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Madigan gets sassy with reporters, but also calls for unity
Monday, Jan 7, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller * Once again, Speaker Madigan asked his spokesman today before an availability which reporter worked for the Illinois Policy Institute. The Illinois News Network is headquartered in the same building as the Institute, but they’re technically separate entities…
I dunno. It’s almost like a running joke now, even though he should probably knock it off. Not to mention that Madigan stays in the same Springfield apartment building as that other reporter during session. And Brown clearly giggled after saying “Only if you want them to be.” If you listen to the audio, Madigan even playfully asked Dave Dahl where he got that Hawaiian shirt. “Ebay,” was the response… * Madigan was also asked why he’s running the bills to reconstitute the Tollway board and allow agency director salaries to be raised. “Why not?” was his answer. Asked by Bishop if it was fiscally responsible to allow director salaries to increase, Madigan said…
I don’t think such a bill ever passed, however. * Asked why the Democrats are running a TV ad telling people they’re on their side, Madigan said, “Why not? What’s wrong with communication?” Madigan didn’t answer questions about the gas tax or about Rep.-elect Anne Stava-Murray. * On a more serious note, Madigan said he was “anxious to work” with House GOP Leader Jim Durkin, pointing to past successes, including the education funding bill and last year’s budget agreement…
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- Annonin' - Monday, Jan 7, 19 @ 3:24 pm:
Could a lighter mood be returning to the State House. Long overdue
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Monday, Jan 7, 19 @ 3:27 pm:
Maybe Greg Bishop should wear a name tag, with his organization’s name, that way Madigan won’t have to ask next time.
- CharlieKratos - Monday, Jan 7, 19 @ 3:29 pm:
Bishop clutching his pearls about being associated with the far-right is pretty laughable.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 7, 19 @ 3:29 pm:
The tone is more collegial now… the tension of the governing these past four years is lifting and maybe we’ll see some old school bipartisanship, even though the numbers are well stacked in the Dem side.
The GOP must be seen as a partner more to be taken seriously as a party moving past these four years and the stain of the 99th GA.
To the ads,
===“Why not? What’s wrong with communication?”===
I think it’s 27% trolling the Rauners, 29% rehab, 38% party brand building, and 6% for giggles? Maybe? Yes? No.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jan 7, 19 @ 3:30 pm:
If you’re going to be in the water, at least know where the sharks are.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jan 7, 19 @ 3:30 pm:
Almost as an afterthought?…”all of us would be better off, including the people of the state of Illinois”. Good to know, Mike.
- jim - Monday, Jan 7, 19 @ 4:25 pm:
Madigan is really full of himself these days, as he should be given his vast influence. but he comes across as somewhat petulant and arrogant with his non-answers and jibes.
both he and brown ought to be more professional.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 7, 19 @ 4:38 pm:
The Speaker sure sounds like someone who does not regularly converse with Ed Burke.
No thanks for your service and good wishes in you r future endeavors for Lou Lang?
Fascinating to see who he will blame for the dysfunction that is sure to continue in Springfield.
- Cheryl44 - Monday, Jan 7, 19 @ 5:12 pm:
I like the ad. I think it’s a good idea to remind us all to unclench, Rauner’s gone in a few days.
- efudd - Monday, Jan 7, 19 @ 5:39 pm:
During the holidays, the Illinois Radio Network ran a story written by Bishop that included a statement by Ted Dabrowski stating that unions should “come to the table” to negotiate diminishing state pensions. As RNUG and others has pointed out numerous times, AFSCME couldn’t negotiate this if they wanted to.
Didn’t stop Bishop from running this “story”.
He’s as much as a journalist as I am.
- SSL - Monday, Jan 7, 19 @ 7:00 pm:
I appreciate Madigan offering to work collaboratively with Republican counterparts. Of course, he does this because he doesn’t want the Democrats to get blamed for all the bad news that’s coming our way. He’s more powerful than ever, and while he relishes that power more than oxygen, he knows the danger. Significantly higher taxes are needed, and there won’t be a discernable increase in state services, and that’s dangerous for him. He needs to share the blame.
We didn’t see or hear much from Mikey over the last four years, and now he’s on TV telling me how much he cares. I believe that he cares, but as always, it’s about himself.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jan 7, 19 @ 7:05 pm:
In the so-called Democratic spot, who is that scrappy young go-getter with the self-serving image play two years before the next election?
We’re going to hear more from that smiley ginger, and I don’t mean just a post-card.
The spot itself is top notch, great production values. Should have run it before the election with a “In the Time of Trump, Vote Democratic” call-to-action.
But without Madigan.
Dude, you made your bed and earned your approval rating with your arrogance and silence, over so many years. It did not have to go down that way.
–* Asked why the Democrats are running a TV ad telling people they’re on their side, Madigan said, “Why not? What’s wrong with communication?”–
You should have asked Brownie that any time over the last thirty years, before you let yourself be turned into a cartoon super-villain by lightweights like tronc/IPI/Proft with virtually no response. Your opponents were not the A-Team, by any stretch of the imagination.
As a lawyer and a Catholic school product, Madigan must know: qui tacet consentire videtur.
BTW, it’s a Madigan image spot, paid for by the Friends of Michael Madigan, not a Democratic Party spot.
Good one, though. But not worth much in January 2019.
- Ill Annoyed - Monday, Jan 7, 19 @ 8:00 pm:
We’re looking forward to working together to solve problems with common sense Republicans….and then we will smear them as enablers of sex offenders and rapists during the 2020 campaign.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jan 7, 19 @ 8:29 pm:
I just took a pretty good crack at Madigan’s belated self-image-promoting TV spot.
I wonder if the op-ed below by former Rep. Watson is part of a campaign.
Again, 30 years late, but awfully good, on it’s own, just like the spot. You hear a lot of stories like his about Madigan.
Madigan did not have to be silent when ding-dongs like the tronc edit board were vilifying him. They aren’t very good at what they do, but anyone can score when there’s no opposition.
https://www.dailyherald.com/discuss/20181231/war-and-politics–my-story-with-speaker-madigan
- The Dude - Monday, Jan 7, 19 @ 8:38 pm:
I’ve listened to Bishop for years going back all the way to his Saturday Session days. He used to be more libertarian which I liked but around 2012 he turned more conservative.
I still listened until he got his own show on the mornings and he turned into a full blown Raunerite then he gets hired by Illinois News Network which is supposed to be independent of the Illinois policy institute but we all are right through it.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Jan 7, 19 @ 8:51 pm:
===I wonder if the op-ed below by former Rep. Watson is part of a campaign.===
Me too. I thought exactly that after reading Watson’s op-ed. If it is, I welcome it. And you’re right, it’s way past time to reverse the slide, to undo the reputational damage.
I see it as a sign of a new day for Madigan, a kinder, gentler Madigan, who wants to go out on his own terms. He’s not going to be bullied out of office and he sure as (expletive) doesn’t want to leave the stage like Ed Burke.
If this is an image campaign, I like it. There is an enormous amount of work needed to turn this state around. If this is Madigan’s way of saying he’s ready to tackle some long-vexing issues, I’m all for it.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jan 7, 19 @ 9:20 pm:
The Speaker sure looks like he is taking a few pointers about how to handle the press from Trump
- MG85 - Tuesday, Jan 8, 19 @ 10:05 am:
Always enjoy seeing “the Guardians” of the 1st Amendment get all up in arms when someone else attempts to invoke his own rights to free speech.
If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.