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Today’s quotable (Updated)
Thursday, Jul 30, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Assistant House Majority Leader Marcus Evans was asked about the controversy surrounding Speaker Chris Welch…
…Adding… I don’t think some commenters are really quite getting this. His message seemed pretty clear to me: There are plenty of people who want your job so sometimes it sucks to be you, but you gotta expect to take the scrutiny. Maybe some of y’all could use some more coffee or something.
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- twowaystreet - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 9:06 am:
That’s a whole lot of words that mean a whole lot of nothing.
- hmmm - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 9:14 am:
Leader Evans is a class act. I agree. Let the process play out.
- Team Sleep - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 9:19 am:
After reading this, can we please create a new Cap Fax end-of-year award and call it “Word Salad of the Year”?
- curtis - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 9:21 am:
===new Cap Fax end-of-year award and call it “Word Salad of the Year”===
Seconded
- SAP - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 9:24 am:
The 5 “D’s” of Dodgeball: Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive, and Dodge.
- Simon - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 9:29 am:
Get used to it. Gonna hear a lot of obfuscating from House members in the weeks ahead, particularly from members of Welch’s leadership team.
- It's always Sunny in Illinois - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 9:37 am:
Gonna take a lot of ranch dressing to get that salad digested…..
- Steve - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 9:37 am:
As we move closer to November, you’ll be hearing more talk about Donald Trump than this. Trump isn’t exactly popular in this state.
- fs - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 9:42 am:
Have all scrutinized who wish? Have alllll scrutinized whooo wish? Have allll scrutinized………who wish?
- VK - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 9:45 am:
…what?
- Traffic light - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 9:57 am:
Leader Evans is in leadership, how many leaders are going to challenge the Speaker if they want to remain in leadership, none. Rep. Crespo has been on the outs, therefore, he’s in the safest position to speak out. None of the current House members are safe with the Speaker. None of the members seeking reelection are safe with TaQuoya managing the money for candidates.
- Pork Belly Futures - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 10:38 am:
Leader Evans is toeing the leadership line. He emphasized the need for a fair process. Speaker Welsh has insisted the LIG report will vindicate his actions as it relates to Benton (not necessarily his private interaction). The Speaker cannot release the report so has asked for patience and let the issue play out. I think the Speakers career rests on this report aligning with what he is telling his caucus.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 10:38 am:
===get that salad digested===
Meh. Message seemed clear to me. There are plenty of people who want your job so sometimes it sucks to be you, but you gotta expect to take it.
- Downstate - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 10:49 am:
Rich,
You and I don’t agree on many things. But you are exactly right. I found the message to be clear and direct and was surprised by the comments.
He was simply saying that no one is “obligated” to be an elected official. The opportunity comes with a higher level of scrutiny. And there are plenty who are happy to accept both the job and scrutiny.
- TBD - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 10:52 am:
A quote I learned as a child, “what happens in the dark will always come to light.” I don’t expect perfection but what I do expect is an elected leaders to hold themselves to a much higher standard and carry themselves with grace. The party is bigger than one person, and we have a country to fight for. This became a story because the speakers inability to be up front with his members and the public for the last couple years.
- Keyrock - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 10:54 am:
We’ve moved on from the Daley years. Public officials no longer get scrootened. But it sure seems like the Speaker should expect more scrooten coming his way.
- Billy the Kid - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 10:56 am:
While Leader Evans means well, he sidestepped his own faults, leadership, and above all, his inappropriateness. We all know his actions will not be reflected in the report. Rep. Welch is diverting attention from how he handled the Benton issue, but not from his own. He wouldn’t be having his spin doctors ready to go once the report is released. Add: focus on funding CPS schools, what a great diversion? Last time I checked, he represents the Hillside area western communities.
- It's always Sunny in Illinois - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 11:20 am:
Meh. Message seemed clear to me. There are plenty of people who want your job so sometimes it sucks to be you, but you gotta expect to take it.
Probably miscounted……took him 94 words to say what you said in 29…..salad…You Know….and part of the reason people tune Politicians out
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 11:25 am:
===took him 94 words to say what you said in 29===
Meh. Live TV is a lot more difficult than it looks. Also, I have the benefit of being able to think about the topic and then write something and then change it (which I did a few times) before hitting the “Say it” button.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 11:30 am:
= There are plenty of people who want your job so sometimes it sucks to be you, but you gotta expect to take the scrutiny.=
I have no sympathy or empathy for those that choose that job but don’t like the scrutiny. My job has much less power and none of the perks of the ILGA and we gets public scrutiny daily. Comes with the territory. And the ILGA helped create some of that.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 11:31 am:
===took him 94 words to say what you said in 29===
Also, this isn’t high school debate class. Look more carefully at what Leader Evans is saying here. It’s significant and it really jumped out at me last night while I was watching the program.
