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* SJ-R editorial…
Thumbs Down: To Democrats for again electing Michael Madigan as the chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois.
Madigan, D-Chicago, has been speaker of the Illinois House for all but two years since 1983. He’s been elected chairman of the state party since 1998 by the Democratic State Central Committee. His most recent re-election to that post was Monday by the 36-member committee, which consists of a man and a woman from each of the state’s 18 congressional districts. There was only one no vote.
Being both House Speaker and party chairman has given Madigan unprecedented control for decades over the Democratic Party. In the House, he decides which elected members get chairmanships and whose bills get called. As party chairman, he decides which campaigns to help with staff and funding. His ability to punish or reward is unchecked. Those who have tried to push back are either made irrelevant in the House or given party-backed primary challengers.
This doesn’t happen elsewhere in the country, because most people realize one person should not hold that much power. Yet Illinois Democrats continually refuse to provide checks and balances on Madigan’s power. Shame on party members for not having the guts to give voters the change they both want and need.
Your thoughts?
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 9:25 am
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
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If not him then who? Seriously asking.
Comment by Come on, man! Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 9:30 am
When someone else shows the organizing ability that the Speaker has proven in excess of four decades now, maybe they’ll get a shot. Just a guess as to why he hasn’t gone anywhere.
Comment by Stark Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 9:37 am
Spot on
Comment by Peoria Guy Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 9:38 am
“Shame on party members for not having the guts to give voters the change they both want and need.”
Party chairmanship is not a state office, so I don’t understand this last sentence.
Comment by My New Handle Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 9:39 am
Please, SJR, do share with us the incredible flowering that would result if someone else was the chairman. Seriously. By and large, Democrats have done well under his tenure. Is that the real problem, perhaps?
Comment by Moe Berg Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 9:45 am
“This doesn’t happen elsewhere on America”
Really? Wonder what happens to Republicans who turn against Boss Rauner?
Comment by The Way I See It Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 9:48 am
The Democratic Party Gets to choose its leader. They chose Madigan. The SJR does not get a vote. Take care of your own house, and stay out of the house of others. Shame on you for wading in where you don’t belong.
Comment by Retired Educator Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 9:48 am
==His ability to punish or reward is unchecked.==
I didn’t know a clock held so much sway with house democrats./s
Comment by Jocko Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 9:51 am
I miss the good old days when Jack Clarke had lunch with State and Sangamon County Republican big wigs.
Comment by HL Mencken Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 9:51 am
Well done, SJ-R. If the party lacks the “courage” to force it, then Willingly relinquishing either the party chair or the speakership seems like it would be such an obvious way for Mr. Madigan to mute much of the “But Madigan” criticism that is increasingly heard from both political sides. The editorial certainly should raise the question for both Dems and Mike Madigan himself as to who else (if anybody) is viewed in the chain of succession for head of the party. Mike is no spring chicken. For the sake of the state it needs to be addressed.
Comment by Responsa Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 9:52 am
I really don’t care about the party chairmanship and I am not sure why the paper does. I am not a member of the party, that seems to be their business.
The speaker of the house matters a lot more to me. He controls the traffic of bills that hit the floor. Change is needed there.
Comment by JS Mill Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 9:52 am
When reviewing the scoreboard, Madigan has done a really, really good job.
Plenty of folks don’t like Bill Belichick either, but you don’t see the Patriots jumping at the chance to fire him.
Comment by Anon Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 9:55 am
Another spoon-banging, juvenile effort from an editorial page that had a long history of being savvy about state politics.
Comment by Chris Wetterich Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 10:04 am
Shame on SJR for endorsing Rauner in 2014 since he has utterly failed Illinois taxpayers.
Madigan as chairman has helped maintain the Democratic majority which has somewhat checked the Rauner destruction.
Comment by A Jack Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 10:06 am
Democratic politicians have done well, much better than Democratic voters.
I wish I could say the same for the state that has seen it’s credit ratings and population decline , and debt rise precipitously under his leadership.
If he is so great for the Democrats politicians and special interests, why is he so despised by the electorate? It’s not just the editorial boards.
Comment by Lucky Pierre Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 10:06 am
I seem to remember our Gov. warning any R that didn’t vote in lockstep with his wishes on bills was going to face a financially Rauner-backed opponent in the next primary. Doesn’t anybody else remember those exact words?
