128 Comments - Hon. Cranial Lamb - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 10:50 am: As a friend just told me “another sign of her wisdom” As a taxpayer and an admirer of hers I wish she would run for Gov, but I also think this is a good decision for her in many ways. Good luck to her, I hope she gets re-elected. She’s a great Attorney General. - Captain Flume - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 10:51 am: I posted this just now on the other thread: Chicago Business has the AG Madigan story at 10:16 a.m. I have posted here and long thought that she would continue to run for AG, at least in this election cycle. But it does make those who were supposedly waiting for her decision seem less than bold, and less than genuinely dedicated, in their desires to run for either Gov or US Senate. The upcoming races will be interesting and today’s announcement will be a small distraction from the budget “negotiations.” - Yellow Dog - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 10:54 am: Dan Hynes’ move now… - Niles Township - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 10:54 am: I think this means Quinn against Dillard in the general. - Hon. Cranial Lamb - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 10:56 am: I think she was going to run for Senate but Birkett’s announcement for AG last week changed everything. The thought of knocking Joe off again was just too tempting for her to resist. Sorry Mr. President. - Quinn T, Sential - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 10:56 am: THIS JUST IN…. In an unusual move WONKISH today seized control of this Illinois political communications juggernaut in what appears to be a bloodless coup. I am now concerned that the Lilliputians have Rich Miller tied up and have refused to release him until their demands are met. - The Doc - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 10:56 am: Smart move - she remains in her comfort zone, where she can continue her solid if unspectacular work, and avoid weighing in on any state issue of substance, all while daddy continues to play puppet master without any real pushback. And the family dynasty lives on. - Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 10:56 am: If Dan runs, Dan beats Pat Quinn. Dan beats Dillard. Dan becomes our next governor. - CircularFiringSquad - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 10:57 am: “Madigan’s decision stunned Illinois politicians, who saw her being groomed by her father, powerful Democrat Michael Madigan, for top statewide office in a state where he has been the longest-running speaker of the House.” This from the Trib which knuckleheads to we downgrade from “expert” to bumbler? - Six Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 10:57 am: This is probably the best news Roland Burris has heard in 2009. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 10:57 am: Shocking. It’s rare that a politician enjoys such clear shots at the two big statewide prizes. There’s no guarantee that it will ever happen again. That sizzle you hear is the scrambling of politicians. - been there - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 10:57 am: dear Niles Township, a robocall came to our house from dillard last night. most unimpressive. - Hon. Cranial Lamb - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 10:58 am: Plus when Quinn goes the other 5% Cuckoo she can run to the IL Supreme Court with her motion to remove again. Maybe this time they’ll consider it . . . - Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 10:58 am: Oh, and no it’s not a smart move. This will diminish her star. - Hank - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 10:58 am: Burris wins! Burris wins! Birkett loses! Birkett loses! - state employee - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 10:59 am: I really like that decision and respect her for it. - Hon. Cranial Lamb - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 10:59 am: Six Degrees - in what world do you live where Roland Burris is even a factor in 2010? - Anonymous45 - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 10:59 am: Very smart decision Ms. Madigan…the family brand doesn’t lose any of it’s clout…I have little doubt thatQuinn will be the Dem nominee for a full term as Governor - Southside - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 10:59 am: I think Ms. Madigan is smart not to be running for either office. She has to know, despite what the media reports, that she would have extreme difficult in some comunnities that would not support her. She was actively involved with numerous bills in the House when Blago was in office. Now the state is in crisis, thanks to the four Demo leaders including the Speaker and you haven’t heard a word from her! The Speaker and the Attorney General were after Blago like white on rice. Well Blago messed up things for myself and now he’s gone. So, where is Ms. Madigan now? To bad she’s not stepping out there to run for another office. I would have really liked for her to get a real feel of what some communities really think about her. - bored now - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:01 am: exactly as i predicted. she has two small kids and seems to actually care about their welfare. i wonder if the speaker isn’t the person most surprised by this news… - Amy - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:01 am: Mad Daddy wins! - Quinn T, Sential - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:02 am: UPDATE: Reports are circulating that Rich Miller has been taken to an “undisclosed location” in Springfield, believed to be in a secret tunnel beneath the capitol building. This is apparently part of the Continuity of Operations Plan adopted by Miller in the past in order to protect his vast political underground empire from being hijacked. Sources say that he will be back at the controls before the end of the day, and then justice will be served on WONKISH at the appropriate time. - frost - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:02 am: Thanks, Wonkish. (Tho, credit should be given to Lynn Sweet of the S-T for reporting this first.) - Ravenswood Right Winger - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:02 am: The mess that is Springfield and Speaker Madigan’s hand in creating it would be magnified greatly if she ran for Gov or Senator. Not that Birkett won’t do that in the AG race. