* Background is here if you need it. Republican members of the Special Investigating Committee respond to the postponement of hearings until after the election…
“Special treatment is being given to Speaker Madigan,” [Rep. Tom Demmer] said. “It deprives the people of Illinois and fellow members from learning what conduct the speaker may have engaged in.”
“Chairman Welch’s decision is an utter insult to the people of Illinois,” Mazzochi said. “Welch said he would run a professional investigation. This is how a professional politician covers up the truth. The only thing that seems to matter is protecting Mike Madigan.”
“I thought Chris Welch was a man of integrity,” Wehrli said. “Today Chris Welch decided integrity doesn’t matter. We are being stonewalled. We are being lied to protect one man.”
* Tribune…
Wehrli said Welch appears “willing to cast aside his own integrity to protect Speaker Michael J. Madigan.”
* WIFR…
“Chairman Welch’s decision is an utter insult to the people of Illinois who want and deserve the truth. Chairman Welch has now become Chairman Squelch,” said Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst).
Mazzochi, one of three Republicans serving on the investigating committee, said it’s clear that Welch is only interested in protecting Madigan.
“Chris Welch said that he was going to run a professional investigation. This is not how a professional runs an investigation. This is how a political professional covers up the truth and crushes an investigation,” she said. “Chris Welch is a coward. He does not have the resolve to have Mike Madigan come before our committee, and actually answer those questions, blocking the right of voters to know.”
* Center Square…
State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst, is also on the committee and said delaying the next hearing to after the election is stonewalling and a disservice to voters.
“We have a Speaker of the House mentioned 72 times is a deferred prosecution agreement,” Mazzochi said. “We are right before an election and Chris Welch doesn’t want to give voters that transparency. That’s despicable.”
* Sun-Times…
“The only thing apparently that matters is protecting Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan,” Mazzochi said. “That’s what matters to Chris Welch: protecting his patronage, protecting his political power, protecting his privilege. … This is stonewalling. This is ostrich-in-the-sand decision-making.”
As the late Rep. Zeke Giorgi used to say about the House: “Best show in Illinois.”
*** UPDATE *** Stay tuned…
MEDIA ADVISORY: Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin Says Time’s Up for Democrats: Demand Answers from Madigan or Call for His Resignation
WHO: Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs)
WHAT: Leader Durkin says time’s up for Democrats, either demand answers in ComEd’s nine-year bribery scheme or demand Madigan’s resignation.
WHEN: 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 8, 2020
- rubber you're glue - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 2:22 pm:
The charge against Mike Madigan is that he engaged in conduct unbecoming a member. It would appear to me that the members of the committee who are supposed to be reviewing and voting whether his conduct was unbecoming are themselves engaging in unbecoming conduct.
Or they’re just following President Trump’s lead on incivility.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 2:26 pm:
It’ll happen *after* the election.
Demmer, typically, wants activity. Demmer lacks achieving anything.
Wehrli? Nothing would be more comical than a lame duck Wehrli on the committee after the election still tweeting and squawking, but no more terms to be, as Wehrli describes his *own* tenure in the GA… be ineffective.
See, here’s the sitch;
Demmer, Wehrli… voters in the 22nd district… Madigan is running unopposed.
So… y’all with the phony… embarrassingly so.., what voters are y’all talking about?
=== As the late Rep. Zeke Giorgi used to say about the House: “Best show in Illinois.”===
That’s all this is.
When Demmer shows 60, that’ll be achieving *something*
Pretending as Demmer does that he’s “busy”, busy making activity to save Wehrli isn’t about good governing. That’s politics.
After the election, Wehrli a lame duck, (or not), let’s revisit.
That’s achieving something.
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 2:46 pm:
Mazzochi was on the record in the Sun-Times earlier this saying she sponsored legislation for her direct personal financial gain and benefit. Nothing she says has any credibility.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/chicago.suntimes.com/platform/amp/
city-hall/2020/2/6/21127063/aldermanic-prerogative-chicago-city-council-
zoning-wards-deanne-mazzochi-lightfoot
- Take a closer look - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 3:13 pm:
Complaining never makes anything better. And on a split committee where you need a fourth vote to do anything, name calling seems to be counter productive. Unless the goal is just to score political points which would go to Welch’s point.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 3:21 pm:
So we now know that according to the GOP Welch is a “coward, despicable, and an utter insult to the people.” Perhaps worse than anything he’s also something else that the GOP failed to acknowledge, “unopposed.” Maybe next go round instead of focusing on Madigan they can find a candidate to run against Welch. They’ve already got the billboard material written.
- @misterjayem - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 3:36 pm:
Over-the-top name-calling like this is a sure sign of political impotence, but “Chairman Squelch” is a solid burn.
– MrJM
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 3:38 pm:
=== And on a split committee where you need a fourth vote to do anything, name calling seems to be counter productive. Unless the goal is just to score political points which would go to Welch’s point.===
Yikes. That’s one solid observation
- Take a closer look - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 3:38 pm:
Pundent says =Maybe next go round instead of focusing on Madigan they can find a candidate to run against Welch.= Welch is in a solid, dark blue district. Maybe instead of going after Madigan, they should focus on saving Wehrli, Mazzochi, Batanik, Morrison, the McDermed seat, the Skillicorn seat, and maybe others.
- Anonanonsir - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 3:39 pm:
==Chairman Squelch==
Pretty good.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 3:43 pm:
===… they should focus on saving Wehrli===
Wehrli should use this month off of pretending to be offended or shocked and spend it doing virtual coffees, fundraising, maybe making a couple phone calls into precincts too.
That might help more that having a phony opportunity to scream “Madigan” 20 times “into the record” at the circus.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 3:49 pm:
=Welch is in a solid, dark blue district.=
I know Welch and the makeup of his district and agree, the GOP is no threat today or tomorrow. But it underscores the political reality that this committee hearing represented. It was never going to accomplish anything. The Republicans knew that going in. This was the path they chose. They decided to take this to a committee (chaired by someone in a completely safe seat) instead of aligning themselves with vulnerable Democratic candidates who saw a benefit of calling for Madigan to step down. They chose theater over results. Or as OW likes to say, activity instead of achievement.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 4:17 pm:
=Wehrli said Welch appears “willing to cast aside his own integrity to protect Speaker Michael J. Madigan.”=
Tell me more. I was watching the US Senate a while back and they refused to hear testimony. You mean stuff like that Grant. Or are you not a member of the GOP? Glass houses folks.
- Nagidam - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 4:48 pm:
When your party is facing an adversary with a kajillion dollars to your buck fifty all you have is theater. I don’t blame the HGOP for this move. That’s all they have.
- Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 5:09 pm:
At this point, I would like to completely agree with the Republicans. Now, turning to the Republicans, he is still a mile above your lawless, brutish, duplicitous and uncaring nature. Thank you.
- low level - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 5:17 pm:
Gee, if Chris is taking on that level if criticism from people i agree with only 5-10% of the time, he’s doing pretty good.
I might just write him a check. Like OW always says, you’re only way to change this is to find 16 Democrats to vote w you for a Speaker.
You might not get everything you want, but it at least would give you a seat at the table. Maze Jackson speaks about this regularly. As of now you’re spinning your wheels on the way to another record defear.
- Centennial - Wednesday, Oct 7, 20 @ 10:39 pm:
To the update… Zeke would be proud. The clowns change (most of them anyways) but the circus stays the same.