44 Comments - Ravenswood Right Winger - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 8:31 am: The Chicago Sun-Times endorsed Blago for Governor and Todd Stroger for Cook County Board President. Now it criticizes both. Funny that. - So Ill - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 8:40 am: I again have to ask — why did the leaders of the House and Senate deign to meet with Sheila Nix? If Blagojevich doesn’t have to meet with Barbara Flynn Currie because it’s a ‘leaders’ meeting, then the legislative leaders should have the same privilege. Especially since nothing really got done. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 8:42 am: SI, Nix just spoke for the guv afterwards. From what I know, the governor was at the meeting. - So Ill - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 8:45 am: Ah, Rich, thanks. From the AP copy: “Meanwhile, state lawmakers attended a two-hour meeting with Deputy Governor Sheila Nix that ended with the budget deadlock continuing. House Speaker Michael Madigan said good leadership will be needed to reach a budget agreement.” Sorry if I’m wrong. I take back the comment (but think the principle should stay). - Pro-Gunner - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 8:46 am: “The State Journal-Register editorial board has tackled the issue of the governor’s sanity.” Blago is the last person that I would want owning a firearm. I wonder if he has difficulty operating power tools. - Tea Leaves - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 8:49 am: Rich - So it’s kinda like the old MASH show, when Margaret (Hot Lips) Houlihan would speak for Frank Burns even though he was standing right next to her. - What a PUTZ! - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 8:53 am: Everything Rod touches, Rod thinks is a tool. - Lula May - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 8:58 am: What everyone does not understand is at this point in Rod’s term he does not care what the media thinks or the public. He hasn’t gotten his way so he is going to punish everyone who disagrees with him. Unless the media pushes his agenda and stops asking questions about indictments he refuses to talk to them. This seems to be working. When is the last time they asked him a hard question ? Shelia Nix is a brown noser and this is another of Rod’s problems, he only surrounds himself with people who worship him. He will never get bad news from them. But, in the end Rod will get his way. Politicians have no stamina for this fight(just like Iraq).By the time the next election comes around the public will have forgotten all of this. The Democrats will be kissing Rod’s feet and he will buy another election. - TV viewer - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 8:59 am: Rich, your name and comments about state pension numbers and artificially created deadlines were brought up by Carol Marin last night during her interview of guests Judy Baar Topinka and Roland Buris. You should checkout the script to see the guests responses on the matter. - TV viewer - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 9:01 am: It was on Chicago Tonight - 312 - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 9:09 am: I’m just imagining the commercials against Rod for 2010… If that man is the democratic nominee, the Illinois Republicans shall rise again! Maybe GRod will take his previous term limits legislation into consideration? IL Dems can only hope! - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 9:23 am: I’m posting this in comments today on almost every item… The really nasty nicknames some of you routinely use are annoying me. I’ve begun deleting the worst ones and will continue to do so. Elevate yourselves, please. It’s not too much to ask. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 9:25 am: And by “nicknames” I mean nicknames you have given others, like the guv, Stroger, etc. - Patriot - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 9:34 am: Rich: Do you also mean nicknames like “kool-aid drinker” and “tin-foil hat wearer?” - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 9:36 am: What I mean are the little pet names people have devised for political leaders. Some are taking it way too far and it’s gotta end. - VanillaMan - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 9:42 am: I find it frustrating to listen to those who want to blame society for not preventing disasters, yet elect Rod Blagojevich as a governor. We knew this guy. We knew his tract record. We knew of all his many shortcomings. We know he is under a number of federal investigations. We know his friends are being indicted. Yet the Illinois Democratic Party renominated him. They did this because they wanted to win at any costs. They did this rather than tell him he was untrustworthy, self-centered, and an embarrassment to the Office. They cowered when he raved. They sold their souls to protect themselves. They prostituted themselves and cheered him on to re-election. How can they now wonder about a cynical voting public after their cynical partisanship sunk this state? What good is a political party that is willing to nominate anyone they think can win an election? What good is their nomination? What does it mean to voters when the criteria they seem to base their nomination on is the ability to win? Why should voters support a party like that? As we smolder in a wreckage of historic proportions, we need to call the Illinois Democratic Party into account for it’s willfull negligence. They hold every statewide office, majorities in each branch of the General Assembly, and the governorship. No longer should we be seeing postings that defend this man. No one should be so blinded by narrow minded partisanship as to play devil’s advocate against the majority of us who have had enough. I admire those of you who have given Blagojevich the benefit of a doubt over the years and are now expressing your disgust with him. After 30 years of Republican rule, I understood those of you who believed in change. But Blagojevich has not delivered the ethics reforms we so badly needed. He has not delivered the leadership we needed after the 2000 recession. He has not rebuilt Illinois with policies that harnessed our strengths and location. He can’t even show up on time to a funeral! The writing is on the wall, isn’t it? His refusal to read it doesn’t change reality a twit, does it? - Huh? - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 9:44 am: I was listening to NPR this morning and heard a story