Rauner Readies Deluxe Attack Ad
(CBS) – In a recent political attack ad, the public has only heard a portion of a wiretapped conversation between then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Democrat J.B. Pritzker.
Now, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner says he has the entire FBI-taped conversation, and he wants to air it all.
"The people of Illinois need to know the truth about the corruption in our state," Rauner said Thursday.
Runer says he created an extraordinary, 15-minute TV commercial, which is billed as the "uneditied J.B. Pritzker-Rod Blagojevich wiretap."
The recording shows Pritzker angling for an appointment from fellow Dem Blagojevich, for state treasurer.
"Gov. Blagojevich spoke with hundreds of people at that time and the bottom line is I was never accused of any wrongdoing," Pritzker, who has the most money set aside in running for the Democratic nomination for Illinoi governor.
Rauner, who seeks re-election and may face Pritzker in a general election, counters: "Anyone who would use an excuse and say, 'Well, I did something immoral, unethical, disgusting and self-dealing but I didn't go to jail, so it's OK.' Ae you kidding me?"
Pritzker tried to brush off the recorded wheeling and dealing.
"At no time in that conversation did I do anything that is anything other than trying to do public service to make the state better," he says.
Not so, say his Democratic opponents.
"It just shows what a risk it would be for the Democratic Party to nominate a flawed candidate like J.B. Pritzker," Daniel Biss says.
Chris Kennedy adds: "Who's going to want to turn out, who's going to want to work, who's going to want to do the extra things needed to vote for somebody who's playing footsie with Rod Blagojevich?"
The Rauner campaign says they've placed the 15-minute commercial on both broadcast and cable outlets. But they won't say how much was spent, how soon we'll see the ads, or whether we'll see them at all here in Chicago.
Blagojevich was convicted of political corruption after he was thrown out of his.