Unclear on the concept
Friday, Jan 13, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* McQueary…
Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, a Democrat from Oswego, was brave enough to voice her concerns about the direction of the state during Madigan’s nomination. She was swiftly mocked on social media. If you knew her, you would not have been surprised by her remarks. She’s a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, for crying out loud. She has bucked leadership in the past. She doesn’t run with the cool crowd in Springfield. And you won’t find her lounging on a bar stool letting lobbyists pick up her drink tab.
But for her outspokenness, you can bet she will pay a lonely price.
OK, first of all, I talked with Rep. Kifowit at a inauguration reception later that night. She wasn’t being ostracized by her fellow members. Just the opposite. She’s also not one of those legislators who never goes to evening events, although she never allows lobbyists to pick up her tab. She’s just a regular person, and is quite well liked for that trait.
* Also, I didn’t see the mocking social media references during the festivities Wednesday, except for this…
* After a few Twitter searches, I did find this…
* A similarly lone result popped up on a Facebook search…
Just taking a moment to call out my state representative, Stephanie Kifowit. Although a Marine, my representative lacks the courage and moral turpitude to withhold her support for speaker Michael Madigan. Madigan is clearly an entrenched Union power broker, abuser of power, flagrant crony socialist, mr. Conflict of interest himself and enemy of the taxpaying people of the state of Illinois. Shame!
* So, I did a Google search, and came up with this…
“Are there further nominations?” asked Secretary of State Jesse White, who led the election process. Crickets. “Nominations for speaker are now closed.”
With that, Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, an Oswego Democrat and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, stood up and challenged leaders of both parties to end the immature game-playing that hurts the state. She said she felt “compelled” to make a statement that “we have to do better.” She said she was disgusted by the lack of state budget and appalled by backroom deals. Again, crickets.
Then she voted for Madigan for speaker.
That’s from a Chicago Tribune editorial.
* And just minutes after Rep. Kifowit’s speech, this e-mail was blasted out by the Illinois Republican Party…
Stephanie Kifowit Betrays Voters, Backs Madigan for Speaker
House Democrats Re-Elect Boss Madigan
“Stephanie Kifowit today chose to put the political machine ahead of the people. She voted to elect Mike Madigan to a record 17th term as Speaker, extending Madigan’s decades of power for another two years. Kifowit’s refusal to stand up to Boss Madigan makes clear that the only way to get a new Speaker in Illinois is by getting rid of legislators like Stephanie Kifowit in Springfield.” – Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Steven Yaffe
Today, House Democrats ignored the will of the people by re-electing Boss Madigan as Speaker of the House.
The Illinois Republican Party will continue to hold accountable the legislators who protect the status quo and empower the Madigan political machine.
And then the next day, the ILGOP launched robocalls against her.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 9:59 am:
She’s got guts, but you have to admit that the “no one invites me to the backroom deals and working groups” part was pretty weird. It was hard to tell if she was upset by the fact that they exist or just that she’s not part of them.
- Anon - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:02 am:
Did someone forget to give Ives the correct talking point? Wouldn’t something along the lines of “even the Dems hate Boss Madigan!!!!” have been more appropriate than … whatever she was going for there?
- Been There - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:02 am:
=== She’s a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, for crying out loud. She has bucked leadership in the past.===
Not exactly the correct sentences to put together if you are trying to make a point. Marines are pretty darn good at following orders the last I heard.
- John Rawl - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:04 am:
Kifowit is the worst of all. She obviously knows what’s going on is wrong, yet still backs Madigan. It’s sad
- blue dog dem - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:04 am:
Words. Just words.
- Fixer - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:04 am:
More copy/paste from ILGOP. I hate seeing the party reduced to petty personal politics like this.
- Fixer - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:06 am:
Rawl, what was the better option? Voting present or voting for Raunerbot?
- Arsenal - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:07 am:
I think The Trib knows exactly what game it’s playing. Trick some Dems into refusing to stand with their party, then pick ‘em off individually. It’s a sensible strategy. It’s a little limited ‘cuz Madigan has never been as petty as they think, but it has its uses.
