No Hall of Fame in his future?
Tuesday, Dec 6, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller
He’s definitely not batting with a major league average.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich often jokes he was a C-average student in law school.
Judging by his administration’s track record in court, he may have been lucky to get those grades.
Last week, a federal judge ruled a Blagojevich-backed ban on violent video game sales to minors was unconstitutional. It marked at least the seventh time the governor has lost a high-profile case in court.
In addition to the decision on video games, Blagojevich has lost arguments with state and federal judges over plans to downsize an Air National Guard wing in Springfield, mortgage a state-owned office building in Chicago and allow telephone giant SBC to double certain rates it charges competitors.
He even tangled — and lost — a fight with state judges over legislation that would give the judges a pay raise.
That last sentence is a big reason why he’s done so poorly in state court.
But the guv’s judicial batting average doesn’t just impact him. Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office has to defend the governor, which is dropping her overall batting average as well.
Meanwhile, in a not-so related story,
Moving to bolster his standing with women and progressives, Gov. Blagojevich expressed ‘’increasing concerns'’ Monday over U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito because of the judge’s anti-abortion stance.
Blagojevich, an abortion-rights supporter, outlined his anxiety about President Bush’s pick to replace swing-vote Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in a letter to Illinois’ two Democratic U.S. senators, who have shown little enthusiasm for Alito.
‘’If Judge Alito is elevated to the Supreme Court, the chances of Roe vs. Wade being overturned increase considerably,'’ Blagojevich wrote, citing memos Alito authored as a Justice Department lawyer on how to overturn Roe.
- Cassandra - Tuesday, Dec 6, 05 @ 8:22 am:
I doubt Blago cares whether his demands to limit video game sales and so on make it through a court challenge. These are purely political moves and he presumably hopes that voters will remember his efforts and not the judicial outcomes.
- AngryJolietan - Tuesday, Dec 6, 05 @ 8:27 am:
Classic Blago move-make those comments on Alito to pander to your base (pro-choice women). We’ve seen it before with AllKids, ad nauseum. Rod does realize that he can’t issue an executive order on Alito, right?
- Noxuses - Tuesday, Dec 6, 05 @ 8:59 am:
Absolutely correct! Another move by a desperate Gov to gain votes. Based on his past it is questionable if he even knows what Roe Vs Wade really is.
- Your Neighbor - Tuesday, Dec 6, 05 @ 9:08 am:
If it appears that one will lose a worthwhile and moral fight, should just lay down? I think that Blagojevich takes these actions because he strongly believes they are the right positions to take. Leaders don’t back down from a fight because they fear losing — thats what cowards do.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Dec 6, 05 @ 9:16 am:
No, cowards try to beat up on a person when they are down in the polls. Then when they see that their poll numbers are in the cellar too, then start kissing up to everyone they dissed with political statements like this one.
- Anon - Tuesday, Dec 6, 05 @ 9:40 am:
The media should be asking Rod this question:
“Governor, if you are re-elected in 2006, do you vow to serve your complete term and not run for national office?”
It’s the same thing they’re going to ask Hillary, and if he wants to be a national player (which he’s barely a state one) let’s play.
- downstae - Tuesday, Dec 6, 05 @ 9:45 am:
He is trying to get on the national stage since Durbin cut him down.Think back how many articles with Blago and Washington D.C. in the say story.
- Anon (;46 - Tuesday, Dec 6, 05 @ 9:47 am:
Did the Alito story get it right? Maybe Rod was hinting that he’s running for Senate. Not in Illinois; we don’t have a Senate race next year, but maybe he’d think about moving to Nevada or Montana or Mississippi and running there. God help us.
- anon - Tuesday, Dec 6, 05 @ 1:24 pm:
does anybody really care what blago thinks about alito?? i rest my case.
- Bluefish - Tuesday, Dec 6, 05 @ 2:09 pm:
Since when did Blago get a vote on the Alito confirmation?
- Jaded - Tuesday, Dec 6, 05 @ 3:25 pm:
Maybe someone should suggest to the Governor that he ought to worry more about his own appointments and less about the President’s appointments since the Illinois Senate just rammed one where the sun don’t shine in the veto session!
- Anon - Tuesday, Dec 6, 05 @ 4:56 pm:
I think most of you take cynical to a new level. God forbid that the Governor of one of the largest 5 or 6 states in the nation should feel compelled to provide his opinion on such a critical supreme court appointment. Newsflash: the Supreme Court’s decisions affect states more than any person or entity, so I’d hope any Gov would give a darn about who’s in line to become a justice. Also, anyone who’s pro-choice should speak up against Alito’s nomination before it’s too late. I don’t care who the source is.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Dec 6, 05 @ 6:43 pm:
Rich,
Very interesting. So, you are suggesting that Illinois judges are ignoring legal precedent and valid arguments and ruling against the state because Blago tried to cut back their salary increases during a time of needed fiscal restraint?
Maybe judges should stand for re-election, rather than retention!
- Rod Blagojevich - Friday, Dec 9, 05 @ 4:59 pm:
I’m sorry for making those comments about the President and minding his business when things aren’t going so well for me.
After all, I’m being investigated by Madigan, Devine and Fitzgerald. All of the prosecutor in these neck of the woods and the President is only being investigated by Fitzgerald.
I wonder how long will that investigation of the President last so that he can get back to all of the corrupt cronies in my office.