Because… Madigan!
Wednesday, Mar 7, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The best way for any candidate to get quoted by a reporter these days is to take a verbal potshot at Speaker Madigan. The more outrageous the better…
* Madigan even made the Intercept…
The Illinois Democratic machine has unleashed a wave of attacks on fellow Democrats in local races, with state party chair Michael Madigan funding mailers knocking several progressive candidates as Donald Trump stooges and foot soldiers in the tea party.
Madigan’s campaign committee has spent nearly $19,000 on mailers attacking two Our Revolution-backed candidates in State Central Democratic Committee elections, Elizabeth Lindquist and Art Bardsley. The postcards say Lindquist and Bardsley are Trump supporters and “members of a group supported by Tea Party activists.” The group referenced by the mailers is Represent.Us, which advocates for politicians on all sides of the political spectrum who support an end to gerrymandering, open primaries, transparency in campaign financing, and rooting out corruption from politics. […]
Steve Brown, Madigan’s press secretary, defended the mailers. “I would assume the mailers are in districts where we’re supporting incumbents, which tends to be our general philosophy,” Brown said in a phone interview with The Intercept. […]
“I’ve been an FDR-style Democrat my entire adult life, I’m 67 and current second vice-chair for the Winnebago County Democratic Party and never have I been called a ‘fake’ Democrat until the ‘leader’ of my state party attempted to smear me as such by spending at least $16K on not one, but two full-color, front-and-back, full-page flyers accusing me of being everything I have stood against for as long as I can remember,” Bardsley said in an interview. “Madigan knows if I’m elected that I will cast a vote against him for party chairman.”
And that last sentence is why Madigan is spending money in the race. If you click here you’ll see Friends of Michael J Madigan has spent over $51K on a few races, with $13K expended against Bardsley.
* Back to the story…
In the election for state House District 38, Madigan’s committee spent nearly $3,800 last week on mailers against each of the Democratic Primary candidates Cecil Matthews and Max Solomon. A week before, Madigan spent almost $2,500 on opposition mailers against both candidates, and more than $3,900 a few days earlier. Matthews has pledged not to accept any donations greater than $500 from any individual or corporation per election cycle. The other two candidates in the race are Olympia Fields Village President Debbie Meyers-Martin and Assistant State Attorney David Bonner. They are competing for the open seat vacated by State Rep. Al Riley, who is retiring and has endorsed Bonner.
Asked about Madigan’s intervention in the 38th District, where there is no incumbent candidate, Brown said, “We are working with new candidates who we believe would make better representatives or members of the state central committee.”
Those candidates, like others, have been compared to Trump and Rauner. As subscribers know, he’s doing this in other Democratic primaries as well.
- Blue dog dem - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 2:22 pm:
The only thing better than a contested primary, would be if Lisa herself were in on this.
I can hear it now…..because…Dad!
- LXB - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 2:24 pm:
You don’t have to like Madigan to find a statement like that disqualifying.
- Annonin' - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 2:26 pm:
Another common denominator is all are losin’
- AlfondoGonz - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 2:27 pm:
Really should have just given him the clock.
- Leahy Jacob - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 2:31 pm:
We’re all Fairley and Goldstein.
- Just Me - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 2:32 pm:
No need for a democracy in the Democratic Party.
- ILPundit - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 2:41 pm:
Look, if Madigan want’s to do negative mail against other Democrats, that’s his choice. But making stuff up like linking them to Trump and the Tea party with no basis in fact is simply outrageous, and frankly, disqualifying.
- Blue dog dem - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 2:42 pm:
I wonder if MJM is sending a thank you note to Pres Trump. Looks like us steel may save the blast furnaces. Wasnt gonna be long and they woulda been shot.
- paddyrollingstone - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 2:43 pm:
ILPundit - it ain’t beanbag
- Angel's Sword - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 2:47 pm:
I don’t even think that’s not the worst thing Drury said about Madigan at that forum. He brought him up every time he got to speak, and some of the stuff he was saying just made him sound unhinged. If you listened to Drury you’d think Madigan was responsible for every leaf that falls off every tree.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 2:49 pm:
===Looks like us steel may save the blast furnaces===
Let’s wait and see what happens to that tariff threat until after the Pennsylvania special election.
- Angel's Sword - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 2:49 pm:
Sorry for the typo in my first sentence there…
- Whatevs - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 2:53 pm:
I was at the forum today. Mariotti and Drury clearly were the winners. When Drury delivered the line tweeted above, it was clear he won over the crowd. Mariotti did the same with a question about his law firm donors.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 2:54 pm:
===Mariotti and Drury clearly were the winners===
Good for them. That and $2 million will surely help one of them win. /s
- Blue dog dem - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 3:00 pm:
Rich..I agree. But at least Americans understand the situation a little better. I hope.
