Governor finally speaks *** Updated x1 ***
Friday, Sep 15, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
[Bumped up for discussion purposes.]
I heard that the Tribune was thinking of sending a reporter out to Rockford for the governor’s fly-around. Looks like they did.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich said “there’s really nothing to any of this” when asked Thursday about his acceptance of a $1,500 check for his daughter from former campaign treasurer Michael Ascaridis within two weeks after Ascaridis’ wife got a state job.
This was the first time that the governor has commented himself about the $1500 check from Michael Ascaridis to his daughter and the somewhat questionable circumstances surrounding the state hiring of Beverly Ascaridis.
“Every single rule and law, disclosure law, has been complied with,” Blagojevich said. […]
Asked if he had anything to do with the special treatment Beverly Ascaridis received, Blagojevich said, “No.” […]
Asked if he was concerned about Beverly Ascaridis’ job or whether she should still be on the state payroll, Blagojevich responded, “Whatever the process is, that will unfold.”
Some Blagojevich insiders contend that Mrs. Ascaridis was angry about not getting a promotion, which is how they explain her trip to the FBI with the $1500 check.
Meanwhile, the Daily Herald has a story that quotes Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn claiming that Blagojevich “does the right thing all the time,” but once again the paper’s web site is down.
OK, the site is up now.
“He’s always been a person who’s honest and one of integrity,†said Quinn, appearing at a Capitol news conference. “I have confidence the governor does the right thing all the time.†[,,,]
“I think it’s perfectly understandable,†Quinn said. “I think it is a lot of money, but if you’ve had someone you’ve known all your life … that can happen.â€
Asked if his children had ever received comparable gifts, Quinn couldn’t cite specifics but said he wouldn’t be surprised if they had.
“Yeah, I’m sure that has happened,†he said. Quinn has two sons.
*** UPDATE *** I missed this one. The Post-Dispatch editorial board weighs in.
There’s an unwritten rule in political scandals that says the more complicated a deal is, the less likely it is to get public attention. It’s when things get simple that the problems start. […]
The governor’s office says it’s an “outrage” that anyone would question the propriety of the check to his daughter. Hint to governor: Get used to it; most Illinoisans don’t write $1,500 checks to 7-year-olds. […]
The yearlong investigation has touched on numerous state agencies and departments, including the state teachers pension board and Joe Cini, who ran the governor’s hiring office. It has even implicated the Blagojevich family baby-sitter, Betty Bukraba, who was appointed to the Civil Service Commission.
But it’s that $1,500 birthday gift to a little girl that’s raising eyebrows.
A Barbie doll we could understand.
- Skarfeld - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 7:42 am:
Maybe Rod should have given that check to Marty Kovaric; that would have spared Judy from having to did into her own funds . . . Ah, how some of us DO forget . . .
- Louis G. Atsaves - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 8:14 am:
Quinn’s response to this controversy is pretty sad. I can remember when he was a reformer. Now he is just a lap dog for his governor.
This $1,500.00 gift thing just isn’t going away and it isn’t pretty.
- Anonymous - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 8:30 am:
I miss the old Pat. How is he going to live these statements down when the poop hits the spinner?
- Mr . Ethics - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 8:42 am:
The headline says it. “Governor finally speaks” It sure appears that several ethics lapses are in this case that he should be explaining, and yes it does seem as if the Mighty Quinn has forfeited his integrity to protect the Gov.
- Wumpus - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 8:44 am:
“Every single rule and law, disclosure law, has been complied with,†Blagojevich said. […]…eventually, when he is called out on it. Perhaps this will go to a commission that hears ethics cases whose deciding vote will be cast by Blago’s dog walker.
How can anyone here take Pat Quinn seriously? I know he works for vets, but the whole ignoring veteranss preference by this administration and his vocal support is disheartening. I know he can’t criticize too much, but come on Pat
- Skarfeld - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 8:52 am:
I say it’s time to break out the rolling pin and show Quinn that it really is an assault weapon . . .
