For attorney general: Madigan
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is short of stature and slight of build, but don't let that fool you.
Lisa Madigan is one of the most formidable politicians in this state – possessing a sharp mind, a bulging campaign treasury and a political pedigree that makes her virtually unbeatable.
Fortunately for the people of Illinois, she's proved to be a very able and energetic attorney general and enough of an independent thinker that she was the only prominent Democratic elected official not to endorse former Gov. Rod Blagojevich for re-election in 2006.
First elected in 2002, Madigan is seeking her third term in office, and she has our endorsement.
Republican Steve Kim is challenging Madigan. A corporate lawyer and once an aide to former Gov. Jim Edgar, Kim has an impressive background, and he probably would make a good attorney general. But Madigan has earned re-election.
The 44-year-old Madigan appears destined for bigger things. She could have had her party's nomination for governor or the U.S. Senate. But Madigan stunned political observers by choosing to run for re-election.
She comes by her political skills naturally. The daughter of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, Lisa Madigan was raised on politics.
Unfortunately, Speaker Madigan is a negative influence on the quality of politics in Illinois. He's one of the architects of the state's current fiscal disaster.
But it would not be fair to visit the sins of the father on the daughter.
With hardly any legal background at all when she took office, Madigan has tackled a variety of issues, including protecting consumers, opening up government and prosecuting sexual predators, while operating on a tight budget.
Madigan even argued and won a case on search and seizure before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Along the way, she has shown herself to be a serious and conscientious public official.
Not all of her litigation decisions have been good ones. Madigan's decision to file a lawsuit against Carle and Provena hospitals over an alleged conspiracy to stop accepting Medicaid patients was long on allegation and short on facts. That's why the state quietly settled it out of court.
Still, she is an astute administrator of an important office, and her overall record is good. Endorsing Madigan's re-election is an easy choice to make.
"Still, she is an astute administrator of an important office, and her overall record is good. "
She also fights for newspapers who make FOIA requests, which makes their jobs easier, so I'm sure that helps the N-G's endorsement decision even easier. Of course, it also wouldn't do to upset the woman who will certainly win by a landslide and therefore be ruling on FOIA requests for the next 4 years. No sense biting the hand that feeds you, especially when she has no chance of losing, right N-G?
"Madigan even argued and won a case on search and seizure before the U.S. Supreme Court."
Ah yes I remember that, but since you didn't include the details of this "Win", I will.
She helped the U.S. Supreme court overturn a decision of the Illinois Supreme court regarding a Nevada man being pulled over on I-80 where his car was searched, without reason, while he was being ticketed for speeding. The Illinois court determined that his rights had indeed been violated, there was no reason to search his vehicle in the traffic stop. It then went to the Supreme court where the decision was overturned, with the help of Madigan, claiming his rights had not been violated.
One of the dissenting Justices wrote "the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling revealed "several serious flaws in the (federal) Court's decision," and the new decision "diminishes the Fourth Amendment's force (protection)" against unreasonable search and seizure." Madigan was very pleased with the ruling..
Are you sure you want to be bragging about having a hand in lessening our 4th amendment protections???
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