Harris may be a new majority ‘leader,’ but Madigan is still the ‘boss’

The Illinois House of Representatives made much of the fact they have a new majority leader – and that he’s not just another stereotypical white, male politico.

HARRIS: New House majority leader

State Rep. Greg Harris, D-Chicago, now has the title that technically makes him the head of the Democrats in the Illinois House. He’s the “majority leader,” while state Rep. James Durkin, R-Westchester, remains the “minority leader” since there are fewer Republicans in Springfield these days than Democrats.

DURING HIS 12 years thus far as a state legislator, Harris has gone through political life with the tag as only openly-gay legislator. Even now, the official statement declares Harris to be the “first openly-gay majority leader.”

Which the Democrats in charge are saying is evidence of their superiority when it comes to being open to all kinds of people.

“This is the first in a series of leadership appointments that will be announced in the coming days reflecting the diversity of our state and reflecting our caucus’ approach to the coming legislative session,” party officials said, in their prepared statement.

But before the conservative ideologues start to get all riled up over the idea of one of “those kinds of people” (actually, they’ll probably use cruder terms, but I’m trying to operate a family-style weblog here) being evidence of how much our society has declined, keep in mind that the “majority leader” title may well be the most overblown of all within Illinois government.

FLYNN-CURRIE: The former leader

FOR THE FACT is that both the majority and minority leaders in the Illinois House fall below that of the Illinois House speaker within the legislative pecking order.

And the role of “Mr. Speaker” in Illinois is, has been, and will remain the province of one Michael J. Madigan – who has been a state legislator for some five decades and has been the Speaker for all but two years since 1983.

As for the two-year period in which Madigan was reduced to the role of “minority leader,” it is regarded as a political aberration where Republican ideologues ran amok and we got the historic freak episode of “House Speaker Lee Daniels” with Robert Churchill as majority leader – before sanity was restored by voters in 1996.

MADIGAN: Still in charge!!!

I realize that within a purely legislative perspective, the “majority” leader fills some duties – largely in terms of keeping the individual Democratic legislators in line with the larger policy goals that the Speaker might want to take on.

MEANING IF NEWLY-elected legislator Anne Stava-Murray, D-Naperville, tries to carry on a Madigan-opposition technique to her government service, it will be Harris who gets to crack down on her – thereby leaving Madigan free to deal with larger issues.

Just as former Illinois House majority leader Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago, served in the role of keeping Democrats in line. She served in that role since 1997, and likely would still be doing it if she hadn’t had to step aside for health reasons. Although her presence created the idea of a woman in a significant leadership position, just as how the previous majority leader, former state Rep. Jim McPike of Alton, gave the impression of a downstate official with a significant title.

I’m not trying to diminish the public service of either McPike or Currie. Both had public service stints I’m sure they’re not ashamed of.

It’s just to realize that no matter who has the title, Mike Madigan remains the “boss,” at least of the Springfield political scene – while realizing he’s there to enforce the political desires and needs of Chicago government.

ALL TOO SIMILAR to that scene from the old Star Wars’ film “Return of the Jedi” when the evil Darth Vader who has been running roughshod over the galaxy in the previous films suddenly kneels before the Emperor – his ultimate master.

Who's whom in Illinois political universe?

Which means the ultimate political bout could come following the mayoral election if someone whom Madigan doesn’t feel like kneeling to manages to win. Is he strengthening his hand now for a future political brawl?

But back to Harris – whose role will be to keep the machinery working so that an ultimate demise of the Democratic majority doesn’t become undermined by petty whining of an internal nature.

While the political rhetoric being spewed says Harris has helped achieve progressive goals on issues such as Medicaid and equal rights for same-gender couples, keep in mind they advanced only as far as Madigan himself permitted -- and he's still in charge!

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You might as well build a ‘border wall’ from Legos for all the security a U.S./Mexico barricade would provide

Donald Trump has long been on a kick out of building a physical barrier to separate the United States from Mexico, going so far in recent days as to make the “compromise” gesture of building a wall out of steel slats – rather than concrete blocks.

Let's make Internet 'gag' a reality!

The Trumpster, who is quite deluded on so many issues, seems to think that would be more likely to placate the people who speak out against a border wall.

NOT THAT IT matters one bit. It’s the very concept of thinking we ought to have a physical barrier between the two major nations of North America (sorry Canada!) that so many people find offensive.

