Will McHenry County State Rep. Jack Franks show that he is a "Madigan Minion" in his answer to the Daily Herald questionnaire on whether he will vote for Mike Madigan for House Speaker?

I read that House Speaker Mike Madigan’s staff talk of themselves as being “Madigan’s Minions.”

I picked up the phrase to describe Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride, who only beat a decent Peoria-area Republican, State Senator Carl Hawskinson, with infusions of Madigan-inspired campaign contributions.

But the real Madigan Minions are the Democratic Party State Representatives who have elected him again and again and again for what seems like forever.

Now the Daily Herald editorial board has decided to turn up the heat on suburban Madigan Minions.

In its questionnaire, all state legislators are being asked if they will vote to re-elect their leaders.

We’ll see if there are any brave Democrats.

Or would those saying they will not vote for Madigan be considered suicidal?