* When the governor claimed that House Speaker Michael Madigan wasn’t upholding Democratic Party values, he set himself up for this hit piece…

Going before bright lights and television cameras to deliver his annual budget speech, Gov. Rod Blagojevich paid a professional makeup artist $600 to help him look good.

Records show the state paid Deborah Dee, a professional stylist from the Chicago-area town of Crystal Lake. Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said the $600 amount included payment for Dee’s travel and consultation on the lighting.

When asked Friday why state government paid for makeup, the administration said the billing was a mistake and produced documents showing that Blagojevich’s personal campaign fund paid Dee.

But the state paid her with tax money, too. Ottenhoff said Friday that Dee has sent a reimbursement check, but a spokeswoman for the comptroller’s office said the state hasn’t yet received it.

Now, six hundred bucks really isn’t a lot of money for lighting consulting and makeup, particularly since it included transportation costs from the Chicago suburbs. And if the governor’s office hadn’t paid the consultant with state funds, it probably wouldn’t even be a story.

But it sure is difficult to talk about Democratic Party values when you’re spending tax money on makeup. So, I prefer to look at the bright side. Perhaps this story will help keep the governor’s mouth in check.

* The leaders seemed to back away from the brink on Friday (Capitol Fax subscribers know at least one reason for this). Reporters tended to focus on the conflict in their weekend stories, but, in a helpful sign, the governor agreed to cancel Sunday’s special session and Speaker Madigan told reporters after the leaders meeting that the insults had subsided.

The governor also appears to be backing down a bit from his previous threats to take Madigan to court over the Speaker’s refusal to call special sessions at the times specified in the governor’s proclamations. This tidbit was buried in an otherwise entirely negative analysis…

[Blagojevich] also distanced himself from another unpopular move: threatening legal action because the Illinois House held a special session at 10 a.m. instead of 2 p.m. as his executive order specified. One lawmaker called him “insane” for making an issue over the time.

“That’s a lawyers’ thing. They’ll figure that out,” he said in the interview. Asked if his lawyers take their instructions from him, Blagojevich said, “Not really.”

* Senate President Jones even inserted a tiny ray of daylight between himself and the governor last week…

(A)fter Blagojevich announced his plan for a gross receipts tax on Illinois businesses, Jones said he would not call any 750-style bill for a vote on the Senate floor. They stood together, and 750 stalled in the House.

On Friday, Jones made clear that the governor’s health-care plan is not his priority.

“It is not falling by the wayside, but we’re not looking at any of the general revenue dollars in the budget for health care,” he said.

Jones spokeswoman Cindy Davidsmeyer added that he is now flexible regarding 750. “He said about a week ago that everything is on the table,” she said.

She said Jones and Blagojevich were bound by policy, not politics.

“If he departed on the issues,” she said of Blagojevich, “we would depart from him.”

* The change in attitude is coming none too early because Speaker Madigan was beginning to fire back at the governor last week…

“We’ve had failed leadership by the governor before the legislature,” Madigan [told WGN radio’s Spike O’Dell]. “What we try to do is bring people together, not divide. And Blagojevich’s style is deliberately designed to divide, to tear people apart. I disagree with that. That’s the disagreement. Do you want to bring people together or tear them apart?” […]

Asked on Fox if he was concerned whether the stalemate among Democrats who control state government could rejuvenate Republicans, Madigan said, “Yes I am.

“That’s why I said several times this morning, ‘Let’s end the rancor. Let’s come together.
Let’s recognize problems. Let’s work with people. Let’s not be tearing people apart,’” Madigan said. “If we continue on this path, a sufficient number of Illinois voters would simply say, ‘Enough with those Democrats. Let’s throw them out of the Capitol building.’”

* And my syndicated column this week tried to put the governor’s behavior into some perspective…

Despite what you may have read in some newspaper editorials or Statehouse news coverage lately, it is my considered opinion that Gov. Rod Blagojevich is not insane.

I can’t believe I had to actually write that sentence, but there seems to be a trend to claim that the governor is losing his marbles. The Peoria Journal-Star editorialized last week that Blagojevich was “going bonkers” and more than just implied that he is insane. A House Democrat went one step further and told reporters that Blagojevich was a “madman” and “insane.” House Speaker Michael Madigan’s spokesman cracked wise last week that the governor has Attention Deficit Disorder.

Yes, Blagojevich is a bit “different,” but we’ve all known that for a long time, haven’t we? He is who he is — a somewhat goofy enigmatic who tries so hard to see the bright side of whatever situation he finds himself in that some believe he may be slightly pathological. But that dogged optimism has helped him weather more storms than anyone can count, and he’s obviously relying on it to get him through the supreme mess that the legislative overtime situation has become.

The truth is that while he does love a fight, the governor’s recent over-the-top remarks about Democratic state party chairman and House Speaker Michael Madigan (”right-wing George W. Bush Republican”), his taunting, confrontational style with legislators (calling them in seven days a week for special sessions and then not showing up himself for all of them) and his refusal to offer up real compromises yet are all just part of his usual schtick. He’s been doing this for years.

* More special session reports, compiled by Paul…

* Short Saturday for IL lawmakers at over $12,000 cost

* It pays to be a lawmaker: Part time job that surpasses other states

* Bethany Carson: Governor says no gaming without health care

* Ralph Martire: It’s simple — state needs more revenue to pay its bills

* School officials: Lawmakers break promise

* Rep. Kosel: Voters should urge governor to pass budget, ’stop playing games’

Thoughts?

…Adding… Nobody seems to have noticed that the governor hasn’t filed a new special session proclamation since the middle of last week. That may be yet another hopeful sign.

…Adding more… This just came in from a pal…

I didn’t think about it last week, but another positive sign is that Emil’s focus this week (through the Education Committee) is on education, not health care.