Last night, Senator Dick Durbin appeared on WTTW and gave an interview where he commented on the disadvantage Speaker Madigan poses for Democrats in Illinois.
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“All across our state – and the advertising told the story – we paid a heavy price for the Speaker’s chairmanship of the Democratic Party,” Durbin said Wednesday night during an interview on “Chicago Tonight.”
“Candidates who had little or no connection with him whatsoever were being tarred as Madigan allies who are behind corruption and so forth and so on,” he continued. “It was really disconcerting to see the price that we paid on that. I hope he takes that to heart and understands that his presence as chairman of our party has not helped.”
He’s right, of course.
But, not everyone feels the same way. Given multiple opportunities both before and after the election that was disastrous for Illinois Democrats, Governor JB Pritzker has stayed silent on the need for Speaker Madigan to step aside.
Asked yesterday about the reasons behind his signature tax hike proposal failing, Pritzker blamed a “general lack of trust in government, everywhere.” Sure Governor, Illinoisans lack of trust in Springfield has nothing to do with the most powerful man at the capitol being a recognized crook who has built a gigantic political machine that exerts influence in every area of state government.
The Governor has the political capital, financial backing, and stature to have Madigan’s reign end. Mark Brown from the Chicago Sun Times makes the case:
Sooner than later, for his own self-preservation but more importantly for the sake of his state and political party, Pritzker needs to see — and say — that Madigan has gotta go.
We won’t hold our breath. At this point, Pritzker is complicit in Madigan’s corrupt schemes.
