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The vote *** SENATE VOTES TO REMOVE GOVERNOR FROM OFFICE 59-0 *** DISQUALIFIED FROM HOLDING FUTURE PUBLIC OFFICE 59-0 ***
Thursday, Jan 29, 2009 * 4:36 pm - There will be two votes. The first will be to remove the governor from office. The second will be to ban the governor from holding any public office for the rest of his life. Each Senator will be called upon individually to answer Yes or No, with a Yes vote for removal. * 4:41 PM - The 40th vote has been reached. A two-thirds majority means that the governor has been removed from office. There is a technical difficulty because the Senate President’s button isn’t working. He’s going to the front of the chamber to vote his switch there. Still a problem. Stand by. They might have to revote. We’ll know in a minute. The rules say that Senators have to vote orally and electronically. Since the button didn’t work, Cullerton hasn’t officially voted. The Chief Justice is about to make a ruling here. They’re going to redo the roll call. Same result. 59-0. * Sen. Michael Frerichs (D), a Tier One target in the 2010 elections, moved to disqualify the governor from holding any future public office. 59-0 * Chief Justice Fitzgerald thanked the Senate and the staff and said he had learned a lot about the legislative process “which will be a help to me in my day job.” The Senate has passed a resolution praising the Chief Justice and presented him with a framed copy signed by every member of the Senate. Nice touch. * 5:08 pm - Impeachment tribunal has been adjourned sine die.
- Posted by Rich Miller
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LIVE session coverage...
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- Tweed - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:37 pm:
59-0 can’t be anything else
- Chicago Cynic - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:38 pm:
59-0
- Ben S. - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:38 pm:
0-1 no votes.
- Levois - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:40 pm:
DeLeo, yes or no?
- Belle - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:40 pm:
what did deleo say?
- Skip - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:41 pm:
deleo was yes
- dave - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:41 pm:
DeLeo said yes, just as everyone else has.
- this voter will remember - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:41 pm:
My bet is that “Hollywood Hendon’ will vote to allow the Governor to keep his job.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:41 pm:
Jimmy D, couldn’t get it out of your throat?
- Ben S. - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:42 pm:
40!!!
- Windy City-zen - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:42 pm:
59-0, easy
- Fan of the Game - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:42 pm:
Jacobs with the “Thumbs down” gesture!
- JonShibleyFan - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:43 pm:
“Jacobs with the “Thumbs down” gesture! ”
Uncalled for.
- foster brooks - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:47 pm:
he gone!!!
- 312 - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:48 pm:
Wow. Absolute Wow. Unanimous.
He was toast when Hendon voted yes.
- Skip - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:49 pm:
Look, the governor has only been out of office for a couple of minutes and already the senate is having technical difficulties.
:)
- foster brooks - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:49 pm:
now I have the pleasent job of removing his name from the welcome to il signs and take down the stupid patty wildflower signs also
- DuPage Dave - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:50 pm:
A great day for Illinois!! Let’s all celebrate until Monday then get back to work. My sources say the budget is in a bit of a mess, for example. But now is the time to whoop and holler.
- J28 - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:50 pm:
When does Quinn take the oath of office?
- Amy - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:55 pm:
only in Illinois, they have to take the vote a second time. and now the tv feed is glitching.
deleo just said yes to he can’t hold office again. at least this one was audible.
- PPHS - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:55 pm:
I am sitting in AZ. with a former staffer that is yelling “Your button is wired at the podium.”
- Nearly Normal - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:57 pm:
Amazing.
All the best to new Governor Quinn.
- Trent Green's Clipboard - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 4:59 pm:
Best of luck to Governor Quinn.
- NP - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:00 pm:
Nice to see the Senate didn’t wuss out like the electorate did and voted for Rich Whitney instead of impeachment.
- Say WHAT? - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:01 pm:
Welcome Governor Quinn!
- Capitol View - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:03 pm:
Add one more person to the unemployment ranks in Illinois.
I still recommend that the Chief Justice or the Senate President send a letter of recommendation to the Bar Association and the Administration of the Illinois Courts that RB also have his law license voided, for his contempt of the State Constitution and separation of powers.
- Bill from Geneseo - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:05 pm:
Rich, I will say it again and I sure many others thank you for the excellent coverage.
- ThreeSheets - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:08 pm:
Great. Another family without health insurance.
- ivoted4judy - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:08 pm:
I despised the Gov as much as anybody. However, I find this moment to be VERY UPSETTING, what a terrible process we have all gone thru.
- 32nd Ward Roscoe Village - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:08 pm:
Private Citizen Blago said he was going for a run; did the security peel off when they got the news? Excellent coverage Rich!
- Homer J. Simpson - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:09 pm:
Yes, Thank you, Rick. Before CNN, SJ-R, ABC, or CSPAN, I came here and found what I needed.
- cover - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:09 pm:
Yes, Rich, thanks so much for your tireless efforts at keeping people properly informed.
Is the swearing-in ceremony for Gov. Quinn open to the public or being shown on the House web site?
- 56-0 - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:10 pm:
Rich- Great work…Now for the trials:
Cellini, Blagojevich, Hurtgen maybe Kjellander?
- Homer J. Simpson - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:12 pm:
I know I typed Rich. My apologies.
