With the budget negotiations inching forward this week, one voice has been notably absent from the public debate -- that of House Speaker Michael Madigan.  Take a look at these seven news reports from today regarding the recent activities (or lack thereof) in Springfield:

Chicago Tribune: "Quinn, lawmakers set up budget showdown"
AP: "Ill. lawmakers go home amid budget confusion"
Northwest Herald: "Special budget session fizzles"
Lee Newspapers: "Quinn backtracks on drastic budget cuts"
State Journal-Register: "Lawmakers leave big budget mess"
Illinois Issues: "Everything in limbo"
WBEZ: "Lawmakers wrap up session, still no budget"

Gov. Pat Quinn is mentioned and quoted in all seven of these reports, Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno appears in four, House Minority Leader Tom Cross appears in three, and Senate President John Cullerton in two. 

But Madigan is not mentioned -- let alone quoted -- in any of these articles.  A Lexis search of "Illinois news sources" also turned up zero articles featuring his name today. 

Considering no other state official holds more power than the speaker at the moment, it sure would be nice to know where he stands as the government teeters on the brink of collapse ...

Meanwhile, his daughter, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, continues to dodge the fierce debate over an income tax hike. 

Following a rally that shut down the statehouse on Tuesday, some demonstrators swung by the AG's office to solicit her opinion on the budget mess. But once again, she couldn't be pinned down on the issue, according to Keith Kelleher, president of SEIU Healthcare Illinois/Indiana (whose state council sponsors this website).

"We've contacted her office for meetings, about speaking [at the Tuesday rally] ... at a rally in front of the state of Illinois building last Thursday" to no avail, Kelleher says. "We think both Lisa and other statewide elected officials need to step out on this. They cannot keep hiding."

The lack of leadership by Madigan hasn't gone unnoticed. The Tribunes's Eric Zorn recently asked: "Where is our would-be future governor as the battle in Springfield rages?"  And the Center on Tax and Budget Accountability's Ralph Martire has been calling her out for sometime now.  The AP took note earlier this month:

"In tough times, leaders lead," Martire said. "I don't think any elected official should simply hoard political capital if they're never going to use it in the public interest."

Looking at that quote now, it seems it could be applied to the father as well as the daughter in this case.