* For a moment, I thought I was reading the Tribune editorial page. But, no, it was just the Republican state convention…
“We are under the thumb of a controlling, vindictive, ethically challenged, self-serving leprechaun, and I mean no disrespect to leprechauns, Speaker Mike Madigan. He has spent the last 40 years in Springfield, making himself rich, trading on his position of trust,” said Illinois GOP Chairman Pat Brady, likening the state to a “Third-World republic like Venezuela.”
Brady went so far as to tell delegates that Madigan is the chief political pressure point for Republicans. He said that when supporters greet prospective voters, “You have to tell them that any vote for any Democrat in this state … is a vote for Mike Madigan, and that’s the message we have to drive home in the next 150 days.”
Still, Brady noted that Republicans have “gotten our brains knocked in at the polls” in recent years because the GOP lacks the army of Democratic ground troops built in Chicago and doesn’t have the support of organized labor.
Illinois House GOP leader Tom Cross said Madigan, a Southwest Side Democrat, “has his fingerprints on every problem we have with respect to our pension problems.” Lawmakers left Springfield last month without addressing the state’s $83 billion unfunded public employee pension liability.
* Actually, the Tribune was a bit more high-minded in its latest criticisms. No “leprechauns” here…
Is there a smoking gun in this crime scene, a small-caliber pocket pistol with a hot barrel? Of course not. Madigan is much too clever for that.
But what cannot be ignored is this implicit fact: The confluence of Madigan’s roles does not allow for clean lines. To suggest otherwise is pure fantasy. Watch the lobbyists, lawyers and consultants swing through the House speaker’s office door on any session day, many of whom hire his law firm to fight their property tax assessments or to provide “legal guidance.” You don’t need an ethics expert to deduce that something is very wrong in Illinois.
Legislative leaders who have private business interests should be required to disclose far more information about their moonlighting, so voters can judge what’s a conflict. (Senate President John Cullerton and House Republican leader Tom Cross have law practices, too. Senate GOP leader Christine Radogno does not.)
We could start with a list of clients and the nature of the business relationship — why firms are being hired. Voters deserve to know how much the firms are paid. Other outside sources of income should be fully disclosed, including investments and tax returns.
City of Chicago workers who earn more than $80,700 a year are required to list real estate investments, spousal relationships that overlap with city business and capital gains. The disclosure requirements for everyday city workers far exceed those of the state’s most powerful politicians. That’s absurd.
Thoughts?
- Shore - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 10:34 am:
reminds me of democrats during the bush years sitting around saying the guy sucks over and over and over again and if only the electorate just “got it”, things would be better. Here’s a tip, spend the energy trying to figure out how to win.
- Steve Bartin - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 10:34 am:
Mike Madigan is a genius in making money from the political system. He more than anyone else is a beneficiary of big, activist government.
- Spliff - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 10:42 am:
I miss the race baiting years of the state Republican party when Emil Jones was to blame for everything.
- Boone Logan Square - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 10:49 am:
“For a moment, I thought I was reading the Tribune editorial page. But, no, it was just the Republican state convention”
You say McKenna, I say McCormick…
Let’s call the whole thing off.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 10:54 am:
Welp, the GOP just lost the Leprechaun vote, even with the disclaimer.
Brady loves a biting statement, but Brady and the GOP have no teeth in their actions and words.
Further …
==Still, Brady noted that Republicans have “gotten our brains knocked in at the polls” in recent years because the GOP lacks the army of Democratic ground troops built in Chicago and doesn’t have the support of organized labor.===
This is called a “built-in excuse” …
You are having a Convention, and yet the ILGOP neglects to take action to bring those “delegates” en mass to walk the precincts and organize a statewide field operation that focuses on getting “boots on the ground”.
When you lose by less than 2 votes a precinct in statewide races, that is a field operations misfire.
You can’t find 2 votes…anywhere?
If you have precincts voting 95% and you lose by 2 votes, that is far more acceptable than (and I am being ‘polite’) 55% in total tunrout and lose by 2 votes a precinct.
