McHenry County Blog

Last night I received a phone call from a company on potential GOP candidate Bruce Rauner’s behalf.
No identification on the front end.

The first question asked whether and how often one voted in primary elections.

The next was one about which party one voted in.

Then there was a seemingly duplicative question about party affiliation.

Ranking on a scale of liberal to very conservative was sought next.

Favorability on Bruce Rauner on a scale of one to five followed.

Then the names of the following were trotted out:

• Bruce Rauner
• Bill Brady
• Dan Rutherford
• Kirk Dillard
• Undecided

Age by decade, except for people as old as I (over 65) was next on the agenda.

Finally, gender was solicited.

A press release from Bruce Rauner, who is considering running for the GOP nomination for Governor:

BRUCE RAUNER FORMS EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE FOR ILLINOIS GOVERNOR

Begins 60-day “Listening Tour” Across State

The west wing of the State Capitol can be seen on the left of this photo taking from the southwest.

Today, Illinois business and civic leader Bruce Rauner officially announced that he is actively considering a run for Governor in 2014. Rauner, a Republican, filed papers with the Illinois State Board of Elections creating an exploratory campaign committee that will allow him to begin fully exploring a candidacy.

Rauner’s initial effort will not be a formal or traditional campaign.

After spending several months talking with local and national leaders in business, education reform, and politics, and crisscrossing the state attending Lincoln Day Dinners and other events, Rauner is now entering a more intense period of consideration of a potential candidacy. For the next 60 days, Rauner will significantly increase his events and meetings, while looking to make a final determination on a candidacy well in advance of the March, 2014 primary election.

Rauner commented:

“I was born and raised in Illinois. I’ve raised my family and grown businesses here. And I love our state.

“That’s why it’s so heartbreaking to see the mess we’re in. Near the bottom in the nation in unemployment and tax rates. Worst in the country in debt and credit ratings. Rampant corruption in government. Failing schools and violent crime that destroy the future of too many of our children.

“We need major changes in the way we tax and spend, the way we treat businesses and workers, the way we deal with our state budget and pensions, and the way we run our schools. The political class in Springfield are either unwilling to, or incapable of, making the kind of changes we need. That’s why I’m considering running for Governor.”

Rauner continued: “I have a few ideas that I’m very passionate about, but I don’t have all the answers. I want to hear what’s on Illinoisans’ minds. For the next sixty days I’m going to do something folks in Springfield don’t do – listen. I want to listen to how our citizens think we should tackle our state’s problems. That’s the first step in reclaiming our state – engaging our people, listening to ideas, and hearing about things I don’t know.

“In the process, I hope to figure out whether our people might be interested in a candidate for Governor who is a self-made entrepreneur rather than a politician, who has a passion for education, and a track record of getting results in business and the economy.”

Rauner also released a list of 20 individuals who are members of the Rauner Exploratory Committee. That list is below.

• Exploratory Committee Chairman Jim Schultz, from Effingham, former Chairman of the Board of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, said, “Bruce Rauner has the economic know-how, the leadership skills, and the passion for reform we desperately need in Springfield. If there ever was a time when state government needed a breath of fresh air, it is now, and it is Bruce Rauner.”
• Exploratory Committee Member Jack Roeser, from Carpentersville, Republican Party leader, said, “Politicians come and go without making much of a change to the status quo. Illinois needs a major economic transformation, and that’s what we’d get with Bruce Rauner. He has the backbone to stand up to the status quo powerbrokers in Springfield. Rauner doesn’t need the job, and can’t be bribed, bought, or pushed around. That’s what our state needs now.”

Rauner’s listening tour starts this week in Morton and Okawville and it will take him to every corner of Illinois.

Background on Bruce Rauner

Bruce Rauner was born and raised in Illinois. His grandfather was a Swedish-speaking, small-town dairyman; he taught

Bruce about fishing, hunting and the value of hard work. Bruce’s first job was flipping burgers, his second job was parking cars. A hard working and good student, Bruce worked while he attended Dartmouth College, where he graduated with top honors, and earned an M.B.A. from Harvard.

Returning to Illinois, in 1981, Bruce began working at then-start up investment company Golder, Thoma, Cressey (later GTCR). As one of its earliest partners, Bruce was able to help build the firm into one of the most successful businesses in Illinois.

Bruce and his wife Diana are leading figures in many community and charitable activities in Illinois. Chief among them are support of public education and education reform, including the movement to expand charter schools and support teacher training.

