38 Comments - Angry Chicagoan - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 7:35 am: I think Madigan’s actually pretty effective in this format. Perhaps he should do it more often. As for the capital bill? There comes a point where dealing with this governor is like waiting for Godot. Better for legislative Democrats to stake out a battle plan and a vision for the future to revive public investment and soothe the voters’ sense of sting over the tax hike, and let the governor whine about it. - Grandson of Man - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 8:00 am: Good for Madigan, for saying that the aim of Rauner and Republicans is to turn Illinois into a Rauner anti-union state. Now if he and the DPI would only have a modern messaging/press apparatus. - Soccermom - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 8:09 am: I agree with the Speaker: Republicans are revolting. (I kid, I kid…) - DuPage Saint - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 8:17 am: As a Republican why do I trust him more than Rauner? - Epic - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 8:30 am: =As a Republican why do I trust him more than Rauner?= Because even if both tell lies, we know what do expect from the Speaker. The Governor on the other hand can be unpredictable. The devil you know vs the one you don’t - Macbeth - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 8:31 am: — As a Republican why do I trust him more than Rauner? — Because he’s not smiling and laughing and treating everybody like they have no idea what they’re talking about? Because Madigan actually means what he says? Because Madigan’s eyes are blinking a mile a minute indicating that he’s probably lying? There’s a whole host of reasons, actually. - Macbeth - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 8:31 am: I meant: “Because Madigan’s eyes are NOT blinking a mile a minute indicating that he’s probably lying?” - MOON - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 8:32 am: DUPAGE You can trust him because he does not go back on his word and does not lie. It’s OK to disagree with his policies, but Madigan is trustworthy. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 8:36 am: The Speaker here looks comfortable and at ease. Dare I say he seems breezy, lol. This is the Speaker in his “element” talking policy and the politics around policy and looking afar but pinpointing what Republicans are and what he’s fighting against. It’s easier to seem comfortable and breezy as the Rauner implosion since July continues and Proft turning Slytherins on Raunerites with Republicans confused where to go. - We'll See - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 8:46 am: MJM - “… there’s never intimidation, there’s never threats, there’s persuasion.” The Velvet Hammer has spoken. - wordslinger - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 8:46 am: Who among BTIA(TM) would even be capable of drafting a capital plan? The “policy” guru from IPI on the state police payroll? Participation medals in dorm-room debate club ain’t exactly the foundation for putting together a comprehensive multi-billion-dollar statewide construction plan. That’s serious nuts-and-bolts governing. These guys as a group couldn’t get the AV accept/override vote requirements right. They’re going to evaluate and make decisions on dozens of proposed capital projects? There doesn’t appear to be a steady hand on the tiller in the executive branch these days. - Shemp - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 8:48 am: If a capital bill is a good idea, why on earth do you have to wait for the governor to request it? (Eye roll) - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 8:51 am: ===If a capital bill is a good idea, why on earth do you have to wait for the governor to request it?=== … because it would require monies like bonding or a fuel tax increase, maybe, and having members vote on those things without any governor saying s/he would sign it isn’t too bright to the politics or the governing? ===(eye roll)=== Yep. Eye roll. “Governing, amirite?” - Ghost - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 8:53 am: Shemp simple, there is no money for a capital plan, and the gov keeps attacking tax increases. So if the gov wants a capital plan he needs to submit his plan, which wpould need to include how to pay for it. - Honeybear - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 9:00 am: Well DuPage, there is the 16billion in unpaid bills to our own doctors, hospitals, contractors stiffing them. Signing legal contracts then stiffing them I wouldn’t trust Rauner Madigan doesn’t control that. Rauner does There’s not having a budget for 2+ years drying up state agencies DCEO could have done a TON had it been staffed had they had funding Tell me about the small business centers Dupage Tell me about Regional Economic Development Rendered impotent by Rauner Tell me how what percentage of the workforce has left after being the smallest state workforce per capita Tell me of the destruction of the private sector social service network (a Republican solution to big government social service agencies) It’s gone. Dead. Closed Rauner signed contracts with them and then didn’t pay them. Fact Mom and Pop, shelters, rehabs, cancer treatment centers, etc, even some big ones, gone Madigan had nothing to do with that. Shall I move on to education? Look Dupage, I was really lucky to study Just War theory under the late Jean Bethke Elshtain in seminary. One of the concepts of Just War is using just means to prosecute the conflict. You’ve heard me use perfidy and malum in se probably many time. These terms are Just War terms. I didn’t just make this stuff up. Rauner uses outright lies to gain unfair advantage. That is perfidy which literally means false (per) faith (fidae). You Republicans got a taste of this with HB40. Rauner also admits to the tactic of hurting innocents. Remember his “driving a wedge” comment? He intentionally harmed and is harming innocents in order to get the democrats to fold to his demands. Nobody can justify the harming of innocents. I’m calling that out bigtime these days. It’s irrefutable. Harming innocents as a tactic is categorized in Just War theory as Malum in se, evil itself. To summarize Rauner is lying and hurting Illinoisans and the long-term economic future of this state in an effort to force Democrats to fold and surrender unconditionally and thereby usher in Republican dominance. It was a hostage situation, a gamble with the lives and fortune of this state, using perfidy and malum in se methods to both destroy all organized labor and bring about Republican (which means corporate controlled, but in all fairness HRC/Obama were corporate controlled) control of the legislature. Look to our surrounding states to see the game plan. The other states used perfidy only to achieve this aim. only Rauner used Malum in se to try to bring it about. other states pursued Malum in se after the takeover. But it didn’t work. Madigan didn’t fold The gamble failed and the Republican cracked because who except a person with no feelings or empathy wants to hurt innocents? I imagine you don’t But you have been deceived by perfidy to justify Malum in se. - Honeybear - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 9:02 am: That being said I don’t trust Madigan either. He has tried to screw AFSCME, my union, in the past. I fully expect him to do it in the future. Just sayin - Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 9:10 am: ===why on earth do you have to wait for the governor to request it?