ILLINOIZE: December 2008

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Daily Herald: Dems explain why they let governor make appointment

I have a feeling AG Lisa Madigan may have tried to commit the wrong Democrat. As best as I can tell neither SecState White or Senator Reid have a legal leg to stand on. Burris will be our Senator. From today's Daily Herald.

Illinois Democrats stand by their decision against holding a special election to choose the state's next senator, maintaining that even if anyone anticipated Gov. Rod Blagojevich would name a new senator, they were confident the appointment wouldn't stand.

With Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White refusing to sign papers authorizing Blagojevich's appointment of Roland Burris, and Senate Democratic leaders refusing to seat anyone appointed by Blagojevich, House Speaker Michael Madigan's spokesman Steve Brown maintained that the appointment is moot.

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And he's not wasting time: Burris goes to court over appointment

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 31, 2008

Articles of interest to Illinois Republicans recently posted by ABC7, NBC5, CBS2, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Crain's Chicago Business, Daily Herald, Suburban Chicago News, Suburban Life, Pioneer Local, Southtown Star, Rockford Register Star, Bloomington Pantagraph, Peoria Journal Star, Springfield State Journal Register, Belleville News Democrat, Southern Illinoisan, Illinois Review, Public Affairs, Champion News, Illinois Family Institute, Americans For Truth, Chicago Daily Observer, Tom Roeser, Capitalfax, etc. Since January 1, 2005, GOPUSA ILLINOIS has brought 39,808 such articles and information on many upcoming events to its subscribers' attention each morning, free of charge, and without any advertising. To view the December 31, 2008 GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips, please visit www.gopillinois.com or www.illinoisreview.com. Thanks

Blagojevich 1, Illinois GA 0, Team Obama -1

Yesterday's lesson is don't play chicken with a kid from the Northwest Side. He'll team up with a kid from Centralia and they'll double blindside you.

Democrats got scared about a special election and failed to immediately strip Blagojevich of the power to appoint Obama's replacement.

Instead they went straight to impeachment proceedings, but then feared a balanced 50/50 committee that would allow GOP members to call witnesses like Emanuel and Jarrett, and oh my follow some paths to this story Team Obama didn't want followed.

So we ended up with weak hearings and hesitation while Fitz contemplated coming to the rescue with a few choice tapes. (Who runs this impeachment? Read Fitzgerald must be worried.)

So the kid from Cicero Ave, and the kid from Centralia, call that really tough ex-panther kid and clobber the blowharts on their break.

Grow up hanging around street corners in Chicago and you could have seen this coming.

They don't teach it at the U of C where they have all those blue poles to call for rescue. In the rest of the city you gotta take the bully out yourself the first time. 'Cause if you blow it, he'll be back; and sometimes with other toughs you didn't think would join him in revenge.

So rack up a point for the The Guv, zero for the GA, and deduct 1 point for Team Obama for thinking they didn't have to come to the fight at all. They could hide behind Fitz and his blue pole instead.

Somebody's gotta tell Obama's folks the world isn't Hyde Park surrounded by those invisible protective walls with those blue panic poles all over the place. Sometimes you gotta come to the fight and stand up for yourself.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

An open letter to the people of Edelstein

Stop exporting your dangerous, violent gangs to Peoria. 'Kay?

Crossposted to Peoria Pundit.

Burris is caught in a nasty political storm

Things just keep getting weirder in Illinois. It’s been widely understood that the U.S. Senate leaders would reject any appointment by Gov. Rod Blagojevich to fill the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama. But now, not only is Blagojevich defying the undeniable, he’s also managed to involve race in a situation that already is clouded by sensationalism.

Blagojevich on Tuesday said he is appointing former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to fulfill the last two years of Obama’s Senate term, but Burris is unlikely to actually serve in the seat. Secretary of State Jesse White said he is refusing to co-sign the paperwork, thereby blocking the appointment. Even if White lacks authority to do so, all Democratic U.S. senators already announced they would reject the governor’s appointment regardless of whom he picked.

State Treasurer Alexi Gainnoulias said Blagojevich’s actions heighten the need for a quick impeachment. “Regardless of whether he wanted to appoint Mother Theresa or Abraham Lincoln, I believe Blagojevich lost that right when he allegedly attempted to sell the Senate seat to the highest bidder … Because of Blagojevich’s actions, the appointment process has been tainted and will continue to be tainted as long as he holds office.”

Republicans continue to call for a special election to replace Obama, but the Illinois Democratic leadership did not advance legislation that would allow for that to happen. House GOP Leader Tom Cross said in a Statehouse news conference today that, yes, the Republican Party would stand to benefit from a special election, but it’s the only way to start to clean the stain left by Blagojevich’s arrest December 9. “The special election is the one way to say, not only to this state, but to the country: We learned something. We got it. We’re going to avoid any appearance of impropriety.”

Cross said he was shocked Tuesday morning when he heard the governor would appoint a Senate replacement even though an alleged pay-to-play scheme involving the appointment topped a 76-page criminal complaint against the governor. “I thought it was a joke. Literally, I thought, ‘There’s no way. It’s just some sick, funny, wacky rumor that’s on the Internet, that there’s no way in a million years it’s going to happen. He would not do this.” Cross said he couldn’t take the wildest guess about why the governor would actually follow through on the appointment. Then he pondered that the governor might be akin to a rabid dog in the corner that’s going to lash out in anger at the world.

Cross said Tuesday’s action could quicken the pace of the House committee investigating cause for impeachment.

Whatever the governor’s intentions, Roland Burris is now caught in a political storm that might blow over his 40 years of experience. The Centralia native of southern Illinois became the first African American elected to a statewide office, serving three terms as state comptroller between 1979 and 1991, followed by one term as attorney general. His political experience includes serving as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee from 1985 to 1989.

But his political experience also includes repeated and failed attempts to win higher office. He’s run for governor three times, including in 2002 against Blagojevich. He also ran for the U.S. Senate and for Chicago mayor. Read this Illinois Issues profile of Burris in 1998: “What makes Roland run?”

Kent Redfield, political scientist at the University of Illinois at Springfield, said although Burris had been lobbying for Obama's seat and although he’s always had the image of aiming for higher office, it’s surprising that he accepted the appointment. “I think he’s letting his ambition cloud his judgment. He and the governor seem to share one thing, which is that ‘it’s about me.’”

Accepting the position after Blagojevich’s arrest also has potential to taint Burris as "Blagojevich’s senator," Redfield added. “It doesn’t matter if he’s pure as the driven snow.”

Blagojevich actually made a plea to the public during his Chicago news conference, seen on CNN. “I’d like to ask everyone to do one last thing: Please don’t allow the allegations against me to taint this good and honest man.”

The plea thickened when U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush joined the news conference and thanked God for Blagojevich’s selection of Burris because he is an African American with 40 years of public service. He said maintaining an African American seat vacated by Obama is a matter of national importance. “Roland Burris stands head and shoulders above most elected officials in this nation, and so there’s no rhyme or reason that he should not be seated in the U.S. Senate,” Rush said. Then he added this racially-charged challenge: “I don’t think there’s anyone, any U.S. senator, who’s sitting in the Senate right now, [who] would want to go on record to deny one African American from being seated in the U.S. Senate. I don’t think they want to go on record doing that.”

Burris said he had no relationship with “that situation,” referring to the governor’s legal problems. Standing at Blagojevich’s side, he said: “I have no comment on what the governor’s circumstance is. And as a former attorney general of this state, I know, and I think most of you all know, that in this legal process, you’re innocent until you’re proven guilty.”

The House committee investigating impeachment is on hold until at least January 5, when the feds could decide whether to release recorded conversations detailed in the criminal complaint.

Blagojevich to name Burris to Senate

From the Tribune. At this point in time I'm not sure I want my name attached to a disgraced Governor, especially with the knowledge that the US Senate might not allow me to be admitted into the chamber. I suppose since the Governor is fighting the current charges against him, he might as well appoint a man to fill Obama's seat.

Apparently he's been making noises since Obama's ascension to the Presidency as well as not too long after the Governor's arrest for attempting to sell off the vacant US Senate seat to the highest bidder.

ICPR HELPS ILLINOISANS BOOT BLAGO

Cross posted from ICPR's blog, The Race is On:

REMOVE THE GOVERNOR AND ENACT MAJOR REFORMS

Illinoisans who want to give Gov. Rod Blagojevich the boot out of office can go to www.BootBlago.org for the latest information on the Blagojevich scandal and advice how they can help change the state’s political system.

“Like his predecessor George Ryan – aka Federal Inmate Number 16627424 – Rod Blagojevich is an embarrassment to the state of Illinois,” said Cynthia Canary, Director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform (ICPR). “The arrest of Gov. Blagojevich on a variety of corruption charges has lit a fire under taxpayers. If he’s not going to resign, they want to boot him out of office.”

The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform (ICPR) is redoubling its efforts to enact meaningful campaign finance reforms, and ICPR will help Illinoisans become advocates of the Governor Blagojevich's impeachment.

“Removing Gov. Blagojevich from office is not all that is needed to end the culture of corruption,” Canary said. “We have to reform the laws that now allow special interests to give unlimited amounts of money to campaigns, and we need to bring much more sunshine into the operations of state and local governments.

The fight can begin with a visit to www.BootBlago.org.

ICPR created the website as a tool to help Illinoisans unfamiliar with lobbying legislators and curious about the impeachment process.

Visitors to the website can write letters to Gov. Rod Blagojevich urging him to resign and can send letters to Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn suggesting ways to improve the system. Visitors also can learn more about the reforms needed to make state politics and government more fair and honest and can link to ICPR’s website with a searchable database of campaign contributions to the governor, legislators and other candidates.

The reforms advocated by ICPR include limiting the size of campaign contributions, banning contributions by corporations and unions, prohibiting large transfers of campaign cash by legislative leaders to candidates, creating a system of voluntary campaign financing of judges, taking politics out of legislative redistricting, strengthening the State Board of Elections, toughening lobbyist regulation, requiring state officials to report more detail personal financial information concerning debts and investments, and making it easier to access public records through the Freedom of Information Act.

To comment, please visit ICPR's blog.

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 30, 2008

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Monday, December 29, 2008

Impeachment: Day 5, defense

Things could get a lot more interesting in the Statehouse January 5. Federal prosecutors want to release some of the secret recordings detailed in the criminal complaint against Gov. Rod Blagojevich. If the recordings were released, it would enhance the depth of evidence gathered by the Illinois House committee investigating if there’s cause to impeach Blagojevich.

To this point, there have been two veins of evidence gathered by the committee. One is the criminal complaint filed by the feds. However, the committee has been limited in how far it can delve into the allegations because it was asked not to interfere with the federal probe. The second vein is potential non-criminal offenses, primarily whether Blagojevich abused his executive powers. The governor’s attorney has argued that the committee has failed to meet a burden of proof that the governor did anything other than “chatter” and “jabber” about ways to use his powers.

But if U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald gets approval from Chief Judge James Holderman to release recordings of four conversations in full and redacted form, the House committee would have potentially criminal evidence, not just political evidence. Fitzgerald technically isn’t required to get court approval before releasing recordings, but his motion filed Monday said he is doing so now “out of an abundance of caution.”

The conversations would be limited to one alleged deal to collect $100,000 in campaign contributions to Blagojevich by January 1 in exchange for his signature on a bill. The bill described in the affidavit would shave 3 percent of riverboat profits to subsidize the horse racing industry.

The description of the conversation — found in paragraph 68(e) on page 39 of the criminal complaint — includes “Fundraiser A,” “Contributor 1” and “Lobbyist 1.” Anyone who thought they would be harmed by the release of the recordings can file a motion to stop the release.

Edward Genson, the governor’s attorney, would not say Monday whether he would fight the release of those recordings. He repeatedly has argued that the wiretaps and bugs of the governor’s conversations were illegally obtained and should not be included as evidence in the House investigation or in a criminal trial.

Genson got his chance to present a formal defense of the governor at Monday’s hearing in the state Capitol.

“The fact is we’re fighting shadows here,” he said to legislators. “We’re fighting unnamed people, we’re fighting witnesses that aren’t available, we’re fighting people that haven’t been indicted, we’re fighting preliminary hearings that haven’t been, we’re fighting parades of allegations that people who are dissatisfied with the administration but certainly haven’t talked to us about criminal conduct. We have a mere complaint.”

Genson said the committee must meet a burden of proof provided in the 1997 impeachment investigation of then-Illinois Supreme Court Justice James Heiple. The standard then, he said, was that non-criminal offenses “must be of a magnitude and gravity comparable to the criminal standard.”

Rep. Lou Lang, a Skokie Democrat on the committee, said this committee is not bound to the standards provided in a 10-year-old case. In fact, he said, the state Constitution only requires that a committee find “cause.”

“Each member of the House of Representatives, and, if it gets that far, each member of the Senate, will decide what ‘cause’ is and what ‘cause’ means,” Lang said. “There is no definition in the law.”

Lang also took issue with Genson’s interpretation of the standard needed for information that is not part of the criminal complaint. “In my view, and I’m going to guess the view of many sitting with me, a non-criminal violation of the Constitution is still a violation of the governor’s constitutional oath,” Lang said. “And, therefore, if this committee finds that the governor has violated his constitutional oath for whatever reason, that would be cause or grounds for possible impeachment.”

Lang also countered Genson’s comments that the conversations outlined in the criminal complaint consist of “chatter” that fail to prove that anything illegal happened. Lang said talk of so-called pay-to-play politics is enough for this committee. “It’s a crime in the state of Illinois to offer to do a public act for value. Whether somebody takes you up on that offer is irrelevant.”

Committee members said they’re weighing the totality of circumstances presented since the governor’s arrest. Yet, many members aren’t exactly keeping a poker face.

“I think a lot of members have begun to make up their minds, at least members on this committee,” said Rep. Gary Hannig, a Democratic member. “And it appears to me that they’re beginning to move towards the side of impeachment.”

The committee is on hold until at least January 5 or until the court decides whether to support Fitzgerald’s release of the selected recorded conversations.

A picture Ill. Rep. Lou Lang doesn't want you to see

My representative in the Illinois House of Representative is Lou Lang (D-Skokie), chairman of the House Gaming Committee and widely regarded as a close friend of the casino industry in this state.

Lang, who sits on the House impeachment panel, has been playing the role of the tough guy, as the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune has reported.

The Rockford Register-Star named Lang as among the "governor's toughest critics."

Well, how does Lang explain that photograph, which I took in the summer of 2007, on the front window of his Skokie office?

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 29, 2008

Articles of interest to Illinois Republicans recently posted by ABC7, NBC5, CBS2, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Crain's Chicago Business, Daily Herald, Suburban Chicago News, Suburban Life, Pioneer Local, Southtown Star, Rockford Register Star, Bloomington Pantagraph, Peoria Journal Star, Springfield State Journal Register, Belleville News Democrat, Southern Illinoisan, Illinois Review, Public Affairs, Champion News, Illinois Family Institute, Americans For Truth, Chicago Daily Observer, Tom Roeser, Capitalfax, etc. Since January 1, 2005, GOPUSA ILLINOIS has brought 39,725 such articles and information on many upcoming events to its subscribers' attention each morning, free of charge, and without any advertising. To view the December 29, 2008 GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips, please visit www.gopillinois.com or www.illinoisreview.com. Thanks

Quinn on the isolated Blagojevich and his Palace Guard

Quinn said the Guv isolated. That Quinn hadn't spoken to him since August. Quinn could have started a blog before the complaint. Why the wait? What was stopping Quinn from speaking like this much earlier? Would Paul Simon or Paul Douglas have reminded silent the way he and Obama have?

If the Guv is nuts, he has a defense. What's the defense of the sane who knew and remained silent in the face of this disgrace?

Legal Insurrection: Got News For You -- Emanuel and Jarrett Will Testify, And The Blagojevich Impeachment Trial Will Be Delayed

The Insurgent writes,

The media is all atwitter over the decision of the Illinois House committee considering articles of impeachment against Gov. Rod Blagojevich to deny the request by Blagojevich's attorneys to subpoena Obama aides Rahm Emanuel and Valerie Jarrett. The House decision comes at the request of U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who is concerned that the subpoenas may interfere in the criminal case against Blagojevich.

The media has it both right and wrong. Right, the House apparently made the decision not to issue subpoenas. Wrong, that Emanuel and Jarrett won't have to testify at some point. The media is failing to draw the distinction between the House proceedings drafting articles of impeachment, and the actual trial.

The full link, but the guts of it is this,

The key provisions are the requirement that the Senators do justice "according to law," and that the Chief Justice "shall preside." While there will be plenty of legal arguments over what this means, it is clear that these provisions impose a higher level of due process than the purely legislative House proceedings, which are not limited by such provisions.

Justice according to law....something the Guv's fellow Democrats --and supporters in 2006-- quick to strip away. They won't win.

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Blagojevich lawyer to submit Obama internal report

The lead attorney for Gov. Rod Blagojevich says he plans to submit President-elect Barack Obama's internal report on contacts with the governor to the Illinois House committee weighing impeachment.

Attorney Ed Genson told the Chicago Sun-Times that the report would support Blagojevich's claims that he hasn't done anything wrong in his handling of Obama's vacant Senate seat.

Earlier in the week, Obama released the internal report that supported his insistence that there had been no inappropriate contact with the governor's office by Obama or his staff.

It does take two to conspire. Blagojevich can't be guilty of auctioning off Obama's seat all-by-his-lonesome. Fellow Democrats call him nuts, but he's not so nuts to auction Obama's seat to hallucinations.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Sunday Blagojevich Blogging

State Senator Lou Lang (D-Skokie) on Genson's request to call Emanuel and Jarrett as witnesses.

Genson is demanding the lawmakers subpoena Rahm Emanuel, Obama's incoming chief of staff, as well as longtime adviser Valerie Jarrett, saying Blagojevich can't get a fair impeachment hearing without them.

"This is a smoke screen," said Lang, whose committee will meet again Monday. "He's asking for subpoenas of witnesses he knows the U.S. attorney does not want us to have, and I, for one, am not going to allow him to turn this into a circus or sideshow."

Neither Genson or Fitzgerald run the impeachment hearing. Lang and his fellow Blagojevich supporters from 2006 run it. They owe Illinoisans an explanation why Blagojevich can't defend himself now. Don't blame Fitz. The Legislature can call whom they wish. They don't need Fitz's blessings.