Particularly since it would involve the spending of so much money -- $5.7 billion is the most recent figure I have heard tossed about. In fact, the only thing more absurd than spending that much of taxpayer funds on this pathetic project is to keep being deluded that ANY other nation would pick up the tab, in any form.

No, the government of Mexico is not paying for this. Nor are they under any legal or moral obligation to pay for this Trump boondoggle of a project.

Of course, even if Trump himself were to use his personal wealth to pay for construction of a border barricade, I and most other people would still find the concept morally abhorrent! We are one continent – no matter how much ideologues want to split us apart.

Lego 'Trump' looks no more ridiculous … 

IN FACT, IF one seriously studies the southwestern portion of the United States, they’d see how obvious it is that we are one – even if all those white Texans want to think their presence in the region is something special.

Rather than something the rest of the nation often finds to be a cultural embarrassment to us all.

It’s why I almost get a chuckle when I see the gag image on the Internet that suggests Mexico will gladly pay for a border wall – if it means restoring the southwestern U.S. back to Mexico.

… than the real Trump

No more confusion about Texas or Arizona, Utah or Nevada or Colorado. And no more confusion about whether New Mexico ought to be regarded a “foreign” land.

TRUMP ON THURSDAY tried to advance the cause further by using Air Force One to take a trip to McAllen, Texas – which put him in sight of the U.S./Mexico border. And probably gave some Mexican citizens the laugh of a lifetime if they caught a glimpse of his absurd pompadour.

But Trump staged a border event that I’m sure was meant to scare the bejeezus out of ideologues of a particularly xenophobic bent – citing what he says are all the illicit items that get smuggled across the border.

He literally had federal agents set up a table containing assorted firearms, bags of illicit cash and heroin and meth bound with black tape into bricks. Which bears a strong resemblance to the same kind of presentation local cops make whenever they want to make their latest local drug bust seem much more significant than it really is.

A real southwestern 'restoration'

Of course, this stunt occurred one day after Trump walked out of a meeting with Democratic leadership of Congress to try to negotiate something serious. Not that Trump himself is about anything serious – he was just determined to tell people he rejected anything “that woman” (House Speaker Nancy Pelosi) put forth to him.

IN REALITY THOUGH, it showed Trump is more interested in playing games with this border barricade issue than doing anything involving serious public policy. Seeing Democratic leadership refuse to give in to Trump’s inanity may well give them political points.

So since this has become nothing more than a game with public officials acting like children, I suggest that if a border wall is to be built, we do it from Legos. As in those plastic bricks children use to construct so many structures from their imaginations to reality.

Envision all those kids working along the border with their Legos

Seriously, a Lego-built wall wouldn’t be any less secure than a concrete- or steel-built one that Trump suggests. It wouldn’t stop anything or anyone from being able to get across the border. Just envision the image of children from all over the 1,900-mile border region combining their Lego building blocks to assemble a wall.

And since we’re talking about a child’s toy, it would make us admit that only someone with a child-like sensibility would in any way take this project seriously, no matter what form the 'wall' took!

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Getting in the ‘last’ word

MADIGAN: Still Mr. Speaker

It will be intriguing to see if soon-to-be former Gov. Bruce Rauner manages to figure out a way to take one final pot shot at Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, before he departs his role come Monday.

For it was quite obvious that Rauner is going to forevermore think that Madigan was the one who spoiled any chance that he could be successful during the one term he got to be Illinois government’s chief executive.

RAUNER: Soon to ride off into sunset

OF COURSE, MADIGAN seems equally determined to think ill of “The Rauner Years” and just how little managed to be accomplished in our state between 2015-18.

For what it’s worth, Rauner engaged in his final official public act as governor by giving a speech summarizing what he thinks he accomplished for Illinois during his gubernatorial term. While also using other moments to make comments that clearly can be interpreted as political pot shots.

The recent criminal complaint filed against long-time Chicago Alderman Edward M. Burke is “long overdue,” with Rauner insisting that Burke is not alone.

“I’m ecstatic they finally indicted him,” Rauner said, even though they didn’t really. “There are others that do the same, and worse. They haven’t been indicted yet. I hope they are.”

BURKE: Rauner pleased w/ predicament

AFTER GOING THROUGH four years of governing and a campaign cycle of constant complaints claiming that Madigan himself is worthy of criminal charges because he would not meekly cooperate with all of Rauner’s anti-organized labor initiatives, it’s disappointing to see that he’s determined to go down to defeat with the same stubborn attitude.