Comment by Big Joe Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 10:17 am
–“This doesn’t happen elsewhere on America”
Really? Wonder what happens to Republicans who turn against Boss Rauner?–
LOL, right? Who do they think runs the ILGOP? Absolutely tronc-like dishonesty in service of a temper tantrum.
I think it would have been in the Dems best interests to replace Madigan as chair due to his unpopularity, not because it makes him all-powerful.
A fresh face familiar with 21st Century communications seemed like the right move for party building. But I doubt if the masses give a hoot about state chair.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 10:19 am
This reads like a native advertisement.
Comment by Claud Peppers Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 10:21 am
“I don’t want any $&@#% problems”
- Gov. Bruce Rauner, after paying $20 million in 2014 for his two bought caucuses.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 10:23 am
==debt rise precipitously under his leadership==
As well as under this Governor for the past three years. But I digress.
=================
To the post:
This is how it works. And he’s been an effective party chairman as far as electoral results go.
Comment by Demoralized Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 10:26 am
===… for the state that has seen it’s credit ratings and population decline , and debt rise precipitously under his leadership.===
Hmm
“Pat Quinn failed”
Rauner has press release after press release… bond ratings, debt, population loss… “Pat Quinn failed”
If that was true by Candidate Rauner… then Gov. Rauner failed these past three years. Illinois deserves better. Candidate Rauner tells me so.
It’s like you ignore Rauner is the incumbent.
Governors own. They always do.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 10:29 am
–For the sake of the state it needs to be addressed.–
Who the next chairman of the state Democratic Party will be is of vital importance to Illinois citizens?
Who knew?
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 10:29 am
Willy we get it, you blame all of the problems in the state on Pat Quinn and Bruce Rauner, and as any good Republican would do, absolve the chairman of the Democratic party for the past 20 years and Speaker of the House since 1983 for his much larger role in the state’s disastrous policies for decades, because he has apparently been good for you and your friends in Big Labor.
Try selling it to the rest of the state how great he is and not just preach to the choir
Comment by Lucky Pierre Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 10:35 am
Just one question:
Why does the SJR care who the Democratic Party Chair is? Really, it’s not a govt. position.
This strikes me as weird.
Comment by Try-4-Truth Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 10:39 am
=Shame on party members for not having the guts to give voters the change they both want and need.=
The goal of a party chairman is to get party members elected. If voters want and need a change as the SJR suggests they hold the power to send the party a message. They’ve chosen not to do so.
Comment by Pundent Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 10:45 am
–“This doesn’t happen elsewhere on America”–
Hilarious. The SJR certainly must know that Gov. Rauner is virtually the sole bankroller of the Illinois GOP.
That’s tronc-like dishonesty in the service of a temper tantrum.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 10:45 am
===you blame all of the problems in the state on Pat Quinn and Bruce Rauner, and as any good Republican would do, absolve the chairman of the Democratic party===
LOL
Two different animals.
As candidate Rauner made clear, Governors own, “Pat Quinn failed”… the Edgar Ramp.
The politics of blaming, no matter the party…governors own.
Rauner ran a whole $60 million ($40 million of it Diana’s {a Democrat, “Lucky Pierre”} and Bruce’s) on “Pat Quinn failed”
The politics negate party, eveb the Raunerite Party.
===…has apparently been good for you and your friends in Big Labor.===
I wouldn’t call Madigan a big friend of Labor. If history shows, Madigan, at best, has a mixed bag.
Labor and Madigan see Rauner’s destruction of Illinois as a linking issue, a big one.
Making it about me… I’m no one. Why you choose to elevate me to try and tear me down as a straw man for Rauner shoes how bad off Raunerism is. You need “me” to help try to explain away Rauner failings, lol
===Try selling it to the rest of the state how great he is and not just preach to the choir===
Rauner is at a mere 26% approval.
I had little to do with that.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 11:01 am
Aside from the postage discount, the title of Democratic Party Chairman is largely irrelevant.
Most Democrats cannot even tell you who their state central committee reps are.
Congressmen, county chairmen, township committeemen, ward committeemen have a heckuva lot more influence.
Comment by Thomas Paine Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 12:46 pm
The SJR has not been hard on our GOP Governor, they are definitely biased. If your only source of news was the SJR and WICS you’d think that Rauner was doing a decent job, that’s how biased they are. For the most part they have been covering for his incompetence.
Comment by The Dude Abides Friday, Apr 27, 18 @ 2:56 pm