* 1:24 pm - From NBC’s Mike Viqueira…
The halls of the Capitol are rife with reports of former Speaker Denny Hastert leaving Congress before the end of his term. These reports are only kind of true.
I just spoke with Hastert, who calls the reports a “rumor,” and that he has a lot of work still to do for Illinois on transportation, health care, energy, etc. Asked directly if he has plans to resign, he said: “Not at this time.” […]
A GOP leadership source says that now the plan is for him to wait until the end of this year or early next to announce his departure… The source says that Hastert is “definitely going to resign,” but that it won’t happen be announced officially for a couple of months or so.
* 1:28 pm - As I told you earlier, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn has demanded that Gov. Blagojevich push Senate President Emil Jones to call the “play to play” reform bill that’s been sitting in limbo for months. Quinn held a press conference today and here’s the official reaction…
Blagojevich spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch said the governor doesn’t control what bills legislative leaders call. Regarding HB1, she said, the governor is interested in more sweeping campaign-finance reform.
It gets more bizarre every day.
* 1:38 pm - From a speech given earlier today by Comptroller Dan Hynes…
The Illinois Legislative Session of 2007: A Fable.
“Once upon a time, in a Land of Lincoln, a Governor presented a budget in a lovely town called Springfield. This Governor was great and generous and had a tremendous head of hair. And the wise and diligent people who needed to approve the budget, the members of the General Assembly, invited the Governor to their home to talk about one part of his plan. He did. And when he left their house, the members did what any courteous hosts would do: they voted 107-0 against him. And told him he was always welcome to stop by.
Though the Governor declared this a great victory, the streets of Springfield were strangely free of dancing or parades or general merriment.
Instead, a great black cloud covered the Land.
And the members of the General Assembly knew, to save the day, they’d have to agree on some kind of plan. So their leaders set down to work, day and night, and agreed on nothing of consequence.
And the cloud remained.
Now danger was approaching, and everyone said that they needed more time — so that they could call each other the worst names they could think of. Nasty, terrible names. Like when someone called the Governor a demagogue. And when the Governor called the Speaker of the House —a Republican.
And then things got even worse. The Governor said that God was on his side, and then unleashed God’s fury against a Senator from Moline. And the men who led the General Assembly insisted that they were absolutely, positively right, and whenever discussing the Governor, took God’s name in vain.
God was generally not pleased.
And the cloud remained.
But just when things looked their worst — just in the nick of time — knowing all that was at stake for the people they served, the good and decent leaders came together – in courtrooms all across Illinois. You see, the Governor had said that the members should meet at 2 o’clock. But the members decided to get together at 10 o’clock. That could mean only one thing, in the name of truth and justice, and everything good in the world: sue the bums!.
So in the happiest of happy endings, the Governor sued the Speaker of the House. And just to make sure that the Speaker’s clerk didn’t feel lonely, he sued him, too. And for a moment, the Governor thought about suing a maid at the Statehouse Inn because she had once said hello to the Speaker. But, in the rush to get back for a Cubs playoff game, he forgot all about that.
And the cloud remains over the Land.
Some say that the Governor is acting crazy. Some say that the Speaker is acting crazy. Some say that the other leaders are acting crazy.
But all of the people in the Land of Lincoln do agree on one thing. Their leaders are always, always, always putting them first.”
THE END.
I hope we can get the video of this.
- Rock-N-Roll-Rod - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 1:31 pm:
More sweeping reforms. Naturally. It should rock our world.
- fedup dem - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 1:32 pm:
By delaying his departure, Cong. Hastert will force upon the taxpayers of the 14th Congressional District the cost of holding two additional elections; a Special Primary Election and then a Speical General Election to fill his seat for the remainder of the 110th Congress.
You can call the bill for holding two extra elections an appropriate final “gift” from Cong. Hastert to the saps of that district you blindly kept re-electing him, thinking they had a fiscal conservative.
- Ghost - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 1:45 pm:
Ok so Quinn asks the gov to use his leadership position and relationship with Jones to try and persuade Jones to call the ethics bill. The gov responds by saying, I have no control over Jones. BUT Quinn never asked him to control Jones, just to use the influence he has as a gov and ally. So the press release makes no sense…until they toss in the besides, the gov doesnt like the bill anyway comment. So Jones is killing an anti pay to play bill and the gov issued a press release that supports burying it. The Gov under scrutiny for pay to play thought it would be wise to stand in opposition to a bill that stops it? Even if he wants something bigger, whats available is much bettewr then the nothing we have.
