Senate leader questions Madigan's loyalty

[chiburb]

Front page Sun-Times:

BOSTON -- The infighting and back-biting among Illinois Democrats boiled over Wednesday as state Senate President Emil Jones angrily suggested that House Speaker Michael J. Madigan -- the state party chairman -- was at the wrong national convention.

"Is the speaker planning on going to New York for the Republican convention?" Jones asked reporters

And from Lynn Sweet's column:

The Blagojevichites are also sniping at Madigan for forging an alliance with Republicans to get leverage over the governor.

Madigan is calling it mature bipartisanship. Blagojevichites say he is sleeping with the enemy. And on Wednesday, tensions sharpened when Madigan's Senate counterpart, Sen. Emil Jones (D-Chicago), said Madigan would be more at home going to the Republican convention in New York.

"Is the speaker planning on going to New York for the Republican convention?" Jones said when asked about Madigan's plotting with GOP legislators, widening the breach between the two leaders.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/sweet/cst-nws-sweet29.html

On Edit: THE MOST IMPORTANT PART:

Madigan may not have come early to the convention because he thought there was no pressing business. John Kerry is in good shape in Illinois, and Democratic Senate nominee Barack Obama has no Republican opponent.

But it would not have hurt to use the delegation meetings to do something for the two suburban Democrats running uphill campaigns for U.S. House seats in GOP districts, Melissa Bean and Christine Cegilis. Madigan said he had no particular plans at this point and was waiting for someone to call him. A Blagojevich spokesman said he is going to be helping both candidates.

[mopinko]

1. madigan is a dino

he is really a madiganite. period. the illinois party ought to be working their butts off for the both of them. they are good candidates with a good chance. grrrr....

[chiburb]

2. Did you read Sweet's column, Mo?

It seems she actually suggested he resign as party chairman if he couldn't be bothered to show up at the convention (until Monday). You're right, DINO. Glad to see Jones stand up to him.

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

3. Mike Madigan has always been an arrogant

little twerp. He's cut from the same bolt of cloth as the other DINO, Richard M. Daley.

I'd love to see someone really give those two a real "boot in the ass".

[chiburb]

4. Hi "other Mo"....

Couldn't agree more...

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

5. Hi, chiburb, what's happening?

We really need to get together again now that the DNC is almost over. Too bad the picnic idea died. We really should try and arrange something before the middle of September. Whaddya think???

[chiburb]

6. Sure. I know they're talking about a Wed. Goose Island, but

I can't "do" school nights. OT: was your friend's last name Brown? If so, any relation to Warren or Petey?

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

7. The weekends are better for me as well.

Yes her last name is Brown, but believe me she's no relation to either Warren or Petey. Her husband is from the same small town in Northern Ireland as mine and no one remotely famous came out of Hilltown, Co. Down.

[chiburb]

8. Cool. This is Warren, Pete is his grandson...

And I know Pete...

For more than half a century, Warren Brown consistently gave composition and expertise to sports pages across the country. A graduate of St. Ignatius College (now the University of San Francisco) where he starred playing baseball, Brown joined the San Francisco Bulletin in 1916. In 1922, following his service in World War I, Brown moved to New York. The next year he was appointed sports editor of Hearst's Chicago Herald-Examiner. Brown later became the first sports editor of Marshall Field's Sun in 1941 and was a columnist for the Chicago American (later Chicago Today).

A tall, spare figure, Brown brought to the typewriter the same sharp, biting wit that made him famous as master of ceremonies in the after-dinner circuit. The man who was responsible for nicknaming Red Grange "The Galloping Ghost," Brown wrote books about the Cubs and White Sox. Starting in 1920, Brown saw every World Series for fifty years. Both a daily columnist and a working assignment man, Brown's witty and humorous remarks are still retold in the press box.

[mopinko]

9. wed

actually, week nights are not that hot for me, either, especially wed. that's just what whoever started the meetups set.
the 6th, 7th, 13th or 14th all work better for me. post a preferences on the meetup thread, and we can put something on the front page.