- Dan Johnson - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:08 am:
I hope I’m not poisoning the well here, but….
The Senate deserves enormous gratitude and congratulations for forging a well-crafted bipartisan compromise. And although we should all take a six month pause from campaigning and not view this eminently reasonable package of legislation through the 2018 lens, $50 million says you kind of have to.
The main critique against the Governor is now being waged by the Governor against the Speaker: it’s all your fault.
So here’s my question/observation: if Rauner and the House come around to embracing the Senate’s solution (and I hope they do), doesn’t that essentially eliminate the main political argument against both of them? That is, if this reasonable compromise passes in the next month or two, then it shows that the Governor and the Speaker can, in fact, solve problems to make the state a better place.
(And yes, the problems are largely of the Governor’s making for campaigning to lower taxes and somehow magically balance the budget, but still).
I hope that losing the obvious political message of the state’s collapse is the other party’s fault is worth the trade for also not being hit by the other side with the exact same message. I think it’s a good trade for both sides and clearly the right thing to do on governance, so I hope the Senate framework gets largely adopted quickly.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:09 am:
I’ve gone to hearings and have personally met Rep Kifowit. She represents her district pretty well actually. Also, majored in the same thing I did in college. At least she has the guts to vote her conscience and isn’t bankrolled like some in the GOP in this state.
- Tron - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:09 am:
Betrays voters, Political machine, Boss Madigan, status quo, robocalls… My ILGOP bingo card is full.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:09 am:
It always comes back to Oswego, but Kifowit has nuts small portion of Oswego. A real “State House Chick” would know that.
===…But for her outspokenness, you can bet she will pay a lonely price.===
…says the “State House Chick” working from Tribune Tower, LOL!
McQueary lacks because being a shill will always lack in honesty and integrity to the truth that needs to be refuted by a shill.
- Eric Zorn - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:13 am:
Where I come from, lacking moral turpitude is a GOOD thing.
- wordslinger - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:15 am:
Just another witless talk-radio rant in print. No evidence of editing or the writer’s craft.
It’s meant to “entertain” and anger a targeted audience with hysterics and rancor, not inform or persuade a general audience with facts and reason.
And yet the phone never rings with that elusive radio gig offer.
- ILGOV2018 - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:16 am:
It is never going to end? The GOP, the party of name callers, tweeters, robocalls and bought and paid for Raunerites.
Hey Jeannie Ives, tell your leader, the Governor to present a balanced budget. Rep Ives, what have you done in your time in the Illinois House, other than sponsoring bills to allow municipalities to file for bankruptcy?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:16 am:
===Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, a Democrat from Oswego…===
Oh “State House Chick”, it’s cited that Kifowit is (D-Aurora) and her district office is in Aurora.
A “State House Chick” would know that, lol.
- Lucky Pierre - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:18 am:
What about these other representatives who say they support leadership term limits and oppose the Speaker’s consolidation of power but voted for him anyway.
Sara Feigenholtz
Fran Hurley
Kelly Cassidy
Robyn Gabel
Carol Sente
Sam Yingling
Michelle Mossman
Marty Moylan
Kathleen Willis
Ann Williams
I know Kelly Cassidy made a statement, are any of the others on the record?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-oust-speaker-michael-madigan-illinois-edit-1221-jm-20161220-story.html
- Oneman - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:19 am:
OW
She lives in Oswego so I think that is the reason they say Oswego.
For what it is worth when she was an alderman in Aurora she was less of a sheep than most of them. So this doesn’t surprise me from her and whatever the backlash is I am confident she will deal with it.
- Macarthur house - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:22 am:
This is no grand strategy. This is Katrina McQueary once again showing us how clueless she is. The more she tries to sound like she knows what’s going on in Springfield, the more she shows how little she knows . You can’t be an expert on the Springfield social scene from your perch in Tribune tower. That’s just one of many ways Katrina got this wrong, but for her it isn’t about reporting facts, it’s about her spin.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:24 am:
@Lucky Pierre
You are not staying on topic; please focus on this article. How about we just make it mandatory that list every legislators organization and individuals who bankroll others, including certain news organizations- specifically who direct what should be reported?