- grand old partisan - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 9:02 am:
Wait a minute. Quinn ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ if one of his kids had received a gift comparable to a $1,500 check? Must be nice to live a life where that kind of money can be easily forgettable chump change!
Could these two collectively jam their feet in their mouths any further?
- Cassandra - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 9:14 am:
Wumpus is right. Where is Pat Quinn? And where are the vets for that matter. Maybe it’s Pat’s job to keep them from getting outraged. Or maybe they don’t need help getting jobs.
As to Blago, everybody in Illinois who is conscious knows that he sells state jobs and contracts for political support and contributions to his campaign/retirement fund.
This $1500, whatever it was, is a drop in the bucket.
Unfortunately, as was predicted, the Repubs, coming off the George Ryan mess, can’t really
win a lot of votes from this. Maybe a new, young candidate with no ties to the Ryan/Thompson combine could have, but maybe such a person doesn’t exist in the Republicans’ potential candidate lineup, especially one with socially moderate creds.
They need to start looking though.
- Skarfeld - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 9:20 am:
You have to admit, GOP, suggesting you would beat up the Governor and, I assume, his security detail (b/c she’d have to accost them to get to him)with a rolling pin and then have your staffers defend it as an unfortunate turn of phrase is a pretty good collective mouth stuffer itself . . .
A $1500 gift might not go away, but neither will goofy rolling pin statements, Kovaric betrayals, orphanages for the Oliver Twists of Illinois, and “here’s me and here’s my dog” photos won’t either.
If Rod’s got problems, JBT has catastrophes.
- grand old partisan - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 9:28 am:
Skarfield,
At leats Judy’s ‘unfortunate turns of phrase’ don’t make her appear to be either (a) a shakedown or artist (b) an out of tough aristocrat.
Those are really the only choices we have for a Governor who doesn’t think twice about accepting a $1,500 birthday check for his 7 year old daughter.
- gadfly - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 9:34 am:
There is an explanation for everything. Maybe the governor used the $1500 for a hair appointment.
- Anon2 - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 9:47 am:
If Quinn is sure his 2 sons have received similar gifts, what does his ethics statements say? Any listed?
- Wheres the leadership??? - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 9:57 am:
It is very clear that the Gov failed his ethics exam, but he has more problems than that, IDOT has more investigations by the Feds than George Ryan ever did. They are starting to downgrade staff at IDOT (wives of Bureau chiefs) to begin to hide them. There are bad procurements and contracts. THe people fired for political reasons will get their jobs plus back pay and attorney’s pay (its a matter of time)
The ship is sinking and the bailer is broken folks, he may win the election, but the federal sharks are in the water. Overall, it is BAD for Illinois.
As far as JBT, she is not the greatest, but she is better than Pat Quinn.
- Animous - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 10:10 am:
“Every single rule and law, disclosure law, has been complied with,” (…until the FBI calls me about the next one.)
Looks like Pat Quinn just fell down the “slippery slope”. Based on current speculation, all he had to do was remain mute on the gov’s missteps and coast into the big chair as the outsider (if/when) the Gov gets indicted. It now looks like an endorsement of the Gov’s (sometimes questionable) character and acceptance of a gift that 99% of the electorate has never received. Slippery Slope PQ…
- Anonymous - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 10:13 am:
“I have confidence the governor does the right thing all the time.”
that quote will come back to haunt quinn.
- steve schnorf - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 10:14 am:
Cassandra
I don’t know that he sells state jobs and contracts, and I am conscious. That’s a very serious charge to just sling around, without offering some evidence of some sort, don’t you think?
I know there are appearances of instances of impropriety, but believe me, there are always appearances, they are unavoidable. I will believe he has broken the law when I see an indictment and conviction, or at least testimony or statements from a reliable non-anonymous source with no ax to grind.
I know there are lots of things that look odd or amiss, but not doing a good job is far different from breaking the law knowingly and repeatedly.
Anyone who knows me knows I am not commenting on this out of partisanship. My partisanship lies in the other direction, obviously, but such serious charges are cheap shots, and emblematic of a “big lie” approach to politics (repeat it often enough and they’ll believe it).
