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The Madigan problem

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Illinois

* It’s no surprise that many suburban legislative districts don’t look too great for Republicans this year. Depending on how far the G goes, even the Madigan stuff might not break through in some races because of a heavily nationalized election. But in districts where President Trump did well, that could be a different story. HGOP press release…

State Representative candidates Amy Elik, Lisa Ciampoli, and David Friess released the following statements regarding the ongoing corruption scandal surrounding House Speaker Michael Madigan and State Representatives Monica Bristow (IL-111), Katie Stuart (IL-112), Nathan Reitz’s (IL-116), continued silence on the matter.

“This is another example – of far too many – that Illinois has a corruption problem,” said Amy Elik, state representative candidate for the 111th district. “While public officials betray the public’s trust, Monica Bristow’s continued silence is just as concerning. She is prioritizing her political ambitions ahead of her sworn duty as a state legislator while Illinois taxpayers continue to be the forgotten voices as tax dollars are mismanaged.”

“Corruption is consuming Illinois government,” said Lisa Ciampoli, state representative candidate for the 112th district. “It’s time to put Illinois on a new path, and the first step is to replace those that fail to speak out against rampant corruption in state government. Katie Stuart’s continued silence shows she is prioritizing party loyalty over taxpayers’ pocketbooks. From day one, I will push for meaningful ethics reform in Springfield.”

“Every time another state corruption investigation is announced, it’s a reminder that our tax dollars are under attack by those choosing to enrich themselves over fulfilling their duty to public service,” said David Friess, state representative candidate for the 116th district. “It’s time for Nathan Reitz to end his silence and join me in calling for Madigan to resign.”

This incident is not the first time area state representatives failed to speak out. When WBEZ covered the story alleging a “powerful former Springfield lobbyist and close friend of House Speaker Madigan” covered up a rape in Champaign and ghost payrolling of government workers, State Representatives Bristow, Stuart, and Reitz failed to hold Madigan accountable.

Alaina Hampton, the individual who sued and settled with Madigan’s operation for sexual harassment, noted in a July 26, 2019 tweet to the Democratic Women’s Caucus, saying:

“I’ve now been waiting a year & a half for you to support me publicly, or even address me by name in a statement. Where are you? What is your stance? We all want to know.”

What does it take for Representatives Bristow, Stuart, and Reitz to speak up?

Trump won Bristow’s district by 16 points, he won Stuart’s by 5.5 and he won Reitz’s by 36. Yes, 36.

* And this is from a suburban/exurban congressional race…

In light of recent news report revealing that House Speaker Michael Madigan is “Public Official A” in the federal bribery investigation of ComEd, Jim Oberweis is calling on Lauren Underwood to cut ties with funds controlled by Speaker Madigan.

The Lauren Underwood Victory Fund is a joint fund-raising committee connected to the Democrat Party of Illinois, which is controlled by House Speaker Michael Madigan. Oberweis is calling on Underwood to cut ties with the Speaker by ending her joint fundraising efforts with organizations he controls.

“It is time for Underwood to stop partnering with Speaker Madigan to raise money for her campaign,” Oberweis said. “The people of the 14th District deserve better. I urge Underwood to do the right thing and end her partnership with the Speaker and condemn his actions. Unfortunately, I suspect all we will get from Rep. Underwood is more silence.”

Underwood has a long history of silence when it comes to Speaker Madigan. She walked away from a question on leaked emails from one of Madigan’s top confidants’ suggesting a rape had been covered up. Instead of answering the question, Underwood walked away in silence. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy4cwRI3Gag&feature=youtu.be).

“Either she is blind to the cloud of corruption surrounding the Speaker or she is willfully choosing to ignore the truth,” Oberweis said. “Either way, her silence is unacceptable. It is time for Democrat officials at all levels of government to demand new leadership. Michael Madigan is the head of her party. Why is she content to allow a corrupt politician like Speaker Madigan to continue to lead her party? The people of the 14th District deserve answers.”

The attachment is here. Trump won that district by 3.7 percentage points.

Discuss.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 12:35 pm

Comments

The problem is that if these races are tied with Madigan, and the Democrats continue to see suburban gains (due to Trump unpopularity), Madigan will likely use it as a sign of his strength. I think most voters are going to be focusing on national politics until the 2022 elections.

