40 Comments - the Patriot - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 8:55 am: Don’t forget, Lisa fought to steal union pensions. She is no friend of the union worker. She can’t run unless Mike retires. Neither one of them can risk being forced to operate under the scrutiny of an independent AG. What is going to happen if she is elected governor and the backlog of FOIA requests of people looking into her father suddenly gets opened? Mike is not going to take that risk. If Mike Loves Lisa more than himself, Obama puts her on the federal Bench. If not, she stays where she is. - Cassiopeia - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 8:57 am: Sometimes its not a conspiracy but a possibility. Thus it makes it seem like a plan. I actually think that there is no plan on either side and that everybody is just making it up as they go along. - Tommydanger - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 8:58 am: Would have loved to read the WSJ editorial, but you have to subscribe to read it. Oh well. What union bill? - Under Further Review - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 9:03 am: I really believe Michael Madigan had been grooming Lisa Madigan for higher office for many years. He has been guiding her career since she was placed in a sinecure position at the City Colleges and then launched into the State Senate and the Attorney General’s office. A lack of experience or qualifications was not an impediment. Events have frustrated the master plan. Caution dictated that Lisa pass on seeking higher office during the 2010 and 2014 elections. In effect, the mismanagement of state finances and the poor economic climate that the Speaker helped to produce may have caused Lisa to remain as AG. I do not know if circumstances will permit Lisa to make a gubernatorial bid in the near future or not. The will she or won’t she act is like the speculation and waiting for Neil Hartigan to declare for governor thirty years ago. - LizPhairTax - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 9:04 am: WSJ sniffed it out. I’m pretty sure the plan has always been to wait for the opponent with unlimited money before giving it a go. Both sides, people who want Lisa to run and people who don’t, are like sad little kids waiting on the porch for their dad to pick them up for baseball practice even though it is long after dark. Every time there is a hint of headlights on the street they pop up and run to the curb. - Anon. - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 9:04 am: And I’ll believe it when I see it on CapFax. - Nick Name - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 9:13 am: Subhead: “Democrats pass a bill that applies only to the current reform Governor.” Yes, shame on the Dems and AFSCME for trying to forestall a work stoppage, via either a lockout or a walkout. - phocion - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 9:13 am: Come to think of it, maybe Rauner’s plan all along is to bruise the father so much in order to take the daughter out of contention in a potential 2018 run. Then again, my tin foil hat hasn’t been working so well lately. - Arsenal - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 9:18 am: ==Come to think of it, maybe Rauner’s plan all along is to bruise the father so much in order to take the daughter out of contention in a potential 2018 run.== I doubt you could make the pops much more of a problem for her, if she decides to run. - A guy - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 9:23 am: Maybe there’s another daughter out there we don’t know about. - Bigtwich - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 9:29 am: Lisa Madigan is a tremendously impressive person. She is in charge of her own life. She also happens to be a very nice person. If she ever decides she wants to run for governor I would be happy to vote for her. - Anon - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 9:33 am: The media hypes this up way more than she does. She gave serious consideration at a run for governor last time but didn’t do it when her dad wouldn’t step aside. She’s not pushing this story now. - Anono - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 9:34 am: Where do I sign up to be a campaign volunteer?? - Team Sleep - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 9:34 am: There will be a groundswell of anti-Rauner sentiment in 2017 and 2018. That much is true. We can see and fell it now. But who is going to run against a man that can drop $50 to $100 million on a reelection bid? I think that is a serious question that must be considered. At this point, Lisa’s better option may be the U.S. Senate. Senator Durbin is planning on retiring after this term. Now that Congressman Schock is out of the picture, the most likely contender for that seat on the GOP side would be Congressman Kinzinger. But would he even run given that he has replaced Congressman Schock on the ladder to leadership? Maybe not. Just from a parental perspective, her kids would be old enough in 2019 for a Senator Lisa Madigan to transition more smoothly to the role of the junior Senator from Illinois. Just a thought. - PublicServant - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 9:36 am: Wait, isn’t Rauner shooting for the national stage before then? Who says he’s running for governor in 2018 lol. Talk about jumping the gun here WSJ! - Tough Guy - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 9:45 am: I genuinely don’t think she is interested in the governor’s office. It is an office with a lot of day to day headaches and given the current financial contracts, you don’t have the opportunity to move the State forward in terms of education or infrastructure improvements. It can be a very unpopular office to hold. Having said that I think she would be a good governor but just isn’t interested in it. I think she would be more interested in a Supreme Court position or Durbin’s US Senate seat if this is his last term. - Streator Curmudgeon - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 9:47 am: I doubt that it matters to Illinois voters, but as much as I like Lisa Madigan, I wouldn’t vote for her as governor while her father was Speaker of the House. Too much power in one family. A more likely scenario would be to run her against Mark Kirk at some point in the future. If she is elected to the U.S. Senate, who knows how far she could go? - VanillaMan - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 9:51 am: Speculating about Lisa Madigan requires that you don’t know her or her father. And a whole lot of cynicism. The WSJ opinion piece is full of it. - Wordslinger - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 9:53 am: UFR, if you’ll recall, there was a little dustup between Lisa Madigan and Mike Madigan regarding the 2014 governor’s race. Was that part of master plan, too? koo-koo. The WSJ news pages are still some of the best in the country, as they generally focus on facts and money, and not on personalities, Their editorial pages, though, have been loopy forever. Like the Tribbies, they’re malignantly ignorant. - A Jack - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 10:00 am: One thing for certain, this fight with Rauner is greatly improving the Madigan brand among labor