- Walking Wounded - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 10:29 am:
Steve,
I have to agree with Cassandra. When the US Attorney releases a statement that there is an investigation on “endemic hiring fraud” under the governor’s watch….it reflects badly against Blago and his administration. A close pal’s wife gets a $48,000 state job and then you get a $1500 check for your daughter’s “education” shows either total lack of ethical conscience or a lot of arrogance. I don’t for one second believe this will be the last of these incidents brought out to the public’s attention. Illinois citizens really need better leadership. Whether they vote for it is going to be another matter.
- HoosierDaddy - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 11:08 am:
Steve:
I understand you are not coming from a partisan perspective on this, and I think I do know where you are coming from, professionally. But to characterize Cassandra’s comments as part of a “big lie” approach is a step too far.
There is no fire yet in the Blago accusations, but there is plenty of smoke. Cass and many other voters in this state may be jumping to conclusions, but it’s far, far, from the Big Lie.
In Court, the burden in on the prosecution, but you know as well as I that in a campaign, the burden is on the defense. Always has been.
–J
- Money Laundering? - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 11:18 am:
This guy is using his 7 year old in a possible money laundering scheme. All he has to do is have his buddy produce the check and a document that says he deposited the 1500 in a college fund and he can get cool this mess somewhat. Certainly 1500 dollars is steep but at this point things look bad and are not being refuted.
- larry - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 11:25 am:
Mr. Schnorf, Did you forget that Inspector General Z Scott (who resigned) wrote that Blago’s office actions go beyond ignorace of the law and have utter and complete contempt for the law!? Mel’s comments, Fitz’s indicating Blago is Public Official A? It goes beyond “smoke” at this piont
- steve schnorf - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 11:34 am:
You are all now commenting on things that appear to have happened or are alleged to have happened within his administration (and in fact, from what I can see, some of almost certainly did happen). That is very different from accusing him of selling state jobs and contracts.
- Bill - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 12:15 pm:
The governor is an honest man. He always tries to do the right thing and instructs his staff to do likewise. That’s why there will be no indictments against him…Because he has committed no crime.
- Anon from BB - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 12:27 pm:
The Gov. is using the Bart Simpson defense:
“Nobodysawmedoit, youcan’tproveit, Ididn’ttakeanything.”
- steve schnorf - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 12:38 pm:
HoosierDaddy
When I said big lie, I meant the propensity of people on this site (and many others, of course) to post untruths(Judy said she was going to raise taxes) or unsubstantiated statements (Governor sells jobs) as fact and seeing those statements repeated over and over as fact . I don’t know what else to call it. It seems to happen too frequently to simply be ignorance.
- One Man Can Make A Difference - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 12:42 pm:
I find one thing wrong with Pat Quinn’s comment.
With the allegation and supporting information in almost every newspaper and currently being investigated by the FEDS, how could he make such a comment with all of the supporting evidence pointing at wrongdoing.
Which means, you can’t believe a word he says! In Bernie’s recent column in the State Journal Register Quinn said that those who engage in illegal conduct should be held accountable.
Doesn’t the allegation and supporting information point to the need for an investigation before jumping to a conclusion that Rod Blagojevich “does the right thing all the time”.
Or is this just a politician talking “business as usual”.
I agree with the Post-Dispatch Editorial Board, why not a baby doll for a gift? What else could that $1,500.00 be used for right now. Cause his daughter certainly doesn’t need it for her well being-her father’s rich.
If Mr. Blagojevich’s (as the paper refers to him)
daughter was getting a present of 1500.00 couldn’t she have gotten it at anytime prior to and or after (mostly likely at her 17th B-day) his friends wife received her state job.
After all, I know people save for a long time for college, but Mr. Blagojevich’s daughter is rich. Her father is the Governor. She’s only ten now and has 8 more years before she goes to college. By then it’ll be down in history that her father was Governor of the State of Illinois and she might go for free or get alot of help.
