Attention Bob Pritchard: You missed your bus

July 11th, 2008 at 01:49am Chuck Sweeny

The gambling expansion bill failed Wednesday, 47-55, fewer votes than it got in May, notes Steve Brown, House Speaker Mike Madigan’s press guy. (The bill needed 71 to pass, a supermajority.)

Gov. Blago wanted the gambling bill to fund his $34 billion capital plan. Brown also wanted to let me know that Rep. Bob Pritchard, a Hinckley Republican who was among lawmakers who called for passage of the capital bill at a raucous Rockford news conference and Bash Madigan affair a few weeks ago, voted against the gambling expansion needed to fund the capital plan.

“Bus Ride Bob was a no vote,” said Brown. The bus reference refers to a Pritchard pronouncement at the Rockford presser. Pritchard suggested that advocates of the capital bill get on buses and campaign for the plan in Madigan’s Chicago district in an effort to pressure the Speaker.

Madigan does not support the gambling plan advanced by Blagojevich, noting that Chicago, where a new casino was slated to go, did not support the gov’s plan.

Ever since that Rockford event, Brown has labeled Pritchard “Bus Ride Bob.”

Entry Filed under: Uncategorized