Madigan and his spokesman trying to leave the event.

Two photos from behind Madigan show how the press blocked his golf cart’s passage. It was an entertaining moment.

“You are under my spell…. Sleeeeepy… Sleeeeeeeeeepy….”

Emil Jones looked great. He’s lost weight and looks years younger.

UPDATE: This is a great photo of Daley and Madigan.

The crowd was huge.

       

46 Comments - annon. - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 10:01 am: Talk about putting on airs !! They all can’t stand each other !! - annoyed all the time - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 10:05 am: although it’s amazing what something like the fair can do to push that aside even for those few moments - still good to see nonetheless - i like happy people even if it’s just for a few moments - - Bill - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 10:08 am: The Speaker should have run over those turds! - Juice - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 10:16 am: Madigan lookeed foolish. He is supposed to be the leader of the party and he was barely a thought on this day of democratic unity. it was almost too much to expect the dem chairman to wipe the scowl off of his face long enough to sit on the stage of the program he used to run. Soon he will be a has been! - Little Egypt - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 10:37 am: I would expect the crowd to be the equivalent of 60 busloads of people. - Skarfeld - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 10:47 am: I think this D-Day will be remembered as one where the Speaker’s power began to wane. Obviously, the Governor’s fingerprint was on everything, from the professional sound to what had to be one of the largest crowds I’ve seen in years. It was a great event, and I believe AG Madigan didn’t do herself any favors by thumbing her nose under the guise of “recusal” (interesting Mike Noonan spin, though, that she had to forego Dem Day b/c of a conflict of interest! Unbelievable!) - reddbyrd - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 10:53 am: Juice: Please don’t look for any departure by the Chairman/Speaker anytime soon. He’ll outlast us all. BTW Wow that Madigan spokesman is a swell looking fellow. - DeepFriedStick - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 10:58 am: “Professional sound”? How exactly was the sound any better than it’s ever been? It was still loud as hell and unidirectional. If the sound quality was better, it’s because Lisa Madigan wasn’t there to yell in her super-shrill pitch this year. Attendees, for once, retained their hearing. They really ought to get a special mike for her - one with a rubber casing. - Anonymous - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 11:05 am: I agree that Madigan is fading. I still hesitate to use the term “has-been” but he seems to be losing it. His fiasco about attending, not attending, and then actually attending did more to irritate democrats and hurt him. Obama commands the loyalty of the dems now, not Madigan. He needs to get over his beef with the rod and alexi and start showing some leadership instead of trying to create petty little battles. The Democrat Party of Illinois is bigger than Madigan. - Anon - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 11:06 am: You have to have 60 bus loads of people brought in so that you can cover up the boos from the crowd. Boy aren’t the Blago campaign people smart! - Newshound - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 11:14 am: Looks like Obama’s about to lay a kiss on the guv. - Juice - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 11:17 am: I see the Madigan people are hard at work today. Just call Alexi and get over it. Maybe even have one big meeting with Barack, Alexi and Rod and hash it out. He has to put aside his pettiness and try to lead, or else others will become the defacto leaders. - Rosy - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 11:29 am: Meet me by the big oak and make sure no reporters are watching. Look in my eyes and kiss me, kiss me hard and deep. Wait who was that hiding in the bushes-a photographer-you told me you weren’t followed. - Walking Wounded - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 11:30 am: Newshound, Do you mean like when Don Corleone gave his brother Fredo, the kiss? - zatoichi - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 11:47 am: Free hot dogs, chips, and beer makes for a happy crowd. - tistophone - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 11:50 am: What a great event and aray of quality and diverse leaders. Thanks..We only lose if people divide us. The repubs have no bench. The dems are full of talent and winners. - Skarfeld - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 12:03 pm: Reddbyrd, there are quite a few former MJM staffers-turned-lobbyists making big bucks by being able to walk into his office and “make a case” for their issues. I’m sure they’re hoping his star is not fading. Hoffman might not be so accomodating . . . - Squideshi - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 12:11 pm: Madigan needs to fade. There is no place for old-style party bosses like him anymore. He has gotten onto the wrong side with too many people this year; and he’s soon going to be nothing more than just a political memory, like his old friend Richard J. Daley. He can’t fight the Republicans AND the Greens with so many people within his own party fighting against him. He should just quit. - D-founded - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 12:33 pm: “The crowd was huge.” You were obviously looking at the fellow in the front row wearing that white XXXX-L t-shirt. - So-Called "Austin Mayor" - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 12:46 pm: In a perfect world, that Blago-Obama photograph is followed by the junior senator delivering a series of stunning headbutts to the governor. Well, my perfect world. - Dooley Dudright - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 1:10 pm: Photo caption time (con’t.) — MJM to Daley: “Whaddaya say we send PQ to the DQ?” - Walking Wounded - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 1:33 pm: LOL, So Called AM. I don’t care who you are, now that was funny! - N/A - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 2:01 pm: Big crowd and a good turnout, but I definately question the number. 