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There are only two “sides” to pick from

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Illinois

Which brings to mind the Republican effort to “out” the downstate Democrats ahead of the Illinois House electing its next speaker. Mike Madigan’s 32-year lock on that spot, and all the dysfunction that has flowed from that leadership, is under attack and local Democrats are under the microscope at bossmadigan.com. The site names state Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Eldorado; Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville; Rep. Dan Beiser, D-Alton; and Rep. Jerry Costello II, D-Smithton.

Costello said he doesn’t know how he’ll vote.

“I think my constituents know I’m a very conservative Democrat, and I consider myself to be exactly in the middle,” Costello said.

But exactly in the middle is a very bad place to be. If anything is to change in Illinois, Costello and the rest of Illinois’ leadership must choose sides.

Continue to follow Madigan, to what destination is anyone’s guess. Try something different than the insanity of topping two decades of unbalanced budgets by shirking the obligation for two years to even have a budget, by ignoring a $130 billion pension deficit and by continuing to bleed jobs and population that are destroying our middle class.

Serve yourself. Serve your master. Serve the people who elected you.

This shouldn’t be a hard choice.

There are only two sides in the House: Madigan and Rauner. What the BN-D essentially proposes here is that Costello and other Democrats side with Rauner. They don’t come out and say it, of course, but that’s what this is really all about.

Being “exactly in the middle” is a good thing, by the way. He can help nudge people on both sides to an agreement. Costello worked hard on the higher education stopgap earlier this year to make it more equitable for Downstate. Illinois needs more legislators like him, not fewer.

/rant

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Dec 6, 16 @ 11:12 am

Comments

Yeah. I remember middle of the road republicans too. They were a good bunch of guys.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Tuesday, Dec 6, 16 @ 11:17 am
Anyone get BN-D to admit how much they were paid by Rauner/IPI to stream the fake movie? We know they don’t do that strreamin’ for free.

Comment by Annonin" Tuesday, Dec 6, 16 @ 11:20 am
No one has ever accused the News-Democrat of not having its own agenda and of not being aligned with the less progressive agendas of some groups and individuals.

Comment by illini Tuesday, Dec 6, 16 @ 11:22 am
There wouldn’t need to be two sides of the HRaunerites were an independent caucus.

Once the HGOP became the HRaunerites, the independence needed to help Rauner see 60 and 30 went out the window.

That’s the governmental tragedy in all this.

Then again Rauner want no $&@#% problems.

That says it all.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Dec 6, 16 @ 11:29 am
===Mike Madigan’s 32-year lock on that spot===

Oh and by the by… that is not true. He was not Speaker in 95-96. I know that it really doesn’t make that much difference, but a non-fake news source should know. The fact that they don’t is either purposely rewriting history or complete intellectual laziness. I would guess the latter.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Tuesday, Dec 6, 16 @ 11:29 am
What is the something different you want Illinois to try, BND?

A right-to-work state?

Closing EIU, Chicago St. and possibly more colleges?

Closing particular prisons?

Ending Medicaid eligibility for certain people?

Raising taxes a set amount?

If you know what Rauner’s “something different” plan is to balance the budget, please tell us!

Because putting a new name behind Speaker isn’t going to magically close the budget cap.

Rauner and the IL GOP have no plan to fix this state. Or they know it’s a plan no one wants and no one would support if they saw the light of day. So instead they can’t do anything but attack Democrats and make the process of getting a budget deal that much more difficult.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Tuesday, Dec 6, 16 @ 11:41 am
Costello for governor.

Comment by Blue dog dem Tuesday, Dec 6, 16 @ 11:43 am
Are they changing the name of the paper to the Belleville News-Rauner?

Comment by LIberty Tuesday, Dec 6, 16 @ 11:55 am
There are only two sides, Rauner’s and Madigan’s.

One’s been on display for 40 plus years and the other is 2 years in but has been stymied by the wily career politician. Hmm.

No wonder why no reputable newspaper’s Editorial Board said “we back Madigan!”

Comment by Deft Wing Tuesday, Dec 6, 16 @ 12:03 pm
- Deft Wing -

Crain’s…

“By nearly every measure, the state is worse off since Rauner took office”

Aw, you’re welcome. lol

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Dec 6, 16 @ 12:09 pm
I agree with Deft Wing…it seems that we somehow compare Rauner and Madigan as equally responsible for the financial position that got us here…that is not the case. We are quick to attack Rauner for not proposing a budget without reform, but rarely criticize the Speaker for his role in the path that led us here.

Comment by Mod Dem Tuesday, Dec 6, 16 @ 12:10 pm
- Mod Dem -

Hmm…

Since when has Higher Ed not got funding?

Before Rauner?

Since Rauner?

You think on that, get back to all of us.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Dec 6, 16 @ 12:12 pm
===One’s been on display for 40 plus years and the other is 2 years in but has been stymied by the wily career politician. Hmm.

And one has produced a budget every time until Rauner. Not always on time, but always ended up with one.

Comment by ArchPundit Tuesday, Dec 6, 16 @ 12:39 pm
If they wanted the representative from the 116th house district to vote in their preferred manner the Republicans should have run a candidate in that district in either of the last two cycles. It’s too late to make up for that ineptitude.

Comment by The Captain Tuesday, Dec 6, 16 @ 1:11 pm
==we somehow compare Rauner and Madigan as equally responsible for the financial position that got us here==

I don’t think anyone has said that. What’s been said is that the Governor and the Speaker are both on the hook for the situation we find ourselves in now.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Dec 6, 16 @ 1:23 pm
=it seems that we somehow compare Rauner and Madigan as equally responsible for the financial position that got us here…=

We? What, you and the mouse in your pocket?

You may want to check in more often.

Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Dec 6, 16 @ 3:49 pm
===it seems that we somehow compare Rauner and Madigan as equally responsible for the financial position that got us here

Madigan had a lot of help over the years with screwing up the budget, but if you recall, before Rauner took over, there was some progress being made on the backlog. Now, it’s exploded.

Term limits doesn’t solve the budget problem and a property tax freeze doesn’t either. In fact, it might make it worse. So why are they holding up a deal?

Comment by ArchPundit Tuesday, Dec 6, 16 @ 5:11 pm
OW, ==Crain’s… “By nearly every measure, the state is worse off since Rauner took office”==

I’m not takin sides here but the same editorial says, “Madigan, of course, bears the lion’s share of responsibility for the mess Illinois is in, thanks to his decades in power.”
Is that called “backing Madigan”? -Just askin’

Comment by just askin Tuesday, Dec 6, 16 @ 5:22 pm
- just askin -

Not to “nitpick”, grabbing that quote in the context I did is referencing what Rauner IS doing right now, now a reflection of the past.

Please refer to McKinney when trying to “nitpick” where I think blame is to be placed. McKinney lays it out.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Dec 6, 16 @ 5:36 pm