Mike Madigan casting the Illinois ballots at the Democratic Convention
(video by Lynn Sweet)
CHARLOTTE– It was just before midnight Friday when Illinois House Speaker and State Democratic Party Chairman Mike Madigan cast the state delegation’s 196 votes to nominate a “son of Illinois,” President Barack Obama, for re-election.
That happened to be 19 votes short of the 215 votes allotted to Illinois by the Democratic Party.
What gives? Somebody still holding out for Hillary?
A Madigan spokesman explained that under Democratic National Committee rules each state must submit a signed tally sheet with the names of each of its electors.
Illinois did not receive its tally sheet until 5 p.m. Tuesday and had to return it by noon Wednesday. Hence, nineteen people never got around to signing.
It’s not as if Obama needed the votes.
As Madigan got his close-up, Gov. Pat Quinn, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Secretary of State Jesse White and Congressman Danny Davis all made sure they were within the camera frame.
Madigan took care to mention all the state’s top elected officials–and put in a plug for its six congressional candidates who he said will be voting to make Nancy Pelosi the speaker of the U.S. House.
