During Governor Rauner’s State of the State address, Mike Madigan’s corruption was on full display.
As Governor Rauner was explaining the need for term limits, supported by 80% of Illinoisans, he quipped that the remaining 20% must be in the chamber. The remark was not only met with laughter from elected officials in the audience, but also a telling nod from the Speaker of the House.
Madigan’s nod shows he is more interested in maintaining his hold on power than in doing what’s right for the people of Illinois. He knows that a vast majority of Illinoisans want term limits, but he doesn’t care — because term limits would put an end to his 47-year political career.
The Madigan Machine is not hiding in the background, it’s out in the open for the people to see.
What was Madigan reading? Unless he was following along with the speech (did he have a transcript) it seems more like he wasn’t paying attention to the Guv. Or Madigan could have just been thinking it was a good quip. Seems like a weird idea for him to agree to, especially since if you take it way too literally, the guv just said there are 2.5 million people (going by population, not voters, but close enough for me) in the GA/Courts.
- Uniparty Opposition - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 4:16 pm:
The focus on term limits as a mitigation measure to gerrymandering and third party barriers is misguided.
We have term limits through elections. The elections simply don’t accomplish much because they’ve been kneecapped by barriers and gerrymandering.
And yes, Madigan’s reaction is “fun” as Willy would say. If only he would have made some Chevy Chase faces in the background of Rauner’s schtick.
Term limits really sounds like a GREAT idea until you live somewhere like Florida where they actually have term limits. What happens, you ask … entrenched staffers and professional lobiest have all the institutional knowledge and billionaires easily buy influence and allies to push their self-serving agendas. Sounds good in theory, but is horrible in practice.
===entrenched staffers and professional lobiest have all the institutional knowledge and billionaires easily buy influence and allies to push their self-serving agendas===
That Madigan is a powerful guy. He can nod his head, and speak so loud that everyone can read his mind. Paranoia is a terrible thing Governor. Just stand up, do your job, and quit blaming everyone for your ineptitude. I was a conservative Republican, who is now an Independent, because of you.
There are 35 states that have no term limits and many of them are doing pretty well, certainly much better than Illinois. Term limits aren’t some magic bullet that will kill what’s wrong with Illinois. I’m not opposed to some term limits but there are a lot of higher priorities than term limits.
Look, I get why people would think that it was a little unclear about what MJM’s nod was to.
That’s why I called him the night of the SOTS and during that call, Madigan confirmed that he was nodding in agreement that he is more interested in maintaining his hold on power than doing what’s right for the people of Illinois.
Honest.
I swear on the soul of my immigrant grandfather.
And coincidently, that is why Kip came to visit me on the back porch of the mansion. He wanted to tell me how much he wanted term limits, and how excited they make him. That’s basically all we talked about.
I don’t favor term limits. If my elected representative is doing a good I want to be able to continue to vote for that representative. However, I would support term limits for leadership positions.
Look up research by chris mooney and IGPA, on term limits.
Power does shift even more to lobbyists and staff. A lot of institutional knowledge is lost. Redistricting is the real issue w potential to change things for the better.
–“Is Governor of Illinois really going to say a line intended to undermine citizens’ faith in the judicial branch of government? [nods] I guess he is…”–
Lot of that going around these days. It’s the next-to-last refuge of scoundrels. Rauner was doing it back in 2015.
Term limits are a GOP weapon aimed at 2 targets. 1, effective Democratic House Speakers - Maine’s John Martin, Ohio’s Vern Riffe, Illinois’ Mike Madigan. 2, effective liberal African-American legislators - Nebraska’s Ernie Chambers, California’s Willie Brown. Term limits are an admission that Democrats are better than the GOP - see Oswego Willy’s comments about Tom Cross and good weather election days.
===Term limits are an admission that Democrats are better than the GOP - see Oswego Willy’s comments about Tom Cross and good weather election days.===
First, thank you.
A lil addendum if I could - Smitty Irving -, very respectfully.
The laziness of the GOP, and the willingness to get, outworked, outhustled… that’s also not being better or being worse than Dems, but again a failure to be better, by playing 9 holes on Election Day.
Oswego Willy -
No matter how conservative, Democrats belief government has a role in society -roads and levees and dams. Most, but not all, GOPers don’t see that … so when in government they play golf on Election Day.
