Dem Senator says Rauner is like Madigan
Friday, Jul 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From Suburban Life…
[State Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, D-Shorewood] was a guest Wednesday during the monthly Plainfield Coffee with the Mayor. She commented on the state budget impasse and answered questions about the local impact.
“I am not alone in saying this is a very, very unusual year,” Bertino-Tarrant said about her third year in Springfield. “Down there, it’s becoming more partisan. We have a very wealthy governor not afraid to say, ‘It’s my way or I’m coming after you.’ ”
Bertino-Tarrant compared Gov. Bruce Rauner as the Illinois Republicans’ version of House Speaker Michael Madigan, who has been known to have a far-reaching influence on state Democrats.
“Government is a service, not a business, as much as we’d like to think otherwise,” Bertino-Tarrant said.
* I asked reporter Vikaas Shanker for the Senator’s actual quote about Rauner being another version of Madigan. Here it is…
“Over the years people have talked about Madigan having a thumb on his people. Well, unfortunately, our Republican friends are seeing the same thing now. … I don’t work with Madigan, so I say they’re getting a little bit of Madigan on their own side.”
…Adding… This is becoming a familiar theme. From yesterday’s floor debate…
State Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, called GOP lawmakers “minions” and “enablers” of the Republican chief executive. […]
“I don’t think anybody on this side of the aisle is a minion,” answered state Rep. Dwight Kay, R-Glen Carbon. “We’re state representatives and we’re here to balance the budget. The derogatory tone is not a good sign.”
State Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, said the display was “political theater.”
“It’s definitely becoming more intense,” Brady said.
- Politix - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 11:46 am:
It has certainly been fun watching Republicans pretend this isn’t happening.
- A Citizen - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 11:49 am:
And in other news, Madagim continues to claim Rauner is failing. Governor continues to lead on the budget front!
- PublicServant - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 11:49 am:
Maybe…But Madigan IS Madigan.
- DuPage - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 11:49 am:
Rauner is to amateur politician as Madigan is to professional politician.
- Earl Shumaker - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 11:51 am:
It appears that in some ways both men are cut from the same cloth
- Mattman - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 11:51 am:
meanwhile…. those with legitimate needs from our state government look at all that’s going on and…. continue to lose faith in the political process
- VanillaMan - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 11:54 am:
Rauner is the MJM of venture capital, but MJM is the MJM of state government.
- Anon2U - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 11:56 am:
Fun to watch a guy, Madigan, who has been steamrolling Governors for decades, not be able to steamroll this one. Not a shred of good policy coming out from either side, but great political theatre.
- walker - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 11:59 am:
“I don’t work with Madigan” limits her own knowledge. Does she really feel like she’s “under Cullerton’s thumb?”
MJM’s almost mythical powers pervade even the minds of the Senate Dems, who occasionally feel victim to them.
- A Citizen - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 11:59 am:
- Anon2U -
Absolutely - Well said.
- Aldyth - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 12:04 pm:
Rauner wants to completely dominate state government and his style is absolute ham fisted. He wants to destroy Madigan so he can be Madigan. Except that Madigan has skills built up over decades and a temperament that doesn’t intimidate. Madigan has waited out better men than Rauner and won. Rauner has money, but not the skills.
- slow down - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 12:05 pm:
I never had the sense that Edgar or Ryan were steamrolled by Madigan. Unlike Rauner, they understood that working with Madigan was a necessity to govern and didn’t pretend otherwise.
- downstate commissioner - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 12:06 pm:
“Fun to watch a guy, Madigan, who has been steamrolling Governors for decades, not be able to steamroll this one. Not a shred of good policy coming out from either side, but great political theatre.”
Obviously, you have never operated a modern vibratory roller; if so you would know that the vibration (that adds to the compaction) operates separately from movement; that is, it can be compacting while standing still. Also, modern rollers can move very sssllllloooowwwlllllyyyy…
- Norseman - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 12:07 pm:
Minions may be a little condescending. Purchased or contract employees may be more appropriate.
- A Jack - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 12:16 pm:
Rauner is more like the late Mayor Richard Dailey. You vote his way or risk being buried under a pile is snow. (Or Rauner’s version of snow).
- Arizona Bob - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 12:18 pm:
@slowdown
Edgar and Ryan didn’t NEED to be steamrolled by Madigan. They both used government to feather their nests. Remember Cellini and Kjellander? They both took care of the government contractors, and Edgar really cashed in with the cushy UIUC gig and all those other “deals” he had working for him after he left Springfield.
