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Tusk out, Nix in
Friday, Dec 1, 2006 Bernie Schoenburg had a brief bit about the worst-kept secret in Springfield yesterday.
Word is there will be some reorganization, but essentially Tusk’s replacement will be a blog commenter “favorite”… Sheila Nix. Nix was the spokesperson for the governor’s campaign. A few of her memorable quotes are here.
- Posted by Rich Miller
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- Wumpus - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 10:33 am:
WHy not appoint her to gov, since she was more visible during the campaign trail.
- The 'Broken Heart' of Rogers Park - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 10:35 am:
How is Sheila Nix going to be able to do her job effectively without having JBT to point a finger at? Her whole schtick was blaming Judy for everything.
- TEDDY - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 11:11 am:
SHE IS THE BEST, SHE WILL DO A GREAT JOB
- Cassandra - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 11:30 am:
I think Filan is the guy to watch. Is he going to stay and preside over the major financial headaches coming fast down the pike. The new GASB accounting rules. The pension payment. The schools. Allkids and Medicaid. Financially stressed taxpayers clamoring for property tax relief. Dan Ryan repair cost overruns. DCFS going under again. And so forth.
If not Filan, who?
The politicization of state government is starting to feel kind of FEMA-like.
- One_Mcmad - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 11:40 am:
Well, it’s about time that Mr. Tusk decided to depart or however he’s leaving.
I attribute a number of ethical lapses in the Office of the Governor to Mr. Bradley Tusk such as the name change of the Illinois Department of Public Aid to the Illinois Department of Healtcare and Family Services. He can leave but after his departure, he’ll still have to answer some questions about the ongoings in the Office of the Governor. Like the saying, “you can run but you can’t hide”.
However, Ms. Sheila Nix won’t make it any better. Honestly in my opinion the operations of the Office of the Governor will worsten with her as the Deputy Governor. She was not a good spokesperson and she was not good at countering and responding to allegations made against the Office of the Governor (which where more likely true than not true)in which she should not have been responding on behalf of the Office of the Govenror but only speaking on behalf of Rod Blagojevich’s campaign.
Since she couldn’t get that part right, imagine Illinis’ Deputy Governor Sheila Nix.
- Squideshi - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 11:45 am:
Ix Nay on the Helia Say.
- WARDOG - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 12:04 pm:
Six of one and half-a-dozen of the other. Tusk won’t be sadly missed, although he is much more intelligent than Nix. Lordy, lordy, lordy!!!!
- Bill - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 12:04 pm:
Sheila did a great job during the campaign and has been a trusted advisor to the governor on policy issues. I hate to see Brad go but if he does, Sheila is a great chioce to replace him. Illinois owes a debt to Bradley Tusk. Thanks for your dedicated service, Buddy!
- Anon - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 12:14 pm:
WARDOG– not sure that hitting Sheila on intelligence is the best route…former Chief of Staff to two respected Sens (Nelson, Fla and Bob Kerrey), lawyer at a big time DC firm, and graduate of the U of C. Not too shabby… Sounds plenty intelligent to me.
- Team Sleep - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 12:29 pm:
Blago could have done a lot worse than Sheila Nix. Keep in mind that during the campaign it was her job to denegrate JBT and defend Blago. She did her job well and her boss won. She now gets to reap the benefits of that win with a nice six-figure job with a lot of public notoriety.
- Randall Sherman - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 12:32 pm:
To me it just seems like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. When the feds nail Blagojevich (and it seems clear to me it is a question of when, not if) who holds subordinate positions won’t matter much, unless those subordinates get nailed by the feds as well.
- Angie - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 12:50 pm:
Great! So, will Sheila be answering all of the questions that were raised along the Blago campaign trail, then? I mean the “ethical” questions, that is.
After watching Rod handle the press when not on the script, perhaps having her just show up everywhere is the smarter idea, actually.
- Northwest Side - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 1:56 pm:
Cassandra’s got it right. Blago is lucky to have a handful of talented grown-ups in the administration with the experience and skill to make him look good (when he’s not shooting himself in the foot). John Filan is at the top of that list.
- Disgusted - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 2:01 pm:
Six of one, half a dozen of the other. Both hacks.
Why do we need a deputy governor anyway? Oh, I forget, the governor can’t speak off script.
Did anyone ever notice that Tusk, Warren Jeffs (the Mormon most wanted polygamist) and Republican BMOC Ken Mehlman look an awful lot alike (and had the same type of ego!)?
- Mary Ann - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 2:41 pm:
The governor couldn’t have picked a better person. She’s bright and has great credentials. As a woman, a mother, and someone who has been around politics for longer, I think she has a completely different outlook than Tusk. I would expect a less confrontational strategy going into the Blago II administration.
- Buck Flagojevich - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 2:48 pm:
Rich,
How long has Illinois had a deputy governor? I don’t recall having one before Blago. Just wondering.
- Deck Marker - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 4:25 pm:
I never met her, but I can unequivocally state that I really learned to loathe and hate this woman during the campaign. She became the incarnate worst type of politico for me. She would lie and say anything during the campaign, truth be-damned.
I expect politicians to fight hard and even get edgy, but Blago’s team was just the worst ever and Sheila was the mouthpiece for it.
I don’t know how she can live with herself.
- HoosierDaddy - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 4:26 pm:
Noboday said it better than Fleetwood Mac:
Why dont you ask him if hes going to stay?
Why dont you ask him if hes going away?
Why dont you tell me whats going on?
Why dont you tell me whos on the phone?
Why dont you ask him whats going on?
Why dont you ask him whos the latest on his throne?
Dont say that you love me!
Just tell me that you want me!
