65 Comments - f - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:05 am: Madigan has been the worst one this year. I really think the Governor has tried to conduct business in a professional manner and Madigan is being a spoiled brat. - Anon - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:07 am: Not sure why anybody but Emil meets with Rod. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:09 am: Try to also directly answer the question, please. - BandCamp - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:11 am: ===I really think the Governor has tried to conduct business in a professional manner=== Madigan may not be playing nice, but come on, the Governor and professional manner in the same breath? While I think Madigan should be at the meetings, if he feels there is the same sort of ganging up that has happened in previous years, I don’t have any problem with him sending someone else in his stead. - Kevin Fanning - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:11 am: lol - f - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:12 am: The answer to the question is yes, of course he should be meeting with the Gov and other leaders. He was elected to do a job and he’s not doing it. None of us like everyone we work with but we still have a job to do. - Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:15 am: Yes, it’s time for him to directly participate. Gary Hannig is a weak substitute. It’s beginning to make the Speaker look like a petulant child which is an honor that should really be reserved for Rod. - BandCamp - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:18 am: Couldn’t resist. - Napoleon has left the building - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:20 am: No he should not attend the meetings. The last Blago meeting he attended was the one where the Governor jumped on him and then Ricky Hendon attacked him and called him a racist for demanding ethics provisions be put into the casino expansion. Then Emil stabbed him in the back by lying to his face and not over-riding the budget vetoes. I see no reason why Madigan should attend. Madigan may get blamed for not showing up, but I agree with his reasons and see nothing wrong with his decision. - The Doc - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:22 am: Yes, he should attend, without equivocation. This is not a task that should be delegated, given the state of the state. Being a leader, especially one that is elected and paid by the citizens, comes part and parcel with tasks like these. - Dan S, a voter and Cubs Fan - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:23 am: Yes he should. These “leaders” need to remember that they were elected to serve the public and to conduct the business of the State of Illinois. They ALL need to remember the Oath of Office they swore to. - He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:25 am: He should go to the first meeting to see how it goes. If it becomes a bashfest as usual, then he should get up and walk. - lifer - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:27 am: Yes he should all of us work with people we don’t like, respect, have big egos etc. etc. the job needs to get done. Lead, follow or get out of the way. A Ronald Reagan quote “There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go … if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.” - Commensense in Illinois - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:27 am: It’s almost like being the head of a plumbing company. It’s nice to get the title, everyone looks up to you and you get the best company car. But from time to time you still gotta get down and fix a leaky sewer pipe. As distasteful as it might seem, the Speaker has to bite the bullet and meet with the Governor. - OneMan - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:37 am: Yes he should meet with him. However when it comes to any sort of agreement I think I will paraphrase a former president ‘Trust but verify’ - anon - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:37 am: There is so much criticism of the budget power in the state being vested in The Four Tops and the Governor. Now another legislator besides one of the “leaders” attends a top budget meeting and there is still criticism. Isn’t the Speaker opening up the process, even symbolically, by not attending, but the majority caucus still being represented? - Just Because - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:37 am: I think Madigan should be at the first meeting, be the bigger man in the deal. - BannedForLife - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:39 am: Yes! If you don’t even show you can’t really whine. Your short list of things Mr. Speaker might consider putting aside so he can do his job failed to mention his ambitions for his daughter. - A Citizen - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:40 am: No, at least not until they pass Concealed Carry. - decaturvoter - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:45 am: Better chance of Clinton and Obama meeting and making true peace. - Ghost - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:46 am: No, he is sending his experts to the meetings who are the key folks. besides, neither Jones or the Gov have acknowledge the backstab they pulled on Madigan last year, much less offered any assurance they are not plotting the same thing again. The budget as is helps prevent the kind of vindictive cutting the Gov did last time, protected by Jones, by requring him to make real cuts. These folks who think the Gov has suddenly become reliable or that Jones word can be trusted need to wake up. The meeting serve only as press ops and whats the point when the word of those at the table isn;t worth the air its expelled upon. - Six Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:50 am: Isn’t the Speaker opening up the process, even symbolically, by not attending, but the majority caucus still being represented It would be “opening up the process” if he or the other leaders relinquished some of their actual authority, and that ain’t happening. Sending a stand-in with strict instructions is not “opening up the process”. