The Democrats’ November win of a super-majority in both houses of the Illinois General Assembly—for the first time in history—gives House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton a veto-proof margin over Governor Pat Quinn. But the new legislative superpowers of Madigan and Co. may be their own kryptonite.

That’s because now the Dems are solely on the hook to make the painful decisions needed to solve Illinois’s many crises (massive budget deficit, out-of-control pension system, etc.). If they fail, there won’t be anyone else to blame. Come 2014, fallout from these tough decisions could come back to haunt them.

Illustration: John Kenzie