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Rahm's word: Rahm the Enforcer

In her 2007 book about the Clintons, “For Love of Politics,” Sally Bedell Smith describes an incident in which an unnamed Clinton administration official colorfully denigrates then-Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York, at the time one of Washington’s most powerful Democrats, after Moynihan criticized Clinton’s transition.

“Big deal,” a ‘top administration official’ told Time magazine, adding, “he’s not one of us … he couldn’t obstruct us even if he wanted to. The gridlock is broken. It’s all Democratic now. We’ll roll right over him if we have to.”

Emanuel called the senator’s office after the story appeared, promising to fire whoever gave the quote to Time. A horrified Clinton echoed the promise, saying “We know it was someone who didn’t know us.”

But as the late senator’s personal papers showed, Emanuel’s promise was disingenuous, to say the least. At a dinner with the Time reporter, Moynihan was told that the “big deal” quote came from none other than Emanuel.

The disingenuous need Genson's cross examination.

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Legal Insurrection on the NY Times Clinton Blagojevich double standard.

Why the difference in treatment? Why not give Blagojevich the same presumption of innocence given President Clinton? Both Clinton and Blagojevich were accused of using executive power to garner campaign contributions, both were accused but not yet convicted of crimes while in office, and both presided over a government impeded by the scandals surrounding their offices.

Just a guess. In the Clinton case, the NY Times was protecting Clinton, so Clinton could not be thrown overboard. In the Blagojevich case, the NY Times is protecting Obama, so Blagojevich should go quickly and quietly.

Tell me it ain't so.

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 28, 2008

Articles of interest to Illinois Republicans recently posted by ABC7, NBC5, CBS2, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Crain's Chicago Business, Daily Herald, Suburban Chicago News, Suburban Life, Pioneer Local, Southtown Star, Rockford Register Star, Bloomington Pantagraph, Peoria Journal Star, Springfield State Journal Register, Belleville News Democrat, Southern Illinoisan, Illinois Review, Public Affairs, Champion News, Illinois Family Institute, Americans For Truth, Chicago Daily Observer, Tom Roeser, Capitalfax, etc. Since January 1, 2005, GOPUSA ILLINOIS has brought 39,694 such articles and information on many upcoming events to its subscribers' attention each morning, free of charge, and without any advertising. To view the December 28, 2008 GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips, please visit www.gopillinois.com or www.illinoisreview.com. Thanks

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Rainy foggy day Blagojevich posting

An open post for the Day on the Guv.

Trib.com: Gov. Rod Blagojevich's lawyer criticized by lawmakers

Genson said the panel was using Fitzgerald's request [to stay clear of his witnesses] as cover to deny Blagojevich a fair impeachment hearing. Genson suggested last week he was considering a potential challenge to the impeachment in federal court.

"They are railroading him," Genson said Friday. "If a person is telling the truth, what difference does it make if he tells it twice? How does that hurt their case? That's just the legislature and Mr. Fitzgerald trying to put a reality on something that doesn't make sense."

Genson's got a point. The explosive charge is the Gov auctioning off Obama's seat. If there is a conspiracy here, we need both sides of it to talk. ****
Chicago via Sri Lanka: Chicago - America’s ‘most theatrically corrupt’ city

Either way, the gut reaction of most Chicagoans to the FBI complaint against Governor Rod Blagojevich, outlining his baroque plans, to "monetise" Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat was not shock or even disgust. It was surprise that he had been so reckless as to discuss them on a bugged telephone. To this day, Illinois campaign finance laws are astonishingly lax – there is no cap on the amount of cash a politician can solicit.

Takes two to chat on a phone. That at least two reckless fools in this theater.

****
A neat interactive time line on key Blagojevich events. HT Blagojevich Blog

We sell more seats than the Governor

Chicago area's Leather Creations ad via The Cleveland Reader

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 27, 2008

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Friday, December 26, 2008

The Official Guide to Blagojevich Blogs

This is going to be a handy link.

Thanks Bill

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 26, 2008

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Politics: LaHood a 'Cellini guy?'

Chicago Tribune political curmudgeon John Kass Kass doesn't think too highly of Congressman Ray, our soon-to-be-new Transportation Secretary:

Mr. Kass, re: Gov. Big Hairovich, this may be premature, but do you think it would be useful to begin pondering publicly who can be trusted as governor? Maybe someone outside of Chicago? Or is that a fantasy? Joe M., Belleville

Dear Joe—It's not premature, not with all the sleaze in this state. If the candidate is a Democrat from Illinois, they'll be on bended knee to Mayor Shortshanks at Chicago's City Hall or House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Lisa's Daddy) or State Sen. James DeLeo (D-How You Doin?). And if they're Republican, they'll bow to the indicted party boss Big Bill Cellini or his enabler, Big Jim Thompson, or the Republican establishment that dares criticize President-elect Barack Obama for his connections to sleazy politics, yet applauds Obama's appointment of a Cellini guy, U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Combine) as secretary of transportation. [emphasis mine] That's change we can believe in. How about we ban all current Illinois politicians from the list of prospective governors? There must be someone other than U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald who has served the public interest without picking the public pocket. We need Fitzgerald where he is, in Chicago. But are there any others who've fought Illinois political corruption and the Chicago Outfit and who'd be interested in running for office? There might be one out there.

Cellini's name has popped up on occasion in the pages of Peoria Pundit. One of the complaints I've had about the local media is how it perpetrated the folksy "Congressman Ray" image, while pretty ignoring his connections to some of the corrupt politicians that big city newspapers were hammering away at on an almost daily basis. Kass goes overboard sometimes, but he has a point.

So if you're shocked to see "Congressman Ray" described as a "Cellini guy," blame the local news media.

For an education, read the Sun-Times article on Cellini.

Cross posted to Peoria Pundit.

Wanted: Cat bloggers

No, no, no. Not this kind of cat blogging.

I'm talking about Caterpillar. Considering how Peoria is a hotbed of blogging, I'm surprised there aren't one or two or seven people out there blogging away about the inside workings of this Fortune 500 company that, from what I see, likes to push its corporate weight around.

Of course, any insiders who want to blog what goes on the shop floor or behind closed doors at Caterpillar World Headquarters would have to be anonymous. And I would be happy to help, perhaps with a group blog focusing on Big Yellow.

Just send me a message, and we can arrange for Cat-blogging on the Blog Peoria Network.

Crossposted to Peoria Pundit

Peoria Museum backers taking a second drag off the public tit

Backers of the downtown museum project want the upcoming economic stimulus package to include $4 million to build a parking deck. This is in addition to the extra sales taxes they want Peoria County residents to pay at the cash register.

My two cents: The County Board is going to vote this month on whether to put the sales tax hike on the April 7 ballot. In 99 percent sure it will be on the ballot, because I doubt there are three politicians in the entire county with the testicular fortitude to say "no" to Caterpillar, which whispers that they will leave Peoria whenever there's a chance they won't get their way.

I can predict what will happen. The argument will now be made that if we say no to this sales tax, we'll be saying good bye to a free $4 million from the Feds. After all, isn't our guy Ray LaHood in charge is doling out transportation dough? Aren't these jobs going to go to "local" guys?

Feh. We need to spend our cash on essential services, not bread and circuses.
pigs at the trough

Cross posted to Peoria Pundit.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 25, 2008

Articles of interest to Illinois Republicans recently posted by ABC7, NBC5, CBS2, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Crain's Chicago Business, Daily Herald, Suburban Chicago News, Suburban Life, Pioneer Local, Southtown Star, Rockford Register Star, Bloomington Pantagraph, Peoria Journal Star, Springfield State Journal Register, Belleville News Democrat, Southern Illinoisan, Illinois Review, Public Affairs, Champion News, Illinois Family Institute, Americans For Truth, Chicago Daily Observer, Tom Roeser, Capitalfax, etc. Since January 1, 2005, GOPUSA ILLINOIS has brought 39,598 such articles and information on many upcoming events to its subscribers' attention each morning, free of charge, and without any advertising. To view the December 25, 2008 GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips, please visit www.gopillinois.com or www.illinoisreview.com. Thanks

Fitsmas Day Blagojevich chat

A lawyer at last night's Christmas Eve party told me it takes everyone to make a criminal conspiracy. One party can't conspire alone so if the other did nothing wrong, it's no conspiracy. I imagine that's where Genson is going with this: Blagojevich's Lawyers Seek Subpoenaes for Emanuel, Jackson Jr.

Lawyers for embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich want two key aides to President-elect Barack Obama and U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. subpoenaed, according to Chicago media reports.

Blagojevich's legal team has asked the Illinois House panel that members of Obama's incoming administration testify before the House impeachment committee, including Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett, WBBM-TV and the Chicago Sun-Times reported late Wednesday.

Ed Genson, Blagojevich's chief lawyer, said testimony from the aides will prove the governor's insistence that he did nothing illegal to fill Obama's now vacant U.S. Senate seat.

The news comes days after Obama's team released an internal review that confirmed no "inappropriate" discussions had taken place in the Blagojevich probe.

****
Leo over at Leo's Blog takes Politico to task: Politico Now Blaming Obama for Having 'No Role' in Picking Replacement Senator

So first they condemn Obama for potential shenanigans with Blago over the nomination of a replacement senator and when that's found to be complete rubbish, they then go after him because he played "no role" in a nomination process that he has absolutely no legal part to play.

This "necessarily raises the question": Is one of the qualifications for working for Politico that you have to be a totally clueless idiot? Does anyone still think these dolts have any credibility?

They'd build some credibility if they asked Team Obama for their lists to replace Biden and Clinton too, or was this just a Blagojevich thing?

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Happy Holidays

Cros-posted from ICPR's Blog, The Race is On:

What a year it's been! The long presidential election, the financial upheavals, the continuing crisis in Iraq and Afghanistan - so much to remember. The Washington Post took a look back at the biggest scandals of the year and concluded that Gov. Rod Blagojevich's alleged effort to sell the Senate seat ranked as the second biggest scandal of the year. #1 went to Bernard Madoff, whose Ponzi scheme defrauded investors of as much as $50 billion.

#3 on the Washington Post list: Elliot Spitzer. Also-rans include former US Senator Ted Stephens of Alaska, former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, and AIG, which spent $400,000 on an executive retreat the weekend after getting a $124 billion bailout from the US Government. That's tough competition, but our governor beat them all, nearly.

The Pew Center for the Public and the Press recently updated their list of the most-followed political scandals in America. Their ranking asks Americans if they are aware of stories in the news, and how closely they are following the story. The Blagojevich corruption story ranked third, behind #1 congressional check bouncing (April, 1992) and #2, the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky story (March, 1998). Our current governor's arrest ranks ahead of the Gary Hart/Donna Rice story (September, 1987) and the Elliot Spitzer prostitute story (March, 2008). To date, there are no allegations of sex in the Blagojevich story, but even so, it's already #3 of all time.

Lest anyone worried that our current governor would be ignored at the holidays, CNN reports that he is the politician most deserving of... coal in the stocking. It's not golden, but, hey, it's something.

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann also put out a list, looking at the top 25 most corrupt American politicians of all time. Illinois is well-represented on the list, with Gov. George Ryan at #23, US Rep. Dan Rostenkowski at #21, and Gov. Otto Kerner at #13. And while it's early yet and the full details have yet to come out, based on the record so far, Olbermann is confident enough in Illinois to put Rod Blagojevich at #3 on the all time list of corrupt American politicians. Of course, Rod is still in office, so there's time for him to improve his ranking. #2, Charles Forbes, who ran the Veteran's Bureau for President Warren G. Harding and managed to embezzle nearly a quarter of his $1.3 billion budget; and #1, New York City's Boss Tweed, might want to watch their backs.

All kidding aside, let's hope that 2009 brings a new culture to Illinois politics.

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 24, 2008

Sorry, but because of ongoing technical difficulties, to view the December 24, 2008 GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips, please visit www.gopillinois.com or www.illinoisreview.com. Thanks

Jackson Jr on Emanuel's list

Sweet notes J3 was on the list after all,

The Obama list
Jackson
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.)
Comptroller Dan Hynes
Illinois Veterans Affairs Chief Tammy Duckworth

added later
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan
Chicago Urban League Chief Cheryle Jackson, former Blagojevich spokesman.

Did they have preferred lists for the Clinton and Biden seats too?

****
A quote on the Michelle Obama Valerie Jarret connections pulled from this: Better than WTTW's panel on Obama-Blago: Berkowitz w/Peraica on Obama, Jarrett & Daley; the McKennas and the Illinois Combine. Cable & Streaming

Jeff Berkowitz: There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s the political office as a family heirloom, stupid.

Cmsr. Tony Peraica: There’s nothing wrong with any of it on its face, but if you look below the surface, there are all these troubling relationships where certain individuals are picking others and bringing them along and giving them cushy positions, whether it is in the hospital, non-profit sector or for profit sector, whether it is at the Habitat, whether it is at the City [of Chicago], whether it is at any of the city’s agencies and there is this cross pollination that in a culture of corruption brings about these kind of unhealthy relationships in a one sided, one party [Democratic] system that we have here in Cook County in the State of Illinois. So, all of that contributes to the culture of corruption that we find ourselves in now which is going to receive national and international attention for the next months and years ahead of us.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, now we get into the Illinois Democratic Party, right? Where offices are family heirlooms, right?

Cmsr. Tony Peraica: That’s right.

Jeff Berkowitz: That’s what we are talking about, really.

Cmsr. Tony Peraica: It’s aristocracy, at it best, yes.

So much for merit promotion. It's all about The List in Illinois.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Jack Franks Featured on WLS Radio Talk Show: "I've Never Worn a Wire"

by Cal Skinner

I was doing some shopping and between stores happened onto Bruce DuMont's “Beyond the Beltway” radio talk show on WLS-Radio Sunday night.

DuMont was talking about Governor Rod Blagojevich's refusal to resign, which I predicted the Friday before last.

I'll get to what McHenry County's Democrat State Representative had to say in a minute, but, before I do, let me try to quote what host DuMont said Democratic political consultant James Carville said on some TV show Sunday morning:

“Everyday Rod Blagojevich stays in office does damage to the Democratic Party.”

Republican Bruno Behrend had previously given the same advice on DuMont's show:

“The faster you get rid of this guy, the faster you stop the bleeding (of the Democratic Party).”

Indeed, although I was otherwise occupied Saturday night, it would seem to me there would have been a follow-up to December 13th's opening skit about Blagojevich's and his wife's “bleeping” language.

Especially since Blagojevich made his

“I am not a crook”

speech on Friday and was all over the national news because of it.

But, back to Franks.

“I think it could be wrapped up pretty quickly...shortly after the first of the year,” Franks, a member of the impeachment committee told DuMont.

He said that the committee will “continue to get evidence and hear from other witnesses...(expecting to decide) on what to put in articles of impeachment.

Any new evidence that might be involved in the U.S. Attorney's criminal investigation will depend on what Fitzgerald allows, Franks indicated.

He specifically mentioned he would like to know the details of the woman who gave Blagojevich's daughter $1,500 for a birthday present, then got a job in Whiteside County and next was transferred to her home county of Cook.

“The potential to do damage is his only trump card,” Franks said suggesting he did not think the governor would resign.

In a discussion about Jesse Jackson, Jr.'s having worked with the U.S. Attorney's Office prior to becoming Candidate 5 in the criminal complaint against Blagojevich, Franks revealed,

“I've never worn a wire.”

Franks stuck to his position that the replacement for President-elect Barack Obama should be elected.

= = = = =
That's Bruno Behrend hold the bumper sticker urging a "Yes" vote on Con-Con at the Decatur Republican State Convention in June. Governor Rod Blagojevich is seen on national ABC news in the center. State Rep. Jack Franks is shown on the WTTW Chicago Tonight show the night the Governor was arrested.

Posted first on McHenry County Blog.

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 23, 2008

Sorry, but because of anticipated ongoing technical difficulties, to view the December 23, 2008 GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips, please visit www.gopillinois.com or www.illinoisreview.com.

Lisa Madigan's useless lawsuit

William Jacobson writes: The Illinois Attorney General's Suit To Remove Blagojevich Looks Even Worse In Retrospect

Looking back at the sequence of events and papers filed by the State, it seems clear that AG Madigan could not possibly have expected victory on the merits. As detailed below, the alleged emergencies cited by the State were not true emergencies, and in the case of bond funding, were based on an incomplete presentation to the Court. Legally, the State's papers were cursory and not befitting the weighty nature of the legal issues.

Why then was the suit brought? The only reasonable conclusion is that AG Madigan hoped for the Court to make a political, not legal decision. At a minimum, the following questions need to be answered:

Read his post for the questions. She certainly should have recused herself from the whole mess, and who ever filled in for her would have been wise to skip the whole mess. It just made Illinois look more foolish trying to commit the Gov as incapacitated.

Scott Turow: Even Blago Is Presumed Innocent

Scott Turow looks at Blagojevich's defense and reminds us the worst is yet to come.

What Fitzgerald charged in the complaint is an astonishing and appalling pattern of extortion and bribery involving numerous completed crimes. Blagojevich awarded state contracts and state jobs to giant campaign contributors. The only real defense for Blagojevich is to blame those quid pro quos on his aides and fundraisers and claim he was clueless. And that dog will not hunt. Not only does the government have at least four witnesses who were deep in the scheme who will say that Blagojevich was fully knowledgeable, but the roster of witnesses of is all but certain to grow as Blagojevich intimates caught on the wiretaps make their own deals over time.

Auctioning Obama's Senate seat small potatoes maybe compared to the full case Fitz will make. The Gov will blame and maybe that dog won't hunt but it will be interesting to watch the list of intimates grow.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Impeachment: Day 4

Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s defense team gets a week to gather witnesses and put together a presentation to the House investigation committee, which met today for about four hours before adjourning for the week. The committee will return to work at 11 a.m. December 29.

One challenge for Edward Genson, the governor’s attorney, will be to produce witnesses that the committee deems relevant to its investigation. And that investigation is not whether the governor is a swell fella, said House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, chair of the investigative committee. The mission is to determine whether Blagojevich has repeatedly abused his power or mismanaged the state.

“What we’re about is: Has he behaved in ways that have so seriously undercut the public trust and public confidence? Has he breached his responsibility to the citizens of Illinois?”

Committee members also face a challenge. They have to decide whether the information gathered so far demonstrates arrogance, incompetence, deliberate skirting of the process or invasion of the legislature’s authority, Currie said. If it is any one of those things, then the bigger question is: Is that an impeachable offense?

