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It’s all about loyalty, and it goes both ways

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Illinois

I was duped by a right-wing organization into appearing in what will probably be a propaganda movie. It’s my own fault. The producer claimed that while some people were pointing fingers at House Speaker Michael Madigan, his company was interested in doing a fair and balanced film about “what’s really at the center of it all.”

Two days later, I found out that the forthcoming “documentary” is backed by an arm of the well-funded Illinois Policy Institute, one of Madigan’s fiercest critics and a staunch ally of Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. The institute’s top executive is also a close Rauner adviser. I’m not exactly popular with that group, although I have strongly supported several of its small-business initiatives in Chicago. I’m not expecting to come out of the editing room looking too well.

Such is life.

But just to make sure I get my side in, I thought I’d tell you some of what I told the filmmakers.

We already have a thread about the Illinois Policy Institute’s movie, so go there if you want to discuss that topic today.

* For this post’s purposes, click here to read the rest of my column before commenting, please. Thanks.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 10:03 am

Comments

Also, make sure to click the embedded hyperlinks in the column.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 10:10 am
Rich, after your embarrassing and erroneous admonishment of your readers that there was nothing to the Sandack story and now this, we are wondering which hat you are wearing, gossip or journalist

Comment by Jimbo Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 10:11 am
Great column, thanx. Sorry this happened to you. But our Governor is cut from the same cloth as Machine Politics. Or, in other words, whats old is new again.

Furthermore, anyone who repeats things like Right to Work, or Liberal/Mainstream Media are also being duped. Because they dont exist.

Comment by Jeff Selvin Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 10:13 am
Jeez, the Tribune comment section is almost at the second grade level.

Comment by Mongo Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 10:16 am
Interesting article Rich. Love the Roman Army reference. It actually makes a lot of sense. It works better for Madigan than my beloved Spartan/Athenian ancient Greek examples. Well regardless, it’s a huge battle. A huge battle. And it has huge huge consequences.

Comment by Decanus Honeybear Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 10:19 am
Very good article Rich. Following this site and reading your columns over the past few years, I have found you to be without a doubt, one of the most honest journalists in Chicago. I feel bad that you (and others) were duped by this arm of the Rauner GOP.

Comment by HRC2016 Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 10:28 am
Mongo-where is the article in the Trib and what is the headline?

Comment by HRC2016 Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 10:31 am
===that there was nothing to the Sandack story===

Not true.

I knew what the rumor was at the time. And that rumor was false. It had nothing to do with what eventually came out.

So, bite me.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 10:31 am
Rich, great stuff. You break it down to the “street” level, and bring it all the way “back”, from the Speaker’s Office in Spribgfield, to the Ward Office, and back…to the Lower Chamber in the General Assembly.

Frankie “Five Angels”… It’s like sharing a cigar with Frankie “Five Angels”

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 10:32 am
“an eerily similar operation…”

Big Bill Thompson’s Republican critics accused him of building a political organization that resembled Tammany Hall. Given his electoral success, it seems as if one had to fight fire with fire.

Almost a century later, the only thing that has changed in Chicago politics is the names.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 10:34 am
I read the article online yesterday. Great retort. And I loved the analogies you used.

Comment by illini Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 10:41 am
We know from Frank Pentanglie that the Corleone Family was like the Roman Legion. In Chicago, Anton Cermak modeled the Cook County Regular Democratic Organization based on the way the Mafia operated by dividing up territories.

In Cook County, with 50 wards and 30 townships, each area had a boss (committeeman), who was largely in control of everything political within that territory. The bosses would exchange vote totals in their precincts for patronage jobs under the control of city, county and state office holders who owed their seats to the machine. As long as committeemen stayed within their ward or township, the group was cohesive and prospered. When one boss sent his troops into another ward or township, trouble erupted. The Chairman’s job was to ensure patronage was doled out properly, and could use this power to punish rogue committeemen if necessary.

It was a pretty good model. It worked for the Romans, the Mafia and Cook County Democrats. I’d say it withstood the test of time.

Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 10:53 am
So I was just having fun by putting Decanus Honeybear. Decanus was the Roman equivalent of sergeant. But I should have said something about the fact that I don’t see myself fighting for Madigan or his Army really.

I’m fighting for the little disabled man who just came to see me, clutching his old pair of headphones as if they were Gods grace themselves. He hadn’t fill out hardly anything on his Food Stamp redetermination. I had to go over it with him. God help him when the new computer system shifts responsibility for case changes to him. Loving God he’s going to get cancelled. This little man is who I’m fighting for. Him, right in front of me. I’ll march in the Army that fights for him. The only thing that I have seen from Gov. Rauner is trying to eliminate, make more difficult to obtain/maintain, benefits for people just like this blessed little man. He’s confused and flustered and embarrassed that he can’t understand. Sure the old system was corrupt and built on patronage and loyalty. But people like this man got help from people like me. Rauner threatens this and thus threatens me and this little man I want to protect.

