Dems respond to Drury attack on Madigan
Friday, Aug 4, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Remember this Scott Drury press release headline from the other day?…
“MADIGAN IS ILLINOIS’ OWN DR. FRANKENSTEIN,” SAYS DRURY – “HE CREATED GOVERNOR RAUNER”
* Eric Zorn asked the Democratic gubernatorial candidates for their responses…
State Sen. Daniel Biss of Evanston: “Mike Madigan is part of the problem,” he said in a phone interview. “But calling people names is a waste of time and counterproductive. We have a system that doesn’t work and is keeping a lot of people locked out, and making this campaign about replacing one person and not replacing the system is a recipe for failure.”
Chicago Ald. Ameya Pawar, 47th: “The idea that one person is responsible for the state’s problems ignores how both sides have contributed to them, and it does Bruce Rauner a great favor,” he said in a phone interview. “Leaders of both parties haven’t been willing to raise the money to pay for the services people say they want. They haven’t been willing to tell voters that we live in a very wealthy state with a very regressive tax system.”
Businessman Chris Kennedy: “It’s not my job to defend Mike Madigan,” he said, also in a phone interview. “There’s plenty of blame to go around. Rauner has fabricated the fiction that if it weren’t for Madigan, we’d have a balanced budget, our credit rating would improve and all our problems would be solved. But speakers don’t lead states, governors do. And ours has lacked strong governors with a strong vision.”
Kennedy renewed his charge that Madigan’s role as a prominent property tax appeals lawyer is in conflict with his role as speaker, and he said he expects to be “oppositional” with Madigan during the primary season.
Billionaire investor and entrepreneur J.B. Pritzker, thought to be Madigan’s favored candidate, didn’t respond to my numerous requests for comment.
* I reached out to the Pritzker campaign this morning and asked for a response. Here it is…
“JB is focused on holding Bruce Rauner accountable for the damage he has done across this state and for his failed leadership. As noted yesterday, JB believes the Illinois Democratic Party has improvements to make – and he will lead those efforts as governor.”
The statement refers to that National Journal article yesterday about Pritzker’s criticisms of DPI’s grassroots and messaging efforts.
* Meanwhile, Drury is at it again…
State Rep. Scott Drury announced the themes for his nascent campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor Thursday at a Lincoln Park library, delivering a literary comparison by likening House Speaker Michael Madigan to Lord Voldemort.
“I’m a huge Harry Potter fan,” said Drury, a five-year lawmaker from Highwood. “The big thing about Harry Potter was this guy (Lord) Voldemort — that he shouldn’t be named. And when I sit on debates and public forums in this campaign, it’s almost as if there is a Voldemort in the state of Illinois and no one wants to use his name. And if you can’t use his name, how are you going to fix the problem?” […]
“To me and to the public — I’m not an outlier here — it is a Madigan problem, and we have to address it. We have to address it as a party,” he said.
“I’m concerned about the Democratic Party. I’m concerned about the longevity of the Democratic Party. I’m concerned that we are losing younger voters who look at the stale Democratic Party and they won’t want to be a part of it. I’m concerned we’re losing voters who have seen the same old thing year after year, decade after decade, of promises from the Democratic Party that we don’t deliver on,” he said.
* Related…
* Zorn: For my Friday, Aug. 4, 2017 column, I reached out to the leading Democratic gubernatorial candidates to ask for their responses to Democratic state Rep. Scott Drury’s recent blast at veteran Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan. I also reached out to House Deputy Majority Leader Lou Lang of Skokie, who is not a candidate for governor but a top Madigan ally. I didn’t have room in the column for his reponse, which was by far the most robust. Here it is in full
- John Rawlss - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 10:52 am:
Good for drury, calling out voldemort for who he truly is.
- MissingG - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 10:52 am:
Hey Oswego Willy, let’s do this thing.