Not that Madigan will meekly let such rhetoric go by without a vociferous response. He used the beginning of the newly-elected General Assembly’s session to dismiss Rauner’s gubernatorial term as one of, “four long years of character assassination, personal vilification and strident negotiation positions.”

PRITZKER: Favorable Lege

He also said he sees the coming of a new Legislature (one with majorities large enough in both chambers for Democrats to overrule the governor’s veto power) as being the chance for government to learn from the errors of its ways.

Or, as Madigan put it, let’s, “take lessons, so we can move on to a new chapter where people work with people.” Rather than thinking they can impose their will on ever-so-many issues upon the masses.

WHICH MEANS THAT Madigan is figuring the truth in the old cliché, “history is written by the winners.” He gets to be the noble creature who fought off the potential tyranny of “The Rauner Years.” Anybody who tries to defend Bruce is going to find themselves seriously diminished – if not outright ridiculed.

It will work, mostly because many of us just won’t care to hear from Rauner any longer. We’d just as soon see him fade off into the sunset.

Which he’ll do as of Monday at Noon. We’ll be more focused on the future success of incoming Gov. J.B, Pritzker – who will have the advantage of a sympathetic Legislature that will have an interest in seeing the governor succeed in overcoming the problems of the state.

Many of which were exasperated by that two-plus year time period during which our state government was on hold because of a lack of a budget – which Rauner tried to defend as being a worthy hit for the state to take if some of his anti-union initiatives could become reality in Illinois.

MOST OF US just remember it as a political headache that made us all seem stupid – similar to how the current federal government shutdown motivated by a partisan battle over immigration policy and border security measures is threatening to make the nation look equally ridiculous.

STAVA-MURRAY: Lone vote of 'present'

It may well be that the national Democrats will take their lead from Madigan when it comes to dealing with Trump. There is a majority of our nation that would love to see the current president fade away in as much ignominy as the current governor.

But then again, there will be those who will turn to new state Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, D-Naperville, who insisted on voting “present” instead of “yes” for Madigan to once again be the Illinois House speaker. She was amongst the few who were swayed by all that anti-Madigan trash talk of campaign seasons past.

So who gets the last word? No matter whether it’s Rauner or Madigan, there’s bound to be somebody more than willing to respond, “bull----!”

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Rebuild of the Chicago White Sox,or clique developing within the ballclub?

The key to the rebuild of the Chicago White Sox? Or development of the clique that could demolish any hopes of a championship in the near future?

Will trio be the key to 2020s White Sox? Photo by The Players Tribune

Those are the thoughts running through my brainpan on Tuesday, as I learn of the deal the White Sox pulled off this week to help strengthen their outfield.

JON JAY, WHO played last season with Kansas City and Arizona but was part of that Chicago Cubs championship team of 2016, will be a part of the White Sox this season – whose spring training begins in just over a month out in the Phoenix suburb where the Arizona (and one-time Chicago) Cardinals play.

Theoretically, he could be a piece of the White Sox’ outfield equation this year. He has some skills. But what is more noteworthy are two of Jay’s best friends within the world of professional baseball.

Those friends are Yonder Alonso, whom the White Sox recently acquired in trade from Cleveland, and Alonso’s brother-in-law. Who happens to be the baseball star Manny Machado – the infielder who currently is free-agent and is trying to get the big-money, long-term contract that will ensure he’ll never have to work for real so long as he lives.

The White Sox are in competition with the New York Yankees, the Philadelphia Phillies and possibly other teams that might want to give themselves an injection of talent for the near future.

IT HAS BEEN reported that the White Sox have made a definitive offer to Machado that falls short of the so-called $300 million over a 10-season period that Manny supposedly wants.

Could it be that the White Sox are gambling Manny will be eager enough to have his brother-in-law and long-time friend as teammates that he’ll take a Chicago offer? Helped by the fact that even though Machado has hinted he’d love New York, the Yankees themselves don’t seem too eager to kiss his behind to get him in their version of pinstripes.

Could the White Sox of the 2020s be reliant on the Machado clique for their on-field talent? Could Jay become the guy who played for both the ’16 Cubs championship team, along with whatever winner the White Sox produce?

Will Machado clique work well w/ Abreu batch?

Or is this a lot of wishful thinking?

FOR I CAN’T help but notice that much of the “Rebuild of the White Sox” talk has focused on the large number of Cuban exiles the White Sox have been able to obtain – with hopes they’ll develop with minor league affiliates into stars.

