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* Confession: I’ve never watched The Wire. Yeah, I know I should. I’ve tried, but I’ve just never been able to get into it.

Anyway, a friend of mine brought up the show today when we were chatting about how so many people are just absolutely stunned about the strong likelihood that Speaker Madigan will lose the gavel. His text…

There is a good metaphor in there about a main boss character getting killed off in a kind of anticlimactic way by some no-name.

That’s what this feels like… This? THIS is how he goes?!?!

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 2:25 pm

Comments

I thought Speaker Madigan was the Greek, turned out he was just another Frank Sobatka.

Samurai in Suburra: Blood on Rome may be a good Madigan like figure.

Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 2:32 pm
“We’re building something, here, detective, we’re building it from scratch. All the pieces matter.”

Comment by Lester Lausch Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 2:37 pm
As I noted elsewhere, it is not the politics of Madigan not returning to the post that truly matters. Rather, it is what will be after he leaves. The majority party can do this well, or they can do this poorly. They can reach out, or reach in.

Comment by H-W Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 2:40 pm
Pritzker may actually come out ahead after his epic fail with the Fair Tax flop. He’ll try to position himself with the public and pliable media as the guy who finally got rid of Madigan, ethics, good government, blah blah…

Comment by Current Lurker Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 2:43 pm
Yeah Rich you really should stream The Wire first chance you get. I’d put the first season up against literally anything, tv or movies. It’s a little dated now, and the third season drags a bit in the middle episodes, but it’s fantastic. Also you can’t help but find numerous parallels between its depiction of Baltimore and real life Chicago.

Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 2:43 pm
I’m still not (yet) seeing Madigan going anywhere but to a comfortable political retirement in his home with his family.

Which is also kind of The Wire. Not everyone’s plot arc ended with some righteous comeuppance.

Comment by ZC Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 2:44 pm
It goes like this: No one can beat Madigan. Madigan can’t win.

Comment by John Lee Pettimore, III Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 2:45 pm
This? THIS is how he goes?!?!

Pretty much. With a whimper????

Comment by Fav Human Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 2:48 pm
It does feel anticlimactic. I always thought he would live out his life as speaker or make a surprise retirement announcement at the end of a session one day. I was never one to imagine he would be arrested for anything (too far removed). But these last few years have been a steady drip-drip towards more people feeling comfortable challenging his leadership, while he was in a weaker position to retaliate in his usual fashion.

Comment by NIU Grad Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 2:50 pm
Rich. Come on, man. Get to the 4th episode and you will be hooked for all five seasons.

Comment by Sean Stott Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 2:52 pm
Bruce Rauner , who didn’t achievement much in elected politics, smiles from no state income Florida while America’s longest serving state Speaker of the House struggles to keep job and stay out of prison.

Comment by Tripple Dipper Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 2:58 pm
The way the Sopranos ended comes to mind. Nothing happened. The screen just went blank.

I couldn’t believe it. After watching for 8-10 years, THAT was IT? I haven’t followed a tv series since then. True story.

And that may be how the Madigan era ends. We just don’t know and that is one of the things that makes politics so fascinating.

Comment by low level Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 2:59 pm
Watch it just for the quotes for this blog alone. You’ll never write an original headline again. It’s not he fastest show or the flashiest show, but it’s very deliberate. Does that remind us of anyone?

Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 3:01 pm
I also look forward to the awkwardness caused by Madigan not resigning from the house, but likewise having no leadership positions.

Comment by Candy Dogood Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 3:03 pm
There is still a lot of game on the clock for this to be exciting

Comment by People’s Republic of Oak Park Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 3:11 pm
===… smiles from no state income Florida while America’s longest serving state Speaker of the House struggles to keep job and stay out of prison.===

I dunno if being publicly humiliated by the largest loss of a sitting Republican governor in 100 years is someone enjoying anything, but if you are shamed so badly you leave your “home state” for lower taxes is winning, whew, what a winner Rauner is.

To the post,

Life imitating art is sometimes both deciding there’s no grand exit, just a deflating end and no grand finale.

I’ve always liked scripted and written exits to be ones where there isn’t a huge payoff for the audience. Less contrived.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 3:11 pm
=== I also look forward to the awkwardness caused by Madigan not resigning from the house, but likewise having no leadership positions. ===

Why would you look forward to that? What exactly would you find enjoyable about that?

