to.
Comment by Bogart Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 12:57 pm
–Why would Rauner want to stymie a bill whose enactment would drive a wedge between the Governor and the unions?–
Cause it was going to give Quinn a “victory” of sorts.
Comment by Chi Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:03 pm
Radogno’s previous audio recorded comments buttress today’s comments by the Governor. Rauner didn’t want to give a bi-partisan “pension win” to Quinn.
It’s hilarious, both of them have been burned by the pension bill–the “win” has hurt Quinn with union voters and Rauner was caught red-handed by Radogno none the less putting his self interest over the public’s interest.
Comment by anon Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:08 pm
Quinn was frustrated a number of times at the questions . He clearly had a brain cramp moment and goofed up. If he can’t prove that it was said it will come back to haunt him big time. Go back and listen because they both were asked about it again.
I think the remark about his and blagos hair was festering on that bald spot and he had a brain hickup
Comment by Leprechaun Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:09 pm
Is anticipating the support a potential ally will give you the same thing as specifically buying votes on individual legislation as the Governor alleged?
I would say no.
Otherwise, he needs to call the Feds and let it be known that someone is buying votes one specific legislation.
And I don’t mean the jobs that were allegedly promised for legislative votes on the tax increase 4 years ago.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:12 pm
“It’s the political influence. And obviously he’s very wealthy, and so that’s a piece of it, too.”
Comment by dog days Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:14 pm
The WBEZ soundbite seems to lend more credibility to Quinn (I can’t believe I just typed that) than to the leaders.
Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:15 pm
==If he can’t prove that it was said it will come back to haunt him big time.==
You can’t be serious. The “issue” won’t last the day.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:15 pm
Who knew there were two Radognos, lol?
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:16 pm
It came back to me after the audio was pulled.
Yikes, this is bad on all levels, by all involved;
Quinn calling out the Leaders.
Durkin’s repsonse.
Radogno’s concurrence.
The Audio explaining Rauner’s direct influence.
Why all?
Quinn calling the GOP GA that they could be “bought” (c’mon, yikes.)
Rauner being an actual buyer in the process.
The Leaders forgetting their own admittance of Rauner influencing.
Keystone Kops, all.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:20 pm
Hey word slinger read willy you might learn something. This is a serious accusation to make about what the house minority leader said. It isn’t going away bank on it. You might want it to but it isn’t
Comment by Leprechaun Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:26 pm
Reading these comments is absolutely hilarious!
To the first ten or so commenters [Vanilla, A Guy, Western Ave., Seriously, Formerly Known As, Aldyth] — how does it feel going all in, and then seeing the Radogno quote?
Feeling a bit ridiculous now?
Comment by Gooner Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:27 pm
It was about Bruce Rauner’s wealth and campaign funding, and the wealth and campaign funding of the people around Bruce Rauner but it was definitely not about Bruce Rauner buying votes.
Nope. Never.
That’s unpossible.
– MrJM
Comment by MrJM Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:32 pm
Gooner - perhaps you missed my 1:12 comment.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:33 pm
No, I saw it and I chuckled over your attempt to back peddle by being overly technical.
How Clintonian of you, Formerly.
Comment by Gooner Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:36 pm
This is a great example of that gray area governed by the US Attorney’s office. Is it only a crime if there was a specific quid pro quo, e.g., if you vote against pension reform I will contribute X dollars to your fund? Partisanship aside, I think it is very difficult to determine at what point something like this becomes illegal.
Comment by Chi Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:37 pm
And further, at what point does Quinn have a duty to report this to the Feds? What words would he have needed to hear, or what evidence would he have needed to see?
Comment by Chi Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:38 pm
Housecleaning …
===
OW - I expect a Governor not only to not record conversations with legislative leaders, but also, not to make those conversations public unless agreed to.===
If it’s snark, its good fun, if not, I hope none of the conversations are recorded, as the making of the sausage is done, if the work is done, done legally, done professionally, and done with respect for the leaders, all the 4 Tops and the Governor, any governor, I don’t want, need, or require any recordings, ever.
The 5 of them need to trust each other to govern.
Recording anything, upfront, behind, whatever, is not how democracy works. With respect.
===Hey word slinger read willy you might learn something.===
While I know your intentions are good, and I am flattered, but I learn so much more reading - wordslinger - and the others here, every day, than I could teach. Many, many times, its what I have learned here, that is framing my understanding of what I comment here, and - wordslinger - is the creme of the crop. There is a very good reason the “Wordslinger” award is named for him, and its not up for discussion. Thanks, for the kind words.
All that being said, agreed with him, all this rebuttal did was make it finish the day, and it has no legs after, as it lays right now.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:38 pm
Gooner, the only amusing thing here is your denial of reality in blind defense of Governor Quinn’s reckless comments.
He alleged that Mr. Durkin told him votes were being flat-out purchased on specific legislation by Mr. Rauner. If anyone believes Mr. Durkin stated that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn for sale.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:40 pm
=–This is a serious accusation to make about what the house minority leader said. It isn’t going away bank on it–
Where do you think it’s going? Draw a map.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:42 pm
Formerly, that’s your take.
Radogno had another.
I know her and I don’t know you, so I’m going to trust her on this one.
That being said, let me give you some advice — when you find yourself stuck in a hole, stop digging.
Radogno pretty clearly tied campaign contributions to the vote. Rauner and campaign funding made the vote “more complicated.”
Is there enough for a felony conviction? Probably not, but she sure seems to be in agreement with Quinn as to the tactics of Rauner.
So Formerly? Read what she said. And then stop digging.