With those peloteros Cubanos eager to play baseball for Chicago someday because they see existing White Sox star Jose Abreu as their leader on-field.

Have the White Sox set up conditions for dueling cliques – with one group of Cubanos convinced this is the team of Abreu and which might be counting on the beisbol fan base in Havana to give the White Sox an international cheering base?

Or are we going to have a team with the Abreu people and the Machado people – with the latter figuring that he’s the one getting the big money so he’s the one who should dominate the ball club’s attention?

IT WILL BE interesting to see how the two factions (should Machado decide to come to Chicago) co-exist, because supposedly his wife Yainee (also Alonso’s sister) really, really wants to live in New York. Would this Miami girl with ethnic origins in the Dominican Republic regard Chicago’s Latino population that is heavily Mexican and Puerto Rican just a bit too different?

Could Jay be champ on both sides of Chicago?

Then again, ballplayers don’t necessarily have to like each other personally. Take the Oakland A’s of the 1970s that won three straight World Series despite constant infighting amongst themselves. But they had their mutual contempt for owner Charles O. Finley to unite them – and that contempt is what ultimately broke the ballclub up.

But it could be said that the Machado clique that considers Miami to be its home base could unite with the many Cubans who regard Miami as their home in exile.

Could a future White Sox championship team wind up getting just as many cheers in Miami as on the South Side? We’ll have to wait and see how it all shapes up – and if it is meant to become a reality.

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Playing part of a pol, without having to carry out accompanying responsibilities

Perhaps it’s only natural that people who can’t hold a position any longer (or are just tired of it) use their fame to try to get themselves a television gig.

Will we someday have to see Rahm … 

Being a “commentator” allows them to keep portraying themselves as some sort of expert on whatever it is they’re interested in – without having to carry out any of the actual responsibilities.

OR HAVING TO go through the hassles of continually getting themselves re-elected to office!

Think about it? We’re now forevermore going to see Luis Gutierrez as the outspoken critic of our national immigration policy, while Rahm Emanuel will portray himself for as long as he wishes as Chicago’s “mayor.”

No matter how much the thought of those two men in those positions stirs up levels of contempt and disgust, we’ll always now think of them as “congressman” and “mayor” no matter what it is they really do in life.

These thoughts popped into my head when, on Monday, Gutierrez felt compelled to release a statement saying he’s now a part of CNN. He’ll be someone they can put on the air to talk about immigration policy and the Puerto Rican population of our nation.

… and Luis speak out … 

IN SHORT, THE man who during his two-plus decades in Congress portrayed himself as “Mr. Puerto Rico” himself any time a related issue came up on Capitol Hill can now go about portraying himself as the ultimate expert.

Those of us who remember back even further when he was a City Council member bellowing about like a crowing rooster (giving him the nickname “El Gallito”) will find act old – if not downright repetitive.

Yet the rest of the nation is going to get his share of the act. Particularly the ideologues who often will find themselves on the receiving end of whatever admonishment Gutierrez feels to dish out at any given time.

It assures that even though Gutierrez ceased to be a Congressman last week, he’ll continue to be heard. Personally, I’m waiting for the moment Gutierrez successor Rep. Jesus Garcia, D-Ill., does something that Luis considers to be a screw-up.

… on our television sets?

I HAVE NO doubt the rhetoric will be ugly – in both English en Español.

Not that it will be any more pretty when Rahm Emanuel finally steps down as mayor come May. For the talk is that brother Ari, a professional talent agent in his own right, already is doing the groundwork for Rahm to become one of the ranks of professional commentators himself.

For as a former member of Congress and White House aide under both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, he has a certain amount of issues and policy background. Combined with his eight years as Chicago mayor, he may wind up trying to claim himself as the expert on all sorts of things.

Could Garcia be blasted by Luis and Rahm?

Maybe he can even develop a personality of sorts that would allow him to be declared an unofficial “mayor” of the nation – someone who can forevermore be thought of as having an expertise. Even on issues upon which he knows absolutely nothing.

THAT ACTUALLY WAS the niche Rudy Giuliani once held, as the symbolic “America’s mayor” – at least until he became associated publicly with fellow New Yorker Donald Trump and relegated himself to the niche of the crackpot’s protector.

Will Rahm replace Rudy as 'America's mayor?'

Is the nation ready for Rahm; to speak out at his own will on whatever he thinks interesting? Anybody who tries claiming Rahm doesn’t have Rudy’s stature is engaging in crackpot rhetoric of their own – both men served as mayors of their respective cities for eight years.