===No matter how conservative, Democrats belief government has a role in society -roads and levees and dams. Most, but not all, GOPers don’t see that===
“not all” is very fair to the discussion, “Most” is dangerously close to generalization, but as these campaigns and years pass, it’s harder to argue the other side with you. I’d like to think I’m a “not all”… along with those fighting the wave of Republican dysfunction. We may be “fewer” but hopefully won’t be headed towards extinction.
===… so when in government they play golf on Election Day.===
On this, I just think Tom found a nice day play 9.
It probably spoke more about Cross at that snapshot moment…
…and I’ll leave my words, unchanged and unapologetically on Coss there where you correctly found them.
Oswego Willy -
Grew up in the Mountain West pre-Reagan when ALL GOP’ers acknowledged the need for government, albeit limited -water projects, roads, railroads. Went to school during Reagan in Upstate New York where ALL GOP’ers acknowledged Adam Smith, Ayn Rand,and Milton Friedman could not remove the foot of snow on the road. Other than you, those GOP’ers have gone radio silent.
My GOP, a generation ago, had a better grasp to understanding the role of governing abs the difference between govern”ing” and govern”ment”, watching the change and the wave swamp. I’m old school, admittedly to a fault, and all that the word fault means.
I see the successes of now Republican governors and the choices in the government and governing being weighed still by dollars and less by function, but I have to believe that losing elections may be the only way to swing a pendulum towards finding function more times than cutting responsibilities.
Change evolves, but a wake-up call like these midterms might start an evolution.
===What do think of John Kasich? Did he learn from his “mistake” under Newt?===
I actually think the Labor Referendum loss as governor, with a Republican legislature, that really shaped Kasich and I payed attention to how he approached governing since.
I’m a Kasich guy, there’s no doubt. He’s willing to learn, but willing to make his lessons part of what the GOP needs to learn from going forward. That’s a leader.
===So Kasich learned from his “errors” under Gingrich===
He speaks to his time in the House, but his discussion to governing as the Executive of a state and the politics and governing from there is “fresher”?
Good enough! Newt’s 1995 tax cut used non-indexed for inflation numbers visit a vi Medicare, and when called on it by Al Franken (know he’s taboo) Kasich admitted the Con.
- SuburbanRepublican - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 8:06 am:
When you get outside of the bubble of politically obsessed people, like most of us on this blog, term limits is something that Republican and Democrat voters overwhelmingly favor. It isn’t the cure for all of Illinois’ problems. But it would send a powerful message to voters that the way we’ve been doing business in Illinois for the last 50+ years is over. 10 years is plenty of time to accomplish things. At the bare minimum, term limits in leaders should happen across the board.
- Just Me - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 4:07 pm:
I don’t literally laugh out loud at these things, but this one was a true LOL.
- Hamlet's Ghost - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 4:09 pm:
That nod wasn’t to show agreement with the Rauner comment.
That nod signified the moment Speaker Madigan completed his Buzzword Bingo Card, defeating Jim Durkin yet again.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 4:11 pm:
===During Governor Rauner’s State of the State address, Mike Madigan’s corruption was on full display.===
Rauner also wants to work bipartisanly with the “corrupt” Madigan.
That’s fun.
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 4:12 pm:
I’ve changed course on this one. Stop fighting Madigan and learn to work with him. He might be around another 10 years…
- Perrid - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 4:13 pm:
What was Madigan reading? Unless he was following along with the speech (did he have a transcript) it seems more like he wasn’t paying attention to the Guv. Or Madigan could have just been thinking it was a good quip. Seems like a weird idea for him to agree to, especially since if you take it way too literally, the guv just said there are 2.5 million people (going by population, not voters, but close enough for me) in the GA/Courts.
- Uniparty Opposition - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 4:16 pm:
The focus on term limits as a mitigation measure to gerrymandering and third party barriers is misguided.
We have term limits through elections. The elections simply don’t accomplish much because they’ve been kneecapped by barriers and gerrymandering.
And yes, Madigan’s reaction is “fun” as Willy would say. If only he would have made some Chevy Chase faces in the background of Rauner’s schtick.
- HOD - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 4:20 pm:
==- Perrid - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 4:13 pm:
What was Madigan reading? ==
He was reading the speech. The members get a copy.
