Asked and answered
Wednesday, Oct 7, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
The Illinois Republican Party called on Governor JB Pritzker to demand State Rep. Chris Welch resign from the committee investigating House Speaker Michael Madigan.
In addition to his conflict of interest working with Madigan to place family members in state jobs, Republican members of the committee yesterday revealed that Welch had failed to publicly disclose that his former law firm was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by ComEd while Welch was a partner.
“Welch should have disclosed these obvious conflicts of interest before accepting Madigan’s appointment as chair of this investigation,” ILGOP spokesperson Joe Hackler said. “We call on Governor Pritzker to demand Welch’s resignation from the committee immediately.”
I asked how the workings of a state legislative committee is a governor’s (any governor’s) business.
* The response…
What is the Governor’s business is a functioning state government, free from corruption and obvious conflicts of interest. He has the ability - the duty even - to push the people in the party that he leads to do the right thing. For months, the Governor has sat on his hands feebly begging via the press for Madigan to answer questions and then doing absolutely nothing to make it happen. At some point, one would think Madigan not providing the Governor (or any of us) any answers would make him change his tune. It hasn’t. Have you asked the Governor’s team whether he thinks Madigan should be issued a subpoena?
Pretty sure I have asked about this, but I also know that anyone who has ever launched a frontal attack on Madigan has only succeeded in uniting Madigan’s members against him or her. Also, while Bruce Rauner ran (twice) on the promise of confronting Madigan, Pritzker made no such promise to voters. Elections, as they say, have consequences.
Politics being politics, it’s totally fair to point out that the governor isn’t doing what you want him to do. Reality being reality, though, I wouldn’t expect the governor to be taking orders from the ILGOP anytime soon.
- TheInvisibleMan - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 11:03 am:
There should be a new addition to the site.
“ILGOP has gone xx days without mentioning the name Madigan”.
Granted, we might think it’s always broken when it stays stuck on 0 for… awhile.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 11:05 am:
Meh.
The ILGOP also complained that their political partisan take wasn’t getting adequate media coverage, lol
What’s next, renting the Bluesmobile and using the loud speaker?
“You, you on that bike, you two ladies, Fire Madigan… “
The Raunerites would be better off becoming Republicans again and demand Raunerites leading and at the state party resign.
That will help the political.
- Shytown - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 11:05 am:
Another day, another distraction from ILGOP
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 11:06 am:
The ILGOP demanding that Pritzker do something is akin to grass demanding a lawnmower stop mowing.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 11:10 am:
===“You, you on that bike, you two ladies, Fire Madigan… “===
Still laughing.
- Anon E Moose - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 11:15 am:
“And it’s ladies’ night tonight”
- Proud Sucker - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 11:17 am:
===“ILGOP has gone xx days without mentioning the name Madigan”.===
Maybe Rich could get permission to use a clip from the opening to “the Simpsons” where Lenny falls off of the ladder.
- Just Me 2 - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 11:18 am:
Not sure you’re being fair to the GOP by saying it isn’t the Governor’s place to call for Madigan to resign. J.B. is the top Democrat in the State.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 11:20 am:
===by saying it isn’t===
I asked a question. Learn to read.
- Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 11:20 am:
“That’s a lot of fire Madigan… for two dollars.”
- Arock - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 11:23 am:
I guess when the Democrats stop pretending that they are actually going to do a proper investigation of the Speaker. They will only go after the Speaker if the Feds do all the work for them and they are then forced to act.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 11:25 am:
Thanks, Rich.
Also, since this is a House matter, instead of asking Welch to resign, isn’t it smarter to work with Dems already in the “resign” camp and have a bipartisan House call on a resignation?
- Pundent - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 11:28 am:
=Not sure you’re being fair to the GOP by saying it isn’t the Governor’s place to call for Madigan to resign.=
Why not focus on those Dems that have already called on Madigan to step aside? You have a number of reps, largely women, who have already done so. The GOP could have used that as a starting point to get to 60/30. Maybe it doesn’t get you all the way but it certainly creates enough pressure on other Dems and Pritzker to make the effort credible. Putting on a circus did none of that.
- Frank talks - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 11:44 am:
I strenuously object.
- Jibba - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 11:52 am:
Man, did I get a good laugh out of this. Thanks for the Covid relief, GOP. Or maybe they don’t want anyone to know who else ComEd has tried to keep happy through political contributions or hiring of connected folks?
- Dance Band on the Titanic - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 11:59 am:
Let’s be honest. If the ILGOP really wanted action, they would have recruited enough strong, viable candidates to pick up the 16 seats they need to control the House.
Instead, we get this noise.
- SSL - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 12:02 pm:
12:01 was me.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 12:06 pm:
So the GOP decided to make the 2018 elections a referendum on Mike Madigan and as a result hold no state-wide seats while the Dems have majorities in the House and the Senate. And their answer is that JB Pritzker has to do something to fix this?
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 12:08 pm:
===12:01 was me. ===
Oops. I didn’t see that before I deleted your anonymous comment. Feel free to repost.
- Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 12:09 pm:
Mine was deleted too
Hmm
- Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 1:31 pm:
It was a good one too
Actually it was JB who demanded Speaker Madigan answer questions about his involvement with Com Ed back in July.
Now he is strangely silent as Democrats refuse to subpoena him to answer those questions JB wants answers to.
Voters should hear those answers before they cast votes for or against the candidates the Speaker is bankrolling.
Republicans pounce narrative is so tiring, hold the Democrats to the standards they promised to live up to.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 6:08 pm:
=== Voters should hear those answers before they cast votes for or against the candidates the Speaker is bankrolling.===
LOL
I thought i was told this isn’t about politics
After the election, let’s make it about governing.
If it can’t wait, then it’s disingenuous