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Lightfoot piles on Madigan

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* Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was asked her thoughts on Speaker Madigan today. From Fran Spielman’s report…

“Our democracy depends upon the people believing … that the leaders stand for them. That we are working hard every single day on behalf of the people and not on behalf of ourselves. That is the only way that our democracy will survive and flourish — if people have confidence in the people they elected to do the right thing for them,” the mayor said.

“That doesn’t happen when there is a cloud that hangs. That doesn’t happen when people feel like elected officials have been completely compromised and have an agenda that has nothing to do with doing the peoples’ business. That’s the wrong direction for any of us.”

Lightfoot said it’s hard to be an elected official and a leader during the best of times. It’s particularly difficult now “when we’re dealing with crisis after crisis after crisis.”

“We can’t do that if you don’t have legitimacy of the people that elected you in the first place. That’s not just a statement about Mike Madigan. That’s a statement about all of us,” she said. […]

She has also “watched with great interest the number of people who’ve been silent” and “haven’t stood up” against Madigan.

There’s more, so go read the rest.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 1:59 pm

Comments

Would she be saying that if Aldermen Quinn and Tabares had voted for her budget?

Comment by Roman Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 2:07 pm
===She has also “watched with great interest the number of people who’ve been silent” and “haven’t stood up” against Madigan.===

Good point, but Madigan has made a career out of punishing people who take a stand against him. That has made a lot of folks pretty shy about crossing him. Stick your neck out and it is likely to be the end of your political career.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 2:07 pm
The House Democrats are going to eventually come to the conclusion it’s time for a new Speaker. It would be preferable they realize this now instead of mid-February. Madigan should do us all a favor and make this easy for everyone.

Comment by Just Me 2 Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 2:08 pm
I don’t always agree with LL, but she does know when to seize a popular opportunity. At this point the benefit far outweighs the cost.

Comment by Excitable Boy Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 2:08 pm
people who’ve been silent

Not like she was an early bird on the “Dump Madigan” train.

I wonder if this sort of thing is how Tori P morphed from a progressive to a machine cog in the public’s mind?

Comment by Fav Human Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 2:10 pm
The loss of even lukewarm support from the mayor is a massive blow. No doubt MJM still wields power in his ward, but without the confidence of the leader of the largest block of Dem voters what do you have?

Comment by Donnie Elgin Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 2:13 pm
I wonder what the Chicago Federation of Labor thinks about this statement. She needed them to get last weeks budget passed. She will need them next year too. CFL publicly stated they back Madigan. State House Black Caucus still backs Madigan. City Black Caucus is why the budget got passed. I’m not sure what the point of this statement is with clear downside risk. Waiting until January to comment seems smarter. Rather know how things shake-up before wading into something like this where you have no say.

Comment by 1st Ward Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 2:18 pm
When is Lightfoot going to demand that Madigan step down as Chair of the Illinois Democratic party? If she is concerned about appearances?

Comment by Liz from The 48th Ward Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 2:21 pm
Im far from being her biggest fan but I get the sense she speaks from the heart on this issue. Im sure she doesn’t like Madigans style but she has to deal with him. In the near future that’s probably not going to be the case. I commend her for her honesty on the issue.

Comment by regular democrat Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 2:22 pm
===When is Lightfoot going to===

Those who can never be satisfied are not the target audience.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 2:25 pm
The Madigan Titanic ship is sinking…

Comment by Pizza Man Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 2:41 pm
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 2:07 pm:

This mayor has done the same thing. If you’re a Lori sycophant, you’re frozen out, berated, and demeaned.

Comment by Precinct Captain Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 2:49 pm
“ she’s watched with great interest the number of people who’ve been silent”.

So she can deploy her army and support primary challenges against them, right? /s

Comment by low level Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 3:17 pm
I don’t know enough about current Chicago politics to understand where the mayor stands with the Illinois House Black Caucus members. I would think as the mayor of Chicago and a person of color she would have the chops to call them to join the fray. I know that the IHBC is aligned with MJM, but that may give cover to some members to speak out.

Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 3:17 pm
I imagine candidate Lightfoot would have called on the Speaker to step down. Mayor Lightfoot doesn’t want to rock the boat since she knows as long as MJM is Speaker she needs him.

Comment by Just Sayin....... Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 3:29 pm
It’s a pretty good statement, especially including herself with “for any of us”.
She best stay out of this process. Her credibility in Sppringfld is already hanging by a thread.

Comment by walker Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 3:35 pm
==I would think as the mayor of Chicago and a person of color she would have the chops to call them to join the fray.==

She can call for sure. However, she doesn’t have the clout to enforce any of it.

Comment by low level Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 3:48 pm
guessing the response would have been different if 13 and 23 voted for the budget last week. That last line is hypocritical from as thin skinned a public official as we’ve had around here in awhile.

Comment by Intrepid reporter Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 5:30 pm
Many elected Democrats have voted for Madigan over the years. It’s now bothering some of them? If you are looking for the guilty , just look in the mirror. Madigan wasn’t elected by the voters state wide. He was elected Speaker by elected politicians.

Comment by Donna Lemmon Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 7:11 pm
Lori Lightfoot is Rahm Emanuel minus any ability to advance her agenda neoliberal-lite agenda. But she is great at squeezing in the word equity every five words.

Comment by northside reformer Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 7:21 pm
===She has also “watched with great interest the number of people who’ve been silent” and “haven’t stood up” against Madigan.===

===Good point, but Madigan has made a career out of punishing people who take a stand against him. That has made a lot of folks pretty shy about crossing him. Stick your neck out and it is likely to be the end of your political career.===

One must keep in mind that Lori is a politician now and she is Mayor– but she is not from here. Not being from here is possibly a detriment to fully understanding the Madigan mystique discussed above.

Comment by Responsa Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 7:54 pm
Cautious statement, but important. Plenty of cover now for more to flip against Madigan.

Comment by Southwest Sider Thursday, Dec 3, 20 @ 11:00 pm