* Sun-Times…
Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) fended off a challenge to her leadership slot Wednesday, winning re-election as the top Senate Republican by a convincing margin.
The closed-door vote of 19 incoming Senate Republicans swung 12-6 in favor of Radogno, with one member voting present, according to a source.
* Tribune…
A lone vote went to Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale, but Dillard was not a candidate for the leadership post. The senators then voted for Radogno by acclamation, several lawmakers said.
Radogno emerged from the closed-door meeting, saying “it was a challenging process, but it was a good one.”
“We need to pull together after that process,” Radogno said.
Dillard says he didn’t vote for himself, by the way. But that was certainly a weird ballot choice.
* And despite the vote of acclamation, there were some sour grapes by the loser. From Sen. Kyle McCarter’s Twitter page…
Ouch. I’ll be curious to see what Radogno does to McCarter now. Any suggestions?
LIVE session coverage...
- Small Town Liberal - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 9:29 am:
Someone might want to tell McCarter that when you don’t have a lot of friends to start with, it’s best not to immediately alienate 2/3 of them.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 9:31 am:
McCarter’s Twitter “tweet” is as sad as saying Irrelevent Leader Radogno “Winning” by Acclimation.
My punishment for McCarter?
Easy … McCarter MUST use the SGOP Political Aparatus next time he runs. That might even be too harsh, but you get what you get when you fail to take out the Leader.
I might have more “punishments”….
- lolwut - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 9:32 am:
The best punishment for McCarter is to let him continue to serve in the SGOP.
- Adam Smith - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 9:33 am:
It is absolutely amazing that the McCarter, et al, faction really thinks the remedy for the GOP’s failure to connect with voters is to be louder, more strident, more self-righteous and more abrasive.
The November debacle demands introspection and deliberation and, most importantly, change in direction. But the wing-nuts who think the solution is making the party even more narrow will truly drive the GOP into oblivion.
The fundamental ideas of the GOP can win the day but not when they are communicated with spite and adorned with intolerance of anyone who diverts from thier orthodoxy on any issue.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 9:34 am:
And there class, is Lesson #1 in why not to tweet at 2a.m.
- Madison - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 9:35 am:
Christine can’t elect republicans over democrats…what makes her think she can elect republicans over republicans?
Paper tigers. All light and no heat.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 9:38 am:
Give him his bottle, then put him down for a nap.
Dude, you got six votes in a 19-member caucus in a chamber of 59. It’s not like the people are demanding your leadership.
- In absentia - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 9:40 am:
… a long time ago there were Senate offices in the basement of the Capitol…..
- Adam Smith - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 9:41 am:
And by the way, you can’t punish Kyle McCarter. It doesn’t work. It is an amazing phenomenon among the conservatives that the less relevant you are, the louder your tantrums.
One thing the Dems are good at is to know when to pay any attention to a faction. If you don’t represent real numbers or financial resources, the Dems just don’t pay attention. The GOP lets tiny groups rip the party to shreds, but where were they on Election Day?
There were plenty of far right candidates among the losers and they didn’t seem to do any better than the “establishment” candidates.
- ? - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 9:47 am:
Who supported McCarter in his quest to be irrelevant?
- Madison - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 9:53 am:
Really now…why even put your name in nomination if you only had 6 votes? I mean come to the table with at least 9 beside your own or go home Kyle. These people were elected because they knew how to count noses presumably.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 9:55 am:
?, subscribe.
- unspun - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 9:56 am:
So, who votes “present” for leadership of a 19 member caucus in a chamber of 59 in a closed door session on a secret ballot? Wow, that’s some real political courage.
- OurMagician - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 9:57 am:
Have him spend some quality time consoling Jason Plummer and work with him on his next losing campaign.
- Norseman - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 10:01 am:
In a nod to his desire to be frugal, Radogno will appoint him to head up the caucus recycle program, which entails sorting through GOP Senate office garbage cans for recyclables.
- downstate commissioner - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 10:01 am:
Anon @ 9:34 had it right, especially as Wordslinger pointed out, when he didn’t have the votes….
- Six Degrees of Separation - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 10:02 am:
One way the Senate R’s could plot to be in the majority…switch parties.
- Fan of the Game - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 10:03 am:
The ILGOP is filled with ineptitude. Does it really matter which of the inept is in charge?