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:51 am: Yes. By not doing so, he’s coming dangerously close to allowing his absence to become the issue. There’s only so much attention paid in the collective public mind to the workings of Springfield — he doesn’t want his refusal to be what they remember. I understand the reasoning behind his sending Hannig and Currie, but I think he has to look beyond that, unless he wants to hand the governor an unearned p.r. victory. Surprising to me, really. It seems Madigan is about to do just that. - anon - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:53 am: Think of Governor and Sen. President as Lucy with a football. The Speaker is no Charlie Brown. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. “You only get one big lie.” (or apparently the chance formore.) - 2for2 - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:54 am: I know this would never happen but Madigan should attend the meeting but with one condidtion: A pool camera should be allowed into the room for the media. These meetings typically occur behind closed doors, and I would say for good reason. However, because of the lack of trust among the leaders, a video record of whatever agreements are reached might force the parties to honor their commitments and to act in a respectful manner toward each other. I know I know, it’ll never happen. - Nonprofiteer - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 10:57 am: Yes, Madigan should attend, regardless of how we feels about the Governor. I wonder if the Speaker realizes that his own behavior is doing nothing making the Governor look good. Amazing. - Plutocrat03 - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 11:01 am: Its kind of like meeting with Castro, Chavez or Ahmadinejad. A meeting without preconditions or complete record is a waste of time and effort. The Governor’s track record is such that he can say anything at one time and he will do anything he pleases later on. I bet Mr. Madigan could get a volunteer news crew to videotape the proceedings :’) - North of I-80 - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 11:01 am: Madigan should meet with the Leaders but only with the Gov if MM’s private attorney is present - Gov still has an active suit against MM and they should not be speaking outside of MM’s counsel. If the suit gets dropped, sure attend the meeting. As soon as it turns into a bash fest, get up and leave and see if actions qualify for an Order of Protection to be filed. - Macbeth - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 11:01 am: If Rezko is acquitted (as I’m sure he will be) — Madigan will attend. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 11:07 am: === Gov still has an active suit against MM=== I think that suit was filed against the House clerk, not MJM directly. - Sprint Speed! - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 11:13 am: A true obstructionist never waivers! - problem - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 11:19 am: I never thought Madigan would be getting so beat up over this, but it is appropriate. As Barack says, strength means having the courage to talk to your enemies, as well as your friends. - Downstate Commissioner - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 11:23 am: North of I-80 has a good point about lawsuit; MM should have attorney present. He should attend-his standing among many Republicans (and downstate Democrats) has gone up a bunch in the last year because he has stood up to Blago; he shouldn’t allow Blago to one-up him by not showing up. - Anon - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 11:28 am: Ghost, please dont act like the Speaker didnt meddle with the Senate Caucus when the capital bill was moving last year. The Speaker can no longer claim that he was lied to when he was the one to set the deceitful actions in motion. To answer the question, of course he should be at the meeting. Did somebody seriously here suggest that the Speaker was “ganged up on?” He is the Speaker of the House for crying out loud! Some would argue that he is the most powerful man in the state. I highly doubt that he is intimidated by any ganging up. Besides, it seems like everybody is acting grown up now. He needs to be a leader and be there. - Bill - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 11:29 am: Of course he should. All of the leaders at the table have the authority to make a deal. His surrogate won’t. They’ll have to call him for permission to order lunch. What is he afraid of? Can it possibly be that the strong man of Illinois politics is scared of getting “bashed” by Big Bad Rod and Emil? Highly unlikely! Is it because Emil lied to him? Again unlikely. Is his time too valuable to address the serious fiscal problems that he, as much or