Though the White House is encouraging Attorney General Lisa Madigan to run for Senate, asked what President Obama, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett were up to when they met with Madigan Friday, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said she was "terrific" but the White House would make no endorsement.
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But then again, Gibbs also said "the president's not going to get involved in this race," when it seems he has already, by virtue of the meeting.
Robyn Ziegler, a Madigan spokeswoman, told me on Wednesday Madigan flew to Washington alone on a commercial jet Friday to discuss a Senate bid at the White House.
The Senate seat once held by Obama is now ranked as a 2010 "toss-up" by the Cook Political Report.
I asked Gibbs about Madigan's Friday visit to the White House during the briefing. "Why do they want her to run for Senate?"
"Well, let me just -- let me be explicit," Gibbs said. "The president has -- the president is not going to pick a candidate in the Illinois Senate race. The president has a very long relationship with the attorney general, dating back to their time in the state Senate, and has enormous respect for what she accomplished there and has as attorney general.
"I think she'd be a terrific candidate. But we're not going to get involved in picking that candidate in Illinois," Gibbs said.
Madigan, who initially was preparing a run for governor -- challenging Gov. Quinn, a longtime friend of White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod -- is being recruited to run for the Senate by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).
Madigan has been leaning toward governor; if she gets in the Senate contest, the immediate beneficiary is Quinn, who avoids a primary.
I reported on Wednesday that Madigan had two conditions she wanted if she ran for the Senate: an immediate Obama endorsement and for the Democratic primary field to be cleared. Madigan political director Mary Morrissey told me Thursday Madigan and no one in her camp set down any conditions.
In any case, Gibbs said Obama would not be making an endorsement.
"We're not going to endorse in this race. Does the president have enormous respect for the attorney general? Absolutely."
An Obama protege, Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, has been in the Senate contest for months.
Merchandise Mart mogul Chris Kennedy of the Kennedy clan has also been organizing a campaign, hiring Axelrod's former political firm as his consultants. Embattled Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) has not said if he will run.
Giannoulias issued a statement critical of Madigan -- not by name. "Illinois has been ill-served by state party leaders who think they know better than voters. Now more than ever, anyone who seeks this seat must convince voters they have the ideas that will get our economy on its feet and put our people back to work, not just prove that they have the political clout to demand a clear field and win appointment."
I asked Morrissey about the outcome of the White House meeting. Said Morrissey, Madigan "is still considering a U.S. Senate race."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
