In last night’s final televised gubernatorial debate, Dan Rutherford referenced regrets, Bruce Rauner was caught off guard by a retirement income question and Kirk Dillard was on the defense for receiving union endorsements.
Overall though, the four candidates appeared to be playing it safe in their last public appearance. Dillard didn’t hit Rauner as hard as one might expect, give it’s do or die for Dillard as he tries to catch the frontrunner before Tuesday.
Swear those were tears welling up in Rutherford’s eyes when he was asked about the biggest regret of his campaign. Rutherford asked Phil Ponce how much time he had.
Read Dave McKinney’s account of the debate.
Rauner was caught off guard when asked if he’d tax retirement income, refusing to rule it out. State Sen. Bill Brady and Dillard each jumped on the chance to rule it out.
And … Bruce Rauner faced the media after last night’s WTTW debate after Phil Ponce closed by asking Rauner if he was dodging reporters, who deliver news to the public and if that was how he planned to handle the governor’s office should he be elected. Rauner responded that he’s submitted to many interviews over the course of his campaign. That included a sit-down with the Sun-Times: Bruce Rauner profile.
Rauner has been known to keep tight control over his interactions with the media. (However, his press people have pointed out to me that Rauner has indeed stuck around for four of the eight debates/forums he’s attended).
Since harassment allegations have been filed against Rutherford, the Republican has completely dodged reporters after debates.
In the U.S. Senate primary race, Doug Truax continues to hammer state Sen. Jim Oberweis for his “weeklong frolic in sunny Florida” in the closing days of a U.S. Senate primary race in Illinois, releasing these questions for the dairy man.
1) How in the world is a man who takes a week off in the closing days of a primary EVER going to go toe-to-toe with Dick Durbin? 2) How is someone whose spouse lives in another state and whose family derives financial benefit from dodging Illinois’ tax laws going to have the moral authority to take on Dick Durbin? 3) How is someone whose campaign routinely deceives the press and public going to take on Dick Durbin? 4) When the heat was on this week, your campaign simply refused to answer any press inquiries for days. How are you possibly going to take on Dick Durbin in the fall with that lack of courage and accountability? 5) If you had a manager at Oberweis Dairy who took a weeklong vacation in Florda on the eve of a major store opening, would you fire him/her?
