On his blog Friday, the Tribune's Eric Zorn asked a good question: "Where is our would-be future governor as the battle in Springfield rages?" 

Indeed, since calling an income tax hike "almost impossible" at a March event, Madigan has said very, very little as the debate has escalated in Springfield.  After pointing this out, Zorn goes on to write:

[S]ay what you will about Lisa Madigan, but she, in turn, is too smart to jump into the tax, budget and ethics battle with specific plans of her own. Far better to wait until campaign season when hindsight will clear.

Maybe this is what constitutes a "smart" move, politically speaking. On the other hand, relying on hindsight to stake out a position could just make Madigan look cowardly and opportunistic.  One of Zorn's commenters -- "phocion" -- hits the nail on the head:

Being a leader does not afford the luxury of waiting for hindsight. Show us now, so we can determine whether your vision is worthy of our votes. The campaign season is here - we all know it - and the voters shouldn't have to wait until all of the hard decisions are made to hear from a candidate on how he or she would have come down on an issue.

I have long admired the Attorney General. As the obvious candidate for Governor, her silence on how to fix Illinois is a sad testament to what some value in political "leadership." We decry politicians for acting like politicians, and this is a classic example. Playing it safe by failing to take a stand isn't "smart." It is craven, it is cynical, it is anathema to true leadership, and it should be neither praised nor rewarded.