SPRINGFIELD – The capital city's Republicans have endorsed their incumbent GOP Senator Sam McCann, but Thursday night, a video from Governor Bruce Rauner backing McCann challenger Bryce Benton was run at the Sangamon County GOP dinner.
McCann was the only Republican senator to support overriding Governor Rauner's veto of SB 1229 – the arbitration bill – and for that willful disobedience, McCann is being targeted with two purposes: to oust McCann and teach every other Republican in the General Assembly a lesson, "Don't defy the governor, or the same will happen to you."
It's called "whipping" in political circles.
Not only has Rauner endorsed McCann's challenger Bryce Benton, he has encouraged his big donor friends to write million dollar checks to independent expenditure groups that are spending hundreds of thousands attacking McCann in mailers and television ads. Thus far, Benton reports only three contributions from individuals in excess of $1000 since January, but the Illinois Opportunity Project and associating groups have spent over $600,000 against McCann and in support of Benton.
While Family PAC endorsed challenger Benton last week, pro-family and pro-life groups encouraged those concerned about traditional family values to support McCann's re-election.
Ironically, in the endorsement video Rauner says, "We have to send a message to special interests: the days of control in Illinois are over."
Clearly, he means the days of union control will be over with McCann's defeat, and Governor Rauner and his friends will be the new controllers in town.
