Reading between the lines - Michael Madigan also to blame for state's disorder

Reading between the lines - Michael Madigan also to blame for state's disorder
BY CAROL MARIN cmarin@suntimes.com
July 5, 2007

Disorder in the house
There's a flaw in the system
And the fly in the ointment's gonna bring the whole thing down ...

"Disorder in the House," lyrics by Warren Zevon

It's hard to beat great writing. If you were going to compose an anthem to the Illinois General Assembly, you couldn't do better than the brilliant, drug-soaked lyrics of the late, great Warren Zevon's "Disorder in the House."

Then again, if you were going to write a poison pen letter to the governor, it's best to study at the knee of the master of that genre, Michael J. Madigan.

When Gov. Blagojevich decided to seize the reins of his Democratic- controlled but totally disordered Springfield house (small "h") by ordering state legislators into "special session" that begins today, House (big "H") Speaker Madigan took quill to inkwell and summarily wrote off whatever momentum Blago sought to gain in solving our to-date insoluble budget problems.

Forgive a humble scribe for interpreting the words of the Steinbeck of the Southwest Side, but here's how I read the speaker's July 2 prose poem to the governor.

Madigan: "In response to your decision to call the General Assembly into a special session for the purpose of considering legislation related to the lease of the state Lottery and the issuance of new pension obligation bonds for the state retirement system, the House will convene itself into a Committee of the Whole . . . and will last as long as necessary."

Meaning: The whole Madigan gang joined by bloodthirsty Republicans will be dug in to greet you, stare you down and make you sweat.

Madigan: "It is our request that you stay for the duration of the hearing."

Meaning: Ground the state plane, pal, and turn on the lights in the governor's mansion.

Madigan: "Please know that we have selected the Committee of the Whole format specifically in response to repeated concerns you have raised about the members' level of participation in budget talks."

Meaning: You started this, hot dog.

Madigan: "This setting will also afford the media the opportunity to directly observe the budget negotiation process firsthand, another accommodation ... we are happy to make for you."

Meaning: Even hated media welcome at this point.

Madigan: Since January, "We have met in session for 57 days -- or more than eight full, seven-day weeks ... despite your general absence from the State Capitol during most of that time."

Meaning: All that jogging has given you fabulous abs.

Madigan's acid attack notwithstanding, the disorder in Illinois' legislative house is not all Blagojevich's fault. Yes, he has committed a boatload of political sins. Yes, he has squandered all his early promises of reform. Yes, to invoke a favorite phrase of his friend and ally, Senate President Emil Jones, the governor has "played to the cheers of the crowd" rather than quietly building a consensus within even his own party. But he has also led some new and innovative policies, most notably health care for kids.

House Speaker Madigan is a superb practitioner of tactical power politics. But take a long view for a second, as Kent Redfield, expert on public policy and state government at the University of Illinois Springfield, did and ask if we are better off with regard to state pensions or education than we were 30 years ago?

"The one constant in that whole period since he became head of the Democratic House caucus since 1980 is that Mike Madigan has been in power," Redfield said Tuesday. "I think the speaker is brilliant in terms of politics but cautious in terms of pushing a public agenda."

If Illinois is in dire budget, pension, transportation and educational straits today, doesn't Madigan take some of the rap too? And deserve a ration of the heat?

Yesterday Blagojevich responded with his own Fourth of July fireworks. In a letter, he told the Speaker he won't be showing up at Madigan's meeting, that he's not going to play the Speaker's game.

The macho headbutting and big egos of all of these boys-yes, boys-in leadership is toxic and embarrassing. Isn't it time to get some order in our house? Starting today?