Month: December 2018

ABC7
— Illinois Republicans stunned after Gov. Rauner admits to recruiting 4 others to run in November gubernatorial race – Craig Wall
https://abc7chicago.com/politics/illinois-gop-stunned-after-rauner-admits-to-recruiting-4-others-to-run-for-governor/4900233/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison, a leading state Republican, is now calling for an emergency meeting of the State Central Committee to address what the Rauner revelation, which he and others are calling a deeply troubling matter. In a statement, he said: “I personally asked the Governor on two separate occasions before the Primary if he was committed to his re-election. Both times, to my face, he made clear that he was all in – not only for himself but for all statewide candidates…this private surrender by Bruce Rauner shows a lack of loyalty, integrity, and character.” Rauner is being accused of betraying the party. “Stunned and even more disappointed, I didn’t think I could be more disappointed or betrayed because I think that the Governor really betrayed everybody in the party and by extension everyone in the state,” said Chris Robling, a Republican strategist. Sources said that Rauner approached his attorney general candidate Erika Harold the day after the state fair in August, less than three months before the election, and asked her to take his place on the ballot. “It appears in this case he wasn’t really into it and he got more and more out of it the longer the campaign went on,” Robling said. Rauner had also asked then-state Sen. Karen McConnaughay to do the same in April. McConnaughay said first lady Diana Rauner approached her with a similar request the year before. The fallout has Republicans frustrated and angry. “What happened at the top of the ticket brought us down across the whole state, we lost a whole lot of state legislative seats because of what he did and that’s what really hurts, because now Madigan has a super majority and we can’t stop him,” said Chris Cleveland, chairman of the Chicago Republican Party. The chairman of the state Republican Party Tim Schneider said in a statement that “Neither myself nor the staff at the Illinois Republican Party had any knowledge of the discussions Governor Rauner had regarding his candidacy.” Other Republicans are not only shocked by what the governor did, but that he publicly admitted it.)

DAILY HERALD
— McConnaughay told Rauner he couldn’t pick his own replacement on ballot – Jake Griffin (DIERSEN: What if Rauner had withdrawn and Ives had been selected to fill the vacancy? The Illinois Republican Party (IRP) State Central Committee (SCC) fills vacancies by weighted vote when candidates withdraw in statewide races. In the 2004 Illinois U.S. Senate race, I attended all the IRP SCC meetings that were open to the press that resulted in the IRP SCC selecting Alan Keyes to replace Jack Ryan who had withdrawn. I unsuccessfully urged the IRP SCC to select Jim Oberweis because Oberweis had received the second most votes in the primary. Steve Rauschenberger had received the third most votes and Andy McKenna the fourth most. SEE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_United_States_Senate_election_in_Illinois At that time, I was the GOPUSA Illinois Editor, an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member, the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois Vice-Chairman, a Republican Precinct Committeeman, the Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster, a Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member, and an American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member.)
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20181214/mcconnaughay-told-rauner-he-couldnt-pick-his-own-replacement-on-ballot
— New DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek drops lawsuit to get records from election commission – Robert Sanchez
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20181214/new-dupage-county-clerk-drops-lawsuit-to-get-records-from-election-commission
— District 304 board approves five-year contract with teacher raises totaling 19.6 percent – Justin Kmitch (DIERSEN: While I worked for GAO 1986-1997 as a GS-13 Analyst, in today’s dollars, because of step increases, my salary increased from $96,403 to $125,325, or by 30%. During that time, became a Certified Fraud Examiner in 1990, a Certified Government Financial Manager in 1994, a Certified Financial Services Auditor in 1996, and a Forensic Accountant in 1997. In 1997, after taking graduate courses since 1992, I earned a masters’ degree in financial markets and trading from IIT. I worked on audits of a) IRS 1986-1988, b) Department of Defense and Railroad Retirement Board in 1989, and c) federal financial industry regulators 1990-1997.)
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20181214/district-304-board-approves-five-year-contract-with-teacher-raises-totaling-196-percent
– Wheaton middle schooler charged with false threat to the school – Justin Kmitch
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20181213/wheaton-middle-schooler-charged-with-false-threat-to-the-school
— Chicago man held on $500,000 bail in Wheaton carjacking – Justin Kmitch
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20181214/chicago-man-held-on-500000-bail-in-wheaton-carjacking

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Sensing defeat, Rauner admits seeking other candidates to replace him on ballot – Alexandra Arriaga
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/sensing-defeat-rauner-admits-seeking-other-candidates-to-replace-him-on-ballot/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Indeed, officials said if Rauner had relinquished the nomination, the GOP state central committee would have had eight days to name a replacement, according to State Board of Elections spokesman Matt Dietrich. “Obviously, he could have recommended a preferred replacement, but the decision would have had to be made by the Republican state central committee,” Dietrich said. McConnaughey said Rauner’s tactic was similar to his style of governing. “He tried to end his career as governor the same way he got into it — always this idea he would strong-arm it,” she said. “He never respected the fact that there’s a process to governing. Never accepted responsibility for mistakes he made, always [House Speaker Michael] Madigan or someone else’s fault.” She added: “The Republicans could have and should have had a better candidate. He didn’t bring the kind of energy to the race that was necessary.” During the interview, Rauner also blamed President Trump as a “contributing factor” in his 16-point loss to Pritzker. He believes his chances to stay in office would have been better if Democrat Hillary Clinton had won.)

