Gov. Bruce Rauner says he can ease the pain of a state government shutdown by paying state employees for as long as takes to enact a state budget. House Speaker Madigan suddenly is the most media-friendly figure in Springfield. He's presenting himself as the genteel, moderate figure in the budget standoff.
Reboot Illinois' Madeleine Doubek wonders what's driving this all-too-strange turn of events.
Well, here we are in Illinois shutdown time. We've seen it before, but nothing quite like this epic political battle of wills between the well-armed, uber-funded new Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and wily veteran chess master House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Who really is risking more?
Things got especially squirrelly a few days ago when Rauner started insisting he could pay state workers and was doing all in his power to make sure it happened while, at the same time, the TV ad campaign stopped at least for a bit.
What's going on here? Wasn't the idea to shut down government to pressure Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton and Democrats to compromise? Is Rauner getting clammy, afraid he'll bear the brunt of the blame when the shutdown bites?
It does certainly look like Rauner's given in a lot and offered to compromise over and over and over again. His Turnaround Agenda has boiled down from a laundry list to five. And then there was his last-minute offer to float Chicago some millions to help public school officials make their pension payment and payroll.
Ah, so that's it. The race is to appear to be the most reasonable.
Read the rest of Doubeks' thoughts on Madigan's and Rauner's parts in the shutdown at Reboot Illinois.
Though it isn't necessarily clear which politician will benefit from or hurt the most from the government shutdown, both Rauner and Democratic legislatures are trying their best not to budge on budget compromises. Mark Fitton of the Illinois News Network explained how on the day before the government shutdown, neither party offered an olive branch in compromise.