Comment by NIU Grad Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 12:40 pm
“Either she/he [strike one] is blind to the cloud of corruption surrounding the Speaker/President [strike one] or she/he [strike one] is willfully choosing to ignore the truth.”

The ice cream headache is gonna need a better message than that one.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 12:44 pm
The answer is very simple
Call for his ouster
Work for his ouster
Oust him
Win Reelection

Except for Reitz. Nice guy but that partisan spread just too big. Sorry

Comment by Altgelds Ghost Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 12:45 pm
Couple “quickies”

1) “Because Madigan, with over $100 million spent, (much of it Rauner personal wealth) begat a super minority in the Illinois House *and* rarely if ever was a mitigating factor to losing a seat… *and* Rauner was toxic during Trump’s midterm, it wasn’t enough to keep MJM from his largest majority.., ever…

Good luck… with no money to push it too.

2) Oberweis in a “Make Illinois Great Again” hat while running with Trump on the ballot. If Madigan cancels out Trump’s negatives in districts Trump has carried… that might be a surprise. Oberweis’ helicopter ad is still more damaging, (maybe?) given the cultural lines now forming in the suburbs too.

Couple quick thoughts.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 12:45 pm
I think I accidentally posted anonymously. I’ve been campaigning here in Madison County for the last 10 years, and “the Madigan problem” is at tip of tongue for a huge chunk of the “getable” voters. It’s a major barrier to flipping them to Dem. That said, I don’t know this particular instance moves the needle much. Madigan corruption is pretty much baked in to the voter calculus. I think it’s at saturation point. And I’ve personally heard Bristow say she votes how they tell her to vote, voting against Dem priorities when Madigan doesn’t need her vote, for them when he does.

Comment by Bob Loblaw Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 12:55 pm
I would like to think there would be some consequence for House Dems letting Madigan keep on Madigan-ing after all this but if Dems go down in pro-Trump districts it will be hard to extrapolate it was because of Madigan ties.

A part of me wonders if the type of scandal with ComEd engulfing Madigan is just too boring as run-of-the-mill graft for the conspiracy-obsessed modern GOP to successfully make hay of it.

I haven’t regularly listened to WLS in at least ten years but I did put it on Friday afternoon/evening to listen to their reaction to the Madigan news. Then as I got in the car this morning Mancow was on with his show. I expected the WLS morning crew to still be talking up the Madigan stuff but instead I was treated to Mancow making a bunch of baseless graphic allegations involving children against some liberal TV/Twitter personality conservatives are obsessed with. Maybe he talked up Madigan stuff elsewhere in his show but that segment was too gross and conspiratorial for me to leave WLS on.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 1:12 pm
Being from Reitz’s district the tipping point here for Trump was coal and with farmers (trade issues) - not sure we will see quite the same lead this year, but I am fearful we will still see a significant lead. More coal miners have discovered despite his promises he can’t save coal, and farmers are in many cases feeling like they have been had by great rhetoric but in the end have been screwed.

Comment by DownSouth Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 1:15 pm
Good to see ChopperJim so quick on the react….four days….gives you a feeling how poorly he is doing. Probably getting his loan forgiveness forms together

Comment by Annonin' Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 1:20 pm
Should Trump matter to these districts? Unless the candidate is openly supporting him the independent voters know (or should know) Illinois will go for Biden.

Oberweis couldn’t win in a non-Trump environment why would he win now? Additional state/local news like Friday will help state/local R candidates if they focus on state/local corruption/ethics and do/say the opposite of what Trump does/says.

Comment by 1st Ward Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 1:23 pm
Could hurt the income tax amendment. Opponents can say now is not the time to send more money to Springfield

Comment by Marquee Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 1:42 pm
Oberweis could win because Trump carried the 14th congressional district 48% to 45% in 2016.

According to VoteView, Lauren Underwood has the 20th-most liberal voting record in the House of Representatives in the 116th United States Congress. According to FiveThirtyEight, she has voted in line with President Trump’s position on 4.7% of bills.

Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 1:44 pm
I’ll be more interested once polling for Oberweis gives a benchmark where he is, and where the incumbent sits.

It’s against type, Oberweis, to hide good polling if it exists.