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Under the Dome Podcast: Rauner tried to drop out of governors race
https://www.sj-r.com/news/20181214/under-dome-podcast-rauner-tried-to-drop-out-of-governors-race

WGLT
— Barickman: Rauner Bailout Attempt Tried To Cheat Voters – CHARLIE SCHLENKER
http://www.wglt.org/post/barickman-rauner-bailout-attempt-tried-cheat-voters#stream/0
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Barickman said the report just makes you scratch your head and shake it negatively. “First of all, it’s not the way the process works. Incumbent governors don’t get to select their replacement,” said Barickman. Rauner reportedly asked four different people to take the job of running for governor as late as August. “It’s disingenuous at best. Most importantly it cheats Republican voters from their opportunity to have a say in this. And that’s their voice that gets shut out,” said Barickman. Barickman said this shows Rauner’s failure to understand the political and legislative processes.)

WSPY NEWS
— Karen McConnaughay, Former St. Charles Sen., Kane Board Chair Among 4 That Rauner Sought to Replace Himself With Projecting Re-Election Loss
http://www.wspynews.com/news/local/former-st-charles-sen-kane-board-chair-among-that-rauner/article_ea118366-ffa8-11e8-8a84-bfe47379964b.html
— McConnaughay on Declining Rauner Request for Gubernatorial Run: ‘Process is Everything in Government, Politics’
http://www.wspynews.com/news/local/mcconnaughay-on-declining-rauner-request-for-gubernatorial-run-process-is/article_ea118366-ffa8-11e8-8a84-bfe47379964b.html

SUBURBAN CHICAGOLAND
— Sean Morrison slams Governor Rauner for abandoning GOP
https://suburbanchicagoland.com/2018/12/14/sean-morrison-slams-governor-rauner-for-abandoning-gop/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Cook County Commissioner and County GOP Chairman Sean Morrison issued the following statement: To learn yesterday that Bruce Rauner secretly tried to abdicate his candidacy – on several occasions – is an affront to everyone in the Illinois Republican Party and the entire State of Illinois. It is an egregious betrayal of trust that countless members of the Republican Party placed in him, and that 1.7 Million residents of Illinois had when they cast their vote for him in November. I personally asked the Governor on two separate occasions before the Primary if he was committed to his re-election. Both times, to my face, he made clear that he was all in – not only for himself but for all Statewide candidates. We now know, by his own admission, that he deceived me and others. Evidently, the deception didn’t end there. After the primary, Bruce explicitly promised a statewide absentee ballot and early voting program to boost Republican turnout. Was the program ever implemented? No. And his answer to questions about this program’s failure was nothing more than continued excuses. . .As a Republican elected official and a member of the Illinois Republican State Central Committee, this kind of betrayal and deception is totally unacceptable and has no place within our party. For this reason, I will call for an emergency meeting of the Illinois Republican Party State Central Committee to address this deeply troubling matter and to immediately forge a plan forward to rebuild our party as one that will fight for the working families of Illinois and will challenge Illinois Democratic Party policies that have forced our state into economic peril.)

WINNETKA PATCH
— Gov. Rauner Says He Tried To Drop Out Of Race, Handpick Successor The outgoing governor said he tried to recruit four Republicans to replace him on the ballot but they all rejected him. – Jonah Meadows
https://patch.com/illinois/winnetka/gov-rauner-says-he-tried-drop-out-race-handpick-successor

ILLINOIS NEWS NETWORK
— Rauner ‘tried to get out of being the governor,’ sought replacements post-primary – Greg Bishop & Cole Lauterbach
https://www.ilnews.org/news/state_politics/opponents-slam-rauner-following-revelation-he-sought-others-to-take/article_4e5136ca-ffca-11e8-a62a-37ef9654d541.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: While such a move would have been unusual, the Illinois State Board of Elections said it’s possible to replace a candidate on the ballot if they want to step down, as Rauner indicated earlier this week he wanted to do. “If Rauner had relinquished the nomination, the GOP state central committee would have had eight days following his withdrawal to name a replacement,” ISBE spokesman Matt Dietrich said. “And this would need to happen at least 15 days before the general election for Rauner’s name to be removed and replaced with the new candidate’s name.” State Rep. Jeanne Ives, who lost to Rauner in the March primary by 2.8 percent, said there was talk about a switch in some GOP circles. She said radio host Dan Proft, a former Republican candidate for governor, had mentioned it. She also said she’d be surprised if party officials didn’t know Rauner had considered leaving the race. “They knew that Rauner was not in for the fight,” said Ives, R-Wheaton. “There’s no doubt in my mind that they knew he asked others to run. [Schneider] can say what he wants to all day long, I do not believe him.” McConnaughay said she didn’t know if GOP officials were aware Rauner wanted someone else to take over in the race against Pritzker. “I only know what I know and I’m not interested in engaging in conspiracy theories, I’ll leave that to Representative Ives,” McConnaughay said. Ives called for Schneider to step down as the party’s leader. She said the GOP leadership “has failed to provide a necessary contrast to the horrible policies of the Democrats and their corrupt dealings.”)

