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Quinn says Madigan should step down as party chairman

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Illinois

Former Gov. Pat Quinn, who is running for Illinois attorney general in the Dem primary, thinks powerful House Speaker Mike Madigan should step down as the state’s Dem party chairman!

Yikes!

“He [Madigan] has been there for 20 years and I don’t think Senate President John Cullerton, who is a Dem committeeman, should be part of the party apparatus either,” he told Sneed. (The story was first reported by WBBM Radio’s Craig Dellimore.)

“I think the political apparatus should be separate from their public jobs,” Quinn added. “They have demanding positions. They should stick to their public responsibilities and let somebody else do the party politics.”

* Roundup…

* Fight Or Flight — Attorney General Candidates On Impasse Politics: How would contenders for the state’s top legal office have handled the budget stalemate?

* Lisa Madigan gets good reviews at Democrats’ AG debate — mostly: Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan got mostly favorable reviews from the eight Democrats running to replace her as they gathered Sunday for a debate co-hosted by the Chicago Sun-Times. But some of the candidates who gathered at Cards Against Humanity for the livestreamed event also said Madigan should have been more aggressive when it comes to investigating public corruption.

* Tom Kacich: [Gary Grasso] is running radio commercials that say Harold “has not even tried a single case” since her 2007 graduation from Harvard Law School, and that call her “unproven, untested, liberal Miss Erika Harold.” Harold campaign manager Jason Heffley said that “Erika has tried a case (in Champaign County) and Gary knows it.”

* Daily Herald: Sharon Fairley for attorney general in Democratic primary

* CS-T endorsement: Sharon Fairley for attorney general in Democratic primary

* CS-T endorsement: Erika Harold for attorney general in the Republican primary

* Daily Herald: Erika Harold for attorney general in the Republican primary

* Jim Dey: Harold faces long campaign trail in run for AG

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 9:38 am

Comments

So trying one case in Champaign County qualifies one to run for AG in Illinois?

Comment by Honeybadger Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 9:48 am
Fairley swept the Trib, Sun Times & Daily Herald.

Comment by Grand Avenue Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 9:50 am
Perhaps, former Gov Quinn should challenge Mr. Madigan for the top job. Gawd, what a disaster that would be.

Comment by Honeybadger Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 9:50 am
Is there an AG candidate that isn’t openly critical of Madigan at this point?

Comment by Downstate Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 9:51 am
“Quinn says Madigan should step down as party chairman”

And I say Quinn should step aside as a party candidate.

Folks say lots of things.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 9:52 am
Smart move by Quinn to triangulate against party establishment pick Kwame Raoul by actually taking a popular position and opposing the Speaker

Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 9:55 am
“a case”
we wonder in anyone ask for more detail or just accept the spox? Of course CNG won’t be askin’

Comment by Annonin' Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 9:57 am
Let’s be honest. Most people within democratic party politics agree. Effective speaker, yes, but as party chairman MJM has neglected everything outside of the House Democrats. The party needs a chairman who can build the organization on all levels.

Comment by Sugar Corn Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 9:59 am
Well if Pat Quinn says it, we have to pay attention. He has always been such an honest guy. I am still waiting for the money the state owes me. Quinn started that robbery. He has zero credibility with state workers, and retirees.

Comment by Retired Educator Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:01 am
Please, somebody, ask the Harold campaign the name of that case….voters ought to be able to know the ONE case our Attorney General has “tried” (to jury, a bench, by plea? There’s a big difference between a bench tried traffic case, a med mal jury trial).

Comment by Undiscovered country Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:05 am
Polls looked busy this am. No system problems as far as I heard. One thing of note: two Dem acquaintances told me they were undecided on AG and just checked the first box on the ballot: Pat Quinn.

Comment by walker Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:06 am
I cannot get all excited about Harold’s lack of trial experience. The AG does not personally try cases; she’s an administrator, not a litigator.

Comment by JoanP Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:07 am
Pat Quinn who in my opinion is the “Weekend At Bernies” political candidate is a fine person in telling someone else to “step down” I suspect that after the election we won’t be hearing too much from Patrick anymore..

Comment by Mouthy Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:09 am
==I suspect that after the election we won’t be hearing too much from Patrick anymore==

We should be so lucky.

Comment by JoanP Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:10 am
Madigan would be hard-pressed to make a case for remaining as party chairman. He’s used that position as an auxiliary funding mechanism for the House Democrats, and nothing more.

I’d be very surprised if women members of the state committee didn’t mount a serious challenge after the primary, with a pledge to bring the organization in the late 20th Century, at least.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:13 am
==He has zero credibility with state workers, and retirees==

I think you’d be in a better position if Quinn would have been reelected.

