[Bumped up for visibility]
* Statement from the governor’s press office…
“Today’s vote was not a surprise. The outcome was a foregone conclusion especially when you consider the committee released its report hours before wrapping up testimony. The Governor believes that the impeachment proceedings were flawed, biased and did not follow the rules of law. His team was not allowed to subpoena witnesses, they were never allowed to cross examine people and never given the chance to put on any kind of defense. In all, the Governor’s rights to due process were deprived.
“When the case moves to the Senate, an actual judge will preside over the hearings, and the Governor believes the outcome will be much different.”
LIVE session coverage...
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 1:25 am:
OK, I added the link.
Sue me. lol
- J - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 1:29 am:
You are up too late, Rich.
- J - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 1:31 am:
Rich, you have to admit, though. Rod is absolutely correct - the outcome will be MUCH different.
In this case, the outcome is just the resolution moving to the full House.
In the case of the Senate, the outcome will be him moving out of his office.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 1:32 am:
lol
True dat
- Levois - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 1:32 am:
Too bad the impeachment “trial” isn’t a court of law still. Now I should put the computer to rest!
- Rob_N - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 3:22 am:
…Hopefully much faster too.
- bored now - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 5:36 am:
delusional to the end, you really have to wonder if the governor (or his lawyer) ever took a civics class. this isn’t about due process, it’s about counting votes. blagojevich is playing to the jury pool, not the legislature. which suggests that he’s resigned to losing his seat. so why is he still there? delusional to the end (maybe he’s counting on elvis to return and save him)…
- Louis G. Atsaves - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 5:40 am:
Blagojevich does have a point about the Committee releasing its report before the close of testimony and evidence. They should have waited and then released the report instead of jumping the gun. It leaves the appearance of some impropriety which I am sure Gensen and crew will exploit and try to use to the bitter end.
Won’t change the ultimate result. He should start packing.
- Macbeth - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 5:43 am:
—-
He should start packing.
—-
Packing? Where? To another room in his house? The great thing about this impeachment is that we’ll have a governor who doesn’t have to *go* anywhere. He’ll just have a few less numbers on his speed-dial.
- Bill Baar - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 5:55 am:
The Guv has a lot of explaining to do. Names to name, things to explain.
He didn’t act alone. He wasn’t a solitary culprit.
He shouldn’t go anywhere. We don’t want another situation like Nixon with a resignation (and then pardon?) and we still don’t have a clue what the burglers were looking for in the Watergate.
Don’t go anywhere Guv…let the trial begin.
- Quizzical - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 5:58 am:
I predict there will be only half as many votes against Blago in the Senate as in the House.
- Ahem - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 6:21 am:
We have the bestest governor ever! He’s a fighter! When we forget our civics lessons, he reminds us how things are supposed to be! He fights for the children of Illinois! And he’s a great budget balancer!
- Dan S, a Voter, Taxpayer & Cubs Fan - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 6:22 am:
The sign of a true crook, deny, deny, deny. He’ll still be denying from his room at he grabar hotel when the dust finally settles
- Gregor - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 7:33 am:
“flawed, biased and did not follow the rules of law”
Rod Should know!
- DzNts - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 7:37 am:
Does full impeachment result in loss of pension benefits?
What’s really interesting is that Rod’s term started after the book “Mostly Good and Competent Men” chronicled some of the good and not-so-good Governors. May be time for a re-print.
- kimsch - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 7:49 am:
It’s pretty funny how all the news shows seem to think that due process and facing one’s accuser and beyond a reasonable doubt count in this case. Impeachment is a purely political action. The fact that Blago thinks it will be different because “an actual judge will preside” means nothing too. The judge won’t be determining whether or not to remove the governor from office, the senate will. Do I have this right Rich?
And Deb Mell won’t be voting on her brother-in-law’s impeachment because she won’t be sworn in until next week, right?
- Loop Lady - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 7:53 am:
Yawn…Rod your little act is getting so old…you were always, as far as I can see, in the game only for yourself and your campaign chest…Buh bye..
- iMAGINE - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 7:59 am:
I’ve been waiting for this since April 7, 2004.
What goes around, comes around Rod.
- wordslinger - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 8:03 am:
The committee protected his rights. They drafted charges, akin to a grand jury. You don’t even get your lawyer in the room with a grand jury. He can put on his defense in the Senate, if he chooses.
