A quote by Doug Whitley, President of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and former GOP gubernatorial candidate, makes one question who's side he's on? In an AP story on Forbes.com, Whitley criticized Republican lawmakers saying:
"By winning on the intellectual component of budgetary discussions, they [Republicans] risk the Democrats outflanking them on the political message."
So is Whitley suggesting the Republicans throw in the towel and give the Democrats what they want in order to be deemed "Republican co-conspirators" in a state income tax hike that House Speaker Mike Madigan will turn around and use against them in 2010 campaign mailers?
GOP senators shouldn't even be thinking about voting for this tax increase -- Senate President Cullerton has a 3/5 majority and it's his problem to keep his senators in line. Any Republican voting for the tax hike only allows Cullerton to let the pressure off some of his most vulnerable Democratic incumbents. There's absolutely no reason for the Senate to hear of a Larry Bomke or any other senator getting weak backbones here. The Senate Dems don't need their votes.
House Speaker Mike Madigan doesn't have the luxury of a 3/5 majority, and now, since it's past the May 31st deadline, he will need Republican votes to cross over in order to pass a budget. News alert: Speaker Madigan knew all about the budget deadlines -- he's been speaker for decades. If he'd gotten the budget dealings done before the deadline, he wouldn't have needed Republican votes. He wanted the Republicans to share the blame for the coming tax hike.
Madigan is a shrewd politician and cooly stands on the House sidelines, watching for the perfect moment to pull the media's chain and get people caught in a political trap -- and this time, as was true last year, the chain was jerked after the May 31st deadline just so Republicans would be forced to share the blame with the Democrats. It is the perfect setup.
With few exceptions, the Republicans have held fast against a tax increase, no matter what was offered -- pension updates, sunsetting the proposal, blue ribbon commissions -- whatever. Now comes the media pummeling, using people like ICC's Doug Whitley, those who try to disguise their party affiliations while they mock Republicans for standing for limited government and against expanded state-funded benefits.
Which begs the question many had before -- which is it Mr. Whitley, are you for the businessmen and taxpayers of this state, or have you abandoned all principle and are a willing accomplice in pressuring taxpayers and state lawmakers to give in and bite the bullet?
Which is it?