Bruce is an avid outdoorsman. He and his six children enjoy fly-fishing, bird hunting, and skiing. He also likes to ride his Harley and drive his 22-year old camper van.

Bruce has never run for office before. He has raised a family and built a successful business in the state he loves. Heartbroken and outraged by Illinois’ current standing among the worst in the nation in jobs, debt, taxes, credit rating, crime, and public education, Rauner has formed an Exploratory Committee to gauge support for a possible run for Governor.

Exploratory Committee

• Chairman: J.M. “Jim” Schultz, Effingham, IL – Founder of Open Prairie Ventures, Former Chairman Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Founder/Past President Effingham County Community Foundation, and Board Member/Past Chairman Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation.
• Co-Chair: Elizabeth Christie, Chicago, IL— Founder of Avent America, angel investor in small start-ups, Board Member of the Illinois Policy Institute.
• Dr. Richard Chaifetz, Lake Forest, IL – Founder, Chairman and CEO of ComPsych Corporation, the world’s largest employer of employee assistance programs serving over 53 million individuals throughout the U.S. and 120 countries, Chairman of Chaifetz Group, member of The Economic Club of Chicago, and the Executive’s Club of Chicago.
• Lula Ford, Chicago, IL – Former Chicago public school teacher, principal and administrator, and public school reform activist, was also first African American appointed to the Illinois Commerce Commission in its 95-year history.
• Ken Griffin, Chicago, IL – Founder and CEO of Citadel, Board of Directors of the Chicago Public Education Fund, member of the World Economic Forum, G100, the Economic Club of Chicago and Commercial Club of Chicago.
• Greta Huzienga, Chicago, IL – Former Chicago public high school teacher and early childhood educator, Development Advisor to the Academy for Global Citizenship.
• Warren Holtsberg, Wayne, IL – MVC Capital, Board member of the Illinois Venture Capital Association, the Chicagoland Entrepreneurship Center, and Illinois Ventures, the venture capital arm for the University of Illinois.
• Edgar “Ned” Jannotta, Sr., Winnetka, IL – Chairman Emeritus of William Blair, past President of the Economic Club of Chicago and The Commercial Club of Chicago.
• James Kenny, Glenview, IL – Former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, former owner of Kenny Construction, served on transition team for former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar and President George W. Bush.
• Robert E. King, Burr Ridge, IL – Chairman Rasmussen, Inc., Former Chairman and CEO of Deltak, Board Member of Benedictine University, The Academy of Urban School Leadership, the African Wildlife Foundation and Northwestern Wildcat Athletics Venture Enterprise Fund and Member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
• Peter Mason, Hinsdale, IL – Founding member of Freeborn & Peters and Chairman of the Executive Committee.
• Ed McMillan, Greenville, IL – Former President & CEO Purina Mills, University of Illinois Board of Trustees, and Chairman University of Illinois Research Park LLC.
• Jack Miller, Bannockburn, IL – Founder of Quill Office Supplies and The Jack Miller Center for Teaching America’s Founding Principles and History.
• Charles Potter, Lake Forest, IL – President and CEO of Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation, Founder and Chairman Great Outdoors, LLC and former Vice President of the North American Wildlife Foundation and Chairman of the IL Nature Preserves Commission.
• Jack Roeser, Carpentersville, IL – Founder of Otto Engineering, named Hi-Tech Entrepreneur of the Year, built 500 person hi-tech manufacturing business from a $5,000 start; public school reform activist.
• E. Mitchell Roob, Jr., Indianapolis, IN – Native of Northbrook, IL and former Indiana Secretary of Commerce and Indiana Economic Development Corporation CEO who led bringing 55,000 new jobs and $8.1 billion in investments to Indiana in his term.
• John Rowe, Chicago, IL – Former CEO of Exelon Corporation, Chairman of Illinois Institute of Technology.
• William H. Strong – Co-Chief Executive for the Asia Pacific region of Morgan Stanley, led economic mission to Iraq in 2008 for the Department of Defense, past member of the Board of Visitors of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Illinois Finance Chairman for the Presidential campaign of Senator John McCain in 2008, and served as one of two National Co-Chairmen for the 2012 Presidential campaign of Governor Tim Pawlenty.
• David Weinberg, Winnetka, IL – Chairman and CEO of Judd Enterprises.
• Miles White, Lake Forest, IL – Chairman and CEO of Abbott Laboratories, Chairman of the Commercial Club of Chicago, serves as a Director for McDonalds, Caterpillar and Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

Joe Walsh was introduced by Phil Ponce like this: “And now to Carol Marin and a former congressman who is hard to ignore.”