- Precinct Captain - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 4:26 pm:
Lets term limit Bruce in November
- Go Noles - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 4:38 pm:
Term limits really sounds like a GREAT idea until you live somewhere like Florida where they actually have term limits. What happens, you ask … entrenched staffers and professional lobiest have all the institutional knowledge and billionaires easily buy influence and allies to push their self-serving agendas. Sounds good in theory, but is horrible in practice.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 4:39 pm:
===entrenched staffers and professional lobiest have all the institutional knowledge and billionaires easily buy influence and allies to push their self-serving agendas===
Hmm. Sounds like Illinois. lol
- Excessively Rabid - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 4:42 pm:
Again, the place to start with term limits is the Constitutional officers.
- Retired Educator - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 4:55 pm:
That Madigan is a powerful guy. He can nod his head, and speak so loud that everyone can read his mind. Paranoia is a terrible thing Governor. Just stand up, do your job, and quit blaming everyone for your ineptitude. I was a conservative Republican, who is now an Independent, because of you.
- Dude Abides - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 5:02 pm:
There are 35 states that have no term limits and many of them are doing pretty well, certainly much better than Illinois. Term limits aren’t some magic bullet that will kill what’s wrong with Illinois. I’m not opposed to some term limits but there are a lot of higher priorities than term limits.
- Angel's Sword - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 5:17 pm:
Term limits haven’t had a positive effect anywhere they’ve been implemented. I’ve always been opposed to them and I’ve never set foot in Springfield.
- Henry Francis - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 5:19 pm:
Look, I get why people would think that it was a little unclear about what MJM’s nod was to.
That’s why I called him the night of the SOTS and during that call, Madigan confirmed that he was nodding in agreement that he is more interested in maintaining his hold on power than doing what’s right for the people of Illinois.
Honest.
I swear on the soul of my immigrant grandfather.
And coincidently, that is why Kip came to visit me on the back porch of the mansion. He wanted to tell me how much he wanted term limits, and how excited they make him. That’s basically all we talked about.
-Fake Bruce Rauner
- Chief217 - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 5:57 pm:
I don’t favor term limits. If my elected representative is doing a good I want to be able to continue to vote for that representative. However, I would support term limits for leadership positions.
- @misterjayem - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 6:05 pm:
“Is Governor of Illinois really going to say a line intended to undermine citizens’ faith in the judicial branch of government? [nods] I guess he is…”
– MrJM
- Rabid - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 6:10 pm:
the corrupt nod is a no bid contract. Mike was nodding at the comptroller to start mocking him
- Langhorne - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 6:11 pm:
Look up research by chris mooney and IGPA, on term limits.
Power does shift even more to lobbyists and staff. A lot of institutional knowledge is lost. Redistricting is the real issue w potential to change things for the better.
- wordslinger - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 6:28 pm:
–“Is Governor of Illinois really going to say a line intended to undermine citizens’ faith in the judicial branch of government? [nods] I guess he is…”–
Lot of that going around these days. It’s the next-to-last refuge of scoundrels. Rauner was doing it back in 2015.
Again, Rauner was Trump before Trump.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/rauner-says-illinois-supreme-court-is-part-of-corrupt-system/
- Blago's Hare - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 6:48 pm:
Looked to me as if the speaker’s nod was more of a reaction to the Governor’s feeble attempt at humor.
- Just Me - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 6:50 pm:
Term limits, redistricting reform, and campaign finance reform, are all solutions to the same problem: A broken election system.
To fix this problem changes are needed on all sides of this triangle.
- Mike - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 7:29 pm:
Term limits don’t work. We will cycle in and out amateurs who don’t know what they are doing, which will give even more power to lobbyists.
I’m not opposed to term limits for the leaders of both statehouses though.
- JM1997 - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 7:31 pm:
—Term limits really sounds like a GREAT idea until you live somewhere like…—
Mexico which has had the strictest term limits in the world.
- Jim - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 7:32 pm:
Should Rauner win a second term will be hold himself to the same standard and not run again in 2022? Hmmm.
- JM1997 - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 7:35 pm:
Open primary reform is the single best way to bring competition to even the most gerrymandered districts.
But both parties despise this level of competition equally which is why we are never presented with this reform from either side’s leadership.
