And away we go…
Friday, May 13, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Lots more where this came from…
* Meanwhile, the state GOP is sending out a bunch of identical press releases attacking numerous Democratic legislators over redistricting. Here’s just one…
Will Sen. Tom Cullerton Side with the People or with Mike Madigan?
“Tom Cullerton owes it to the voters to make clear where he stands on Mike Madigan’s lawsuit to stop redistricting reform. Democrats already played political games this session to kill redistricting reform in the legislature. Now, they are trying to block voters from having the chance to vote on it in November.
If Tom Cullerton was truly committed to fair maps and stopping the Speaker’s disrespect to the voters of Illinois, he should refuse any support from the Illinois Democratic Party or Mike Madigan until the lawsuit is dropped.” – Illinois GOP Spokesman Steven Yaffe
Illinois Democratic Party General Counsel Mike Kasper filed a lawsuit Wednesday trying to kick a non-partisan redistricting reform Constitutional Amendment off the Illinois ballot this November.
From The Chicago Tribune:
The people of Illinois want to change the state constitution so that lawmakers don’t draw their own districts. House Speaker Mike Madigan is determined not to let that change happen.
Once again, a citizens’ group has collected hundreds of thousands of signatures to put a proposed redistricting amendment to a vote in November. And once again, Madigan’s proxy has gone to court to try to block the measure.
Independent Maps, a nonpartisan coalition, raised $3.6 million and circulated thousands of petitions because lawmakers, who could put an amendment on the ballot without spending all that time or money, refuse to do so — for obvious reasons.
Those lawmakers cannot possibly harbor any doubts that their constituents want this change. Poll after poll after poll has shown an overwhelming majority of voters support having an independent commission draw the maps. The Independent Maps campaign is the third such attempt since 2010.
The group submitted its petitions last week, assembled in a single binder as required by law. It was 35 feet thick and contained twice the required number of signatures, the better to survive the inevitable challenge before the Illinois State Board of Elections.
That’s separate from the attack launched Wednesday in Cook County Circuit Court. Michael Kasper, general counsel for the Illinois Democratic Party — chaired by Madigan — filed a lawsuit claiming the proposal runs afoul of the rules under which citizens can amend the constitution.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 1:13 pm:
Ken Griffin made $32 million… a day.
Bruce Rauner made $1+ million… a week.
Rauner and Griffin are NOT going anywhere.
The “money”… it’s literally just a number to them, no real value except to make Raunerism real, and destroy anything that is not… Raunerism.
Irony?
The “poorer” man has to take the job and show up to pretend to BE governor.
That’s fun.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 1:16 pm:
“Bruce… Bruce… Bruce! Bruce, I make in one day what you make in one month. You… you have to be governor, not me.”
- AC - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 1:23 pm:
Get ready for this fall for local media to switch to an all attack ad format, and for local news to just present stories from the Illinois Policy Institute.
- @MisterJayEm - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 1:26 pm:
Two million bucks? Chicken feed.
Ken Griffin alone has 7,000 million dollars.
Literally.
– MrJM
- Oswego Willy - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 1:26 pm:
IRN, INN, IPI…
Lots of exposure of their “unbiased” reports and reporting this summer.
At least the Tribune Edit Board will follow along, on the cheap, just regurgitate the talking points, as always…
- Phil - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 1:32 pm:
This only goes to prove there is very little “independent” in the Independent Map. It is a Republican effort.
- jim - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 1:36 pm:
don’t worry — Madigan will be shaking down millions from the unions and trial lawyers. he’ll easily blunt the GOP spending. always has, always will
- John Rawls - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 1:55 pm:
Its ridiculous for democrats to say they support redistricting reform when the chair of the democratic party’s longtime attorney is heading up the legal fight to stop it!
- Oswego Willy - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 1:58 pm:
===when the chair of the democratic party’s longtime attorney is heading up the legal fight to stop it!===
When did Kasper become Tom Hagen? He does not have a special practice… that handles one client… lol
- Dance Band on the Titanic - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 2:04 pm:
So the GOP is hoping to beat Tom Cullerton, a very good campaigner, with the guy who got his clock cleaned by Christine Winger? Good luck with that.
- Highland, Il - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 2:05 pm:
HRO running radio ads on KMOX during Limbaugh telling everyone what a swell guy Dwight Kay is….and he’s fighting Chicago.
- out of touch - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 2:10 pm:
The Rauner rinse cycle is apparently set to “one week”. I’m not sure that Governor-funded attack ads two weeks prior to session concluding will help finalize the budget deal.
- cgo75 - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 2:15 pm:
Mike Madigan isn’t going to do anything that A) is unsuccessful, B) won’t play well with the citizens and C) place him and the Democratic party in a stronger position. He’s always one step ahead!
- wordslinger - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 2:19 pm:
–don’t worry — Madigan will be shaking down millions from the unions and trial lawyers. he’ll easily blunt the GOP spending. always has, always will–
You can’t be serious. You might have missed the news, but there’s a new sheriff in town.
Griff alone could swamp the Dems Unions and trial lawyers without putting a dent in his beer money.
The dude’s in the midst of a nasty divorce and just bought a $200 million condo in Manhattan.
Check out Rauner’s D-2s. This state has never seen a national fundraising network like that.
- Anonymous - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 2:20 pm:
Many Dems voted for remap reform, and DPI is not opposing the map petitions. This press release is a stretch.
- John Rawls - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 2:28 pm:
Anonymous - Dems voted for remap reform, but Madigan didn’t let them vote for the same bill (different bills in H/S), meaning they can say they voted for it without it being on the ballot - politics at its worst!
- JB13 - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 2:40 pm:
– Mike Madigan isn’t going to do anything that A) is unsuccessful, B) won’t play well with the citizens and C) place him and the Democratic party in a stronger position. –
You absolutely sure about (B) there, cgo75?
- cgo75 - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 2:59 pm:
Pretty sure, JB13…he’s got quite the loyal following….even amongst many Republicans.
- The Way I See It - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 3:44 pm:
I call upon on Republican candidates to refuse to accept support from Bruce Rauner or the Republican Party until the governor actually proposes a real budget with numbers attached to it! Without the money of Rauner and friends, there wouldn’t even be pizza money left.
- A guy - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 3:50 pm:
And what exactly do you “Call upon” the other side to do? Continue their angelic behavior?
- Precinct Captain - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 4:00 pm:
==- John Rawls - Friday, May 13, 16 @ 2:28 pm:==
The Senate killed the House bill.