During Governor Rauner’s State of the State address, Mike Madigan’s corruption was on full display.
As Governor Rauner was explaining the need for term limits, supported by 80% of Illinoisans, he quipped that the remaining 20% must be in the chamber. The remark was not only met with laughter from elected officials in the audience, but also a telling nod from the Speaker of the House.
Madigan’s nod shows he is more interested in maintaining his hold on power than in doing what’s right for the people of Illinois. He knows that a vast majority of Illinoisans want term limits, but he doesn’t care — because term limits would put an end to his 47-year political career.
The Madigan Machine is not hiding in the background, it’s out in the open for the people to see.
* They’re not yet going after Ives and are sticking to their basic messaging. Press release…
Today, the Rauner campaign launched the latest in the series of ads featuring JB Pritzker and the infamous Rod Blagojevich FBI wiretaps.
JB Pritzker’s voice is not featured in this newest ad, but money talks and Blagojevich was listening. The ad features Blagojevich talking about raising millions of dollars from Pritzker and giving him Barack Obama’s Senate seat in return.
Blagojevich closes the conversation saying, “incidentally [Pritzker] asked me for it. Don’t repeat that.”
Pritzker may claim he did nothing wrong, but Blagojevich’s implications are clear: Pritzker was asking for the Senate seat and could match the price tag.
I don’t think Pritzker asked Blagojevich for the Senate seat. He wanted the treasurer’s job if Alexi Giannoulias got a White House gig as was rumored at the time.
*** UPDATE *** The ad claims the audio is “The unedited FBI wiretap of Rod Blagojevich talking about JB Pritzker.” It’s not unedited. From the full transcript with the quotes used in the Rauner ad highlighted…
BLAGOJEVICH: “501(c)(4) issue advocacy, 10, 15, 20 35 million dollars in an organization like that. But, I, we can get goin’ with an ind-, you know a board that, you know I’m comfortable with and then when I’m no longer governor I go over there. What about that?”
SCOFIELD: “I think it’s worth explorin’.”
BLAGOJEVICH: “I betcha JB can raise me money like that.”
(UI)
BLAGOJEVICH: “For a Senate seat. Huh?”
SCOFIELD: “Yep.”
BLAGOJEVICH: “If I can get JB to do somethin’ like that is it worth, ah, givin’ him the Senate seat?Incidentally, he, he asked me for it. Don’t repeat that.”
SCOFIELD: “He did?”
BLAGOJEVICH: “Yeah.”
SCOFIELD: “Huh. Okay.”
(PAUSE)
SCOFIELD: “Man I don’t know. That’s a hard one to do.”
BLAGOJEVICH: “What’s that? JB?”
SCOFIELD: “Yeah.”
BLAGOJEVICH: “Huh?”
SCOFIELD: “Yeah.”
BLAGOJEVICH: “Yeah you’re darn right it’s hard. But if you have an organization that, you know you go out and advocate and, and he’ll help fund it by getting some of his billionaire friends to, to invest in it. Huh?”
SCOFIELD: “Tempting.”
BLAGOJEVICH: “Um, you, you, look, I really believe you can do more good than just putting Valerie Jarrett there and get nothin’ back.”
[BREAK]
BLAGOJEVICH: “(Sighs) 501(c)(4). How’s that sound to you? $10 million dollars, $15 million dollars.”
SCOFIELD: “Ah, it sounds good to me.”
BLAGOJEVICH: “Issue advocacy that will last beyond me bein’ governor. Somethin’ I can work on. Try to do other things. What do you think of that?”
SCOFIELD: “I think it’s a good place to land.”
[PAUSE]
BLAGOJEVICH: “Okay. JB, he can do it, couldn’t he?”
SCOFIELD: “Ah, sure, JB could do it.”
BLAGOJEVICH: “Who knows him, that we know that’s close to him? Mmm, that I don’t know.”
[PAUSE]
SCOFIELD: “I don’t know, Greg from my office knows him, but is not real close to him. But you know I could ask Greg who’s close to him. I can find out.”
[PAUSE]
BLAGOJEVICH: “I mean I don’t wanna be the one to ask somethin’ like that. Alright. No I can find out.”