Genson has and will continue to argue that the information gathered so far is inadequate for impeachment. “There are no facts here. All we have are inferences.”

On the other hand, he said, “challenging the facts is a difficult matter because quite frankly, everybody who I perceive that’s involved is going to run under their beds and hide when I want to call them.”

As of Monday afternoon, he said he had nine people in mind he would like to invite to testify, but that could change. He wouldn’t mention names. He did say that he would submit a list of potential witnesses to Currie’s office Tuesday morning.

In the meantime, the committee is still waiting to hear from U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald’s office about the committee’s own witnesses it would like to invite. You can read names of those desired witnesses in a formal letter to Fitzgerald, asking him to determine whether the witnesses would interfere with his ongoing criminal investigation.

Not even committee members expect Fitzgerald to grant authority to interview everyone on the list. Genson was even more blunt: “The chances of them complying with your or my subpoena is nil.”

More evidence or inference?
Day four of the impeachment investigation involved gathering evidence from public documents and legislative agencies that say they struggle to work with the Blagojevich administration. The testimony, again, produced nothing new but did further the committee’s inquiry into abuse of power and political misuse of office.

The Procurement Policy Board, which oversees state property leases, added similar testimony to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules from last week: It’s difficult to get timely information or to get results when asked to adjust the administration’s plans. “This board is being ignored,” said Ed Bedore, Procurement Policy Board member. Rep. Lou Lang, a Skokie Democrat on the investigative committee, said the trick is to determine whether the board’s experiences demonstrate gross incompetence or corrupt motivations.
The Procurement Policy Board also started looking into whether property owners who have contracts with the state also have contributed to the governor’s political campaign. It’s not a formal policy to check, said Matt Brown, executive director of the agency, but he did say they did not check campaign contributions before the governor took office in 2003. One property manager donated $50,000 to the governor’s campaign.
Further campaign contribution details were offered by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform’s executive director, Cindi Canary, whose testimony cited news accounts and state records that show a list of state contractors who donated $25,000 contributions to the governor’s campaign. But there so far is no proof whether those campaign contributions lead to state contracts or vice versa. “Definitely the dots have not been connected,” Currie said. “I anticipate this is exactly the kind of thing that they have been looking for in the ongoing investigation of the Blagojevich administration.”
John Scully, former assistant U.S. attorney, verified the extensive review process for federal investigators who request authority to plant wiretaps and bugs as part of criminal investigations. He described at least seven layers of bureaucracy and a standard that must be met, including probable cause that a certain person committed a certain crime using a certain phone or room and that there is no other way to get that type of information. His testimony counteracted arguments by the governor’s attorney, who maintains that the wiretapped information cited in the criminal complaint against Blagojevich shouldn’t be used as evidence because it’s incomplete and, he said, illegal.

Quote of the day
Rep. Suzanne Bassi, a Republican member on the committee, likened pay-to-play politics to pornography: “You know it when you see it.”

Documentation
See documents involved in the investigation here.

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 22, 2008

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Fitzgerald Plays Peoria

by Cal Skinner

Here's what might be an interesting development.

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald spoke at the mid-year graduation ceremony at Peoria's Bradly University this weekend.

That's what this Chicago Tribune media story reports.

Peoria is not in the court district in which Fitzgerald serves.

If one were thinking about running for statewide public office, someone like Fitzgerald would be trying to make himself known through Illinois.

Could this be an leading indicator that Patrick Fitzgerald might be willing to run for office?

If he wanted to take that leap, following in the footsteps of Jim Thompson, who seemed to lust for the office of governor long before he left the U.S. Attorney's Office, this might be Fitzgerald's first step.

Would he run as a Republican or a Democrat?

Or, as independent?

No one I know has a clue where he stands on any issue but public corruption.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Courtroom Victory

To say that I've been busy is an understatement, but in the Coincidental Timing Department, comes this bit of news from Common Cause. A federal district court in Connecticut turned down a constitutional challenge to that state's recently passed pay-to-play ban:

The court held that the law, one of the strictest laws in the nation banning “pay to play” contributions, was constitutional, a decision that could have wide impact on states considering similar policies in light of the arrest of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.

The federal court opinion is available online here.

And the following quote from the release just shows that for the time being, our state will continue to be the poster boy for political corruption.

“Today's decision is a clear victory for good government. The current shameful situation in Illinois -- and the earlier corruption scandals in Connecticut that prompted enactment of this law -- show that too often politicians are willing to trade away their offices for private gain. This law protects taxpayers by assuring that those seeking to do business with the state are not paving their way with campaign contributions. Ending pay-to-play government must be a primary goal of both state and federal officials," said Laura MacCleery, Deputy Director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law, which assisted the law firm, Hogan & Hartson in serving as counsel for Intervenor-Defendants in the case.

What I do find interesting is who the plaintiffs were in the case. The Association of Connecticut Lobbyists and the Green Party of Connecticut. The first one I get, but the second one just strikes me as odd.
In any event, it's another victory for banning pay-to-play politics.

To read or post comments, visit Open House

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 21, 2008

Sorry, but because of technical difficulties, to view the December 21, 2008 GOPUSA ILLINOIS email, please visit www.gopillinois.com or www.illinoisreview.com.

Blagojevich explains to California's Willie Brown

The Gov calls Willie Brown: Illinois governor seems to be growing stronger. Brown writes,

I can't go into details, but my impression is that the whole mess started because the governor had been considering appointing a political rival, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, to the Senate so she wouldn't be able to run against him when he went up for re-election in 2010.

Apparently, Obama's people weren't happy about the idea of Madigan coming to Washington, and there were some pretty heated conversations between Blagojevich and Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, which I understand will burn your ears off.

Brown writes the last thing Democrats want is a Illinois Senate race requiring Obama to campaign to save the seat for a party. A referendum on Obama before he's even really started.

The Guv's got a few cards left, and he's using them.

****
I'll keep this open for my Sunday bleepgate posting...
****
AP via LA Daily News: Raum [sic] Emanuel ties to Rod Blagojevich troublesome

The AP can't spell his first name but it sure sounds like someone is leaking stories to get the Bus in gear for a crush on Rahm.

CHICAGO - Gov. Rod Blagojevich is legendary in Illinois political circles for not picking up the phone or returning calls, even from important figures such as the state's senior senator, Dick Durbin.

But there was always one call Blagojevich regularly took, say his aides, and that was from Rahm Emanuel: his congressman, his one-time campaign adviser and, more recently and more troubling for Emanuel, one of his contacts with President-elect Barack Obama's transition staff.

****
Arlene Jones asks,

I am also perplexed about when it became "de rigueur" for some white politicians to call on black preachers whenever they find their butts in trouble for doing something scandalous. From Bill Clinton after Monica-gate to Blagojevich with these allegations, why are black preachers the first ones sought out following the sins? No other ethnic or racial group seems to have ministers who come to the aide of sinners as quickly as those in the black community. Do those ministers have a better hotline to God than the pastors of the churches those sinners regularly attend? And if so, can some of those prayers be first for those sick children at Children's Memorial whose health the Governor put at risk by playing political games with their health care!

Good question... I wondered myself ...no Serbian Orthodox priests available?

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Balgo Star Wars

by Cal Skinner

When I saw the Chicago Tribune headline yesterday,

Blagojevich
Strikes Back

I thought Star Wars.

Not knowing the plot as well as my son, I had to ask my son whether the Empire represented good or bad.

“Bad,” was the immediate answer.

So there's no contest of what character should represent Rod Blagojevich:

Darth Vader

And where would I find a photo of Darth Vader?

I looked to see if I took one at Disney World.

Guess I didn't get close enough.

Now, I know it was not Rod Blagojevich in the costume.

I doubt Blagojevich has ever been in McHenry County, except maybe to get to Rockford for the first 2002 gubernatorial debate, which he and GOP candidate Jim Ryan conspired to exclude me. (Part of the Tollway goes through the southwestern edge of McHenry County.)

So, just think of it as a representation of concept.

Now, the clone warriors, because of the recent cartoon movie, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” I know are good guys.

Maybe they represent Illinois state representatives.

Maybe they will take Darth Vader out of our universe before he does more evil.

Posted first at McHenry County Blog.

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 20, 2008

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 20, 2008

ABC7
-- Blagojevich: I am not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing - Andy Shaw
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6564209
-- Lt. Gov. urges Blagojevich to resign - Charles Thomas
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/politics&id=6565110

NBC5
-- Blago: 'I Will Fight Until I Take My Last Breath' Governor says he will be vindicated
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Rods-Talking.html
-- ABC7's Andy Shaw to Retire Shaw a recognized and honored reporter in Chicago
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/ABC7s-Andy-Shaw-to-Retire.html

CBS2
-- Blagojevich Says He'll Fight Until 'Last Breath' Governor Says He Is Not Guilty And He Will Not Leave Office
http://cbs2chicago.com/governor/blagojevich.media.address.2.891120.html
-- Prop. 8 Sponsors Seek To Nullify 18,000 Gay Marriages
http://cbs2chicago.com/politics/gay.marriage.ads.2.891734.html

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
-- Feds issue new 'right of conscience' rule
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/triage/2008/12/feds-issue-cont.html
-- GOP: Blagojevich statement 'unacceptable' - Christopher Wills
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-illinoisgovernor-repu,0,2596512.story
-- Blagojevich: 'I have done nothing wrong'
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/12/blagojevich-to-hold-2-pm-press-conference.html
-- 'I will be vindicated' Governor won't resign, asks for patience - Monique Garcia, Rick Pearson and Ray Long
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-blagojevich-main-20dec20,0,2411246.story
-- On with impeachment - Editorial
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-1220edit1dec20,0,2031548.story
-- FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: DIERSEN HEADLINE: University of Chicago does what it can to promote promiscuity, promote sexually transmitted diseases (STD), promote pregnancies, and promote abortions. How many new STDs will University of Chicago students acquire each year? How many pregnancies? How many abortions?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-coed_dorm_roomsdec20,0,5906599.story
-- U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald to speak at Bradley University - AP (DIERSEN: Who will picket the event: Combine Members, Blagojevich, Blagojevich supporters, the 91,753 in DuPage County who voted for Blago in 2002, the 101,859 in DuPage County who voted for Blago in 2006, George Ryan, George Ryan supporters, Scooter Libby, Jim Thompson, Jim Edgar, Jim Ryan, Judy Baar Topinka, Bob Kjellander, Dennis Hastert, Ray LaHood, Bush, Obama, etc.?)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-fitzgerald-commen,0,6487148.story

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
-- Blagojevich: 'I will be vindicated' - Chris Fusco and Dave McKinney
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/1339976,w-blagojevich-illinois-governor-talk-media-121908.article
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Americans speak English. The transcript of Obama's press conference contains some kind for foreign language: "Quisiera tomar esta oportunidad para agradecerle al Presidente- electo Barack Obama por haberme nominado como secretaria del Departamente del Trabajo de los Estados Unidos. Como hija de migrantes, estoy muy honorada por esta oportunidad. "Tambien quisiera agradecerle a mi esposo, a mis padres, Raul y Juana Solis, y a mi familia por todo su apoyo." Was she speaking to foreigners? Hopefully, the Chicago Sun-Times will provide Americans with a translation. As an American, it makes me furious when anyone, especially someone who speaks English, speaks to me in a foreign language.
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/12/obamas_picks_lahood_transporta.html
-- The truth? He can't handle the truth It's not as if he's lying -- to anybody other than himself - Mark Brown
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/1341690,CST-NWS-brown21.article
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Mary Mitchell makes it clear that she wants Whites and religious people not only at the back of the bus, but under the bus, again
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/1341501,CST-NWS-mitch21.article
-- People of Illinois deserve senator of their own choosing - Washington Post
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/1341113,CST-EDT-open20b.article
-- Bailout approved: Automakers to get $17.4B Drastic restructuring required for emergency auto industry funding - AP
http://www.suntimes.com/business/1340774,w-auto-bailout-approved-122008.article

DAILY HERALD
-- Gov. Blagojevich: 'I will fight' until 'my last breath' - Joseph Ryan
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=259354
-- Special election for all offices in Illinois? - Don Loresch, Elmhurst
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=259375&src=

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
-- GOP: Blagojevich statement 'unacceptable' - Christopher Wills
http://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x16581139/GOP-Blagojevich-statement-unacceptable
-- LaHood will be key in big public works plan - Jim Suhr
http://www.sj-r.com/news/x260980434/LaHood-will-be-key-in-big-public-works-plan

CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS
-- Blagojevich: 'I will be vindicated' - AP
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=32349

SUBURBAN LIFE
-- Blagojevich vows to keep fighting - Brian Hudson
http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/addison/homepage/x1135113016

ILLINOIS REVIEW
-- In 2004, Obama supported the people electing U.S. Senators - Fran Eaton
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/12/in-2004-obama-supported-the-people-electing-us-senators-.html
-- Blagojevich: "I Will Fight, I will fight, I will fight" - Fran Eaton
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/12/i-will-fight-i-will-fight-i-will-fight.html

ILLINOIS CHANNEL
-- Senate Republican's Review the Week Past
http://illinoischannel.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!B0DB128F5CD96151!5586.entry

ILLINOIS ISSUES
-- Blagojevich: It's kind of lonely right now, but - Bethany Jaeger
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/blagojevich-its-kind-of-lonely-right.html

ILLINOIS GOP NET
-- Call Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Ask her to Keep Her Promise.- Mark W. Johnson
http://ilgopnet.com/node/1195

TOM ROESER
-- Stitching Together Contradictions Makes Obama Sound Reasonable but It’s an Intellectual Ponzi Scheme.
http://www.tomroeser.com/blogs/blogview.asp?blogID=24848

CARL SEGVICH
-- Was Blago a Chicago Mobster?
http://segvich.us/#12-18-2008

FOX NEWS CHANNEL
-- Rudy Giuliani Breaks Down Blagojevich Case
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,470037,00.html
-- Obama's Senate Seat Could Stay Vacant for Months Impeachment proceedings against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich could take a number of weeks, meaning Barack Obama's Senate seat will stay in limbo
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/19/obamas-senate-seat-stay-vacant-months/

NATIONAL JOURNAL
-- Blagojevich: Obama's Toil And Trouble - Jennifer Skalka
http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2008/12/toil_and_troubl.html

ASSOCIATED PRESS
-- Illinois governor: `I'm not going to quit' - Deanna Bellandi and Mike Robinson
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hVNAcA-xtCA6PKQ8h5s7dBlD_BKwD95624CO0
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hVNAcA-xtCA6PKQ8h5s7dBlD_BKwD956CO0G0
-- Illinois Gov. Blagojevich pledges to fight, won't quit - Jim Suhr
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hVNAcA-xtCA6PKQ8h5s7dBlD_BKwD9560RAO0
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hVNAcA-xtCA6PKQ8h5s7dBlD_BKwD95638GG0

BLOOMBERG
-- Blagojevich Vows to Fight Charges With ‘Last Breath’ - Andrew Harris
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aPpTtLSiLok8&refer=home
-- Obama’s Diverse Cabinet Lacks Members From Business Community - Julianna Goldman and Hans Nichols
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aKSVsbZ04joc&refer=home
-- GM Bailout, Fueled by Quiznos, Pre-Dawn Call, Punted to Obama - Kristin Jensen
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=au4nurKugBmE&refer=home

WASHINGTON POST
-- Blagojevich's Defiance Complicates Democratic Strategy - Chris Cillizza
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/12/blagojevich_decision_further_c.html?hpid=topnews

LOS ANGELES TIMES
-- Corruption spotlight prompts new Illinois license plate for 2009 - Andrew Malcolm
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/12/blagojevich-o-5.html
-- Defiant Blagojevich insists he's innocent - Chicago Tribune
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-blagojevich20-2008dec20,0,5333781.story

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
-- Defiant Blagojevich swears to his innocence - Peter Slevin
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/19/MN6L14RLCM.DTL

NEW YORK TIMES
-- Blagojevich: ‘I Will Fight This Thing Every Step of the Way’ - Lisa Tozzi
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/19/blagojevich-to-make-statement/
-- ‘I Will Fight,’ Blagojevich Unapologetically Vows - Susan Saulny and Monica Davey
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/20/us/20blago.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail1=y

TAMPA TRIBUNE
-- Illinois Governor's 'Pay For Play' Reminiscent Of Tammany Hall Infamy - John Reiniers
http://www2.hernandotoday.com/content/2008/dec/20/illinois-governors-pay-play-reminiscent-tammany-ha/

Blagojevich - I Will Fight, I Will Fight, I Will Fight Until My Last Breath

Governor Blagojevich deserves a post all his own for this Press Conference.

Back here for the rest of the weekend's blogging.

Keep love in your heart: the Rod Blagojevich story

This is hysterical. Via ILGOP

****
I'll keep this post open for weekend Bleepgate postings.

****
LaHood over the Pork Barrel (not Bleepgate but close)

Obama's going to govern the country the same way Daley governed Chicago. Competent Chiefs that garner praise from Corporate Republicans, and contracts as the glue that holds the coalition together. Here's AP's Jim Shuhr in SJ-R.com on the guy managing the contracts: LaHood will be key in big public works plan

Retiring Rep. Ray LaHood ranks among his state’s leaders when it comes to bringing federal money home to Illinois. As Barack Obama’s transportation secretary, LaHood would apply those skills on a much grander scale.

For starters, if confirmed by the Senate, he will be looked upon to oversee the monster public works program President-elect Obama has promised as a means of jolting the nation’s down-in-the-dumps economy back to life.

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Oberweis as place holder

Joe the Libertarian writes What Should Blagojevich do?

Second he should appoint a placeholder for Obama's Senate seat. My preferred choice is Jim Oberweis...why? Simple, Oberweis is considered a gadfly by now and disliked by not only Democrats but also a majority of Republican (I happen to like him and agree with him most of the time). Also, he is extremely wealthy and would make the 2010 primaries and possibly general election interesting. Also, by appointing a Republican like Oberweis would be a major snub to the Democrats that have stabbed him in the back and weaken the Republican's criticism of him.

I don't think it would dampen GOP criticism but it would be wild ride for sure.

****
Hugh Hewitt: Blagojevich Will Get All Of the Emanuel Tapes

...Blago’s lawyers are going to get complete copies – not just transcripts – of everything Emanuel said to him.

And, I’m guessing that Fitzgerald has not shared with the Obama administration what it is Emanuel has been recorded as saying, thus the complete silence by Emanuel since this issue broke into the press. He can’t say anything now for fear that there is a recorded conversation that will contradict him.