4000? Come on, I doubt it was anywhere near that. - Juice - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 2:36 pm: You question the number? Fine — lets do the math! 60 buses x 50 people per bus. There’s 3000 people alone in Blagojevich shirts. I also saw a good group of Obama people, Durbin, Jesse White, and lots of labor! However, no LISA MADIGAN shirts. I predict that governors day will look similiar in the future — no LISA support! - R.I.P. McMurphee - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 2:39 pm: This is the first and only time the Speaker’s spokesman will be in the driver’s seat and it’s only a golf cart! - zatoichi - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 3:10 pm: If all these people had to drive their own car, pay for parking, buy their own shirt, pay for admission to the fair, and pay for their own fair food, how many would have still shown up talking unity and solidarity? I liked watching the two attendance checkers who made sure their group actually hung around for the big event. - frustrated GOP - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 3:19 pm: Obama to Gov Hairjob– “Do you know what a Quinn Governorship is going to mean to this State? I know just the person to switch him with; it’s not too late.” “Oh, and I have arragned a nice place for you, while you’re away.” - Anon - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 4:17 pm: I was there yesterday. Easily 10 times the size of the typical Republican Day crowd. The Dems are cleary fired up. The Repubs aren’t. The Dems will have everything after November. - Big W - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 4:37 pm: Hey BIG AL, gave them cigs and hooche that always draws a nice crowd from Chi-town….. - Disgusted - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 5:51 pm: Let’s see - $2,000 rental each for 60 buses, $5.00 for each day-tripper’s t-shirt, probably $15.00 to get hotdogs and suds and $25.00 each for the bribe to come. Looks like this “spontaneous outpouring of love” cost the guv’s campaign about $80.00 per bus occupant. All the love that money can buy. I also heard from someone who was there that the bus crowd stayed around for only a short time and by the time the biggies got to talk, there was only about 50 people left. Any non-partisan person there who can confirm that? Nice free trip to the fair for most, I suspect. - Way Northsider - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 6:39 pm: zatoichi - I drove my own car, paid for admission etc. etc. My kids, Dad, friends and I had a great time. I enjoyed the speeches. I was standing right behind the fellow in the large shirt mentioned by someone (I am hidden by the flag). I was holding an Alexi sign. Madigan glared at me. He looked uncomfortable the whole time. He should have looked uncomfortable. His behavior is deplorable. Time to grow up. Buses or no buses, this is a fun event for diehard dems. - B Hicks - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 6:42 pm: Someone gave you some bad information. The place was packed. - So Blue Democrat - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 7:15 pm: I wonder how many state employees were required to participate. - anon again - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 8:30 pm: All of us state workers were required to go to the fair and donate to the campaign we were also allowed to not turn in slips while at the fair. We were also allowed to work on the campaigns on state time and never turn in slips for golf, vacations or even sign in for work ever. Problem is that is when the repubs were in office sounds awful familiar doesnt it. Sorry rs you will loose again crime does not pay. Lets have a pool on how much time g ryan gets. my guess is 6 1/2 years. everyone send me your guess with ten dollars which i will send to the winner only one guess per ten dollars rs i understand you all might be a little short after the last four years so you get in for nine bucks but no checks from you guys cash only please. - Disgusted - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 9:53 pm: B. Hicks: Yes, but for how long? - anon - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 10:23 pm: Same as Republican day all these politicians in one place and not a single idea anywhere - unclesam - Thursday, Aug 17, 06 @ 11:03 pm: Rich, You forgot to post the best picture. The Sun-Times had it. Had Blago, Hizzoner, and then Madigan wwwwaaaaayyy on the other side of them, with a growling look on his face that, you’d swear, Madigan was about 3 seconds away from just lundging at Blago and tearing his head off. Anyway, to those who think that Speaker Madigan is “losing it,” you are sadly mistaken. Though I do not agree with many of his positions, I respect him greatly for his political mind and strategic abilities. This man, on all levels, is almost always 10 steps ahead of everyone. Rich, you have to agree with me on this one. However, that is precisely