48 Comments - Oswego Willy - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 12:45 pm: Pat Quinn decided to push labor away at one point. How did that work out? - Crazy Libertarian - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 12:45 pm: The State Democrats aren’t going to bite the hand that feeds them and neither are the trade unions. The unions are the money launderers who curry Madigan’s favor with their PAC donations to ever Republican and Democrat in this state. No one is going to oust Madigan because he continues to fund their little crony campaigns. They only make it appear that Illinois gets a choice at the polls. What garbage! Madigan sneers, you Republicans can keep downstate as long as I get to keep Illinois a part of the “blue wave.” What a crock. - Bobio - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 12:51 pm: Isn’t this when the blame game should be played? Right after an election where your side takes a beating shouldn’t the party chair should be fair game? The fact that it’s Madigan makes him untouchable? - 47th Ward - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 12:51 pm: I’d love to know how Local 150’s rank and file members voted. I know who their leadership backed, but I have a feeling that many of its members went their own way in the ballot booth. Maybe they should look for dissension a little closer to home? - City Zen - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 12:53 pm: It’s time to Fight Back. - Squints - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 12:55 pm: This is rich coming from a union that was too cowardly to back Biden. - Nagidam - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 12:57 pm: We get the unions want to protect Speaker Madigan, that is in their self interest. Until he is re-elected Speaker or Chairman of the Democratic Party, now is the appropriate time to flush out what happened and who is best to move the Democrats forward. - Ares - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 12:58 pm: “We must all hang together or we shall all hang separately” Benjamin Franklin - Funtimes - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:00 pm: The state’s dem leadership can walk and chew gum. They can pass the tax increase and budget cuts and can Madigan. No need to chose. Besides, what other option does 150 have? Its not like the eastern block will be advancing a pro union agenda. - DuPage Saint - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:01 pm: I think Pritzker will need Madigan much more than Madigan will need him. And really Madigan as far as I can tell has not been charged with a crime or indicted (perhaps a low bar but it is Illinois). If he has votes and wants it he should remain Speaker. As OW always says show me the votes. If he wins I hope he remembers the loyalty shown to him by those he helped and forgot him - Oswego Willy - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:03 pm: Maybe if 59 presented the choice they have for a new Speaker, (60 votes with that choice) and labor sees the future, that could change. Then again, loyalty during Rauner is not a dry well apparently for Madigan, he can go to it, here that is. “We’ll see” - Candy Dogood - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:04 pm: Local 150 doesn’t represent all of labor in the state. A census of union members would be very likely to report a lot of disdain for Mike Madigan. As time continues, Mike Madigan has become more of a bug in Illinois politics than a feature. If push comes to shove, I think organized labor should look to the consequences of how their brothers and sisters behaved in Iowa in 2010. - superfly - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:05 pm: 47th was first, and i whole heartedly agree. 150 members do not vote for democrats. period. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:11 pm: === A census of union members === The leadership of these labor groups, they chose, even up till weeks ago, to finance Madigan. That’s what this is mostly about, unless Pritzker wants to bypass all labor support and cash, then that’s Rauner in reverse, and Pritzker got himself a party. - Annoyed - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:12 pm: To 47th and super fly’s point, what does that say about D’s if union members won’t even vote D? Duck, Dick and JB need to figure out how to get back the union vote before the R’s wise up and try to woo union leadership and their money. - Reality - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:15 pm: A conversation on what happened is necessary to move forward. MJM certainly didn’t help the Dem ticket with his legal troubles. It is fair to say that distrust in Springfield was a significant influence on the fair tax failing. This distrust has been fomented and reinforced by DPI messaging election after election. Their mailers play on and encourage negative attitudes of state government with wording like “Springfield/Chicago politicians,” and “Chicago bail-outs.” Not to mention they are also dog whistles. DPI is short-sighted and only concerned about keeping the majority year to year with those who will vote for MJM as speaker. Their rhetoric has no concern for the stability of our state long-term and building trust in our government. Their negative speak has come back to bite them. - Lester Holt’s Mustache - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:15 pm: ==I think Pritzker will need Madigan much more than Madigan will need him.