* Out of the two, only Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno appears to be in any sort of trouble, right now and that’s not a sure thing either…
Ms. Radogno and House Minority Leader Tom Cross are also facing calls to step down, but the “million-dollar question,” as another party operative put it, is who would replace them. So far, the few names that have surfaced have been conservatives from downstate who wouldn’t necessarily be able to make the party more competitive in the suburbs of Chicago. Ms. Schuh said her boss “intends to pursue leading the caucus through the next phase.”
“They have to watch what they wish for — they might get it,” said state Rep. Angelo “Skip” Saviano, a moderate Republican who lost his west suburban seat after 20 years in the Illinois House. As assistant minority leader, he worked closely with Mr. Cross, who could not be reached for comment. “He’s the hardest-working guy I know, and it’s a thankless job.”
After this week’s historic drubbing, it will only take 10 votes to elect a Senate minority leader. Stuff can happen…
A day after suffering through one of their worst elections in modern times, at least one GOP lawmaker said he’s considering challenging Minority Leader Christine Radogno for control of the soon-to-be 19-member Republican caucus in the Senate.
“Obviously, it’s something that has to be addressed,” said state Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon. “We need to do a better job of delivering our message. We’ve got to restructure our party from the bottom up.”
McCarter’s potential candidacy emerged after Tuesday’s Democratic tidal wave gave Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, a 40-seat, veto-proof majority beginning in January, while House Speaker Michael Madigan saw his Democratic majority increase by seven seats to a veto-proof 71.
Actually, McCarter has been talking about running for months.
* The chamber’s right wing is not united, however…
Republican Sen. Dan Duffy, of Lake Barrington, suggested an alternative to Radogno as leader: Sen. Darin LaHood, the Peoria-area lawmaker who is the son of Ray LaHood, Obama’s transportation secretary. Sen. LaHood could not be reached for comment.
* And Radogno should be encouraged by this…
“We’re a team,” [Sen. Bill Brady] said. “We went into this as a team. There’s no question we’re a little shell-shocked right now. But we were tremendously outspent and egregiously out-mapped.”
They were “egregiously out-mapped” because the GOP lost the 2010 governor’s race.
Just sayin…
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- shore - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 12:47 pm:
Matt Murphy is the only springfield republican I’ve seen on tv with any ability whatsoever to communicate anything the last 5 years. Cross comes off in the media, when he’s rarely seen, as a mix of a country bumpkin and good old boy who’s not ready for primetime. Radogno has an angry scowl that’s one of the most unattractive things in politics. It says a lot that John Tillman is probably better known in chicago and among republicans than either of them.
My apologies to the LaHood family but no one whose father sells out the party to take a bigshot gig as a Democratic cabinet secretary (on the recommendation of a chicago mayor) has any future in anything in party politics.
They need serious grownups who can communicate on chicago tv.
- train111 - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 12:48 pm:
I do not know about that ‘tremendously outspent’ figure. If you add together all the party commitiee type expenditures, you find that the Dems outspent the Reps by about a 60% to 40% ratio in both the Senate and House Races.
How does one then explain the 79th House race where the GOP outspent the Dems 500K to 135K and yet lost? How about the Manar-McElroy race where the GOP put in 655K to the Dems 455K and still lost in an area where EVERY county went to Romney? The 95th HD portion has some pretty rock hard GOP territory and even the 96th HD portion of the district is marginally D if people show up to vote.
Heck the Dems won every Tier 1 competitive race in both the Senate and the House. The GOP couldn’t even pull out 1???
Being “outspent” and being “outmapped” are Brady’s lazyman excuses for not wanting to look deeper.
train111
- So of 64 - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 12:56 pm:
McCarter? Really? Had one dealing with him. Wow! Leader material in his own eyes.
- LilLebowskiAchiever - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 12:57 pm:
It says a lot about the House and Senate Republican Caucuses that there aren’t real alternatives to Cross and Radogno.
Kyle McCarter? I’m guessing there is no way he could get elected. One of the most unpopular guys in Springfield. And Darrin LaHood? Nice guy but Cullerton would eat him alive. He’s only been down for a few years.
The House is even tougher. Maybe Chapin Rose would have been an alternative but he’s in the Senate now.
- just sayin' - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:13 pm:
If Tom Cross isn’t “in trouble” too, then the GOP’s problems are even worse than anyone imagines. And everyone imagines the IL GOP’s problems are incredibly enormous.
The gop house caucus should maybe just stay home and save us all some money. They are irrelvant anyway. Why play pretend?
- Leader of the Flock - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:17 pm:
Having Kyle McCarter as leader would be akin to being led by Pat Robertson. Would be fun to watch.
- Dirty Red - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:18 pm:
= Maybe Chapin Rose would have been an alternative but he’s in the Senate now. =
Nothing says Chapin can’t go for it in the Senate.
- redrum - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:35 pm:
Victorious Senate Donkeys pray Senate Elephants are dumb enough to install newcomer state Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon, into a key leadership post. McCarter is not only a right wing nut, but he’s never run a political machine or raised the necessary dollars to create on. If Republican are desperate to remain a minority political party over the next 20 years — the inflexible Kyle McCarter is the answer to your hopes.
- King Pin - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:58 pm:
I believe both should remain in their respective roles representing the GOP.
- 1776 - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 2:08 pm:
Matt Murphy would be the only viable choice in the Senate and only if Radogno chooses not to seek re-election to the Caucus post.
Let McCarter, Duffy, LaHood, and McCann keep playing the “commonsense caucus” game and keep meeting in a phone booth.
Dale Righter gave $200K to help the Senate GOP and Murphy helped. What did the Four Stooges do?
Cross needs to be challenged but their is no leadership around anymore. Potentially Jim Durkin?
