“It’s been anticlimactic,” sighed a top House Democratic operative last week when asked about some of the Chicago-area primary races.
For months, House Speaker Michael Madigan’s operation was expecting an onslaught from Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his allies against a handful of their Chicago incumbents. Madigan advised his incumbents to take leaves of absence from their day jobs, walk precincts like never before and raise and spend money like their lives depended on it. The speaker placed staff all over the city and parts of the suburbs, and ran the full program for his people.
At least two Democratic challengers have told others in recent days that they felt abandoned by the governor. They were recruited into the race with grandiose promises of money and staff and ended up holding an empty bag.
* Also, a note to the national media: I’m pretty busy right now with all the primary races tomorrow and I have zero time for your inane questions about endless rehash stories on various tangential minutiae. Please, stop calling me. Do your own research. Thanks.
