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Thanks, Mike Madigan!

Posted in:

* One of the three gubernatorial “stars” of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s much-ballyhooed “Thanks, Mike Madigan” campaign ad got frogmarched today…


BREAKING: St. Louis prosecutor's office indicts @EricGreitens "on a Felony Invasion of Privacy charge." More to come on https://t.co/dOlpIcJGPk #moleg

— Bryan Lowry (@BryanLowry3) February 22, 2018

I just saw MO Gov. Eric Greitens being led away in the custody of the St. Louis Sheriff.

— Robert Patrick (@rxpatrick) February 22, 2018


More info about the arrest is here.

* In other news, there’s an unusual disclosure at the tail end of a George Will column today which cheers on Illinois state employee Mark Janus’ fair share case against AFSCME

This columnist’s wife, Mari Will, is an adviser to Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, who originally filed the lawsuit that became Janus v. AFSCME.

Will has written several complimentary columns about Rauner, but that’s the first time I’ve ever seen such a disclosure.

The Rauner campaign confirmed today that she is advising the governor. I asked how long she’d been with the campaign, but haven’t heard back. Her website doesn’t have a client list and I searched expenditure reports on the Board of Elections site and neither she nor her consulting firm Maseng Communications turned up any hits. So, it looks like her hiring was fairly recent.

Ms. Will previously worked for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s presidential campaign. Gov. Walker was also in that Rauner TV ad.

The Greitens thing and the Will thing aren’t at all related, of course. But, hey, I did some work on that George Will column, then realized it wasn’t enough to post on its own and then Greitens was arrested, so presto. Instant blog post.

* But, then I figured I needed something from Indiana to make this post complete. Gov. Eric Holcomb was the third governor in that Rauner TV ad. The big news in Hoosier Land today is Gov. Holcomb’s pledge to sign a Sunday alcohol sales bill.

So, there you go.

I guess.

I need a nap.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 4:49 pm

Comments

  1. Teagan Goddard has a Rauner chocolate milk blurb on his site, linking to the Tribune story. Unfortunately for Rauner, unless you go to the Tribune and read the whole story, Goddard’s excerpt makes it sound like Rauner is an idiot.

    https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/22/rauner-drinks-chocolate-milk-diversity/

    Oof.

    Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 4:58 pm

  2. I like “frogmarched.” I always used the term “perp walked.”

    Comment by Ron Burgundy Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 5:02 pm

  3. One down. Two to go.

    Comment by Chicago Cynic Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 5:05 pm

  4. What George Will should have disclosed is his membership on the board of directors of the Bradley Foundation, which is one of the major funders behind the Janus case.

    Comment by Reality Check Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 5:07 pm

  5. –This columnist’s wife, Mari Will, is an adviser to Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner…, –

    Well done. It’s going great.

    –Will has written several complimentary columns about Rauner, but that’s the first time I’ve ever seen such a disclosure.–

    Meh, that’s been the Will business model. forever. Pay to play.

    He should be a spokesman for Listerine and tic-tacs. the way he makes his money.

    Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 5:10 pm

  6. Will Rauner now finally disavow his support for Greitens and call on him to resign?

    The last I remember hearing from him on this topic was Rauner claiming the ad with Greitens in it was pulled for reasons not to do with the Greitens scandal and he would not call on him to resign because an investigation was underway.

    https://capitolfax.com/2018/01/17/rauner-tied-to-greitens-pritzker-tied-to-blagojevich/

    If Rauner and his associates can call on Mike Madigan to resign based on his handling of how subordinates are alleged to have mistreated women in the Madigan organization, surely these same folks can now call for Greitens to resign for his indictment related to Greitens allegedly taking naked pictures of a former Greitens employee against her will?

    Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 5:16 pm

  7. Now I know what they mean when they call Missouri the “Show Me” state.

    Comment by Norseman Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 5:18 pm

  8. Earliest I would expect BTIA ™ to to issue a statement would be tomorrow around 445pm. More likely though it will be February 30th.

    Comment by Fixer Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 5:22 pm

  9. Thanks for the information, Rich. Rauner has been using copies of George Will columns to defend his administration and seek support in the upcoming primary.

    Comment by It figures Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 5:24 pm

  10. Thank you Norseman.

    What is it about our selection process that we choose so many personally flawed officials? Trump has the headlines now, but FDR, JFK, Mel Reynolds, Bill Clinton, and the list goes on.

    Comment by Last Bull Moose Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 5:26 pm

  11. Ugh.

    Should stick to baseball. Unless he gets free tickets?

    Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 5:26 pm

  12. I do believe that way back when George Will was writing speeches for Reagan then he would go on TV saying how great they were. He finally got caught.

