Rauner Has Made The Budget Impasse His Favorite Campaign Weapon

As absurdist comedy goes, the Father’s Day greeting I got from, of all people, Illinois governor Bruce Rauner was right up there with Better Call Saul, the AMC television show about a sleazy, con-artist lawyer.

First of all, Bruce—don’t act like you’re my friend. Second of all—why are you bugging me? I’m the last guy who’d give you a dime. Sure, his campaign probably got my e-mail address from some mailing list it purchased with the millions Rauner’s already got stashed in his war chest.

So here’s Madigan’s choice: sign on to a suicide pact for his party, or let the governor pound him like a piñata.

Furthermore, state aid for public school may not be delivered in August. That might cause problems for Rauner. He does care about people like suburban parents of school-age kids—at least he wants their votes. As long as they’re relatively unaffected by the impasse, Rauner’s free to torpedo any deal even as the state slides toward bankruptcy.   v