- Little Egypt - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:14 pm:
Rich, go get an imPEACHtini and take the rest of the day off. Seriously dude, what you have done to inform this State of what has been going on for the last 6 years has been a herculean effort and one that is extremely appreciated.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:14 pm:
AMAZING HISTORY, WE NEED TO REMAIN VIGILANT AND WE NEED TO LOOK INTO ALL OF BLAGO’S APPOINTEES. NOW!
- EarlyBird - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:14 pm:
Thanks Rich! I hope you have a great evening, you deserve it!
- Just Observing - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:15 pm:
Can Blago collect unemployment???
- Six Degrees of Separation - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:15 pm:
You’ll not see nothing like the Mighty Quinn.
Thanks again for the forum, Rich. May the blessings of eighty black-eyed virgins….oh, never mind.
- Little Egypt - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:16 pm:
I think Rich also deserves a token of appreciation. Anyone want to collect money,I’ll pitch in. It either needs to be smokable or drinkable though.
- dupage dan - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:16 pm:
We have more work to do. It is up to all of us in Illinois, citizens, state employees, elected officials to keep working on this. We have a right to clean government but it ain’t gonna just come to us now that GovRod is gone.
- soccermom - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:16 pm:
what’s happening with the swearing-in?
- Six Degrees of Separation - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:17 pm:
foster-
Save a few for your kids. someday they’ll make a fortune on ebay.
- Independent - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:17 pm:
Best of wishes to Gov. Quinn. As bad as Rod was he did serve as a counterweight to the Daley/Madigan wing of the party. I hope Quinn has the nerve to stand up to them when he believes they are wrong.
All in all it was a good day for Rod. He knew he would be impeached and probably knows he’s headed for prison. His national media blitz was all about post-incarceration employment. Enough national media see Rod as this lovable, wacky guy to give him talk show opportunities. While in jail he’ll have plenty of time to write a book. We’re far from seeing the last of him.
- ZC - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:17 pm:
Thanks Rich!
- Say WHAT? - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:18 pm:
Rich, Thank you for covering history so extremely well, and everything else in Illinois for that matter. When constituents call here yelling I am informed. CapFax even helps me in serving and answering questions. For this staffer you and Capitol Fax are invaluable. Kudos!
- jaundiced eye - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:19 pm:
Congratulations on the best, most informed and up to the minute coverage of the proceedings. TV anchors/reporters were pathetic. Somebody should tell Linda Yu that Sen. Emil Jones is not the former Senate President … oh well, it makes you miss the WGN anchor and her Pate Phillips mispronunciation. Rev. Meeks was in superb form, verbally and sartorially. Again, thanks Rich.
- "low level paper pusher" - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:20 pm:
I guess my memory of this administration will boil down to an e mail conversation I had with one of the governor’s spin sisters I know in 2005 when they voted to skip the pension payments to balance the budget.
I said I did not think it was a good idea policy wise or for the Democratic Party and laid out several reasons for this.
Said Spin Sister made some comment and then concluded by stating that, being as a good Democrat, I should blame the whole thing on Tom Cross and Frank Watson.
I was going to write back that, well, this Democrat could think for himself, thank you very much, but I didn’t bother. If I had any doubts about the administration before that, I certainly didn’t after and I kept my distance from anyone associated with the administration.
- wndycty - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:23 pm:
NBC5 just reported that Rod’s security detail has left his house. I just saw it on TV and the media mobbed them as they were walking to their cars.
- Not From Here - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:27 pm:
What happens now to Blago’s war chest?
- Moderate Repub - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:28 pm:
HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH! HAL-LA-LU-JAH!!
- You Go Boy - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:33 pm:
59-0 Finally a righteous move.
- Loop Lady - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:37 pm:
God bless Pat Quinn…the Blago era is officially over!
- Toast Man - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:38 pm:
At least I got a buy-out package. He, He, He!
- Justice - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:38 pm:
Cabs, long drives, the L, paying for his own lunch, looking over his shoulder for feds coming to serve indictments and arrest him again. It’s a great day in Illinois!!
- confused - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:45 pm:
=== God bless Pat Quinn…the Blago era is officially over ===
Wasn’t Pat Quinn Blgojevich’s Lt and running mate in 2002 & 2006?
- Boone Logan Square - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:45 pm:
It is done. What do those racist speculators who thought the vote would not be unanimous say now?
- Jake from Elwood - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:48 pm:
This is somewhat surreal. Who’s gonna drive him home tonight?
- PPHS - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 5:50 pm:
No, Rod cannot apply for unemployment. The staff can. And maybe Patty.
- Levois - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 6:14 pm:
I wish that I was either a professional videographer or photographer right about now. :(
- Huh? - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 6:53 pm:
There is an old saying about a politician being so bad that they can’t get elected dog catcher.
blago is so bad that he can’t ever hold elective office in Illinois - even dog catcher.
- Mild Mannered Meeks - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 6:58 pm:
What a train wreck outside Blago Manor with all the press. It is sureal
- piper - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 7:11 pm:
I hope this is the beginning of true bipartisanship in IL.-
- BIG R.PH. - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 8:10 pm:
Rich:
Thanks for your excellent coverage!
The gravy train is over you’ll have to go back to earning your $$’s.
- Steve - Thursday, Jan 29, 09 @ 9:05 pm:
Rich, as many others have said, thanks for all you do to keep us informed…not only during this time when the nation focused on Illinois politics, but week by week, year in and out. This blog is a great resource for citizens who care about how their government is run. Thank you.