== lol, for what exactly? Advice on the tastiest variety of apple? Pritzker doesn’t need fundraising help and calling on Madigan to resign will probably get JB more votes, if anything. It would more than offset JB losing votes from the 10 white guys left in the 13th ward. - Ok - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:28 pm: Labor will be around much longer than Madigan. Leadership does begin with diagnosing the problem, before shooting for solutions. - NIU Grad - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:29 pm: “This whole situation has worked out fine for us, so I don’t see why all of you are complaining?” - Powdered Whig - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:32 pm: === A census of union members would be very likely to report a lot of disdain for Mike Madigan. === A lot of trade union members are Republicans. - Nuke The Whales - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:36 pm: ==Isn’t this when the blame game should be played? Right after an election where your side takes a beating shouldn’t the party chair should be fair game? The fact that it’s Madigan makes him untouchable?== An anticipated net loss of 2 House seats (assuming a full count of mail-in ballots does not change the outcome), Kilbride missing retention by four points in a somewhat red district, and winning Oberweis’s old State Senate seat is a weird definition of “a beating.” The fact that this happened with the Fair Tax on the ballot, Democrats getting tied to the rigged to fail DefundPolice hashtag, and the Exelon investigation, a net loss of two seats is not a fireable offense. - Norseman - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:42 pm: We’re on the cusp of ridding our nation of a person who was think of his own interests instead of the country or his party. He demanded fealty to him above all. 150 is now blindly falling in that same trap by defending Madigan to the detriment of the party and state. You’re interests will be harmed if his drag on the party results in further losses in the General Assembly. Your best thanks to Madigan for his help to you would be to throw him one heck of a retirement party. - Huh? - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:44 pm: A veiled threat from a mega donor … - Lincoln Lad - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:46 pm: JB and Durbin should have told MJM it’s time, not through the press, but privately. I hope they did, and that going public was a result of his response to a private conversation that didn’t go well. 150 is speaking publicly to react to Durbin and JB, likely at the Speaker’s request. What happens will happen through private conversations… not through what we read in the press. That’s just a tactic. If that’s not what happens - we have a junior varsity game playing out. - Flying Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:46 pm: 150, what are you going to do? Back Pritzker’s challenger, Rauner 2.0? Same goes for Duckworth? You really want to publically question her leadership credentials? - walker - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:46 pm: Joined at the hip pocket. - Younion - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:47 pm: Let’s be clear, Local 150 and “labor” are not interchangeable terms here. Local 150 will loudly tell you they are the only union that matters, but despite their arrogance, that isn’t the case. Also, equating campaign contributions right before an election with solid support isn’t the surefire evidence you might think it is. There’s a price to pay for protection, especially the public employee unions, that isn’t pleasant for many. This will play out over time. We’ll see how the leaders of other unions handle it moving forward. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:48 pm: === veiled=== A very thin veil. This can all end with 60 votes. Maybe someone should start cobbling the 60 or decide they don’t have the 60. The Arroyo Rule is in full effect, are y’all waiting on that? Heck, call Demmer, see if he can deliver the HGOP… - Turner - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:49 pm: At the risk of provoking Willy’s anger, why is Local 150 airing this out in public? The Gov. and the U.S. Senator’s represent all of us, and for a labor union to take a shot like this as if they run the state is troubling. - Powdered Whig - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:52 pm: The Madigan blame game continues. Wait until everyone no longer has anyone to blame and they will have to actually look in the mirror when trying to assess electoral failure. Its going to happen. - Fester - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:55 pm: Let’s see,since 2014 the Republicans have spent millions and millions of dollars defining MJM as nothing less than the anti-Christ yet despite all their attempts they have failed to advance their numbers enough to have any impact on any agenda. Under MJM’s leadership as party chairman the Democrats still have super majority’s in both legislative bodies and a Democratic Governor which will allow them to draw a legislative map that will shape the political landscape for the next 10 years. If you want to blame someone for any losses blame Pritzker for putting a tax hike on the ballot. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 1:57 pm: === but despite their arrogance, that isn’t the case=== Should I hold my breath for the first labor organization to turn in MJM? It’s a marker for labor too. 150 says where they are. Who disagrees? === There’s a price to pay for protection, especially the public employee unions, that isn’t pleasant for many. This will play out over time.