Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner has been in ongoing online feud with conservative blogger Diane Benjamin. (Photo courtesy Facebook/Tari Renner) 

By Eric Stock 

BLOOMINGTON – Mayor Tari Renner said he was reacting as a protective father when he unleashed a verbal tirade online against a conservative blogger. 

Renner perceived his 18-year-old son, Alex, was under attack on Diane Benjamin's blog. Benjamin alleged there was a relationship between Renner's son and two fellow Illinois Wesleyan students who had criticized alderwoman Judy Stearns at a city council meeting. 

Renner and Stearns have frequently been at odds over the city's finances and other issues.

"I just post facts and he doesn't like that he can't control the message," Benjamin said. "He doesn't like what I post, so he's trying to shut down political speech to get how own agenda through and his own tax increases and his own higher spending." 

Renner called Benjamin "the craziest human being I've ever known" and referred to her as a "total piece of garbage" and a "sick, dirty, slimy, ignorant fool."

"Obviously, that's not the kind of politics we want here in Bloomington and we need to be more than that," Renner said. "I need to be more than that." 

Renner told WJBC's Scott Laughlin, he has apologized to the city but not to Benjamin who he said "drug him into the political gutter."

He said in retrospect, he shouldn't have engaged. 

"Even if you are reacting as a protective father, if you are mayor, you can't just say what is happening at that very moment," Renner said. "You have to give yourself a little more time, even if it's just 60 seconds."

Benjamin said she's received lots of feedback. 

"I don't think I've had any negative comments," Benjamin said. "It's more 'The mayor should resign, how do we recall him', and that's not up to me. That's up to the citizens of Bloomington and you need to talk to your alderman if that's what you want."

Benjamin lives in rural Ellsworth. 

PODCAST: Listen to Scott's interviews with Renner and Benjamin. 

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].