* It’s a bit frustrating watching some politicians play with the idea of running for various offices like they’re picking out a new toy…
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan appears to be leaning strongly toward running for governor– not US Senate.
She’s not ruling out a senate race, but tells ABC 7 News the possibility of moving to Washington, D.C. doesn’t appeal to her.
“My focus has long been on looking at a race for governor as you know I’ve made no decision yet,” said Lisa Madigan, Illinois Attorney General.
I understand the problem with schlepping back and forth to DC, especially with young kids. But that’s not exactly a high-minded reason to avoid a race. Pick a lane, please.
I’m taking a very, very careful look at this, and actually may make that run. I’ve set for myself an arbitrary deadline of June 8th where I’m gunna make a decision. And you know, I feel confident, actually, that if I ran I could win. Here we are though, at this incredibly opportune moment to really make big change. Big change moment today in our country. So I have to decide if I want to spend the next 18 months basically raising money. You know what I mean?… Rather than, I’m on the Energy and Commerce Committee, health care, energy. I’m on the Intelligence Committee, I’m in the Leadership of the House. So, I have to weigh all that. Clearly being in the Senate would give me an even larger opportunity to move an agenda.
Watch the video…
She also talks about US Sen. Roland Burris…
I don’t see how he can, at this point, win a primary. The numbers speak very loudly to that. And he’s just been embroiled in this toxic situation, and it hasn’t really gotten any better for him. And so I would say, that’s not, you know, I don’t see him as being competitive in a Democratic Primary.
And muses on the GOP’s chances in the contest…
Cenk Uygur: Is there a Republican in the state that can make a real run against a Democrat in Illinois?
Representative Schakowsky: For U.S Senate? I… no. And here’s why I say that: we are Barack Obama’s home state, and having a Republican who would run against the Obama agenda is a loser in Illinois. It just, you know, for our mostly blue state, I don’t see how that could happen. You know, there are things, I suppose that, you know, 2010 became a bad year because a lot of the hopes and dreams weren’t realized. But even then, I think there’s going to be a distaste for someone who’s part of the “just say no” group as a candidate for U.S Senate.
Discuss.
…Adding… The IL GOP’s new Web ad, “100 Days of the Same,” contains an interesting clip of Chris Kennedy that could be used in the upcoming campaign if he runs for US Senate…