Hynes needs to go on Colbert with this fable.
- A Citizen - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 1:49 pm:
It is obvious, and only fair, to note that gov is definitely running for lower office. I hope he wins, soon.
- irked irene - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 1:50 pm:
time for the advisory recall measure on the Feb 5th ballot…better hurry good government types…
- Carl Nyberg - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 1:51 pm:
Is Hastert’s retirement in mid-term anything beyond a tactical move to influence the GOP primary?
Conventional wisdom seems to think the move will help Oberweis and hurt Lauzen in the GOP primary.
Is that a legit reason for Hastert to retire early and impose the cost of an election on local gov’t?
- There you go again - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 1:54 pm:
Glad to see Dan Hynes having some fun in the Statehouse. It’s about time he loosen up a bit.
Is he planning to take his show on the road to, say, perhaps, the major downstate media markets?
- Levois - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 1:56 pm:
Hynes must have been thought utterly humorless.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 1:57 pm:
He’s kinda stiff, Levois. My favorite line…
===And for a moment, the Governor thought about suing a maid at the Statehouse Inn because she had once said hello to the Speaker. But, in the rush to get back for a Cubs playoff game, he forgot all about that.===
- Anon - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 2:32 pm:
You Tube hits on this speech would be rivaled by video of bread baking. Stick to your day job, danny boy. Daddy will be home soon and tell you the brave, honest young man who, with the help of his political hack of a father, became the state comptroller for ever and ever. THE END.
- irishpirate - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 2:33 pm:
Calling Dan Hynes stiff is an itself to stiffs.
He is bright, earnest, well spoken, a bit of a policy wonk, but on a one on one basis he lacks charisma and he is not an engaging speaker. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
I actually found his attempt at humor kinda funny.
I would have been more vicious and biting, but then again my dad didn’t help me get elected to statewide office in my twenties. OOPs, there goes that aspect of my personality.
- archpundit - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 2:33 pm:
Those who might remember the 2004 election commercials, he did a commercial with his wife and by all accounts they absolutely adore each other.
You couldn’t tell they were married in the commercial because they stood opposite each other and Dan’s body language made it look like he never saw the woman before.
- grand old partisan - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 2:36 pm:
Carl -
Perhaps you’d rather have Hastert follow the Lipinski/Evans model and make the gov’t waste money on a primary whose outcome doesn’t matter?
- Seersucker - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 2:48 pm:
There once was a comptroller from Cook.
Who wasn’t nearly as old as he look.
He talked about numbers so dry
It brought tears to my eye
But golly his wife was hot.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 2:51 pm:
After 142 days, the cloud remains over the Land.
What is so sad, is that it isn’t funny, is it?
- DC - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 2:51 pm:
One might be able to say that Hynes’ dad manufactured his first election, but it was his leadership and common sense that got him re-elected. Technically, all the help in the world from a relative doesn’t mean anything if the people in the voting booth don’t like you.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 2:53 pm:
Do you want to see Pay for Play end in Illinois? Start pressuring the Majority Leader in the Illinois Senate. She wants to be a Congresswoman, and if she feels that this will damage her chances, she will start pressuring her political mentor, Jones.
- irishpirate - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 3:01 pm:
DC,
the thing that got Dan Hynes elected was his daddy’s support. Similar things can be said for Lipinski, Daley,Blago/Mell,Burke’s wife, Stroger, Jackson,Madigan,and more I am forgetting.
As for talking about Hynes leadership I seriously doubt most people in this state know much about him. I happen to think he has done a pretty good job in a relatively unknown job. That doesn’t mean the way he attained office doesn’t stink.
- Anon - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 3:09 pm:
Danny’s daddy is one of the good ole’ boys from chicagos south side irish. his career was hand delivered to him by daddy — im sure a deal was cut with some other SS irishman. dan, stop the high and mighty act and acccept who you really are. You’re a spoiled little boy who was given a career by your politihack daddy and now, thinking you’re more than you really are, you’re trying to be a crusader. go back to the 19th ward and play nice.
you are comptroller for life (if this reality begins to fade in your mind, remind yourself of your miserable performance in the senate race in 2004).