Comment by Honeybear Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 11:05 am
Most interesting and accurate analysis. But what is significant is that the structure of the Roman Legions created a bond or unity that Brucie’s throwing money around like confetti doesn’t last when the confetti stops. The Roman Legion bond lasts longer.

Comment by d.p.gumby Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 11:09 am
–And when the people at the bottom can’t be adequately protected, they’ll either turn on the boss or force him to end the war and cut a deal with the governor.–

Also goes both ways.

During Rauner’s tenure in office, the only time we’ve seen him budge is when enough GOP House members threatened to walk: Dedicated funds, local revenue-sharing, “stopgap” budget.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 11:15 am
Great article. I have a hard time believing that Rauner will be able to replicate, to any degree, what the Speaker has. I don’t think Rauner knows what ‘loyalty’ means.

Comment by Paddyrollingstone Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 11:25 am
Rich,

You fail to mention how Madigan makes those he helped get a job raise or contribute ten percent of their salary to the ward. Disgraceful! So much for public service.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 11:47 am
So- anyone can do what Michael Madigan does. It is a model anyone can emulate. It is a way of governing that has long roots in history. Anyone can do it.

Yet, all we get is whining from those who aren’t able to copy him. Rauner could do what Madigan does, but can’t. Why can’t he? Because Rauner displays no ability to govern.

What Madigan is doing isn’t magic. What the GOP has to do is does the same thing. Whining about it doesn’t work.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 11:58 am
Is bamboozled a forbidden word?

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 11:59 am
ANON..11:47 AM

You are so far off base. I know for a fact Madigan does not muscle people he helps to contribute money to his ward.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 12:02 pm
===You are so far off base. I know for a fact Madigan does not muscle people he helps to contribute money to his ward.===

Agreed. But even if he did, certainly, he can present a bill for such services. After all, we are not Communists.

Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 12:11 pm
Machine politics delivers the goods to community and constituents better than an oligarchy. http://www.npr.org/2014/03/05/286218423/the-case-for-tammany-hall-being-on-the-right-side-of-history

Comment by NoGifts Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 12:17 pm
Anonymous 11:47

I also have never seen Madigan do what you describe. The myths abound.

Comment by walker Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 12:53 pm
Great insights in Rich’s piece.

The more Rauner acts to “Shake Up Springfield,” the more he seems to be like Madigan.

It is surprising the extent to which, when asked what they admire about Madigan, his loyalists will respond with a highly personal family story.

I would love to see Paul Green’s take on the links to the past. A big loss.

Comment by walker Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 1:08 pm
Rauner’s denial…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajon-C3HPTo&feature=youtu.be&a

Comment by Anon221 Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 1:47 pm
Due to his wealth and previous position, I could imagine that Rauner is accustomed to people doing things for him. Some people probably anticipate tasks for him before he asks.
So, he probably doesn’t understand the idea of helping others and them retaining them. He used to the Payroll Dept dealing with them. It could take practice to help others-harder to emulate Madigan’s style
It’s an interesting column since you admit that you were taken and not everyone could do that in writing.

Comment by Belle Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 1:52 pm
Dupe/schmupe - Rich, get to what’s important - how do you look in the movie? Did they get the lighting right? Do you look George Clooney-like?

In all seriousness, great article, and a great primer on how basic politics really is - it’s a way to get things done, and it involves human beings who have some pretty basic needs. I get that it’s not the idealistic model that we’re taught in middle school, but I also don’t know that it’s such a bad variation, either.

Comment by Johnny Tractor Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 2:39 pm
This is exactly why Madigan is not getting voted out of office. I lived in Ravenswood Manor during the Blago era. We got our streets plowed first. We had a bunch of guys snowblowers doing our sidewalks. Our alleys got plowed. I am one of a few people I know who lived there then who didn’t vote for him, but we kept quiet about it.

Very few people who can go to Madigan about a job, or getting their trees trimmed are complaining about him.

Comment by Cheryl44 Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 3:41 pm
I find it hard to believe Madigan, an attorney, did not find out who was behind (funding) the movie before agreeing to provide information for the movie.

Comment by Mama Retired Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 4:35 pm
MAMA

Who said Madigan agreed to provide info.

Thats news to me.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Sep 19, 16 @ 4:45 pm
Man, sometimes you are just plain embarrassed to be from Illinois. I watched the trailer - how on Earth does this advance the turnaround agenda ? More importantly, where does the Governor’s poker game meet - I want to join.

Comment by peon Tuesday, Sep 20, 16 @ 12:39 am
The with holding of information, one sided reporting is typical of Proft. Substandard journalism…will do anything to win.

Such a looser.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Sep 20, 16 @ 7:00 am
And how does all of this advance the state forward? This funneling of jobs and services, paid for with tax dollars, to the political supporters of the majority party, all intended to reinforce the power base? And this is something to be admired?

Comment by Tom K. Tuesday, Sep 20, 16 @ 7:20 am