the reason that Madigan can’t stand Blago. Once in office, the doofus screwed up every type of good will the Dems had after he was elected. The doofus governor made so many mistakes, sucked so much goodwill from their first gubenatorial victory, that it threw a huge wrench into the “vision” Madigan had for the party. That is why I think Madigan FORCED his way to head up the Gov’s campaign this go around. If he didn’t, and they didn’t follow his plan, the Dems would have almost NO HOPE in November, which would seriously jeopardize the Dem seats in the House (which many are still beatable by the House Republicans. Cross has been pretty good at picking his battles). With the potential for indictments, and the JBT just now starting to fight back, this election cycle is going to be nasty and close. Stay tuned!!! - SilverBackDemocrat - Friday, Aug 18, 06 @ 12:19 am: I didn’t get to go this year, but I sure did want to. Democrat day is always a blast, lots of fun. Take a good look at the people at Democrat day and then take a good look at Republican day. It is the difference between night and day. Democrats include everybody, as is on display in the picture. Republicans might have one or two blacks, and maybe one or two hispanics (not a very diverse population in the Republican ranks). As for Speaker Madigan, I had and still have a lot of respect for what he has done for the Illinois Democratic party, but he needs to get over his issues with the Governor and Alexi. Democrats do not have to be “homies or best friends” because our vision, mission, and philosophy is greater than one person. I wish the Speaker, Governor, Obama, and Alexi would get together and hash out their differences, so we can take the fight to the right and show the country that Illinois is a Blue state and we will not allow the fear mongers and complainers to get by with hating anymore. - down yonder - Friday, Aug 18, 06 @ 12:24 am: Squideshi, I have you pegged for a Green with your previous posts fawning over Rich Whitney, so I doubt you care deeply about our party, but your comments are so asinine they’re comical. Know when Richard J. Daley became a political memory? The day he died, yet his presence was felt for years after. Same will go for Madigan. He’s not going to fade any time soon. In fact, I would expect him to be around a long, long time, so get used to it. In all these posts about Madigan being arrogant, petty, not having a sense of party unity, etc., no one mentions the arrogance of Alexi G. Here is a guy who, after the Democratic Party had already endorsed Mangieri, decides to give the middle finger to the Party and their choice for treasurer. Basically says, “I don’t care that you already have an endorsed candidate, I’m going to run anyway.” That’s not arrogant? And now he has the gall to talk about party unity? Where was his great sense of unity when the party named Mangieri as its choice? Why wasn’t he getting behind the party and Mangieri? - SilverBackDemocrat - Friday, Aug 18, 06 @ 12:57 am: Primaries are for Democrats to choose who they want, not the party leaders or big-shots to dictate who is or will be the nominee. Democrats are not robots like the Republicans are. Nonetheless, I often times will go with the party leaderships choice if I do not know who the candidates are, etc. Therefore, if someone wants to run in the Democrat primary, more power to them. It’s not a bad thing. - Nostradamus - Friday, Aug 18, 06 @ 1:26 am: SBD, you said you didn’t get to go to HOTROD’S lawn party. Were you invited ? maybe your name was on the same list as Mrs. DEMUZ from Carlinville. If you rode the bus there, you would have gotten a lot of freebies, plus $25.00 for your pocket and for your vote. Didn’t the Dems use to buy half pints for votes? maybe that’s why they have a diverse population. Is the black man with Obama hat Obama ? or is he the one making out with Rod? and is that black man with the white T-Shirt out in front, Jessie J or Al S ? - downstater - Friday, Aug 18, 06 @ 8:00 am: Anon Again 3 1/2 years and while we are at it aa you will have some guys from IDOT s d m joining him whats their number and how much - Truthful James - Friday, Aug 18, 06 @ 8:23 am: The blogger who said Madigan was fading must be right. In the first picture he is slightly out of focus. The Obama-Blago picture, with the Guv leaning up against the tree needs a caption. Obama to Blago: “Kiss me darling, nothing makes me sick.” - Kendall Cty Dem - Friday, Aug 18, 06 @ 9:03 am: My friends and I drove to Gov’s Day like many others in nearby counties. We were glad to be there. After reading this blog, it sounds like a lot of sourgrapes from Topinka supporters. Lets face it, they had no reason to be there. There candidate is way behind in the polls and no one on their state ticket has a chance. - Squideshi - Friday, Aug 18, 06 @ 12:38 pm: That’s right down yonder, I’m a Green. You’re also right that I don’t “care deeply” about your party. How could anyone care for a party that acts in such an undemocratic manner? It’s just corrupt. - Criminal Enterprise Called Illinois - Sunday, Aug 20, 06 @ 2:14 am: Oh ick! I am watching Blago right now on C-Span in an address to the Democratic National Committee General Session and he is saying the same thing about reading only enough Greek philosophy “to pass the test”. I had to sit through his same rant on Wednesday at the fair. Here’s another famous line he uses “His mother’s advice and then asking him to get his cousin a job” and “Learning the Golden Rule in Sunday School”. What a pathetic “Democrat”! An embarassment to our party! Get a new stump speech Gov! Puke! Puke! Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.