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Four leaders meet in Chicago, plan another sitdown on Tuesday
Friday, Aug 18, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller * The four legislative leaders met in Speaker Madigan’s Chicago ward office today to see if they could work out an education funding reform compromise. The meeting was scheduled to start at 1 o’clock. I called Senate President Cullerton’s spokesman John Patterson late this afternoon to ask how the meeting went. “It was a good meeting,” he said. OK, but did they get anything accomplished? “It was a good meeting.” Alright, but a good meeting could mean that tasty pizza was served, right? Did they find common ground? “It was a good meeting.” How long did the meeting last? “A long time.” I asked Patterson if he realized that I was quoting everything he said. “I am accurately relaying to you the message out of this meeting. It was a long meeting, met for a long time. It was a good meeting. How long did they meet? A long time.” I laughed through most of that and then called Patty Schuh. No answer. Left a message. * So, I called Steve Brown and told him what Patterson had said. His response: “I was going to use the word ‘productive’ and they’re going to meet again Tuesday in Springfield.” They started at about ten minutes after 1 and finished about 3:30, Brown said. Patty then called me back. “The four leaders believe it was a productive meeting. They reviewed all the issues and will meet again Tuesday. OK? That’s all I got.” Then we chatted a bit and I finished writing this post. …Adding… A text from House GOP Leader Durkin’s new spokesperson…
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- Bruce Please - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:10 pm:
But we need to know - HOW WAS THE PIZZA?!
Come on guys.
- Montrose - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:11 pm:
Everyone being in agreement that they will share the same, detail-free, safe message seems like a good sign to me.
- Too Much to Handle - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:14 pm:
=== Alright, but a good meeting could mean that tasty pizza was served, right? ===
Palermo’s on 63rd and its sweet sauce… MMMMM!
- Rich Miller - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:14 pm:
===seems like a good sign to me===
In the past, I’d agree with you. But we thought the same thing after the budget leaders’ meetings in early July, remember? Those didn’t end well.
- Flynn's mom - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:14 pm:
Pizza, yummy! I hope it was from Vito and Nicks!
- DuPage Bard - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:17 pm:
Does it really matter what they do? The Governor should have had his top person in there to express his yes or no points in their entirety. He’s been incredibly back and forth on this issue with multiple news outlets. So while the 4 leaders may come to an agreement, the Governor could just say No.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:17 pm:
I’ve have grown to appreciate the sheer genius that is John Patterson.
He’s like an inside joke wrapped in a messaging that is both snarky and telling.
===“I am accurately relaying to you the message out of this meeting. It was a long meeting, met for a long time. It was a good meeting. How long did they meet? A long time”===
“Accurately”… how delicious is that.
It’s not… Inaccurate…
It’s just at a level of blissful trolling.
- RNUG - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:18 pm:
== In the past, I’d agree with you. ==
My thoughts also. The question is how will it play on the 2nd floor?
- Real - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:19 pm:
Rauner still plays games after these type of meetings. They pretend that everything went well in the meeting and that they are close to a compromise then next week they will say Madigan tanked the deal. Just watch
- 47th Ward - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:19 pm:
I’m not sure how productive these can be without Governor Rauner. He’s shown us in the past that neither Republican Leader speaks for him and that he won’t be bound by their agreements. So yay, glad they are meeting, but until the Governor puts his cards on the table, I won’t get my hopes up.
- Earnest - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:20 pm:
Harsh as it sounds, until Brady and Durkin are anything but Rauner’s puppets, negotiating with them seems pretty worthless.
- Arthur Andersen - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:21 pm:
OW, I’ve always liked Patterson. Always did his best to make an interview not seem like a root canal.
- Curl of the Burl - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:25 pm:
All four “tops” meeting is a good sign. Better than them planning it and one of them bailing at the last minute.
- anon - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:26 pm:
the meeting? it was pretty…..pretty….pretty…good.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:26 pm:
To the update…
===Wanted to provide an update now that the leaders mtg has finished. The leaders felt it was a productive meeting, and will be meeting again on Tuesday. Have a great weekend===
We’re back with the exclamation marks.
So, I guess John Patterson was indeed “accurate”.
I mean, Patterson has this stuff wired now, lol
- Wensicia - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:28 pm:
Was there ever a good meeting when Rauner participated? Until he gets on board with whatever decisions are made, good meetings aren’t worth much.
- Keyrock - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:28 pm:
At least they knew it wasn’t in Rockford or Aurora.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:29 pm:
Did they spend the entire time agreeing in that joint statement?
“Article I, Section I, we, the undersigned legislative leaders, having met this 18th day of August, do hereby agree and declare that it was a productive meeting.
Article II, Section I, we further declare that it is our intention to reconvene on the 22nd of August (assuming the total eclipse is not a harbinger of the apocalypse).”
- The Captain - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:31 pm:
Senate Democrats: “good”
Senate Republicans: “productive”
House Democrats: “productive”
House Republicans: “productive”
Governor: “outrageous”
- Roman - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:36 pm:
- Flynn’s Mom -
I prefer Palermo’s.
- DuPage Saint - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:38 pm:
At least no one said anything was broken
- H-W (formerly, Robert J. Hironimus-Wendt - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:38 pm:
In all honesty, how much productivity could have happened in two hours, twenty minutes? Obviously, not enough to take back to the caucuses. So they will meet on Tuesday for what? Another 2-3 hours?If these four can solve the crisis they created in 4-5 hours of meeting, and convince the legislature to get behind it overwhelmingly, and the governor to boot, well how about that leadership team.
- The Dude Abides - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 5:57 pm:
I have heard Rauner say on more than a few occasions these past few years that “we’re very close”. Not long after, he pulls the plug on GOP votes and blames Madigan. The man loves a crisis.
- Lefty Lefty - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 6:31 pm:
It’s a scientific fact that Vito and Nick’s is the best pizza in the universe.