Last week, Governor Bruce Rauner said that he had spoken with both Senate President John Cullerton and House Speaker Michael Madigan about his proposed sale of the state's Thompson Center building in Chicago, and that both men were "forward leaning and positive" about the plan.
So I checked in with the legislative leaders, and that's not exactly what I heard.
"The governor and President Cullerton spoke," said the Senate President's spokesperson Rikeesha Phelon. Okay, so far so good. At least these weren't "phantom" phone conversations like the ones Governor-elect Rauner claimed he had with those two on election night last November, but didn't.
"We will take a look at the specifics of the plan in light of state statutes regarding property control and facility closures," Phelon continued.
Um, wait. That doesn't sound all too "forward leaning and positive." I asked Phelon: Is Cullerton positive about this at all?
"I would say the word is 'open,' but under review," she replied.
Speaker Madigan's spokesman Steve Brown said afterward that he'd allow Phelon's comments to stand for his guy.
So what's going on? I'm not totally sure, but the governor now has yet another new "ask" for the Democratic leaders, and as we've seen during this excruciatingly long state-government impasse, they're not in much of a giving mood - and he isn't either.
The Thompson Center has become a symbol for much that has gone wrong with this state. The skyscraper was a grandiose design with numerous flaws. Its construction heralded the beginning of the move of much of the state's governmental business from Springfield to Chicago.
Despite its architect's claim last week that it was designed to represent the "openness and transparency" of state government, it was harshly criticized from the start for including a "private elevator" for the governor's personal use. Like seemingly everything else in this state, the building was then allowed to deteriorate over the years. It's infested with cockroaches and had to be sprayed for bed bugs not long ago.
Architecture often involves clashes over ideals, and this proposed Thompson Center sale feels like one more attempt at a dramatic break with the past.
The building's legendary namesake, 14-year Governor James R. Thompson, actively sought organized labor's political support - including from the state government union AFSCME - and was the most memorable purveyor of this state's "Republicrat" politics that our current anti-union governor is now attempting to demolish along with his building.
It's also fitting that Rauner's move would get caught up in the current gridlock.
Check out the joint statement released last week by the House and Senate Republican leaders regarding the proposed sale.
"We filed House Bill 4313 and Senate Bill 2187 at the request of Governor Rauner. The James R. Thompson Center is in complete disarray due to years of neglect by previous administrations and better utilizing this asset would benefit Illinois taxpayers tremendously. It has become a white elephant for the State of Illinois. This legislation will enable us to review all of our options to maximize the overall value of the property and secure the greatest savings for taxpayers."
Notice anything missing? How about a pledge to work cooperatively with others in the General Assembly to achieve the governor's goal?
For their part, the Democrats are reluctant partly because they see this as a media-motivated sideshow - a way for the governor to show he's making progress when the government is in reality mired in stagnation.
However, the Democrats have produced more than their share of sideshows this year, with the endless committees of the whole and the staged votes on bills designed to go nowhere.
Governor Rauner also stopped in Quincy last week and claimed he was "negotiating" with the Speaker and the Senate president and making some progress on ending the months-long stalemate.
But I'm told he met personally with the Senate President a couple of weeks earlier and it apparently went nowhere. The governor reportedly brushed off legal questions about the Thompson Center sale during a subsequent phone call with Cullerton as a pesky matter for the lawyers to figure out. Then, of course, Rauner had two bills introduced without asking for assistance.
Governor Thompson had his faults, and he didn't always get his way. But he never would've let a political stalemate hurt this state like we're seeing now.
I never much cared for the Thompson Center, but in my mind it's become a sad, dilapidated symbol of a government that, like the man the building was named after, used to work.
Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.