- wordslinger - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 2:09 pm:
–My apologies to the LaHood family but no one whose father sells out the party to take a bigshot gig as a Democratic cabinet secretary (on the recommendation of a chicago mayor) has any future in anything in party politics.–
It’s been quite common to have bipartisan cabinets. Moynihan didn’t have a problem working for Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford, then moving on to the Senate from New York.
- Knome Sane - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 2:18 pm:
Cross is likely scrambling to shore up the minimum 12 additional votes needed to win the post. But 1776 is right, Jim Durkin is the only Republican leader that has the chops to take on Cross. If I was a republican state representative, I would keep my powder dry and not commit to anyone until the smoke clears and big business has a chance to weigh in.
- Norseman - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 2:20 pm:
The first priority for the Senate Republican Caucus is to ensure that McCarter DOES NOT get elected leader. Even this basically right wing group should read the tea leaves from Tuesday’s drubbing and see that an extremist will only exacerbate their plight.
They should choose to keep Radagno as leader. Not that she’s the right (no pun intended) person to lead them from irrelevance, it doesn’t benefit the real leaders in the group - Dillard, Murphy, Righter or Rose - to be the front person in what will be a bad General Assembly for the caucus. They can do their best by advising Radogno to take a more cooperative stance with Cullerton - if he is willing. They’ll also have plenty of time to plan for their journey to relevance.
The House GOP caucus will probably stick with Cross because they don’t have any better choices. It would be wise if Cross would divorce himself from the Illinois Policy Institute and Ty Fahner types.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 2:23 pm:
===They were “egregiously out-mapped” because the GOP lost the 2010 governor’s race.===
Tom Cross shot 44 from the Back Tees at Medinah …
The Hardest Working … working at lowering his Golf handicap!
Dope!
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 2:40 pm:
If Cross and Radogno weather being …
VETO-PROOFED OUT OF THE ILLINOIS GOVERNMENT FOR 2 YEARS …
Then the HGOP and the SGOP Caucuses do not care about Republicans in Illinois …that is a 100% Fact.
If not a single head rolls after the ILGOP GA members are
VETO-PROOFED OUT OF THE ILLINOIS GOVERNMENT FOR 2 YEARS …
Then the party deserves ZERO money from PACs from voters, from businesses.
Do not … Repeat …do not donate to Futility! Make these Caucuses feel the pinch of no money, and empty fundraisers, and DuPage County Elected Committeemen go and eat all the food, and dump the literature in the garbage dumpsters in the back.
Croos and Radogno are Epic Failures … are both Caucuses willing to be seen beyond Mushrooms, but Mushrooms with Lobotomies???
That is what you H&SGOP members are going to tell the Republicans here in Illinois if Cross and Radogno return.
Pathetic bunch of Mushrooms.
By the way, let’s watch very carefully if the H&SGOP staffers get raises or bonuses when they either come back from “vacation” to their state jobs, or in D-2s where Politcal Monies are recorded.
I will wait … I will watch …
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 3:21 pm:
===By the way, let’s watch very carefully if the H&SGOP staffers get raises or bonuses when they either come back from “vacation” to their state jobs, or in D-2s where Politcal Monies are recorded.===
I want to be 100% clear …
I am talking about HIGH Executives in the H&SGOP aparatuses, like the Head of the Campaigns Committees, Staff that worked and approved Candidate Recruitment …Directors.
As for the “Volunteers” running the ground, I feel sick for you. You are being sent out there with no field operations to build upon, get called to run these half-baked, “Fire Madigan” train wrecks, that noting tailored to the district mirrors what can be accomplished by putting your hard working bodies there to correct so much that was wrong before YOU got there.
My apologies for not being as crystal clear as to WHOM I was directing my ire.
It is not you, “Paid Volunteers”. Period. End of Sentence.
It’s the “people” on the other end of the phone, calling you, yelling AT you, who give you no tools, but expect success while you try to cover their failures.
All the While …Tom Cross Golfs.
Hope I made myself clear to those staffers. I salute you, One .. and ALL.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 3:36 pm:
===…Mr. Cross, who could not be reached for comment.===
“Yes, it’s Tom Cross again. I want to go over my Golf Package Vacation. If I play 36 holes on Day 3, can I get a discount?”
Where is Tom Cross?
Just asking.
- mark walker - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 5:37 pm:
I like Radogno’s seriousness, but Murphy would make good things happen for the GOP in the suburbs where they have big opportunities, and generally with the press. Less substance, but much more image.
Cross is OK in his role, versus any alternatives. The real state-wide problem is Brady on the political side.
- ironman - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 6:25 pm:
I think all of the leaders must go. We need new leaders as i said new LEADERS…..and get rid of rodney c also…enough said..
- reformer - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 9:29 pm:
Willie
You say so well and with such passion what needs to be said. After a decade of Cross leadership, the GOP caucus is smaller than when he started.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 10:04 pm:
===After a decade of Cross leadership, the GOP caucus is smaller than when he started.===
- reformer -
I think you, said all that needed to be said as well.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Nov 9, 12 @ 8:49 am:
When o’ when will we hear from Cross and Radogno?
When will they… come out of hiding … either hiding behind a spokesperson … or a Tee Time.
Where are THEY … Heck, I know I can get a table at a Denny’s …or Old Country Buffet … for 19 …
41 … good number for Cross’ Leadership Golf Outi …er … Caucus Meeting.
10 foursomes …and Cross can round off his foursome with 2 Executive Staffers who thought Playing golf on Election Day … would NEVER BACKFIRE …
“Go Golf … have fun … we got this … Drapes are on the way for Brady, the Map will be safe … Golf, have fun …”
Pathetic and sad …
And yet, we hear crickets … or is that an electric golf cart… quietly driving away?