16 Comments - Anonymous - Thursday, Dec 15, 05 @ 4:37 pm: Kendall College… a tasty spot to announce. I don’t expect to see a huge turnout but I think people will show more support for Eisendrath in the privacy of the voting booth. Wouldn’t it be something if Ald. Mell was there, though? hehe - Randall Sherman - Thursday, Dec 15, 05 @ 5:10 pm: I’ll be there, and I will likely be part of a contingent from the Illinois Committee for Honest Government. It’s time for us to take follow-up action to our comments on the Governor’s race this past Sunday in the ICHG’s Distinguished Service Awards Program Book. Our comments read as follows: WHY ROD BLAGOJEVICH MUST BE OUSTED At the time of the last ICHG Distinguished Service Awards Reception held in March, we explained why we wanted the leaders of the Illinois Democratic Party to rise up and challenge Governor Rod Blagojevich in his bid for a second term. Unfortunately, our arguments (and those of other reform-minded individuals and organizations) fell on deaf ears when it came to the Democratic leadership, as they (in public at least) began to blissfully line up behind a sitting governor with huge unpopularity ratings, even among his fellow Democrats. It is with profound sadness that the Illinois Committee for Honest Government cannot endorse Blagojevich for a second term as Governor. The ICHG, and its members as individuals, have had a long and intimate association with Blagojevich. From the time he was still private attorney Rod Blagojevich, to being State Representative Blagojevich, to being Congressman Blagojevich, he seemed to represent some of our highest hopes and dreams. We believed in Rod Blagojevich, but he conned and used us, just like he used his supporters in Downstate Illinois and the allies of his father-in-law, Chicago Alderman Richard Mell (33rd). Without the assistance of all of the people, Blagojevich would have never been elected Governor. His betrayal of them set a new political low, even by the standards of this state. Rod Blagojevich has lied on so many occasions it would be too time consuming to list them in this Program Guide. He is a sociopath and has been pathological in his lying and disrespecting of his former supporters. Rod Blagojevich has forgotten about his friends and supporters who brought him to the Governor’s Mansion. (Of course, given the fact that Blagojevich usually avoids Springfield in general, and the Governor’s Mansion in particular, as if they were toxic waste dumps, his attitude toward past allies may best be described as consistently bizarre.) He has continually disregarded his supporters and forgotten his promises. Blagojevich governs by press conference and does not do the hard day-to-day tasks of actually governing. There are many problems facing this state. They include insufficient economic growth, the flight of businesses leaving the state, significant pockets of unemployment and underemployment, and the chronic problems facing our educational system from pre-school thru our state university system. While Blagojevich makes a perhaps technically correct statement that he has not raised income taxes (which would have been the sensible and least regressive way of dealing with the fiscal mess that was left over from the previous administration), he has chosen to raise virtually every other fee and license available. In doing so, he chose a most regressive way of funding the state’s operations, placing the burden most on those who can least afford it, which ironically are those who elected him in the first place. Rod Blagojevich ran on a platform of reform and changing business as issue. To some, he has become a thinner George Ryan with better hair. To others, Blagojevich has become a second Dan Walker. Neither comparison is justification for a second term. The corruption in the Blagojevich administration is like a cancer that will likely not stop anytime soon, unless the voters force a stop to it in 2006. After getting party leaders like House Speaker Michael Madigan (the Chairman of the State Democratic Party) and Senate President Emil Jones to endorse his campaign earlier this fall (no doubt in part to Blagojevich’s campaign war chest, fattened by contributions from numerous businesses and individuals who have state contracts), it seemed that no Democrat would rise up against Blagojevich. But now there is (at the time this document is being prepared, just prior to the start of the petition filing period) a strong likelihood that Edwin Eisendrath, the former Alderman of Chicago’s 43rd Ward and the Chicago-based Housing and Urban Development regional director under President Clinton, will enter the Democratic Primary race. It is clear that Blagojevich and his cronies see Eisendrath as a real