Comment by Powdered Whig Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 3:12 pm
Lest we forget, the ComEd bailouts and rate increases had a huge impact on everyday people trying to make ends meet and trying to get by. It seems a few inner circle people benefitted as a result. I’m not hearing of anyone benefitting but inner circle people. If that is not a big deal, what would be? Hundreds and hundreds of millions to ComEd, and he says he had no idea what his close friend was doing. OK, sure. $200M fine was a gift… Losing the Speaker role if that’s it would also be a gift.

Comment by Lincoln Lad Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 3:17 pm
It’s easy to get over losing when you go from 4.95 % to zero. Plus the nice weather. Plus expanding state population. Plus more talent at the beach.

Comment by Tripple Dipper Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 3:22 pm
A quote from the Wire, from that character, “You come at the King, you best not miss”…seems applicable here too.

Comment by The Wire Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 3:23 pm
=== you go from 4.95 % to zero.===

So, in the end, it was only about Bruce and his money? I knew he was shallow…

=== Plus the nice weather.===

Hurricanes and Miami is sinking.

=== Plus more talent at the beach.===

Dismissing Diana Rauner, is that how he sold it to his spouse?

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 3:25 pm
See also, Al Capone and Income Tax Evasion

Comment by SAP Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 3:29 pm
Yes, shallow people to go into politics.

Comment by 1st Ward Independent Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 3:41 pm
I suspect the FBI file is much more exciting than the charges so far. It seems like most of the evidence for the charges came from wiretaps, but where did the PC for the wiretaps come from? The file is probably much more expansive.

Good verse from Sette Vizi Capitale:

“As naked as beauty, as big as Rome
A careful mother that beats you and caresses you
A tired worker, a business man, a criminal
You’d want to be the favourite child tonight
But you’re just like the others, tired faces at the bus stop
Eyes down, hands in the pockets, thinking back about you day
All that you have, you had to work for it
No privileges, capital mafia style
Those you have around you, they gave a price to their lives
A daily pay to get consumed, piece by piece
Then you raise your eyes, you see Rome
And those who really lives this city, find a meaning for everything again
And they don’t ever want to leave, they don’t ever want to leave
They don’t ever want to leave”

Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 3:43 pm
-So, in the end, it was only about Bruce and his money? -

Only the naive would believe otherwise.

Comment by Lake County Front Office Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 3:46 pm
The Wire was potentially one of the greatest pieces of storytelling ever but that fifth and final season was so godawful it ruined the whole show for me. The arc of the series made as much sense as adding aliens to the plot of “The Godfather.”

Comment by Ted Slowik Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 3:50 pm
==I also look forward to the awkwardness caused by Madigan not resigning from the house, but likewise having no leadership positions.==

When Madigan lost the majority in 1994, he immediately set to work on regaining it in 1996. He is said to have remarked to top members of his staff and House leadership team that he was not down there for his health.

The minute he is defeated or decides to resign, you can bet the house times 10 he also will resign his position as representative from the 22nd RGA.

Comment by low level Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 3:51 pm
=== Only the naive would believe otherwise.===

But… but Bruce was fighting for his home… amirite?

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 4:00 pm
Man, this is your first chink in the armor that I’ve seen. I mean you like the Pogues, the Dead, Billie Joe Shaver, the Sox, Illinois politics but you’ve never watched the Wire? Long weekend ahead, my friend. Get on that.

Comment by Paddyrollingstone Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 4:01 pm
-But… but Bruce was fighting for his home… amirite? -
Got to figure Bruce has taken in a lot more territory than one home

Comment by Not Amazing Grace Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 4:05 pm
== comfortable political retirement in his home with his family==

If that’s all he wanted he would have left years ago.

Comment by low level Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 4:08 pm
The Wire? hmmmm never heard of it

Comment by State Sen. Clay Davis Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 4:09 pm
=== If that’s all he wanted he would have left years ago.===

If The Wire is genius to storytelling, Rauner’s utter phony disguised as honesty makes Bruce staying all these years even funnier.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 4:10 pm
Madigan is a man who took his chances and stayed too long. At the end of the day that’s what most good stories of powerful men are about. The opera repertoire, too, is full of these stories. Somehow the protagonist never sees it coming because they think that they and their story will be different.

Comment by Responsa Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 4:22 pm
== The Wire? hmmmm never heard of it ==

“Sheeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiittt” - State Sen. Clay Davis

Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Friday, Nov 20, 20 @ 4:29 pm