“A Man who Shot Both His Feet Off” (Illinois Family Spotlight #080)

Written by John Biver

The Chicago Tribune’s John Kass recently interviewed conservative Republican candidate for Illinois governor Jeanne Ives. Their conversation helps listeners get to know the West Point graduate Ives as well as where she stands on the issues that face Illinois taxpayers.

Bruce Rauner is a failed governor that needs to be defeated, Jeanne Ives told John Kass. They discussed the press conference Ives did with Brian McCann, the brother of Dennis McCann who was killed by a drunk driver who also happened to be an illegal alien (John Kass wrote about the incident here). That driver was set free due to Chicago’s sanctuary city policy, which Rauner has now extended statewide.

Why would Bruce Rauner sign legislation limiting local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration officials? Ives sees it as clear pandering to Leftists. While Rauner may think he’s gaining support by making Illinois a sanctuary state, Ives said, he’s actually losing support since many Democrats understand how the rule of law applies to their own safety.

When John Kass asked how Ives thought she could defeat Rauner, who has tens of millions of dollars to spend, Ives responded “we’re already defeating him.” She talked about her recent downstate swing, and the fact that she encountered no one who supported Rauner’s reelection. “It doesn’t matter how much money you have,” she said, “you can’t buy back trust after betrayal.”

Ives explained that Illinoisans have been lied to, and the solution to that is “you have to go to the people and let them know in every small town what has to happen.” There is “massive disappointment” in Rauner’s performance as governor. He never introduced a balanced budget, and in fact the last budget he introduced was larger than the one passed by the General Assembly.

Crusading against Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan is not enough, Jeanne Ives said. Especially when the Democrats only passed taxpayer funding of abortion, made Illinois a sanctuary state, mandated that pro-life medical professionals make abortion referrals, adopted junk science regarding transgenderism, and bailed out the Chicago schools unnecessarily because of Rauner’s support.

Ives stressed that practical mid-westerners such as those who live in Illinois are ready to reject Rauner, and the probably Democratic nominee J.B. Pritzker, who removed toilets out of his second mansion to secure a $250,000 property tax break. “No one wants a plutocrat running state government,” she said.