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* I’d seen a couple of stories about it, but I hadn’t really checked out the Illinois Republican Party’s new “Illinois Madness” bracket contest to pick the biggest tax and spend Democrats in the state. From the IL GOP…
Illinois is full of “Tax & Spend” Democrats. But who is the biggest Tax & Spend Illinois Democrat? Pat Quinn? Mike Madigan? John Cullerton? Barack Obama? Or someone else? Welcome to the 2011 Illinois Madness Tournament to pick the biggest “Tax & Spend” Illinois Democrat. Like the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, “March Madness,” Illinois Madness features a bracket of 63 Illinois Democrats from every region of the State and a special play-in round between “Flee Party” Wisconsin and Indiana Democrats. Winners of each round are determined by online voting that will coincide with the ending dates of each round of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. Voters are asked to select the winner of each match based on their answer to the following question: “Which Democrats have done the most to harm Illinois taxpayers?”
And then I saw this…
Some of these first-round matches are impossible to figure. State Rep. Chuck Jefferson vs. state Rep. Keith Farnham? Cook County Clerk David Orr vs. St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern? Those are even more obscure than the Arkansas-Little Rock/Texas-San Antonio play-in game. These people are unknown even to their constituents. Not even Capitol Fax could dope these out.
That Jefferson vs. Farnham thing is pretty easy. Jefferson voted for the income tax hike, Farnham voted against it. Jefferson advances. Orr’s budget is being cut more than Kern’s, so Kern advances.
More…
In the Spend, Spend, Spend Region, State Senate President John Cullerton is the favorite. Cullerton is a rookie in the leadership. He’s not capable of raising taxes as high as Quinn or Madigan.
Cullerton’s Senate passed bill containing an income tax hike and a sales tax on services two years ago. The Senate also passed a cigarette tax hike. None of those bills have been able to pass the House. Also, the Senate set its revenue forecast $1 billion higher than Madigan’s House. Cullerton would be the favorite there.
* So, I went over and took a look at the brackets. Kinda fun. Ah, those wacky Republicans…
Unfortunately, Democrats won’t be able to retaliate with their own bracket. There aren’t 64 Republican politicians left in Illinois.
* Fill in your own brackets if you want and tell us what you picked. Who’s your “winner”?
*** UPDATE *** Cleverness from a commenter…
Welcome to the 2011 Republican Invitational Tournament, the 32-team field filled out by those not invited to the Big Dance.
We start out in the George Ryan Regional.
Here are the match ups from top to bottom.No. 1 seed Judy Topinka takes on play-in game winner, which pits the Illinois Policy Institute against Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
No. 4 Mark Beaubien vs. No. 5 seed Skip Saviano
No. 3 seed Christine Radogno vs. No. 6 seed John Shimkus
No. 2 seed Mark Kirk vs. No. 7 seed Pat BradyMoving on to the Dan Duffy Red Light Regional
No. 1 seed Adam Andrzejewski vs. No 8 seed John O. Jones
No. 4 seed Sam McCann vs. No. 5 seed Kyle McCarter
No. 3 seed Dale Righter vs. No. 6 seed Dan Duffy
No. 2 seed Chris Lauzen vs. No. 7 seed Shane CultraIn the Where’s Jim Edgar? Regional
No. 1 seed Bill Brady vs. No. 8 Jason Plummer
No. 4 seed Jim Oberweis vs. No. 5 seed Carole Pankau
No. 3 seed Steve Rauschenberger vs. No. 6 seed Jim Ryan
No. 2 seed Kirk Dillard vs. No. 7 seed Dan Proftand finally, in the Alan Keyes Regional …
No. 1 seed Dan Rutherford vs. No. 8 Ron Stephens
No. 4 seed vs. Bob Schillerstrom vs. No. 5 seed Peter Roskam
No. 3 seed Dan Cronin vs. No. 6 seed Tim Johnson
No. 2 seed Tom Cross vs. No. 7 seed Chapin RoseAnd we have a winner.
As alwaysMichael J. Madigan
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Mar 18, 11 @ 8:07 am
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So, the Republicans go to the NIT? What does that stand for, Nuts for Immigration Termination? No Imaginable Tax? Northerners Imitating Texans?
Comment by Excessively Rabid Friday, Mar 18, 11 @ 8:14 am
Got to admit that it’s pretty witty! Touche’ to whoever dreamed this one up.
Comment by Stones Friday, Mar 18, 11 @ 8:19 am
Excessively Rabid, that’s pretty good. So are the GOPs brackets. A friendly sense of humor is a good thing.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Mar 18, 11 @ 8:52 am
The IL GOP wasting time again with childish games until their next huge embarrassing disaster at the polls. Guess this is how they lose to Blago’s old running mate in what should have been the best year for the GOP in 100 yrs. What a joke.
Democrats, rest easy.
Comment by just sayin' Friday, Mar 18, 11 @ 8:55 am
good fun - #2 seed Preckwinkle looks vulnerable to an early round upset, given her tax cut.
