* If you haven’t yet, you ought to read Bernie Schoenburg’s interview of retiring state Sen. Larry Bomke (R-Springfield). The last half of the story is about Bomke’s impressions of the four governors he’s worked with over the years. For example…
Bomke thinks that Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn is “just a really nice guy.”
“When he does things … he honestly believes what he is doing is not in his selfish interest, but in the best interest of the state,” Bomke said. Still, Bomke said of Quinn, “I don’t think that he understands the process well enough to get things done.
“We almost need a Jim Edgar/George Ryan clone combination,” Bomke said, “George Ryan, who knew the politics, and Jim Edgar, who understood government.”
It’s hard to disagree with that.
…Adding… I forgot to include this nugget from the Kankakee Daily Journal…
Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan could be released from federal prison at any time, according to Federal Bureau of Prison spokesman Chris Burke, and it’s even possible he could go directly to his Kankakee home.
However, Burke said it is extremely rare for a federal inmate to go directly from federal prison to home.
“Almost every inmate released spends at least a short amount of time in a halfway house,” Burke said
And this one…
Imprisoned Governor George Ryan has yet again been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
University of Illinois College of Law Professor Francis A. Boyle nominated the retired governor first in 2003, following Ryan’s landmark decision to commute all death sentences in Illinois to life in prison. The nominations have continued annually since then.
LIVE session coverage...
- wordslinger - Sunday, Jan 6, 13 @ 2:59 pm:
They couldn’t have let Ryan out before the holidays? Did he pose some danger?
- Just a citizen - Sunday, Jan 6, 13 @ 6:18 pm:
Well said Wordslinger!
- Arthur Andersen - Sunday, Jan 6, 13 @ 7:45 pm:
No kidding word.
Like him or not, if George were still around, I suspect we wouldn’t be sitting around on Sunday night talking about session.
- Oswego Willy - Sunday, Jan 6, 13 @ 11:13 pm:
- wordslinger -, on Mark again!
I had always hopes that my party would have had the “next” version of governor ready by now, but we as a Party refuse to see Jim Edgar’s governmental knowledge and George Ryan’s political acumen are part of a recipe that is melded together, would lead to great leadership.
There is such a disconnect with the ILGOP and the idea that winning…winning… leads to concensus because when you win, that means we as a party were able to reach to independents, and to Democrats, to make our wins possible. Right now, we have members of our own party NOT voting for one faction or another, and in the same breath say, “We will win.” Maybe instead of saying we have lost our soul, we might be more on point if we just admit we lost our way, with “way” meaning our way on the path to winning.
George and Jim knew at some point, you have to find votes from voters who agree with them on most, and 100% do not agree with them on ALL.
Great insight from state Senator Bomke, on his 4 governors. Can the dozens in the GOP who want to be governor in 2014 find that Ryan/Edgar mix?
“Rygar”?
“Edyan”?
Heed history. Learn.
To GHR getting out;
Well said, - wordslinger -, what was George going to do, and who is he going to hurt? Cripes!
- salman1 - Monday, Jan 7, 13 @ 5:00 am:
I have really enjoyed these Kaufman quotes and this one in particular is so beautifully succinct. Oh to be so erudite
- Excessively Rabid - Monday, Jan 7, 13 @ 7:48 am:
“Jack Ryan - NOW it’s time!”
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 7, 13 @ 7:51 am:
===“Jack Ryan - NOW it’s time!”===
I laughed out loud! Good one!
- Anonymous - Monday, Jan 7, 13 @ 8:16 am:
Did working overnight put us into some sort of an Einstein/Star Trek space/time warp continuum? I don’t quite understand the Jack Ryan references. Rabid or Willy, can you clue me in?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 7, 13 @ 8:25 am:
I laughed, specifically, because of the “Jack!” Ryan reference …
In what context was “Jack!” Ryan a part of the discussion, and further, “Jack!” does NOT fit the Jim/George hybrid, and I will leave it at that …
- Anonymous - Monday, Jan 7, 13 @ 8:57 am:
Thank you, Willy. I’ll just say that I’ve been around for a while and it seems to me–more these past few days (and today) than ever before, that any “hybrid” composed of Illinois and ANYTHING even remotely related to Star Trek is “unfortunate” for our State, and I will leave it at that….
- Anonymous - Monday, Jan 7, 13 @ 9:06 am:
Just out of curiosity, Willy. Are you a bigger fan of the original series, or the spin-off?