Rod Blagojevich Speaks to Illinois Delegates

Some people know how to make an entrance. The governor certainly tries hard to!

Now I have to admit a certain bias here. Having worked with a President before, and more than a few presidential campaigns with secret service protection (including this one), I've been around highly protected people. People at that level receive a protection bubble that comes with a certain legal authority. The people providing that level of protection not only take their jobs very seriously, but also have no trouble resorting to their legal authority -- if only to get the "troublemaker" out of the way for a few hours. So there's a certain aura that comes with that kind of protection.

The governor's body guards -- which is what they are (we pay for them) -- aren't at that level. Not even close.

I have no idea what kind of threats our Governor is under, or what perceived threat he feels exists. Obviously, given his political feuds with his father-in-law and the Speaker, maybe he feels we need to spend *a lot* of money to protect him instead of the good people of Illinois. But I'd strongly suggest that they exist for show. They (the people "protecting" him) act like it's for show. When the governor passed by the media riser yesterday, his detail was basically polite when asking the two people next to me, who were having a pleasant conversation and weren't paying attention to the governor (or his detail) at all. Polite. Denver isn't Illinois, and I doubt they have much legal authority (although I've observed them in similar positions inside the state).

Nope, it's a show. Media were allowed in. In fact, the media rushed the governor at several points in his entrance. They aren't a threat. But it does appear that the governor's protection detail is designed merely for the purpose of projecting the fact that this is an important person you are around, and that's it.

These were basically my thoughts when the governor passed by me on the way to the podium. I was musing the absurdity of his protection detail, minding my own business, when he spoke to me.

"How's it going, guy?" the back of his hand touching my arm (just so I'd know he was talking to me, I suppose).

He didn't stop, he was just saying, "hi." I'm not big on the touching thing (outside of the lovely Mrs. Bored). But, heh, it was touchy-feely day, I just didn't know it. The program hadn't really started yet.

This video is 9:26 minutes long. For more coverage of the Illinois Delegation in Denver, go to Prairie State Blue.