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* Fox Chicago’s Jack Conaty has produced a well-done and quite interesting profile of House Speaker Michael Madigan. It’s our must-watch video of the day…
If you can’t watch videos at work, or don’t have the time, then part of the story can be found at this link. Excerpt…
Former state representative Robert Molaro takes a slightly different view. “Not to take a line from the godfather, but Mike will ask for something and when you refuse it he doesn’t ask a second time, he doesn’t ask a second time when he’s been refused the first,” says Molaro.
* Related and semi-related…
* Vote to kill the pay raises
* Bipartisan vote best way to block state pay raises
* Reform panel’s work deserves to be enacted
* Cleaning up state government could be costly
* We need reform like yesterday’s editorials
* Who knows who’s paying which pols for doing what?
* Our Opinion: A long way to go to have effective FOIA
* The Sunshine police
* Ald. Edward Burke profited from companies he criticized
* Burke has most financial ties to city contractors
* Cook County patronage beast will not die
* Conflict-of-interest policy would have avoided Tedrick situation
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, May 5, 09 @ 10:14 am
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
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I think everybody is too scared to comment. Some things are better left unsaid.
Comment by Bill Tuesday, May 5, 09 @ 10:59 am
=== “Sooner or later you’re gonna need the speaker, sooner or later you come back and ask for that favor and he’s gonna remember and Mike Madigan has a strong and energetic memory,” ===
That pretty much sums it up.
Comment by Ghost Tuesday, May 5, 09 @ 11:07 am
==Mike Madigan is the most powerful man in Illinois politics. He runs the show in Springfield.==
No question Madigan is very powerful, but I think this overstates it.
The governor, any governor, is still more powerful than any speaker, simply because of the office’s control over the executive branch and all of its functions.
Put it this way: Madigan, a very powerful speaker, was able to block Blago at many turns, but certainly not all of them. In his role as governor, Blago was able to do a lot of wild and crazy stuff and no one could stop him until he was kicked out of office.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, May 5, 09 @ 11:19 am
I have to disagree with you word. A Gov has control of different things, but at the end of the day the Speaker is in office, and the Gov was removed using the authority of the GA.
Comment by Ghost Tuesday, May 5, 09 @ 11:23 am
The Speaker’s “power” is as much in his hard work as in any inherent power of the office, which is considerable.
Speaker Madigan is a workaholic. Seven days a week, 365 days per year. I always marveled at the delusional former Governor, who thought he could out maneuver the Speaker by only working part time.
Anyone willing to match Madigan’s work ethic might have a chance at winning. Conversely, if you don’t want to match his effort, don’t bother trying to take him on. It isn’t rocket science, but it’s often overlooked. There are no short cuts. Hard work, and attention to detail, are the primary reasons for Madigan’s success, longevity and “power.”
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, May 5, 09 @ 12:19 pm
Jack Conaty shows why I think he is the best local TV political reporter left on the air. No offense to Flannery etc., but Conaty zeros in on a subject with knowledge and just atad of cynical humor. Got to love it. You should link this story to your term limits question. enough said.
Comment by Niles Township Tuesday, May 5, 09 @ 12:33 pm
===You should link this story to your term limits question===
Actually, we have three posts today that involve the QOTD. Four, if you count the statewide piece.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, May 5, 09 @ 12:38 pm
Mike Madigan reminds me of Darth Vader.
Comment by Speaking at Will Tuesday, May 5, 09 @ 12:45 pm
“Contrary to popular misconception, Madigan and the mayor are not close friends…”
Does such a misconception exist? Do people think they are friends?
I kind of thought it was conventional wisdom that they were not, but maybe I am looking at this through the lens of someone who maybe pays a little more attention to state and city politics than the average news consumer.
Other than that, the piece was interesting and well done. When the book about Mike Madigan gets written, it will be high on my reading list.