C’mon Pat Quinn, be real, call a spade a spade and a joke a joke.
- steve schnorf - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 12:54 pm:
What makes people think Governors are rich?
- Reddbyrd - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 1:31 pm:
I think Judy Bore must now offer free dogs to every child having a birthday between today and election day. This will show how she is different and better than GRod.
Meanwhile the AccordionGal can ignore Brickhead’s unpaid loans cause he says they looks at more like gifts from close family friends
- Money After The Job - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 1:33 pm:
Maybe we think he’ll be rich because he’ll be keeping the extra millions in his campaign fund when he leaves office.
- Huh? - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 1:34 pm:
Once again Reddbyrd’s criptic comments have confused his message (if he has one) again.
- steve schnorf - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 1:42 pm:
There’s an example of exactly what I’m talking about. He can take the money with him only as a political fund and can spend it only on political purposes. He can’t convert it to personal use and pay taxes on it like politicians could under the old law.
- Money After The Job - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 2:01 pm:
I am well aware of that fact; however, as he doles out that money in the future for political purposes it will surely buy him a lot of influence that then does turn in to real cash.
- Cassandra - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 2:30 pm:
Well, actually, the exchange (yes, sale) of state jobs and contracts for political support and campaign contributions is legal in Illinois
in many instances. There won’t be any indictments in many such cases because there isn’t anything to indict on. That doesn’t make it less reprehensible although we have to take some responsibility because we tend to dismiss it as part of the political landscape in Illinois. Governors can choose not to go along with pay to play, even it’s available to them.
JBT said she wouldn’t commit to not raising taxes and to me that is candidatespeak for I probably will, especially given the state’s financial picture. We overburdened taxpayers have to do the best we can with the information we get.
- Shallow Pharnyx - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 3:33 pm:
There goes my respect for Quinn.
- Establishment Republican - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 4:20 pm:
Say goodbye to Pat Quinn’s political career.
- Huh? - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 5:23 pm:
Bill - After reading the laughable defense posts by Steve Schnorf, yours was a true gem.
I once sat in a meeting with a consultant where we ripped them up one side and down the other because of the shoddy work that they submitted. When I received their version of the meeting minutes that said that they were going a wonderful job and that we were so pleased with their submittals, I had to wonder if we had been sittinjg in the same room.
Bill & Steve - Are we reading the same newspapers, listening to the same news on the radio and on TV? Because if we are, we are interpretting what we see and hear from polar opposite points of view.
In the case of the $1500 check for the kids college fund - Does this pass your smell test? A man gives a “gift” to the child of the governor and and then the man’s wife gets a state job within a short time of the “gift”. Along with this is the allegation that her test scores were fixed and she was hired for a job in a county that she never worked in. And this doesn’t stink to high heaven?
- steve schnorf - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 5:56 pm:
Huh?
You’re not reading. I didn’t and wouldn’t say the $1500 issue passes the smell test. If Cassandra and others had said that, I wouldn’t take exception. What she said was that the Governor sells state jobs and contracts. That’s a very different, very serious, and unproven allegation. Words have to mean something or we can’t communicate, and words are cheapened when they are so missused.
What I interpret from what I read and hear is that the Governor probably has some serious problems within his administration, and no, Bill, I don’t believe they are being caused by holdover Republicans.
The problem appears to probably involve violations of personnel laws and rules, and at the least, an appearance of impropriety problem with donors, timing, contracts, and maybe jobs and/or board appointments.
None of those thigs say to me that the Governor sells state jobs and contracts, again a serious and unproven accusation. I know many people here believe it and/or hope it to be true, but that’s very different from stating it as a fact.
- NoGiftsPlease - Friday, Sep 15, 06 @ 7:31 pm:
Even without the $1500, it is still unethical for the governor’s best friend’s wife to be gifted a job in a way that (reportedly) subverted the process. She was not proven to be the most qualified and that means the tax payers lose again because they are not getting the skills and qualifications they are paying for through her salary. There is nothing new in this but it has become a cancer in the business of government.