Because… Madigan!
Thursday, Apr 14, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Speaker Madigan will appear at a fundraiser for Sangamon County Democrats on April 25. Bernie talked to Steve Brown and the county’s party chairman Doris Turner about the visit…
Brown said he didn’t want to single out any local races of interest to Madigan “because it might allow somebody to portray themselves as some kind of a victim. We don’t like to give them that advantage. There’s certainly a lot of competitive races around the state … especially given the fact that the governor seems to be pretty much of an anchor around the neck of most of the Republicans right now.”
Isn’t Madigan a similar anchor for Democrats?
“I’d say look at the results of the election and let us know how that worked out last election,” Brown said, apparently referring to races including [state Sen. Sam McCann’s] primary win [during which he was portrayed as “Madigan’s favorite senator] and the primary loss of state Rep. Ken Dunkin, D-Chicago, who sided with Rauner on some issues and criticized Madigan’s leadership.
I asked Turner if Madigan might hurt local candidates.
“I really don’t think so,” she said. “I think that in the current climate … his message is much more palatable to the average working people of the Democratic Party.”
* They gotta say what they gotta say, but the hard truth is that MJM is extremely unpopular in this state. Yes, some normally reform-minded liberal columnists have been praising him lately for standing up to Rauner, but out there in Voter Land, he ain’t exactly being hailed.
Along those lines…
* From the ILGOP…
Dear Friend,
Remember what Governor Rauner set out to do just over a year ago. Everywhere I go, people ask me to to tell the Governor not to back down, and believe me, he isn’t. Every day, he is fighting Mike Madigan and the politicians he controls to bring about much needed reform to a state government that is wildly out of balance.
Just yesterday, Governor Rauner met with Mike Madigan and leaders in the General Assembly to bring about a balanced budget, but Madigan said no to reform and yes to forcing a massive tax hike on working families here in Illinois.
Illinois’ debt grows every day, but Democrats in Springfield refuse to provide relief to Illinois taxpayers and refuse to live within their means.
Let Governor Rauner know, we believe as he does, that the path to saving our state starts with balancing our budget - not forcing a massive tax hike. The time is now to turnaround a state government that has been broken for decades.
But Governor Rauner can’t do it alone - your help is needed. Stand with him as he fights to end the status quo in Springfield. Can you give $25, $50, or $100 in the fight against Madigan and his Democrat allies?
Join the movement to bring back Illinois. Make sure the Governor knows that we don’t want him to back down. Your help is needed now. We don’t have much time before it’s too late.
For Illinois,
Tim Schneider
Chairman, Illinois Republican Party
They wouldn’t be using Madigan in a fundraising pitch if they thought it’d fail. Just sayin…
…Adding… Heh…
- A worker - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 12:17 pm:
And they have such a stellar record of getting it right.
- Carhartt Representative - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 12:17 pm:
Rauner’s people are beatable. For the state of the sake, I believe it needs to be done. However, he shouldn’t be underestimated. They made that mistake in Wisconsin.
- Steve - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 12:19 pm:
Madigan has enough people happy , in important positions, to be as popular as you need to be in the state of Illinois.
- Dale Cooper - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 12:19 pm:
Was that letter written by Rauner’s campaign?
- Annonin' - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 12:20 pm:
Nice try. Failed effort but nice try. BigBrain will appreciate your support.
The hustle from the CarwashKing was cute too
Did he get much of a haul? maybe he could takeover the warehouse payments for all of Pat Brady’s ‘Fire Madigan” stuff.
- Yeah And - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 12:26 pm:
Everywhere I go people tell me that Rauner’s plan does not explain deficit reduction or how in the heck it would be helpful to Illinois. I know plenty of Republicans just want him gone. Just sayin’
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 12:27 pm:
===Illinois’ debt grows every day, but Democrats in Springfield refuse to provide relief to Illinois taxpayers and refuse to live within their means.===
Fundraising on a tax relief message makes good sense if you believe your audience is so dumb they can’t grasp basic arithmetic. Granted, I’m not ruling that out, but wondering how gullible people have to be to believe more tax relief is needed after we cut the income tax last year.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 12:27 pm:
===Everywhere I go people tell me===
Wow, you’re a one-person polling outfit. Congrats! All those surveys are just nothin’ compared to your fabulous research.