more than anyone, had a hand in perpetrating? Doubtful, what else does he have to do? So what could be the reason be for his refusal to attend? It must be some chess move no one ever heard of. - Anon - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 11:37 am: It seems clear that he has no interest in resolving the imbalanced budget issue, and he has no interest in seeing a capital bill pass. I think his only realinterest is to get the governor to raise income taxes so Lisa doesnt have to. He wants Rod to feel the “pain.” - Mr. Wizard - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 11:41 am: “it seems like everybody is acting grown up now” “What is he afraid of? Can it possibly be that the strong man of Illinois politics is scared of getting “bashed” by Big Bad Rod and Emil?” lmao - Ta Da - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 11:51 am: I don’t think he’s ready to give up being The Speaker yet. If he attends, helps get a deal worked out and the state starts to get into good shape, then Lisa could run for Governor, and he’d have to give up his job…too big of a conflict if he stayed. But if he continues to make sure that things run poorly, we’ll get a Republican governor to ride in again to clean up the mess, and The Speaker can once again be the top Democrat in the state. - Dirt Guy - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 11:54 am: - problem - Was Barack paraphrasing a quote from Churchill? “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” Sir Winston Churchill - MouthofBabes.. - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 11:55 am: Madigan should forgive Blago, but not forget. In the immortal words of Regan, “Trust and verify.” - reflector - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 12:08 pm: I agree with Band Camp.The Speaker has very able aides and I am sure he will attend meetings when he believes Blago is serious. - Anon - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 12:15 pm: I can see why he would send a substitute who can listen and discuss, but can’t enter into a deal. Lawyers do it all the time for their clients — talk it all out, and then conclude with “Now I gotta go present this to the client.” That can force the other side to make the first definite offer, which is something the Governor has always managed to avoid doing, to his advantage, with his amendatory veto approach to everything. If Currie or Hanig goes to the meeting and says, “What’s your proposal?”, the others can’t do any “feeling out” first before saying something definite that Madigan can accept or reject it just as well and almost as quickly as he could if he attended. Of they can say nothing, in which case he’s justified in not showing. If all the Governor does is talk about the Cubs, Madigan can say, “We passed our budget, and it says in detail everything we have to say on the issues. The Governor has attacked it, but won’t point to anything specific he wants done. How can we fix what we think is fine, if he won’t tell us what he thinks is broken?” Still, if I were in charge, I’d tell him to go. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 12:18 pm: It is so easy for us to stand here and demand reconciliation between parties we know nothing about. I read that it is the political thing to do. It is the adult thing to do. It is important for them to work together. All of these statements are easy to say and deny reality. Do you really think that this governor has earned any trust or credibility? How many times are you willing to be kicked in the head? What are you punch-drunk? Blagojevich has earned the digust others feel towards him. Throughout last year he turned every opportunity into a PR stunt in order to offend anyone who questioned him. We didn’t get a budget until God and our calendar ended 2007. This is because Blagojevich doesn’t respond to mere mortals. He hasn’t changed, but this is an election year. So don’t expect this governor to be any different from the untrustworthy one we all suffered through last year. He proved to be the worst governor we’ve had in modern times. But we’re supposed to just forget all this and play nice? Are we supposed to pretend that Blagojevich had a brain change or some kind of personality altering experience and he can now be worked with? Who is being delusional? You are! Until Blagojevich pledges to be a different kind of man - one capable of governing in a mature intelligent manner - any meeting with him is nothing more than another press op designed to make him look better at everyone else’s expense. Not showing up at one of his meetings is using diplomacy. Now stop playing mommy and get off these people’s backs. You wouldn’t want to deal with Blagojevich, why should anyone else? - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 12:20 pm: Yikes! I didn’t mean to bold those last lines! Sorry, I don’t want to be that offensive! - zatoichi - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 12:25 pm: Going to the meetings seems like the right thing to do. Check the land and if it gets ugly leave. A better solution seems to arrange some private meetings at the Mansion or backdoor office location away from where people can see what happens. Come to a simple easy agreement and follow through. If the invitees play together, great, move to tougher stuff, if not, life goes on in the press. Someone needs to take the first steps and show some level of cooperation. I can’t imagine that these guys can’t get to each others