Comment by Robert Friday, Mar 18, 11 @ 8:56 am
http://IllinoisMadness.com - I just submitted my entry…..Cullerton’s going all the way, baby! (as Dick Vitale would say)
Comment by anon Friday, Mar 18, 11 @ 9:15 am
Gotta love how we can waste money….but then it comes undisclosed, out of state funders so what is the diff…the Griffins just bought a big spread in Hawaii.
How many hours did BllboardCross, NoTaxBill, Gags Brady et al spend on this one.
We guess this might be better than getting behind the most likely to fail 2012 presidential candidate
Great Job
Fire, Aim, Ready!
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Friday, Mar 18, 11 @ 9:18 am
This is good stuff to occupy their time so no one in that office has to ask themselves how they keep losing elections.
Comment by L.S. Friday, Mar 18, 11 @ 10:48 am
Notice the abbreviation for Berrios: “Ass. Joe Berrios”
Also, not sure how AG Madigan fits into that picture.
Comment by Obamarama Friday, Mar 18, 11 @ 11:00 am
I was very disappointed not to see my local congressman, Tom Holbrook, on the chart (or maybe he is there, but the print’s too small for a geezer like me to read). He was the original sponsor of the STAR bonds bill, he blew non-existent money a year or so ago on putting a fancy brick facing on a perfectly good concrete block firehouse a couple of blocks from my house (and then had his name displayed on the firehouse sign - isn’t that illegal?), and most recently sponsored a bill to trap, neuter, and release stray cats. Now there’s a crucial program!
Comment by aufjunk Friday, Mar 18, 11 @ 11:00 am
Funny how the Republican Party loves to pretend like they don’t hand out bloated contracts, jobs and government incentives to their friends and contributors.
Comment by PFK Friday, Mar 18, 11 @ 11:25 am
Gee, it would be fun to do a Mad as a March Republican bracket for who is the loonier at ignoring science, misrepresenting facts, fantasizing conspiracies, sorta like the old SNL Bears v. Godzilla, etc., e.g.: bracket Birthers v. Creationists; Beck v. Limbaugh; Scott Walker v. Rick Scott. Hey, this could be fun….
Comment by D.P. Gumby Friday, Mar 18, 11 @ 1:17 pm
No Rod Blagojevich in the field this year? After his GRT and payroll proposals…should have given him an at-large bid.
Bill Haine should not have made the field nor Mike Jacobs. I think that folks like Careen Gordon should have been in the field. And I was disappointed that Mike Noland received such a low seed. Despite coming from a mid-major conference, he is deseving of a higher seed much like San Diego State.
Comment by 4 percent Friday, Mar 18, 11 @ 2:15 pm
Ahhhh….I appreciate the humor. Let’s hope it doesn’t backfire.
Comment by Prayin for Spring Friday, Mar 18, 11 @ 2:30 pm
I like the little wisecracks they posted next to each matchup on their website where you actually vote. My favorite one was for Jesse Jackson Jr vs. Jehan Gordon: “Can Jehan steal an upset?”
Comment by anon Friday, Mar 18, 11 @ 3:32 pm
OK, here goes …
Welcome to the 2011 Republican Invitational Tournament, the 32-team field filled out by those not invited to the Big Dance.
We start out in the George Ryan Regional.
Here are the match ups from top to bottom.
No. 1 seed Judy Topinka takes on play-in game winner, which pits the Illinois Policy Institute against Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
No. 4 Mark Beaubien vs. No. 5 seed Skip Saviano
No. 3 seed Christine Radogno vs. No. 6 seed John Shimkus
No. 2 seed Mark Kirk vs. No. 7 seed Pat Brady
Moving on to the Dan Duffy Red Light Regional
No. 1 seed Adam Andrzejewski vs. No 8 seed John O. Jones
No. 4 seed Sam McCann vs. No. 5 seed Kyle McCarter
No. 3 seed Dale Righter vs. No. 6 seed Dan Duffy
No. 2 seed Chris Lauzen vs. No. 7 seed Shane Cultra
In the Where’s Jim Edgar? Regional
No. 1 seed Bill Brady vs. No. 8 Jason Plummer
No. 4 seed Jim Oberweis vs. No. 5 seed Carole Pankau
No. 3 seed Steve Rauschenberger vs. No. 6 seed Jim Ryan
No. 2 seed Kirk Dillard vs. No. 7 seed Dan Proft
and finally, in the Alan Keyes Regional …
No. 1 seed Dan Rutherford vs. No. 8 Ron Stephens
No. 4 seed vs. Bob Schillerstrom vs. No. 5 seed Peter Roskam
No. 3 seed Dan Cronin vs. No. 6 seed Tim Johnson
No. 2 seed Tom Cross vs. No. 7 seed Chapin Rose
And we have a winner.
As always
Michael J. Madigan
Comment by anon Friday, Mar 18, 11 @ 3:41 pm