This Is What Passes for Leadership in Illinois?

On Friday, August 11, 2017, Bret Baier - Fox News - attempted to substantively interview Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner. The "Gov."made sure it didn't happen.

By interview's end, all I could think of was Charles Durning, who played the "Governor" in the "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" singing "The Sidestep!"

                      "Fellow Texans, I'm proudly standing her to humbly say ...
                       I'm for progress and the flag ....
                       I'm for goodness and for profit and for living clean ...

                       "Ooo, I love to dance the little sidestep
                        Now they see me, now they don't, I've come and gone ...
                        I love to cut a wide swath ... and lead the people on."


BAIER: Chicago’s a sanctuary city. Who are you with on this one, President Trump or Mayor Emanuel?

RAUNER: Well, I can tell you this .. one in seven people in Illinois are immigrants. So this is a very, very big issue. ... Our system is broken. We need ... reform. ... thoughtful rational discussion ....

Did the Governor answer? Or "sidestep?"

BAIER: So why shouldn’t Chicago follow federal law?

RAUNER: Well, I tell you this, the system is broken.

Answer? Or sidestep?

BAIER: You have SB-31 on your desk. According to the Chicago Tribute, the bill would prohibit police from searching, arresting, or detaining a person because of their immigration status, absent a federal criminal warrant. It would also create so-called safe zones in state-funded schools, [and] healthcare centers, ... and block state and local enforcement agencies from creating registries based ... national origin. Are you going to sign that bill?

RAUNER: So, our staff is evaluating that bill right now. ... We are meeting with law enforcement agencies and ... leaders in the state to get their views on it.

BAIER: There are some families who say they’ve lost loved ones because of sanctuary policy and they’re trying to meet with you. Do you want to hear that point of view?

RAUNER: I want to hear everybody’s point of view. ... Our immigration system is broken and we need to have a system that keeps the people of Illinois safe ....

BAIER: ... Do you agree with the president or not that sanctuary cities are a problem – yes or no?

RAUNER: Well, I’d tell you this; what I’d say is immigration in America is broken.

Answers? Or sidesteps?

Baier then replayed an interview with Tom Homan, Acting ICE Director.

HOMAN: Sanctuary cities are a criminal’s biggest friend. ... Sanctuary cities not only endanger public safety, they endanger my law enforcement officers.

BAIER: So do you agree with him?

RAUNER: ... If we have criminals who are in this country and committing crimes, we’ve got to get them out and we’ve got to get them prosecuted. ... We’ve got to keep the people if Illinois safe....

So, did Rauner ever answer any of Baier's questions? Who did Rauner say he was with? President Trump or Mayor Emmanuel? Could he even agree that "Chicago should follow federal law!"


Wearying of Rauner's Immigration "sidestep," Bret Baier looked for a straight answer on "Obamacare."

BAIER: President Trump wants to repeal and replace Obamacare, do you agree?

RAUNER: I can tell you so much of our Affordable Healthcare Act is broken, it needs to be repaired. I’ve expressed concerns about what it might do to some of our most vulnerable residents in Illinois ... The insurance exchanges ... are they broken. Look at the rates ... Insurance companies that are dropping out, we need some big changes in the system.

So did the Governor answer any question or reprise the "Sidestep?" Does he support Mr. Trump's call to "repeal and replace?" What specifically did Rauner mean by "repair?"

BAIER: Is President Trump a good president?

RAUNER: I could tell you this, my job as Governor is to work with every President ....

"Now they see me, now they don't, I've come and gone ...."

Rauner, however, was delighted to take partisan shots at Speaker Madigan has "been in office 35 years," during which time Illinois has "had massive job losses, deficits, biggest unfunded pension liabilities in America, ramped corruption (inaudible) patronage, and that Madigan's recent Income Tax hike "will not fix anything."


To be clear, Madigan has been an utter disaster for Illinois. Now after, listening to Gov. Rauner, I am nauseated - nauseated by a smug, pompous politician who thinks it's clever to "sidestep" the interviewer's question. The voters deserve straight answers. Saying it's "broken" repeatedly, isn't a straight answer. Madigan? Rainer? Phooey! A plague on both their houses!

And if Gov. Rauner thinks he get re-elected by pandering to liberals and eschewing his base, he's nuts. How'd it work for Sen. Kirk?


Posted: QCOline.com September 5, 2017
Copyright 2017, John Donald O'Shea