Former GOP governors: Mutual respect key with Madigan

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The key to Gov. Bruce Rauner's quest to "shake up" the status quo in Illinois may be his prowess at building a working relationship with a man who's been building influence in the Statehouse since the 57-year-old Rauner was in high school.

Building trust with Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan is something Rauner's three Republican predecessors each cite as the linchpin during their tenures - despite markedly different leadership styles.

Former Gov. Jim Edgar says sticking to his guns during negotiations helped. Former Gov. Jim Thompson says he worked hard to understand Madigan's agenda. Former Gov. George Ryan, meanwhile, says it was crucial to treat the Chicago Democrat "with the respect he's entitled to."

"I think the most important thing for anyone dealing with Madigan is that (he sees) you have your convictions," Edgar said. "The worst thing with him is to change your mind every day."

Their recollections could offer Rauner a rough roadmap to navigate Illinois' first divided government in more than a decade. While the partisanship gripping politics nationwide has altered the state's dynamic since Edgar, Thompson and Ryan were in office, many argue the depth of the state's financial crisis - including a possible $5 billion budget gap come July - make conditions ripe for cooperation.

Madigan, 72, is the longest serving House speaker in the country by nearly a decade, first elected in 1970 and having controlled the chamber for all but two years since 1983. He carries the reputation of a master strategist who can pass or stall any legislation. He and his counterpart, Senate President John Cullerton, oversee Democratic supermajorities, which theoretically give them the ability to override any Rauner veto.

The potential for a partisan clash was clear even before Rauner took office, when legislators halved the term for his appointee to replace late Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka. For his part, Rauner sent a signal by announcing he had amassed $20 million in campaign funds to support lawmakers who might feel threatened by the political ramifications of making difficult votes that advance his agenda.

Rauner, Madigan and Cullerton vowed to play nice this week after their first meeting since Rauner was sworn in. "It'll be difficult if somebody wants to make it difficult, but that's not going to be me," Madigan said.

Rauner suggested he would communicate better with the leaders than Democratic predecessor, Gov. Pat Quinn. "(In) the prior administration, my sense is the communication was lacking or frigid," he said. "And that's not going to be the case here."

Edgar, who served two terms, said his relationship with Madigan started off rocky after winning a close gubernatorial race in 1990. The Charleston Republican recalled that Madigan didn't speak to him for four months, but the two eventually were forced to work together, as the 1991 legislative session ran long in order to fix a gaping budget hole.

"By that end of session, even though we fought, he was coming down and we were having lunch every day. ... He tested me." With time, Edgar said, he learned to "level with Madigan.

"He knew I wasn't a pushover. There were certain things I'd negotiate on and certain things I wouldn't."

Democrats weren't exempt from Madigan's strong grip on the Statehouse, as he famously sparred with ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich - who eventually was imprisoned for corruption - and occasionally got into it with Quinn.

Madigan declined to be interviewed this story, but has in the past been complimentary toward the Republicans who've held the executive office. In an appearance at Elmhurst College in 2012, when asked to comment on each governor, Madigan praised Edgar, Thompson and Ryan for their efforts to fashion compromise.

Thompson, in office from 1977 to 1991, faced a Democratic-controlled Legislature for 12 of his 14 years at the state's helm, and said he quickly learned he wouldn't get everything he wanted.

But sometimes, he recalled, supporting a piece of Madigan's agenda could pay dividends, such as the joint efforts to keep the Chicago White Sox from leaving Chicago in 1988. Madigan, he said, suddenly delivered votes that even he said weren't there.

"The fact we could work the Democratic side of the aisle on the bill together said a lot about our relationship," Thompson said, adding that legislative leaders "have their needs and desires and ideas and programs. You have yours. And if you can accommodate both of them you'll get some things done."

Ryan, who was imprisoned after being convicted federal on corruption charges stemming from actions during his tenure as governor from 1999 to 2003, said in a telephone interview that he often made a habit of meeting with legislative leaders - sometimes every day - to identify their needs and concerns.

"Sometimes, Mike and I would just agree to disagree and still get done what we needed to do," Ryan said. "We didn't play games like some do today."

Rauner, Ryan said, has "got to be careful ... It's too early to be trying to outsmart each other."