Please.
- cdog - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 12:35 pm:
“met…to bring about a balanced budget, but Madigan said no to reform and yes to forcing a massive tax hike on working families here in Illinois.”
Rauner’s reforms will not pay this year’s bills. A fifth-grader could understand that.
“Illinois’ debt grows every day, but Democrats in Springfield refuse to provide relief to Illinois taxpayers and refuse to live within their means.”
Whose signin’ those vouchers and writin’ those checks to cover the agencies of the Executive?
This world jumble nonsense is offensive because of the intended deception that is crafted by it.
The ILGOP is once again proving that their MO and SOP is to manipulate the emotions of the less-informed citizens in the state.
- walker - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 12:36 pm:
Wishful whistling by both spokesmen.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 12:40 pm:
==We don’t have much time before it’s too late==
True. Unfortunately your advice to “not back down” will get us to too late. I have no idea who in their right mind thinks that it is good advice to tell the Governor (or anyone for that matter) to “hang in there.”
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 12:41 pm:
It’s good to know this summer I’ll have a strong market for my “Fire Madigan, 2.0″ athletic line…
This year I’m extremely pleased to announce Fanny Packs and Tank Tops will again be available, for a limited time, and the athletic line of “sandal length” socks and matching head and wristbands are a must for those hot lawn mowing days…
- walker - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 12:43 pm:
With both having such high negatives, Rauner and Madigan are both “He who should not be named” for their own local candidates.
- Arock - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 12:54 pm:
“how gullible people have to be to believe more tax relief is needed after we cut the income tax last year.” Still means it is an increase of 25% over what it was before it was raised 67% temporarily to pay off the backlog of bills. The tax was not cut, it was reduced to what the original bill stated.
- Ghost - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 12:56 pm:
yeah but the fundraising pitch is to the converted. preaching to the choir
- MSIX - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 1:00 pm:
“Massive tax increase…”
Um, define massive. Do you mean like, massive failure of our governor, or massive debt increase since The Bruce has been in office, or massive destruction of services and higher ed? That kind of massive?
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 1:04 pm:
===The tax was not cut, it was reduced to what the original bill stated.===
How much lower should the income tax rate fall to count as tax relief on your planet?
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 1:08 pm:
Rauner needs to broadcast to voters his many accomplisheds as governor.
It could be a Guiness Book of World Records for shortest broadcast.
- Sir Reel - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 1:12 pm:
The phrase “broken record” comes to mind.
As many have already noted, doesn’t apply to those who actually know State government.
- Albany Park Patriot - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 1:15 pm:
There’s only one elected official who is attacking unions and working to gut social service programs in Illinois.
- In a Minute - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 1:16 pm:
“normally reform-minded liberal columnists have been praising him lately for standing up to Rauner”
This hits the nail right on the head. On a day to day basis, the liberal members of the press are the most visible members of the Democratic coalition. They will occasionally bite the ankle of the powerful and corrupt elected members of that coalition for the dumb and venal things that they do like hiring mopes and family members and their own personal conflicts of interest. But in an existential fight between real and meaningful reform of government in Illinois embodied by Rauner and the entrenched Democratic coalition that is largely funded by taxpayer dollars, the media will always ultimately fall in line and be good team players.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 1:20 pm:
===But in an existential fight between real and meaningful reform of government in Illinois embodied by Rauner and the entrenched Democratic coalition that is largely funded by taxpayer dollars, the media will always ultimately fall in line and be good team players.===
Read the Trib Editorial Board, you’ll feel better, lol
- Johnny Pyle Driver - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 1:31 pm:
What makes up the “liberal” Illinois press? In my part of the state it’s a constant deluge of Illinois News Network articles copy pasted under the “News” headlines for mass consumption. I just don’t get the chance to read much “liberal” press
- In a Minute - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 1:36 pm:
I do read the Trib Ed Board. Then I read Eric Zorn and he is the prime example of what I just wrote. Zorn has a long history of writing about criminal justice issues with a personal angle to it (eg Rolando Cruz). Rauner is the first Governor to ever meaningfully address criminal justice reform and regularly act on clemency petitions and Zorn doesn’t even give that a mention. That is an example of being more loyal to your ideological coalition than your profession and craft.