That means in the 44% not voting, you couldn’t “find” 2 votes.
“Can’t be found” …
Chairman Brady, stop yapping about your excuses, and find those 2-4 votes per precinct. Find them. They are out there. Even in Chicago and Cook County.
Make a committment, back it up with actions, and leave the excuses of why the ILDEMs get it done and the ILGOP is inept.
Leprechaun? Really? You are the Chairman of the ILGOP, let someone else go low brow. That is a bit classless for the ILGOP Chairman. What are you going to say about Madigan next, MJM has a bad haircut and wears dress socks with sandals when mowing the lawn?
If you ignore the field operations … again, … you will find more Leprechauns knocking on doors against YOU, instead of hiding their Lucky Charms.
- maddem - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 10:56 am:
Any vote for any Republican in this state is a vote for Grover Norquist.
- J - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 10:58 am:
Let’s make one thing clear, if Mike Madigan were a leprechaun Republicans might have an excuse for losing election after election.
If Mike Madigan is a leprechaun, what does that make Brady?
- Dirt Digger - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 10:58 am:
Pat Brady’s point appears to be that if we don’t vote Republican then Madigan will keep hurting the feelings of Republican state legislators.
There is nothing factually incorrect about that.
- CircularFiringSquad - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 11:00 am:
Best part about Tribbie decision to run the GOPPer press release was to read the comment section which was largely a bash session over Gags Brady and his “record” losing to PQ, losing on remap, showcasing DeadBeatJoe Walsh…truly great. Meanwhile he offers no real alternative to the Speaker
And of course the Tribbie stories confirm no conflict, special or improper treatment or use of taxpayer staff for politics
- Jake From Elwood - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 11:00 am:
Irish lore says that if you capture a leprechaun, he will be forced to grant you three wishes.
One wonders what Pat Brady would wish for if he caught the leprechaun by the toe.
- Esquire - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 11:03 am:
If Madigan is a leprechaun, what does that make Pat Brady and Pat Quinn? Gassoons (kids) or omadhauns (idiots)?
My Gaelic is rusty.
- AlphaBettor - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 11:10 am:
Isn’t that an ethnic slur?
- wordslinger - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 11:11 am:
Geez, you’d think the state GOP would be able to beat a guy like that.
It’s not like the City of Chicago is a monolithic unit and, in fact, it’s only about 20% of the state population.
How come the GOP, with the state’s biggest media concern behind it, can’t beat this guy and those other “nasty” Chicago Democrats?
They should talk it over on the 19th hole.
- Secret Square - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 11:14 am:
Sounds more like a description of the character played by Warwick Davis in the “Leprechaun” movies
- amalia - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 11:23 am:
Leprechaun, seriously? offensive.
- I'm Just Saying - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 11:30 am:
Esquire, I believe the correct Term would be Eejits
- RNUG - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 11:30 am:
Rank and file state employees have to file more disclosure and ethics statements …
- Palos Park Bob - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 11:33 am:
=That means in the 44% not voting, you couldn’t “find” 2 votes=
You’re absolutely right, Oswego, and it APPEARS that the RNC is doing something about this because holding on to the Congressional seats they picked up in 2010 is crucial to keeping the House GOP in charge. They’ve got a well funded “Illinois victory” campaign going on which will follow the model so successfully implemented in Wisconsin for Walker.
It consists of identifying those voters who will likely support you by phone, then following up to get them out to vote early, get them absentee ballots, and finally go door to door for these folks to ensure they’ll turn out on election day.
One of the reasons that the polling was so far off regarding Walker was that this system got the vote out for Walker in numbers usually reserved for Chicago payrollers. I also wouldn’t put much stock in those exit polls that said that voters were going for Walker but would still vote for Obama. Except for the contempt from voters for THIS recall debacle, they’re at opposite poles for policy. It wouldn’t make any sense to mix those two votes.
Of course, trying to inject logic into voter decisions is often a fools errand. I’ve seen too many times where voters reject a tax increase referendum, then vote for the Board members supporting the referendum over those who opposed it.
