Sangamon Sun

Noting that “no one forced them to make that choice,” Illinois GOP spokesman Steven Yaffe recently pointed out that House Democrats need look no further than the nearest mirror for answers to their voting choices.

Calling the election results and ensuing reaction among Democrats nothing less than an “irony alert,” Yaffe countered the complaints just made public by a consortium of nine party members in the House of Representatives whom he quoted as stating, “Rank and file House members have been left on the sidelines" in their “outrageously ironic press release.”

What else might be expected after elected lawmakers chose yet again to re-elect their longtime Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago), Yaffe queried rhetorically. They voted for Madigan but now “complain they have no say in Springfield,” according to a news release issued by the Illinois GOP.

The Democrat group comprised Kelly Cassidy (14th District), Deb Conroy (46th District), Laura Fine (17th District), Christian Mitchell (26th District), Elaine Nekritz (57th District), Carol Sente (59th District), Litesa Wallace (67th District), Emanuel Chris Welch (7th District), and Sam Yingling (62nd District).

“Actions speak louder than words,” Yaffe said. “These legislators are now trying to cover up the fact that they ceded all control to Mike Madigan last month when they voted to again make Mike Madigan the speaker of the House.”

Yaffe noted that the group of nine legislators appears not to grasp the consequences of electing Madigan to an unprecedented 17th term as speaker and continuing the tradition of allowing him substantial control over the House.