Attorney General Lisa Madigan has been a formidable opponent in her last two re-election campaigns. The Chicago Democrat beat each of her last two opponents by more than a million votes, and she has one of the wealthiest campaign funds in the state.
That's kept big-name Republicans from challenging her, leaving the field open for Paul Schimpf. He retired this spring after 20 years in the Marine Corps, first as an infantry officer, then a lawyer. Illinois Public Radio's Brian Mackey speaks with Schimpfabout the challenges of running against Madigan, the attorney general's role in solving the pension problem, and HIS role in prosecuting Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. We begin by asking why Schimpf wants the job.