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:04 am: Everyone here seems to want to make a prediction now that the 800 pound gorilla has decided to stay in her cage. There shouldn’t be a surprise here, really. She has a young family and a father in the thick of battle. The timing isn’t right for her for many personal reasons. She can sit comfortably, just as Jesse White has, and watch the Illinois government meltdown from the front row and be glad they are not in the middle of it. In this rapidly changing situation, predicting who will be elected to which office is kinda crazy. Voters are furious and a furious voter base will make or break the best politicians on a whim. What can be safely said today, is that since the Illinois Democrats have all the statewide seats and majorities in both houses, they have the most to lose as they continue to destroy Illinois and watch their former leaders arrested and brought to trial. - silly, silly, just silly - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:05 am: She’s smart. Who wants to walk into the huge mess that our state is in? I think she wants the governor’s seat, not DC. It will be interesting to watch MJM in the next cycle. Maybe by the time Lisa is ready to run, Mike will be ready to step aside. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:08 am: Good plan, Lisa. I think there is something in the air or water at the governor’s office which makes you crazy. It must be Chicago, the previous never spent any time in Springfield - Six Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:09 am: Cranial: (Foghorn Leghorn on) “That’s a joke, son!” (Foghorn Leghorn off) - Quinn T, Sential - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:12 am: UPDATE: Springfield Police performing a “well being” check at the Miller residence indicated that there was no response at the door. They have issued an APB for WONKISH in order to bring him in for questioning. Sources familiar with the investigation say that it appears as though there may have been both opportunity and motive; and now the only question is whether a crime has been committed. Investigators have speculated that there is no way that Miller would voluntarily part with the keys to the Kingdom, and are concerned that there may be foul play involved. - OneMan - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:13 am: She wouldn’t have been the first governor to have a young family… Here is a question Is this proof that Rod succeeded in damaging ‘Brand Madigan’? - hmmm - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:14 am: I think I just heard a loud “YES!” come from the 2nd floor. - Been There - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:14 am: Maybe she knew her father wasn’t going to retire and maybe she had a problem with both of them governing at the same time. Plus she is still young and if she wants the Senate, Durbin won’t be around forever (even though I wish he could be) and she can run for his seat. I think Hynes might be looking over his shoulder right now to see who else is running. I think he is in with both feet but if a black, hispanic or woman are in against two white irish males I am not so sure he is the front runner. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:16 am: When Brickhead …er Birkett announced for AG, and then praised Lisa for the work she did, Lisa just keeps showing how smart she really is. Birkett will be a 3-time statewide loser. And …why not run against Brickhead again … you know you have beaten him, and you are young, have young children, and Birkett will self-destruct, he can’t help it. - Hon. Cranial Lamb - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:18 am: Six: my bad Who thinks Birkett had an “oh s**t” moment this morning ? - silly, silly, just silly - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:19 am: I’m actually beginning to worry about Rich. - hv in hp - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:19 am: Is it possible that MJM made her stay put? If she had run for Gov, all signs indicate that MJM would have to step down as Speaker because public opinion wouldn’t approve of 2 Madigans at the top. He’s not ready to give it up. - lake county democrat - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:19 am: Come on people, there’s more smoke here than in Wasilla, Alaska — people who wouldn’t believe Sarah Palin for an instant think that Lisa Madigan who HERSELF has indicated interest in both races suddenly drops out because she likes her present job/wants more time with her family/etc.? - wordslinger - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:20 am: –Is this proof that Rod succeeded in damaging ‘Brand Madigan’?