An army of one
Tuesday, Dec 18, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rep. Scott Drury (D-Former Federal Prosecutor) confirms that he went to Springfield to teach everyone how to behave…
A former federal prosecutor, Drury arrived at the Statehouse in 2013 as an idealist out to fix a culture in which lawmakers, he says, too often made legislative decisions based on “How does this benefit me?”
“I saw being a state representative as an opportunity to show people in Illinois that government is something you can trust,” said Drury, reflecting on his six years in office.
“I viewed my job as trying to change a culture, a perception. Sometimes it caused me to rub elbows with people, and not be the most liked person on a given day,” he conceded. “But that was the only way to make change in a state that is so resistant to change.” […]
“Just think back to the last gubernatorial campaign in the primary,” Drury said, of the often-heard calls for leadership term limits among candidates on the campaign trail.
“That never would have happened if I wasn’t continually injecting that into the conversation,” Drury said.
It takes all kinds to make a General Assembly. Come one, come all. But while change can start with the actions of one person, it almost never actually happens with just one person. Drury was essentially a legislative coalition of one throughout his brief tenure.
- LakeviewJ - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 10:07 am:
Who?
- not really - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 10:13 am:
Ironic that he talks about establishing trust because most people who tried to work with the guy feel betrayed and that he was not trustworthy. Basing this on things I hear from people in Springfield and in his district.
Rep. elect Stava Murray might be wise to realize lessons from his failures, that legislating is not a solo-sport.
- Sue - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 10:14 am:
Yea how did that work out for him?
- not really - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 10:15 am:
he is right about legislative term limits being elevated this year
I am so glad he proposed it, it was never talked about in IL before.
- Tommydanger - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 10:20 am:
Yes, without Mr. Drury, I would never have imagined how important the gift of a clock meant to some people.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 10:22 am:
Bob Morgan is going to be such an upgrade.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 10:23 am:
He didn’t let that 8% he got in the Dem primary for AG diminish his high opinion of himself. So he’s got that going for him.
- Former Downstater - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 10:23 am:
You get a lot more done when people actually like you.
- El Conquistador - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 10:32 am:
Definitely an odd bird… that needs to find another profession.
- Steve Rogers - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 10:35 am:
Rep. Drury: Don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back.
- Wow - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 10:38 am:
He was a former prosecutor??? If I knew that I would have urged him to run for AG
- In 630 - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 10:39 am:
Totally minor point but…
“Sometimes it caused me to rub elbows with people, and not be the most liked person on a given day”
He doesn’t know what “rub elbows” means
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 10:53 am:
This guy is really full of himself isn’t he?
- Chunga - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 11:11 am:
Look, up in the sky! Is it a bird or a plane? No ! It’s FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR MAN!!!
- Jocko - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 11:17 am:
Was Drury being selfless or an agent of change? If I asked him, I suspect he’d say “Both.”
- Precinct Captain - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 11:33 am:
Investigate all cases this guy worked on as a prosecutor. Someone this egomaniacal couldn’t have been working for justice.
- Minnie Pearl Jam - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 11:45 am:
Drury is correct.
When he started talking, folks wanted term limits.
- Todd - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 12:07 pm:
he is a legend in his own mind
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 12:33 pm:
Drury already got term limited out.
Voters decided he had been in office long enough.
Ego, narcissism, self-aggrandizement, foolishness. What a campaign platform.
- Frank Talks - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 12:35 pm:
So Scott Drury brought up Leader term limits?
I thought the Senate put it into their rules last GA?
But hey Scott you’re on a roll why stop now?
- Just Observing - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 1:52 pm:
===
Drury already got term limited out.
Voters decided he had been in office long enough.
===
I’m not a Drury supporter, but he chose not to run for re-election for state rep. I suspect had he run for re-election he likely would have won. His district was fawning over him, but he certainly was not disliked by his constituents.