Go figure.
- JoeVerdeal - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 11:53 am:
I am (thankfully) not from Mr. Madigan’s home area….and so I must ask a fairly simple question: In view of the obviously corrupt nature of Speaker Madigan, who votes this guy into office????
Wouldn’t it be reasonable to believe that people should demand honesty from their elected officials???
- lincolnlover - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 12:05 pm:
Wordslinger - Are you sure about that “20%”? I know you are referring to the City, itself, but more than 50% live in the 5 county area of metro-Chicago. As for Mike being a leprechaun, take a close look - put a scruffy red chin-beard and a green belted hat on the guy and, voila!
- Cook County Commoner - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 12:23 pm:
Speaker Madigan is a distillation of the voter ignorance and apathy in Illinois. He is supported by his toadies in the GA because he helps them get re-elected. He operates pretty much in daylight. He’s a quintessential, modern day political boss, lacking the big belly and fat pinkie ring of past eras. He avoids the obvious traps, unlike our two former governors playing pinochle in the joint. And he hedged his bets by getting his daughter in as the Illinois Attorney General. I suspect the feds have a “hands off” order.
You really have to admire the guy as a consumate political animal.
The only weakness I see, and it’s a big one, is he doesn’t have the power to print money. And all the strategizing, manuevering and parliamentary tactics at his disposal cannot alter the fact that the state and many of its counties and other municipal entities are essentially broke, without reasonable expectation that bond buyers will remain compliant or that voters will gladly swallow more real estate and income taxes.
The Republicans are impotent, leaving only a palace coup by the lords under his protection driven by desparate pitchfork wielding peasants as a possibility for his abdication of the throne.
- Bill - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 12:23 pm:
==wears dress socks with sandals when mowing the lawn?==
Is that bad?
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 12:26 pm:
===I suspect the feds have a “hands off” order.===
Yeah, because Patrick Fitzgerald is such a wuss.
Please.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 12:30 pm:
–Wordslinger - Are you sure about that “20%”? I know you are referring to the City, itself, but more than 50% live in the 5 county area of metro-Chicago.–
Chicago population: 2.7 million
Illinois population: 12.9 million
Chicago population is 21% of the state.
Yet some way, some how, the Illinois GOP just can’t break the evil power of dem bad ol’ Chicago dems.
As far as the metro area, it’s hardly homogenous, but don’t give the Illinois GOP any ideas about writing off more areas of the state.
Fortunately, they’re too busy right now administering purity tests and keeping citizens from voting for state party leaders.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 12:37 pm:
–I suspect the feds have a “hands off” order.–
Absolutely. Obama and Fitz are the most likely of felonious obstruction of justice partners. And it serves both of their personal interests so well.
Why wouldn’t they risk their careers, reputations, positions in history and possibly their personal freedoms for Mike Madigan?
It all makes sense now!
It’s hot out, I know. Some folks need an ice pack on their fevered heads.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 1:08 pm:
===Still, Brady noted that Republicans have “gotten our brains knocked in at the polls” in recent years because the GOP lacks the army of Democratic ground troops built in Chicago and doesn’t have the support of organized labor.===
Or it could be because Republicans nominated one of their worst possible candidates for Governor last time around. Did Madigan force them to do that?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 1:27 pm:
===Or it could be because Republicans nominated one of their worst possible candidates for Governor last time around. Did Madigan force them to do that? ===
about 2 votes per precinct, statewide … and you call Bill Brady Governor, the “map” has to be a compromise map, and no exuces from Radogno or Cross.
Of course you need a Field Operation to get new votes, but I think the statement and my response makes us all digress …
- Anonymice - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 1:30 pm:
Whatever happened to “Speaker Madigan and his Republican allies in the house”?
