Madigan Attended Fundraisers for John Boehner

Boehner Photo Credit (AP File Photo)

Politics, as the adage goes, makes for strange bedfellows. How else to describe the news state House Speaker and de facto jefe of the Illinois Democratic Party Michael Madigan attending two fundraisers for House Speaker and Republican John Boehner a couple of weeks back?

The Sun-Times reports Madigan was in attendance for a Boehner fundraiser in suburban Hinsdale to fund the Illinois GOP's looming court battle over the redistricted legislative maps. the next night Madigan was in attendance at a fundraiser for Boehner's leadership fund at the Lemont home of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Chairman Terry Duffy.

Naturally, this has politicians in both parties saying, "WTF?" State GOP Chairman Pat brady had fun with the news while other Republicans wondered if Madigan, a master political chess master, had ulterior motives.

Democratic strategist and consultant Kitty Kurth said of the news.

“Going to a fund-raiser for the speaker of the House, who has done nothing to cooperate with the president of the United States, really is unfortunate. I think that the speaker could strengthen the Democratic Party in Illinois if he showed the same kind of respect and cooperation with other Democrats, including Gov. Quinn.
“I would hope that the chairman of our Democratic Party in Illinois can find some time to attend events with Democrats across the state and support their campaigns,” she continued. “If you want Democrats to show up for you, you need to show up for them.”

Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said his boss was there in the spirit of cooperation. Only the public hopes politicians cooperate with each other to get shit done, not raise money.

Madigan's visits to Boeher fundraisers also happened the same day he no-showed three of President Obama's fundraisers in Central Illinois and the president's birthday party at the Aragon Ballroom.

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By Chuck Sudo in News on August 24, 2011 9:30 AM

Comments [rss]

daleyharold

The facts are Madigan attended one event at the invitation of Mr. Duffy. He did not make a contribution. He was out of state when the President came to IL
When it counted Speaker Madigan led the effort to move the IL primary to Feb at a time when the President needed a big state win.
Gotta love the fact checkers on these blogs

snoopoz

Madigan is clearly up to something. That guy doesn't take a bathroom break without an ulterior motive.

Navin_Johnson

Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said his boss was there in the spirit of cooperation.

Sounds right, both parties are slaves to the same masters.

tomdarch

The current "spirit of cooperation" is that Democrats grab their ankles while the Republicans bang away screaming about how lube is unconstitutional and protection is an affront to God.

As the president found out, the problem with trying to "cooperate" with Boehner is that you aren't dealing with a "good cop, bad cop" situation. Boehner is the "bad cop" to the Tea Party wing of the Republican party as the "completely insane cop." Boehner is going to club you with a plastic bag over your head and electrocute your genitals while trying to get you to confess to killing someone who is still alive instead of going after the real criminals loose on the streets, but the exchange he's offering is that he won't hand you over to the all-too-medieval tea-sipping Gimp.

So what the hell is Madigan doing, particularly at a fund-raiser for the legal fight against the redistricting plan?

Navin_Johnson

The current "spirit of cooperation" is that Democrats grab their ankles
while the Republicans bang away screaming about how lube is
unconstitutional and protection is an affront to God.

I suppose that's what they get for being passive, submissive (and often willing) lovers.