[VIDEO] What a funny title to this one almost evokes this movie starring Channing Tatum.
Anyway in this episode where you can read a transcript here. You will see former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan rise from his base in Chicago's Ward 13 to become one of the more powerful politicians in this state.
Bear in mind a few things from the previous episode. Madigan was old school he came up in the Chicago Democratic Machine which valued knocking on doors and also an important part of his political acumen constituent services. Now believe Madigan is corrupt if you want to, but constituent services is key take care of your voters and they will re-elect you. Also it took 10,000 in his house district the 22nd to get himself re-elected to his own seat.
In this episode it will show how in 1988 Gov Jim Thompson and Madigan were able to keep the Chicago White Sox in Chicago. Florida media were hear to cover this drama as somewhere in Florida the White Sox would call their new home. Instead, the deal that was struck lead to a new baseball park being built for the Sox. Madigan knew how to use the rules and beat the clock.
Madigan though he rarely gave interviews to the press often paid attention to what was being said about him in the newspapers. He also stymied a future governor in Jim Edgar again knowing how to use the rules of the state legislature to his advantage. Also his ability to count votes which Edgar also learned when he served in that chamber long before he moved on to statewide office.
Also he was the man who you could make a "deal" with. If you wanted something important you needed to work with him. There were a few governors who failed to get that memo and in some cases Madigan just wasn't interested in certain ideas.
Just wait until part three. Well that's all for this edition of the Shedd School of Political Science.
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