On the budget, fiscal and revenue policy, and capital markets issues, Rauner is getting it right. Other states have adopted the reforms and proposals Rauner wants to enact and they have helped those estates recover while Illinois lags behind. The media in Illinois has failed to be objective on that.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 1:47 pm:
==On the budget . . . Rauner is getting it right.==
If having no budget is getting it right then I would hate to see what getting it wrong is.
==Other states have adopted the reforms and proposals Rauner wants to enact==
That’s nice. Problem is Governor Rauner has to have votes to do what he wants. He doesn’t. So now what?
- Anonymous - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 1:48 pm:
I don’t understand politics any more. Primary votes mean nothing because the parties have the right to name their organizational champion. A tax level reduction in this short revenue era is not a tax decrease. The governor says everyone loves him, but state services are in shambles and vulnerable families and individuals are suffering. Newspapers criticize the governor but he still blames the legislature.
Is this all another version of the Alice in Wonderland Mad Tea Party? Does any of this makes sense?
I have this bit of advice for future Springfield demonstrations for baseline finding for education and health & human services:bring half loafs of bread and leave them at the governor’s office. Remind them that negotiation and settling for half a loaf at a time is how to responsibly govern. Responsibly govern, not just posture towards the next elections– now that is a unique idea for Illinois public officials.
Half a loaf — do it!
- NoGifts - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 1:51 pm:
When a statement becomes a punchline, why do you still use it ? - “Mike Madigan and the politicians he controls.” It certainly adds some humor to the transmittal.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 1:55 pm:
=== Rauner is the first Governor to ever meaningfully address criminal justice reform and regularly act on clemency petitions and Zorn doesn’t even give that a mention. That is an example of being more loyal to your ideological coalition than your profession and craft.===
Because Zorn forgot justice reform he’s a zealot?
LOL
===Other states have adopted the reforms and proposals Rauner wants to enact and they have helped those estates recover while Illinois lags behind. The media in Illinois has failed to be objective on that.===
Did they have Democratic Legislatures?
You can get back to me on that…
The press is against Rauner?
Rauner went after a reporter, and got the SunTimes to endorse him, both times manipulating the press…
So… I don’t get how Rauner is not getting good coverage…
- ZC - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:10 pm:
Rauner’s people must be smiling that whatever happens, they’ve insulated themselves against “Madigan” in 2016 and in 2018.
I wonder however if they’ve sufficiently taken account of, there is a guy named “Frerichs” out there who would love (I suspect) to relieve Rauner of his governing duties. I’m sure there will be a million ads morphing Frerichs into Madigan if he runs, but by 2018 at this rate people will hate Rauner so much and be so desperate for a change, it may not matter.
- Arsenal - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:14 pm:
Madigan is very unpopular, but I don’t know that there’s very strong evidence that voters punish their local legislators for their feelings about caucus leaders. I don’t know that they take their frustration at Governors out on local legislators, either.
- Jimmy0 - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 3:00 pm:
Did Ken Griffens checks stop coming?
- some doofus - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 3:12 pm:
===Everywhere I go people tell me===
Rich, your commenter was just making a wry reference to the ILGOP press release you quoted.
And you seem to be saying that including Madigan’s name in a GOP fundraising letter is a sign of Madigan’s unpopularity. Yeah, I’m sure he’s unpopular among GOP donors.
For the record, I’ve never been a fan of Madigan, going back decades. But I think the long crisis in Springfield is straining everyone’s critical faculties.
- Arock - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 3:13 pm:
I didn’t mention tax relief just that there was still an increase from the previous rate that was in place before the temporary tax increase. I for one welcome the decrease.
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 3:17 pm:
Hey Jimmyo, drive by again a bit slower, and maybe we’ll understand your drive-by comment, ok? Oh, and don’t fix it while driving, but it’s “Griffin,” not “Griffen.”
