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Rep. Didech becomes 17th House Democrat to call for a new House Speaker

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Illinois

* Background is here if you need it. From a press release…

State Rep. Daniel Didech Calls for New Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives

State Rep. Daniel Didech (D – Buffalo Grove) issued the following statement today:

“Today I informed my colleagues that I believe now is the time, for the first time in four decades, for the House Democratic Caucus to choose a new Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. It is critical that our work to select a new leader begins today. Every candidate for this important office deserves a fair shot and each member deserves the opportunity for their voice to be heard and respected. I am fully confident that we can soon select a Speaker who will unite our caucus so we can continue our important work serving the people of Illinois.”

* Here’s the full list of dissident House Democrats so far…

Jonathan Carroll
Kelly Cassidy
Deb Conroy
Margaret Croke
Daniel Didech
Robyn Gabel
Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz
Will Guzzardi
Terra Costa Howard
Stephanie Kifowit
Lindsey LaPointe
Anna Moeller
Bob Morgan
Anne Stava-Murray
Maurice West
Ann M. Williams
Sam Yingling

The House Democrats will have 73 seats in January. That means at least 14 are needed to deprive Madigan of the 60 he must have for reelection. With Didech, the opposition is +3 now.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 12:42 am

Comments

Floodgates

Comment by Nick Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 12:50 am
Trump has a better chance of winning the Electoral College than Madigan has of being re-elected Speaker at this point

Comment by Marquee Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 12:50 am
“Every human being is a raindrop. And when enough of the raindrops become clear and coherent, they then become the power of the storm.” — John Trudell (1946-2015)

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 6:58 am
Gotta love democracy.
Either you have the votes or you don’t.
If he doesn’t get the votes, at his age, does he simply retire?
Have a hard time seeing him sitting on the floor.

Comment by Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 7:09 am
It’s 17 and counting.

What is going to be interesting, for me, is the unity.

What makes these 17 (maybe more in the coming days) strong isn’t one having a better worded proclamation, or another being more pointed and direct, the strength begins and ends in its totality, that the collective strength makes an outcome inevitable.

The fear, of course, is the peeling away of these, and those forthcoming, of the one number, the total.

As I write my own comment here now, at least, the minimum, 3 must turn from their own declaration.

As I stated yesterday, if they all signed on to one statement, almost like sailing ships, a fleet, to a new harbor, and then once reaching harbor burning those ships, the lot of them… 15, 16, now 17 and counting… there will be the strength of seen and collective unity, a unity that helps them all from deciding to find a raft or dingy to row back.

They, these 17 and counting, don’t need to combine to find the new Speaker, but there needs to be a uniting of one voice, their chorus, not in the sense of a singing chorus, but in the tradition of a Shakespearean chorus, and that chorus speaking truth to the audience as the play itself continues.

The New Day Caucus is a harbor full of ships in port.

Will the New Day Caucus burn the ships… together?

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 7:31 am
== So, for all of us uninitiated who aren’t supernerds like you guys. Who is going to be the next Speaker? ==

I may not be a super nerd, but besides speculating on the general political viewpoint (and some other stuff) of the next Speaker I would suggest anyone who says at this point ‘The Speaker is going to be…’ is, to use an expression that my German Grandmother used to say ‘Talking like a sausage’

Comment by OneMan Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 7:41 am
IIRC the only name I’ve heard so far who’s said they’re willing to run for Speaker is Stephanie Kifowit.

Comment by Chatham Resident Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 8:00 am
This list moves to 40 by Thanksgiving. There is safety in numbers.

Those with tenure despised the Tim Mapes treatment of Dem members, and won’t soon forget that it was allowed for years.

Game, set, match.

Comment by For the Win Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 8:06 am
Given the white and predominantly suburban makeup of the defectors, I hope there will be serious efforts to work with the Black and Latino Caucuses when it comes to selecting a new Speaker.

Comment by Not a Superstar Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 8:12 am
Not surprised that a majority of the dissidents are women. A lot of us are tired of old white men running the show. It’s astonishing, really, that in 2020 the Four Tops are all white men. It’s past time for a change and the allegations around the Speaker provide the opportunity.