=== So, you’d rather that 177 legislators try to work it out amongst themselves first? Yeah, that’s a great idea. - JoeMaddon - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 9:18 am: **As a Republican why do I trust him more than Rauner?** Well, because despite the many valid criticisms of the Speaker, he is a straight shooter. From my experiences, the guy tells you what he means and he means what tells you. You don’t always get a straight answer, but he’ll never lie to you. - Winnin' - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 9:20 am: ===why on earth do you have to wait for the governor to request it?=== Because that is what a governor does? Because IDOT and the capital development board are under his purview? Because he is responsible for bonding and knowing the financial capacity of the state? Because….that is what a leader would do? Heck, even Blago figured out how to introduce a capital plan. - VanillaMan - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 9:21 am: ==I think they’re reacting to his strong-arm tactics and his methods of intimidation== LOL Just as you are, right? - the Patriot - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 9:26 am: Meanwhile, the people of IL are caught between a man who spent 40 years driving IL into ruin and another who is even more incompetent. #montybrewster4IL2018 - Last Bull Moose - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 9:28 am: Most people do not realize how much more information the Governor has than the legislators. He can ask agency staff to develop options based on their knowledge and experience. - Pundent - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 9:32 am: I think that Joe Maddon captures it correctly. Madigan is a straight shooter and if he can’t tell it like it is he’ll say nothing. Which is why you don’t hear a lot from him. But when he does speak his words tend to resonate. - Never Politically Correct - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 9:34 am: Same old political game playing on Madigans part. He has no interest in anything other than his power base. Otherwise where is the grand plan from the Dems for fixing IL. Oh wait there isn’t one. Honest to goodness both parties are hopelessly lost, just for different reasons. But it’s the same result for Il citizens, we’re screwed. - Amalia - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 9:36 am: oh, so that uncomfortable feeling experienced is persuasion, not intimidation. well, ok. he does seem at ease, but it looks weird as he is looking at the reporter and not at the camera. on video and still freaking us out. - annonin' - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 9:50 am: “Now if he and the DPI would only have a modern messaging/press apparatus” what can be more modern — Mark Maxwell world exclusive and top drawer treatment from Capt. Fax Doesn’t get modern than that. - Shemp - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 9:51 am: A capital bill wouldn’t be the first bill that made it to the governor’s desk without his request…. Again, if it is important, why wait on him? - Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 10:13 am: Shemp Are you concerned that the governor is too busy to involve himself in this? What is it that Governor Rauner spends his time doing that you find so valuable that he can’t take time out to get a capital Bill rolling? - City Zen - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 10:14 am: ==Because Madigan’s eyes are NOT blinking a mile a minute indicating that he’s probably lying?== It’s not a lie, if you believe it. George Costanza Philospoher, Assistant to the Traveling Secretary - Grandson of Man - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 10:16 am: As far as strong-arm tactics, enough Republicans thankfully got free enough to override Rauner’s budget and revenue vetoes. He took the entire state on a destructive descent into junk status. He has to be one of the worst if not the worst governors in state history—and mean as heck, too—wanting to decapitate opponents, not just in Illinois but in the entire country. - Soccermom - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 10:46 am: Hey Rich — has there been a post on this yet? Heartbreaking and horrible, horrible governance. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/ct-krabbe-disease-illinois-met-20201010-story.html - IllinoisBoi - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 11:26 am: Whatever you think of his politics or character, you have to admit that Mike Madigan speaks in coherent sentences like an intelligent adult…Which is rare among politicians these days. - Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 11:31 am: Speaker Madigan was for “weakening protections” for Government workers when Democrats had total control of Springfield. He said that the pensions were unsustainable and voted to modify them. Now that there is a Republican Governor he has stopped being “reasonable and moderate” and will not work in a bipartisan manner to solve the state’s problems especially pension. - annonin' - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 12:07 pm: Hey LP ICYMI the Supreme Court knocked the pension solution you speak about so that means another plan is needed. - Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 12:40 pm: Madigan should not overuse this means of communicating, but he’s good at it and should do 8 -10 a year, bill Clinton was a great communicator, but he never shut up. Honeybear: you are challenging First Mate OW for type space. Lol. - Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 1:12 pm: Too many Madigan enablers on this post. One day he will retire. - Flynn's mom - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 1:52 pm: @Honeybear….I think you summed it up. Well said. - Lefthand Lou - Thursday, Oct 5, 17 @ 3:55 pm: The Madigan fans are really in their element here. Here’s a clue why Magic Mike won’t introduce a capital bill. He doesn’t want to get blamed for yet another, drum roll please, tax increase. He’s on the hook for the last one. He’s trying to reverse the pop tax to buy some goodwill. But he isn’t about to get blamed for a capital plan with associated tax hit. Geez. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.