office through back doors while maintaining what ever public face they choose to keep in person or with assistants. - ZC - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 12:42 pm: VanillaMan runs hot and cold in his comments here, but when it comes to Rod, he seems absolutely spot-on. MJM can show up if he likes. If he wants to take a pass, he can feel free, too. What’s the point of meeting with Rod directly, or not? Anything Rod says or does may be rescinded at a moment’s whim. - Reddbyrd - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 12:53 pm: Apparently all the “yes” votes forgot the context of the last two years. Just google threats, firings, law suits, double crosses and the JCAR disaster. Toss in the State Police, importing fake protestors, leaflets at churches, parades and torch light marches. Now who wants who to meet with whom? - Bill - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 12:59 pm: VM, Blagojevich doesn’t need to earn anybody’s respect. He is the Governor, duly elected by the voters of this state. He is the one that we, the people, selected for our leader and, as such, should be able to meet with legislative leaders when the need arises. They don’t have to like him, respect him, or agree with him. They do need to work with him. Their other alternative is to pass veto proof legislation that will give the Speaker his beloved tax increase and cause the citizens of Illinois to feel “some pain”. To do anything else, at this point, will accomplish nothing but inflict harm on current and future generations of our great state. There seems to be no money. The Governor has submitted his recommendations for revenue enhancements every year that were struck down (or not even considered) by the General Assembly. Why doesn’t the House, either approve some of those recommendations or come up with some revenue ideas of their own. - Anon - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 1:21 pm: I have to give Madigan a pass on this one. He’s stopped so many bad & irresponsible legislation over the past six years that I think he’s probably figured out what the best move is to keep on top of matters. As my father always said: Never go swimming in shark-infested waters with a ham in your pocket. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 1:25 pm: Sorry Bill, but we had that discussion a few days ago. Blagojevich had respect due to his office. He had respect due to his election victories. He had mandates to reform government after 30 years of GOP rule and promised to end “business as usual” in Springfield. After six years and through another election victory, we see a man who has been duly blessed with gubernatorial opportunities not show up for work. He didn’t govern. He didn’t create teams and build relationships. He didn’t become a governor. Instead he stayed a politician. He focused on his daily talking points instead of leading. He focused on his campaign fund raising instead of governing. He focused on portraiting perceived political opponents in ugly PR stunts and in crude soundbites. He got the office he wants, but instead of governing, he refocused on the next office he wanted - the presidency. He deliberately ran as an anti-tax Democrat to offset the national image of Democrats. He deliberately pursued family friendly legislation regardless of it’s constitutionality to demonstrate family values. He deliberately made health care insurance a priority in order to profit from the political climate of today. He ran out of time during the day to show up for work, show up on time to meetings, parties, funerals, press conferences, and other official duties. He raised over $2,000 an hour for his campaign coffers instead of spending hours searching for concrete fiscal solutions for our state. He proposed massive social spending, massive debts, and expended all the money in our wallets today, tomorrow, and far into the future in order to look “presidential”. He abused our trust. He squabbled away the Office’s respect. He lost any credibility he needed today by turning last year’s budget process into a toxic civil war. And for what? It is always about him. Expect him to appoint himself senator if Obama is actually elected in November. Because it is always about him and his Dream. We don’t, never have, and never will, matter to him except during fund drives and election days. - fed up - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 1:30 pm: Blago cannot be trusted and emil has shown himself to be a liar so I dont know why MM would want to be in a room with them. Plus with blagos immenent indicment it looks better to stand up george ryans future bunkmate. - Sick of it. - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 1:37 pm: Yes he should attend but he doesn’t have to just agree to pass everything that has come out of the Senate. As much as I done want to see it a tax increase will be needed at some point. Either a small one now or a much bigger one when blago is gone and the principal on those billions in bonds needs to be repaid. - Anon - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 1:39 pm: Whew! You don’t step on Superman’s cape, you don’t spit into the wind, you don’t pull the mask of the ole’ Lone Ranger, … and you don’t mess around with VM. - A Citizen - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 1:46 pm: I don’t see anything stopping guv from walking over to MM’s office and apologizing and trying to get the “healing” started - other than that would be