Obama's administration will start crippled with a COS who can't talk to anyone.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Blagojevich: It's kind of lonely right now, but ...

By Bethany Jaeger
Dana Heupel contributed to this report

Gov. Rod Blagojevich proclaimed his innocence and said he will fight the criminal charges brought against him by federal investigators earlier this month. Although he paused at times to compose himself, his tone and his conviction stayed true to the audacious Blagojevich that we have come to know.

"I am not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing, that I intend to stay on the job, and I intend to fight this thing every step of the way. I will fight, I will fight, I will fight until I take my last breath. I have done nothing wrong."

He spoke from a Chicago news conference, seen on national television, the first time he's addressed the public since his December 9 arrest. It was an ironic juxtaposition: Blagojevich spoke about 10 minutes after another Chicago news conference of President-elect Barack Obama, whose vacant U.S. Senate seat was the impetus for Blagojevich's arrest. At the Drake Hotel-Chicago, Obama officially announced former U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood, a Peoria Republican, as transportation secretary.

At a state building a few blocks away, Blagojevich denounced the criminal complaints, including that he tried to sell Obama's Senate seat and repeatedly schemed to personally gain from public office. He said he would not step down because of "false accusations and a political lynch mob."

He also took a direct shot at Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan by criticizing his "accusers and political enemies" of talking about his case in "30-second sound bites on Meet the Press or on the TV news."

In a plight to the public, he pleaded for patience and the presumption of innocence.

"It’s kind of lonely right now, but I have on my side the most powerful ally there is, and it’s the truth. And besides, I have the personal knowledge that I have not done anything wrong."

He did not address how he would continue to manage the state. However, after Blagojevich walked away without taking questions, a member of his legal defense, Sam Adam Jr., said the governor could step aside in the future "if the people of Illinois suffer." But Adam said he has every faith that Blagojevich will continue to be able to governor. "He can do it, and he will."

Meanwhile, the Illinois House impeachment investigation is on a three-day break and will reconvene in Springfield Monday.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Some Illinois charitable organizations could find a little something more in their stockings this year, thanks to Governor Blagojevich's legal and political troubles.

Illinois State Board of Elections reports show that 17 political committees have received over $60,000 in contributions from Blago's campaign fund over the last four years. Unloading the tainted money is problematic; returning it to Blago makes no sense, since the U.S. Attorney has indicated the campaign fund may soon be indicted and frozen.

Expect PACs that received Blago cash to resort to the time-honored tradition of unloading tainted funds to local charities.

See the full list of Blago recipients below....

Transfers Out by Friends of Blagojevich:

RcvDate	Amount	Commitee Name
11/13/2006	$ 1,000	Neighbors for Rey Colon
11/8/2006	$ 750	Joseph Berrios, 31st Ward Committeeman
11/6/2006	$ 2,000	34th Ward Regular Democratic Org
11/6/2006	$ 1,000	Calumet Twp Regular Democratic Org
11/6/2006	$ 1,000	Rich Twp Democratic Org
11/4/2006	$ 1,000	The 26th Ward Democratic Organization
11/3/2006	$ 2,000	Proviso Twp Democratic Org
11/3/2006	$ 1,500	Committee for Ed Smith
11/3/2006	$ 1,800	Committee to Elect Rickey Hendon
10/31/2006	$ 1,500	Citizens to Re-Elect Michael D Chandler
10/31/2006	$ 3,000	Citizens to Elect Eddie Washington
10/30/2006	$ 2,000	3rd Ward Democratic Org
10/30/2006	$ 26,000	Rock Island County Democratic Central Comm
10/17/2006	$ 2,500	Cook County Democratic Party
2/10/2006	$ 10,000	Independent Campaign Comm
11/29/2004	$ 1,000	Illinois Democratic County Chairmans Assn
11/4/2004	$ 2,500	Friends of Bob Flider

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 19, 2008

Sorry, but because of technical difficulties, to view the December 19, 2008 GOPUSA ILLINOIS email, please visit http://www.gopillinois.com or http://www.illinoisreview.com.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Impeachment: Day 3

The evidence gathered during the third day of the Illinois House’s impeachment investigation will play a role in committee members’ decisions about whether to recommend impeachment of Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Yet the answers committee members could not get from witnesses today is likely to be just as important, if not more, in determining whether the governor is fulfilling his constitutional duties.

Questions floated during today’s nearly seven-hour hearing focused on three things:

Has the governor exceeded his authority, and is he directly responsible for the expansion of a state health care program without legislative approval?
Do particular state audits of his administration document a habitual ignorance or flat-out disregard for state and federal laws?
Has his administration unnecessarily and inappropriately withheld information from the public?

Ultimately, the committee is looking for a pattern of behavior. Today’s testimony offered information that dated back to 2003, the first year Blagojevich took office.

“For those of us who have been around the building for the last six or seven years, some of it’s old news,” said Steve Brown, spokesman for House Speaker Michael Madigan, who is presiding over the impeachment investigation. “But in the context of a pattern of abuse of power, abuse of law, abuse of the appropriations process, I think it all shows a real pattern of behavior.”

The known work of the committee is done, Brown said. But it’s unknown yet whether the U.S. attorney’s office will give the OK to invite testimony from people involved in the ongoing criminal investigation(s), mainly Ali Ata and Joseph Cari (see the Day 1 blog). The committee went home for the weekend but will return to the state Capitol at noon Monday. Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, committee chair, told members to be prepared for two days of work, but the specific agenda is unknown.

Here are some highlights of information gathered from today’s hearing:

Administrative authority (JCAR)
Committee members could not get straight answers about who ultimately made the decision to expand the state-sponsored health insurance program despite rejections the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. Simply called JCAR, the bipartisan legislative panel reviews administrative rules to make sure they stay true to the legislative intent. Read lots of background information about the expansion of FamilyCare in previous blogs.

A group of businessmen filed a lawsuit against the governor, claiming that he expanded a state-sponsored health care program to middle-income families without legislative approval and without specific spending authority to pay for it.

Director Barry Maram pointed out that court rulings have not specifically addressed whether the Department of Healthcare and Family Services had authority to expand the program. Court decisions so far have only determined that the eligibility criteria used for the FamilyCare expansion don’t abide by federal employment rules (see more here).

Fun fact: Since JCAR was created 31 years ago, nearly half of the rules it has suspended or prohibited have happened during the past six years of the Blagojevich administration, according to Vicki Thomas, executive director of JCAR.

The governor’s office has said JCAR is just an advisory body. Thomas said if the state didn’t have a JCAR, it would lead to “abuse of power and serious problems of separation of powers because then you would have the administration making law.”

Audits
Auditor General Bill Holland cited a June 2005 audit that documented significant problems in the agency where the governor consolidated many of the state’s important functions, Central Management Services. So-called efficiency initiatives turned out to be not so efficient, costing state agencies more money than they saved, Holland said. But the agency’s contracting practices were even more problematic. Many times, members of the governor’s staff played key roles in selecting the companies that would receive the state contract, which is unusual, he said. In one instance, a state contract was granted to an agency that did not yet exist.

Holland said routine requests for such information as contracts and travel vouchers also have been problematic. “Every year those are questions we’re going to ask … but when we ask for information and it is now being routinely given to legal staff, that is not making it any easier. It is making it more complex,” he said.

Holland also repeated the scenario in which he said the governor illegally tried to import doses of flu vaccine after initial scare of a shortage, but the U.S. government never approved the European vaccine. It eventually was meant to ship to Pakistan, but it didn’t get used there, either, because it expired.

Freedom of Information
The administration had shown “disregard” and “contempt” of the law on rather routine requests for public documents under the state’s Freedom of Information Act, said Jay Stewart, executive director of the Chicago-based Better Government Association. He said the administration repeatedly denied his requests, which isn’t that unusual. But what is unusual is that officials couldn’t confirm whether they had the information requested, and if they did have the information, they wouldn’t provide it. Stewart said it was the first “hypothetical denial” he’s ever received. The association has been trying to get access to federal grand jury subpoenas served upon the administration.

Funding a Special Election Could Help Save Newspaper Industry

CapitolFax points out today that the Chicago Sun-Times "adds its voice to the growing chorus calling for a special election."

As even the Sun-Times points out, a special election comes with a hefty price tag for taxpayers, estimated at $40 to $50 million. Lawmakers would either have to raise taxes or cut state services at a time when we already have a multi-billion dollar deficit.

My solution? Since they want a special election, newspapers should drop their opposition to closing the sales tax loophole on printer's ink, a $40 million per year taxpayer giveaway to the newspaper industry. That way we can pay for the special election without raising taxes on working families or cutting the services they depend on.

There's more to this story than just good government advocacy -- a special election could help stimulate the newspaper industry.

As the Sun-Times points out, Democrats have dropped plans for a special election because it would create the possibility of a Republican winning the seat, instead of a Democratic appointment. Frankly, Democrats have only themselves to blame -- Dick Durbin in particular -- for being so eager to get on record and in front of the camera without thinking through the consequences of a special election.

But the upside for the newspaper industry -- and a reason for them to support closing the tax loophole - is that a special election is that the national campaign committees for both Democrats and Republicans will end up spending tens of millions of dollars in advertising in Illinois, much of it going right back into the pockets of the very same papers calling for a special election.

I'm not saying that the bankrupted newspaper industry is editorializing out of self-interest, but i do think its in the best interests of their lobbying arm to repeal the tax loophole to fund a special election.

Despite the Democratic tilt of the state, a number of factors could make a special election the single most expensive Senate race in U.S. history. Those factors include the governor's troubles (which make the race competitive), the lack of competition for dollars because it is the sole federal election, the opportunity to tarnish Obama's image, the national interest in the race, and the fact that Chicago is the third-largest media market in the country.

How much money are we talking about here? Well, recent spending in the Franken-Coleman U.S. Senate race exceeded $60 million, when third party spending is factored in.

This special election could easily reach $75 million. Hope you're all ready for more campaign ads!!

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 18, 2008

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 18, 2008

Sorry, but because of technical difficulties, please visit www.gopillinois.com or www.illinoisreview.com to view the December 18, 2008 GOPUSA ILLINOIS email.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

That wasn't the smell of victory in Grant Park last month...

Today’s Wall Street Journal unfortunately carried this appallingly bad editorial by Thomas Frank, the end of which is excerpted below:

Blago's alleged acts bring us face-to-face with what's wrong with American politics, and this time it can't just be brushed off as part of a Republican "culture of corruption." It goes far deeper than that. The rot is structural; it is trans-partisan; and it stinks to high heaven.

So let President-elect Obama recruit a thousand Patrick Fitzgeralds. Let him turn them loose on Chicago, on Washington, and on every corner of public life where the market-based ideal still survives. Sic semper tyrannis.

(emphasis added)

Honestly, it’s infuriating to the point of being exhausting. After all, Mr. Obama used the Senate seat of the man who actually did recruit Patrick Fitzgerald as a stepping stone to the Presidency, and did more to expose Chicago’s corruption by vacating that seat than he ever did while filling it.

I wonder if Frank ever asked his “liberal friends in Chicago” who “have no use for some of the other bright lights of local Democratic politics -- from patronage hacks to the family that managed to pass the presidency of the Cook County Board from father to son,” if they ever felt frustrated that Mr. Obama enabled the machine with his silence - or, worse, in the case of the Strogers, Daley and Blagojevich, his endorsements? Do they ever express regret that Mr. Obama never used even a fraction of the talent and ambition that he demonstrated on the road to the White House to really, really take on corruption here in Chicago? I wonder if they’re mad that, while he carefully navigated his way to the White House, they’re still stuck in the sewer with Blago?

Maybe they’re not as bitter as I think they should be. Maybe they’re optimistic that a President Obama will now be inspired and emboldened enough to, as Frank suggestions, unleash a pack of Fitzgerald-like corruption busters on Chicago and Washington…..but if they are going to be answering to Marc Rich, I wouldn’t hold my breath – or maybe I would....the stink isn’t going away anytime soon.

The Slow Boat to Impeachment

I've taken a slew of calls from national political reporters and other people who live outside of Illinois on the Blagojevich impeachment proceedings. The first thing I tell them is that this isn't political, and it isn't legal. These proceedings are personal. And there isn't a damn thing that's going to happen until the Illinois Supreme Court rules on Lisa Madigan's motion. Period.

Trying to understand what is happening through the lens of public opinion polls or reading the Constitution won't help. There's only one poll that matters. What does Michael Madigan (Illinois House Speaker and proud papa of Illinois' Attorney General, Lisa Madigan) want (and when)?

Like I said, nothing's going to happen until the Supreme Court decides on Lisa's motion.

While Illinois' extreme tolerance of corruption -- a tolerance made more obvious by the slow motion movement towards possible impeachment -- baffles the rest of the country, I return to an almost constant refrain: Illinois is not a reform state. Illinois did not go through the monumental Progressive reforms of the early 20th century. In fact, just the opposite. Most of Illinois' politicians are proud that we are the last (political) machine state. "It works."

Actually, the inference that Illinois' machine politics has a pragmatic value is a myth. The machine politics here hasn't made Illinois more efficient, or given us better government service, or "made the trains run on time." Just the opposite. Illinois' governments are extremely inefficient, designed to produce political favors not public service. If you live in the wrong part of the 50th ward (in Chicago), for example, good luck in getting your streets plowed or your curbs fixed. Illinois' political corruption isn't efficient, it is corrosive. Ask anyone who's sat on the tracks of the Brown line for half an hour or so. Illinois' political corruption costs every single Illinois resident money, time and patience. State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias just announced that this particular corruption scandal has already cost us 20 million dollars. It hadn't even been a week yet. (We are all hoping that the costs of the current scandal isn't $20M a week.)

The Illinois House's slow motion movement towards impeachment isn't extraordinary, it's fairly typical. Rod Blagojevich may have been asking what he could get for his appointment of a replacement senator, but Michael Madigan is now asking himself what he can get out of these impeachment proceedings. He's the one currently in control of Illinois' politics. And glory and recognition for his daughter seems to be the going price these days.

It's another myth that this is just about Rod Blagojevich. It's not. Rod Blagojevich is just another representative of the Illinois political system. The problem that people outside of Illinois have is that they view all this (political corruption) in the context of Barack Obama, thinking he came out of this political system or that everyone does it. That is a huge mistake. While it certainly suits the purposes of the president-elect to focus our attention on the clearly corrupt and horrifying practices of the governor, it is important to remember that Blagojevich represents the common practices of Illinois politicians. Barack Obama represents the minority of Illinois' reform-minded but pragmatic politicians who take on the machine when appropriate but live side-by-side it as well. Most of Illinois' reformers fly under the radar, sometimes as gadflies, and gain skills and power by circumventing the machine in various ways.

The political reformers, like Barack Obama, are a reaction to -- not an outgrowth of -- Illinois' corrupt political system.

The best way to understand the difference between the machine Democrats like Blagojevich, the Madigans and Strogers (among others) and the political reformers like Barack Obama, Alexi Giannoulias, Forrest Claypool, John Fritchey and Debra Shore (among others) is that the reformers are forced to network outside the traditional political circles in Illinois. IOW, Illinois' political reformers have to build it themselves. If you want to understand Barack Obama's intuitive understanding of technology, strategy and tactics -- an understanding that allowed him to outmaneuver the vaunted political skills of the Clintons -- you have to realize that he's been doing this (outmaneuvering the political elites) from the beginning more than a dozen years ago. Obama didn't suddenly appear with these skills, he's been developing them all along.

While people may be amazed at the byzantine nature of Illinois politics, it's really simple. Rod Blagojevich was caught in a "corruption crime spree." Think of him as a wannabe crime boss, the pretender posing as the head of a (crime) family. Think of Michael Madigan as the family Don. As such, Speaker Madigan may want to wait to see if his daughter's legal motion provides "relief" to this scandal not just for her political advancement, but also because it allows the pretender to twist in the wind for awhile. It "sends a message" to all those who might be scheming to replace the Don. The Sopranos couldn't have done it better.

This is Illinois. The legacy of Al Capone is a lot stronger than you might think. It's certainly stronger than most of us would want. It's not (just) Blagojevich, it's the whole political system. The proclivity towards (political) crime simply makes the emergence of the Elliot Ness' inevitable. The pervasiveness of Illinois' corruption makes the determination of its reformers stronger. Only the smart survive, because they have to navigate a corrupt system to survive.

What this means for America is that Barack Obama is bringing a commitment to smart governance to the White House. And smart government is Change We Can Believe In.