Tusk! tusk! tusk! tusk!
- Cassandra - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 4:52 pm:
Well, mother or not, one of her first jobs is going to be to fix the rapidly imploding FEMA-like DCFS. A series of tragic baby deaths this year while or shortly after DCFS was investigating. A bunch of federal investigations. Sudden departure of young, credentialed but apparently not politically obedient enough DCFS director. And now the very extensive Lethal Lapses series in the Belleville News-Democrat cataloging worker error (still available on-line). A (supposed) legislative investigation in response to Lethal Lapses (even though the legislators were all along getting the same reports the Belleville reporters were using for their series). Top DCFS job remains vacant.
It’s in her hands.
- Bill - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 5:14 pm:
Sheila does not lie.
- joesez - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 5:22 pm:
Shelia Nix is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I’ve ever known in my life.
- Really? - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 7:47 pm:
I’m confused?
If she is the “kindest, bravest, warmest, smartest…ect….ect…” then why is she working for this Bozo?
- Shiela's Mom, Assistant, and a Contract Lobbyist - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 9:09 pm:
“Shelia Nix is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I’ve ever known in my life.”
“The governor couldn’t have picked a better person. She’s bright and has great credentials.”
“Illinois owes a debt to Bradley Tusk. Thanks for your dedicated service, Buddy!”
Rub-a-dub-dub, three syncophants in a tub.
- JohnR - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 10:32 pm:
Such a terrible decision! They should have hired Judy to be Deputy Governor! She would have been perfect!
She DID get second highest votes behind behind Rod, you know.
- Gregor - Friday, Dec 1, 06 @ 11:35 pm:
I would call what Brad left a muddy bootprint, more than a footprint. Made quite a lasting mess for others to clean up after.
I’m picturing Brad and Seth looking out the passenger window of a Greyhound bus while Glen Campbell music plays softly in the background….
As to Nix, aka Rod’s version of Bagdhad Bob (Bagdahd Barb?) it will be intersting to see if she can change gears from lying, dissmebling, and conniving for the campaign to administrating and explaining policy to the public. I don’t expect she can: this administration has never been about actually administrating. It has been about the pursuit of power, and money to fuel that power, those two things being the sole guide to all policy decisions. These people are for Rod and not for Illinois. I consider them parasites feeding on the body politic, and the corruption they bring with them will infect and fester in the government’s deepest reaches long after they’ve been hauled off to jail or ejected in disgrace.
And I’m a DEM!
- Finally figured it out - Saturday, Dec 2, 06 @ 7:11 am:
My,my, my - Sheila, Sheila’s Mom, and Tusk. There’s a mutual admiration society if I’ve ever seen one. I’m finally getting it- life is great IF you are on the inside of this adminstration, but screw you if you ain’t.
- JohnR - Saturday, Dec 2, 06 @ 10:37 am:
For those of us not in the know…
Can someone please list the tragedies that mr. tusk has wrought upon Illinois? I am curious.
- Far starters - Saturday, Dec 2, 06 @ 12:06 pm:
Brad Tusk, who defended the administration’s illegal prescription drug program and flu vaccine debacle where millions of taxpayer dollars were squandered for a pr stunt.
or “I don’t think John is different from any other lobbyist in Illinois,†(Deputy Governor Brad) Tusk said, pointing out that firms hire lobbyists because they have the skills to advise them on how the process works. Chicago Sun-Times after revealing that Wyma represented a company that saw its contract dramatically increase without competitive bids.
- Squideshi - Saturday, Dec 2, 06 @ 9:52 pm:
I guess Sheila’s appointment is a good sign that Blagojevich isn’t going to reach out to Greens. You would think that he would have the sense to try to at least incorporate some Greens into his administration. Considering this, and the fact that he hasn’t yet addressed majority elections, he’s just setting the party up for split votes and disaster in the next election.
- For Starters, Part II - Sunday, Dec 3, 06 @ 9:16 am:
Franks, age 41, is chairman of the House Government Administration Committee, and has recently been generating headlines for his committee’s investigation of ineptitude in the state Fire Marshall’s office, as well as the appropriation of $2.6 million for the governor’s failed attempt to import flu vaccines from Europe, and of personnel irregularities within the state department of Central Management Services. “We need an audit,†said Franks. None of the headlines have been favorable to the governor, and, in a fit of vindictiveness, deputy governor Brad Tusk recently authorized an e-mail to state department heads and agency chiefs requiring that all future requests for state services by Franks should be immediately re-routed to him – presumably so that he could insure that they would not be fulfilled.
- For Starters, Part III - Sunday, Dec 3, 06 @ 9:21 am:
Brad Tusk, a former aide to Rep. Jerry Nadler and Senator Chuck Schumer, somehow got himself appointed as one of the deputy governors of Illinois. Tusk doesn’t hail from the state, but he did go to school in Chicago…
- Tzedek - Sunday, Dec 3, 06 @ 8:14 pm:
Buck Flagojevich: Perhaps to your disappointment, Governor Blagojevich is not the first governor to have deputy governors on staff. If my memory serves me, George Ryan had 2 deputy governors, namely Loucks and Selcke.
- Michelle Flaherty - Sunday, Dec 3, 06 @ 10:10 pm:
Darn. Here I was hoping for Rauschenberger. Hey, team Blago needs someone to go explain budget stuff to clueless edit boards and have them come away saying “yeah, good idea, we like it too.”
We go from Tusk (four letters) to Nix (three letters).
When she leaves can we find a two-letter, last-named deputy governor?
- Deck Marker - Monday, Dec 4, 06 @ 5:03 am:
“Sheila does not lie”
*falls on floor laughing*