The political quotes of the year
SPRINGFIELD -- Even by Illinois standards, 2007 turned into one doozy of a political year. Beneath the Capitol dome, there was turmoil and treachery -- and that was just among the ruling Democrats. Here's a look back at the year's more memorable quotes that came to define the gridlock.
"Let it be Illinois, the Land of Lincoln, that leads this nation out of our national health-care crisis."
• Gov. Rod Blagojevich in his Jan. 8 inauguration speech
"And, governor, at your inaugural address, you mentioned a very aggressive agenda and I'm going to enjoy spending the summer here together, all of us."
• State Sen. James DeLeo, a Chicago Democrat, during the Jan. 10 Senate swearing-in ceremonies Blagojevich presided over
"I'm prepared to engage in doing things which today may not be viewed so favorably, but down the road there'll be an acknowledgment that it was the right thing to do."
• House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat, using the Jan. 10 House swearing-in ceremony to raise the specter of a state sales or income tax increase
"This is Armageddon, and we are on the side of the Lord."
• Blagojevich defending his state budget plans during a March 20 appearance at a South Side church
"Don't you think this is a little ridiculous?"
• State Sen. Gary Forby, a southern Illinois Democrat, after his own party's leadership embarrassed him with a political maneuver orchestrated during an April 20 vote on electric rate relief
"On this question, there are zero voting 'yes,' 107 voting 'no,' and seven voting 'present.' And the resolution fails."
• State Rep. Gary Hannig, a downstate Democrat, announcing the May 10 House vote on Blagojevich's business tax to pay for health-care expansion
"I think it's fair to say we have a lot more work to do. Essentially what's happened here over the last several months is we got a budget that's really, to sum it up, all about pork, politics and false promises."
• Blagojevich at the Aug. 10 state fair ribbon cutting
"My advice to members would be: Don't come to Springfield. We've done our job."
• Madigan on Aug. 10 telling House members to ignore the governor's special session orders
"To conspire to do that with the Republican leadership is something you don't do. Based on that, any agreements we had were off."
• Senate President Emil Jones Jr., a Chicago Democrat, explaining on Aug. 14 that he backed out of a budget deal because Madigan was working with Republicans to sink gambling expansion and construction spending, which Madigan denied
"It's as constitutional as it gets."
• Blagojevich on Aug. 15 announcing his plans to cut the budget and expand health care despite lawmakers' votes
"We've let you down, and there is no excuse for this."
• State Comptroller Dan Hynes, a Chicago Democrat, in Aug. 15 remarks to party loyalists before Democrat Day at the Illinois State Fair
"This session makes the Titanic look like a successful voyage."
• Paul Green, director of the school of policy studies at Roosevelt University, in the Sept. 3 Daily Herald
"Every time I think he has done the most outrageously irresponsible thing, he does something else."
• State Sen. Dan Cronin, an Elmhurst Republican, on Blagojevich leaving a Capitol special session he'd ordered to attend the Nov. 28 Blackhawks game
"I prefer to watch a game that wasn't rigged."
• Blagojevich defending his decision to go to the game
"Mr. Cross and I are on a seven- to 10-day timeline."
• House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat, to lawmakers in early November regarding fast-track talks with House Republican leader Tom Cross of Oswego to resolve lingering state problems.
"I wouldn't bet on it."
• Cross to the Daily Herald later that same day
Encore? Lawmakers return to the Capitol on Jan. 2 for their 19th special session ostensibly to consider bailing out Chicago area mass transportation agencies and potentially to consider approving billions of dollars worth of construction financed by gambling expansion.