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The teacher pension crisis that threatens to end the Chicago Public school year three weeks early on Tuesday caused yet another major break in the once-close friendship between Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Gov. Bruce Rauner.
Emanuel branded Rauner the “emperor who wears no clothes.” Rauner’s spokesperson fired back that the 5 foot-8-inch mayor of Chicago sounds like someone who has a “Napoleon complex.” […]
“In the last 48 hours, everybody has come to the conclusion that the emperor wears no clothes. The governor. There’s nobody else [he can blame]. He can’t blame Mike Madigan. He can’t blame John Cullerton and the Grand Bargain. He can’t blame me. He can’t blame Chance. And…everybody’s now seen what he stands for,” the mayor said after a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a new riverfront office building.
“We’ve gone three years without a governor who has introduced a [balanced] budget. Governor’s State now is cutting 22 academic programs. Kids from the state of Illinois are leaving the state to go to college when we used to be a net gain. Ounce of Prevention and other social service agencies are suing the state. More people are leaving our state…and this is all under his tenure.” […]
“Sounds like someone has a Napoleon complex,” said the governor’s spokesperson Eleni Demertzis. […]
“The emperor wears no clothes. Gov. Edgar gave him recommendations. Gov. Ryan gave him recommendations. I have given him recommendations. Everybody has tried to give him advice. Everybody walks out with the same thing, including Chance the Rapper. Just do your job,” the mayor said.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 1:29 pm
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Emanuel may well have a Napoleonic complex but I don’t see how that has anything to do with him stating the blatantly obvious truth about Rauner’s inability or unwillingness to do his job.
Comment by slow down Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 1:33 pm
Let’s remember how Rauner sees Rahm…
From WBEZ
===Rauner: And so, so he (Rahm Emanuel) comes, he comes in and sits down in the corner office. I thought his name was Ron. I didn’t know what his - you know? I sit with him and the first words out of his mouth, he says, ‘Hey, how are ya? I want – I hear you got a great firm. I want to be a partner here.’
‘Hello, what? What did you say?’
‘Yeah. No. I hear you got the best private equity firm in, in Chicago. I want to work here. I want to be your partner.’
‘Whoa. OK. Hi. How are you? Who are you? What are you talking about?’ And we proceeded to fight for 20 minutes about why he was gonna join my firm and be my partner. I didn’t even know who he was. And I said, ‘Wait a second. Calm down. So, have you ever been in business?’===
Rauner belittles Rahm here, makes it clear he (Rauner) is the boss and Rahm isn’t too “bright” comparatively to Rauner…in business.
Rauner could have bern 100% correct back then.
The reality is Rauner isn’t too impressed with Rahm then, and the Rauner spokesperson makes clear that hasn’t changed now.
Here’s the whole interview. Interesting take, Rauner on Rahm.
http://bit.ly/2miOSk0
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 1:39 pm
I’m not fan of Rham but he’s right.the governor is willfully destroying illinois.
This is the political danger of having a society with such concentration of wealth. We created this problem by cutting taxes on top earners and capital gains for decades, by taxing income earned through Labor more than passive income.
When Rauner is ousted, the fundamental threat will remain…and rich man can make a state his fiefdom and we can’t do anything about it.
Comment by anonymous Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 1:42 pm
Rahm is full of it, too, but at least he backs up his criticism with some evidence. All the Rauner flack does is make a short joke.
Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 1:43 pm
No. That’s not a rebuttal.
A rebuttal is a refutation of an argument — and a refutation necessarily addresses the substance of the debate.
The statement from Rauner’s spokesperson is nothing more than an ad hominem insult.
Bruce Rauner, for the sake of our state, please stop trying to get the best ‘zinger’ and do your job.
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 1:47 pm
These Democrats only want to give advice, not take any.
I remember President Obama saying Nancy and I will clean up the mess but we don’t need Republicans telling us how to hold the mop
The CPS pensions are a mess and only the Governor is trying to clean it up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zkoLgi0pR4
Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 1:48 pm
==I remember President Obama saying==
And that has anything to do with this how?
