* More from Rick Pearson’s WGN Radio interview of Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady…
Brady: The people want a change. They want Mike Madigan to leave office, frankly. They want term limits. In tying Democratic candidates to [Speaker Madigan] it really resonates. I mean, look at this, we go back to this example where three Democratic challengers against three of our candidates are running term limit ads on Mike Madigan and yet he still had the ability to force them to pull those ads. Because that’s what he wanted and people are tired of that dictatorship that they believe has put Illinois into the position that we’re in. He is the pivotal point of what people want to see different in Illinois. And that’s one of the reasons my candidates - John Curran, Tom Rooney and Mike Connelly - are for term limits. I’m for term limits. Bruce Rauner is for term limits. They believe more power should be given back to the people.
Pearson: But, I mean you’ve had a lengthy tenure in the Legislature.
Brady: I have.
Pearson: And even if we adopted a term limits amendment, it wouldn’t take effect for years.
Brady: It probably wouldn’t have any effect on the tenure of Mike Madigan, but it would stop future politicians from ever having that type of reign in Illinois government.
He’s probably right, of course. He’s just off-message.
- TominChicago - Monday, Sep 10, 18 @ 11:47 am:
Shorter Brady: “Term limits for thee, but not for me.”
- VanillaMan - Monday, Sep 10, 18 @ 11:54 am:
How long has Brady occupied that Bloomington seat? Perhaps he ought not to complain.
- Not Rich - Monday, Sep 10, 18 @ 11:56 am:
I was for term limits before I was against term limits…
- PublicServant - Monday, Sep 10, 18 @ 12:06 pm:
Limiting who people (including legislative members) can vote for is undemocratic. Period.
- wordslinger - Monday, Sep 10, 18 @ 12:18 pm:
A 25-year GA member pushing term limits is not to be taken seriously on the subject. In fact, you should be insulted that he thinks you can be so easily played.
- Steve - Monday, Sep 10, 18 @ 12:19 pm:
It all depends on the way the term limits are structured. When California did it: it applied right away and to everyone.
- Not Rich - Monday, Sep 10, 18 @ 12:20 pm:
looks like some of Bill’s members will experience term limits in November..
- 47th Ward - Monday, Sep 10, 18 @ 12:20 pm:
===He’s probably right, of course. He’s just off-message.===
Maybe Governor Rauner should include a set of talking points with that long overdue check to the SGOP caucus.
- Spliff - Monday, Sep 10, 18 @ 12:24 pm:
Maybe Bill should have focused on finding candidates a year ago instead of sitting with his head in the sand waiting for Uncle Bruce to give him his talking points.
- Annonin' - Monday, Sep 10, 18 @ 12:25 pm:
Looks like voters will deliver term limits on at least Rooney and Connolly in a few weeks
BTW why do reporters never ask folks like NoTaxBill what their IL will look like if term limits were enacted.
BTW NoTaxBill also bungled the remap answer by failin’ to mention Voting Rights Act.
- Precinct Captain - Monday, Sep 10, 18 @ 12:59 pm:
Bruce to Bill on the Raunerbucks Hotline:
“STOP MAKING SENSE!”
- El Conquistador - Monday, Sep 10, 18 @ 1:26 pm:
Myself and many others would be much interested in legislation to prevent any recurrence of the Rauner actions to hold the budget hostage for 3 years in a buffoonish, if not criminal, attempt to force his irrresponsible and radical agenda (that was not detailed in his campaign) on the majority.
That’s the problem that needs fixed now. And not Rauner’s GOP obsession with being the minority and his ridiculous white whale hunt for Madigan.
- btowntruth from forgottonia - Monday, Sep 10, 18 @ 3:47 pm:
I love it.
Of course they are all for it because it won’t affect them one bit.
Make it effective immediately and see how fast guys like Brady shut up.
- a drop in - Monday, Sep 10, 18 @ 3:54 pm:
” They believe more power should be given back to the people.”
….by taking away the power of voting for whomever they choose. Now that makes real sense. /s
- anon2 - Monday, Sep 10, 18 @ 4:38 pm:
A gaffe is when a politician gives an honest answer. Speaking of honesty, if Brady really believes in an eight-year term limit, he should stop running for re-election, since he has served in the General Assembly since 1993, and in the Senate since 2002.
- anon2 - Monday, Sep 10, 18 @ 4:47 pm:
Brady and his fellow GOP senators are for term limits in the same sense that Gingrich and his GOP colleagues were back in the 90s. When they hit the eight years they insisted was enough, most of them ran again. Shimkus was the local example.
- John Deere Green - Monday, Sep 10, 18 @ 7:12 pm:
Golly, if only Bill Brady and others in the “We Love Term Limits” crowd had a way to term limit themselves. They’re such fans of those term limits, you know, but that mean ol’ Speaker just won’t see things their way and force them to not run for re-election…
I’ve no doubt the issue polls well, sadly, but I’d love to know how many people say they want term limits then vote to re-elect their own. People want term limits for everyone else’s legislators.