To the Post-In a minute, Rauner role model Brownback out in Kansas announced this week that the State needed to skip the monthly pension payment to the State pension fund because the State is short on cash. Sound familiar? Is that the kind of “reforms and proposals” you are talking about? Or the Big Cheesehead Walker’s RTW law that blew up in a courtroom last week?
- Yeah And - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 3:48 pm:
====Everywhere I go, people ask me to tell the Governor not to back down====
A one person polling operation. Get Real. he talks to his own choir
- @MisterJayEm - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 3:54 pm:
“in an existential fight between real and meaningful reform of government in Illinois embodied by Rauner…”
You’re a laugh riot!
Illinois’ Cycle Rider Safety Training Program, which provides free motorcycle lessons, would get an extra $633,000 under Bruce Rauner’s proposed 2016 budget. The program was allocated $11.2 million in 2015 but is expected to use only $3.6 million this year. Next year’s allocation would be $11.9 million. https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150301/news/150309942/
The Rauner administration lifted a freeze on $100 million in business tax-incentive deals to fulfill “commitments made by the Quinn administration” to companies including eBay, Capital One, CDW and SAC Wireless. http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20150409/BLOGS02/150409776/despite-spending-freezes-elsewhere-rauner-oks-corporate-tax-breaks
With ‘real and meaningful’ like that, who needs a sham?
– MrJM
- MyTwoCents - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 3:56 pm:
@In A Minute, just to let you know Quinn made a huge dent in the massive clemency petition backlog that Blago left him, so you’re wrong about that fact.
- SAP - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 4:00 pm:
== Can you give $25, $50, or $100 in the fight against Madigan and his Democrat allies? == Sounds just like the pitch Illinois Policy Institute uses.
- Wensicia - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 4:15 pm:
“It’s time to support our Messiah, Rauner, and help him defeat the Democrats and their Caesar, Madigan, to restore Illinois to a glorious and prosperous future!”
Except nothing in Rauner’s reforms shows this great recovery unless he learned how to transform a 1.4% increase into a bounty that will cover all debts and expenses. Or is he hoping for the five loaves of bread and two fish miracle to save and support the masses?
- Daniel Plainview - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 4:16 pm:
- They wouldn’t be using Madigan in a fundraising pitch if they thought it’d fail. Just sayin… -
I have no doubt the IL GOP doesn’t think it will fail.
However, it’s failed the last few cycles, when there was a very unpopular Democratic governor in the mansion.
I have a hard time imagining it’s going to work in a presidential year with a very unpopular Republican in the mansion and potentially an extremist Republican at the top of the ticket.
But hey, why quit trying now?
- Illinois Voter - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 4:28 pm:
Madigan who?
- Union Leader - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 4:44 pm:
Everywhere I go, people ask me to to tell the Governor to stop with his Turn Around Agenda and make a serious effort to put forth a budget.
- Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 5:32 pm:
If Mike Madigan was popular every rep would try to link themselves to him in their mailers and ads. There will be no Democratic rep who even mentions his name.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 5:38 pm:
- Lucky Pierre -
Don’t be so willfully ignorant.
At some point, every Tier 1 Democratic member, under the direction of Madigan operatives will likely run against the Speaker.
Will Rauner let GOP Tier 1 races run against Rauner?
That ego? Dunno.
- illini - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 6:08 pm:
Lets be honest - how long can BVR continue to blame everything on MM - this charade has got to change!!!
- Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 7:41 pm:
Who is going to buy any Tier One rep running against the Speaker if they never have crossed him on a meaningful vote?
I count 3 who have crossed the speaker 2 of whom are not lame ducks
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 7:49 pm:
===Who is going to buy any Tier One rep running against the Speaker if they never have crossed him on a meaningful vote?===
- Lucky Pierre -
Your tiring faux “unknowing” of institutional knowledge is such baloney.
Use the search key, it happens every cycle, usually in every race. Do your own homework, I’m not your “search” key.
IF… you have a specific question, or would like to debate a likelihood, honestly, make the case.
Seriously.
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 9:27 pm:
OW, we don’t feed the..(fill in the blank.)
I should follow my own advice.