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Madigan says his longevity helps him “resist” Rauner’s “extremism”

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Illinois

Governor Bruce Rauner is making another high-profile pitch for term limits. The longtime House Speaker Michael Madigan has an opposite view on the idea … as he told Amanda Vinicky at the Democratic National Convention.

Madigan’s been House speaker for a long time (nearly uninterrupted since 1983), and during that time, he’s amassed a lot of power.

That’s a big asset for Democrats trying to fend off the governor’s agenda, Madigan says.

“Why, I think it’s pretty clear that my longevity has put me into a position where I can successfully resist the extremism of Rauner, provide a check against the extreme ideas that he wants to bring into government.”

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 3:51 pm

Comments

Dude, your longevity is the reason Gov. Rauner was elected.

Comment by A guy Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 3:53 pm
Just like he resisted the extremism of Blago. Many of us are grateful for his power back then.

Comment by very old soil Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 3:55 pm
Dude, Pat Quinn is the reason Gov. Rauner was elected.

Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 3:58 pm
I agree with Madigan. Term limits is a gimmick by Rauner to make it easier to fund puppet candidates and control elections. We already know how to vote and term limit a candidate if need be. No to term limits!

Comment by Jay Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 3:59 pm
Checks and balances are popular so long as it’s not your governor whose power is checked.

Comment by anon Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 4:05 pm
“I shall preside over years of corrosion and ultimately ruin, and accumulate the power that comes with longevity. And I shall use that power to stand as a roadblock to any who dare attempt to repair the ruin. And I shall spin such attempts as extremism. And my 13,000 voters who dutifully re-elect me will rejoice in my power. And the 13,000,000 citizens of the State of Illinois…Meh.”

Comment by phocion Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 4:07 pm
If 42 states and the City of Chicago impose some restrictions on collective bargaining as Rauner has proposed and the Speaker and the Democrats have rejected is it really extreme?

Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 4:14 pm
Dude, those popular doorhangers featured both of them. Where I walked, Madigan was easily as unpopular as Quinn. They saw Quinn as the likable bumbler who just couldn’t get it right.

They saw and still see Madigan as an Evil Genius.

Dude.

Comment by A guy Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 4:15 pm
==If 42 states and the City of Chicago impose some restrictions on collective bargaining as Rauner has proposed and the Speaker and the Democrats have rejected is it really extreme?==

Another press release. Sigh. Give it a rest already will ya?

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 4:29 pm
The problem for Rauner is that when the lead hits the paper, less than 2% of voters are going to see Mike Madigan’s name on the ballot.

Comment by Pete Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 4:29 pm
Dude, where you walked Madigan wasn’t on the ballot. Don’t try to re-write history to suit your current agenda. To the extent you actually have any knowledge of what those votes “saw and still see,” I’d say, at best, you’re half right.

Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 4:35 pm
OK, no term limits. In exchange Madigan gets behind sensible redistricting reform to make gerrymandering much more difficult. Deal?

Comment by Independent Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 4:39 pm
Independent—that sounds fair!

Comment by d.p.gumby Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 4:40 pm
@a guy

“Dude”

There was no reason Bruce was elected. He campaigned on Quinn bad, and cute TV commercials with his wife saying he had no social agenda.

If would have had the “Testicular Virility” (Blago) to say what exactly his “agenda” was he’d a never been elected.

Comment by Doug Simpson Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 4:43 pm
“My extreme longevity has put me in the position to use the word extreme extremely often.”

Comment by Ron Burgundy Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 4:50 pm
I don’t remember Mr. Speaker’s name being on the ballot in 2014, but AA is old and somewhat forgetful. I recall Rauner running against “corrupt Union bosses” as much as Quinn.

Dudes.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 4:51 pm
===I’d say, at best, you’re half right.===
Hey dude, for you that’s actually generous.

It’s not like there isn’t actually an election coming up and this strategy is being capitalized statewide. We’ll know soon enough dude.

There’s only one district in the state where they openly say “I wanna be like Mike”. And even they aren’t as open as they used to be.

We’ll see.

Comment by A guy Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 4:54 pm
===…and this strategy is being capitalized statewide===

Lol, “Fire Madigan” is your strategy? Again?

Dude, 2010 called, it wants its strategy back.

Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 4:57 pm
Pierre,have you checked the 42 out?I haven’t. I have no idea what those restrictions are. They may well vary considerably from state to state, and some of them might be pretty reasonable. I would be interested in that. If you run across any specific info, let me know. Thanks

Comment by Steve Schnorf Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 5:04 pm
Steve, please don’t hold your breath waiting for LP. Your sage advice is appreciated.

Comment by Norseman Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 5:23 pm
caveat.

No term limits until the money situation is fixed by eliminating dark money, and overturn Citizens United, etc.

Term limits will just create open space for billionaires to buy seats and control the legislature.

Comment by cdog Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 5:42 pm
Rauner’s extremism? Extreme liberalism: reducing drug penalties, forcing insurers to pay for contraception… he’s as bad as Quinn.