Is he Dr. Frankenstein, the man who made this horrible monster, or is he Voldemort, the magical, British embodiment of Hitler? I think a more apt analogy would be to Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic who stuck his head in the sand and let things get out of hand (or maybe even Pius Thicknesse?).
But for a Democrat to call Madigan Voldemort is like he’s admitting that he’s a Death Eater, but he wants new management. Odd choice Scott. Stick to telling us that you’re a former federal prosecutor and leave the HP references to me and OW
- Keyrock - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 10:52 am:
Drury is wrong again. The Speaker is Emperor Palpatine, not Voldemort. Just look at Madigan’s long legislative record.
And Dumbledore was never a federal prosecutor. Neither was Harry.
- Chairman McBroom - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 10:53 am:
JB’s comment wasn’t a response as much as it was an apology of Madigan.
- feline - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 10:55 am:
Drury has his seat in the legislature only because of Speaker Madigan. Drury is a hypocrite.
- DuPage Bard - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 10:55 am:
Drury has got a good play here. If he can get some of that former IllinoisGO money that went to Dunkin, he can be a real pain in the side of some folks and make them take a hard stance on Madigan.
- anon2 - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 10:56 am:
Lord Voldemort? Drury has contracted MDS, Madigan Derangement Syndrome, which Zorn has written about. It’s related to PDS, presidential derangement syndrome, under which the president one dislikes can do nothing right, is blamed for all manner of evil, and is never given the benefit of the doubt. We saw it manifested with Clinton, Bush, and Obama.
- Mr B. - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 10:57 am:
Zorn’s article was fantastic. And the keys to the Governor’s executive mansion might be for a Democrat who is outside the establishment and who gives at least some criticism towards Madigan. Pritzker is a bit like Hillary. Doesn’t have a great message and really isn’t popular with the people. No excitement for Pritzker.
- Yep - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 11:00 am:
==Pritzker is a bit like Hillary.==
Pritzker looks more and more like HRC by the day. So much so that come election time I think that could stick more than the Trump/Rauner angle.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 11:00 am:
===come election time I think that could stick===
I think Pritzker would be fine with that considering Hillary won Illinois by 17 points. lol
- Nick Name - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 11:10 am:
Parroting the ILGOP “Blame Madigan” line is a bad idea if the Democrats want to defeat Gov. Gaslight in 2018, and so far Pritzker appears to be the only Dem candidate avoiding that trap.
- Gooner - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 11:15 am:
Kennedy’s non-answer was the best of the bunch. He doesn’t attack Madigan, but at the same time, there is a lack of support.
I still think attacking Madigan will play poorly in a Dem primary, but will play relatively well in November. Kennedy seems to have walked that line pretty well.
- Anonymous - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 11:17 am:
Pritzker never says anything bad about Mike Madigan. They are hand and hand. With Pritzker as governor. Lisa Madigan as AG, and Mike Madigan as head of the Democratic Party, old Mike will have control of Illinois.
- Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 11:23 am:
A question I wish a reporter would ask of Rep Drury, “given your attacks on Mike Madigan, how would you work with him as Governor versus how Bruce Rauner has?”
- Louis G. Atsaves - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 11:27 am:
After they all repeatedly blame only Rauner for the many woes of this state, they are now adding Madigan to the mix (except for Pritzker)?
After all the names they called Rauner as a group and as individuals, suddenly they found name calling to be counter productive and a waste of time?
The weird part of all of this is the anti-Madigan stance of Drury differentiates himself from the rest of the pack.
A long campaign is getting even longer.
- wndycty - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 11:30 am:
This is not a defense of Madigan, but when Democrats join in, even rationalize, attacks on Madigan they are reinforcing and using their opponent’s (Rauner) language. Its really bad messaging and counterproductive.
- lake county democrat - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 11:35 am:
Pritzker’s non-answer is an embarrassment - how is being noncooperative with the media (especially a well-liked and popular writer who isn’t predisposed against you) a good strategy?
