"nothing like kicking a man when he's down, makes me feel so good"
“Our democracy depends upon the people believing … that the leaders stand for them,” the mayor said Thursday. “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.”
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She wouldn’t say it directly, but Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot made clear on Thursday that Illinois Rep. Michael Madigan should step down as Illinois House Speaker. AP file
Mayor Lori Lightfoot didn’t come right out and say it Thursday, but she left little doubt she believes it’s time for embattled Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to give up the gavel.
“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.
The mayor is just the latest prominent Democrat to weigh in since federal prosecutors charged four people in an alleged long-term bribery scheme designed to curry favor with Madigan to win his support for legislation benefitting Commonwealth Edison.
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Madigan confidant, others plead not guilty in bribery case as GOP leader floats bid for speaker’s gavel
In the Illinois House, 19 Democrats — including a member of the Democratic leadership team — have said they will not vote for Madigan when a new speaker is chosen in January.
That puts Madigan well short of the 60 votes he needs to keep the job he has held for nearly 40 years.
Until Thursday, Lightfoot had been conspicuously silent in the political debate swirling around Illinois’ most powerful Democrat.
She has said Madigan should step down if charges made in a deferred prosecution agreement that required ComEd to pay a $200 million fine are proven to be true. But she has been unwilling to go any further.
RELATED
Feds file criminal case against ComEd, implicate Mike Madigan
Lightfoot apparently was unwilling to offend Madigan, who still has the power to derail her ambitious legislative agenda in Springfield — but that was before a bombshell federal indictment last month plunged deeper into Madigan’s once impervious inner circle.
Former lawmaker-turned-Commonwealth Edison lobbyist Michael McClain, one of the speaker’s closest confidants, as well as former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and former ComEd lobbyists John Hooker and Jay Doherty, former president of the City Club of Chicago, all were accused of participating in the bribery scheme.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot didn’t come right out and say it Thursday, but she left little doubt she believes it’s time for embattled Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to give up the gavel.
“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.
The mayor is just the latest prominent Democrat to weigh in since federal prosecutors charged four people in an alleged long-term bribery scheme designed to curry favor with Madigan to win his support for legislation benefitting Commonwealth Edison.
RELATED
Madigan confidant, others plead not guilty in bribery case as GOP leader floats bid for speaker’s gavel
In the Illinois House, 19 Democrats — including a member of the Democratic leadership team — have said they will not vote for Madigan when a new speaker is chosen in January.
That puts Madigan well short of the 60 votes he needs to keep the job he has held for nearly 40 years.
Until Thursday, Lightfoot had been conspicuously silent in the political debate swirling around Illinois’ most powerful Democrat.
She has said Madigan should step down if charges made in a deferred prosecution agreement that required ComEd to pay a $200 million fine are proven to be true. But she has been unwilling to go any further.
RELATED
Feds file criminal case against ComEd, implicate Mike Madigan
Lightfoot apparently was unwilling to offend Madigan, who still has the power to derail her ambitious legislative agenda in Springfield — but that was before a bombshell federal indictment last month plunged deeper into Madigan’s once impervious inner circle.
Former lawmaker-turned-Commonwealth Edison lobbyist Michael McClain, one of the speaker’s closest confidants, as well as former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and former ComEd lobbyists John Hooker and Jay Doherty, former president of the City Club of Chicago, all were accused of participating in the bribery scheme.
Another case for TERM LIMITS. No way should anyone hold office for that long. The only reason is to milk the taxpayers.
ReplyDeleteThe same should be said for every politician. 19th Warders are no exception.
DeleteMaybe she should follow her own advice. F.U.l.l.
ReplyDelete“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.
ReplyDeleteShe ought to paste that on a bathroom mirror or her mini refrigerator that she keeps the scotch in.
Madigan is a serpent, do not under estimate him...
ReplyDeleteThe man is still very very powerful, she and they underestimated him. Wheather he is speaker or not, he has many loyal reps to block and cause grid lock. The mayor has alot of nerve with her/his comments, she's 1 and done anyway.
ReplyDelete