* From Gov. Pritzker’s press conference today…
Q: Should Speaker Madigan testify before the House Special Investigating Committee? Why or why not?
A: Well, let me just say this, that I think it’s incumbent upon all of us as elected leaders, as people who represent the people of Illinois, to work to restore public trust in government at every level.
I think it’s an important opportunity that this committee in the House receive testimony, and it’s an opportunity to get answers that I think the public deserves to get. You’ve heard me talk about that in the past. And I really, I strongly believe that the speaker should take any opportunity, and this is one, to present answers to the questions that I think you know, all of us have.
- Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Sep 30, 20 @ 1:08 pm:
The piano is off finally off Tom Demmer’s back
- Birds on the Bat - Wednesday, Sep 30, 20 @ 1:13 pm:
You’re getting there, JB. Baby steps.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Sep 30, 20 @ 1:14 pm:
=== I strongly believe that the speaker should take any opportunity, and this is one, to present answers to the questions that I think you know, all of us have.===
Madigan’s, and frankly every single person asked to testify, on their own behalf, legal counsel probably disagrees.
If the governor wanted to wade in this, the Governor should say Madigan should resign.
I don’t believe the Governor has said Madigan should resign from the House… has he?
- west wing - Wednesday, Sep 30, 20 @ 1:22 pm:
Good for the Governor.
- Donnie Elgin - Wednesday, Sep 30, 20 @ 1:25 pm:
JB just exposed Welch.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 30, 20 @ 1:26 pm:
=== exposed Welch===
Meh. Them’s the breaks of the game.
- west wing - Wednesday, Sep 30, 20 @ 1:26 pm:
Ha - Jim Nowlan plays himself to be a good government, government reform type. What’s he doing heading up a dark-money group? Do as I say, not as I do? Wow.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 30, 20 @ 1:28 pm:
=== Wow===
Relevance.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Sep 30, 20 @ 1:31 pm:
=== The piano is off finally off Tom Demmer’s back===
Activity… achievement.
Like this;
=== Them’s the breaks of the game.===
Exactly. Who thought Welch would get out of this unscathed? You play your hand, thems the breaks.
Demmer can still get 60 AND then the governor can safely call for Madigan to resign, with 60 well in hand. Achievement.
- Frumpy White Guy - Wednesday, Sep 30, 20 @ 1:35 pm:
If JB was asked that question how else was he going to respond? If he had said no or it’s up to the Speaker to decide the JB distracters would proclaim that he is controlled by Madigan.
- Take a closer look - Wednesday, Sep 30, 20 @ 1:46 pm:
With an ongoing federal investigation, will Madigan ignore his attorney’s advice and testify? Not likely. Waste of time.
- Anyone Remember - Wednesday, Sep 30, 20 @ 1:58 pm:
A Modest Proposal.
Every legislator, current or past, who voted for Com Ed’s bills should have to testify, under oath, before the Committee about “what they got” …
“You never know whose pants will get dropped in a … corruption scandal.” Alfred Wentworth, New York County DA, Law & Order, “Everyone’s Favorite Bagman”
- TheInvisibleMan - Wednesday, Sep 30, 20 @ 1:59 pm:
=== JB distracters would proclaim that he is controlled by Madigan===
Whew… what a relief knowing that without such a statement from JB those detractors won’t be running around making exactly that claim.
- Thomas Paine - Wednesday, Sep 30, 20 @ 2:02 pm:
“Strenuously” would have been better.
- phenom_Anon - Wednesday, Sep 30, 20 @ 2:08 pm:
This feels like the first baby steps for JB to turn on the Speaker. Just laying some groundwork so he can start applying a little pressure after the election.
- ILPundit - Wednesday, Sep 30, 20 @ 2:32 pm:
@Oswego –
You keep acting like its Demmer’s job to corral 60 votes against the Speaker.
With all due respect, its the job of House Democrats to say enough is enough. Demmer and the House GOP’s job is to score political points. And even though this process isn’t what will bring about the end of the Speaker’s era, they are consistently producing news and new revelations that make it harder for Democrats to claim with a straight face that Madigan was ignorant of all this going on all around him.
Nobody wants to swing at the king and miss. But as a lifelong Democrat in the business, I can tell you unequivocally that in the quiet, private conversations, Democrats know this is bad, its going to get worse, and its going to end badly — but even so they lack the will to stand up call for the Speaker’s resignation. In this regard, its not much different than how the GOP acted during the slow motion downfall of George Ryan.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Sep 30, 20 @ 2:40 pm:
=== You keep acting like its Demmer’s job to corral 60 votes against the Speaker.===
Durkin is not on the committee.
Demmer is.
Show me that achievement, ‘cause seeing all that activity is a Demmer calling card.
=== With all due respect,===
With all due respect, the political theatre is nauseating.
I know the score, I know the inning, thanks.
With all the respecting going on, there’s no respect to the honesty needed to actually achieve making changes. If Demmer’s role is to be a phony partisan, then he’s done that.
With real respect too, all jokes aside.
=== Nobody wants to swing…===
To that, yes, I can see the inning, I see the score, I know what’s going on.
Demmer wants to play, like Welch, thems the breaks to the roles.
OW
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Sep 30, 20 @ 2:44 pm:
=== George Ryan.===
Dems took the mansion after 26 years.
Demmer? Durkin?
They are likely losing more seats, slow playing this on Madigan or not.
The inning, the score, the situation.
Be well, stay safe.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Sep 30, 20 @ 4:01 pm:
= You keep acting like its Demmer’s job to corral 60 votes against the Speaker.=
The Republicans had to paths they could have gone down here, consensus or circus. You already have Democrats calling for Madigan to resign and a governor who likely could get on-board if it reaches a tipping point. The Republicans could have looked to build off of that. But instead they chose the circus. And a circus where somebody else gets to set the rules. And the circus is now leaving town as predictably it would. I’m sure we’ll hear more from Demmer and Durkin about how unfair all of this is. But other events have already dominated the news cycle and the circus barely warrants a mention.
- Chicago 20 - Wednesday, Sep 30, 20 @ 9:03 pm:
When Madigan’s old appropriations chief ran into money problems no one investigated how Madigan got her husband and a $205,000 a year State job, what’s different now?