As for Madigan’s longevity, a one-term limit would be beautiful. And how about a legislature that meets biannually? They could do less damage that way.

Comment by ButWhy? Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 5:48 pm
Madigan doesn’t get the irony of what is extreme. Our unemployment rate is extreme, as are our property taxes, workers comp rates and our population loss. The lack of trust Illinois residents have in our state government is extreme.

Our unbalanced budgets are extreme.

There are numerous restrictions to collective bargaining that allow other states have implemented.indians teachers cannot collectively bargain teacher evaluation criteria.

They can bargain for wages and benefits. Massachusetts democrats cut back collective bargaining for public employees that saved local governments 100 million dollars allowing them to avoid layoffs and reductions in services. In Wisconsin they opened up the bidding for health insurance to control escalating health care costs

A lot can be done to fix Illinois. It is not extreme to reform Illinois

Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 5:49 pm
I’m not sure how the Citizens United ruling applies to this news site at all

Comment by Downstate GOP Faithless Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 6:03 pm
As much as I dislike Madigan, he’s right.

Comment by Morty Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 6:32 pm
“- 47th Ward - Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 3:58 pm:

Dude, Pat Quinn is the reason Gov. Rauner was elected.”

THIS.

Rauner was not elected to “reform” Illnois. He was barely elected on the platform of not being Pat Quinn.

As others have pointed out repeatedly, had Rauner campaigned on his true agenda he would not have won.

If the Democrats had run someone competent against Quinn in the primary, that person would have won, and Rauner would have lost in the general.

If If If

Rauner’s in, but that doesn’t mean that the Dems should roll over on his agenda

Comment by Morty Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 6:37 pm
He is right! I am glad he is there! When Rauner and his billionaire buddies decided to attack everyone but other billionaires ,I am glad to have a experinced speaker like Madigan stoping them.

Comment by Augie Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 7:05 pm
==Extreme liberalism: reducing drug penalties, forcing insurers to pay for contraception…==

I’m guessing polling will show these are extreme positions… held by the majority of Americans.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 8:32 pm
8:32 was me, apologies.

Comment by Timmeh Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 8:33 pm
There’s two states, Norseman. Forty to go!

Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 8:55 pm
@Lucky, your Governor has not supplied any evidence to the legislature that his reforms will save a lot of money to the state and create more jobs. Are the Democrats just supposed to take him at his word? I think most Democrats know what’s really at work here. The Governor and his corporate friends want cheaper labor costs. How will more lower paying jobs and reducing the tax base help Illinois?

Comment by The Dude Abides Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 8:59 pm
I find the whole idea of term limits to be nothing more than political nonsense. We have term limits — its called an election.

I am willing to bet that it takes a number of years for our elected officials to learn their job. Just as they learn their keep term limits advocate their removal. It makes no sense.

The problem as I see it involves Jerry Mandering. It’s time to use our computers to draw voting districts that are based on population density models rather than political whim.

One final comment. Our problem is with our elected officials NOT government. Our agencies would work just fine if we could LIMIT our elected officials input.

Comment by Illinoisan Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 9:32 pm
==Term limits will just create open space for billionaires to buy seats and control the legislature.==

Well, we have decades of results without term limits, and things haven’t gone so swimmingly, have they now?

==When Rauner and his billionaire buddies decided to attack everyone but other billionaires ,I am glad to have a experinced speaker like Madigan stoping them.==

Who do you think are clients at Madigan & Getzendanner? Hint: not orphanages.

Madigan’s been House speaker for a long time (nearly uninterrupted since 1983), and during that time, he’s amassed a lot of pension debt.

There. Fixed it.

Comment by City Zen Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 9:57 pm
“How many legs does a dog have if you call his tail a leg? Four. Saying that a tail is a leg doesn’t make it a leg.”
Abraham Lincoln

One of my fave quotes from Lincoln. Rauner is a Republican in blue IL (light blue in non presidential years). He is not extreme - no matter how many times anyone wants to accuse him of being extreme.

Comment by Anon Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 10:08 pm
Yeah, that’s it MJM. Go with that. Rolls Eyes.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 2, 16 @ 7:30 am
Madigan has some extremism of his own, extreme power and extreme ego. Rauner actually isn’t that extreme, he’s only wanting to implement some changes that over half of the States have implemented in some way. So, I would say he tends toward the middle, but when you have extreme views, the middle can look extremely far away.

Comment by Ahoy! Tuesday, Aug 2, 16 @ 8:46 am
I tend to agree that Rauner is more toward the center but Illinois is quite blue and I think most voters want to be even deeper blue. To those folks, Rauner is extreme.

Comment by cgo75 Tuesday, Aug 2, 16 @ 9:09 am
Madigan’s longevity is why the state if Illinois is in the state it’s in.

Comment by Dan S Tuesday, Aug 2, 16 @ 9:18 am