statesmanship and his tank is empty on that front. - Bill - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 1:47 pm: VM, None of that is true except that the Governor is opposed to raising taxes on the people,i.e.,sales or income. During his time as governor education funding has been increased more than under any other governor. More children have access to early childhood education than ever before in our history and all children and many of their parents have access to health care. During the Blagojevich administration the minimum wage was dramatically increased when the Republican Congress in Washington refused to act. These are family issues that the governor addressed and remedied when it may have been politically unwise to do so. His motives don’t really matter to the thousands of minimum wage workers who received the increases, to the children in pre-school, to the families who now can afford to go to a clinic or hospital when they are sick. Results are what count and, whether you admit it or not, many Illinois families are much better off today than they were 6 years ago. Just think what we could have accomplished if the governor’s fellow Democrats had acted like Democrats instead of fighting silly turf wars and trying to remain kings of the mountain! The great game of chicken continues to this day and it is the citizens of Illinois who are the losers. - A meeting with the Devil - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 1:47 pm: It doesn’t bother me that Mike Madigan sends his representative to meet with the tyrant who has created this division. Blago is childish, immature, arrogant, self-serving, and a backstabber. I’ll trust Madigan to do what he feel is appropriate. When he decides that it is important that he meet with Blago, he’ll be there. - Dan S, a voter and Cubs Fan - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 1:49 pm: VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 1:25 pm: AMEN - Anon - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 1:56 pm: “None of that is true except that the Governor is opposed to raising taxes on the people,i.e.,sales or income.” ALL taxes are on people. Anyone who tells you otherwise is so wrong that it invites questions of their intelligence or their motives. - anon - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 1:57 pm: IF the Speaker is making this budget negotiation personal, then he has fallen into the M.O. of an executive that knows no other way of conduct. I hope the Speaker is motivated by the greater public good. You know what, the suggestion of raising the income tax or expanding the sales tax base would probably not be a hard cheese to swallow. Even the Governor considered sales tax base (not rate) expansion as a possible avenue out of tight budget constraints not long after he named John Filan as his budget advisor in 2003. - stop drinking the cool aid - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 2:01 pm: Rich, There is an ongoing lawsuit between the Governor and the Speaker. The Governor filed two lawsuits against the Speaker: 1) against the Clerk for not reading the budget veto message in to the record, and the Speaker won that lawsuit; and (2) the special session lawsuit that is still going on (the Judge hasn’t issued a ruling) and that lawsuit is Blagojevich v. Madigan. Cross intervened, so he’s also a party. Madigan’s attorney tried to get the court to join Jones since any decision that impacts the General Assembly affects the Senate as well as the House, but the court did not force the Governor to join Jones. - Mrs. McGillicuddy - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 2:02 pm: “They do need to work with him”? Puh-lease, Bill. God knows they’ve tried. But he chose to be an absentee Governor. He chose to not keep his word and commmitments he had made in leader meetings. He chose to not develop a working relationship with legislators. He chose not to attend, and barred his aides and directors from attending special sessions that he himself called. But now it’s, “they need to work with him, after all, he’s the Governor”? The Speaker is under no obligation to meet with him, and I wouldn’t meet with him until he demonstrates some kind of trustworthiness and commitment and integrity. Rod’s the one who destroyed the viability of the leader meetings. State government, and the people of the State of Illinois, will survive and continue on if Mike Madigan and Rod Blagojevich never meet again in person, and we just may have to. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 2:02 pm: You’re right. It’s sometimes difficult to keep all these lawsuits in order. - Dr. Seuss - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 3:28 pm: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfI9e4BX0lU Never budge, that’s my rule. “Never budge in the least. Not an inch to the west, not an inch to the east. I’ll stay here not budging, I can and I will - if it makes you and me and the whole world stand still.” - the South-Going Zax - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 4:52 pm: As of 3:45 today, Mr. Blagojevich is currently involved in other matters. Mr. Madigan, please stop laughing. - some former legislative intern - Wednesday, Jun 4, 08 @ 5:40 pm: The Speaker could always go to the meetings, say nothing, and just give the Governor that look he gives people. You know, the one that makes you think he can see right through you to the other side. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.