- John Deere Green - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 2:35 pm:
What made you “not be the most liked person” was not your self-proclaimed idealism, but the fact that you walked around the building in a smug, self-satisfied, nose-in-the-air manner thinking yourself superior to and smarter than every one of your colleagues and capitol critter.
Someone as smart as a former federal prosecutor should know you don’t win over people by telling them how wrong or corrupt they are. (Sure, why just yesterday I won an argument on Facebook, said no one ever.) One would think a former federal prosecutor knows the best way to win over people and bring them around to you way of thinking is with persuasion and likability. Otherwise you’re nothing but a boor, no matter what you’re selling. At least to most normal people. Being a boor seems to work fine on Trump acolytes.
- revvedup - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 2:55 pm:
You actually don’t have to be liked to get politics done, but you do have to be respected (the famed Cubs trio of Evers, Tinker, and Chance reported HATED each other…yet they got the job done time and again). And as a non-former Federal prosecutor…Drury might also have needed a whip and a chair until he earned that respect.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 3:30 pm:
QOTD:
Best legislative upgrade in last several years?
Dan McConchie for Dan Duffy
Juliana Stratton for Ken Dunkin
Bob Morgan for Scott Drury
- Louis G. Atsaves - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 3:41 pm:
===Voters decided he had been in office long enough.===
Which voters? Had he decided to stay and run for reelection in his gerrymandered blue district, it would have forced Democrats to choose between Drury and Morgan. Would have been an interesting primary, but Drury announced he was seeking higher office.
The best of the three candidates running in that district was Rick Lesser, but as a Republican he would have needed multiple red tidal waves to win that safe blue seat.
Drury served as my state representative during that time. An underwhelming performance.
- PublicServant - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 6:20 pm:
This is why I think JB will be a great governor. He’s a true leader, who’s plan is to work with people to do the doable. He ran a campaign where he laid out his goals, albeit in broad strokes, but he did so earnestly. Ideologues, where it my way, or the highway, have no place in politics. Good luck, JB. Cya Scott and thanks for accomplishing nothing.
- Anon - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 6:23 pm:
Drury was a coalition of one, which says as much about Madigan’s control over his minions as about Drury.
Nancy Pelosi’s leadership was challenged after the 2016 election. I don’t recall her opponents being ostracized.
Drury has been self-important and abrasive. I might hold that against him when I see that theoretical Dem legislator who is truly independent and gets along well with colleagues.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 7:36 pm:
===when I see that theoretical Dem legislator who is truly independent and gets along well with colleagues===
Will Guzzardi, Kelly Cassidy, La Shawn Ford, Robyn Gabel, Theresa Mah, Christian Mitchell, Juliana Stratton… shall I go on?
- Fantasma - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 8:10 pm:
Plain and simple he was an arrogant man who just wasn’t nice. As an advocate he refused to hear you out. How is that working with people or rubbing elbows? He rubbed elbows with people who agreed with him and anyone else was beneath him. It seems like Anne Stava-Murray is taking this page out of his playbook.
- Anon - Tuesday, Dec 18, 18 @ 8:45 pm:
==shall I go on?==
That depends on how you define truly independent. I’d say one measure would be having withheld, at least once, a vote for Madigan as Speaker or for at least some the rules that empower him. That’s as opposed to always voting for Madigan and always rubber-stamping all of his rules.
I realize that others would define independence differently.
- John Deere Green - Wednesday, Dec 19, 18 @ 7:01 am:
==or for at least some the rules that empower him.==
Elaine Nekritz voted against the House rules and ended up in leadership. What else ya got, beside your victimhood?
- low level - Wednesday, Dec 19, 18 @ 7:36 am:
Drury chose to associate w that great reformer Ken Dunkin, right? Give me a break.
- Anon - Wednesday, Dec 19, 18 @ 1:51 pm:
==Elaine Nekritz voted against the House rules and ended up in leadership.==
I’ve been a fan of Elaine Nekritz and I didn’t even know that. Of course she’s now a former legislator. But more of her ilk would be nice.