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 3:29 pm:
Danny Boy really has em rolling in the aisles. I guess you have to be comedic and humor yourself when you realize your political career is stuck on the 15th Floor of the Thompson Center. Is it true Danny Boy sometimes pushes Floor 16 on the Thompson Center elevators just to see what it is like on the Governor’s floor. Sorry Danny Boy but you will never climb one floor up even with ole daddy’s help.
- Anon - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 3:30 pm:
Pat Quinn wants campaign finance reform because he is unable to raise money and knows that his political future is at a dead end as soon as he faces a well funded candidate in the next election.
- Thievery Corp. - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 3:44 pm:
the litte quinn does what he’s told to do.
end of story!
- Wonders Never Cease - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 3:48 pm:
I have to agree with Thivery Corp……
The FIX has been in for quite some time.
- Girly - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 4:01 pm:
I laughed so hard! I want to play the part of the Statehouse Inn maid when it goes into film production!
- Anon - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 4:03 pm:
Girly, you seem too easy to please. Demand more.
- Old scientist - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 4:07 pm:
Do you think there are some many influential individuals involved?
And that god forbid, Fitz has been bought off?
I wonder if our national security has been compromised?
- wallace - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 4:08 pm:
Hastert presided over the most corrupt , wasteful, and ineffective Congress in recent memory. I hope that he was a better wrestling coach and God knows that when he finally resigns he will not be missed.
- downhereforyears - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 4:27 pm:
I thought it was great….thanks Dan.
- Bennett - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 4:34 pm:
Denny was a damn sight more responsible than Blagojevich.
- Ron Burgundy - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 4:37 pm:
“But all of the people in the Land of Lincoln do agree on one thing. Their leaders are always, always, always Gutting them first”
Fixed.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 4:40 pm:
“But all of the people in the Land of Lincoln do agree on one thing. Their leaders are always, always, always putting themselves first”
- Mark Johnson - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 4:58 pm:
I’m gonna read this as a bed time story to my kids every night.
- Carl Nyberg - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 5:16 pm:
gop, it doesn’t cost extra money for a regularly scheduled primary, since the gov’t is on the hook to pay for it no matter what.
- Single Miles - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 5:22 pm:
Fitzgerald isn’t gonna do nothing. Blago has more clout than Fitz.
- A Citizen - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 5:28 pm:
When Gonzalez’s folks rated the attorneys in fed.prosecutor slots prior to the dismissals I recall Fitzgerald was rated as unremarkable and as not having particularly distinguished himself or the office under his command. At the time I thought it a bit of a cheap shot and politicized. Now, after all of this time, with “pay to play on steroids” etc. I’m not so sure. Maybe the rating was dead on accurate!
- Nice job Hynes - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 5:44 pm:
It’s not Danny’ fault He got elected with help from his family. He’s remains an outstanding public official. I personally could care less if he’s as funny as Colbert…When fall you in love with flashy politicians, you end up with guys like Blago…THE END
- Red Skelton - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 6:20 pm:
Rich:
You missed Dan “Shecky Greene” Hyne’ funniest lines. According to the scribes at the SJR he said:
… those leaders can start a healing process by agreeing to pass some technical budget bills currently stalled in the legislature. Without them, schools can’t get all of the extra money promised them in the budget and Illinois State Police could face severe financial shortfalls that could lead to layoffs.
“By this one, small step we’ll have started down the road to putting principles before personalities, replacing acrimony with action and leaving the absurd story of this year behind.”
Which means those waiting for autism, mental health services, education bucks and about $400 million get the royal screwolla — great move Shecky.
- Wumpus - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 8:47 pm:
Yeah, Hynes callig the GA wise and diligent was hillarious!
- Hypocrisy Police - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 8:56 pm:
Maybe the Good Comptroller can write a second act to his cute little play that includes a riff or two about brothers that work at sleazy investment firms.
Let’s see: what ryhymes with “Mesirow?”
- A Citizen - Thursday, Oct 18, 07 @ 9:25 pm:
- Hypocrisy Police -
Rod - Is that your best? What do his bros. have to do with his rather lucid and on target observation. Get off your duff and negotiate buddy. Your last term is ticking away.