Illinois's Next Top Government

By Margaret Lyons in News on Nov 14, 2007 9:31PM

Can Mike Madigan and Rod Blagojevich please, please get a reality show? That way, when they have a "nonproductive" meeting like they did today, we have a full serving of drama to go with our intense disappointment and frustration?

Today's meeting, between Blago, Madigan, Mayor Daley and state legislative leaders, was an attempt to make progress on the state transit funding...oh, let's call it an "issue." (Clusterfuck? Mess? Problem? Bargaining chip? Dick-wagging contest? All these work, too.) And the gathering was a real fun-fest, what with a shouting match, Daley leaving early, Madigan walking out, and Blagojevich telling reporters, "Speaker Madigan is the only one who doesn't agree that African Americans ought to participate in the ownership of the casinos." Oh, burn! This is Lauren/Heidi territory. But please, no sex-tape rumors. Those are mental pictures we'll never be able to erase.

We're imaging footage of this meeting intercut with confessional-style talking heads, like all great Real World fights. Emil Jones could complain about being freaked out, or Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White could talk about keeping the peace, or maybe Blago could say something like "I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to be governor." Perhaps we'd then make fun of Madigan for having little-kid handwriting.

AP photo, via The Reader