Don't blame us - we only nominated the guy!
I was on my way to work, about an hour ago, when I hear Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago) tell Paul Harris, who was filling in for Don & Roma on WLS-AM, that it’s hypocritical of the Republicans to blame the whole Blagojevich scandal and resulting legal/constitutional crisis on the Democrats because (paraphrasing) ‘it was the Republicans who were, even in this last session, working with the Governor on a capital bill.’ This isn’t the first time that this pathetic talking point has been made, but I really wish someone would call them on it, and ask some follow-up questions like:
(1) Rep. Fritchey, didn’t you and almost all of your Democratic colleagues in the General Assembly support Governor Ryan’s Illinois FIRST proposal in 1999?
(2) So did that made it hypocritical for you to attack Republicans for George Ryan’s corruption in the 2002 and 2006 elections?
(3) Oh, of course, Representative….that’s what legislators are supposed to do: work with the Governor to provide basic government services, such as road repairs. So, why weren’t you willing to join your Republican colleagues and work with Governor Blagojevich on this capital bill?
(4) I see…..one last question: Doesn’t reminding people that you couldn’t trust the Governor that you campaigned for enough to work with him only highlight the extent of the mess your party has created?
3 comments:
Jim Thompson has been close to Rod Blagojevich and is a Republican and headed his transition team and has referred lawyers to him through his and other law firms (Part of the reason for all this mess is the high legal fees and multiple law suits and high billing law firms.
Tom Cross has been closer to Rod Blagojevich than Mike Madigan.
So the Republican minority leader is closer to the Democratic Governor than the Democratic Speaker of the House.
It is had been Democrats, not Republicans whom have been more vociferously against Rod Blagojevich like Jack Franks, Edwin Eisendrath, John Fritchey, Frank Avila, Lou Lang, and most ironically Lou Lang.
Tom Cross has acted disgracefully.
Bob Kjellander made $800,000 on a Tony Rezko Bear Stearns financial deal.
Bill Cellini has been making money off and with Blagojevich.
Angelo "Skip" Saviano aka Skippy has been close to Blagojevich and he and Michael McAulliffe supported him in 2002.
Blagojevich has been close to Republican Rosemont, Lisa Madigan revealed their mob associations.
Fritchey is right.
We need statesmanship, Rep Fritchey...not gamesmanship.
I think everyone understands that Blagojevich's problems are the result of Blagojevich, not the result of his party affiliation. It's just as silly to claim the current crisis in state government is the Democrats' fault for nominating Blagojevich as it would be to blame the Republicans for not putting up a better candidate than Topinka to challenge Blagojevich.
Yes, there's a hit that Democrats have to take because of Blagojevich. But he is equally loathed -- and has been equally loathed for a long time -- by Democrats and by Republicans. There's little collateral damage here.
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