CHICAGO - Diana Rauner, wife of GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner, made it clear today that her husband does, in fact, have a social agenda -- at least on the single issue of abortion.
In an email to supporters, Diana Rauner wrote:
From: Diana Rauner <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, October 31, 2014 4:04 PM
Subject: Bruce Rauner is pro-choice!
Hi friends, so sorry to flood your inbox, but you know how committed I am to reproductive rights; and I can't stand to sit by while Personal PAC unleashes yet another round of attacks against Bruce. Here are the facts:
Bruce has been one of the largest supporters of the ACLU Reproductive Rights Project for over 20 years. He has been a major supporter of Planned Parenthood both locally and nationally for a similar time, such that Cecile Richards told her local staff in Illinois earlier this year, "if I hear anything negative about Bruce Rauner my head will explode."
Bruce has been unequivocal in his support for reproductive rights throughout a contentious Republican primary and publicly stated his support for reproductive rights in primary debates. He won the primary despite his pro-choice stance, in part by convincing pro-lifers to put aside their views on this issue in favor of economic ones.
Bruce has been in conversation with Personal PAC for over two years. Theirs was the only questionnaire that he has completed in this race, and the only question he got "wrong" was on parental notification. Bruce supports it-- I don't, but 75-80% of the population does, including a majority of people who consider themselves pro-choice.
Terry Cosgrove's decision to attack Bruce is driven by politics, not the issues, and it sickens me because I believe that it is ultimately destructive to our cause. By attacking a pro-choice Republican candidate, he virtually assures we will never see another. Instead of promoting bipartisan support for choice-- a great victory!-- he has chosen to use innuendo and misinformation to smear Bruce's views and record. What Terry neglects to mention is that he is a paid appointee of the Quinn administration with a salary and pension.
I appreciate that you might not agree with Bruce on everything and might not like some of his decisions. But please don't fall victim to this kind of fear mongering, and please appreciate exactly where Bruce stands on this important issue.
Please forward this email to your pro-choice friends! Fondly, Diana
UPDATE x1: In May, Illinois Review reported on Rauner attending the ACLU Illinois Gala, which was held to celebrate decades of pro-choice support by the ACLU.
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See: Rauner Attends ACLU Abortion Celebration, Skips Illinois Right to Life Dinner
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At that time, the Rauner campaign downplayed his attendance, implying that Diana Rauner - not Bruce - was the supporter of the ACLU Reproductive Rights Project. In a statement to NBC's Mary Ann Ahern, the campaign said: "Bruce's wife, Diana, is a supporter and she asked him to stop by because she could not."
Today's email seems to contradict that statement.
