Lisa Madigan

WASHINGTON — White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel danced (he was a ballet dancer, you know) around a reporter’s question at breakfast this morning of whether Barack Obama wants Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to run for the president’s Senate seat.

Emanuel nimbly dodged the questions. But…

Sen. Kit Bond

WASHINGTON — When it comes to giant regional projects underwritten by the government, it’s always best to have governors and senators singing from the same sheet music.

Essential, some would argue.

That’s been the case in recent years involving Missouri governors…

Nixon, right, and Quinn on an earlier White House visit.

UPDATED WASHINGTON — Suddenly, the prospect of a high-speed rail corridor from St. Louis to Chicago or perhaps St. Louis to Kansas City isn’t looking quite so conceptual.

You’ll recall that after the stimulus…

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Gov. Pat Quinn is no longer shooting down the idea that a state income tax increase could be temporary — but he’s not exactly confirming it either.

Quinn has proposed raising the income tax from 3 percent to…

Randle

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Gov. Pat Quinn tapped Michael Randle to head the Illinois Department of Corrections Thursday.

Randle, originally of Chicago, was chosen from a nationwide search to fill the position.  He has worked with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction since 1990…

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Gov. Pat Quinn today appointed Col. John Hughes as the new Assistant Adjutant General for the Illinois Air National Guard.

Hughes, an O’Fallon, Ill. resident, will oversee the command, control and program operations of more than 3,100 state Air National Guard…

Govs. Nixon (right) and Quinn

WASHINGTON — Former President Bill Clinton made news recently when he said that President Barack Obama was being too negative about the economy.

After spending two days with fellow governors at the National Governors Association winter conference, Missouri Gov. Jay…

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Gov. Pat Quinn, who has so far side-stepped questions asking specifically if Illinois could see an increase in its income or sales taxes, came a little bit closer to giving reporters a real answer.

“There’s no question we…

The State Dining Room at the Illinois Executive Mansion

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Gov. Pat Quinn has kept true to his word and opened the Executive Mansion today for a public open house.

Speaking at a media availability before the open house, Quinn…

Quinn

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - In his continuing effor to repair the relationship between the governor’s office and the legislative branch, Gov. Pat Quinn today met with state House Democrats to discuss the state’s budget among other topics.

Quinn said he addressed the caucus…