There’s a universal language spoken amongst the corrupt who are only asking “what’s in it for me?” Accommodations can always be made with those folks, and Madigan is an expert in divvying up the pie, like Hyman Roth’s birthday cake in The Godfather-Part II.
The difference here is that Rauner isn’t looking to line his own pockets from selling his clout. He’s the first Governor Illinois’ had like that, since, well, EVER!
I don’t know that Madigan is equipped to deal with someone who’s “untouchable”.
Should be interesting as Elliot Ness keeps fighting Al Caponagan.
- Thoughts Matter - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 12:22 pm:
If you can’t vote yes or no rather than present on a bill that affects your constituents, then you are a minion. Pretty sure all these bills with a lot of Present votes affect constituents in every district. State employees count if they live in uour district.
- Blago's Luxurious Grey Mane - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 12:27 pm:
@Arizona Bob
And Rauner didn’t NEED to be steamrolled. He made MILLIONS off pay-to-play contributions to people like Ed Rendell managing public worker pensions.
See how that works? There are no white hats here.
- Wordslinger - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 12:30 pm:
Are “minions” a bad thing? That flick is going to be a monster — everyone loves minions.
- Formerly Known As... - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 12:34 pm:
The most truthful person in Springfield?
She would get my vote.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 12:49 pm:
The senator did not say Rauner is like Madigan, and she did not say Rauner is another version of Madigan. What actually said is in the quote (if that quote is accurate). That Madigan controls his caucus and that Rauner controls, or is trying to control, the Repub caucuses does not make the two men alike or a version of each other. The headline is misleading. It implies much more than the senator actually said. I would posit that there are vastly more differences between the two men than “like.”
- Norseman - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 1:02 pm:
I love the end of Kay’s speech yesterday when he bemoaned “foolish speech.” I have to hand it to him, Kay is an expert on foolish speeches.
- Let'sMovetoTexas - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 1:17 pm:
A proposed question of the day for this blog: Resolved, the Illinois will be better off when Mike Madigan retires.
- Wondering - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 1:22 pm:
Thank you AZ Bob. Well stated.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 1:22 pm:
- Let’sMovetoTexas -,
I have new “Fire Madigan” hats and visors, and the baby bibs, almost forgot about the baby bibs…
I’ll get you that catalog.
- Wordslinger - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 1:49 pm:
AB, you surprise me. I would think a man of your thoughtful, deeply held principles would be all over the governor and his union boss pals for shopping for that judge down in wicked St. Clair County to get the verbal order to keep the government employee gravy train going without a legal approp.
- Just saying... - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 1:49 pm:
“The difference here is that Rauner isn’t looking to line his own pockets from selling his clout. He’s the first Governor Illinois’ had like that, since, well, EVER!”
Seriously?!!! Look at the guys donor history vs. the pay back he has received…in short, he IS the corrupter in the pay to play system. He IS the buyer who gets paid two-fold. Stop kidding yourselves!
- Anonymous - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 1:53 pm:
- isn’t looking to line his own pockets from selling his clout. -
He already lined them by buying clout. Remember Stu Levine? Think they paid him $25k a month because he made the best coffee?
- frustrated - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 1:57 pm:
I say they hash it out old school outsiders style….. Socias vs. Greasers in an empty lot no weapons rumble
- dupage dan - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 2:09 pm:
Thompson accommodated - got his points when he could, gave them when he had to.
Edgar did it - complained about the process but he did a bit of it.
Ryan did it but his side issues toppled him.
RB didn’t do it. With MJM, his f-in-law - and pretty much everyone else. No match vs Madigan
Quinn , uh Quinn, uh - what can I say.
Rauner - thinks he can do it. wants to do it.
says he can do it. A lot. First elected official to publicly challenge the guy.
Reformers have come and go. Guys with red bandanas. Guys with “nice” hair. Guys with no hair. This is gonna be interesting.
- Politix - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 2:13 pm:
“Rauner isn’t looking to line his own pockets from selling his clout.”
You’re right - instead he will buy the votes of his Republican minions to the tune of $20 million.
C’mon man.
- Shanks - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 2:18 pm:
Little do they know…they’re all minions…
- Honeybear - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 2:53 pm:
Baby bibs!!!!!!!!!!HA!!!!! to funny
- Formerly Known As... - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 3:14 pm:
==Lou Lang, D-Skokie, called GOP lawmakers “minions” and “enablers” of the Republican chief executive==
Says one of ==Madigan’s Minions==? /s
- Anonymous - Friday, Jul 10, 15 @ 4:07 pm:
Maybe alike in being headstrong, but the comparisons end there. Rauner could learn a lot from Madigan and others on both sides of the aisle, but seems to be resisting…….a lot!