{"id":7425,"date":"2017-09-29T10:59:53","date_gmt":"2017-09-29T16:59:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/?p=7425"},"modified":"2017-09-29T10:59:53","modified_gmt":"2017-09-29T16:59:53","slug":"bruce-rauner-scorpion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/2017\/09\/bruce-rauner-scorpion.html","title":{"rendered":"Bruce Rauner, Scorpion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"DSC_0304c\"<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a folktale that shows up every now and again. \u00a0It\u2019s in the form of an Aesop fable, but not actually one<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The short version of the tale (full version here<\/a>) is that a scorpion asks a frog to carry him across a river. \u00a0The dialog then goes:<\/p>\n

\u201cWell now, Mr. Scorpion! How do I know that if I try to help you, you wont try to kill me?\u201d asked the frog hesitantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause,\u201d the scorpion replied, \u201cIf I try to kill you, then I would die too, for you see I cannot swim!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And the scorpion thus persuades the frog to carry him. \u00a0But halfway across, the scorpion stings the frog.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou fool!\u201d croaked the frog, \u201cNow we shall both die! Why on earth did you do that?\u201d<\/p>\n

The scorpion shrugged, and did a little jig on the drownings frog\u2019s back.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could not help myself. It is my nature.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In other retellings of similar stories<\/a>, it is a snake, who says, \u201cYou knew what I was when you found me.\u201d<\/p>\n

And I am reminded of this in reading the news about Governor Rauner\u2019s decision to sign a Democrat-passed bill authorizing Medicaid to fund elective abortions as well as including them as covered services in health plans for state employees.<\/p>\n

He did so despite campaigning that he would maintain the status quo on abortion and other social issues, and despite a promise, this past spring<\/a>, to veto the bill. \u00a0He did so despite having personally assured Cardinal Cupich of a veto. \u00a0In response, Cupich said in a Tribune report<\/a>, \u201cHe broke his word to the people.\u201d \u00a0The Catholic Conference of Illinois issued a statement <\/a>that said, in part, \u201cWe are deeply disturbed that Governor Rauner has broken his word and firm public promise to veto HB 40. \u00a0And State Senator Tim Bivins, Republican from Dixon, likewise said in a statement<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Several months ago he (Rauner) promised over 23 legislators he would veto the bill\u00a0. . . . Today he said he has to stand by what he believes is the right thing to do. Today I will also stand on what I believe is the right thing to do. I will not support this governor for re-election.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So why did Rauner do what he did? \u00a0He says it\u2019s because it\u2019s because of his deeply held beliefs, and I won\u2019t quibble with him.<\/p>\n

The bigger question is, why did he promise Republicans, Catholics, and others that he would veto the bill back in the spring?<\/p>\n

Rauner claims<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI tried in the spring, and I\u2019ve tried for months as this bill was debated and ultimately passed, to find common ground with both sides of this issue,\u201d Rauner said. \u201cWe were unable to do that. The passions run too deep.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But in Illinois, governors have the power to do what\u2019s called an amendatory veto, in which he revises the law to his liking, and legislators can accept his changes or try to override them. \u00a0Rauner declined to do so. \u00a0And, really, I haven\u2019t seen a single indicator of such a mythical \u201csearch for common ground.\u201d \u00a0Rauner wanted to fund abortions for women on Medicaid and state employees, and he has now done so.<\/p>\n

What seems far more likely is that in the spring, Rauner needed all the support he could get in the budget fight with Democrats, which \u00a0was finally resolved with a budget deal in July<\/a> (in which Democrats found enough Republicans willing to support their tax hikes, to override Rauner\u2019s veto of the budget bill), and the subsequent deal on education funding in August<\/a>. \u00a0With those two fights over with, Rauner no longer needed to worry about alienating the pro-life community.<\/p>\n

I wonder if there was a certain further line of thinking, that Catholics now \u201cowed him\u201d for putting the private school scholarship tax credit program in place, and would be obliged to continue to support him because it helps the Church\u2019s bottom line, regardless of this bill-signing.<\/p>\n

Is this a further indicator that Rauner won\u2019t run for re-election? \u00a0Does he figure that Republicans have no realistic chance of replacing him in a primary, and that Democrats would be indistinguishable from him on social issues anyway? \u00a0At least, though, with Democrats you know what you\u2019re going to get, as opposed to believing in a scorpion making promises.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Image:\u00a0 own photo.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

That\u2019s a folktale that shows up every now and again. \u00a0It\u2019s in the form of an Aesop fable, but not actually one. The short version of the tale (full version here) is that a scorpion asks a frog to carry him across a river. \u00a0The dialog then goes: \u201cWell now, Mr. Scorpion! How do I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2209,"featured_media":2332,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[198,752],"class_list":["post-7425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-abortion","tag-bruce-rauner"],"yoast_head":"\nBruce Rauner, Scorpion<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"That's a folktale that shows up every now and again. \u00a0It's in the form of an Aesop fable, but not actually one. 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