Video

State Rep. Mark Beaubien (R- Wauconda) on Madigan v. Blago, 2010 Lisa Madigan-Christine Radogno Guv contest, Obama v. McCain, Rezko-Pfleger-Wright, Blagojevich budget options, a state income tax increase, the State GOP message, a capital budget, the 16 billion dollar pension bond sale and Blagojevich impeachment and criminal conviction. State Rep. Mark Beaubien (R-Wauconda) discusses and debates Illinois political and public policy issues with show host Jeff Berkowitz. Topics discussed include, among others, the intense "dislike," or "hatred," between Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan and Governor Rod Blagojevich and impact of that dislike/hatred on Illinois public policy issues; Beaubien's assessment of the seven potential 2010 Illinois Democratic Primary gubernatorial candidates; Beaubien's assessment of the nine potential 2010 Illinois Republican Primary gubernatorial candidates; Beaubien's (he knew Obama for eight years in the Illinois General Assembly) assessment and comfort level with Obama as President; the Rezko-Pfleger-Wright Obama issue; the choice between Obama and McCain, and their relative strengths and weaknesses; the Blagojevich budget options; the rumored push by Dems in 2008 for an expanded Illinois House majority and for a 2009 income tax increase—with the help of downstate Republicans; the Illinois GOP response to the push by Dems for an income tax increase and the Illinois GOP message; a possible capital budget, the Blago proposed 16 billion dollar pension bond sale and the potential for a Blagojevich impeachment and criminal conviction. State Rep. Mark Beaubien (R-Wauconda) is in his twelfth year in the Illinois State House. He has been the chief budget negotiator for the Illinois House Republicans during that period. Rep. Beaubien received his undergraduate and law degrees from Northwestern University and he spent the first twenty years, or so, of his professional career in private legal practice. He then spent about ten years in banking as a high level officer with the State Bank of Lake Zurich and then with the Suburban Bank of Barrington. Rep. Beaubien has been married for more than forty years to his wife Dee, and they have two sons and four grandchildren.