Because… Madigan!
Tuesday, Jul 17, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Deputy GOP state central committeeman for the 17th Congressional District Bill Bloom has an op-ed in the Dispatch-Argus…
The other simple math is this: Rauner plus Erika Harold equals House Speaker Michael Madigan’s retirement. Madigan has not been too worried about an attorney general who might look into his real estate law practices and the conflicts of interests his revenue stream, influence in Cook County and control of legislation represents.
After all, Attorney General Lisa Madigan is his daughter. Capturing the attorney general’s office and sustaining the new AG with a re-elected Rauner will put a spotlight on Madigan’s dealings.
I would expect that Mike (age 76) might well find it time to retire rather than sit through the first serious state-level investigation into his activities.
The simple math shows removing Madigan is the first step in turning around the tax, spend and business environment in Illinois. That requires us to re-elect Rauner and elect Harold as attorney general. In November. Please do not sit on the sidelines. Re-elect the governor of Illinois.
I have yet to hear a good explanation about why Speaker Madigan’s law practice is in violation of conflict of interest laws. Also, the guy has been probed more than once by the federales, so you’d think if he was operating illegally they’d have busted him by now.
But, whatevs. A guy can dream, can’t he?
- Anon221 - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 10:46 am:
Math is the squirrel… Geography is the pearl.
“In 2020, we will have a census and redistricting.”- from the Op-Ed
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 10:51 am:
innuendo and accusations are all Rauner has. I do not recall the AG ever being subject to an investigation, just dishonest accusations from Rauner. The man does not have an honest bone in his body.
- DuPage Saint - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 10:51 am:
What is the Republican Party going to do when Madigan retires and they find that they still cannot win elections or govern?
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 10:52 am:
==A can can dream, can’t he?==
Or she. The “can” could be female.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 11:00 am:
===What is the Republican Party going to do when Madigan retires and they find that they still cannot win elections or govern?===
They will find that the Democratic Party can win elections and still not govern.
- cover - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 11:01 am:
That op-ed conveniently ignores that Speaker Madigan already has faced a GOP duo in those offices, Governor Edgar and Attorney General Jim Ryan.
- walker - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 11:04 am:
Let’s play this game both ways:
“The best way to get Madigan to retire is to give him a Dem governor, and more seats in the House. Then he goes out a winner.”
Madigan will determine his own timing. His only potential threats are within his own caucus, and those are long shots.
- Precinct Captain - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 11:13 am:
Is there sanctuary for whatever this guy is smoking?
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 11:15 am:
In that equation, why is it necessary to reelect Rauner? Because he’s financing Harold?
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 11:22 am:
===Because he’s financing Harold?===
He is? Since when?
And if you know the answer to that, please let in Durkin and Brady in on the secret because for now, Rauner’s checkbook appears to be closed.
- The Way I See It - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 11:31 am:
It’s not so much a guy can dream, but a guy can lie and slander.
- Roman - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 11:36 am:
Not to mention the fact that the AG in Illinois has very little statutory power to act as a prosecutor (can’t convene a grand jury, etc.) Erica Harold as AG could use the bully puppet to beat up Mike Madigan, but without subpoena power she wouldn’t accomplish much else.
- Annonin' - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 11:38 am:
“A guy can dream, can’t he?”
Who is doin’ the dreamin’ Clown Car Co-Driver Bloom or Capt Fax?
After this morning edition the latter seems to be yearnin’ for GovJunk to waste hard earned $$$ on a group that backstabbed him. Curious
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 11:41 am:
@Walker definitely gets it. One of the best and most rationale posters here so not really a surprise that he sums it up so well.
I can’t honestly tell if Rauner recalling believes he thinks he can make Madigan go away. Madigan is pretty solid in his district and has no worries there.
I would guess he is just trying to keep the base energy level up.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 11:42 am:
@47: ok, but if he’s not, then what’s the argument to reelect the guy?
- Pundent - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 11:53 am:
=I would guess he is just trying to keep the base energy level up.=
Rauner has had four years to stoke the Madigan outrage and all it’s gotten him is a 26% approval rating. And I would venture to say that is the universe of Rauner’s “base”. To move from there to a win in November he’s going to need a lot more converts.
- DeseDemDose - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 12:43 pm:
Speaker Madigan isn’t going anywhere and rivals Boss Richard J. Daley as a true legend. Seriously. Bruce Rauner’s only accomplishment after 4 years will be is to have written checks to an array of character that accomplished nothing.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 12:54 pm:
–I would expect that Mike (age 76) might well find it time to retire rather than sit through the first serious state-level investigation into his activities.–
I wonder why Pat Fitz didn’t take down Madigan in his ten years, if he couldn’t stand to be scrootened.
Those federales have a wee bit more investigative firepower at their disposal than does the Illinois AG.
You think Fitz was in on it? Double-Secret-Probation-Combine, maybe?
- IL AG Duties - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 1:03 pm:
Fourteenth - To attend, present evidence to and prosecute indictments returned by each Statewide Grand Jury.
- 19th ward guy - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 2:11 pm:
Roman. - Lisa Madigan is the only Ag in the country who doesn’t prosecute corruption. And the Illinois AG has one ty if ability to use the grand jury. She just chooses not to do it and uses people like you to spread the falsehoods. She ran as a public corruption prosecuting AG—-then did nothing.
- Roman - Tuesday, Jul 17, 18 @ 4:49 pm:
@ IL AG Duties
Please read the Statewide Grand Jury Act. Only the Chief Justice of the SC can convene a statewide grand jury (in response to a request from a circuit judge) and the scope of the statewide grand jury is explicitly limited to drug conspiracy cases and the like, not public corruption.
@ 19th Ward guy
You sound like Rod Blagojevich criticizing AG Jim Ryan for not prosecuting governor Ryan. Rod was wrong then, you are wrong now. Both Jim Ryan and Lisa Madigan brought the criticism on themselves by campaigning as corruption fighters when in truth, the AG’s power in Illinois is largely limited to civil action. The AG serves as a prosecutor when the county SA has a conflict and when the Supreme Court calls for a statewide grand jury — that’s pretty much it.
Kudos to Kwame Raoul and Erica Harold for not being demagogues and running as “corruption fighters.”