Madigan tips his hand

From QuincyNews.org

by Flynn

On Wednesday, Lisa Madigan, state Attorney General and heir to the Madigan political dynasty, surprised everyone and announced that she would run for reelection in 2010.

This means, obviously, she won't run for Governor or US Senate, despite being heavily recruited for both. This is one of those stories that is bigger than the sum of its parts. On paper, she'd be a strong favorite in either race. So, her taking a pass on both is actually pretty big news. More than that, though, it is one hell of a political tell.

There are few more astute observers of Illinois politics than Madigan's father and political patron, House Speaker Mike Madigan. Few political leaders anywhere in the US wield power with anything near the level of skill and strategic discipline of Speaker Madigan. (You'll have to trust me on this assessment. I'm not going to try to "prove it" on anything that's "discoverable".)

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