- Jimbo - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 1:30 pm:
Iron Mike’s district is packed with government workers.You vote right,work hard for the party you’ll be taken care of.Very smart man and the Speaker even after he dies.Republicans developed the concept in Kankakee years ago,but it seems they forgot it and now they’re jealous.Create your own machine.Wha’d ya tink-Illinois is a democracy?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 1:32 pm:
=== ==wears dress socks with sandals when mowing the lawn?==
Is that bad? ===
You never know with Pat Brady …Dress socks and sandals aren’t a bad LOOK, but you need “the legs” and “the sandals” to pull it off, for sure.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 1:34 pm:
===How come the GOP, with the state’s biggest media concern behind it, can’t beat this guy and those other “nasty” Chicago Democrats?
They should talk it over on the 19th hole.===
ILHRO TO HAVE GOLF OUTING/GOTV STRATEGY MEETING, CROSS TO ATTEND
- Ononymous - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 1:46 pm:
Jimbo,
The majority of the people in MJM’s district are neither government workers and even fewer “work for the party”. He gets re-elected every time because of great constituent service and great field operations - Two things that the Republicans can learn a little something about.
- Siriusly - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 1:50 pm:
The ethnic / racial slur was totally offensive. Ethical conflict issues aside, the slur is awful. I hope the ADL or some Irish American heritage group pounces on Brady for that.
- mokenavince - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 2:10 pm:
Without the nod from Mike nothin happens.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 2:17 pm:
Is leprechaun considered an ethnic slur? I didn’t know. Somebody better tell Lucky Charms and Notre Dame.
I understand why the Frito Bandito had to go away. And Slowpoke Rodriguez, Speedy Gonzales’ stoner cousin. But let me ask you this:
How come Sugar Bear wears a sweater but no pants?
- hisgirlfriday - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 2:20 pm:
Leprechaun? Good grief.
Is Pat Brady chairman of the Republican Party or the Know-Nothing Party?
I also like how Pats yarn of MJMs total dominance the last 40 years being the cause of all that’s systemically wrong in this state forgets the first 30 years of nonstop republican governors and republican influence peddlers like cellini, kjellander, levine, etc
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 2:23 pm:
Maybe the real quuestion SHOULD be;
Mickey’s a mouse, Donald’s a duck, Pluto’s a dog. What’s Goofy?
The ILGOP? The GOP GA Leadership? … What’s Goofy?
- hisgirlfriday - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 2:24 pm:
Wordslinger, if he is using leprechaun as an insult (rather than compimenting his political skills as magically delicious or admiring his fighting spirit) I take that as an ethnic slur. Maybe not an egregious ethnic slur but definitely an unnecessary and undignified ethnic slur.
- CircularFiringSquad - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 2:33 pm:
Special guests at a Gags Brady post convention victory party were shown convincing evidence that Madigan directed Kimmie V, exMrs. Capt Kirk, to marry and then divorce CammandoMake It Up. A move that makes him both a job creator and home wrecker in one swoop.
- King Louis XVI - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 2:39 pm:
–“You have to tell them that any vote for any Democrat in this state … is a vote for Mike Madigan, and that’s the message we have to drive home in the next 150 days.”–
Nothing would please Democrats more than if the GOP were to retread a 25-year old line of attack to which a critical mass of swing voters in targeted districts are habitually stone-cold, deaf.
It has been the greatest waste of printed paper in the history of the world.
Just ask Speaker Cross.
- Lester Holt's Mustache - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 2:49 pm:
Or Speaker Daniels!
- soccermom - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 2:54 pm:
They say it like it’s a bad thing.
- Team Sleep - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 3:00 pm:
As someone who is half-Irish, I detest Irish-on-Irish crime.
All kidding aside - does Pat Brady realize how goofy he comes across? I guess that’s a by-product of having little to no staff and not listening to advisors and elected officials.
Madigan is very good at what he does. He has a system and it works. Unless Illinois voters demand term limits or Madigan decides to have a change of heart and retire graciously, he will hold onto the Speaker’s gavel as long as he pleases.
Pat Brady benefited from having a strong U.S. Senate candidate, a fantastic Victory program for the Congressional candidates and a good deal of RNC involvement in 2010. There’s something to be said for a strong state party having a well-known elected official or VERY prominent businessperson as the head of the party - even if that person is just a figurehead.
