Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Rod Blagojevich and the Declaration of Independence


When most people think of the Declaration of Independence, they think of "taxation without representation" and the Boston Tea Party.

But of the 27 particulars laid out against King George, only one deals with taxation. Only seven deal with the use of military force.

The bulk of the charges against King George are based on his attacks on the Legislature, undermining, ignoring, harassing, bypassing, and in other ways weakening them however he can, including my favorites:

"He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good."

"He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures."

"He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only."

"He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people."

"He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise;"

"He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:"

You may also recall that Blagojevich attacked judges early on in his administration, vetoing appropriations for a salary increase for judges, a move that was derided by lawmakers and later overturned by the courts:

"He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries."

And how Blagojevich has repeatedly been criticized for using state workers for political purposes, to harass members of the legislature, shake down contractors and others for political contributions, and advance his own political campaign:

"He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance."

It would appear that Rod Blagojevich is misreading the Declaration of Independence as a Playbook. Unlike some of his earlier moves, violating the Administrative Procedure Act by ignoring the ruling of JCAR is a clearly impeachable offense. The General Assembly should not take this one lying down.

8 comments:

Anonymous,  4:50 PM  

Who's going to stop Rod Blagojevich?
Nobody!
That's what I thought!

Anonymous,  5:06 PM  

The feds!

Anonymous,  5:23 PM  

A "clearly impeachable offense"?

You had me engaged until that line. The fact is that there is no standard of impeachable offense in Illinois. Lawmakers are not required to show "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors," as they are in Washington. They may impeach the governor for whatever they feel is an impeachable offense - say, because, they don't like his body odor.

Perhaps by outright violating a statute, Blago has now gone further than he has before in his undying effort to steer the state right off its tracks. But he's no more of a childish, spoiled, delusional, totally self-absorbed, hypocritical and back-stabbing liar than he was previously.

Maybe lawmakers will impeach him, maybe they won't. But it doesn't seem like we know much about Blago that we didn't before the last election. He was destructive before the election, and he is still destructive.

Why would they impeach him now, when they wouldn't impeach him before?

And what does any of that have to do with Blago's "misreading" of the Declaration of Indpendence?

Voters are getting just what they deserve.

steve schnorf 8:44 PM  

Dog,
you and I frequently agree on matters of state, but I feel compelled to point out that your D OF I analogy suffers from the fact that we elected the Governor, and I suspect the majority of the GA voted for him. He is theirs and ours to keep.

Anonymous,  11:02 AM  

There is a snow flake's chance in h-ll that blago will be impeached. The House may vote the impeachment, but Emil will NEVER allow the trial.

Anonymous,  6:00 AM  

Illinois politics has turned into Communist Russia. And don't say the voters are getting what they deserve. Many, many voters did NOT vote for this excuse for a man, in either election.

Anonymous,  1:35 PM  

YOU SUCK AND SHU\OULD BE IMPEACHED ASAP YOUR WORSE THEN RYAN EVER DREAMED OF BEING

Anonymous,  5:28 AM  

WE have the power to impeach him! We need to stand together, not just whine about him!!

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