– Her numbers were through the roof. No one in either party wanted to run against her for any office. –Plus she is still young and if she wants the Senate, Durbin won’t be around forever…– You really can’t think that way. The choices and opportunities may never come again. If she wanted to be either governor or senator, this was the time to jump. - Hon. Cranial Lamb - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:20 am: No HV in HP, that’s not possible. He may have said to her “Are you sure you want to get involved in this mess?” but I don’t think he put his personal interests before hers. - E Pluribus - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:22 am: This solves a lot for the GOP too. Kirk will undoubtedly follow his first choice and run for Senate. Kirk starts out a favorite over Alexi, Kennedy or Jackson. Quinn or Hynes (while both good men) are definately beatable by a Repub with a few lucky breaks. While Lisa made a good decision for her it also is a big boost for the GOP. - Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:25 am: HV in HP, There were ZERO indications MJM would have stepped down. But it is a moot point now. He can sidestep that issue for another four years. - ZC - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:27 am: Wow. Didn’t see that one coming. Now to make more wrong predictions: Alexi runs for Senate, on schedule, and wins. Dan Hynes steps up to the governor’s race vs. Quinn and wins. A whole bunch of Democrats who were interested in AG reconsider the wonderful merits of the Comptroller or Treasurer’s office. - doc - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:27 am: She seems to be the smartest of the lot in Illinois. OK, so that could be taken as damning with faint praise. She seems to be fairly smart. Who wants to go to that kind of work and abuse just to be named captain of the Titanic after it has hit the iceberg. In order to save the state, unpopular decisions will ave to made, adopted, implemented and stuck to. The ‘bread and circuses’ electorate will never stand for that. - Conservative Republican - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:30 am: Good example of liberal hypocrisy here: Palin quits: she’s a coward and a loser Lisa Madigan wimps out on higher office run: she is “wise” and a “gift” to the people of Illinois in deciding to continue as a “wonderful Attorney General” - fed up - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:35 am: Wow. This does help the GOP except for poor Birkett. It still sets up some interesting races for the dems Alexi v kennedy, Quinn v Hynes,. Solid but unspectacular is a good description of her work. This lets her not have to take a stand on any of the important issues facing the state right now and she will still be a strong canadate in 2014. I think this also means dig daddy mike is going to slam through the tax hike now, that lisa wont have to face any baklash. - L.S. - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:38 am: –Is this proof that Rod succeeded in damaging ‘Brand Madigan’?– Uhhh, NO. She still has the same approval rating. She just decided not to take the leap this time. Nothing about the her is damaged and Blago never made a dent. If anything, the brand being cast as the anti-Blago over the past few years helped. - Team Sleep - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:38 am: Mark Kirk will probably run for governor now, although he is SORELY needed to jump into the Senate fray. Illinois would benefit from a moderate Republican in Obama’s old seat. - Chris Robling - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:38 am: the ag is happy. her dad probably isn’t too. pat quinn is harried/distracted. rich daley is relieved. alexi is elated. roland is joyous. joe birkett may think he is hexed. dan hynes has a new spring in his step. rahm and david think they did their duty to the mayor of the free world. obama probably resents their wasting time, not LM’s choice. m. kirk decides. chris kennedy calls his fundraisers back and says, “proceed.” tom dart wonders about the toddster. kirk d., bob s, bill b., dan p., adam a., matt m. all know it’s for real. yet another illinois morning - the Patriot - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:38 am: What gamesmanship. Daddy preserves the legacy 4 more years. Birkett needs to take the gloves off and expose Lisa’s incompetence. If you analyze how her deparment is being run is it horrible. Her employees hold the party line but they are not happy. If you annalyze her legal opinions on major issues, she has all of the legal skills of a first semester law student. Time to move on Lisa, no more free passes. I mentioned that Quinn shouuld pressure Madigan on the balanced budget provision in the constitution. Birkett needs hammer her to force compliance with the Constitution for a balanced budget. - Keep Smiling - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:39 am: Maybe Obama requested a “meeting” with Rich Miller this morning. - Will County Woman - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:40 am: now what, joe birkett? If only you had waited a week you wouldn’t have jumped in to run for AG? Paging Dan Hynes…Paging Dan Hynes…please run for governor. If Illinois is lucky it will be a Pat Quinn vs. Dan Hynes primary. - the Patriot - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:43 am: Waiting on Rich’s post on the other shoe. Mike Madigan does not give up anyting for free. This is a big deal for Quinn who now is in the middle of a tight pack for the D nomination. What does Quinn give up to get Lisa out of the picture? I expect Quinn to flip and give master Mike the budget he wants. What is the other shoe in this deal? - Team Sleep - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:44 am: I also think the other domino to fall - and I’m sorry if this was written earlier - is that Alexi’s step up to the Senate race will give Dan Rutherford an easier chance at capturing the Treasurer’s office. While Robin Kelly is quite capable and has built inroads during her time with the office, Senator Rutherford is a prolific fundraiser and very capable campaigner. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:54 am: I think this is the right move, although I think she would have made a terrific Gov. The DC braintrust has some egg on their face, no? Even though the WH wasn’t publically supporting her, certain folks there almost certainly were (Rahm & others). Plus Durbin and the DSCC crowd. Bad move on their part. They should have made fairly certain she would run before getting so far out there. Bad political judgement. - N'ville - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:54 am: In January of 2011 we’ll all be saying: Senator Giannoulias Governor Brady Lieutenant Governor Dillard Attorney General Madigan Secretary of State White Comptroller Hynes Treasurer Rutherford Cook County Board President Murphy President Cullerton Speaker Cross - Six Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:56 am: Amusing bit from the Trib: “I look forward to having Lisa Madigan as attorney general when I’m the governor.” - (Kirk Dillard) “Dillard clearly forgot about his own party’s announced candidate for attorney general: DuPage County State’s Atty. Joe Birkett.” - George - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:56 am: Governor Brady - quite hilarious. Sadly, no. - 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:58 am: I guess “N’ville” is short for Not Bloody Likely Ville. You must live in a parallel universe my friend. Wishing and predicting are not the same thing. - CircularFiringSquad - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:58 am: All the bright lites will be clucking about the presser, but here is tidbit do some damage to one statewide candidate and a figure generally known in this space as the beloved former DepGovHeadBump. Management Audit of $1 Million Grant to Loop Lab School Summary Report Digest - PDF Summary Report Digest* Full Report - Forget Dan Hynes - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:00 pm: Dan Hynes has done nothing in multiple terms as state comptroller. On top of that he comes from one of “those” families. He may think its his destiny but the man has no elect ability outside of his daddy’s connections. Watch some of our cook-county board president candidates to switch over. Or, frankly, look for Pat Quinn to push everyone out of the way. Dan Hynes for Lt. Governor, maybe. Dan Hynes for Governor? Absolutely not. - Rob_N - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:01 pm: All, this wouldn’t be the first time Lynn Sweet jumped to the front of the line with Senate race “news” only to have to walk it back a few hours later. It was just a few weeks ago that she reported that Kirk was definitely in the Senate race. I’d wait for direct confirmation from several sources. —– Southside claims, “She was actively involved with numerous bills in the House when Blago was in office”. Huh? You mean when Blago was a state legislator too? That’s a reach. She was in the Illinois Senate from 1999-2003 while Blago was in the Illinois House from 1992-1996. —– E Pluribus says, “Kirk starts out a favorite over Alexi, Kennedy or Jackson.” Really? The most recent I can find is a stale PPP poll (PDF), from end of April, but it had Kirk only tied with Giannoulias at 35 pts each. That’s still a lot of undecideds in a blue state… and the poll indicated a lot of the undecideds were Dems. In that poll, Kirk did best against Burris who is likely to be knocked out in the primary and Schakowsky who isn’t running (but even that match-up was darn close). L. Madigan creamed him. Kennedy and Jackson weren’t polled. - Obamarama - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:01 pm: ===Cook County Board President Murphy=== I respectfully think a catastrophic series of events would have to take place within the Cook Democratic Organization for this to even be feasible. If Dorothy Brown can get her act together she can blow Murphy right out of the water. - photo finish? - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:04 pm: WaPo posted this news pretty early…not sure if they beat Sweet or not (WaPo’s timestamp is 20 minutes prior to LS’s current 9:38 CT posting time). http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/senate/madigan-declines-senate-gov-bi.html?hpid=news-col-blog - Ravenswood Right Winger - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:06 pm: Obamarama: you assume Brown wins the primary. Those cash money gifts will haunt our learned Cook County Circuit Court clerk. - dupage dan - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:06 pm: Remember that the trial of the century will be taking place during primary/election season. THe dems are saddled with one huge problem there. The GOP still has a clear shot at major Illinois offices with the possible exception of Sec’y of State and the AG’s office. Everything else is ripe for GOP plucking. Now if they can just get it together….. - Winner - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:07 pm: Chris Kennedy for Senate (or Congress?) - Rob_N - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:07 pm: Obamarama … If Dorothy Brown can even get the nomination out of the primary it’s a pretty safe bet the Trib will have a 9-month long series entitled “Dorothy Brown’s and the Smell of Corruption” … taking cash gifts from your civil servant employees, among other things, ain’t cool. - Steve - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:07 pm: Lisa Madigan doesn’t have to be for or against higher taxes. Plus, her dad gets to keep his job. I’m sure Rahm Emanuel isn’t too happy. She looked to be their strongest Senate candidate. - Niles Township - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:08 pm: Daley is quietly