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 17, 2008

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 17, 2008

ABC7
-- Illinois impeachment panel awaits Blago attorney
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6559833

NBC5
-- Dr. Blago Resuscitates the Illinois Republican Party - Steve Rhodes
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Dr-Blago.html
-- Italy Not Cool With Obama Nativity Figures Police in Naples shut down vendors of nativity scenes featuring the Prez-elect alongside Jesus. Why so touchy? - Elizabeth Bougerol
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/us_world/Italy-Not-Cool-With-Obama-Nativity-Figures-.html

CBS2
-- Governor's Impeachment Lawyer Ready To Rumble Genson To Appear Before House Committee To Protest Proceedings Against Blagojevich - Jay Levine
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/Blagojevich.Participate.In.2.888568.html
-- Lawmakers Press White House On Auto Bailout
http://cbs2chicago.com/politics/domestic.auto.bailout.2.889229.html

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
-- Latest push from Illinois GOP for special election to fill Obama seat. Poll memo - Lynn Sweet
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/12/latest_push_from_illinois_gop.html
-- Democrat's reverse on Senate seat a bad move Backing off special election could give GOP a big opening - Mark Brown
http://www.suntimes.com/news/brown/1334838,CST-NWS-brown17.article
-- Gov's lawyer likely to infuriate Legislature - Carol Marin
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/1334555,CST-EDT-carol17.article
-- Gov scandal cloaks state's tradition of reform Reform in Illinois? - Don Rose
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/1334567,CST-EDT-open17.article

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
-- Impeachment panel gets down to work
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/12/impeachment-panel-gets-down-to-work.html
-- Impeachment panel launches investigation - Ray Long
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2008/12/impeachment-pan.html
-- Impeachment panel begins, teeth clenched Past problems with Blagojevich are evident, but panel vows to be fair - Ray Long and Monique Garciahttp://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-blago-impeachdec17,0,6789465.story
-- Willises want to look into Ryan's eyes, heart - John Kass
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-kass-17-dec17,0,3344706.column
-- Trust the people? Nah. - Editorial
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-1217edit1dec17,0,6619080.story
-- Civic pride in public shame - Clarence Page
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped1217pagedec17,0,678564.column
-- A little Blago for everyone - Jonah Goldberg http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-oped1217goldbergdec17,0,2726311.story

DAILY HERALD
-- Jackson Jr. cooperated with feds on governor probe - Don Babwin
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=258667&src=109
-- Impeachment panel's case begins today Defense will be there; treasurer says arrest has already cost the state - John Patterson and Joseph Ryan
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=258665
-- Obama Senate seat getting cold fast - Joseph Ryan and John Patterson
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=258525&src=109
-- Roskam's pre-election mailings met deadline, commission says - Marni Pyke
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=258661&src=1
-- Legislators failing to restore faith - Editorial
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=258651&src=
-- Lake County board member Sabonjian latest to flee Democrats - Russell Lissau
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=258580

CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS
-- Guv's arrest costs state $20M in bond sale - Lorene Yue
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=32271&seenIt=1
-- Statehouse launches impeachment inquiry
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=32251
-- Potential GOP governor candidate Steven Preston: We need ‘dialogue on leadership’ - Paul Merrion
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=32257
-- GREG HINZ BLOG: The Illinois Chamber of Commerce announced that it has granted a leave of absence to its president, Doug Whitley, so he can "pursue personal goals, perhaps including a future political career." The leave takes effect on Jan. 1 and comes after months in which Mr. Whitley was said to be testing the gubernatorial waters.
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/

WTTW
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: VIDEO CLIP: Carol Marin interviews Speaker Madigan concerning Blagojevich
http://www.wttw.com/main.taf?p=42,8,1&vid=121508a

ILLINOIS ISSUES
-- Impeachment: Day 1 - Bethany Jaeger
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/impeachment-day-1.html

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
-- Democrats and Republicans clash over potential Obama special election - AP
http://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x1435862442/Parties-clash-over-potential-special-election
-- Impeachment looms over Blagojevich Goes home without voting on special election - Ryan Keith
http://www.sj-r.com/archive/x415880171/House-approves-impeachment-committee-goes-home
-- Can Blagojevich beat impeachment? Hostile House members say they’ll be fair - Ryan Keith
http://www.sj-r.com/blagojevich/x1720697936/Can-Blagojevich-beat-impeachment

ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR
-- Governor's impeachment is a political process - Ryan Keith
http://www.rrstar.com/news/x415882357/Governors-impeachment-is-a-political-process

SOUTHTOWN STAR
-- Economic crisis has impact on Southland - David Johnson
http://www.southtownstar.com/news/johnson/1334546,121708johnson.article

PIONEER LOCAL
-- Bellock and Durkin serve on Blago impeachment panel - Jennifer Zimmerman
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/clarendonhills/news/1334352,do-blago-121608-s1.article
-- GOP angry over blocked special election - Charles Berman
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/arlingtonheights/news/1334399,g5-specelect-121608-s1.article
-- Maine Township is spared GOP primary - Jennifer Johnson
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/parkridge/news/1334400,pr-mainebrd-121608-s1.article
-- Lawmakers explore impeachment - Cathryn Gran
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/riverforest/news/1334037,op-saviano-121708-s1.article

ILLINOIS REVIEW
-- Questions raised about Edgar's "Blue Ribbon Panel" - Fran Eaton
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/12/questions-raise.html
-- Republicans respond to Democrats muffling voters - Fran Eaton
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/12/republicans-res.html
-- Democrats kill peoples' voice in picking next U.S. Senator - Fran Eaton
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/12/il-senate-conve.html

TOM ROESER
-- Judy Baar Topinka Trying to Recycle Herself for as a Candidate for Governor in 2010. McCain Shouldn’t Be Viewed as GOP Spokesman.
http://www.tomroeser.com/blogs/blogview.asp?blogID=24844

CHAMPION NEWS
-- House Speaker Madigan calls out Blagojevich enablers McKenna and Cross
http://www.championnews.net/article.php?sid=1482 (Includes video clip)
-- Why Republicans support limiting government - John Biver
http://www.championnews.net/article.php?sid=1480
-- Comparing American automakers with public schools - John Biver
http://www.championnews.net/article.php?sid=1477
-- Dangers from the political allocation of capital - John Biver
http://www.championnews.net/article.php?sid=1479

ILLINOIS GOP NET
-- Illinois Republican Party Announces Blago's Newest Friend - Mark Johnson
http://ilgopnet.com/node/1189
-- Push Must Begin to Pressure Democrat Leaders To Organize a Special Election - IL House Republican Leader Tom Cross and IL Sen Leader Christine Radogno
http://ilgopnet.com/node/1191

ILLINOIS SENATE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS-- Impeachment in Illinois
http://www.impeachment.senategop.net/

ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY
-- VIDEO CLIP: Blago Democrats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7tib5IZCGw

RED STATE
-- NoMoreHacks in Illinois
http://www.redstate.com/illinois_gop_network/2008/12/17/nomorehacks-in-illinois/

CAPITOLFAX
-- Illinois Republican Party Poll: 66 percent say do special election; GOP candidate news; Daley reacts to issue - Rich Miller
http://thecapitolfaxblog.com/2008/12/16/poll-66-percent-say-do-special-election/
-- Impeachment roundup - Rich Miller
http://thecapitolfaxblog.com/2008/12/17/impeachment-roundup-2/

CHICAGO ARGUS
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Gregory Tejeda's argument that "Blagojevich Democrats" do not dominate the Illinois Democrat Party (IDP) is similar to the argument that "Jim Thompson, Jim Edgar, George Ryan, Jim Ryan, Judy Baar Topinka, Bob Kjellander, Andy McKenna, Randy Pollard, Tom Cross, Christine Radogno Republicans" do not dominate the Illinois Republican Party (IRP). While there are many similarities between Blagojevich and Thompson, Edgar, the Ryans, Topinka, Kjellander, McKenna, Pollard, Cross, and Radogno, there are major differences. A major difference is that Blagojevich acts and talks like he supports the IDP's base (liberals) and he wants to advance the IDP platform while Thompson, Edgar, the Ryans, Topinka, Kjellander, McKenna, Pollard, Cross, and Radogno act and talk like they despise the IRP's base (conservatives) and want to shred the IRP platform.
http://chicagoargus.blogspot.com/2008/12/blagojevich-dems-dont-make-me-laugh.html

REPUBLICANS FOR FAIR MEDIA
-- President-elect Obama: Hands Off Patrick Fitzgerald U.S. Attorney for Illinois' Northern District Should Stay Right Where He Is - Daniel T. Zanoza
http://rffm.typepad.com/republicans_for_fair_medi/2008/12/presidentelect-obama-hands-off-patrick-fitzgerald-.html

AMERICAN THINKER
-- Insiders still own Illinois' Senate seat - Douglas O'Brien
http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/12/insiders_still_own_illinois_se.html
-- Whatever Happened to the Law and Order Issue? - Karl Spence
http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/12/whatever_happened_to_the_law_a.html

TOWNHALL
-- The Taint of Scandal Envelops Democrats - Donald Lambro
http://townhall.com/columnists/DonaldLambro/2008/12/17/the_taint_of_scandal_envelops_democrats
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Bill Murchison blames all past, present, and future problems on unions
http://townhall.com/columnists/BillMurchison/2008/12/17/myths_of_the_assembly_line

ACCURACY IN MEDIA
-- Saudi Billionaire Buys Good Press in United States - Cliff Kincaid
http://www.aim.org/aim-report/saudi-billionaire-buys-good-press-in-u.s./

NEWSMAX
-- Rush Strikes Back at 'Turncoat' Colin Powell - Phil Brennan
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/limbaugh_powell_feud/2008/12/16/162405.html?s=al&promo_code=74A4-1

FOX NEWS CHANNEL
-- Blagojevich Impeachment May Take Months A House committee made up of 12 Democrats and nine Republicans is expected to hold several weeks of hearings to determine whether Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich should be impeached.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/16/blagojevich-impeachment-months/
-- Unhappy Republicans in Illinois ???? - Greta Van Susteren (DIERSEN: This is a December 16 Illinois Republican Party press release received by the Fox News Channel but NOT received by GOPUSA ILLINOIS.)
http://gretawire.foxnews.com/2008/12/16/unhappy-republicans-in-illinois/

NEW YORK TIMES
-- Blagojevich Impeachment Inquiry Stalls - Monica Davey
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/17/us/17illinois.html?_r=1

WASHINGTON POST
-- IL-Senate: A Special Or Not? - Chris Cillizza
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/12/il-senate_a_special_or_not.html?nav=rss_blog

ABC NEWS
-- Investigative Panel Meets to Discuss Blago Impeachment
http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2008/12/investigative-p.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
-- Welcome to the Blagosphere The governor practiced market-based management. - Frank Thomas
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122947806226912805.html
-- Lawmakers Reject Election for Illinois Senate Seat If Blagojevich Resigns or Is Impeached, Lieutenant Governor Will Make Appointment -- Keeping the Decision in Democrats' Hands - Douglas Belkin
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122945270609511121.html

MCCLATCHY NEWS
-- Ipsos/McClatchy Poll: Illinois voters say Blagojevich must go - Steven Thomma
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/57964.html

BLOOMBERG
-- Blagojevich Impeachment Panel Ponders Abuse of Power- Joe Carroll
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aQ5ZACsx38ZQ&refer=home

ASSOCIATED PRESS
-- Illinois Democrats and Republicans clash over potential Obama special election - Christopher Wills
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hVNAcA-xtCA6PKQ8h5s7dBlD_BKwD95422680
-- Illinois speaker Michael Madigan, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan have stormy past with Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich - Don Babwin
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jF2rnRWH2yUDiLHamFQQg19n651AD9540S7O0
-- Illinois impeachment panel awaits Blagojevich attorney Ed Genson - Christopher Wills
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hVNAcA-xtCA6PKQ8h5s7dBlD_BKwD954CLSO0
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hVNAcA-xtCA6PKQ8h5s7dBlD_BKwD954EA5G0

CNN
-- Spokesman: Jackson Jr. a past informant in Illinois probe
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/16/blagojevich/

POLITICO
-- White House: 'No hard feelings' for shoe-thrower - Andy Barr
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16640.html
-- Nepotism Nation: Democrats embrace dynasty politics - Charles Mahte Sian
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16664.html

CNN, ATLANTIC JOURNAL CONSTITUTION, AOL, KANSAS CITY STAR, POLITICO, MARKET WATCH, HUMAN EVENTS, WASHINGTON POST, CNS NEWS
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: At CPAC 2008, Diersen was the first person to shake Gingrich's hand as he headed to the stage to proclaim that he would rather have a McCain as President who he would disagree with 10% of the time than an Obama as President who he would disagree with 90% of the time. But now, sadly, Gingrich seems to a) support those who support Obama's associations with anti-conservatives and with criminals and b) blast those who oppose Obama's associations with anti-conservatives and with criminals.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/16/blagojevich/
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/12/16/gingrich-to-rnc-drop-blago-video-help-obama-instead/
http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/bookman/entries/2008/12/16/gingrich_blows_whistle_on_part.html
http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2008/12/16/gingrich-joins-mccain-in-blasting-rnc-for-blagojevich-attacks-on/
http://voices.kansascity.com/node/3077
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1208/Newt_denounces_Blago_attacks.html
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Gingrich-Calls-RNC-Pull-Destructive/story.aspx?guid=%7BD8851AC6-8254-4D09-82FD-A6F77F7313F6%7D
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=29935
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/12/more_republicans_revolt_on_oba.html?nav=rss_blog
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=40928

OPED NEWS
-- The South Rises Again To Stab America in the Heart with the Complicity of the GOP - John Lorenz
http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=11161
-- Illinois, The Land of Larceny - Mike Kohr
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Illinois--The-Land-of-Lar-by-mike-kohr-081216-78.html

SAGINAW NEWS
-- VERY SAD: Congress tries to kill Detroit - Editorial
http://www.mlive.com/saginawnews/opinion/index.ssf/2008/12/editorial_congress_tries_to_ki.html

UNION LEADER
-- Toyota Republicans stomp on Detroit - Pat Buchanan
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Pat+Buchanan%3A+Toyota+Republicans+stomp+on+Detroit&articleId=32a8a452-1cc8-493e-9675-35b78d4baaed
(THE ARTICLE: GOP to Detroit: "Drop Dead!" So may have read the headline Friday had not President Bush stepped in to save GM, Ford and Chrysler, which Senate Republicans had just voted to send to the knacker's yard. What are Republicans thinking of, pulling the plug at Christmas on GM, risking swift death for the greatest manufacturing company in American history, a strategic asset and pillar of the U.S. economy? The $14 billion loan to the Big Three that Republican senators filibustered to death is just 2 percent of the $700 billion the Senate voted to bail out Wall Street. Having gone along with bailouts of Bear Stearns, AIG, Fannie, Freddie and CitiGroup, why refuse a reprieve to an industry upon which millions of the best blue-collar jobs in America depend? In a good year, Americans buy 17 million cars. A more populous European Union probably buys as many. Three billion people in India, Southeast Asia and China, four times as many people as there are in the EU and United States, are moving toward the middle class. They, too, will be wanting cars. And millions of them love American cars. Is the Republican Party so fanatic in its ideology that, rather than sin against a commandment of Milton Friedman, it is willing to see America written forever out of this fantastic market, let millions of jobs vanish and write off the industrial Midwest? So it would seem. "Companies fail every day, and others take their place," said Sen. Richard Shelby on "Face the Nation." Presumably, the companies that will "take their place," when GM, Ford and Chrysler die, are German, Japanese or Korean, like the ones lured into Shelby's state of Alabama, with the bait of subsidies free-market Republicans are supposed to abhor. In 1993, Alabama put together a $258 million package to bring a Mercedes plant in. In 1999, Honda was offered $158 million to build a plant there. In 2002, Alabama won a Hyundai plant by offering a $252 million subsidy. "We have a number of profitable automakers in America, and they should not be disadvantaged for making wise business decisions while failure is rewarded," says Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina. DeMint is referring to "profitable automakers" like BMW, which sited a plant in Spartanburg, after South Carolina offered the Germans a $150 million subsidy and $80 million to expand. Be it BMW, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi or Hyundai, the South has become a sanctuary for foreign assembly plants, for which Southern states have been paying subsidies. Fine. But why this "Let-them-eat-cake!" coldness toward U.S. auto companies? General Motors employs more workers than all these foreign plants combined. And, unlike Mitsubishi, General Motors didn't bomb Pearl Harbor. Do these Southern senators understand why the foreign automakers suddenly up and decided to build plants in the United States? It was the economic nationalism of Ronald Reagan. When an icon of American industry, Harley-Davidson, was being run out of business by cutthroat Japanese dumping of big bikes to kill the "Harley Hog," Reagan slapped 50 percent tariffs on their motorcycles and imposed quotas on imported Japanese cars. Message to Tokyo: If you folks want to keep selling cars here, start building them here. Fear of Reaganism brought those foreign automakers, lickety-split, to America's shores, not any love of Southern cooking. Do the Republicans not yet understand how they lost the New Majority coalition that gave them three landslides and five victories in six presidential races from 1968 to 1988? Do they not know why the Reagan Democrats in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan are going home? The Republican Party gave their jobs away! How? By telling U.S. manufacturers they could shut plants here, get rid of their U.S. workers, build factories in Mexico, Asia or China, and ship their products back, free of charge. Republican globalists gave U.S. manufacturers every incentive to go abroad and take their jobs with them, the jobs of Middle America. And, for 30 years, that is what U.S. manufacturers have done, have been forced to do, as their competitors closed down and moved their plants abroad in search of low-wage Third World labor. It's Herbert Hoover time in here, Vice President Cheney is said to have told the Senate Republicans -- as they prepared to march out onto the floor and turn thumbs down on any reprieve for General Motors. In today's world, America faces nationalistic trade rivals who manipulate currencies, employ nontariff barriers, subsidize their manufacturers, rebate value-added taxes on exports to us and impose value-added taxes on imports from us, all to capture our markets and kill our great companies. And we have a Republican Party blissfully ignorant that we live in a world of us or them. It doesn't even know who "us" is. We need a new team on the field and a new coach who believes with Vince Lombardi that "winning isn't everything. It's the only thing." Pat Buchanan is a former Republican and Reform Party candidate for President, adviser to two Presidents and a syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.)

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
-- Reasons why many Toyota Republican candidates, elected officials, and party leaders are headed for defeat - Dave Diersen
www.gopillinois.com
Sadly, reasons why many Toyota Republican candidates, many Toyota Republican elected officials, and many Toyota Republican Party leaders are headed for defeat include that sadly, they come across like they a) despise if not hate all unions and especially despise if not hate the UAW; b) despise if not hate all union workers and especially despise if not hate UAW workers; c) despise if not hate all non-union GM, Ford, and Chrysler workers and especially despise if not hate their managers and executives; d) despise if not hate all GM, Ford, and Chrysler retirees, stockholders, and suppliers; e) despise if not hate all vehicles made by GM, Ford, and Chrysler; f) despise if not hate everyone whoever purchased a GM, Ford, of Chrysler vehicle; g) despise if not hate those involved in selling or servicing GM, Ford, and Chrysler vehicles; h) despise if not hate anyone who argues that the design, engineering, production, distribution, marketing, and servicing of the vehicles that America needs is vital to America's national security; and i) own stock in foreign vehicle manufactures and other foreign companies that will make even greater profits if GM, Ford, and Chrysler are driven out of business. Voters who are turned off by all that include those who a) are associated with unions; b) are associated with GM, Ford, or Chrysler as employees, retirees, stockholders, suppliers, etc.; c) own vehicles made by GM, Ford, and Chrysler; d) are involved in selling or servicing GM, Ford, and Chrysler vehicles; and e) believe that the design, engineering, production, distribution, marketing, and servicing of the vehicles that America needs is vital to America's national security. I urge these Toyota Republican candidates, elected officials, and party leaders to reconsider, and if not, to consider leaving the Republican Party and forming a new political party with a name like "We Hate Unions, We Hate The American Automotive Industry, We Want the South and Foreigners to Control America" party. The reasons argued why GM, Ford, and Chrysler should file Chapter 11 bankruptcy are very similar to the reasons argued why the United States and each of the 50 states should also file Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Those Toyota Republicans who argue that GM, Ford, and Chrysler should file Chapter 11 bankruptcy should also argue the United States and each of the 50 states should also file Chapter 11 bankruptcy. That is exactly what is wanted by those countries, companies, organizations, and individuals that want to take over the United States, if not destroy the United States.