- Stand Tall - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 3:03 pm:
” end to gerrymandering, open primaries, transparency in campaign financing, and rooting out corruption from politics.” - If they root out corruption in politics he loses all his friends and minions.
- Tequila Mockingbird - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 3:06 pm:
It’s fun watching them eat thier own.
- Leahy Jacob - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 3:14 pm:
@TequilaMockingbird Ummmm no offense to the good people of this site, but no real voters will hear about this/care. Get some perspective.
- walker - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 3:27 pm:
The mythical Madigan has been changed from Zeus to Satan.
- DeseDemDose - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 3:30 pm:
Drury = Rauner Flunky.
- Boone's is Back - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 3:32 pm:
===Wolf was never an FBI agent.===
LOL
- Whatever - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 3:58 pm:
I’m a Republican, but this “because Madigan” nonsense has gotten to the point where I wish I could run for the house this year (as a Republican) just so I could vote for him for speaker next session.
- Blue dog dem - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 4:03 pm:
This just in.. US steel called back 500 workers. (Lost one of the new widget factory family).
- Shytown - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 4:13 pm:
Drury, go away. Far away and never come back.
- d.p.gumby - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 4:33 pm:
It’s embarrassing to see Brucie’s big money big lie attacks on Madigan being picked up by Democrats.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 7:07 pm:
–I wonder if MJM is sending a thank you note to Pres Trump. –
Not remotely relevant to the thread. Passing the hours watching Fox News all day can’t be good.
Turn it off for a second and play a tune.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfwGkplB_sY
- Blue dog dem - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 8:12 pm:
It’s a great day for some middle class USW. I hope everyone is as happy as me. Should have happened 9 yrs ago. Good to see MJM and the Progressive bunch as excited as me.
- Blue dog dem - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 8:14 pm:
P.S. Reading is fundamental. Budweiser is good in moderation.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 8:28 pm:
–Should have happened 9 yrs ago.–
Actually, it happened 15 years ago, with disastrous consequences to everyone but the entitled class.
How come a big-shot boss like you still couldn’t compete even with your government entitlement handout?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/03/06/remember-bushs-2002-steel-tariffs-his-chief-of-staff-warns-trump-not-to-do-the-same/?utm_term=.e71c7464bf54
- Blue dog dem - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 8:48 pm:
It’s a great day when the two party system shows its true hypocrisy. A repub president supporting American union middle class workers. DEMS clamoring for free trade(?). Makes me want a Bud or two,but I think somebody already drank em all. I am gonna just go out on the front porch with all my boondock union buddies and drink some shine. Might sing a couple verses of RockyTop or something.
- Blue dog dem - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 8:53 pm:
Word. Dont let me forget. Gotta go to the bank tomorrow and cash some of them government checks. Startin to pile up
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 9:12 pm:
BDD, you’ve sure got your whine on, but not a word on the Bush steel tariffs? Those threw a lot of Americans out of work for your entitlement, but you still couldn’t cut it? Like your hero would say, “sad.”
Speaking of, that Trump Tower in Chicago, how much steel do you think came from just a few miles away in NW Indiana?
Zero.
http://www.newsweek.com/how-donald-trump-ditched-us-steel-workers-china-505717
By the way
- Blue dog dem - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 9:18 pm:
Shine. Not whine. Like most of the two party establishment, people show their true colors with their pocketbooks. Trump no exception. But unlike the previous admin. At least were talking a good game
- Pundent - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 10:00 pm:
=But unlike the previous admin. At least were talking a good game=
I agree lots of talk and most of its nonsensical. Trump has already started walking this back by saying he won’t impose the tariffs on Canada and Mexico which essentially leaves Europe as the primary target. Which makes sense. We’ve got Russians interfering with our elections and your hero’s response is to punish Europe.
- Blue dog dem - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 10:10 pm:
Not my hero. All tariffs should be against only those countries who do not promote/practice free trade. We know the guilty ones. Hey, this country is guilt of subsidizing our ag industry. I can only worry about a few things. To old to solve all the problems. Just the ones I have experience with. Heck. I battled Illinois giving an out of state widget maker preferential tax deals to move here. But we have dialogue. The greatest tariff is consumer awareness and spending. But….
- justacitizen - Wednesday, Mar 7, 18 @ 11:33 pm:
“Because Madigan” has long been a catchphrase but after about 40 years, the #metoo and sexual harassment accusations vs. MJM are at the highest Because Madigan level that I can remember. He may not be removed as speaker but he’s definitely lost his unilateral power.