- Norseman - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 10:06 am:
He gets to use a Senate floor phone booth as his office. He’ll also share his secretary for with 5 other caucus members.
- Norseman - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 10:11 am:
Receptionists in Senate GOP leadership offices respond, “McCarter who?”
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 10:16 am:
===The ILGOP is filled with ineptitude. Does it really matter which of the inept is in charge?===
It only matters if those in charge are willing to do what needs to be done to be relevent. Cross and Radogno, being re-elected, and with no changes in how they do business, only matters to the few of us Republicans begging for relevency.
Other than that, I guess it doesn’t matter.
McCarter Punishments:
Must wear a “Radogno is my Leader” tie and “tweet” the picture.
Can’t speak against any bill for 2 months, unless McCarter starts by saying, “I want to thank Leader Radogno for her Leadership”. Every. Time.
No phone calls to the Sangamon State’s Attorney for the entire GA session.
Be the SGOP surrogate for Chicago and Cook County… AND actually say what he believes.
Write on a blackboard “Twelve beats six every time” - but only has to write it 19 times.
Can NOT run for Higher Office before Jim Oberweis WINS a Higher Office.
Buy lunch for the 19 members, then have to figure out the tips because gratuity is only figured for groups of 20 or more.
…..
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 10:21 am:
I get to take over @SenatorMcCarter for one week of Session …
Wait, I don’t think either side of the Caucus would want that.
- OneMan - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 10:25 am:
Make his office next to Jim’s and tell Jim that McCarter is lactose intolerant…
- 1776 - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 10:26 am:
McCarter co-sponsored SJRCA41 creating 10 year term limits and he arrived here in 2009.
I guess that means he’ll be around for another 6 years. Unless he breaks his work and support of term limits. But as a member of the Common Sense Caucus, I can’t imagine that occurring.
- Lil Squeezy - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 10:27 am:
Leader Radogno will ignore him like the rest of us. Disappointed in some of the McCarter supporters. I didn’t expect a couple of those guys to be double downers.
- Dirty Red - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 10:34 am:
“Come on, Kirk. You know you want this gig more than anything else!” - Bill Brady
- FallingDown - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 10:35 am:
After Sen. Radogno’s woefull performance as leader he reelection is difficult to comprehend. I can’t imagine how poorly McCarter must be precieved by his peers in the Illinois Republican Senate caucus to lose to the clueless Radogno?
- too obvious - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 10:36 am:
Someone get little Kyle some cheese to go with his whine.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 10:40 am:
McCarter must Admit … Admit … “I was Wrong”.
- too obvious - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 10:42 am:
Has anyone ever seen so much as a letter to the editor from Kyle McCarter explaining his vision or describing what the GOP’s problems are? Or does he just sit around ranting and raving in a vaccum?
To my knowledge, it’s just been the latter. That’s not leadership.
Radogno deserves to be replaced but clearly McCarter isn’t the one.
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 10:47 am:
First, they should take the batteries out of his Mr. Microphone.
Second, he should be the designated video tracker for Gov. Quinn. And, he should required to transcribe all of Quinn’s speeches.
- the wonderboy - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 10:48 am:
I cold read Oswego Willy’s comments all day.
Just for you, Willy…a punishment I would wish on no man…
Make McCarter hire Jason Plummer as Chief of Staff, Campaign Manager, and Media Consultant.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 10:56 am:
===I cold read Oswego Willy’s comments all day.===
They have “medication” for that!
Very nice of you to say.
Your punishment would help Jason’s Resume problem, since Jason would not be working for his Dad, so there is always something positive.
Dress like Rickey Hendon, shoes and all, for The Offical Illinos Senate Chamber Portrait, and sit Front-and-Center.
- walkinfool - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 11:11 am:
Learn from the Madigan-Hoffman experience.
- carbaby - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 11:14 am:
Maybe Christine can take him out to lunch and inform him that his tweet equates to causing a toxic work environmnet and that perhaps if he can’t act like he likes/agrees with her, he should seek employment elsewhere. Oh wait- he doesn’t have that option…
- Chicago Cynic - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 11:30 am:
Kyle is a bully - clearly loved by his peers. His punishment is that he will be forced to remain Kyle McCarter.
BTW, I saw his Tweet live and was dumbfounded by what a classless loser he demonstrated himself to be. Once again cursing John O. Jones’ failure to file enough petition signatures.
