EXTRA: Aye from guv; nay from right

I’m sure progressive-minded people (or those who don’t view a woman’s ability to carry a pregnancy to term as her only purpose in life) will be pleased with Gov. Bruce Rauner.
 

RAUNER: 100,000's of critics?

On the bill approved this spring by the General Assembly related to abortion, the governor acted on Thursday – saying he’ll sign it into law. Which is consistent with a written pledge he made back when he was just a gubernatorial candidate.

SO ALL THE rhetoric the “left” was prepared to douse Rauner with related to him being a liar will fizzle out. Although I’m sure many of those people will have many other reasons to bash him about as he tries to get himself re-elected to a second term as governor in the 2018 election cycle.

But as for the “right,” Rauner may well have brought a whole lot of rhetorical hurt upon himself. Rauner made his pronouncement at about 3:14 p.m. Thursday. By 3:24 p.m., the rancid rhetoric denouncing Rauner already was flooding its way into my e-mail box.

Illinois Republican Chairman Tim Schneider said he was “disappointed” along with “frustrated and saddened” by Rauner’s actions that permit Medicaid monies to help cover the cost of an abortion, while also erasing rhetoric that some believe would have altered Illinois law in the future to make abortion a potentially criminal act.

But while Schneider said he doesn’t want the issue to become politicized, state Rep. Peter Breen, R-Lombard, issued a statement saying, “I can no longer support” Rauner for re-election because of this bill.

CITING A LIST of areas in which Breen says Rauner is incompetent, Breen said, “the only unique feature left in Rauner’s favor is that he writes big campaign checks. For Republicans whose elections require those contributions, I understand their reluctance to be critical of Rauner.”

But Breen says there are “hundreds” of GOP elected officials and “hundreds of thousands of Republican voters” who sympathize with him and will turn on the governor.

 

BREEN: So says the rep from DuPage

Also feeling the need to speak out was Republican state attorney general hopeful Erika Harold – who said she disagrees with Rauner on this issue, but agrees with him on many others.

She also made her own pronouncement that “I will enforce all of the laws of the state.” Which has Democratic operatives on Thursday already mocking her for thinking that she has any authority to be selective about what laws are enforced.

OF COURSE, THIS is all in addition to the typical anti-abortion activists, such as the Illinois Right to Life group, which said it was "devastated and heartbroken" by Rauner's actions. "Advocates throughout Illinois can feel only betrayed and deeply saddened for the thousands of additional unborn babies' lives that will be lost each year due to Gov. Rauner's action," said President Rosemary Hackett.

So we're not even within one year of Election ’18, and some will speculate that Rauner has already ensured his ultimate defeat. Although others will be skeptical enough to think that the Democratic Party field of candidates is incompetent enough to blow it come Election Day.

All of which is enough to make me wonder how masochistic one needs to be in order to subject themselves to a political campaign in this modern day and age.

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