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— COOK COUNTY GOP CHAIRMAN RESPONDS TO RAUNER’S POST-ELECTION COMMENTS; CALLS FOR EMERGENCY IL GOP MEETING
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2018/12/cook-county-gop-chairman-responds-to-rauners-post-election-comments-calls-for-emergency-il-gop-meeti.html

— RAUNER REVEALS HE DIDN’T WANT TO RUN AGAIN IN 2018, BEGGED FOUR OTHERS TO TAKE HIS PLACE
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2018/12/rauner-reveals-he-didnt-want-to-run-again-in-2018-begged-four-others-to-take-his-place.html

CAPITOL FAX
— Morrison wants emergency meeting of ILGOP – McConnaughay explains – Schneider responds *** Rauner says he tried to drop out of race after primary
https://capitolfax.com/2018/12/14/rauner-says-he-tried-to-drop-out-of-race-after-primary/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider: Neither myself nor the staff at the Illinois Republican Party had any knowledge of the discussions Governor Rauner had regarding his candidacy.)

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Chicago’s next mayor is key to political fate of South Suburban Airport – Ted Slowik
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-slowik-south-suburban-airport-st-1216-story.html

WLS AM
— Pritzker: Emanuel’s pension plan is not “viable” – Bill Cameron
http://www.wlsam.com/2018/12/14/pritzker-emanuels-pension-plan-is-not-viable/

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Attorney for Jack Franks’ Ally’s Printer Refuses to Follow Court Order to Reveal Identities of Originators of Smear Mail, But Admits She Now Represents “s/he/the[m]”
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2018/12/14/attorney-for-jack-franks-allys-printer-refuses-to-follow-court-order-to-reveal-identities-of-originators-of-smear-mail/
— Capitol Fax Picks McSweeney as GOP State Rep. of the Year
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2018/12/13/capitol-fax-picks-mcsweeney-as-gop-state-rep-of-the-year/

WILL COUNTY GAZETTE
— State Board of Elections asked to investigate Underwood’s voting history – W.J. Kennedy
https://willcountygazette.com/stories/511669527-state-board-of-elections-asked-to-investigate-underwood-s-voting-history

DUPAGE POLICY JOURNAL
— Ives predicts rise in Geneva property taxes to meet teacher demands – Robert Hadley
https://dupagepolicyjournal.com/stories/511669612-ives-predicts-rise-in-geneva-property-taxes-to-meet-teacher-demands

NEW YORK TIMES
— As Labor Market Tightens, Women Are Moving Into Male-Dominated Jobs Widening opportunities do not automatically translate into better pay or a decline in gender discrimination. – Jed Kolko and Claire Cain Miller (DIERSEN: As all of my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes will attest to, all the jobs that I had were BAD jobs, jobs that were so BAD that qualified Democrats, qualified minorities, qualified women, qualified younger people, and qualified veterans did not want them. I did yard work and delivered newspapers 1962-1964; washed dishes 1964-1966; cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966; delivered mail 1966-1969; worked on an automobile assembly line and as a security guard in 1970; sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971; pumped gasoline 1971-1972; collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980; and audited federal agencies 1980-1997. GAO hired me in 1980 because it could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job. IRS hired me in 1971 because it could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, or veteran who would take the job. The Post Office hired me in 1966 because it could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, or veteran who would take the job.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/14/upshot/as-labor-market-tightens-women-are-moving-into-male-dominated-jobs.html

WASHINGTON POST
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters say “Trump routinely says things that aren’t true. Few Americans believe him.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/politics/political-knowledge-poll-trump-falsehoods/

FORBES
— The Federal Employee Pay Penalty: 31% Less Than State and Local Government Workers. Really? – Andrew Biggs (DIERSEN: Are/were you accused of being overpaid? My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have always accused me of being overpaid. In my defense, I earned a) a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 and job-related master’s degrees when I was 27, 31, and 48, b) job-related professional certifications when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, and c) a job-related professional license when I was 32.)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewbiggs/2018/12/14/the-federal-employee-pay-penalty-31-less-than-state-and-local-government-workers-really/#449726c562e5

INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY
— 86% Of Government Spending Is Now On Autopilot
https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/federal-spending-budget-deficits/