I think the last time Oberweis released a poll he was down 9 points, and thought *that* was good

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 2:01 pm
=Oberweis could win because Trump carried the 14th congressional district 48% to 45% in 2016.=

And Randy Hultrgren lost that seat after Trump’s win in 2016. It seems that things have changed since 2016. That’s not saying that Oberweis can’t win, anything is possible. But I’d probably be more concerned about what happened in 2018 than 2016 at this point particularly since Oberweis is running farther too the right than Hultgren. You may not have realized it but this district is not exactly warm and fuzzy towards the President.

Comment by Pundent Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 2:12 pm
Most voters don’t trust Trump. I’ve heard progressive Democrats say out loud that they wouldn’t trust a COVID-19 vaccine if it was approved by Trump’s FDA. Not sure why anyone would (or should) trust a Trump DOJ document or even an indictment connected to anything remotely political. Seems like progressive Democrats are getting played by Trump pretty good here or they are they see Trump’s DOJ as the best opportunity for them to grab power away from a moderate, middle of the road, Democrat.

Comment by Michelle Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 2:14 pm
Lauren Underwood is a Moderate middle of the road Democrat?

You do realize there are only 19 members with a liberal voting record in a caucus with 233 Democratic congressmen

Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 2:32 pm
- Lucky Pierre -

A racist president and Oberweis’ continued race baiting continuing from helicopters over stadiums to supporting this President… you think that’s going to play well?

Heck, even *you* supported an Uber-Left costal, limousine liberal in Rauner, supporting a governor that signed HB40.

Dunno if your take on liberal is odd… considering being a conservative during these times seems to mean many things folks are rejecting.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 2:41 pm
Jim Oberweis received 56% of the vote when he last ran for his state Senate seat in 2016, 12 years after running a helicopter ad in 2004.

You act like Lauren Underwood has no chance of losing.

Love to see polling from the 14th district that says a majority supports free healthcare for undocumented residents, something we don’t currently offer American citizens.

Are you one of the Bears Superfans who believe she will win 100 to 0%

Who is more out of step with the district?

Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 4:20 pm
=== Jim Oberweis received 56% of the vote when he last ran for his state Senate seat in 2016, 12 years after running a helicopter ad in 2004.===

Now racism is back, with a racist POTUS and Oberweis only doubling down in his support of not only Trump but he was right about that ad too.

=== You act like Lauren Underwood has no chance of losing.===

No. If history is any indicator, Oberweis knows how to loss, and well.

=== who believe she will win 100 to 0%===

The winner only needs to go 50% + 1… nice straw man thou, lol

=== Love to see polling from the 14th district…===

In September, Oberweis was so savvy, he leaked a poll he was down 9 points…

Now add in Covid-19, Black Lives Matter… I’d like to see a poll too. Wonder why Oberweis isn’t leaking one?

=== Who is more out of step with the district?===

If Oberweis *could* say that, with polling to support it, he would’ve already.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 4:33 pm
Endanger species Southern Illinois Democrats.
Not sure Madigan is the factor either way. Downstate is downstate, probably get more votes saying you don’t support masks than bringing up Madigan.

Comment by Frank talks Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 5:25 pm
===Dunno if your take on liberal is odd… considering being a conservative during these times seems to mean many things folks are rejecting.===

Hope you are not referring to defunding police forces and beating and killing police officers.

Comment by justacitizen Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 9:42 pm
=== defunding police forces===

Please stop embarrassing yourself or I’ll send Chris Wallace to laugh at your ridiculousness.

=== beating and killing police officers.===

Making bad police officers victims… your dog whistle is a bit of a horn, isn’t it.

Might as well say the confederate flag is not bad too, go for the trifecta…

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 9:46 pm
So I’m crystal clear…

===Making bad police officers victims===

If you’re comparing Blue Lives Matter to “counter” Black Lives Matter … well, I’ll let the rest of my comment stand

“So I’m clear”

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 10:00 pm
Ive admired the Speaker for years. At a time when most Democrats were losing and losing big, he was winning. Through hard work and knowing how to speak to average people.

If it were anyone else, he would tell that person to leave.

Madigan needs to he replaced. Now. A temporary Speaker until next Jan? A coalition type of arrangement? Why not? They aren’t going to meet anytime soon.

The Democratic Caucus needs to do this pronto. This isnt going to end weill, not with a Trump lead Dept of Justice.

Urge Democratic Caucus to replace him if he wont leave voluntarily. He will prevent suburban wins. And this is all about winning as we were always taught, no?

Comment by low level Monday, Jul 20, 20 @ 10:10 pm