Comment by Gooner Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:49 pm
== Is it only a crime if there was a specific quid pro quo, e.g., if you vote against pension reform I will contribute X dollars to your fund? Partisanship aside, I think it is very difficult to determine at what point something like this becomes illegal. ==
At this point in the campaign and all of us knowing how the circus operates at this level of government, I really don’t care if its “illegal” or if it can be found to be “criminal”. What it is….Immoral. I don’t think Quinn said anything that the casual viewer on the outside of the beltway would have concluded…Rauner said he would support ‘tough’ (read “No”) votes with campaign cash. He said it!!! Rodogno heard it, Durkin heard it, Quinn heard it.
So what if Quinn heard confirmation of it from Durkin.
He’s just sayin’ what everyone is actually doin’. And that’s a bad thing? What’s bad are those people who think that they can deny the undeniable.
Comment by northernwatersports Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:55 pm
Didn’t Radgono pretty much confirm what the governor said? He may be guilting of exaggerating, but I personally believe him.
Comment by Voice of Reason Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 1:57 pm
Between the time of the WEBZ interview and today, Rauner money and influenced obviously got to Radogno.
A shame — and a disappointment. If — and when — Rauner loses, Radogno et al. will find it tough, tough going.
Comment by Macbeth Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 2:00 pm
Ouch Radogno’s own words. Rauner caught in another lie.
Comment by anon Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 2:02 pm
Gooner, as a newer commenter here with an obvious partisan bent to many of your comments, I will take your advice in the same spirit with which it has been offered.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 2:03 pm
So then don’t all four legislative leaders “buy votes”? That sounds obtuse, but Sue Scherer is a prime example. Her entire operation is bought and paid for by Speaker Madigan. She does nothing without his counsel or approval. Madigan essentially “owns” the Sue Scherer brand. How is that any different than Rauner “buying” votes via the implied or even loud opinion that SB 1 and SB 2404 aren’t adequate (in his eyes)?
Comment by Team Sleep Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 2:18 pm
Gov. Pat Quinn claimed that House Republican Leader Jim Durkin told him that Bruce Rauner was trying to “buy” legislative votes against the pension reform bill.
The word “buy” is in quotes.
The Governor overemphasized or misspoke.
No one is claiming that votes were bought, except Pat Quinn.
He needs to back off and clarify what he said.
Radogno didn’t say that the GOP was bought, that buying occurred or anything as remotely unethical as Pat Quinn has claimed.
Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 2:19 pm
Formerly,
You say “obvious partisan bent” as if it is bad thing.
Nice to meet you, Mr. Kettle!
And while that may be true, but at least I’m smart enough to avoid partisan outrage before the truth is told. I’m also smart enough to advise people to walk away when a battle has been lost.
Formerly, you’ve lost this one. Anybody reading that post got a good laugh. Know when to walk away.
Or better yet, change the subject.
“While career politician Pat Quinn rehashes a vote over an unconstitutional and ineffective bill, the people of the State of Illinois are left wondering why in six years we have failed to make a dent in the pension crisis. As our bond rating falls, Pat Quinn played games with a policy destined to fail. We needed real leadership on pension reform. Unfortunately, we had career politician Pat Quinn.”
That’s the kind of response that the Raunerites should offer.
Instead, they first went with outrage, and then they went Clintonian.
That’s the kind of tactics that takes a winning campaign and turns it into a loser.
Comment by Gooner Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 2:19 pm
–Radogno didn’t say that the GOP was bought, that buying occurred or anything as remotely unethical as Pat Quinn has claimed.–
Pay attention and read for comprehension.
–And obviously he’s very wealthy, and so that’s a piece of it, too. I mean, people think about campaign funding. They think about what support they’ll get when they’re running. –
Radogno was for the pension bill. as were other GOP legislators, Rauner was against it.
It’s weird that Rauner made a thing about this. He publicly said he was going to reward legislators who made “tough votes” with campaign contributions.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 2:26 pm
== The word “buy” is in quotes. ==
Wasn’t Pat Quinn speaking? Did he use air quotes with his hands? Are we parsing voice inflections and intonations? Has Pat Quinn ever spoken about anything with precision?
But whatever, let’s keep this going as long as we can . . .
Comment by Bill White Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 2:30 pm
===read for comprehension===
Lol. As if.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 2:33 pm
== smart enough ==
But not “smart enough” to realize that my opposition to Rauner has a lengthy track record in comments here stretching back over 1 year? They are both bad choices for our state.
Funny stuff, Gooner.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 2:44 pm
Rauner publicly announced big campaign contributions for the right-thinking legislators, and called legislators individually lobbying the bill, at the same time leaders were trying to get them to take a tough vote opposite Rauner’s public position. Rauner’s play was a typical “insider” tactic, with money as the implied incentive. Common in Springfield. It was pretty well open and reported at the time.
It doesn’t have to be a stated quid-pro-quo to have influence. It just has to be inferred in the minds of the legislators. And as Rodogno said, “that made it more complicated.”
That is “buying” only in the loosest sense of the word, certainly not approaching bribery. People do often use the word this way, when talking about implied potential campaign contributions possibly influencing votes.
No sense in the raising straw man of legality, or criminality — just so you can deny that this happened as it did.
Comment by walker Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 3:28 pm
They are all Rauner Rentals and will yes votes for the tax hikes
Comment by circular firing squad Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 3:52 pm
–They are all Rauner Rentals and will yes votes for the tax hikes–
This is true.
Rauner wins and the 2011 tax hike extension is going to be larded with GOP votes.
You think all that Rauner gold comes for free?
Comment by King Louis XVI Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 4:47 pm
Rauner called GOP lawmakers corrupt.
Quinn says he tried to act on that information.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 4:56 pm
Do we have a list of GOP no votes and the names of those who received contributions from Rauner?
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Sep 9, 14 @ 4:59 pm