But every time they appear on television, we get reminded of their stints – and many of us may wind up thinking they’re still in office doing great things; instead of merely blathering about on various issues that they had little to actually do with.

Which almost has me wondering if the greater point of running for electoral office is to gain the years of experience so that, one day, one can claim the legitimacy so they can someday go on television and have people think they used to “be somebody.”

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Re-elect Burke? Tough, but the Chicago ‘Rules’ won’t rule out possibility

Call them, if you will, the “rules” by which the Chicago electorate tends to operate when it comes to Election Day behavior.

BURKE: Could he still win Feb. 26?

It’s not wrong to cast a ballot for someone who faces some sort of indictment or other criminal charge. We literally take that “innocent until proven guilty” staple and want to see a criminal conviction before we’ll believe the worst in political people.

TO THE POINT where some people even try arguing that a public official ought to be able to remain in office right up to the day they’re carted off and sent to ‘da slammer.’

The other rule might not be a Chicago rule as just a good rule of thumb for understanding the concept of Latino political empowerment and why the number of Latino elected officials doesn’t equal their share of the population. It’s that the Latino Election Day turnout often stinks to the point of embarrassment.

It also helps to understand that despite what conservative ideologues want to believe, Chicago is NOT some politically radical place. Our Democratic majorities often consist of people who are fairly neutral minded – except to those ideologues whose idea of “moderate” is somewhere to the right of Atilla, the Hun.

It is so unlikely that our city would ever produce a pseudo-radical such as New York City’s new member of Congress, Alejandra Ocasio-Cortez. The woman whose very presence offends the right likely would have been too offensive to Chicago voters, IF she lived here rather than in the Bronx.

THIS LITTLE COLLECTION of pithy comments is the basis of why I’m not prepared to write off the chance of Edward M. Burke getting himself re-elected to another term in the City Council that would give him the beginning of a second half-century as a Chicago alderman.

GARCIA: Can his influence beat Burke?

Now as to whether he can survive long enough to finish out another four-year term running through 2023, I don’t know!

Burke may well be in a deep-enough legal predicament that he won’t be around come that year. He may have to resign himself in ways more significant than giving up the Finance committee chairmanship – the title that allowed him to bop about City Hall like a Lord and treat the rest of the aldermen as his minions.

Personally, I wonder about the legitimacy of the charges, but I also know many people will be swayed by the very fact that the federal government is proceeding with the process that eventually will put Burke on trial – OR pressure him into pleading guilty to something ominous sounding.

WHILE OTHERS ALSO are so eager to see Burke “taken down” for something sounding criminal that they’ll believe it just has to be – even if they really can’t explain it or comprehend why it ought to be illegal.

But whether Burke is guilty of a federal offense or not is really a completely different question from whether he can win re-election.

I can’t help but notice the significant amounts of campaign cash he already has, combined with the fact he had a fundraising event recently to add to the $12 million total he already had. There are many people in the legal community who are now on the record as being willing to offer the greatest act of support they can give a politician – a campaign contribution.

There will be those who will view the growing number of Latinos who live in that particular ward (nearly four of every five residents) as some sort of threat, and Burke’s re-election as maintaining of tradition.

AS TO HOW he tries to appeal to Latinos to not view him as the enemy, it literally has me wondering if he’s out to position himself as a modern-day descendant of the San Patricios. That being the 1840s unit of Irish immigrants who came to this country, enlisted in the U.S. military, then responded to intense anti-Catholic/immigrant prejudice by switching sides during the Mexican/American War.

OCASIO-CORTEZ: Too radical to win Chicago?

Traitors to the ideologues, they are heroes to the Mexican people – viewed as Irish allies to the idea of their independence. Which is how I’m sure Burke would like the Mexican/American populace of his ward to think of himself.

Even before the indictment, Burke was going about as making himself a backer of people offended by use of the Gary/Chicago International Airport (funded partially by the city Department of Aviation) as part of the process of deporting people from this country.

Will it work? I don’t know. Just another of the many questions that will make this particular aldermanic race a battle – rather than the usual shoo-in – for Burke. But not, so sayeth the Chicago Rules, an improbability.

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No Super Bowl for '19!!! Surprised?

Will Chicago ever forgive him?

I personally will never forget the sight of Staley, the Chicago Bears' mascot, collapsing to the ground at the sight of the missed field goal.

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