threat. That was made evident when it was recently learned that one of Blagojevich’s most loyal lackeys in the General Assembly, State Senator Carol Ronen (7th), was behind a letter-writing scheme to pressure Eisendrath out of the race. The scheme quickly blew up in the faces of Ronen and the others responsible for it, as legitimate progressives in the state, as they received the E-mail message, passed the information along to Eisendrath. Ronen is politically a small pain in the neck, although the ICHG will be delighted to endorse anyone challenging this pitiful excuse for a public servant in either of the races she will be up for come March 21; renomination to the State Senate and reelection as 9th District Democratic State Central Committeewoman. It is the need to rid the state of Rod Blagojevich that must take priority. If Blagojevich is not stopped on March 21, then it bodes ill for a good friend of the ICHG, Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn. We strongly support Quinn, a recent recipient of our Distinguished Service Award, in the March Primary (although at this point he may not have opposition in that election). But after March 21, the provisions of the Illinois Constitution chain Quinn to whoever wins the Democratic Gubernatorial nomination. Even though Quinn has done a fine job as Lieutenant Governor (including speaking out on the needs to help the families of Illinois servicemen while they are deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan), Blagojevich’s shortcomings and failing make it impossible for us to endorse a Blagojevich-Quinn ticket in the General Election. In the weeks ahead we will also be looking with interest at the developing race for Governor in the Republican Primary. If Eisendrath is unwilling or unable to knock off Blagojevich in the March Primary, the victor on the Republican side will be the state’s last hope to avoid four more disastrous years of house of cards budgets and disgraceful leadership that tries to run this state by press releases and polling. This state needs someone better than that as its Governor, and deserves better than that. It’s clearly time to say “NO” to another four years of Rod Blagojevich. RANDALL SHERMAN Secretary/Treasurer, Illinois Committee for Honest Government Chicago - Troy News Guy - Thursday, Dec 15, 05 @ 6:13 pm: sic ‘em, edwin! - Bubs - Thursday, Dec 15, 05 @ 6:57 pm: Why do I have this funny feeling that they will be serving quiche, brie and a firm yet understated Chardonnay at the announcement? - anon - Thursday, Dec 15, 05 @ 9:30 pm: Really Muffy, could you imagine an event like this with only domestic champagne? - Paul Powell - Thursday, Dec 15, 05 @ 10:35 pm: Go Edwin-let the games begin and to RGod, Bradley, Pete and company as you like to say “bring it on” ! - Anon - Friday, Dec 16, 05 @ 12:24 am: Isn’t 11AM on a Sunday a wierd time for an announcement? Guess he hasn’t hired the PR firm yet. - Oh boy... - Friday, Dec 16, 05 @ 3:55 am: You can tell from his announcement and the details that he has no idea what he is doing. Pretty much what everyone has been saying from the beginning. - Bill - Friday, Dec 16, 05 @ 6:41 am: Jeez Randall…tell us how you really feel. Your over the top rhetoric is just one of the reasons that your fringe group will never have any credibility with the general public. Bring it on! - Buddy - Friday, Dec 16, 05 @ 11:25 am: All the PR in the world won’t help Pete put Rod back together again. G-Nad is seemingly working hard these days because his mop of hair sure could use a cut (and maybe another dye job). Edwin will surprise everybody … indictment or not. - Mohammed Wong - Friday, Dec 16, 05 @ 12:02 pm: Psssst. I have a tip — don’t tell anyone: Edwin Eisendrath isn’t going to be Governor. - Anon - Friday, Dec 16, 05 @ 3:04 pm: He may not become governor but he will get my vote over Blago. At least this Southern Illinois Democrat realizes that Rod never never has had much interest in us once the primary was over 4 years ago. Boy am I glad I voted for Vallas! - Deconstructing Circe - Friday, Dec 16, 05 @ 3:46 pm: Mohammad you’re right. - Anonymous - Friday, Dec 16, 05 @ 4:25 pm: You people are forgetting that he doesn’t even need to win in order to damage Rod enough to make him vulnerable next November. Plus, once again, indictments can change everything - Charlie Murphy - Friday, Dec 16, 05 @ 5:19 pm: Hey Rich- Do you know anything about this other Democrat that filed to run for Governor today? http://www.elections.state.il.us/ElectionInformation/CandDetail.aspx?id=10671 - caveinrocker - Saturday, Dec 17, 05 @ 9:45 am: The message here- “skip church and come drink and celebrate with me, double E. geez. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.