Drury might help Kennedy the way Al Hofeld’s attack dog campaign ended up helping Carol Mosley Braun.
Kennedy is smart: he distances himself from Madigan by linking him to things that offend voters sense of fairness (and their pocket books) - the idea that the most powerful man in government has a private business on the side that negotiates tax challenges is so self-evidently wrong that anyone who doesn’t agree with Kennedy is going to look terrible.
- Ginhouse Tommy - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 11:38 am:
Old Mike has pretty much controlled the state for years so what’s new. As I said before no matter how useless he is or how bad he is as Speaker you still have to work with him. Feel like choking him? Get in line. Frustrating? Yep. No doubt. The bash Madigan campaign is not helping Rauner’s approval numbers at all so I think it’s time for a change. Nobody wants to hear it anymore and it isn’t working so move on. As far as Pritzker goes I think he is his own man and can govern without MJM looking over his shoulder providing he wins.
- lake county democrat - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 11:39 am:
wndycty - It’s not rationalizing when it’s true - in the long term not attacking something that deserves immense attacking is more damaging. For reformers to bite their tongue and accept what Madigan has done to minimize voter power and subject the common good to special interests would make us complicit. I voted for Pat Quinn as much as I despised his selling-out reform for Madigan’s support (and his arrogant tolerance for corruption in his administration), but the primaries is absolutely where to have this fight.
- Robert the Bruce - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 11:44 am:
Biss’ position is respectable, but he needs to pivot faster to blame Rauner for the lion’s share of the state’s problems and for not being able to work with anyone.
- walker - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 11:51 am:
The best question for Drury, to tease out any substance underneath his comic book characterizations, is not “What would you do as Governor?” but “What would you do as Speaker?”
Neither is going to happen, but maybe we can get at a few real recommendations. Does Drury have that level of understanding?
- Juvenal - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 11:55 am:
Lou Lang’s response is fantastic.
I will give you a few more for the list, Lou:
- Raising the minimum wage
- expanding the earned income tax
- expanding health care coverage for kids and early childhood learning
- requiring insurers to cover birth control
- strengthening penalties for hate crimes
- prohibiting employers from firing someone for being gay, lesbian or transgender
- enhancing penalties for gun crimes
- Nacho - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 11:59 am:
Maintaining distance from and criticizing Madigan is one thing. Making the election a referendum on Madigan is letting Rauner set the terms of the debate, and that’s no way to win.
- Leatherneck - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 12:08 pm:
Did Harry Potter later grow up to become a federal prosecutor?
- Ron Burgundy - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 12:09 pm:
Pawar’s statement is pretty generic, but JB’s camp can’t even utter the Speaker’s name when asked a direct question? Come on. If there was any doubt left which horse the Speaker is backing, it’s gone now.
- Old timer - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 12:19 pm:
Can’t wait till Drury starts referring to characters from The Game of Thrones. That’s when we will know he really is Governor material.
- Juvenal - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 12:30 pm:
@Ron Burgundy
Pat Quinn was pretty critical of Mike Madigan and the Democratic “machine”.
Did it get him any votes?
No, not even on the Tribune editorial board.
The others are smart enough to understand, to varying degrees, that your attacks on Mike Madigan become the first half of a GOP ad attacking you in the fall.
Biss isn’t interested in winning in the fall though. Or even in the general election. He just wants a hug from the Rribune editorial board. He might get it.
- Redraider - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 1:34 pm:
Whatever happens in November of 2018, there is one positive that is going to happen. Scott Drury will be back in the private sector. The only thing worse than an egotistical opportunist is one that hat claims to be for everyone. Drury fits that bill perfectly and his lack of a moral compass will not be missed
- Bigtwich - Friday, Aug 4, 17 @ 1:53 pm:
I am confused. If Madigan is Lord Voldemort, where does Squeezy, the Pension Python, fit into this. As for Cornelius Fudge, he died yesterday.