A press release from Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner:
TV Ads: A Desperate Attempt to Save Pat Quinn
— By Attacking Only Rauner, Pat Quinn’s Allies Admit Brady, Dillard and Rutherford are Pat Quinn-Lite —
Bruce Rauner
“So it’s no surprise that Quinn’s biggest financial backers are spending millions trying to smear Bruce and try to help elect anyone who will continue the failed policies of the past.”
Pat Quinn is the most unpopular Democratic governor seeking reelection this year and the Democrats and government unions are afraid to face Bruce Rauner in the general election:
“The idea… is to spend a… few million bucks attacking Rauner in the primary rather than being forced to spend tens of millions…in the fall.” – Capitol Fax, 12/23/13
The government unions and DGA are desperate to stop Bruce because they know the other candidates represent more of the same: higher taxes, more spending and bad pension deals.
• Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard and Dan Rutherford supported legislation that called for hundreds of millions of dollars in new spending and pork.
• Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard and Dan Rutherford supported increasing taxes and/or fees by hundreds of millions of dollars.
• Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard and Dan Rutherford voted for pension legislation that has been cited as the primary driver behind Illinois’ record level of unfunded pension liabilities.
Government unions will do anything to stop Bruce Rauner:
“[P]ublic employee labor unions, who are terrified of Rauner, are about to spend millions of dollars to smear him from one end of the state to the other.”
“The unions’ worst nightmare is Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner, who has waged a war against ‘union bosses’ and railed against a system that he says allows unions to control Springfield….
… A Sun-Times analysis that looked at money behind the top 10 public unions in Illinois showed the groups — including SEIU, AFSCME, AFL-CIO, IEA, IFT and others — have plowed more than $100 million into state campaign committees since 2000.
“‘[W]e would be remiss if we just sat back,’ said Jim Reed, director of government relations for the Illinois Education Association, a major teachers union.”
“A major organized labor coalition says it plans to ‘do everything possible’ to oppose Republican Bruce Rauner’s bid for Illinois governor. The Illinois AFL-CIO announced Thursday that its board approved a resolution to engage union members to defeat the Winnetka businessman… Rauner has blasted public employee union bosses and says he’s the only candidate who will stand up to them.
Pat Quinn and the Democratic Governors Association are both bankrolled and controlled by government union bosses:
2010:
• AFSCME: $4 Million (#1 overall donor)
• SEIU: $1.4 Million (#2 overall donor)
• AFT: $1.2 Million (#3 overall donor)
• NEA: $750,000 (#5 overall donor)
2012:
• AFSCME: $1.3 Million (#1 overall donor)
• SEIU: $1.1 Million (#2 overall donor)
• AFT: $750,000 (#5 overall donor)
Source: Center for Responsive Politics
• SEIU: $4.4 Million (#1 overall donor)
• Democratic Governors Association: $1.9 million (#2 overall donor)
• NEA: $750,000 (#5 overall donor)
• AFT: $700,000 (#6 overall donor)
• AFSCME: $650,000 (#8 overall donor)
• According to the Sunlight Foundation, in the last election cycle no candidate took more money from the SEIU, NEA or AFT than Pat Quinn.
Source: Sunlight Foundation Profile on Pat Quinn, Sunlight Foundation Profile on SEIU, Sunlight Foundation Profile on NEA, Sunlight Foundation Profile on AFT.
While state and national Republican leaders are condemning the attacks, the other GOP candidate are refusing to speak out:
• The Republican Governors Association calls it an ‘outrageous act of despair’ that is an ‘attempt to subvert the democratic process.’
• The Illinois GOP condemned these types of “tricks, games and campaign schemes” and said they show “a blatant disregard for the voters of Illinois.”
• Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard and Dan Rutherford are silent and all take money from Pat Quinn’s allies:
o Kirk Dillard Government Union Contributions:
– More than $450,000
– Seeking endorsement from Illinois Education Association
– Seeking SEIU endorsement
o Dan Rutherford Government Union Contributions:
– More than $50,000
– Seeking endorsement from Illinois Education Association
– Seeking SEIU endorsement
o Bill Brady Government Union Contributions:
– More than $15,000
Heh — I love how Rauner attacks the messenger, but the message.
Why is that?
Rauner knows that he has so much baggage that even he may not be able to afford enough luggage to put it all in. So instead he has to attack those talking about his many, many negatives.
Stu Levine.
Clouting his kid into one of those public schools he hates (instead of putting her in a) their home school district, or b) those “great” charter schools he funds.
His massive contributions to Dems, that then resulted in massive increases in business for his companies.
His responsibility for people dying in nursing homes.
His contributions to Rahm Emanuel.
His contributions to pro-abortion organizations.
His total unwillingness to take a consistent position on any issue.
His changing position on the minimum wage, depending on which way the wind blows.
Etc, etc, etc…
And yes, Dave On, let’s taka a look at the SEIU, #1 supporter of Quinn. aren’t they the union trying to force parents, who are caring for their disabled children in their homes, to join their SEIU union?
the ultimate greed of union strongarming is appalling! (see Jan 30th Chicago Tribune)
Actually, both Blagojevich and Quinn facilitated the forced unionization referred to.
Bruce Rauner has one thing that the other candidates lack, and that is the ability with his leadership to stop the death spiral that the State of Illinois is locked in, and to bring it back to a State of Health! Sure, the others desperately don’t want to lose the opportunity to drain what little blood is left, as evidenced by their career long go-along, get-along actions, but residents are finally waking up to the fact that there may be no more tomorrow in Illinois if the old ways are not abandoned once and for all.
I don’t know. I look at that picture of Rauner and it looks like his nose is growing to me. Rather Pinocchio-ish, I think.
Dillard, like him or not and many don’t, is the only electable GOP candidate. And that was true before the allegations made against Randy Dandy Rutherford.
**And yes, Dave On, let’s taka a look at the SEIU, #1 supporter of Quinn. aren’t they the union trying to force parents, who are caring for their disabled children in their homes, to join their SEIU union?**
Not sure what SEIU has to do this. But again, you’d rather deal with the messenger than the message. Of course, SEIU hasn’t given any money to this PAC, so not sure at all what you’re talking about.
As for forcing parents into a union, no, that isn’t what is happening, despite what IPI wants you to believe. But this is completely unrelated to this.
So back to Bruce Rauner — want to defend any of his baggage? Or just pretend it doesn’t exist?