I say this nicely, but I hope Pat Brady is deposed or leaves before the 2012 cycle.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 3:06 pm:
In a nutshell …
HGOP - Blame Madigan in a huge, all-districs, Mail Program, along with Binders giving the “How To” to Field Operations, that will never be implemented. Convince Staff, “Volunteering”, that polling is not reflecting what is “really going on”, and “Keep at it!”, while the Minority Leader golfs on election day.
HDEMs - Crafted plan for EVERY seat, mixing in message mail for all contested races. Super-Seasoned staff that tell MJM and HDEM leadership what is going on in the district so changes can be made to get the Mushroom across the finish line, while Madigan is available on election day at the Ward Office. Nothing Cookie-Cutter, nothing to chance.
That is how Madigan gets it done, and why it works so well.
That Lucky Leprechaun!
- Coach - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 3:41 pm:
=== Is there a smoking gun in this crime scene, a small-caliber pocket pistol with a hot barrel? Of course not. Madigan is much too clever for that. ===
That sure sounds like an acknowledgement by the Tribune that there’s no hard evidence to support the notion that Madigan is deeply corrupt, which, of course, was the conclusion of its own fast and loose series last week.
So, the roundabout message from the Tribune is, “Madigan has masterfully co-opted the General Assembly, to the extent he even arranged a bipartisan and UNANIMOUS vote in the House, to benefit his law clients and financially enrich himself, but there’s no smoking gun to prove that since Madigan is so clever he wouldn’t leave one and we therefore couldn’t possibly find one. But, just trust us. We’re right and we know it.”
Amazing.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 3:51 pm:
===to the extent he even arranged a bipartisan and UNANIMOUS vote in the House===
But first he arranged for Rod Blagojevich’s administration to come up with the idea and a Hyde Park African-American liberal to sponsor the proposal in the Senate, which also unanimously approved the measure.
Pure, unadulterated evil genius.
- Demoralized - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 4:14 pm:
And Illinois Republicans wonder why they perform so pathetically in Illinois statewide elections. With a guy like Pat Brady heading your organization, how could you possibly fail? Instead of constantly making asinine statements like these all the time maybe he could do his actual job and work to get people elected. What a concept.
- Madison - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 5:36 pm:
When you GOPers field candidates like you do? This is not political rocket science. You created MM, and you empower him with every passing election by fielding tickets that cannot help but snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
- just sayin' - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 5:45 pm:
Pat Brady is such a crybaby.
When Repubs whine about Madigan it’s like when Cubs fans whine about the Cardinals being too successful.
Maybe get your own house in order Pat Brady instead of being bitter about the Dems being good at being Dems.
- Sam - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 7:18 pm:
The solution to all of this is to pay elected officials more, a lot more, like they do in Singapore which has very low levels of corruption.
With higher pay, we’d attract better, smarter people into politics than these clowns. Secondly, they would have much less incentive for corruption.
But as a people, we’re too dumb to realize that. We love the idea of paying elected officials very little and then wonder why they corruptly waste the public’s money for their own ends.
- reformer - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 7:21 pm:
It’s a whole lot easier bad-mouthing the Speaker at a GOP convention than it will be beating him under the new map.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 7:41 pm:
–With higher pay, we’d attract better, smarter people into politics than these clowns. Secondly, they would have much less incentive for corruption.–
Chicago aldermen are paid more than $100,000 a year and have no limits on outside employment or earnings. Since 1973, 31 aldermen have been convicted on federal corruption charges.
How’s your theory holding up?
- Anonymous - Monday, Jun 11, 12 @ 11:54 pm:
“Is that bad?”
Not when you do it, Bill.
- mark walker - Tuesday, Jun 12, 12 @ 9:18 am:
Still waiting for Brady to make a completely true public statement on any subject. He’s rare that way.
I can only report from the real world, in a competitive suburban district, that running against Mike Madigan specifically doesn’t work for Republicans. He’s the evil enemy only for a faction of the politically connected, not for most voters. Running for change, and a better future in Illinois will work.