And that goes for everyone else who piled on with the juvenile remarks.
- thisjustinagain - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 11:35 am:
Yeah, what he said. Whatever he said. (snark) Took me a few times to sort out his Official Illinois Politician Gibberish.
And his line about elected official positions are never unfilled. What about when nobody runs for the position, which I just saw in the Cook County primaries?
- Ev Dirksen's Shoe Collection - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 11:37 am:
Sure, the message is clear, but the message is about the nature of public scrutiny rather than the matter being scrutinized. It’s kinda like Larry David’s meeting about having a meeting.
- low level - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 11:37 am:
Makes perfect sense to me. He is saying we all are accountable, especially elected officials.
- Resign - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 11:40 am:
I hear or read what Evans is saying, but what is he going to do about it? Words are nice; action is better. It’s beyond me that an elected Speaker of the House didn’t understand his conduct was totally inappropriate.
- Remember the Alamo II - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 11:40 am:
=== Look more carefully at what Leader Evans is saying here. It’s significant and it really jumped out at me last night while I was watching the program. ===
I agree Rich. Then I started reading the comments here and thought to myself, what a strange and aloof take. I mean have some of you ever met Leader Evans?
- Remember the Alamo II - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 11:42 am:
=== What about when nobody runs for the position, which I just saw in the Cook County primaries? ===
Name one Cook County position were there were zero candidates that filed?
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 11:44 am:
===What about when nobody runs for the position===
C’mon. Do you think nobody else would like to be Speaker?
Stay on point, for crying out loud.
- Stephanie Kollmann - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 11:55 am:
Agree that he didn’t address the underlying issues and also agree that he did say was indeed clear and significant.
I realize this is unlikely to be well-received, but: it certainly would be a lot less fraught to criticize the actual missteps of Black politicians if they were not all subjected to a steady stream of petty and biased criticism, such as baseless claims that their speech is unintelligible.
- Stephanie Kollmann - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 11:56 am:
==agree that [what] he did say was indeed clear and significant==
correction in order to aid comprehension of my word salad
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 12:21 pm:
===certainly would be a lot less fraught to criticize the actual missteps of Black politicians if they were not all subjected to a steady stream of petty and biased criticism===
Exactly. Some commenters need to reflect hard on those words.
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 12:22 pm:
- I just saw in the Cook County primaries? -
I’m guessing you need to take that up with the Cook County GOPs. They were probably too busy tweeting memes to recruit more candidates.
- Remember the Alamo II - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 12:25 pm:
=== I’m guessing you need to take that up with the Cook County GOPs. They were probably too busy tweeting memes to recruit more candidates. ===
Or they made a calculation that they could not defeat a Democrat in that respective race. But there are no county races where neither a republican or a democrat filed to run.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 12:26 pm:
===But there are no county races===
This has gone on long enough. It was a ridiculous comment. Move on. Final warning.
- Billy the Kid - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 12:32 pm:
Leader Evans, I saw you in action at the NCSL. Maybe you should, “Please stand up, please stand up,” and take the reins of the speakership.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 1:52 pm:
===but what is he going to do about it?===
Let it play out a bit.
It’s right there in his comments.
The people talking down to Evans on this post need to reevaluate themselves. I don’t ever want to see this again here.
Madigan wasn’t toppled in a day. It took a very long while. Not saying that Welch will be pushed out, but thinly veiled racist attacks ain’t gonna help your cause.
- politico - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 2:18 pm:
I agree with you, Rich. I think his message is spot on and clear. There’s soooo many other GA members who cannot handle even the slightest amount of heat, but the Speaker should be prepared for this stuff.
- Boom Shaka - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 2:21 pm:
Holy smokes people. I don’t know if maybe you all are using your PF Flyers secret decoder rings to come up with your takes on a pretty straightforward statement. Reading is fundamental folks.
- Dotnonymous x - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 3:02 pm:
Public speaking is harder than it looks to many people who have not spoken under public scrutiny…writing, while self-editing with plenty of time for reflection/correction, is way easier.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 3:20 pm:
The first complainant was not after the Speaker’s job. She did not pursue anything at first. It seems like a truism that there is scrutiny, and everyone deserves a fair process.
- Stephanie Kollmann - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 3:23 pm:
I swear.
https://alrc.thecenterweb.org/other/illinois-adult-education-hotline/
- Just Bill - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 6:01 pm:
“… and if you don’t want to take the scrutiny, it’s going to be hard for you to do it.” I’d add, if you can’t stand up to scrutiny, it’ll be hard for you to do.
Chris Welch cannot stand up to fair, consistent, continued scrutiny. Because the truth is not his friend. The key question is will there will be continued scrutiny. We shall see.
- Dotnonymous x - Thursday, Jul 30, 26 @ 7:52 pm:
Heat, kitchen…seems pretty obvious to me.