46 Comments - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:21 pm: It’s not white smoke, there isn’t a new Pope yet… but… - Ok - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:22 pm: Oh man. Rich, you can’t dare ban me for using Speaker Welch anymore. But… not yet. The race here between Welch and Williams is fantastic, and is a great future for the dems in Illinois whichever way that goes. If they find a way to band together. Even, this might be wrapped up by Wednesday (ok, maybe that’s too optimistic). - Left of the lake - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:24 pm: Been waiting for this day for months. Glad to see the leader step forward. - Precinct Captain - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:27 pm: And here we go https://youtu.be/xSLlZh9yelk - Helm - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:29 pm: He will make a great Speaker. Smart, Reasonable, Fair and a hard worker. A rare combination in this ILGA. First AA Speaker in IL history would be something. Crazy to think back that Cecil Partee was Senate Prez in the mid-1970s. - Perrid - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:31 pm: Yesterday the women’s groups were demanding a woman speaker, is the demand about the 3 bills instead of or in addition to that? - Rich Miller - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:36 pm: Just wondering if the Madigoons are gonna flood the comment zone and complain about the BC like they did the 19 and Rep. Williams. /s - Ok - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:40 pm: I think we all are wondering what Marty Moylan thinks /s - Universal DH - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:42 pm: @Helm, It’s been kind of a slow moving line… - Helm - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:29 pm: He will make a great Speaker. Smart, Reasonable, Fair and a hard worker. A rare combination in this ILGA. First AA Speaker in IL history would be something. Crazy to think back that Cecil Partee was Senate Prez in the mid-1970s - OneMan - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:42 pm: So the odds Madigan finishes his term as a legislator assuming he is no longer Speaker? - NIU Grad - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:46 pm: “What will the Latino or Women’s Caucus say that Rep. Welch chose not to speak to them before entering the race.” -Madigoons - Lincoln Lad - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:47 pm: Geez - I wonder who the Speaker would have chosen to succeed him if he had his choice? Hmmmm. - Precinct Captain - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:48 pm: ==- Lincoln Lad - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:47 pm:== Marty Quinn’s not in the GA - Wondering - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:48 pm: How are the women’s groups going to feel about his domestic violence arrest? - Newcomer - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:49 pm: But he would just be more of the same… - Pizza Man - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:49 pm: So does this mean MJM will sign off as Rep. Welch is an ally? Don’t forget the Latinx caucus needs to sign off before releasing MJM’s locked votes. They’ll have their candidate too most likely….assistant Leader Crespo, anyone? - ;) - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:52 pm: Welch is a good guy, always liked him. Hope his personal and professional skeletons don’t come out to hurt him though now that his moving up a step. - TKMH - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:52 pm: Old wine in a new bottle, ugh. - Lincoln Lad - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:54 pm: Touché Precinct Captain Well done. - Wondering - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:55 pm: Does the 19 really want to vote for more of the same? - Charlie Wheeler - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:56 pm: Historic note re Cecil Partee– Under the 1870 Illinois Constitution, whenever the governor was out of the state, the lieutenant governor became the governor. If the lieutenant governor also was out of state, the next person in line to be acting governor was the president of the state Senate. On one occasion in 1971 when Gov. Richard Ogilvie was out of Illinois, Lt. Gov. Paul Simon went to St. Louis for a day, so that Partee became governor, the first and so far only African-American to serve in that post, albeit for just one day. Charlie Wheeler - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:56 pm: === Does the 19 really want to vote for more of the same?=== The same is Madigan. Keep up. The 19 said so. - Ok - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:57 pm: Anon1: you literally said this 4 hours ago… “My guess is that the next speaker will come from the Black caucus once either Madigan releases them from their commitment, or they release themselves in the interest of the entire Democrat caucus and agree on a leader from within their own ranks.” Lol. - Anyone Remember - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 10:57 pm: Still hoping Madigan oversees / does the Congressional remap. As a constituent of Congressman Rodney Davis, really want Madigan to “use all his powers” on the Congressman. - Wondering - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:00 pm: Oswego Willy, Welch carried the water for Madigan on those farce of hearings on Comed, he’s more of the same. That’s why Madigan is backing him. