Pictures of a smiling Madigan reading to children won’t save him from all the damage he’s done to Illinois

“More than four decades of destruction with massive pension debt, unbalanced budgets, machine politics, and self-dealing – that’s the Madigan record. Welcome to the 21st century, Speaker Madigan, but pictures of you sporting a smile with children won’t save you from all the damage you’ve done to Illinois.” – Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot

Longtime Speaker of the House and technological dinosaur Mike Madigan shocked the internets on Friday when Capitol Fax reported to the Twittersphere that Madigan has finally entered the 21st century with the creation of a new Facebook page and website, both ironically branded as “Madigan for Us,” with “us” being insiders, special interests, and the political class.

Madigan’s newfound internet presence showcases pictures of a smiling Madigan reading to children, enjoying a cup of coffee with fellow senior citizens, and telling wisecracks to area youngsters outside a grocery store.

But after taking a brief look through the comments on Madigan’s inaugural Facebook post, one will quickly realize that voters aren’t buying the spin.

Madigan is known to virtually all Illinoisans and not in a good way. He has been described as “the constant in key decisions that created the mess.” Under Madigan’s watch, Illinois has seen:

• Four income tax hikes, taking billions of dollars from Illinois families

• Years of pension holidays that led to over $130 billion in debt for Illinois’ five pension systems

• Spending rum amok with over fifteen years of budget deficits

• Highest in the nation property taxes for Illinois homeowners

• All of which has led to the highest in the nation out-migration

Unfortunately for Madigan, staged pictures of him sporting a smile won’t save him from his decades of destruction.

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