Note: We have redacted the name of Rich’s opponent and replaced it with “the opponent”

Published by the Moline Dispatch / Rock Island Argus: April 27, 2010

Thank you for the recent outstanding series on Springfield’s “Four Tops.” The series concluded with an excellent editorial, “Voters can topple tops,” which aptly pointed out that there are in effect two “Tops” and that the top “Top” is House Speaker Michael Madigan. The Land of Lincoln is in a death spiral, power dive. The man at the controls is the speaker. If Illinois is going to survive, Madigan must go.

The 71st District will elect a new state representative in November: Rock Island County Board member Rich Morthland or the opponent. Morthland will vote to remove Madigan from power. With Republicans needing a pick up of only 12 seats in what is shaping up to be a very red year, Morthland could cast the deciding ballot to end Madigan’s reign. The opponent took $10,000 from Madigan to secure his primary victory. Rest assured; a vote for the opponent is a vote for Madigan.

The opponent’s press release quotes him as saying, “Whomever it is, they will have to earn my vote…” This shows the opponent to be grossly under-informed about the process and unaware of the consequences of his actions. If the opponent were, even to think of supporting anyone other than Madigan, his own party would turn on him. On his first day, our new state representative would become a perfectly impotent lame duck.

I cannot vote for a man who supports Madigan. This November, I’ll be supporting the experienced candidate and proven leader. I’m backing the candidate who will work to break Mike Madigan’s death-grip on Illinois, Rich Morthland.

James Ruddell

Erie

 A similarly redacted text of  the paragraph from the opponent’s press release in which he denies loyalty to Speaker Madigan after taking the $10,000 contribution is below. The original PDF is available on his website.

 The letter to the Editor is available at this link: http://www.qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=490088

The opponent added that he has not been approached by anyone as to whom he will support as the next Speaker of the House. Whomever it is, they will have to earn my vote just like I earned the votes of those who participated in the Primary,” remarked the opponent.