Wednesday Crack of Dawn Blago Post

Sneed wrote yesterday Fitz has Rahm on tape 21 times talking about BHO's replacemenet. I don't think it matters what's said, I don't think he can bleeping survive 21 exposures to his bleeping style.

****
SJ-R.com Can Blagojevich beat impeachment?

Lawmakers don’t expect Blagojevich to show up for the proceedings, but they do expect surrogates to put up a strong fight.

“I think he (Blagojevich) will make allegations and throw a lot against the wall. He’s done that in the past,” said Rep. Jack Franks, D-Woodstock. “It’s not going to be pretty. Democracy rarely is.”

Gov wan't playing-to-play by himself. Illinois needs a strong fight to clear out all the boodlers.
****
Riehl World View: Uh "O", ... Connect These Two Dots

Allegedly Jessie Jackson Jr. has talked to the Feds about Blago since 2006 when he feels he was the target of a $25,000 shakedown over his wife being up for a slot with the state lottery. Now recall Jackson senior suggesting he'd like to remove a certain part of Obama's anatomy for "talking down to black people" on this "faith based," whatever he was referring to. There may well might be more to the animosity than that. In a sense, there are two camps emerging as Obama was definitely a Blago guy given his high profile in support of Blago's political campaigns. One of them the very same one in which Jackson Jr. felt he was the target of a shakedown.

Inject some serious bad blood between groups of people, all inside players in a Chicago now engulfed in scandal, and it might lead to all sorts of interesting information coming out.

Yep, it's not going to be pretty.

****
Garrad McClendon Live had Judy Baar Topinka on his show. Catch the very last moments of the interview where Judy says Fitz should put a wire tap on the Cook County Board.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Impeachment: Day 1

Jamey Dunn, Public Affairs Reporting intern, contributed to this report.

It’s the first day that the Illinois House is investigating cause for impeaching Gov. Rod Blagojevich, and Kent Redfield already anticipates articles of impeachment from the House and a successful trial by the Senate.

A political scientist at the University of Illinois at Springfield, Redfield said that politically, the governor has forfeited his ability to govern.

Both chambers took actions today that attempt to establish precedent for the proceedings, given that the state Constitution’s vague language and the state’s short history on the process.

The House committee’s investigation will lead to a recommendation about whether to hold actual impeachment proceedings by the full House. More significant action will start Wednesday, when the first witnesses will be called and the rules will be adopted.

Should the House send articles of impeachment over to the Senate, then that chamber is preparing rules to guide a trial. A special committee created today will will draft the rules.

House investigation
But the process starts with the House. Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, chair of the House investigative committee, said she intends to call witnesses to testify, including Ali Ata and Joseph Cari. Both were convicted of felonies related to the federal investigation into the Blagojevich Administration’s hiring and contracting practices

However, the request for witnesses could interfere with the ongoing criminal investigation headed by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. The federal prosecutor asked for a letter with more specific requests about the committee's plans.

Until Fitzgerald’s office responds, members might not meet seven days a week as scheduled. “While we are prepared to work, roll up our sleeves, get it done in a timely but deliberative fashion, we may be stymied early in the investigation by an inability to get clear answers from the United States attorney,” Currie said.

Then again, Redfield said, the effect on the feds’ criminal case is a completely separate issue. “Obviously the legislature’s not going to force someone to testify in ways that would compromise their legal position, but the legislature cannot focus on what this does to the U.S. attorney’s criminal case. The legislature has to focus on what is its political duty, its constitutional duty, in terms of exercising impeachment in a situation that clearly calls for impeachment.”

Even without the U.S. attorney’s cooperation
Even if the feds think the House committee’s proceedings could compromise the criminal investigation, some Democrats and Republicans said they have enough information to go on for impeachment.

Rep. Jack Franks, a Woodstock Democrat and longtime Blagojevich critic, said the plea agreements of Ata and Cari (Ata’s here; Cari’s here) spell out so-called pay-to-play politics, where Ata donated $25,000 to Blagojevich’s political campaign and landed a $125,000 state job soon after. “I’ve been asking for these [hearings] for months, well before this arrest occurred,” Franks said. “I’m confident that we have enough information.”

Franks also intends to discuss two state audits that looked into the governor’s purchase of doses of European flu vaccines that went unused, as well as a $1 million grant mistakenly given to a Chicago school.

The committee might not even need the criminal charges. Showing a significant abuse of power by the executive could itself be adequate cause for impeachment, Currie said.

Political process
That’s partially because the impeachment process is a political proceeding, according to Redfield. While the committee will consider criminal charges filed by the feds, it also will consider the governor’s performance. And it doesn't have to prove anything beyond reasonable doubt. “This is about whether or not the governor has violated his oath of office, whether he is fit to govern or whether he can govern. It’s a political decision.”

Partisan politics also are inevitable. Republicans will have ample opportunity to make Democrats look bad, considering Democrats control every office in this state. Call it retribution for years of GOP fallout from former Gov. George Ryan.

“It’s going to be very easy to get into broad questions of policy and the failures of the Democratic leaders, as well as the governor, to get things done,” Redfield said.

Senate Republicans, in fact, said in a Statehouse news conference this afternoon that they urge an equal number of Democrats and Republicans on the impeachment-related committees to prevent the majority party from being able to cover up facts that could hurt the party’s reputation.

“Is this more about uncovering everything and learning about everything that maybe the governor was involved in, or is it about just selectively trying to carve the governor out of the process and leave everything in place?” said Sen. Dale Righter, a Mattoon Republican. “If the latter is what happens, there will not be reform in Illinois politics. There will just be more of the same.”

Here’s the Senate resolution creating a nine-member committee to come up with the rules for a potential impeachment trial. Democrats have five members, Republicans four.

Impeachment: Day 2 and 3
Wednesday
The real work in the House investigative committee will start Wednesday, when members have invited the governor’s lawyer to testify. Items on the agenda, starting at 11 a.m.:

Digest the 76-page criminal complaint against Blagojevich
Review the plea agreement of Ali Ata
Review the plea agreement of Joe Cari

Thursday
Thursday’s agenda would focus on information not needed from the U.S. attorney’s office. That includes two items:

Cases in which the governor might have exceeded his authority, including initiatives he tried to advance through the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. For instance, the governor tried to enact a FamilyCare health insurance program for middle-income families.
Audits of the governor’s effort to secure doses of European flu vaccine without legislative approval.

Obama’s replacement update
To the Senate GOP’s disappointment, the Senate did not consider legislation that would allow for a special election of President-elect Barack Obama’s replacement in the U.S. Senate. The House Democrats asked for more time to consider such a measure, which wouldn’t happen until the General Assembly returns January 12.

December 9 in Retrospect

Cross posted from ICPR's blog, The Race is On:

It was one week ago today that federal agents appeared on the governor's doorstep to take him into custody. That event, so shocking and yet in many ways so anticipated, has plunged Illinois simultaneously into new levels of paralysis and fervent action. In the blinding glare of national attention, our path to the future is temporarily harder to see.

But before we move too far ahead, we should also note two other reasons for commemorating December 9.

It was five years earlier, on December 9, 2003, that the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act was signed into law. The 2003 Ethics Act, as it is commonly known, was enacted, like the 2008 Pay-to-Play law, by the legislature over the governor's veto. The signing ceremony on December 9, 2003 was for an enhancement crafted after a storm of public opinion overcame Senate reluctance, resulting in a law that formed the apparatus of ethics enforcement: the Executive and Legislative Ethics Commissions, the Inspectors General, routine ethics training, and a host of other internal changes designed to ferret out corruption before it reached the scale and scope that typified George Ryan's tenure in public office. Rod Blagojevich signed the new law, the strongest in a generation, on December 9, 2003, five years to the day before he himself was arrested.

The other reason to note December 9 is that on that day, also in 2003, ICPR's co-founder Paul Simon passed away. Though Paul Simon is no longer here with us, his legacy of inspiration continues to guide many who believe that government can be ethical, responsible, and above board.

Now we have a third, far tawdrier, reason to recall December 9. We hope that the date will be remembered mostly not as another step in the final demise of one governor, but in Illinois' forward progress toward a more responsible government. If we in Illinois learn anything from history, it should be that removing one actor from the system will do little to change that system. The events of December 9, 2008, confirmed for many that Rod Blagojevich must go before Illinois' government can right itself. But removing the governor is only one step among many. Until we deal with the culture that embraces unlimited campaign contributions, that allows lobbyists to hide their relationships with clients and officials, that tolerates scorn for FOIA and economic interest disclosure, we as a state will be counting the days until the next Rod Blagojevich comes along.

To comment, please visit ICPR's blog, The Race is On.

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 16, 2008

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 16, 2008

ABC7
-- Jackson, Jr. may have been working with feds to investigate gov. - Charles Thomas
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6557529
-- Impeachment hearings to begin today Treasurer: State's credit rating hurt due to scandal - Ben Bradley
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6557841
-- Quinn alters his plan for governor - Cheryl Burton
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6557144

CBS2
-- House Votes 113-0 To Begin Impeachment Proceedings Blagojevich Has No Plans To Resign, Appears Ready To Fight Charges
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/blagojevich.illinois.politicians.2.887075.html
http://cbs2chicago.com/politics/blagojevich.illinois.politicians.2.887701.html

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
-- ENTIRE FRONT PAGE IS A DRAWING OF BLAGO AT A PODIUM DUCKING SHOES: House speaker moves to begin impeachment proceedings against Gov. Blagojevich Spokesman: Impeachment talks nothing new for this governor - Chris Fusco and Dave McKinney
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/1331816,madigan-blagojevich-impeachment-121508.article
-- Impeachment process must be fair, but not slow - Editorial
http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/1332924,CST-EDT-edit16c.article
-- Toyota, Honda need the Big 3 Bankruptcy in Detroit would be big trouble for Japan automakers too - Yuri Kageyama
http://www.suntimes.com/business/1332855,CST-FIN-auto16.article
-- At a crossroad on the economy - Jesse Jackson Sr.
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/1332860,CST-EDT-jesse16.article
-- 'That's just politics' won't cut it for gov Defense failed for Ryan, Sorich -- and they weren't on tape - Mark Brown
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/1332984,CST-NWS-brown16.article
-- Who will Blagojevich drag down with him? - Steve Huntley
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/1332861,CST-EDT-hunt16.article

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
-- Lake County sheriff Mark Curran switches parties
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/12/lake-co-sheriff-switches-parties.html
-- Lake County sheriff's party switch offers opportunity to slam Democrats Gov. Rod Blagojevich is target of remarks by prominent Republican Party members - Susan Kuczka
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-curran-gop-16-dec16,0,5227972.story
-- He's not crazy - he's crooked - Ron Gidwitz
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-oped1216gitzdec16,0,285264.story
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Harry Reid, U.S. Senate Majority Leaders, blasts Blagojevich and praises Patrick Fitzgerald
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/print/chi-1216vplettersbriefsdec16,0,5390397.story
-- Pat Quinn compounds our mess - Dennis Byrne
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-oped1216byrnedec16,0,6949273.story
-- FRONT PAGE WITH 4.5X9-INCH COLOR PHOTO Of MICHAEL MADIGAN: House approves impeachment probe; Senate proposal on hold - Ray Long and Rick Pearson
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-house-rod-blagojevich-impeachment,0,2988757.story
-- Governor has friends who also have friends - John Kass
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-kasstuesdayblago12-16dec16,0,5311000.column
-- Prospect of impeachment now looms over embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich - Christopher Wills
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-illinois-governor,0,1573456.story
-- Be fair and swift - Editorial
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-1216edit1dec16,0,5832646.story
-- Casino questions - Editorial
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-1216edit2dec16,0,6225863.story
-- Guilty, guilty, guilty; stupid, stupid, stupid - Mara Tapp
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-oped1216corruptiondec16,0,5307620.story

DAILY HERALD
-- "Conscience" made Curran switch parties - Mick Zawislak
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=258290&src=3
-- FRONT PAGE: Ex-Supreme Court Louis Rathje justice doesn't believe court can remove governor - Jake Griffin
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=258283
-- FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Should the House explore impeachment? - John Patterson and Joseph Ryan
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=258436&src=109
-- Republicans launch TV ad calling for special Senate election - Joseph Ryan
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=258395&src=109
-- Wheaton candidates (including Republican Precinct Committeemen Jeanne Ives, Mark Kmiecik, and Howard Levine) to battle over three council seats - Robert Sanchez
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=258400&src=2
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Paula McGowen of Glen Ellyn blasts Birkett, again
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=258216&src=
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Donald Westlake of Wheaton blasts those who ask for bailouts and those who give bailouts. But wait, Westlake is a Democrat, and the Democrat Party platform calls for government to take money from those who have more of it and to give that money to those who have less of it.
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=258215&src=

CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS
-- Speaker Madigan forms committee to explore impeachment - AP (HINZ: Madigan moves to take control of Blago hanging party.)
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=32240
-- Quinn should appoint new U.S. senator - Editorial
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/mag/article.pl?articleId=31102

SOUTHTOWN STAR
-- Several local pols still mum on Blago - Nathaniel Zimmer
http://www.southtownstar.com/news/1332739,121608legislators.article

BLOOMINGTON PANTAGRAPH
-- Republicans outraged as special election becomes unlikely - Kurt Erickson and Mike Riopell
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/12/16/news/doc4947349425184518060052.txt

NAPERVILLE SUN
-- Legislators say they can work with Quinn More people person than politician - Paige Winfield
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/1333012,6_1_NA16_BLAGOREAX_S1.article

BEACON NEWS
-- Democrat split blocks special Senate election - Dan Campana
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/1333020,2_1_AU16_GOVIMPEACH_S1.article

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
-- Biggert, Johnson, Kirk, Roskam, Schock, and Shimkus ask Quinn to back special election - Bernard Schoenburg
http://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x1049859568/Republicans-ask-Quinn-to-back-special-election
-- House speaker spells it out for Blagojevich - Editorial
http://www.sj-r.com/opinions/x1435860757/Our-Opinion-House-speaker-spells-it-out-for-Blagojevich

URBANA/CHAMPAIGN NEWS GAZETTE
-- Whatever Blagojevich's mental state, you get what you vote for - Jim Dey
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/courts_crime_fire/2008/12/15/whatever_blagojevichs_mental_state_you

FOX NEWS CHICAGO
-- VIDEO CLIP: Blagojevich's Connection to Labor Union Gets Second Look
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=8078776&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.1.1

CHICAGO PUBLIC RADIO
-- Illinois Lawmakers Talk Impeachment for Blagojevich - Ben Calhoun
http://www.wbez.org/Content.aspx?audioID=30900
-- Madigan: Governor Will Get Fair Impeachment Review
http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=30907

SUBURBAN LIFE
-- Birkett pushes for special election, won’t seek U.S. Senate seat - Dan Petrella
http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/addison/news/x415880234/Birkett-pushes-for-special-election-won-t-seek-U-S-Senate-seat
http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/westmont/news/x415880234/Birkett-pushes-for-special-election-won-t-seek-U-S-Senate-seat

PIONEER LOCAL
-- Curran: 'Conscience' led him to switch parties - John Roszkowski
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/grayslake/news/1332028,G3-curran-121508-s1.article

ILLINOIS REVIEW
-- Second Chances for the Illinois Republican Party - Dan Proft
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/12/second-chances.html
-- House starts impeachment, blocks special election - Fran Eaton (FROM THE ARTICLE: IR learned this evening that the nine Republicans who will serve on the impeachment committee are: State Reps Jim Durkin, Jim Sacia, Chapin Rose, Roger Eddy, Bill Black, Mike Bost, Susie Bassi, Jil Tracy and Patti Bellock.)
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/12/house-starts-im.html

AMERICANS FOR TRUTH
-- Homosexuality - The Evangelical Temptation - Peter LaBarbera
http://americansfortruth.com/news/homosexuality-the-evangelical-temptation.html

CHICAGO DAILY OBSERVER
-- Emanuel May be Convicted by Profanity; Quinn a Pillar of Jello; The Two Pauls and One Peter - Tom Roeser
http://cdobs.com/archive/our-columns/emanuel-convicted-by-profanity-quinn-a-pillar-of-jello-the-two-pauls-and-one-peter%2C2202/

TOM ROESER
-- It’s Rahm’s Scatalogical Talking Style That’ll Do Him In Now Quinn Wants to Appoint? A “Temporary Senator?” Huh? Who Let “Honest Ab” In? What’s This Nixon-Frost Stuff? Obama Moving into Blair Smells Like Emanuel.
http://www.tomroeser.com/blogs/blogview.asp?blogID=24842

ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
-- Atheists Attack Religious Displays in Springfield - David E. Smith
http://www.illinoisfamily.org/news/contentview.asp?c=34177

CHICAGO DAILY OBSERVER
-- Mike Madigan Veering from Train Wreck - Pat Hickey
http://cdobs.com/archive/our-columns/mike-madigan-veering-from-train-wreck%2C2205/

PROGRESS ILLINOIS
-- GOP Representatives Bail Out Wall Street, Stiff Detroit - Adam Doster
http://progressillinois.com/2008/12/15/gop-reps-stiff-detroit

GOPUSA
- A Tale Of Two Churches - Doug Patton
http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/dpatton/2008/dp_12161.shtml
-- Who's Losing The U.S. Car Business? - Lawrence Kudlow
http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/lkudlow/2008/lk_12161.shtml

POLITICO
-- Obama's seat sparks committees turf battle - Manu Raju
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16621.html

ONE NEWS NOW
-- Assistant Senate Republican Leader Brad Burzynski: Let voters decide who takes empty seat - Jim Brown
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=354744

NATIONAL REVIEW
-- Some Good News in Illinois: A defection to the GOP - Jonah Goldberg
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YjAwMWUzOTE3OTY5YTQwNTZlNWQxZmU0ZGViNGI1N2Q=

ACCURACY IN MEDIA
-- Fraudulent “Credit Crisis” Paves Way for Economic Disaster - Cliff Kincaid
http://www.aim.org/aim-column/fraudulent-credit-crisis-paves-way-for-economic-disaster/

AMERICAN THINKER
-- The GOP needs a Colin-cleansing - Doug Powers
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/12/the_gop_needs_a_colincleansing.html
-- Enough with the Illinois Bashing Already - Rick Moran
http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/12/enough_with_the_illinois_bashi.html