Pretty amazing that a losing Congressional candidate would be interviewed by liberal commentator Carol Marin, but on Wednesday night, there was Joe Walsh, all alone, answering her questions on WTTW.

Under the posted interview is the following explanation:

“National star of the Republican Party, Joe Walsh, joins us to talk about the state of the GOP in Illinois, and what’s next on his agenda.”

Walsh was asked if he were running again for something.

“You wouldn’t deny that, would you?”

“Not at all,” Walsh replied in his calm TV manner.

“I don’t know if another run is in the cards. That’s in God’s hands.”

Marin interspersed comments by Walsh that made nightly news shows during the campaign.

Acknowledging the “gotcha” kind of politics we live in, Walsh replied by explaining that he had more constituent contact than any other congressman and it was impossible not to make mistakes here and there.

With regard to his lack of reaction to the attacks made on him with regard to abortion, he said that he should have pointed out that Tammy Duckworth favored using taxpayer dollars to finance abortions. [My disagreement with that approach has already been written.]

“We train our politicians to act like seals and not say anything to offend voters,” Walsh said.

Marin wanted to know if the Tea Party ship had sailed.

“Gosh, no,” Walsh replied, saying the size of government and the problem of piling debt on the back of our children was still a fervent issue.

He pointed out that Tea Party adherents came with views on social issues than spanned the spectrum, but pointed out that he was “Pro-Life without exception.”

How about the chance to be a radio talk show host on WIND syndicated by the Salem Radio Network?

“There’s an opportunity.”

“There are discussions.”

And what did he say about potential Republican gubernatorial opponents and other Republicans?

Joe Walsh

• Bill Brady – Shouldn’t run again. He’s run twice.
• Kirk Dillard – Nice man. He’s been down in Springfield forever.
• Dan Rutherford – Nice man. He’s been down in Springfield forever.
• Adan Kinzinger – You know what, not as conservative as people think, but a good congressman.
• Christine Radogno – Part of the problem. The face of the Republican Party along with Tom Cross, a Republican Party in Illinois, Carol, that has been devoid of any ideas. We haven’t stood for anything, which has enabled the Democrats to run the state into the ground.
• Judy Baar Topinka – Go to Florida and just retire and have a good life.
• Bruce Rauner – He’s a Democrat. Bruce Runner and again I know got gazillion dollars and he wants to run for governor as a Republican. He’s Rahm Emmanuel’s best friend. He’s given Democrats more money than he’s given Republicans. He gave Mike Madigan’s House candidates money. I just don’t think he’s a Republican.
• Peter Roskam – Great congressman
• Randy Hultgren – Nice man. Very good congressman.
• Mark Kirk – God, it was good to see him walk up those steps and I hope and sincerely hope and pray every day that he can stay where he is and do his job. (So you would support him?) Oh, gosh yeah. And, again, Carol, Mark Kirk and I are very different Republicans, but we’re still under that big tent.

Freshman State Senator Dan Duffy, a businessman from Lake Barrington in Lake County, was touted for governor in Chicago Sun-Times columnist Steven Huntley’s column yesterday.

In an piece entitled,

Duffy’s name pops up in the middle of the column, right after the self-dismissals of

• Illinois Supreme Court Justice Bob Thomas,
• Bush HUD Secretary Steve Preston (who?),
• Chicago equity fund chairman Bruce Rauner,
• Congressmen Mark Kirk and
• Peter Roskam, and
• U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.

Here’s what Huntley wrote:

“State Sen. Dan Duffy of Barrington, a Legislative newcomer, impresses many in the party. He acknowledges hearing suggestions he run, but no one in the party leadership has approached him.

“The party is now evaluating a lot of people and that’s a good thing,” he says. “If party leaders aid, ‘You’re that person,’ I’d have to have a serious conversation with my family and find out if this is the right time for me. Bit we’re not there yet.”

“A jump from newly minted legislator to governor in just two years would be quite a challenge.”

The column continues with former candidates for governor, State Senator Bill Brady, who ran third in the 2006 gubernatorial primary, Ron Gidwitz (4th) and Jim Oberweis, who ran second.

DuPage County Board Republicans, Chairman Bob Schillerstrom and State’s Attorney Joe Birkett, they of the tripling of the RTA sales tax.

Doug Whitley is also mentioned…more favorably than others actively seeking the office.