==The CPS pensions are a mess and only the Governor is trying to clean it up==
Bull. There have been other plans out there. And I’m not sure I consider a plan whose point is to drive CPS to bankruptcy to be a “plan.”
Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 1:51 pm
==These Democrats only want to give advice, not take any.==
And this argument is just getting old. The Governor also suffers from this ailment. Stop playing the victim all the time. You and the Governor are two peas in a pod. Always the victim. Nothing is ever your fault.
Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 1:52 pm
Please tell us about the plans to get the extra 215 million to fund CPS pensions.
What exactly are they waiting for?
The Mayor cannot even get a contract that requires the teachers to pick up more than 2 percent of the cost of this lavish benefit. All other state workers contribute 8 percent.
Karen Lewis took him to the cleaners and now the mayor is blaming the Governor for his decision to pass a CPS budget with a 215 million dollar hole in it that requires the Governor’s signature.
Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 1:58 pm
“The CPS pensions are a mess and only the Governor is trying to clean it up”
Uhhh lol…
But let’s say Rauner just signs whatever bill to fund CPS, or Chance’s crowdfunding raises $215 million or more. Am I suppose to expect that the years of mismanagement and wasteful spending at CPS will be stopped?
Comment by Clark Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:01 pm
The media are willingly being played with “personality conflicts” to distract from the hard facts and heavy lifting.
It serves Emanuel’s interest to whack Rauner, and it serves Rauner’s interests to whack Emanuel. Plays well to their bases. But it’s a WWE act.
It serves the media’s interest to traffic in easy gossip then deep-dive fiscal analysis.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:18 pm
pardon, 2:18 was me.
Comment by Wordslinger Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:19 pm
There is something in the destruction of this state and it’s economy for Rauner and those he answers to (and I do not mean the public he serves). Anyone care to state the advantages he sees to levelling our state?
Comment by AnonymousOne Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:20 pm
The Napoleon comment is both out of line and inaccurate. Nothing in the Mayor’s statement suggests he has a Napoleon complex.
Comment by Twirling Towards Freedom Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:25 pm
As a ‘vertically challenged’ person, I’m insulted by the governors comment. I agree with MrJM. Govermor, do your job. Insults are for sophomores, there was nothing to be gained by acting that way.
Comment by Thoughts Matter Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:34 pm
We could only hope for leaders with the skill of Napoleon. The man overreached with invading Russia or France might still be leading Europe.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 2:55 pm
St.Louis has a city earnings tax. Why doesn’t Rahm push that idea forward. That would be a great way to show leadership.
Comment by blue dog dem Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 3:12 pm
Because legislation would have to be signed in Springfield not Chicago
Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 4:09 pm
I have possibly never agreed with anything Wordslinger has ever written.
But this =The media are willingly being played with “personality conflicts” to distract from the hard facts and heavy lifting… But it’s a WWE act.= is on the bullseye.
Comment by m Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 5:38 pm
Eleni has lost none of her wit and charm since the USS Kirk sank to Davey Jones’s locker.
I remember this one:
“No one can question Senator Kirk’s commitment to the African-American community.” - Eleni Demertzis
Yes, Mark Kirk’s views on race are well known.
To the post:
From what childhood stories I have gathered, I don’t sense that Mayor Emanuel suffers from a false sense of machismo. He is, according to everyone, a genuinely fierce individual.
Think “honey badger.”
Know, the idea that a create whose name begins with “honey” will charge and fend off an adult lion might seem ridiculous. And Rauner might think just because he is 6′ 5″ he intimidates Rahm Emanuel.
He doesn’t.
Comment by Free Set of Steak Knives Tuesday, Mar 7, 17 @ 7:01 pm
Sounds like someone is shortsighted
Comment by Rabid Wednesday, Mar 8, 17 @ 6:03 am