Comment by pawn Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 8:15 am
Anonymous is running some supreme level trolling up there, comes to a political blog, insults knowledgeable people who visit said blog while claiming their own ignorance, and then asks the insulted people to provide information to their question.

Comment by EssentialWorkingMom Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 8:17 am
“ Who is going to be the next Speaker?”

Will Guzzardi. There’s your answer. And I think there is at least a 1% chance that I’m right… and at least a 95% chance that I’m wrong.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 8:29 am
EssentialWorkingMom - Lol. “Can I copy your homework? I was too busy playing video games last night.”

Comment by Not a Superstar Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 8:35 am
Madigan is FINALLY done. 30-40 years presiding over the State’s financial destruction. He’s great at politics, terrible at actually solving problems.

Comment by California Guy Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 8:40 am
I don’t know who is going to replace Madigan as speaker, but I cynically suspect it will be somebody willing to override JB if he vetoes a gerrymandered map (presuming JB sticks to his pledge).

Comment by lake county democrat Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 8:45 am
I still think there’s value in having him draw the next maps and take the heat. That doesn’t mean the Speaker shouldn’t go down, but echoing others, this isn’t exactly the most diverse set of their caucus and that’s going to be even messier this time around.

Comment by Swampy Corn Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 8:45 am
The last time the number 17 was involved in a Speaker’s election was Clyde Choate’s embattled 17 which led to the election of Speaker Bill Redmond..

Comment by Mouthy Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 8:46 am
I imagine that this gets ugly if the number of defectors does not rise to 60 or if Madigan does not step aside.

I can’t imagine those 17 Dem votes supporting a GOP speaker, and I can’t imagine the GOP giving 43 votes to an alternate Dem speaker.

The Dems have to come up with an alternate candidate who can command 60 votes or…deadlock. I can’t think of any obvious candidates of the top of my head. Who is speaker in the interim?

Comment by duck duck goose Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 8:53 am
=== I don’t know who is going to replace Madigan as speaker, but I cynically suspect it will be somebody willing to override JB if he vetoes a gerrymandered map (presuming JB sticks to his pledge).===

If the governor decides, again, to get involved in caucus politics, and, again, it fails, the least of the governor’s worry is an override of the map.

If Pritzker were wise to the map, he’d ask both chambers to give him a map with veto-proof support so the decision will be easy to sign OR veto… it won’t matter to the 71-36 dynamic.

The tough votes; taxes, cuts, winners and losers to both… it’s best to let these caucuses find their votes with their leadership working in concert with the governor. The new Speaker will have enough worries, they won’t need the worry of “Pritzker’s Picked Speaker”

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 8:54 am
I found myself thinking about Bill Redmond’s election as Speaker too.
That was quite a time to be active in politics.

Comment by Back totheFuture Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 8:55 am
Mouthy is right. I believe in the instance of Bill Redmond, Republican downstaters were recruited to end the impasse. Too bad Jerry II isn’t still around. We could have seen a repeat. Maybe this time Kelly Burke is the answer.

Comment by Southern Belle Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 8:55 am
The 73 can all agree;

The last thing they collectively want is to empower the super minority.

That will show weakness to the strength of the super majority.

Family fights end best when the family closes ranks, and it should be a slam dunk uniting belief that the last thing the super majority wants is to give the super minority a thought of relevance.

One step at a time, then a feeding frenzy, then math will dictate that 73 is greater than 45 and the 73 need to find one to get 60, but preferably 72 (Madigan might not be agreeable to anyone but Himself)

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 8:59 am
=He’s great at politics, terrible at actually solving problems.=

It depends what problems you think he’s trying to solve. He’s made a lot of money, helped a lot of allies, and got huge majorities elected. If the states’ finances were the problem he was trying to solve, well then you’re right.

Comment by AndyIllini Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 9:00 am
What if MJM doesn’t go?

If he has solid 46-55 supporters?

I don’t think he will go easily.

Comment by Fav Human Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 9:05 am
Who is going to miss Madigan the most? I am thinking the Republican party. I have become cynical enough to believe that they would vote for Madigan so they have something to campaign on/against.