- Anonymous - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:24 am:
Typical from tronc’s #Chickie. Probably should quit & go work for Repubs or IPI on their spin teams.
- Arsenal - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:25 am:
==What about these other representatives who say they support leadership term limits and oppose the Speaker’s consolidation of power but voted for him anyway.==
Politics often requires you to work with people even if you disagree with them.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:25 am:
So simply saying a few empty words while still voting for the same leadership is now considered a brave stand? Sigh. This is the legislative world we live in.
- Anon - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:25 am:
Lucky Pierre:
There’s nothing contradictory about supporting leadership term limits and voting for Madigan. You can want leaders to be term limited while also understanding that he’s a better choice (if you’re a Democrat) than Durkin.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:26 am:
The Tribune has been on a crusade trying to turn Madigan into a caricature, ignoring any evidence that conflicts with the narrative that it’s all his fault, he’s been there too long.
McQueary’s simplistic analysis is like a child’s attempt to please the teacher. And she clearly doesn’t understand what “group-think” is or how it leads to poor decision-making.
And as others have pointed out, she used to cover Springfield. You’d think she might have learned something from that experience. I hate to think she sold-out her principles when she went to work at the Tribune, but that explanation of her performance is almost as accurate as her explanation of why Madigan is solely to blame for the condition of the state.
- Flapdoodle - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:26 am:
Got a kick out of the one Facebook post complaining that Rep. Kifowit “lacks . . . moral turpitude.” Um, dude, check the dictionary — think most of us want our reps lacking moral turpitude.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:35 am:
- oneman -
Appreciate it. You and McQueary are right in that, just as the Daily Herald, in their endorsement of Kifowit, cite Aurora, as the district office appears to be in Aurora.
My mistake.
- TominChicogo - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:37 am:
Hurricane Kristen doesn’t need facts when they interfere with her mindless advancement of Rauner’s agenda.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:44 am:
You didn’t think she was going to vote for Durkin did ya?
After the Presidential Election we’ve just been through you’d think that the concept of voting for the lesser of two evils would be pretty fresh in everyone’s mind.
The only real debate, then, is over which side is less evil. In my opinion it’s the Democrats since they haven’t deliberately misrepresented their positions to the electorate. But there’s lots of Raunerites that support their guy’s idea of “change”.
- Team Sleep - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:52 am:
I don’t “agree” with how Rep. Kifowit voted but I appreciate her gusto and her attitude. She’s certainly her own person and she’s not afraid to roll up her sleeves and/or get into a tiff when necessary.
- WSJ Paywall - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 10:54 am:
The Trib’s resident hurricane enthusiast has been writing the same piece for years. An example of diminishing returns, really.
- Big Muddy - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:01 am:
Kiffy is my rep and she is horrible at her job. Why? Because in-district she says one thing and then in Springfield votes the EXACT opposite! She then proceeds to not return phone calls. She is the very description of Illinois politician.
- Lucky Pierre - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:52 am:
Nothing contradictory about supporting term limits for House leadership and then voting for Speaker Madigan? Wow you have twisted yourself into a pretzel on that one.
If some of the leaders with decades of experience felt strongly about their position on term limits for leaders they could run for the position
So far only Drury and Kifowit putting one toe out of the Speaker’s tent. Pretty sad
- My New Handle - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 12:02 pm:
Because…Madigan. Repeat saying or reading an assertion often enough and the perception becomes the reality. The ILRaunerites could make people believe that the Earth is flat if they chose to spend Rauner’s money pursuing that goal. W
- NoGifts - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 12:08 pm:
Lacks courage and moral turpitude? LOL Get a dictionary.
- Lucky Pierre - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 3:37 pm:
Or they could just link every Democratic member to their vote for most unpopular politician in the state, Speaker Mike Madigan.
That is both the perception and the reality.