- sal-says - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 8:27 am:
“…the Governor’s rights to due process were deprived.”
Hey, what about the citizens and taxpayers of IL? Oh, right - we don’t count.
Thanks, Rod
- Vote Quimby! - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 8:28 am:
From that wacky, drug-addled LA poet: “This is the end, my only friend, the end. Of our elaborate plans, the end. Of everything that stands, the end. No safety or surprise, the end. I’ll never look into your eyes again.”
- bored on 1 - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 8:30 am:
He still has to come to Springfield. The Elvis statue is still sitting in his unused office.
or maybe one of his faithful and loyal staff can take it to him.
Loved the song, Rich. You should put it on every thread today.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 8:31 am:
Bored now
so why is he still there?
The Governor does have a pension, you know. He may be able to get a few months’ more of service time if he sticks it out. Of course, some or all of it might be taken away down the road, but he probably has better odds with the jury pool than with the GA for beating a conviction at this point. I do not think impeachment affects his state pension.
- Anonymous Coward - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 8:33 am:
I heard this on the way to work this morning..
Fitting.
Talking Heads:
And you may ask yourself
Am I right? …am I wrong?
And you may tell yourself
My god!…what have I done?
- Jessica - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 8:39 am:
Nice song!
- ROD sonuvavich - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 8:45 am:
ahem, hopefully that was a joke or are you taking the same drugs that RB is taking.
- The Conservative - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 8:48 am:
So who will play Blago in the movie and the various other players?
- good ol' country boy - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 8:48 am:
Rich do you think he is using the office as a bargaining chip to negotiate some sort of deal with the feds? I am wondering if he will flip and assist the feds if there was someone who is bigger and better? Things that make you go hummmmmm….
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 8:58 am:
===if there was someone who is bigger and better? ===
He’s the governor. He’s at the top of the food chain. He knows nothing about Daley.
- You Go Boy - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 9:50 am:
What hath Rod wrought?
“IF” you can lose your job, and pension too
and blame all others except you two (Patti)
then yours is soon a jail cell,
YooooWHooooooo!!!!!
- chiatty - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 9:53 am:
Wordslinger, you said: “The committee protected his rights. They drafted charges, akin to a grand jury. You don’t even get your lawyer in the room with a grand jury. He can put on his defense in the Senate, if he chooses.” Oh yeah, they protected his rights. Sure they did. Except they want to essentially convict him of charges that may not even be criminal, unless of course, he admits his wrongdoing and resigns. Then he would be found guilty in any jurisdiction, not just in the Northern District where they put pols away for letting a city worker cut your grass. This whole impeachment sham is payback for the governor making their lives miserable the past three years or so. They’re irritated that he has been triangulating the legislature and concocting stunts where the governor comes in at the last moment on a white horse and saves the little guy (like the CTA deal, for just one example). This is payback and payback is hell, as we all know. In a purely political sense, that is all well and good and it’s demonstrably fair, but in this instance, the governor is looking at a prosecutor who wants to put him (and maybe his wife) in jail for a long time. In a circumstance like that, impeachment is not the way to go. If they didn’t have the guts to try to pass a recall measure, they should just let the process play itself out. This is a witch hunt, with the blood lust obvious on the face of every legislator. What goes around, comes around is what somebody said a while ago. Sure, it does, but the legislature was inconvenienced and embarrassed from time to time by Blagojevich’s tactics. They want to get back at him by helping Fitzgerald convict him. Such class!
- Ahem - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 12:05 pm:
==ROD sonuvavich==
Yup, that’s my sense of humor. “Bestest” was hopefully a tipoff.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 12:14 pm:
chiatty-
Then again, it could just be the legislators reflecting the will of their constituents. after all, this is a tool that is not often used.
- Whizbang - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 12:26 pm:
Rich: Pardon me for a little marketing…
I will have the Official Commerative Capt. Queeg / R. Blagojevich ball bearings for sale if Rod takes the stand. Gift boxed and appropriately priced. Thanks.
- Ahem - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 12:34 pm:
=Rich: Pardon me for a little marketing…
I will have the Official Commerative Capt. Queeg / R. Blagojevich ball bearings for sale if Rod takes the stand. Gift boxed and appropriately priced. Thanks.=
I want it!!!!
- Arthur Andersen - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 9:02 pm:
For the record, friends, The Defendant loses the pension upon felony conviction, not impeachment or removal from office.
In other words, hurry up, Fitz, sir.