Comment by JonShibleyFan Tuesday, May 5, 09 @ 1:33 pm
A powerful man that didn’t support President Obama when he ran in the premier for the US Senate race. Matter of fact at during the premier race, Madigan laughed as it was captured on television at the now President Obama at the state fair and Madigan called Obama “the Messiah”. A matter of fact you never say the Speaker any where around President Obama then and now. The speaker and many other elcetde ofiicials is why we need reform. I think the voters of Illinois in 2010 are going to suprise all the elected officials by demanding change and not the same old thing. I’m hoping there is plenty of choice in the Governors race and the other 2010 races because I think his daugther is going to get a run for her money and is going to be suprised by the lack of support by certain communities. The Madigan’s don’t respresent power but weakness in the America system. We need change we’re everyone is included not just some.
Comment by West Side of Chicago Tuesday, May 5, 09 @ 4:26 pm
Wordslinger–It was Mike Madigan who gave Blagojevich the first of the “kicks” out of office via House impeachment.
Comment by David Ormsby Tuesday, May 5, 09 @ 4:28 pm
From Wikipedia
Michael J. Madigan is a ghost or witch featured in Western folklore. He is said to appear in a mirror when his name is called three times (or sometimes more, depending upon the version of the story), often as part of a game at slumber parties. Other very similar tales use different names for the character including MJM, The Speaker, and Lisa’s Father among others.
In folklore and children’s street culture, “Michael J. Madigan” is a game in which a ghost of the same name (or sometimes other names, such as “Mr. Speaker”) is said to appear in a mirror when summoned. One of the more common ways participants attempt to make his appearance is to stand before a mirror in the dark (most commonly in a bathroom) and repeat his name three times, though there are many variations. Some include chanting a hundred times, chanting at midnight, spinning around, rubbing one’s eyes, running the water, holding a fund raiser, dining at Saputos, or chanting his name thirteen times with a lit candle. In some versions of the legend, the summoner must say, “Michael J. Madigan, I killed your bill!” or “I killed your nomination!” In these variants, Michael J. Madigan is often believed to be the spirit of a politician (often a Democrat) who remained in elected office too long, or an old representative whose bill died in committee, which made him go mad in grief and he locked himself away in his office. In stories where The Speaker is supposed to have been wrongly accused of killing his own bills, the querent might say “I believe in Michael J. Madigan.” This is similar to another game involving the summoning of the Bell Witch in a mirror at midnight. The game is often a test of courage, as it is said that if Michael J. Madigan is summoned, he would proceed to kill any legislative action in an extremely violent way, such as withdrawing re-election support, scratching any nominations out, driving the person insane or bringing the person into the mirror with her. Some versions say that if you chant his name thirteen times at midnight into a mirror he will appear and you can talk to the politically dead until 12:01, when Michael J. Madigan and the dead person you asked to speak to will vanish. Other variations say that the querent must not look directly at him, but at his image in the mirror; he will then reveal the querent’s future, particularly concerning marriage and children, campaign polls and humorous anecdotes about previous imprisoned governors.
On the other hand, various elected people have surmised that the lore about taunting Micheal J. Madigan about his political power may relate his tenuously to folklore about King Richard I of Chicago, known in history by the sobriquet “Da Mare”. The Mayor’s life was marked by a number of miscarriages of justice and false promises.
Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, May 5, 09 @ 4:31 pm
Great Vanilla Man! I think in the near future, once more and more is revealed about Illinois politics and the unfairness of his actions will come to light. People are tried of this kind of politics and won’t a change. I don’t care what political party it is. We want politicains who care, are inclusive and can get the job done legally. So, democrats need to not think that they will auotmatically get chosen.
Comment by West Side of Chicago Tuesday, May 5, 09 @ 4:38 pm
West Side, I would tend to agree that the old school as epitomized by MJM and RMD is starting to wear on the people of Illinois. Add the matched pair of Blago and Quinn, crook and phoney reformer, and electoral disaster could be looming for the acolytes of this bunch, starting with Princess Lisa.
Comment by East Side of Springfield Tuesday, May 5, 09 @ 8:07 pm