=== What’s that price. Use your words. - Turner - You dance with the one that brung ya. - John Deere Green - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 2:05 pm: ==Right after an election where your side takes a beating== As of now: 72-73 Illinois House Democrats come January, 45-46 GOP; supermajority retained 40-41 Senate Democrats, 18-19 GOP; supermajority retained 12-13 Democrats in Congress, 5-6 GOP 2 Democrats in U.S. Senate, status retained What exactly constitutes a “beating” in your opinion? The presumption that Democrats should have won more seats? Good grief, Democrats underperformed expectations all over the country, and Trump and the GOP exceeded expectations. What happened to the new Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate? What was that about U.S. House Democrats gaining 12-15 seats? Where was the Biden tidal wave? Does Mike Madigan’s reach extend across the entire United States? That’s impressive… - Shawn - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 2:05 pm: The House Dem caucus is now 50% women. The union leadership of 150 is 100% male. Could be some mansplaining going on. The vote for speaker will sort out whether Madigan stays as speaker and party chair. When does that occur? - hisgirlfriday - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 2:15 pm: Another thing that causes me to think MJM should be fired as IL Dem chair? I have never in my life been asked for money or to volunteer by the IL Dem Party. I have voted in every Dem primary in IL since the mid-2000s and my household donated somewhere between $1,500 and $2,000 to support Dems at the federal level this cycle. I got plenty of mail and texts this fall from federal Dems and even my nascent county party that asked me for money, votes, and other support. But the IL Dem party? Crickets. There is zero grassroots in my experience. Just coasting on the machine way and negative polarization against Trump’s unpopularity and the unpopularity of right-wing Republican orthodoxy on social issues. They don’t want nobody that nobody sent. Now in fairness to the IL Dem Party, I will not give it a dime until Madigan is sent packing so maybe their data is so good they know that already and don’t bother. - Cheryl44 - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 2:34 pm: Michael Madigan is elected by 5he voters in his district. If you want him out of office you’re going to have to convince them it’s in their best interest to elect someone else. Good luck with that. - Say What? - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 2:45 pm: =Heck, call Demmer, see if he can deliver the HGOP…= There it is . . . .thank goodness. I didn’t want the election being over to end the weird Willy bromance with Demmer. All is square with the world now. . . . . - Oswego Willy - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 2:53 pm: - Say What? - Aren’t you the creepy commenter that brought up “Jeffery Toobin” You’re worried about me… yikes. Did Demmer say anything about the investigating committee not meeting? Of course Demmer didn’t. Wehrli isn’t coming back, so there’s that too. So, Demmer isn’t about getting rid of the Speaker, and Demmer failed to save Wehrli. Activity… achievement… an your creepiness. Ick. - Anonanonsir - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 2:54 pm: ==Besides, what other option does 150 have?== Right. Local 150 represents a small sliver of the populace. They’ve long enjoyed outsized influence by partnering with Madigan. Of course they want to keep their influence. - Charlie Brown - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 2:57 pm: We should all be celebrating the election of Joe Biden this weekend and the immenent end of Donald Trump’s reign. These are the kinds of recriminations you usually only hear after teams lose. If I didn’t know better, I never would have guessed that Democrats hold every statewide office, supermajorities in the legislature, and a lopsided number of Congressional seats. - Not a Billionaire - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 3:06 pm: They have 23000 members in Illinois and 128 million in assets. According to open secrets they have about 35000 to federal candidates. About a third to republicans. Bost got 5000. Could not find Illinois. - JB13 - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 3:07 pm: “A beating…” I guess when you’re used to shutting the other team out, winning by three TDs just isn’t good enough anymore. - JS Mill - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 3:20 pm: =It’s time to Fight Back.= It isn’t a “fight”. All you have to do is get more votes. - Frank talks - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 3:32 pm: 150 passed their Constitutional amendment. Did J.B? 150 had Madigan to deal with as well. Did J.B. and crew ask others for how to message correctly? Or did they let Ken Griffin define the moment? Also J.B. blaming others isn’t new, he’s thrown people under the bus many times before. Duckworth is up in 2 years she may not want Mike there but she definitely needs labor there. Ken Griffin plays in that race during Biden mid term and J.B. preoccupied with his own race can she do it on her own? Local grass root donors, a statewide volunteer base of door knockers, a media strategy that puts her at the front of the party? JB had full union support, Rauner was a terrible Governor and he could outspend him. Unions lay back, Griffin gives someone the same money to match J.B. does J.B. win? Ken just beat him up with his media strategy. But yeah blame Madigan. - Rich Miller - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 3:36 pm: ===Unions lay back, Griffin gives someone=== And that’s the beginning of the end of their existence. They’re not going to do that. This is a family fight. - the working poor - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 3:57 pm: Fester and John Deere Green sound like they work for 150. The tweets are no surprise. 150 has perfected its relationship with MJM so of course they’re upset anyone wants to break them up. - Amalia - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 4:11 pm: Local 150? with days of yore of Dugan? Vandermyde? - lake county democrat - Friday, Nov 6, 20 @ 4:30 pm: It’s the excesses that 150 and it ilk enabled that provided just enough truth for the fair tax opponents to win with their deceptive ads. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.