Comment by very old soil Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 9:13 am
Nearly all white. Nearly all lakefront or suburban “liberals.” Most of them look like grandstanders, not people with principles. Carroll posts IPI propaganda on his social media. We’ve got others with Anti-minimum wage votes. What’s next? “Pension reform”? And this is full of the same types that have watered down and tanked smart on crime policies across the country in other states. This crowd isn’t just not representative of the Democratic Party of 2020, it wouldn’t be representative if it were 1932.

Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 9:13 am
=== concerned about family fights inside his Democratic party.===

Observing what the politics dictate.

Not unlike what I did with the failed coup of McCombie, and how McCombie was out of her depths, and suggesting what Durkin should do going forward.

Keep up, please.

:)

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 9:15 am
===If the states’ finances were the problem he was trying to solve, well then you’re right.===

Over the last 40-odd years of the General Assembly, you’d think the state’s finances would show up on a top ten list somewhere. There’s plenty of blame to go around, but the guy who was always there at one of the top leadership positions should get his share, too.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 9:18 am
Redmond was way back with me lying member districts. I think Lee Daniels provided the vote to make him Speaker. DuPage they were from same district. Daniels said he thought it would help his district

Comment by DuPage Saint Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 9:20 am
You know what these Reps look like? Correct.

Comment by Amalia Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 9:22 am
- Six Degrees of Separation - Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 9:18 am:

Anyone who thinks term limits or something would have improved the fiscal position is either ignorant at best or dishonest at worst. Search the comments on this blog from years past; the peer reviewed research on this has been posted in threads.

Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 9:44 am
One wonders how prudent it was for Speaker to go after so many suburban R districts only to have those new Dem Reps turn on him. It’s as the saying goes “be careful what you wish for.”

Comment by BeenThereDoneThat Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 10:02 am
==Nearly all white. Nearly all lakefront or suburban “liberals.” Most of them look like grandstanders, not people with principles. Carroll posts IPI propaganda on his social media. We’ve got others with Anti-minimum wage votes. What’s next? “Pension reform”? And this is full of the same types that have watered down and tanked smart on crime policies across the country in other states. This crowd isn’t just not representative of the Democratic Party of 2020, it wouldn’t be representative if it were 1932. ==

You’re aware MJM is white, right? Like incredibly, incredibly white? Trying to turn ousting him into some sort of diversity grievance isn’t gonna work.

Comment by yeah Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 10:06 am
== He’s great at politics, terrible at actually solving problems. ==

Madigan is good at solving problems WHEN he wants to solve them. But he prefers to build a consensus, or most of one, before he takes overt action.

As far as fiscal policy, he is fairly conservative. But he is also a realist on the restrictions that the State’s debt places on any actions he could try to take.

He usually knows what needs to be done, and is often out ahead of the crowd. His speciality is being able to count votes, and he won’t advance something until he has the votes, or there is such overwhelming public pressure that action needs to be taken (sometimes that is one and the same).

He’s not going to publicly get too far ahead of the crowd. But he’ll work behind the scenes to try to build agreement for action. Often he’ll try to design a structured vote to protect a few vunerable members if there is room to do so.

Remember, MJM only asks for 2 things from the reps he supports: (1) they vote for him as Speaker and (2) they vote for his rules. His power is derived from that; he doesn’t demand they vote in lockstep with him.

His biggest skills are understanding the legislative process (under his rules), being able to anticipate what needs to happen, and being positioned with shell bills when the time is right.

Comment by RNUG Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 10:20 am
The often misused word “incredible” still means unbelievable…by definition.

Comment by Dotnonymous Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 10:51 am
Ya, dump the most effective Illinois House Speaker in history and replace him with a unqualified wannabe? These traitors should quit the Democratic Party and join the Socialist Party. Self-destruction at it’s finest!!!

Comment by Jennifer27 Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 11:35 am
@Jennifer27

Thanks for the far-right gaslight.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 12:08 pm
If you can’t quit on a particularly good day…a particularly bad day ain’t bad…either?

Comment by Dotnonymous Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 3:54 pm