- Smitty Irving - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 7:36 pm:
Term limits are a GOP weapon aimed at 2 targets. 1, effective Democratic House Speakers - Maine’s John Martin, Ohio’s Vern Riffe, Illinois’ Mike Madigan. 2, effective liberal African-American legislators - Nebraska’s Ernie Chambers, California’s Willie Brown. Term limits are an admission that Democrats are better than the GOP - see Oswego Willy’s comments about Tom Cross and good weather election days.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 7:50 pm:
===Term limits are an admission that Democrats are better than the GOP - see Oswego Willy’s comments about Tom Cross and good weather election days.===
First, thank you.
A lil addendum if I could - Smitty Irving -, very respectfully.
The laziness of the GOP, and the willingness to get, outworked, outhustled… that’s also not being better or being worse than Dems, but again a failure to be better, by playing 9 holes on Election Day.
OW
- GOP Extremist - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 8:00 pm:
Was this all telling nod before or after the Governor lied, AGAIN, about proposing a balanced budget the last three years.
- Smitty Irving - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 8:06 pm:
Oswego Willy -
No matter how conservative, Democrats belief government has a role in society -roads and levees and dams. Most, but not all, GOPers don’t see that … so when in government they play golf on Election Day.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 8:16 pm:
===No matter how conservative, Democrats belief government has a role in society -roads and levees and dams. Most, but not all, GOPers don’t see that===
“not all” is very fair to the discussion, “Most” is dangerously close to generalization, but as these campaigns and years pass, it’s harder to argue the other side with you. I’d like to think I’m a “not all”… along with those fighting the wave of Republican dysfunction. We may be “fewer” but hopefully won’t be headed towards extinction.
===… so when in government they play golf on Election Day.===
On this, I just think Tom found a nice day play 9.
It probably spoke more about Cross at that snapshot moment…
…and I’ll leave my words, unchanged and unapologetically on Coss there where you correctly found them.
Again with much respect and humbled thanks.
Appreciate your take here. Sincerely.
- Smitty Irving - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 8:49 pm:
Oswego Willy -
Grew up in the Mountain West pre-Reagan when ALL GOP’ers acknowledged the need for government, albeit limited -water projects, roads, railroads. Went to school during Reagan in Upstate New York where ALL GOP’ers acknowledged Adam Smith, Ayn Rand,and Milton Friedman could not remove the foot of snow on the road. Other than you, those GOP’ers have gone radio silent.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:12 pm:
- Smitty Irving -
Appreciate your acknowledgements. Thanks.
My GOP, a generation ago, had a better grasp to understanding the role of governing abs the difference between govern”ing” and govern”ment”, watching the change and the wave swamp. I’m old school, admittedly to a fault, and all that the word fault means.
I see the successes of now Republican governors and the choices in the government and governing being weighed still by dollars and less by function, but I have to believe that losing elections may be the only way to swing a pendulum towards finding function more times than cutting responsibilities.
Change evolves, but a wake-up call like these midterms might start an evolution.
- Smitty Irving - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:41 pm:
Oswego Willy -
What do think of John Kasich? Did he learn from his “mistake” under Newt?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 9:47 pm:
===What do think of John Kasich? Did he learn from his “mistake” under Newt?===
I actually think the Labor Referendum loss as governor, with a Republican legislature, that really shaped Kasich and I payed attention to how he approached governing since.
I’m a Kasich guy, there’s no doubt. He’s willing to learn, but willing to make his lessons part of what the GOP needs to learn from going forward. That’s a leader.
- Smitty Irving - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:00 pm:
Oswego - So Kasich learned from his “errors” under Gingrich?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:02 pm:
===So Kasich learned from his “errors” under Gingrich===
He speaks to his time in the House, but his discussion to governing as the Executive of a state and the politics and governing from there is “fresher”?
How about that?
- Smitty Irving - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 10:08 pm:
Good enough! Newt’s 1995 tax cut used non-indexed for inflation numbers visit a vi Medicare, and when called on it by Al Franken (know he’s taboo) Kasich admitted the Con.
- SuburbanRepublican - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 8:06 am:
When you get outside of the bubble of politically obsessed people, like most of us on this blog, term limits is something that Republican and Democrat voters overwhelmingly favor. It isn’t the cure for all of Illinois’ problems. But it would send a powerful message to voters that the way we’ve been doing business in Illinois for the last 50+ years is over. 10 years is plenty of time to accomplish things. At the bare minimum, term limits in leaders should happen across the board.
- Ahoy! - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 9:04 am:
In Defense of Madigan, he is pretty open about his desire to maintain an iron grip on Illinois, this isn’t new.