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:02 pm: === Welch carried=== (Sigh) The 19 are against Madigan. That’s it. Read exactly what they wrote, exactly as they wrote it. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:03 pm: Fewer things are better… … that when Charlie Wheeler chimes in with the history and context. Thank you. - Disgruntled CST - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:03 pm: So nobody is going to point out the fact that RH keeps reports premature headlines. She did the same thing to Will Davis. Someones gonna burn their cred. - Brad Cross for Speaker - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:03 pm: Does this make him an “opportunist” - NIU Grad - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:05 pm: Charlie Wheeler - I’m writing that bit of history down. Thank you. - Pizza Man - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:05 pm: I thought Rep. Will Davis was interested in the running? He would be fair, reasonable, very intelligent, experienced and colegial. - TKMH - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:06 pm: ==The 19 are against Madigan. That’s it. Read exactly what the wrote, exactly as they wrote it.== In the same way that reasonable people are not only opposed to Trump but Trumpism, the 19 ought to hold a principled opposition to “Madiganism” as well. No-show jobs, old-style machine politics, etc. ought to be a relic of the past, and we need to stop rewarding those who enable that gross behavior. Should Welch win, I am hoping that, by virtue of being a different person, he loosens the tight constraints of power that Madigan had as Speaker, but given his closeness I am not optimistic. - Anon1 - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:06 pm: @Helm, agree arrest shouldn’t be an automatic disqualified, but arrest for domestic battery could be a deal breaker for women members. - Precinct Captain - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:06 pm: - Helm - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:01 pm: There was nothing, not even a charge. - Helm - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:12 pm: –Precinct Captain– That is what I thought. Thank you. –Wondering — You can go away now……. - Not Wondering - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:21 pm: Being arrested for Domestic Violence is not nothing, many victims do not press charges. Helm, Google works for all of us. Read the police report and decide for yourself if it’s nothing instead of relying on anonymous posters on a blog. - ;) - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:33 pm: Actually, Precinct Captain a simple Google search says otherwise. This is new information to me. - Anonanonsir - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:37 pm: ==Still hoping Madigan oversees / does the Congressional remap.== If you’re going to elect a staunch Madigan supporter — nicknamed “Chairman Squelch” for chairing the do-nothing “special investigative committee” — and leave MJM in charge of the remap, then what is the point? And I’m sure the 19 or 22 would just love MJM handling the remap. - Precinct Captain - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:40 pm: - Anonanonsir - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:37 pm: If the best you can come up with is “Squelch,” it’s time for mommy to tuck you in. - walker - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:51 pm: “”whew”” - Anonanonsir - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:51 pm: PC, someone else came up with it. But thanks for the brilliant comment. - OneMan - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:54 pm: With you there Pizzaman, still hope Will ends up speaker. - Joe Bidenopolous - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:55 pm: Charlie Wheeler is the best. Look up his old work and read it. And if you get a chance to talk to him, don’t waste it. I had the great honor to office next to him for a couple of years and they were probably the most informative years of career to this day. - Chicagonk - Tuesday, Jan 12, 21 @ 3:36 am: Hopefully Welch is strong enough to make a full break from Madigan. If I were the 19, I’d make sure that they have a seat at the remap table and that they have a seat in leadership. - Newcomer - Tuesday, Jan 12, 21 @ 9:12 am: - TKMH - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 11:06 pm: Couldn’t have said it better myself. Oswego Willy and others may big quick to defend Welch, but he’s an embodiment of Madiganism through and through. A vote for him is a vote for the same rule the House has been subject to for decades - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 12, 21 @ 9:19 am: === and others may big quick to defend Welch, but he’s an embodiment of Madiganism through and through. A vote for him is a vote for the same rule the House has been subject to for decades=== LOL What an utter crock to honesty The 19 stated clearly and plainly; No to Madigan. You’re moving the goal post well beyond what *they* say was success in their eyes. You may think you know what should be, they told everyone that would listen what was; The goal of the exercise is to deny Mike Madigan. It was always going to be up to the 72 plus Madigan, the silly will try to make use tired words like “decades”, “same”, but then wholly ignore the differences the slight that will be overall with *any* change. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.