clearing the way for Preckwinkle (which is a bit unbelievable, but that’s what I’m hearing) - Anonymous45 - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:09 pm: Du Page Dan: Not bloody likely… - JonShibleyFan - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:10 pm: Team Sleep, I think this means there is almost NO chance Kirk will run for Gov. He’s not a Springfield guy - totally out of his element. Hard to say if he’ll actually stick his neck out, but if I were him, I’d be leaning heavily toward that Senate seat. N’Ville…nah, not worth it. Everyone knows that post is too silly to even be called wishful thinking. - Rob_N - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:10 pm: Clearly, I am not Ravenswood Right-Winger … but just as clearly the way Brown has run her current office is ripe for bombshells and Pulitzers. - Niles Township - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:10 pm: So if the White House wasn’t thrilled with Alexi as the leading Senate contender, then do they turn to Dan Hynes, or even Pat Quinn? - Illinois Eddie - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:11 pm: This is going to put Mark Kirk in a dither. - JonShibleyFan - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:11 pm: Dorothy Brown!? Come on… - Bill - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:11 pm: Been There, I think the Speaker has passed a resolution declaring that Quinn is NOT Irish. - Bill - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:14 pm: So when does the Quinn impeachment start? If no impeachment, does this mean that we will have to put up with another 5 years of budget crises while Dad tries to ruin anybody who is unfortunate enough to be governor? - Will County Woman - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:17 pm: Has anyone who has ever declared to run in a race rescinded the declaration? LOL. Birkett, a politician, could lie and say that he never said he intended to run for AG and that the media got him all wrong. - silly, silly, just silly - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:20 pm: What Murphy are we talking about for Cook County Board Pres? - Abe's Ghost - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:21 pm: This just in…dateline Costa Rica. A man resembling Rich Miller was seen exiting a plane that had originated from Illinois. It is believed that it left after a successful coup after Miller was awaken and taken in his night shirt and cap by forces loyal to Wonkish. Proclaiming a new Capital Wonk, Wonkish was condemned by newsrooms across the state which refused to provide copy to him. More details to be tweeted. - Levois - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:21 pm: So does this mean that this is why she wasn’t making much hay over this budget battle? - Obamarama - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:22 pm: Whoa whoa whoa. I was certainly not endorsing Dorothy. I’m saying even Dorothy is capable of beating Murphy. Easy, folks. - bored now - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:26 pm: Conservative Republican: the difference between sarah palin and lisa madigan is that lisa madigan isn’t quitting in the middle of her term, but running for re-election. more to the point, lisa madigan has long-term credibility (and popularity). sarah palin has neither. people who are advising her to strike while the iron is hot (and before republicans develop credible potential presidential candidates) have a point… - Supreme Madigan? - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:26 pm: what about LMad for the next opening on the Supreme Court? She has a true interest in the Court, and maybe that WH mtg also discussed a road less traveled… - Just sayin - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:27 pm: The best part is this means Joe Birkett is once again kept out of statewide contention. This makes him a three time loser. The guy should hang it up and go back to doing what he does in DuPage, getting his own guilty family members out of legal trouble while keeping innocent people on death row. - Amy - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:29 pm: what is Hamos to do now? - Flabbergasted - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:29 pm: Lisa’s kids are little. She’ll seek higher office when her kids are older. Now maybe her dad can quit stonewalling Quinn and the GA can get a move on. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:29 pm: That Palin comment was pretty weird, CR. Somebody resigns an office in midterm and you compare that to somebody running for reelection? Huh? - Wondering - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:30 pm: Just curious about the bloggers, pundits, ect.. that have been accussing the Speaker of digging ditiches for Quinn to help his daughter. Any retractions? How about apologies for being emotional knee jerks. - Leroy - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:32 pm: Hey Rich, did you hear about Lisa for the first time from your own blog? That would be cool. - Rob_N - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:41 pm: Con Republican, had Lisa Madigan announced she was resigning right now to fight for the good people of Illinois by other means while also talking about things like foreign trade missions and magnets on her parent’s fridge and liberals praised her for making such a decision then you’d have a point. But c’mon, not even other conservatives agreed with Palin’s move. Fox News commenters were lambasting her over the weekend so it’s not like it was only liberals thinking it was weird. - OneMan - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:41 pm: CR That’s like saying it’s the same thing for me to go… Hey I will not try