and that will give Lisa a boost regardless of what she decided to do. It’s a father’s job to be an enabler for his child regardless of the path the child takes. I think Mr. Madigan is doing a good job of being an enabler for his daughter. - Obamas Puppy - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 10:02 am: zzzzzzzzzzzzz boring - Jonah - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 10:10 am: Lisa Madigan is a lightweight. She has no charisma. Prosecuting the ills of Baby Buggies, while giving her Father and his cronies a pass, paints her as a do nothing. - Jonah - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 10:12 am: 13 years as State Attorney General, with no major accomplishments. State Supreme Court jilted her on the Pension deal also. - Grandson of Man - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 10:13 am: “Their editorial pages, though, have been loopy forever. Like the Tribbies, they’re malignantly ignorant.” Methinks the WSJ plutocrats are upset that one of their own can’t just steamroll over unions. They can cry all they want and indulge in conspiracy theories, if it makes them feel better. AFSCME leaders do not want to harm recipients of state services because Rauner is shoving unacceptable contract proposals down their throats. Plus, there’s the PR aspect, which says to Illinois residents that union members don’t want to harm the state because of bitter contract fights. The thing I’m waiting to see is whether Rauner’s likely veto can be overridden. The override would only need a few votes. Who will vote against Rauner with his nuclear silo of campaign cash pointed at them? - Jonah - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 10:21 am: Grandson, you make good points. But the voters of Deep Blue State Illinois, decided that IL had one of the worst state economies in the nation, after 12 years of one party Chicago Machine rule. Rauner has to play this game, the voters want it. They want him to expose Madigan, and his 30 years of Boss Tweed rule. - walker - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 10:28 am: ==A lack of experience or qualifications was not an impediment.== UFR: Will you still be using this line if Lisa Madigan ever goes for higher office? She’s very smart, capable, and an independent thinker. I wouldn’t bank on her making that personal sacrifice. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 10:32 am: - Jonah - This isn’t dorm room; The congressional makeup of Illinois is 10 Dems, 8 Republicans in the US House and we split our Senators. Three of six statewides are Republicans. We aren’t “deep blue”. Ugh. The victimhood must be tiring. - walker - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 10:46 am: Johah: I hear you but think you might have Rauner’s strategy backwards. Turnaround is primary; Madigan and budget are secondary. Rauner wants the Turnaround Agenda items passed, and he will use whatever tools he has to get that done. Both the budget and anti-Madigan attacks are levers to move legislators and the public to support his objectives over the long term. Term limits, remapping, local tax freeze, tort reform, right to work, privatizing DCEO, prevailing wage relief, et al are his objectives. - The Captain - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 10:51 am: Lacking the Governor’s office, lacking a functioning state party and lacking a Democratic gubernatorial candidate/nominee in waiting you would have to charitably describe the Democrats response to the Rauner administration somewhere between nonexistent and ineffective. If Lisa Madigan or anyone else already had the 2018 Governor’s race on their radar and were interested/willing to step up now it would be a great help in the anything-is-better-than-nothing sort of way. Since no one is stepping up to fill the vacuum it’s hard to believe anyone, Lisa Madigan included, is strategizing much over 2018 yet. - Chicago Cynic - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 11:10 am: Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. Do people not remember the AG/Speaker kerfuffle leading up to her deciding not to run for gov. She wants to be gov. Her step-Dad is roadblock. If he’s still there, she’s probably not running in 2018. Since he’s immortal, I’m guessing she’s not running. - A Jack - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 11:22 am: Lisa has been a strong consumer advocate. If she decides to run, this will contrast nicely against big business Bruce. - AlabamaShake - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 11:32 am: **State Supreme Court jilted her on the Pension deal also.** The State Supreme Court jilted the General Assembly, not Lisa. Lisa had to defend the bill that passed. And that bill had no real chance. Now, you can argue that she could/should have said that it was unconstitutional, and she wouldn’t defend it. But that is a different argument. - Under Further Review - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 11:52 am: @Wordslinger: Thanks for the reminder. Could the 2014 kerfuffle have anything to do with the fact that the political and economic environment in Illinois are lousy? As “Tough Guy” aptly noted, the job of governor is nothing but a headache now. Things took a turn for the worse since 2002. If Lisa has future political ambitions there are better positions than Governor of Illinois. @Walker: Lisa Madigan has earned some credits since 2002. My remark about her lack of qualifications referred to her candidacy in the distant past, not today. - Anonin' - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 12:11 pm: We subscribe to WSJ save your dough. Funny part is TeamBungle could AV to extend to all governors forever and their problem is solved. Actually they hate unions( i.e. non boss/owners) so they would prefer an AV extend to elimination of minimum wage. BTW calling TeamBungle a “reform governor” is a jaw droppin’ hoot. Like callin’ Zell a crusadin’ publisher. - Anonymous - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 12:21 pm: ==Sometimes its not a conspiracy but a possibility== Bingo. The question you have to ask is whether or not you think Lisa Madigan is interested in being Governor. If she is, then this is her best opportunity in years. If not, then this is just entertainment. - Formerly Known As... - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 12:24 pm: If you think Lisa Madigan is interested in being Governor, then this is her best chance in years. If not, then this is just entertaining. - Formerly Known As... - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 12:25 pm: Sorry, 12:21 was me. I don’t know what happened there. - MrJM - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 1:25 pm: As always, denials are merely additional evidence to those who believe in conspiracies. – MrJM - RNUG - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 2:31 pm: == Both the budget and anti-Madigan attacks are levers to move legislators and the public to support his objectives over the long term. == All Rauner is doing is moving me from the GOP / Independent camp to the Dem camp. - Orville Hodge - Monday, Jun 22, 15 @ 7:13 pm: Them that know aren’t talking. Them that don’t know are. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.