* I had heard this, but wasn’t able to confirm it last week, but Michael Sneed ran it…

Contrasting styles: Dem Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan spent the afternoon fielding the phones on Election Day in his 13th ward office . . . while Illinois House GOP leader Tom Cross played golf at Medinah Country Club in the northwest suburbs.

* And my syndicated newspaper column takes a look at a particularly sticky wicket…

Without a doubt, the worst place to be right now in Illinois politics is the state’s House Republican caucus. Their leader Tom Cross went “all in” this year against House Speaker Michael Madigan and came up way short.

There were the innumerable planted newspaper stories about Madigan, including, for instance, how he apparently picked his own Republican challenger. The Republicans then staged a downtown Chicago “fundraiser” for Madigan’s invisible opponent.

Then there were the billboards along the Tollway ridiculing Madigan, which ginned up even more unflattering media coverage. Of course, there also were the countless mailers and TV ads claiming that Madigan was the real problem in Illinois.

That’s not to mention the hundreds of times Cross boldly predicted he would win the majority and finally put Madigan in his place. Madigan detested Cross before the election. It’s gone way beyond that now.

Maybe Cross truly believed he could take Madigan out. More likely, the boasting was a ruse to raise money from gullible rich Republican businessmen.

Maybe Cross figured that even if he didn’t win, Bill Brady surely would beat Gov. Pat Quinn, and then Cross would have someone to protect him and his members from Madigan’s retribution. A Brady win also would mean that Cross would have a chance at drawing the new legislative district map next year.

And maybe Cross concluded that even if he didn’t win and Brady lost, then at least Democratic Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Kilbride would lose his retention battle because out-of-state business groups were spending cash hand over fist against him. With Kilbride out, the court would at least temporarily lose its Democratic majority and might be frightened into going along with any Republican lawsuit against a Democratic district map.

Well, not only is Cross still in the minority, he won’t have a Republican governor to backstop him. And Chief Justice Kilbride won - big.

Most of Cross’ members are loyal, but they have to be worried about their future. Legislators, like most humans, are mainly concerned with self-preservation. But the Quinn/Kilbride wins mean that Speaker Madigan will draw the new district map. And the power of the map means that some of those Republicans won’t be coming back in two years. One time-tested map trick is to draw two or more “enemies” into the same district. In other words, the Republicans need to hope that the housing market improves soon because some of them will have to find new digs.

The remap always hovers above everything in Springfield. During the last redistricting process in 2001, several state senators were in the secure computer room on Sept. 11. Planes were crashing, buildings were falling, but they were checking on their boundaries. That’s how important this is to them.

It’s no secret that Madigan is not the forgive and forget type. And he’s not above using something as important as the map to “urge” compliance with his wishes. There are a whole lot of crucial votes coming up during the next several months as the General Assembly attempts to dig the state out of this massive hole.

The Republicans have spent the past three years in open, hostile opposition to Madigan, with the situation degrading sharply over the past year or so. Many of those members are trying to figure out how they can best navigate the next couple of years and preserve themselves in the process.

It’s not that simple, though. Even if some of Cross’ members bow down to His Royal Highness in exchange for map crumbs, they have another, perhaps even more serious problem to ponder.

Several House Republicans have state facilities in their districts, so they naturally are more amenable to “revenue enhancements.” Others, particularly in the suburbs, have long been allies of the teachers unions. But many of those same members surely are worried what could happen to them if they vote with the Democrats. Forget Cross. I’m talking about the tea partiers.

Just look at what the tea partiers did to established Republicans in primaries all over the country this year. In Delaware, they beat the most respected Republican in the state with a bizarre candidate who eventually had to run TV ads assuring voters she wasn’t a witch. No way does Harry Reid go back to the U.S. Senate if Nevada Republicans had nominated their sane primary candidate.

Illinois’ next primary will be held in a little over 17 months. Whatever the Republicans do next year still will be fresh in angry voters’ minds.

I just wouldn’t want to be in their shoes right now.

* Related…

* Despite big wins, Illinois GOP fell short Tuesday: “The Democrats will be in the catbird seat,” said Christopher Mooney, professor of political studies with the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois Springfield. “There’s nothing more important politically in a decade than redistricting. It’s the most political activity that a state does. It has huge implications for policy… This will be the first time under this constitution that a single party has controlled it,” Mooney said. “There’s no hat-pulling, there’s no long, drawn-out process.”

* Despite GOP wins, Democrats still control much of Illinois government: “I woke up the morning after and I thought, ‘Nothing’s different,’” said state Sen. Dave Luechtefeld, R-Okawville. “The same people are running the place.”

* Journal-Courier: Same old same old

* House Speaker Mike Madigan has work to do: Madigan’s critics — including some quiet ones in his own party — have long argued that politics and power, not policy, consume the speaker. But policy is what we’re desperate for in this economically depressed state. Bipartisan compromise and consensus would be a welcome relief. There is no one more knowledgeable or better positioned to achieve any of this than Mike Madigan.

* Lawmakers expected to consider drastically expanding gambling: State Sen. Terry Link (D-Vernon Hills) said he’s proposing a measure this week that would allow four new casinos - one in Chicago, another in an undetermined south suburban location, one in north suburban Park City and a fourth in downstate Danville. Advocates of expanded gambling haven’t confirmed where in the south suburbs a casino would be located, but opponents of the plan say Ford Heights is a likely target.

* Horse tracks hope to hit on slots: A plan that would allow slot machines at six Illinois racetracks is expected to be introduced in Springfield this week by Sen. Terry Link (D-Vernon Hills) as part of a gambling expansion package.

* State lawmakers weigh more gambling ahead of veto session

* Lawmaker: Gambling Expansion A Good Bet

* BGA To Lawmakers: Use Caution On Gambling

* Gov. Quinn: Put state income tax hike first

* Quinn: Election win ‘mandate’ for tax hike

* Gov. Pat Quinn’s mandate equals higher taxes in Illinois

* PJ Star: A ‘mandate’ for Gov. Quinn? Hardly

* Northwest Herald: No mandate on tax hike

* Sun-Times: Police, fire pensions need legislative 911

* llinois: We’ll take Wisconsin’s $810M in stimulus money