- Vandalia - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 12:06 pm:
McCarter continues to remain true to form. He challenges Jones and now challenges Radogno. The terms cocky, arrogant, and self-absorbed come to mind when I think of him. But, in his mind they are probably more like confident, bold, and self-assured. I cant believe the voters in thsi district keep electing this guy.
- Ben Cook - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 12:10 pm:
The comments on this post are a fairly good representation of what’s wrong with our state.
IL Republicans have been largely irrelevant and haven’t offered ANY meaningful opposition to the Chicago machine that has controlled this state for decades. And yet, many of the comments would have you believe the problem with the ILGOP is that they are not moderate enough!
We’ve seen what the liberal agenda gets us in IL and I find it astounding that people don’t realize a change is needed. Apparently people like politicians robbing your pensions, not paying for schools, raising taxes on businesses and then granting waivers that cost MORE than the taxes would have raised in the first place…
But somehow the fact that Sen. McCarter dared to call out the status quo of Chicago RHINOs being willing accomplices to the Democrats destroying our state’s economy is somehow the problem.
Apparently IL voters want more of what we’ve seen & that’s exactly what they’ll be getting. Heaven help us…
- Chicago Cynic - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 12:19 pm:
Ben, you’re not reading this thread right. We’re not complaining about McCarter’s ideology. We’re saying he has a personality problem that makes him ill-fit for leadership. The fact that only five of his colleagues backed him given the pathetic performance of the SGOP is a horrible indictment on him personally. If he misses that, then he’s not paying attention.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 12:22 pm:
===call out the status quo of Chicago RHINOs===
===But the wing-nuts===
And … THERE … is why we can’t find the 80% Reagan Rule …
We are more concerned about what divides us, instead of the 80% we agree on.
Punishment?
Wear a T-Shirt, for all parades for two years:
Front, “I (Heart) RINOS!” and on the back, “Live the Ronald Reagan Rule of 80!”
At least it might cause a discussion instead of a tantrum?
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 12:26 pm:
Ben, do we need to mark the posts #snark for your future reference?
- wordslinger - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 12:31 pm:
–IL Republicans have been largely irrelevant and haven’t offered ANY meaningful opposition to the Chicago machine that has controlled this state for decades. –
I’m guessing that would be news to Thompson, Edgar, Ryan and Pate. Or were they all RINOS, too?
If you call Pate a RINO, mind the horn when he charges.
- just sayin' - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 1:03 pm:
It’s not retaliation. I assume Radogno will just ignore McCarter like most everyone else does.
What has this guy ever done during his short time in the senate to make anyone think he deserved a promotion? I don’t think I’ve ever even seen a blog post from him, much less a serious editorial.
Oh that’s right, he tweets and facebooks.
gotta be really lightweight to lose to Radogno.
- Formerly Known As... - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 1:41 pm:
=== And … THERE … is why we can’t find the 80% Reagan Rule ===
At this point, Oswego Willy, I’d settle for 70%. Maybe even 65%. Just do 1 thing together. Something. Anything.
I can’t recall the last time Democrats publicly savaged each other over an issue like a leadership vote, much less an issue vote. The tax increase? I don’t recall anyone publicly going off the reservation.
The GOP, meanwhile, would have found a way to tear each other apart over Sen. Link’s plastic bag legislation if they could have.
Illinois Democrats appear to display a much better grasp of Reagan’s Rule than Illinois Republicans do. Where is “CircularFiringSquad to comment when you need him/her? “Ready. Fire. Aim.”
To which I would add my own: “Tallyhooo! Straight into the abyss.”
And conclude with a Rich-ism: “Sheesh”.
- Newsclown - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 2:11 pm:
I think the IL republicans could take the state, if they pretty much ignored their national-level party and strategy. McCarter trying to “double-down” on AM radio-styled “conservatism” shows he’s not really listening to constituents, but to a conservative media echo chamber, tuned to a narrow minority “base”.
- Jaded - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 3:56 pm:
==Any suggestions?==
- Jaded - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 3:59 pm:
Sorry. Should have said
“Any suggestions?”
Answer: None that can be printed!
Radogno may be a failure as a leader, but he is a failure as a human being. By the way, it is not a gratuitous insult if it is the true!
- Honest Abe - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 7:49 pm:
I did not even know Kyle McCarter was even a senator