Quinn’s point on Madigan - Actually fits into Rauner’s narrative.

Comment by Generation X Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:24 am
As Governor, Quinn did whatever Madigan ordered him to do. We can thank the two of them for giving us Rauner.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:30 am
I am so glad democratic candidates have decided to carry Rauner’s water on the anti madigan agenda. It helps distract voters away from his record.

Instead of attacking madigan Democratic candidates should be attacking the gop leaders in the house and senate and GOP Candidates for not condemning the governor’s management of his agencies and the deaths of veterans in Quincy

Comment by Publius Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:36 am
#timesups on Pat Quinn. This guy has a ton of nerve, considering the multitude of sexual harassment claims and salary disparity issues under his watch. Ask him about the special investigators he brought in weeks before the 2014 to confirm a pattern sexual harassment at one of his male dominated state agencies. He needs to go away..forever.

Comment by I am woman... Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:39 am
Many MJM fans on this board and I get that. He has been an effective leader for 3 decades. But just a few years ago it would have been unthinkable that the immediate past Democratic Governor would openly call for his resignation. as party chair. Time have changed !

Comment by Texas Red Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:41 am
“He needs to go away..forever.”
Sounds like an excessively rabid death wish

Comment by Sugar Corn Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:53 am
“Should Madigan remain the state chair?”

Gonna be an often asked question to statewide Dem candidates, especially if Quinn or anyone else who has called for him to step down is on the ticket.

Comment by Roman Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 10:59 am
I agree with Quinn. Madigan needs to step down from one of those positions. He is too toxic to be at the head of the democratic party. What is his issue? He is costing us winnable elections because he wants to control everything.

Comment by Real Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 11:01 am
===But just a few years ago it would have been unthinkable that the immediate past Democratic Governor would openly call for his resignation. as party chair===

lol

Did you sleep through the Blagojevich years?

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 11:07 am
JoanP-

Harold has a lot of strengths, and I too couldn’t care less about her trail experience, but I’m not sure she has administrative experience either. Her best argument may be: she’s smart, obviously doesn’t mind challenging the status quo (see ‘14 Congressional bid). good person to clean the swamp.

Comment by DarkHorse Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 11:10 am
Did you sleep through the Blagojevich years?

True that - when the Governor out corrupt’s the speaker you get strange results.

Comment by Texas Red Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 11:13 am
Sugar Corn, if you watched men with high school educations get pay increases while you kept getting promoted (without a pay increase), all while being sexually harassed, you might someone to go away forever too. And no death wish, just a political one.

Comment by I am woman... Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 11:22 am
FWIW, this is, especially for PQ, a pretty nuanced argument. He isn’t actually just saying that MJM should step down because of MADIGAN!!! He’s making a relatively smart and nuanced argument that MJM shouldn’t both be speaker and party chair at the same time.

Comment by SaulGoodman Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 11:39 am
Quinn should run for statewide dog catcher. He has run for everything else.

Then again, that would be considered animal cruelty forcing them to listen to his repeated stories

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 12:18 pm
If I were on the Harold campaign, I wouldn’t respond to anything Grasso says. No one else does.

On Pat Quinn, he’s a wily guy who’s more than willing to be 2 points up or down before the final buzzer. He’s just doing what he does. Be careful criticizing, I could easily see him being your nominee. Just sayin’

Comment by A guy Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 12:56 pm
I doubt Mike Madigan is going to step down. A majority of his caucus supports him. Plus, in Illinois, people are highly tolerant of political scandals. After all, no one is accusing MJM of sexually harassing someone. Mike outlasted Lisa. Mike will outlast Governor Rauner. Mike will outlast Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Mike will leave on his own terms. Don’t be surprised to see him Speaker of the House and Chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party in 2038…

Comment by Steve Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 1:04 pm
–FWIW, this is, especially for PQ, a pretty nuanced argument.–

I thought so, too. Something of a face-saving out for Madigan on the party chairmanship.

It’s a long way from an election for a new speaker. But the new state committee members will be elected this month.

I’m presuming the gubernatorial nominee will want to make a splash with a new face in that spot. And I don’t know who the heck is going to go to the mattresses so Madigan can hold onto that one.

Comes a time, for everyone. If Madigan is as smart as his opponents claim he is, he’ll take the out.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 3:11 pm
Definitely agree with Quinn. Madigan should just quit altogether.

Comment by Ron Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 5:09 pm
Pat Quinn don’t say to much you couldn’t even beat this goof Rauner

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Mar 5, 18 @ 6:47 pm