HUMAN EVENTS
-- Bush as Bankrupt as GM - Jed Babbin
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=29899

WORLD NET DAILY
-- Official: Emanuel fast-tracked immigrants to get votes Ex-Clinton aide now promises to loosen rules as Obama chief of staff
http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=83765

NEW REPUBLIC
-- State of Disgrace Why has Illinois always been so corrupt? In a word: adaptability. - David Moberg
http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=bda58754-0d8d-42c7-a9af-e4ecf6b8388d

CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY
-- Will GOP Go Too Far in Tying Blago to Obama? - David Corn
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/davidcorn/2008/12/will-gop-go-too-far-in-tying-b.html

ROTHENBERG POLITICAL REPORT
-- Republicans Should Quit Celebrating and Face Reality - Nathan L. Gonzales
http://rothenbergpoliticalreport.blogspot.com/2008/12/republicans-should-quit-celebrating-and.html

FOX NEWS CHANNEL
-- Peter Fitzgerald: The Right Man to Replace Obama - Radley Balko
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,467066,00.html
-- John McCain Returns as the Democrats’ Favorite Republican
http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/12/15/pinkerton_mccain/
-- Illinois Republicans not happy about Democrats killing the special election legislation - Greta Van Susteren
http://gretawire.foxnews.com/2008/12/15/illinois-republicans-not-happy/

ABC NEWS
-- Blago Attorney Genson Says He's Not Guilty, Not Resigning - Matt Jaffe
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/12/blago-attorney.html

WASHINGTON POST
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Because everyone associated with Obama is anti-Republican and/or corrupt, the Washington Post blasts Republicans who argue "guilt by association."
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/12/republicans_guilt-by-associati.html?hpid=topnews
-- A Briar Patch in Illinois - E.J. Dionne
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/15/AR2008121502491.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

WASHINGTON TIMES
-- All the hate; Not in Left's name; Hands-on work
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/16/culture-briefs-99008823/
-- The heart of Blago - Rich Lowry
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/16/the-heart-of-blago/

NEW YORK TIMES
-- Illinois House Begins Impeachment Process - Liz Robbins
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/us/politics/16illinois.html?_r=1
-- Illinois Legislature Votes for Impeachment Efforts - Monica Davey and Susan Saulny
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/us/politics/16illinois.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail1=y

USA TODAY
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: According to a poll taken by those who want to force GAM, Ford, and Chrysler into bankruptcy, "Buyers don't fear auto bankruptcy"
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2008-12-15-gm-bankruptcy-chrysler_N.htm

LOS ANGELES TIMES
-- Obama clears himself and staff in Blagojevich case The president-elect says an internal review shows there were no inappropriate conversations with the Illinois governor about who would fill the vacant Senate seat. - Christi Parsons and John McCormick
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-blago-obama16-2008dec16,0,6444483.story
-- What impeachment? Blagojevich signs bills as legislators plot ouster
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/12/obama-blago-1.html

MINNEAPOLIS ST. PAUL STAR TRIBUNE
-- Illinois county clerks say they're short on money to pay for special elections - Carlyn Rousseau
http://www.startribune.com/nation/36179209.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUsr

WALL STREET JOURNAL
-- Process to Oust Governor Starts Illinois Lawmakers Set to Form Committee to Explore Impeaching Blagojevich - Douglas Belkin and Thomas Burton
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122938847708408991.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

ASSOCIATED PRESS
-- NOT SURPRISING: Poll (CONDUCTED BY OBAMA PROMOTERS:) Obama untainted by Blagojevich
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/12/15/Poll_Obama_untainted_by_Blagojevich/UPI-13021229374346/
-- Illinois lawmakers take first step to oust Blagojevich - Christopher Wills
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hVNAcA-xtCA6PKQ8h5s7dBlD_BKwD953H5BG3

CNN
-- Illinois voters should blame themselves - Kent Redfield
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/15/redfield.illinois/

UPI
-- Lawyer: Balgojevich won't resign
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/12/15/Lawyer_Balgojevich_wont_resign/UPI-56551229342414/

AFP
-- Illinois moves to oust corruption-tainted governor
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jAdbLuqQg_IMNShHhOrTceVzTVUA

MARKET WATCH
-- RNC Chairman Statement on Democrats Blocking Illinois Special Election
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/RNC-Chairman-Statement-Democrats-Blocking/story.aspx?guid=%7B6F72B08C-A4D3-4804-B8C2-96BB6A283FDA%7D

ECONOMIST
-- The Republican comeback starts in Illinois
http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2008/12/illinois_and_the_2010_senate_r.cfm

TIME MAGAZINE
-- Pat Quinn: The Man Who Would Replace Blagojevich - Eric Ferkenhoff
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1866690,00.html

ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT GAZETTE-- Lining up aid, Bush tells carmakers - Jennifer Love (PICTURE CAPTION: Scott Campbell, a General Motors employee, puts the finishing touches on a Chevrolet Corvette on Friday in Bowling Green, Ky.)
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Business/246825/

Crack of Dawn Blago Post

Real Clear Barack Obama posts Batchelor: “We’re going to fight this case with a profile on Ed “The Devil’s Advocate” Genson.

...Ed Genson is a Chicago guy.

He will call favors.

We can expect that many possible villains will now emerge whose presence will mitigate the tale, such as billionaire Sam Zell for entertaining creepy deals about his Tribune, such as Rahm Emanuel for muscling a list of candidates on Blago on Election Day.

Would Ed Genson start telling stories about the President-Elect?

The reputation is that he will do almost anything to win. This is the Devil’s Advocate, meaning he is a veteran of taking on the self-elected and heroic such as Patrick Fitzgerald and Barack Obama.

*****
Backyard Conservative finds a Zorn column from 2006: Where's old Pat Quinn?

The new Pat Quinn -- next in line to lead the state should he and Blagojevich win a second term in November-- says he's “satisfied" by the explanations Blagojevich has offered to date about the considerable hints of corruption swirling around him.

(Though Dan Curry suggests here that Quinn's response to My Big Fat Birthday Gift suggests that Quinn has been a mere partisan agitator all along. Thus concludes Dan Curry Week at Change of Subject.)

But Quinn said no, he remains true to his principles: “I never made accusations against people unless I knew concrete facts.”

I dunno, I told him. The old Pat Quinn I remember so fondly wouldn’t have stopped asking questions until he got those facts.

Also see Dems Renege on Special Election

Statement from Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna on Democrats killing the special election legislation:

“Tonight the world has seen up close the hypocrisy of Illinois politics.

“The only thing more audacious than Democrats proposing a special election and going back on their word is that they did it in full view of the public.

“Speaker Madigan first supported a vote on special elections legislation and make no mistake, his actions tonight directly benefit the Democratic Party.

“Our grassroots campaign for a special election continues and we call on all Illinois Democrats who run government here and in Washington to speak on the record immediately about what happened here today.

“The people of Illinois deserve better."

****
AP on Genson,

...[Genson] is a graduate of Northwestern University law school. But he got his first taste of criminal law as a boy, trailing his bail bondsman father through the city's tough, gritty police courts.

At an age when other boys were reading Dr. Seuss books, Genson was thumbing through trial transcripts in the back of his father's office. He dreamed of becoming a lawyer and never wanted to do anything else, he says.

Perfect! My kind of guy.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Impeachment hearings start Tuesday

Seven days after Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s arrest on federal corruption charges, a special Illinois House committee will start to meet every day, including weekends, other than four days for the holidays, as long as it takes to determine whether there is cause to impeach the governor. But even in crisis, the political rhetoric within the Statehouse today was thick, dashing the hopes of voters and government insiders hoping to see a sense of unity after a week of shocking corruption allegations.

Obama’s replacement
One thing the House will not do tomorrow is advance legislation that would allow for a special election to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate. House Speaker Michael Madigan said his Democratic caucus was split on the idea and would like some extra time to consider it. The full House is not scheduled to return to Springfield until January 12.

House Republicans used the national spotlight to liken Democrats to enablers of the allegedly corrupt Democratic governor. Republicans like the idea of a special election not only because the GOP would have a chance to snag a Democratic seat, but, more importantly, because an election would avoid the perception of impropriety that plagues the current system of giving one person sole authority to appoint a replacement, said House Minority Leader Tom Cross.

Democratic Rep. Lou Lang of Skokie said there’s nothing inherently wrong with the appointment process, just the person currently holding the power to use it. He said he opposed the idea of changing state law because of one official who was disliked or incompetent.

Various versions of the special election legislation are here:

Rep. Jack Franks' version, HB 6730
The speaker's empty version, HB 6731
Rep. La Shawn Ford's version, HB 6732
And the Republicans' version, HB 6733.

Impeachment
The special committee to investigate whether there’s cause for impeachment consists of 21 members, including 12 Democrats and nine Republicans. Democratic members must have served at least six terms. Republicans have not yet released their committee members, as of this post.

The vein of evidence to be collected? “Abuse of power,” Madigan said during a Statehouse news conference this afternoon. “The many instances where the governor took governmental action without authority by the legislature, took governmental action without an appropriation having been adopted, instances where he ignored directives from the legislature.”

Find a one-stop-shop for Blagojevich stories and analysis at Illinois Issues magazine here.

The speaker’s staff has been reviewing grounds for impeachment for about a year, he said. The committee, chaired by Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, also likely would attach the criminal complaint against Blagojevich as evidence. They are asking the U.S. attorney’s office for cooperation in sharing information.

Madigan will preside over the proceedings, which will be public hearings that take place in the state Capitol.

The estimated timeline has ranged from a few weeks to a few months. Madigan said the governor’s decision about whether to attend the proceedings as “invited” could play into how long the process takes. “If he does not appear personally or through an agent, it will greatly shorten the proceedings of the committee. If he appears personally or through an agent, it will lengthen the proceedings of the committee. That’s all I can tell you.”

Whatever the timeline, it’s expected to be thorough. “We are going to move with all deliberate speed, but we’re not going to trample anybody’s constitutional rights in the process,” Madigan said.

If the proceedings run into the next General Assembly, which is scheduled to start January 15, committee members said they would vote to allow their work to carry over.

Currie emphasized that the proceedings aren’t just about Blagojevich. Given the Illinois Constitution’s vague description of the impeachment process, this investigative committee’s actions set precedent for the future, Currie said. “And it is absolutely critical that we do this deliberately, that we don’t rush to judgment, that we don’t say, ‘Because the public is clamoring for his head, we should take the head first and do the trial later.’”

The governor’s office declined to comment.

Today's Electoral College Proceedings

Today, Barack Obama will be elected President of the United States. Again.

So begins the next step, when the 538 members of the Electoral College meet in their respective state capitals (and Washington, DC). In Illinois, Electors will gather at noon in the state Senate chamber where Barack Obama once served to cast their ballots and sign "Certificates of Vote." Secretary of State Jesse White will handle the rest of the proceedings.

The Constitution doesn't say much about the Electoral College's proceedings, though, which means it is largely up to each state to decide who its electors will be and how they cast their ballots.

Ohio, with 20 Obama electors, will have a color guard and musical interlude, and New York, with 31 Obama electors, plans a three-hour ceremony. In Illinois, Mr. Obama's home state, the secretary of state plans "a really short proceeding," says spokesman Henry Haupt. "I won't use the word spartan, but there's not too much ceremony."

[...]

Some states report they are receiving requests for tickets to the proceedings, but with only limited seating in their statehouses, most are referring voters to planned Web casts.

Alas, there will be no webcast of the (sparse) Electoral College ceremony here in Illinois. It is, after all, a matter of something occurring outside the state. So it's not really important.

Each state has the number of electors equal to the number of its Senators and Representatives in Congress. Illinois has 21 electoral votes. The Democratic Party’s slate of electors was announced in Denver. "In many states, including Illinois (21 Obama electors) and Michigan (17 Obama votes), the parties appoint local politicians, union or business leaders and political insiders."

The Constitution allows the state legislature to designate the method of choosing electors. 48 states, including Illinois, and the District of Columbia have adopted a winner-take-all popular vote rule; the candidate who wins the most votes in the state wins the support of all of that state’s electors. Well, that's the rule. According to the Federal Election Commission, Illinois has "No Legal Requirement" that Electors vote for the pairing who wins the popular vote in the state.

Illinois' Electors are:

Barbara Flynn Currie
John R. Daley

Connie Howard, IL-01
Carrie Austin, IL-02
Andrew Madigan, IL-03 (replaced Shirley Madigan)
Ricardo Munoz, IL-04
James DeLeo, IL-05
Marge Friedman, IL-06
Vera Davis, IL-07
Nancy Shepardson, IL-08
William Marovitz, IL-09
Lauren Beth Gash, IL-10
Debbie Halvorson, IL-11
Molly McKenzie, IL-12
Julia Kennedy Beckman, IL-13
Mark Guethle, IL-14
Lynn Foster, IL-15
John M. Nelson, IL-16
Mary Boland, IL-17
Shirley McCombs, IL-18
Don Johnston, IL-19

Under the Constitution (Art II, Sec 1, Cl 2), no person holding a federal office, either elected or appointed, may become an elector.

The next step will be for the Vice President (Dick Cheney) in his role as president of the Senate, to open the certificates from the 50 states and the District of Columbia before a joint session of Congress at 1 p.m. on Jan. 6. The entire process, as explained by the FEC, is:

Current Workings of the Electoral College [PDF]

The current workings of the Electoral College are the result of both design and experience. As it now operates:

Each State is allocated a number of Electors equal to the number of its U.S. Senators (always 2) plus the number of its U.S. Representatives (which may change each decade according to the size of each State's population as determined in the Census).

The political parties (or independent candidates) in each State submit to the State's chief election official a list of individuals pledged to their candidate for president and equal in number to the State's electoral vote. Usually, the major political parties select these individuals either in their State party conventions or through appointment by their State party leaders while third parties and independent candidates merely designate theirs.

Members of Congress and employees of the federal government are prohibited from serving as an Elector in order to maintain the balance between the legislative and executive branches of the federal government.

After their caucuses and primaries, the major parties nominate their candidates for president and vice president in their national conventions -- traditionally held in the summer preceding the election. (Third parties and independent candidates follow different procedures according to the individual State laws). The names of the duly nominated candidates are then officially submitted to each State's chief election official so that they might appear on the general election ballot.

On the Tuesday following the first Monday of November in years divisible by four, the people in each State cast their ballots for the party slate of Electors representing their choice for president and vice president (although as a matter of practice, general election ballots normally say "Electors for" each set of candidates rather than list the individual Electors on each slate).

Whichever party slate wins the most popular votes in the State becomes that State's Electors -- so that, in effect, whichever presidential ticket gets the most popular votes in a State wins all the Electors of that State. [The two exceptions to this are Maine and Nebraska where two Electors are chosen by statewide popular vote and the remainder by the popular vote within each Congressional district].

On the Monday following the second Wednesday of December (as established in federal law) each State's Electors meet in their respective State capitals and cast their electoral votes -- one for president and one for vice president.

In order to prevent Electors from voting only for "favorite sons" of their home State, at least one of their votes must be for a person from outside their State (though this is seldom a problem since the parties have consistently nominated presidential and vice presidential candidates from different States).

The electoral votes are then sealed and transmitted from each State to the President of the Senate who, on the following January 6, opens and reads them before both houses of the Congress.

The candidate for president with the most electoral votes, provided that it is an absolute majority (one over half of the total), is declared president. Similarly, the vice presidential candidate with the absolute majority of electoral votes is declared vice president.

In the event no one obtains an absolute majority of electoral votes for president, the U.S. House of Representatives (as the chamber closest to the people) selects the president from among the top three contenders with each State casting only one vote and an absolute majority of the States being required to elect. Similarly, if no one obtains an absolute majority for vice president, then the U.S. Senate makes the selection from among the top two contenders for that office.

At noon on January 20, the duly elected president and vice president are sworn into office.

