23 Comments - Too cute by half - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 4:23 pm: Hmmm… It’s almost like he’s worried about the last few days of session? I think Maxwell & Meisel deserve VIP seats after their reporting the last few days. - The Dude Abides - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 4:26 pm: The Speaker is not going out on a high note. - Ron Burgundy - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 4:27 pm: Maybe we need a new Speaker. - Steve Brown - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 4:28 pm: I think Mark meant the press pool will watch floor proceedings from the mezzanine level seats - Rich Miller - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 4:29 pm: ===from the mezzanine level seats === Which are in Logan County /s - Anon y mouse - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 4:30 pm: Madigan’s fighting for his continued existence/power & doesn’t want lobbyists & the press nearby? Huh. - AD - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 4:45 pm: C’mon Rich, CEO’s and High Powered Government officials often have to take a 10,000 foot view on issues. If it’s good enough for them is it not good enough for the press? /snark - Just Me 2 - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 4:50 pm: The Speaker would rather Members not be asked on-the-record questions about what might happen Wednesday. No surprise here. Members probably prefer it that way actually. Members love openness and transparency for the Executive Branch and local governments, but aren’t so quick to embrace it for themselves, as I’ve just received language for an entirely new bill that I’m told will get a vote tomorrow. Lovely. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 4:51 pm: Lemme guess… “Well, if it was 45,000 square feet, but it’s only 40,000… “ Amirite? - Precinct Captain - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 4:54 pm: It avoids tossing out any antimasker “reporters” like Amy Jacobson. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 4:58 pm: ===antimasker=== Gotta wear a mask on the floor. House rules. - Chambananon - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 4:58 pm: One the one hand, this drastically limits the ability to observe and report on the battle for Speakership. On the other, the old adage about not starting fights with “people who buy ink by the barrel” also applies. So, then, the question appears to be: is the Speaker’s pre-existing low level of support from the general populace a sort of political vaccine for unfavorable reporting? Or, said another way: is Madigan immune to the effects of receiving “negative press,” simply because there’s nowhere lower for Himself to go in terms of public opinion? - Excitable Boy - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 5:08 pm: I seem to remember some old saying about war and ink by the barrel, I wonder if the Speaker knows that one. - Essential State Employee - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 5:14 pm: ==the old adage about not starting fights with “people who buy ink by the barrel” also applies.== He’s also a person “who buys apples by the barrel.” - Essential State Employee - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 5:15 pm: Not just the President nationally, but maybe should it also be time to start thinking about impeaching the Speaker? - Rich Miller - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 5:22 pm: ===old saying about war and ink by the barrel=== Dude hasn’t cared much about what we’ve written for quite a while now. lol - JoanP - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 5:33 pm: =maybe should it also be time to start thinking about impeaching the Speaker? = Where’s that in the Illinois Constitution? The House could vote to expel him, but he could be re-elected and take his seat again. - CCapilla - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 5:36 pm: Paging Mr. DeVore? /s - @misterjayem - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 5:39 pm: Such an unnecessarily foolish decision. – MrJM - Excitable Boy - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 5:40 pm: - Dude hasn’t cared much - Eh, got rid of a pretty tight crew fairly quickly once their misdeeds came to light. I don’t think this press exclusion is unintentional. - 4 percent - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 6:15 pm: Sounds very Trumpy /s - Amalia - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 6:55 pm: well, soon we hope that will not be your decision, Mike. - Bruce( no not him) - Thursday, Jan 7, 21 @ 7:08 pm: But how can they observe the ballots if they aren’t in 6 feet? /s Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.