SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — President Barack Obama returns to his political birthplace Wednesday with a plea to the Illinois Capitol for “better politics.”
But his message will fall among the acidic word-war that has stifled Springfield for nearly a year. Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, Democrats who control the Legislature, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel have exchanged criticism, sometimes uncomfortably personal, over the state budget mess, Chicago’s schools, Rauner’s appointments and more.
Rauner says Emanuel has “failed” on public safety and schools. Emanuel has told Rauner to “stop name-calling and just do your job.”
The governor has said the state is in a “slow death spiral” because Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan cares more about protecting a privileged “political class.” Madigan retorts that Rauner’s conservative agenda is “extreme” and compromise requires “moderation.”