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 15, 2008

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 15, 2008

ABC7
-- RNC responds to Blagojevich scandal with criticism - Ben Bradley
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6555452
-- Illinois lawmakers to focus on ousting governor The impeachment process - APhttp://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6555946 (Includes video clip)

NBC5
-- Maybe This Will Dispel Muslim Rumors President-elect takes daughters Christmas tree shopping
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Maybe-This-Will-Dispel-Muslim-Rumors.html

CBS2
-- Illinois Politicians Issue Fresh Calls For Resignation High Profile Attorney Says He'll Defend Governor
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/blagojevich.illinois.politicians.2.887075.html
-- Illinois Legislators Focus On Ousting Governor
http://cbs2chicago.com/politics/illinois.officials.resignation.2.887149.html

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
-- Illinois Republican Party wants special election for Obama seat - Ray Long
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/12/republicans-hold-special-session-for-obama-seat.html
-- Both combative and optimistic, Blagojevich has alienated others as public turned on him - Christopher Wills
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-illinois-governor-roughshod-rod,0,811092.story
-- Games by Gov. Blago A delusional Howdy Doody - John McCarron
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-oped1215mccarrondec15,0,249855.story
-- FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH 6X9-INCH COLOR PICTURE OF ROD & PATTY KISSING: Illinois lawmakers to sort out Gov. Rod Blagojevich scandal Impeachment, Senate appointment on the agenda - Ray Long and John Chase
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-blago-main-15-dec15,0,663416.story

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
-- Illinois Republican Party launches drive for special election - Lynn Sweet
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/12/illinois_gop_sunday_launches_d.html
-- THE ENTIRE FRONT PAGE IS A PHOTO OF BLAGOJEVICH: Blago's plan for Senate Political Drama Gov might not be ready to quit, but he may OK letting voters fill Obama's seat - Chris Fusco, Dave McKinney, and Natasha Korecki
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/1331373,CST-NWS-BLAGO15.article
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Laura Washington argues that at least one of Illinois' two U.S. Senate seats should be held by a Black. Isn't that a racist argument? Far less than half of Illinois' voters are Black.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/washington/1331127,CST-EDT-laura15.article
-- Quinn a good man, but voters should pick senator - Editorial
http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/1331141,CST-EDT-edit15b.article
-- Why is state so corrupt? In short: 'This is Illinois' - Rich Miller
http://www.suntimes.com/news/otherviews/1331142,CST-EDT-millercopy15.article

DAILY HERALD
-- FRONT PAGE TOP FOLD WITH 5X8-INCH PICTURE OF BLAGOJEVICH AND TOPINKA: Did we deserve this? Illinois voters apparently ignored feds closing in on Blagojevich - Joseph Ryan (INCLUDES QUOTES FROM: Edgar and McKenna)
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=258147
-- Lawmakers need to fix the system - Cindi Canary, Director, Illinois Campaign for Political Reform
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=257861
-- White House: No immediate deal on auto loans - AP
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=258167

CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS
-- Illinois economy: 'Doomsday' is here - Paul Merrion
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/mag/article.pl?articleId=31089

SOUTHTOWN STAR
-- Blagojevich's 'yes men' should have had common sense to say 'no' - Rich Miller
http://www.southtownstar.com/news/miller/1331361,121608miller.article

PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
-- Illinois GOP hopes to regain some power Republicans look for same type of surge Democrats received after Ryan scandal - Adriana Colindres
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x225998234/Illinois-GOP-hopes-to-regain-some-power

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
-- Story of Blagojevich abounds with contradictions - Bernard Schoenburg
http://www.sj-r.com/opinions/x1049857119/Bernard-Schoenburg-Story-of-Blagojevich-abounds-with-contradictions
-- Poe asks constituents to sign petition supporting impeachment
http://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x1049857690/Poe-asks-constituents-to-sign-petition-supporting-impeachment
-- Illinois Republican Party sees hope for revival amid scandal Blagojevich’s troubles overshadow Ryan's - Adriana Colindres
http://www.sj-r.com/blagojevich/x415879000/GOP-sees-hope-for-revival-in-scandal
-- Impeachment process must start now - Editorial
http://www.sj-r.com/opinions/x776484707/Our-Opinion-Despite-Supreme-Court-appeal-keep-pushing-for-impeachment

ILLINOIS REVIEW
-- Illinois Republican Party unrolls campaign to promote special election - Fran Eaton
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/12/mckenna----stat.html
-- Republicans call for good government - Fran Eaton
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/12/republicans-cal.html
-- Quinn abandons reform history, the closer he gets to governorship - Fran Eaton
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/12/quinn-abandons.html
-- Illinois governor, a national laughingstock - Fran Eaton
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/12/illinois-gov-a.html
-- RNC: Questions remain "The Republican National Committee's new video attempting to link Rod Blagojevich and Barack Obama and it features Chicago's own Jeff Berkowitz in the opening scene:" - Fran Eaton
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/12/rnc-questions-r.html
-- Fox News Greta VanSusteran's "Pay to Play" expose - Fran Eaton
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/12/fox-news-greta.html
-- Illinois Republican Party's new ad: We Want a Special Election - Fran Eaton
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/12/ilgops-new-ad-w.html

CAPITOL FAX
-- Illinois as a Plantation without warm weather - Bill Baar
http://capitalfax.blogspot.com/2008/12/illinois-as-plantation-without-warm.html
(THE ARTICLE: A comment from Lincolnlander over at today's Daily Herald. Illinois's Plantation Politics without Louisiana's warmth. The decline of the Republican party as a principled and meaningful alternative to the Machine has permitted the Machine and its creatures like Blago to run roughshod across the state. Much of the blame must rest with "Big Jim" who took the Republican party down the path to George Ryan whose corrupt attitudes and political positions differed in few meaningful ways from those of the Machine. Principled Republicans like Peter Fitzgerald and Steve Rauschenberger were pushed to the side as the party forgot the honest, middle-class voters who were the natural Republican constituency and the natural resistance to Blagocratic and Machine values. The result has been the transformation of Illinois into a modern plantation, a cold-weather version of Louisiana where a corrupt white elite exchanges its kickbacks on the foundation of massive non-white poverty. It's particularly offensive that this transformation has been accomplished as we approach the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, a man whose life was devoted to individual freedom and human dignity and whose values would be only so much toilet paper to Blago and the Machine that controls "The Land of Lincoln." About sums up today's Illinois.)
-- Rod won’t go; Possible staff mutiny; Impeachment on the agenda - Rich Millerhttp://thecapitolfaxblog.com/2008/12/15/rod-wont-go-possible-staff-mutiny-impeachment-on-the-agenda/

CHICAGO DAILY OBSERVER
-- GOP Should Take Deep Breath and Enjoy Blagojevich Turmoil - Jim Leahy
http://cdobs.com/archive/our-columns/gop-should-take-deep-breath-and-enjoy-blagojevich-turmoil%2C2200/

CHICAGO PUBLIC RADIO
-- Edgar: Just Say No to Special Election
http://www.wbez.org/Content.aspx?audioID=30871

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
-- Bob Corker, Debbie Stabenow, Tom Cross, Abner Mikva, Roundtable - FNC
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/12/bob_corker_debbie_stabenow_tom.html

VOICE OF AMERICA
-- Obama Moves Transition Ahead, as Political Crisis Continues in his Home State - Paula Wolfson
http://voanews.com/english/2008-12-14-voa17.cfm

ACCURACY IN MEDIA
-- McCain Takes Aim at RNC Over Illinois Scandal
http://www.aim.org/don-irvine-blog/mccain-takes-aim-at-rnc-over-illinois-scandal/
-- Pro-Homosexual Media Going Bankrupt - Cliff Kincaid
http://www.aim.org/aim-column/pro-homosexual-media-going-bankrupt/

HUMAN EVENTS
-- Who Knew About Blago, and When Did They Know It? - Jack Thompson
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=29901

WORLD NET DAILY
-- Son of Soviet spies: Make Obama like us Calls on 'progressive' Democrats to plunge America into socialism - Aaron Klein
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=83638

AMERICAN THINKER
-- Notes from the Underbelly of Illinois - Randall Hoven, Alton
http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/12/notes_from_the_underbelly_of_i.html

POLITICO
-- McCain scolds GOP for whacking Obama - Mike Allen
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16562.html

THE HILL
-- Illinois Republican Party launches special election campaign - Reid Wilson
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/illinois-gop-launches-special-election-campaign-2008-12-14.html

CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY
-- CQ Transcript: Sen. Bob Corker , Sen. Debbie Stabenow , Illinois State Rep. Tom Cross and Abner Mikva on Fox News Sunday
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002997695
-- CQ Transcript: Mitt Romney, Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan on NBC’s “Meet the Press”
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000002997711

REUTERS
-- Embattled Illinois governor won't resign Monday - Peter Bohan
http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed2/idUSTRE4BD12M20081214

FOX NEWS CHANNEL
-- Transcript: Tom Cross, Abner Mikva on Fox News Sunday
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,466838,00.html
-- Illinois Republicans are really turning up the pressure! - Greta Van Susteren
http://gretawire.foxnews.com/2008/12/14/republicans-are-really-turning-up-the-pressure/

ASSOCIATED PRESS
-- Illinois officials issue fresh calls for resignation - Deanna Bellandi
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hVNAcA-xtCA6PKQ8h5s7dBlD_BKwD952L46G0
-- Illinois governor: Eager for battle, rarely victorious - Christopher Wills
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g4Fdhtf22pl-vbyh4azYCqkQuC-QD952LGQ00
-- Illinois legislators focus on ousting governor - Christopher Wills
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hVNAcA-xtCA6PKQ8h5s7dBlD_BKwD95312T80

UPI
-- Blagjovich, lawmakers consider what to do
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/12/15/Blagjovich_lawmakers_consider_what_to_do/UPI-56551229342414/

AFP
-- Obama chief of staff Emanuel linked to Blagojevich horse-trading
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hbK78C50ADW2rdksyYbRc4NFyLeQ

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
-- Blagojevich no quitter - no plans to step down tomorrow - Jimmy Orr
http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2008/12/14/blagojevich-no-quitter-no-plans-to-step-down-tomorrow/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
-- KASS & GIGOT: And It Has, All That Jazz A transcript of the weekend's program on FOX News Channel.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122927107575804713.html?mod=article-outset-box

BLOOMBERG
-- Blagojevich Doesn’t Plan to Resign, Spokesman Says - Joe Carroll and Andrew Harris
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aHUjUKSANgM0&refer=home
-- Blagojevich Case Buffs Bipartisan Prosecutor Fitzgerald’s Image - David Voreacos and Andrew Harris
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a5hNNwngOo8E&refer=home

ABC NEWS
-- Illinois Republican Party launches push for special election
http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2008/12/illinois-gop-la.html

CBS NEWS
-- Levin: Bush Won’t Allow Big 3 To Collapse Senators Say President Can Rescue Automakers And Avoid A Legacy Of Bankruptcy "With A Flick Of A Pen"
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/12/14/ftn/main4667850.shtml

WASHINGTON POST
-- RNC Pushing Hard on Obama-Blago Connection - Chris Cillizza
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/12/rnc_pushing_hard_on_obama-blag.html?hpid=topnews
-- Illinois Republican Party Pushing for Special Election for Senate Seat - Kari Lydersen
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/12/14/illinois_gop_pushing_for_speci.html
-- 2006: Blagojevich v. Topinka: A Tale of Two Ads - Chris Cillizza
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/12/a_tale_of_two_ads.html?nav=rss_blog

NEW YORK TIMES
-- FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: 2 Sides of a Troubled Governor, Sinking Deeper - Monica Davey
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/15/us/politics/15blagojevich.html?_r=1&hp
-- FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH 3X7-INCH COLOR PICTURE: CHICAGO HEADQUARTERED RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD (RRB): The Disability Board That Couldn’t Say No - Walt Bogoanich and Nicolas Phillips (DIERSEN: During 1989, I was on a GAO audit team that produced a report titled: "Internal Controls for Unemployment Program Improving, but Gaps Remain" GAO subsequently cut back its oversight of RRB. See: http://archive.gao.gov/d24t8/141308.pdf)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/15/us/15rail.html?hp
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: More proof that your GOPUSA Illinois Editor is neither among the "political and media elites" nor among the "left and right wings of the establishment." FROM WILLIAM KRISTOL'S COMMENTARY: "there is a kind of undeserved disdain, even casual contempt, that seems to characterize the attitude of the political and media elites toward the American auto industry" and "in their disdain for the American auto companies, the left and right wings of the establishment agree. Of course, the particular foci of criticism are different - the left berates the auto companies’ management, the right the United Automobile Workers. But even on the left, while Democratic politicians still try to look out for the interests of the U.A.W., there’s not really that much sympathy for the workers. The ascendant environmentalists disdain (to say the least) the internal combustion engine and everyone associated with it. Most of today’s limousine liberals are embarrassed by their political alliance with the workers who built those limousines. Meanwhile, on the right, free-market analysts have explained that our regulatory scheme of fuel-efficiency standards is counterproductive. But despite the fact that the government is partly responsible for the Big Three’s problems, the right hasn’t really been stirred to enthusiastically promote a deregulatory agenda to help the auto companies. What excites it is mobilizing to oppose bailouts for unionized workers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/15/opinion/15kristol.html?scp=3&sq=william%20kristol&st=cse

BUFFALO NEWS
-- Blagojevich’s tricks came from the best (Clinton Delay, Gingrich, etc.) - Douglas Turner
http://www.buffalonews.com/149/story/523508.html

USA TODAY-- Even before arrest, Blagojevich had few allies - Judy Keen (ARTICLE INCLUDES QUOTES FROM: Cross, Dillard, and Radogno)http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-12-14-tenure_N.htm

AMERICAN LAWYER
-- Defense Lawyers Assess Case Against Blagojevich - Brian Baxter
http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlawdaily/2008/12/defense-lawyers.html

LONDON TIMES
-- Senate scandal snares Obama’s chief aide - Sarah Baxter
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5337807.ece

HULU
-- VIDEO CLIP: Blagojevich SNL video clip
http://www.hulu.com/watch/48720/saturday-night-live-really--gov-blagojevich

YOUTUBE
-- SNL Bleeping Blago - Bleep Obama And Pals? (DIERSEN: Video begins with and repeats a clip from Jeff Berkowitz's 2002 interview of Obama concerning Blagojevich.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEprtmSOlEg
-- SNL: Rod Blagojevich
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk5-SKdurmc

Illinois as a Plantation without warm weather

A comment from Lincolnlander over at today's Daily Herald. Illinois's Plantation Politics without Louisiana's warmth.

The decline of the Republican party as a principled and meaningful alternative to the Machine has permitted the Machine and its creatures like Blago to run roughshod across the state. Much of the blame must rest with "Big Jim" who took the Republican party down the path to George Ryan whose corrupt attitudes and political positions differed in few meaningful ways from those of the Machine. Principled Republicans like Peter Fitzgerald and Steve Rauschenberger were pushed to the side as the party forgot the honest, middle-class voters who were the natural Republican constituency and the natural resistance to Blagocratic and Machine values.

The result has been the transformation of Illinois into a modern plantation, a cold-weather version of Louisiana where a corrupt white elite exchanges its kickbacks on the foundation of massive non-white poverty. It's particularly offensive that this transformation has been accomplished as we approach the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, a man whose life was devoted to individual freedom and human dignity and whose values would be only so much toilet paper to Blago and the Machine that controls "The Land of Lincoln."

About sums up today's Illinois.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran Switching to Republican Party

by Cal Skinner

With the arrest of Governor Rod Blagojevich dealing a body blow to the Illinois Democratic Party, it will receive another right jab on Tuesday when Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran officially announces his switch to the Republican Party.

McHenry County Blog has run two stories on Curran:

Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran Seeks Illegal Alien Deportation Authority

Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran Steps to the Fore Again

After the second article, in which he ripped Mayor Richard Daley for not stopping the continuing murder of children, people were speculating that he might be positioning himself to run for statewide office.

Maybe he still is.

On the Republican Party ticket.

Sheriff Curran will announce his switch to the Republican Party Monday, December 15th at 9:30 AM (moved up from 11 AM on Tuesday)at Republican Headquarters on Peterson Road.

An email from Raymond S. True, Chairman of the Republican Assembly of Lake County reports,

“The RALC has been in consultation with Mark advising him to do this. He is Pro Life, Pro traditional marriage, Pro second amendment, Pro enforcement of illegal aliens. He is perfect fit for the Republican State and National Platforms.

“Come one and come all... Let's give a super RALC send off to this event of the year in Lake County.”

Labels: Lake County, Mark Curran, Raymond S. True, Republican Assembly of Lake County

Posted first on McHenry County Blog.

SNL: Rod Blagojevich

John Kramer of BriteThorn.com offers his thoughts on SNL's take on the Blagojevich scandal. He actually claims that SNL has made a laughing stock of his homestate. Take a watch. He says that hopefully there will be some SNL clips posted on their site.

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 14, 2008

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 14, 2008

ABC7
-- Republicans criticize Obama aides' silence on Blagojevich - AP
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6554231
-- Governor meets with high-profile attorney - Sarah Schulte
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6554372

NBC5
-- 'SNL' [Bleeps] With Blagojevich Saturday Night Live skit parodies bad week for Blagojevich couple
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Hey-We-Here-Blago-Will-Be-on-SNL.html

CBS2
-- Blagojevich Meets With High-Powered Defense Lawyer - Pamela Jones
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/governor.blagojevich.lawyer.2.886752.html

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
-- A system made of money Blagojevich's arrest may be the final straw that shatters Illinois' political culture of 'pay to play' - Rick Pearson and Ray Long (DIERSEN: Print version of the article includes a 5X7-inch color picture taken in 2000 of Blagojevich watching George Ryan shooting a gun in the state crime lab.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-081214-money-system-link,0,7158620.story
-- Will 'feditis' spread to Obama and Daley? - John Kass
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-kass-blago-14-dec14,0,2487119.column
-- What would Lincoln say? - Richard Norton Smith http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-perspec1214smithdec14,0,6766671.story
-- The cost of corruption Image of dishonesty can harm a state's economic vitality - Mike Hughlett and Wailin Wonghttp://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-sun-blagojevich-investment-dec14,0,13061.story
-- Uncomfortable spotlight shone on Patti Blagojevich Her real estate deals are under federal scrutiny, and her rants, now infamous, stand out on descriptions of recordings taken from Blagojevich family home - John Chase and David Kidwell
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-blagojevich-patti-bd14dec14,0,6119295.story
-- Live on Chicago, it's 'Saturday Night'
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/12/live-on-chicago-its-saturday-night.html
-- White House assessing options for emergency help for struggling auto industry amid obstacles - Deb Riechmann
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-meltdown-autos,0,6361840.story
-- Make the pain, not the Detroit 3 automakers, go away Much has changed since Chrysler first got bailed out. - Jim Mateja
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/autocorner/chi-sun-mateja-bailout-1214dec14,0,7935858.column
-- Racing legend Mario Andretti visits Ky. Corvette plant - AP
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-ky-andretti-corvette,0,4118693.story
-- Talk politics Sunday with Tribune political writer Rick Pearson
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2008/12/talk-politics-s.html

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
-- What to do? Gov meets with top defense lawyer - Natasha Korecki and Cheryl Jackson
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/1330609,CST-NWS-blago14.article
-- Tapes have potential witnesses speaking out - Natasha Korecki
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/1330610,CST-NWS-impeachside14.article
-- Gov, wife fodder for 'Saturday Night Live'
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/1330921,CST-NWS-SNL14.article
-- Why governor likely won't resign- and why he must - Editorial
(Not posted as of 7:00 AM)

DAILY HERALD
-- FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Will your taxes rise if Blagojevich goes? - John Patterson (QUOTES FROM: Dring, Radogno, Schmitz, and Skinner)
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=258012
-- Blago meets with attorney, has 'no plans to resign' Monday - Joseph Ryan
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=258031&src=109
-- High court doesn't have a role in this. It would be dangerous precedent for a court to remove a governor from office based on its subjective assessments of his credibility, public support and moral character. - Editorial
(Not posted as of 6:30 AM)

SOUTHTOWN STAR
-- Ending corruption begins at home - Phil Kadner
http://www.southtownstar.com/news/kadner/1329705,121408Kadner.article
-- Blago turmoil set to shake up statewide politics for years - Nathaniel Zimmer
http://www.southtownstar.com/news/1329836,121408senate.article
-- Gov. mess puts Lisa Madigan in spotlight - Deanna Bellandi
http://www.southtownstar.com/news/1329724,121408madiganprofile.article

CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS
-- Moral dilemma - Greg Hinz (DIERSEN: The Illinois Republican Party platform opposes the expansion of gambling.)
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/mag/article.pl?articleId=31092

BEACON NEWS
-- Bleeping potty mouths Blago's cursing reflects use of language in school, at home and on TV - Erika Wurst
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/home/1330618,3_1_EL14_A1SWEARING_S1.article

HERALD NEWS
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Herald News promotes Radogno
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1330394,4_1_JO14_RADOGNO_S1.article</

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