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* Thursday press release…
Today, Mike Babcock joined Governor Bruce Rauner and three other candidates in signing “The People’s Pledge,” a commitment to give citizens a chance to vote on term limits and a promise to vote for anyone other than Mike Madigan as Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. Babcock, who is running for State Representative in the 111th District, called on his opponent Monica Bristow to sign the pledge as well.
“It cannot be said often enough that Mike Madigan has presided over the historic decline of our state,” said Babcock. “His leadership has failed, and his caucus has completely refused to stand up for what’s right and vote him out. This isn’t a partisan issue. My opponent was asked recently if she would support Madigan as Speaker and gave no response. Voters deserve to get an answer to that question because the vote for speaker is the most important one that a representative can make. If my opponent doesn’t take the opportunity to join me in signing this pledge, she needs to explain to the people of the 111th district what she intends to do.”
Babcock’s opponent, Monica Bristow, would not speculate how she might vote on Madigan’s reelection to the Speakership, even after Madigan’s office came under heavy scrutiny following allegations of sexual harassment. Madigan’s Chief of Staff, Tim Mapes, resigned following reports that he oversaw a culture of harassment and actively sought to coverup misconduct. Calls for an independent investigation in light of the issue have been bipartisan, signaling that the Speaker may have found himself in an uncharacteristically defensive position.
Babcock also came down strongly in favor of giving voters a say on term limits. “We hear the term ‘career politicians’ a lot, but we should remember what it really means. It means that some of the people that go to Springfield will stop at nothing to hold onto their power. They will vote for any policy, or any leader, so long as it keeps them in the game because they are there for themselves, not their constituents. I’m proud to sign this pledge today and I look forward both to casting two important votes: one for term limits and one against Mike Madigan and his record of self-serving failure.”
* Alton Telegraph…
Democratic incumbent Monica Bristow, D-Godfrey, responded to the statement when first reached on Thursday.
“The only pledge that I’m going to make is to the people of the 111th District, not to a governor who has turned his back on downstate Illinois,” she said. “What people are tired of are the same old political games being played by Mike Babcock and Bruce Rauner. I stand on my record of creating new jobs here in the Riverbend region, promoting local small businesses, protecting our rights and values, and standing up for the middle class. That’s my pledge to the people that I represent, and if the governor and Mike Babcock would stop playing these tired political games, we could get down to the real business in the state of Illinois.”
Thoughts?
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 1:29 pm
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Representative Bristow, are you telling us the people aren’t tired of the political games, sham votes and the complete failure to reform Illinois government and business environment by Speaker Madigan?
Your statement implies that Illinois problems began 3 1/2 years ago with the election of Bruce Rauner instead of during the decades of the Madigan reign.
Comment by Lucky Pierre Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 1:46 pm
Nicely played.
Comment by Dance Band on the Titanic Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 1:46 pm
Bluster, bluster, bluster . . .
But Madigan(banned punctuation).
Comment by 37B Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 1:47 pm
I was wondering when someone would call madigan a failure after he has beaten back Rauner’s turnaround agenda fiasco
Comment by Rabid Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 1:52 pm
=Your statement implies that Illinois problems began 3 1/2 years ago with the election of Bruce Rauner instead of during the decades of the Madigan reign.=
Rauner’s failures are his own. It’s his Carhartt jacket to wear.
Madigan’s not going anywhere.
Why would we reelect Rauner when he’s made it crystal clear that as long as Madigan is there he won’t be able to get anything done?
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 1:58 pm
Good response by Bristow. Those kind of pledges and promises are nothing more than campaign propaganda and are usually touted by candidates who have nothing else to promote.
Comment by Joe M Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 1:58 pm
==Representative Bristow, are you telling us==
What she’s telling you is right there in the statement, you can read it for yourself.
Comment by Arsenal Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 2:00 pm
This is nothing more than a pledge to stay bought
Comment by Rabid Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 2:02 pm
Great response by Representative Bristow.
Comment by Scott Fawell's Cellmate Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 2:11 pm
Yes it is Arsenal
Representative Bristow believes there are zero political games played in the House by Speaker Madigan. Stunning
Comment by Lucky Pierre Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 2:12 pm
===believes there are zero political games played in the House by Speaker Madigan===
You have a cite for that?
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 2:13 pm
I think it is a good statement. She is a first term representative focused on her race. What is she going to do as a democrat vote for Durkin or what ever Republican is put up for speaker? The question would be more credible if there were a credible challenger to make a comparison against.
Comment by Baggs McCoy Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 2:15 pm
..and I meant to say above if there were a credible democrat challenger to speaker Madigan
Comment by Baggs McCoy Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 2:16 pm
Great response, i really like Bristow and she is proving to be a good legislator and candidate
Comment by anon Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 2:20 pm
Ask Rauner and Babcock to respond to this:
Shimkus said he made mistake with term limits pledge
RON INGRAM - H&R Staff Writer Sep 8, 2005
DECATUR - U.S. Rep. John Shimkus said Wednesday that he made a mistake nine years ago to promise he would abide by term limits if elected to the 20th Congressional District seat he has held since 1997.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 2:21 pm
==Yes it is Arsenal==
Then go ahead and read it, because the next thing you wrote is just stone cold made up.
Comment by Arsenal Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 2:25 pm
Simple question asked: Will you vote for Mike Madigan to be Speaker of the House?
Bristow refused to answer that. Why? Because she is beholden to Madigan. Spin it however you want but you cannot whitewash that fact.
Comment by Flat Bed Ford Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 2:45 pm
You have a cite for that?
Her partisan statement blaming Governor Rauner and Mike Babcock for turning their back on downstate Illinois and playing political games but not acknowledging the obvious games played the Speaker.
Comment by Lucky Pierre Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 2:46 pm
What question? She’s swimming in the same donor pool.
Comment by City Zen Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 3:22 pm
LP- In other words, no, no you don’t have a cite for that, you just made it up.
Comment by Arsenal Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 3:26 pm
===“We hear the term ‘career politicians’ a lot, but we should remember what it really means….”===
If you don’t think career politicians belong in politics, then the next time you need a colonoscopy, hire your plumber to do it.
Comment by Nick Name Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 3:28 pm
A better response would be for Bristow to demand that Babcock explain why he is so supportive of Bruce Rauner. Rauner has completely abandoned southern Illinois, doing nothing in four years for the region except show up around election time to blame all of our problems on Madigan. Guys got a 26% approval rating for many reasons, and his disinterest in southern IL is one of them. If Babcock wants to continue to act as a Luckybot 6000 type sycophant for Bruce Rauner, Bristow should ask that Babcock give his potential constituents a reason for that. I guarantee he doesn’t have a better answer to that question than “well, Bruce gave me a lot of money”
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 4:12 pm
==In other words, no, no you don’t have a cite for that==
Why would we expect he does? He makes up things as he goes along.
Comment by Demoralized Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 4:20 pm
Monica Bristow has contributed to our region through her work in the Riverbend. We are fortunate to have her working for us in Springfield. Her ads are not negative. She and her husband drove Harley’s years ago and I don’t expect to see her use that as a prop. She is genuine. So tired of the political schtick, cat and mouse games. Completely unnecessary. Get to work, boys. The women are getting restless.
Comment by Belle Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 4:21 pm
==Her partisan statement blaming Governor Rauner==
I really appreciate the laughs you give me everyday. It’s rich when you make statements like this. Her partisan statement blaming Governor Rauner? What is it that you do day in and day out? Yes, that would be partisan statements blaming Mike Madigan.
You really are a riot.
Comment by Demoralized Friday, Aug 10, 18 @ 4:21 pm