    Comment by DuPage Saint Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 5:29 pm

  13. Rich, you have never seen that disclosure because your guy Madigan never does it, and you just continue to carry his water

    Comment by North Shore Hick Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 5:30 pm

  14. “What is it about our selection process that we choose so many personally flawed officials?”
    Because Jesus died.

    Comment by My New Handle Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 5:52 pm

  15. North Shore Hick–

    Um rich has been posting Madigan stories all week. where u been?

    Comment by Baloneymous Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 5:56 pm

  16. money well spent Brucey. the contribution to MO Gov and the money for those silly thanks Madigan ads. bet he wishes he had a mulligan on that decision.

    Comment by Baloneymous Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 5:57 pm

  17. Hey Mike, do you have any good criminal lawyers you may recommend?

    Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 6:15 pm

  18. This Greitens fellow needs a punch in the nose. From his wife. God bless the power to forgive. I cant seem to get the hang of it.

    Comment by Blue dog dem Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 6:16 pm

  19. 95 million dollars just does not buy the happiness that it once did. Rauney your doing a heck of a job.

    Comment by jimk849 Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 6:21 pm

  20. on George Will. Meh. it’s expected from him anyway. I’m more annoyed when he writes about the Cubs.

    Comment by Amalia Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 6:24 pm

  21. It just goes to show . . . No man should have a “hairdresser”

    Comment by Henry Francis Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 6:30 pm

  22. Smug is not a crime, or Greitens would have been locked up long ago. However smugness can lead to a dangerous sense of invincibility. Anyhow, couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

    Comment by Ray del Camino Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 6:40 pm

  23. Madigan and the Missouri prosecutors he controls.

    Comment by Huh? Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 7:01 pm

  24. I’m gonna use “frogmarched” in more conversations going forward.

    Comment by Truckin' On Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 7:09 pm

  25. I suggest they all leave and we have only a choice of articulate teenagers

    Comment by Not a Billionaire Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 7:13 pm

  26. George Will, the only human being ever born without a sense of humor.

    Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 7:40 pm

  27. I’ve been reading George Will for years. My emotional reactions range from boiling blood to occasional agreement. He’s a conservative, an Illinois native and the disclosure is good journalism.

    The anti Union article doesn’t surprise me. He tried to write an articulate article about the negatives of raising minimum wage a few years back.

    Will is a talented wordsmith. And he’s not a Madigan fan. His quote from last week
    “(Illinois has) the nation’s most docile and least admirable state legislature.”

    Another: “Madigan’s docile herd of incumbent legislators, who are entrenched by campaign funds from government unions.”

    Comment by Blimp Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 8:43 pm

  28. ==George Will, the only human being ever born without a sense of humor.==

    And a huge Cubs fan.

    Comment by City Zen Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 9:54 pm

  29. Maybe Madigan to follow?

    Comment by anon Thursday, Feb 22, 18 @ 10:17 pm

  30. What a sham. His wife is working for Rauner and he wrote several things promoting his policies without ever saying that.

    That should result in being fired.

    Comment by Anon Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 5:51 am

  31. ==What is it about our selection process that we choose so many personally flawed officials?==
    You mean there exist persons without flaws?
    Any human being, no matter how decent and kind, subject to the overzealous scrutiny and lies that is typical of political campaigns, will look like a horrible person.

    Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 6:38 am

  32. ==Any human being, no matter how decent and kind==

    Tying someone up, taking their picture without permission, and using said picture as leverage falls well outside my definition of decent and kind.

    Comment by Jocko Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 7:48 am

  33. Any human being, no matter how decent and kind, with a sex dungeon, duct tape, blindfold, digital camera and a hairdresser, subject to the overzealous scrutiny and lies that is typical of political campaigns, will look like a horrible person.

    Fixed it.

    Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 8:55 am

  34. Will has been doing this for more than 30 years. A reputable newspaper would stop publishing his column.
    He could work for Proft publications

    Comment by Truthteller Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 9:20 am

  35. Mr/Ms Truthteller
    Why work for Proft? The Mrs. can gather those fees.
    BTW anyone askin’ GovJunk if he is askin’ for his talent fee($100K) back from the MO Gov. Ca it be converted to a legel defense fund.
    Stay classy.

    Comment by Annonin' Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 9:59 am

  36. Fifty Shades of Missouri

    Comment by NATTY BOY Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 10:12 am

  37. Last Bull Moose had a whole laundry list of people. I was speaking in generalities, like LBM, not referring to Greitens, who does sound horrible.

    Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 10:40 am

  38. Now that the World Series drought is over, George Will might be the most embarrassing thing about being a Cubs fan.

    Comment by Anonymous Friday, Feb 23, 18 @ 11:22 am

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