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| WHITE: Two decades, and counting, in current post |
The
one-time Party of Lincoln wants us to be all offended that White will not say
for sure if he’s running for re-election in 2018. He has hinted in the past he’d
like to retire (he’s already 82 and has held the post since 1999), but seems to
be one of those political people who just can’t see himself doing anything but
holding office.
OF
COURSE, FOR Republicans the real issue is that if White does run again, it is
very likely they won’t be able to come up with a credible challenger. That
would mean yet another high-profile political post they would likely lose come
the 2018 election cycle.
If
White does retire, maybe some GOPer has a chance to slip into office and prop
up the potential future political opportunities for Gov. Bruce Rauner. Of
course, that’s presuming voters aren’t so fed up with the Illinois political
status quo of ‘no budget’ that they don’t just dump him too.
Republicans
are trying to make it an issue that White ran for re-election back in 2014 even
though he previously had hinted at retirement, and has since made statements in
2015 and 2016 that he didn’t want a sixth term as secretary of state.
We,
the voters of Illinois, didn’t seem to get too offended just over two years
ago. Who knows how we’ll react. Or do you really think a gaudy, cluttered
license plate design is really the kind of issue that will rile up voters?
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| RAUNER: He'd like political allies |
ALTHOUGH
IF YOU really want to get technical, you’d think the Illinois GOP would be the
last entity to try to make an issue out of term-limit pledges.
For
they’re the ones who include amongst their ranks Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill. He’s
a congressman from the part of Illinois that is suburban St. Louis, and when he
originally ran for office back in 1996 he made a firm pledge that – if elected –
he would not serve more than six, two-year terms in office.
Which
means we should be coming up on the 10-year anniversary of Shimkus’ departure
from the Washington scene. Somehow, Shimkus keeps concluding that his presence
in the District of Columbia is still needed. As far as I know, he’s going to
face about as credible of opposition on Election Day ’18 for his congressional
seat as White will for secretary of state.
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| SHIMKUS: Supposed to leave 10 yrs ago |
It
is kind of odd in White’s case, because I remember when he first got elected to
his present post in 1998, the idea was that White was a long-time state
legislator and Cook County recorder who would serve a term or two in
Springfield before taking political “retirement.”
JESSE,
HOWEVER, SEEMS to be a political survivor. One whose presence causes the
Republican Party to engage in such lame nonsense as what they’re now spewing.
And
yes, this latest Republican statement tells us that White is sticking around
because Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, wants him too. It
all comes back to Madigan, in the minds of the Illinois GOP.
I
guess the idea of coming up with more credible candidates who can actually beat
the opposition is an idea that goes beyond their intellect; or perhaps even the
power of all the millions of his own money that Rauner has committed to
spending in next year’s election cycle.
All
I know is that it is likely Rauner will be a little bit poorer come early 2019 –
and probably just as lonely politically as he is currently.
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