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“It was as if a mini-Capitol had sprouted”

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* I’m excerpting too much from Molly Parker’s article because it’s pretty darned good…

A war of words erupted in Marion on Tuesday between a Republican House candidate taking a “Fire Madigan” pledge and his supporters, and a group of people who came out to protest the event with a message of their own: “Fire Rauner.”

The protesters – about a dozen of them – held their “Fire Rauner” signs to the window of Dave Severin’s campaign office, where inside the Republican from Benton challenging Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, read prepared remarks about what he deemed the “defining issue in this campaign.”

Severin was flanked by a handful of supporters at the news conference, which was attended by one reporter, as he announced, “I pledge to fire Mike Madigan.”

He then went on to say that “Bradley’s loyalty to Mike Madigan has dire consequences” for the people of Southern Illinois, and closed his prepared remarks by signing a giant pledge card sealing his decision not to cast a vote for Madigan as speaker should he be elected to the House this November – not that Madigan would have been counting on his vote anyway.

Pressed on who Bradley and other downstate Democrats should support for Speaker when the 100th General Assembly is seated in January, Severin offered up zero alternatives.

The whole ordeal — including a heated exchange between a Severin supporter and a “Fire Rauner” protester stationed outside, with both trying to talk over one another, and neither even attempting to acknowledge the other’s point of view — seemed to mimic the events playing out in Springfield that have led to a protracted budget stalemate.

It was as if a mini-Capitol had sprouted in an otherwise ordinary Marion parking lot strip mall housing offices, a tattoo parlor and Mexican restaurant.

That’s even more so because the sharp political exchange that began at noon was sandwiched between two other events — of social service providers in the morning, and higher education leaders in the afternoon — where local leaders discussed the devastating effects the budget impasse is having on the region, economically and socially.

She can write, that one.

* Parker also wrote about something that I told subscribers about today. From the Dave Severin campaign Facebook page…

Well, if there was any doubt that John Bradley and Mike Madigan are best buds, this guy who protested our news conference removes it all! ‪#‎LoveThePassion‬

Check out the video…

Oops.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 11:04 am

Comments

The Southern Illinoisan is lucky to have her. Her work on Cairo was pretty amazing also. Not often that the feds take over housing authorities.

Comment by Saluki Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 11:09 am
Woo Boy apparently didn’t get the memo.

Comment by A guy Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 11:10 am
Wow I came here to say the same thing that Saluki said. Parker’s work is important and INSTRUMENTAL in adressing that situation in Cairo / Alexander County.

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 11:11 am
You know I keep wondering if this is how civil war starts? I’d love to get the input of an academic on this. Is this natural to have occasional bifurcations of political views? Are we on one end of some kind of cycle? Is this going to get worse and break down further? Or will the dialectic process correct itself at some point and we have unity? Night before last I watched Ken Burns Civil war. Last night I was watching WWI docs. I hate feeling helpless and adrift in the current of events.

Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 11:12 am
The problem for the Bradley campaign is not that Woo Boy did not get the memo, the problem is that he was just speaking the truth, which often just comes out naturally. Bradley can be a good southern Illinois and a Madigan duckling, but it’s up to the voters to decide if that’s what they want in their representative.

Comment by Ahoy! Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 11:21 am
“a Madigan duckling”

And being a 1.4% duckling is any better?

I have a 1.4% duckling as a state senator. And every time I read in the paper her mindless drivel, I have to shake my head.

Given 1.4% incessant campaigning for his agenda and the brainless parroting by his ducklings, I’ll take a Madigan mushroom duckling any day.

Comment by Huh? Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 11:33 am
Not sure enough about this to name him, but the “Fire Rauner” guy looks like an AFSCME staff rep.

Comment by SOIL M Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 11:53 am
Ahoy, did you see the Bradley ad where he promises to fight Chicago politicians for the interests of Southern Illinois?

Then Woo Boy tethers him to Madigan. And Woo Boy looks a lot more like a Madigan soldier than a Bradley soldier…

Woo Boy missed the memo.

Comment by A guy Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 11:56 am
–“I pledge to fire Mike Madigan.”–

Should you really run on a promise of something you absolutely know that cannot do?

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 12:27 pm
So how does one house rep from Marion Illinois make the claim he is going to fire Madigan and not have everybody else in the room laugh in his face,

Comment by Chungas revenge Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 12:32 pm
More to the point - So how does one house rep or senator make the claim (s)he is going to do anything substantial like balance the budget, fund schools, cut taxes or fire Madigan and not have everybody else in the room laugh in his/her face.

The same can be said for the US Congress.

What happened to smart, intelligent and thinking people? We swallow the pablum from the candidates as though it is God’s word from on high.

Comment by Huh? Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 1:26 pm
If the =woo= video guy was local he would have known tying Bradley to Madigan isn’t =helping=.

Bradley won’t like seeing this.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 3:58 pm
That guy is probably a supporter of Bradley’s opponent trying to fifth column.

Comment by *...* Wednesday, Jun 29, 16 @ 8:26 pm