and swim across lake Michigan, start and need the coast guard to find me and rescue me as it would be for me to go.. Swim across Lake Michigan, nah I stick with the pool at the Y - L.S. - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:45 pm: N’ville - Tom Cross will pick up 12 seats without losing a single one, a white male republican will win the Cook County Board race and Brady and Dillard will team up and win…Are there unicorns where you live? - Will County Woman - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:45 pm: @ Flabbergasted - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:29 pm: and other who believe as you do… do you honestly think Mike Madigan just found out this morning like the rest of us that lisa intends to stay AG? Are you serious???? So, the claim that Mike Madigan was trying to hurt Quinn to make his daughter look good has no validity. hopefully you, others and particularly the chicago media can get off of this now. please. - Cheswick - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:48 pm: To be honest, I think this is best for all of us. As much as I like Lisa Madigan as Attorney General and public servant, and as much as I would support her in whatever she might do, I never could imagine what her governorship would look like with her father still heading up the House of Representatives. And, I just couldn’t see her devoting the time it would take away from her family to be in Washington, D.C. - CircularFiringSquad - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:51 pm: Dear Conservative Republican Reread the following and see if it helps you decide how truly dumb you might be Good example of liberal hypocrisy here: Palin quits: she’s a coward and a loser Lisa Madigan wimps out on higher office run: she is “wise” and a “gift” to the people of Illinois in deciding to continue as a “wonderful Attorney General” The operative word is Palin QUITS. walks out takes a hike, bails; the attorney general is RUNNING FOR REELECTION. Quit v. Relect Should be simple for most to decipher…unless you a blood relative of BrickheadJoe. QUIT means leave early, take a powder, exit stage right Starting to sink in CR? - AGforLife - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:52 pm: Lisa is the best AG we have ever had. I was so happy to hear about her decission to remain Attorney General for Life. Congrats Lisa Congrats. - Gob Bluth - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:53 pm: Quick reply from Kirk. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/ - Will County Woman - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:54 pm: funny how when it was blago, lisa was all for running for governor, without reservation or hesitation. i’m sure that she loved being AG all of those years, as Mary Morrisey points out. - lake county democrat - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:56 pm: Rich — it’s not THAT weird a comparison. Yes, Palin resigning mid-term is more striking, but remember that Madigan herself all but said she was going to run (when an AG says she’s interested in the Gov’s office and is leading in all polls…) and Obama himself was pushing her to run for senate. Yet many people just assumed that Palin was thisclose to being indicted while nobody even questions that there’s something in Madigan’s closet (and that could include Madigan Senior, who would come under even greater scrutiny if Madigan ran for Obama’s old seat). - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 12:58 pm: ===that Madigan herself all but said she was going to run === You got a link to that quote? - Shore - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 1:01 pm: politico is reporting Kirk is running for senate. which means on the 2 biggest stories, the chicago media was scooped. - Scooby - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 1:07 pm: Shore they weren’t scooped, they were busy covering Michael Jackson’s funeral. - nice kid - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 1:09 pm: Lake County, it is a truly absurd comparison. And, any speculation that Madigan has a skeleton that is about to emerge is equally unfounded. Such a skeleton could damage her AG bid just as easily as a Gov. bid. If she was walking away from office under a cloud of mystery with total uncertainty to what she was going to do, THEN you would have justifiable speculation regarding a skeleton, and you would have a better comparison. The original poster was comparing apples to artichokes. - Third Generation Chicago Native - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 1:14 pm: Not a bit surprized about Madigan, she has a nice campaign chest, lots of support, she’s the incumbant, why not? She will have more experience with another term to prove herself, should she go on to a higher office(assuming she is re-elected, but that looks like a slam dunk) Birkett has got to be a nervous wreck, the Chicago Democrats don’t like him at all. He will get the DuPage County vote, and the a good chunk of the downstate vote, but that won’t win him the AG. Quin must be relieved. He is still on the sympathy trail of how he is cleaning up a mess. (ya, like he had no hand in it what-so-ever cough,cough)But everytime you see him on the news he is doing the wo’ers me look at what mess I have to deal with, I am poor Gov Quinn who has to deal with this. As far as Toddler Stroger goes, Danny Davis jumping in the race must have him nervous. There are too many better choices for CC Pres. now. I wonder if Bill Beavers will get re-elected only to do a annoint his daughter Darcel his Cook County Comish post (kindof like he did his Alderman ward when he got Comish, you know the CC Comish post just like Bobbie Steele did for son Robert Steele (now in Mom’s Comish post) I don’t think Burris has a chance, any strong Democrat will blow him away in that race. - phocion - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 1:33 pm: Regular commenter here Carl Nyberg called Mark Kirk a coward because he was considering not giving up his safe seat for a Senate run. Would Carl Nyberg call Lisa M a “coward” because of this decision? I didn’t think so. Best not call out one side for something that happens on both sides of the aisle. And best wishes to our current and future AG…and her family, too. - Mighty M. Mouse - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 1:40 pm: === Will County Woman asks… …do you honestly think Mike Madigan just found out this morning like the rest of us that lisa intends to stay AG? Are you serious???? So, the claim that Mike Madigan was trying to hurt Quinn to make his daughter look good has no validity. hopefully you, others and particularly the chicago media can get off of this now. please.=== No, I don’t think the Speaker just found out this morning. I think MJM found out immediately, which would have probably been in the last 24-72 hours, because that’s how long it’s been since I think Lisa FINALLY made up her mind. And since I think Lisa decided in the last 24-72 hours, I think MJM could well have been withholding any “victories” from Gov. Quinn, at least until Lisa told him she had finally, positively and irrevocably made up her mind about what what she was going to do. - Dan Heff - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 1:45 pm: I hear Sheriff Tom Dart is planning to run against Gov. Quinn. Makes sense if Lisa Madigan is no longer running. - Call me Enola, cuz I'm dropping the bomb! - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 2:03 pm: Lisa Madigan will successfully serve as Attorney General for now, but will be our the first woman President of the United States. Though many posters here are shortsighted (Mayor Lisa? come on), Rahm Emmanuel is orchestrating for the long term. Lisa Madigan is proving that she is independent, principled, and strong-willed, that she will not be strong-armed by Daddy Madigan, Rahm Emmanuel, Barack Obama who all want to use her credibility and smarts. Unlike Palin, she is fully committed to a long term job at the AG office. Rock and roll, Lisa! - Rob_N - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 2:14 pm: Phocion, Got any links to what you’re talking about, specifically? IIRC some posters have alluded to the idea that Mark Kirk is a coward because he was waiting on Lisa Madigan rather than simply having the guts to declare for a race on his own gumption… and Rep. Kirk’s near-immediate call arounds today saying he’s in the Senate race now that Madigan officially is not illustrate that point. And that’s obviously different than simply implying he’s a coward because he wasn’t declaring for Senate and instead staying put in an incumbent House seat. But nice try at revising the past few weeks of easily verified history. And, to your reference of Carl Nyberg, a quick search (quick, not complete) couldn’t find any posts by Carl calling Kirk a coward though he did call him a “partisan hack” a month ago. Perhaps that is the thread of which your memories have grown fuzzy. - Hoosier Guy? - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 2:35 pm: Seems like a another well thought out decision by the AG. To me it is just a reaffirmation that she dictates her own agenda and doesn’t get sidetracked by the hype. I think others will see this too, and will respect this decision as one of many in her narrative of independence. - Niles Township - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 2:36 pm: I hear Sheriff Tom Dart is planning to run against Gov. Quinn. Makes sense if Lisa Madigan is no longer running. For as much as I have issues with Quinn, I just don’t see how Dart could do much damage to him in a primary. Also, I always thought Dart and Quinn were friendly over the years. - Amy - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 2:41 pm: Dart people, if tom dart is truly thinking about running for governor, please urge him to think again. dart and quinn were friendly over the years so dart’s weak points are not a mystery. - Rob_N - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 2:46 pm: Dart had been planning to run for Cook County President. This is the first I’m seeing talk of governor…. Somebody planting something? - Rob_N - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 2:49 pm: Excuse me, I shouldn’t say “planning” … more like “pondering” based on what I’ve read - Conservative Republican - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 3:53 pm: Lisa runs for reelection. On further thought, I think this is huge. Lisa and Daddy have concluded that 2010 ain’t gonna be much of a Democratic year. Better to hunker down and keeps your arms around the boodle you already have within your grasp. With this implicit concession, Republicans should take heart. - phocion - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 4:02 pm: Well, Rob N. On Monday, June 22 Nyberg was in his usual rare form in several comments bashing Kirk, as well as his military service. Here are some relevant highlights to support my contention about what Nyberg called Kirk: “…I think Kirk is a media creation who lacks principles, courage and knowledge of policy…” And “Kirk is afraid to run against Lisa Madigan.” So, Nyberg said Kirk lacks courage and that he is afraid. Sounds a lot like calling someone a coward to me. Next time, do your own research, and careful how you characterize things. I don’t lie about what other people say. - lake county democrat - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 4:45 pm: Rich — I think here’s one example: http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/05/lisa_madigan_and_senate_and_il.html When you say you’re considering one race but more focused on a second, that pretty much says you’re not interested in an unnamed third that nobody is even asking about. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 4:52 pm: lcd, every single conversation i’ve ever had with anyone in lmadigan’s office, including her, always included the major caveat that she could run for reelection. just because something isn’t mentioned in a story doesn’t mean it wasn’t discussed. - lake county democrat - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 4:52 pm: Leaving exact words aside, I think my point remains: Madigan has never discouraged the widespread assumption she was running for higher office — just traveling to D.C. and the talk with the White House belies such disinterest. Something, like with Palin, appears to have happened very quickly. - lake county democrat - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 4:53 pm: Rich — just saw your last post now on her comments from her office. Point taken. - Rob_N - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 6:04 pm: Phocion, I never said that Nyberg didn’t call him a coward, did I? Rather I included the caveat that my own search (ie, “research” as you call it) was quick and admitted it may not have been complete but, like you in your own research, I could not find an instance of Nyberg actually using the word “coward”. You’ve now provided a few quotes from Nyberg to the contrary which is appreciated. Moreover, I was pointing out that in general your first post on the topic (whining about people being mean to Mark Kirk) mentioned nothing of just why Nyberg and others were saying Kirk seemed to be displaying cowardice regarding the Senate race — chiefly that he would only run in that race if Lisa Madigan did not. Kirk’s direct actions literally minutes after the Madigan news broke this morning would appear to bolster the argument those earlier commenters, including Nyberg, were making. The implication is he may also feel he needs permission from Lisa Madigan before brushing his teeth for bed, etc… (Yes, that’s a joke!) What are you so worked up about? Despite your complaint I didn’t call you a liar. I pointed out the incompleteness of your curt complaint. (Working on my proftisms there) - Rob_N - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 6:08 pm: LCD, 2 points… 1. What you’re discussing re L Madigan’s decision could also be viewed as due diligence by some. That due diligence would naturally include conversations with those in power who may be able to help (or hinder) her in her decision. She was weighing all her options. 2. Palin has recently admitted that she was considering not running for re-election as early as last autumn (during her campaign for VP). That’s not exactly “very sudden”. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 6:36 pm: Don’t really understand the Lisa M. /Sarah P. comparisons. Lisa M. is serving out her term and running for re-election. Sarah P. is resigning and won’t run for a second term. Lisa M. is staying put. I suspect Sarah P is going to make a some big-time money and spend a lot of time in the Lower 48 pursuing her national ambitions, something that’s not very easy to do as the full-time governor of Alaska (it’s very far away). The one thing they might have in common is that there’s nothing sinister about either move. - Fed UP!!!!!!!!!! - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 6:43 pm: Good for Lisa! Glad to see that some politicians do what’s best for family and not just themselves! She’s a female though-so a little bit smarter! She does a great job and is needed in that position. Would have been a good governor-not put up with what’s going on right now-but can’t blame her for her decision. She’s thinking about family-WAY TO GO!!!!!!!!! - anon - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 7:46 pm: Great move for Lisa Madigan. She obviously keeps a job she enjoys. Three predictions…LM wins re-election. Pat Quinn easily beats Dan Hynes(IFDA Scandal), and MJM gains four House Seats and has a Super Majority. Call his troops “madagoons” but they will NOT be fighting 2 fronts–Dem House Candidates and a Lisa Madigan for Governor Campaign. Clearly the Best Political Operation in the state will be running on all cylinders. In a deep recession it does not appear this budget will have Incumbent Dem. State Reps. having voted for a huge tax increase. Oh…fourth prediction…Cross gone in 2010 as Republican Leader. - LynnS - Wednesday, Jul 8, 09 @ 11:24 pm: 3rd Gen. Chicago Native, Lots of folks downstate reading MotherTribune and using the interweb. The Nicarico case will be a huge millstone around Brickhead Joe’s neck. We may be hillbillies, but we tend to have issues with innocent people spending years on Death Row for murders they didn’t commit. - Bookworm - Thursday, Jul 9, 09 @ 7:00 am: I may be getting ahead of myself here, but I’m trying to figure out what this bodes for a possible budget/tax hike vote. On the one hand, now that Lisa is not running for governor, MJM no longer has an interest in making Quinn look bad. Therefore he may soon decide that letting his members vote for an income tax hike isn’t such a bad idea after all. On the other hand, now that Lisa isn’t running for governor, MJM doesn’t have as much motivation to help up the state’s fiscal mess before she takes office, and he also realizes Democratic candidates aren’t going to have her coattails to ride on. Therefore, he will be more determined than ever to prevent or postpone a tax hike vote. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.