about a new book titled “Legacy of Ashes.” The title is from one of the final cabinet meetings that President Eisenhower had before Kennedy came into office. According to the author of the book, President Eisenhower said to Allen Dulles, then Director of the CIA, that his failure to organize the CIA had left him a “legacy of ashes.” I cannot help but think that the current administration is going to leave a legacy of ashes for future governors and the people of Illinois. - Limerick - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 9:50 am: Greet now the Fortieth Day! Rod dallies, while others delay. Anger grows at this game, By men with no shame. The voters will soon make them pay. - Mr. W.T. Rush - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 9:55 am: Rich: I think you now know Nix missed the boat on her post game report. Cross and Watson, not Madigan, were for the line by line review. Deputy Gov. Peters & Chief Harris said the Administration had already cut to the bone so a line by line review would do no good. many were amazed the report was so far off. Perhaps people should put down the Blackberry’s and listened? - Captain America - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 10:31 am: If I had had the foresight to anticipate the complete meltdown in gubernatorial leadership that has occurred durng this legsilative session, I would have voted for Judy Barr Topinka. Notwithstanding Blago’s potential legal problems, one had to assume that the Governor and his staff had learned soemthing from their first four years of office. I believed that Pat Quinn would be a more competent governor than Judy Barr Topinka, if Patrick Fitgerald evntually indicted the Governor for some fundraising improprieties. Tragically, Governor Blagjevich has never been able to make the transition from campaigning to governing for reasons I just can’t fathom. His negative campaigning and demonization of his Democratic colleagues has had a devastaiong impact upon his credibilty and created widepsread perceptions of incompetence, as well as legitimate speculation about his political rationality/mental health. His heart seems to be in the right place in terms of his health care proposal, but there is some fundamental disconnect between his good intentions and political reality requiring compromise and incremntal change. The road to “heck” and political oblivion is paved with good intentions. I am also wondering whether the governor sees the legal handwrtitng on the wall and views the health care plan as a redeeming positive legacy, the same way George Ryan viewed the moratorium on capital punishment.But he can’t issue an exceutuve order to fund and implement his health care plan. - Captain America - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 10:36 am: If I had had the foresight to anticipate the complete meltdown in gubernatorial leadership that has occurred durng this legsilative session, I would have voted for Judy Barr Topinka. Notwithstanding Blago’s potential legal problems, one had to assume that the Governor and his staff had learned soemthing from their first four years of office. I believed that Pat Quinn would be a more competent governor than Judy Barr Topinka, if Patrick Fitgerald evntually indicted the Governor for some fundraising improprieties. Tragically, Governor Blagjevich has never been able to make the transition from campaigning to governing for reasons I just can’t fathom. His negative campaigning and demonization of his Democratic colleagues has had a devastaiong impact upon his credibilty and created widepsread perceptions of incompetence, as well as legitimate speculation about his political rationality/mental health. His heart seems to be in the right place in terms of his health care proposal, but there is some fundamental disconnect between his good intentions and political reality requiring compromise and incremntal change. The road to “heck” and political oblivion is paved with good intentions. Huh’s “leagcy of ashes” analogy is astute. I am also wondering whether the governor sees the legal handwrtitng on the wall and views the health care plan as a redeeming positive legacy, the same way George Ryan viewed the moratorium on capital punishment.But he can’t issue an exceutive order to fund and implement his health care plan. - Bill - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 11:02 am: “No longer should we be seeing postings that defend this man. No one should be so blinded by narrow minded partisanship as to play devil’s advocate against the majority of us who have had enough.” Vanman, A majority of who? Spare us from your pompous,arogant, holier than thou ravings. I don’t recall anyone in the democratic party ever asking for your advice or approval. We won the elections statewide and locally and we will win again next time and the time after that. Your opinions are no more or no less valid than anyone else who posts on here. Here in America the majority (or plurality) rules. Try and get used to it. It must be lonely out there on the fringe. - Six Degrees of Separation - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 11:11 am: Bill knows that the Gov will always have a defender or 2, no matter how bad things get. Bill also knows that, unlike Cook County where a piece of moldy cheese could get elected with a (D) attached to it, that there is a breaking point statewide where an officeholder or candidate becomes a liability to the party, translating to perceived or real loss of power. Nixon, Bush, et al, could hold their own when the wagons were circled. When the wagons started leaving camp, their troubles really began. - Captain America - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 11:20 am: Vanilla Man I’m a liberal Democrat with independent tendencies. I think it wasn’t feasible to challenge Governor Blagojevich in a primary because the Governor had so much money. You saw what happened to Judy Baar Topinka. As I noted in my previous post, I voted for Rod this time because I thought Pat Qauin would be amuch better governor than Judy Baar Topinka, given that many commnetators in thei blog, including Rich Miller, seem to believe that the Governor will be indicted sooner or later. I agree with Huh’s commnent that the Blago will prorably have a “legacy of ashes.” You appear to be overlooking George Ryan’s felonious legacy. Ryan was admittdly a more competent governor than Rod, but the legal record establishes that he was a criminal. Our problem in Illinios is that the leadership both parties appears to be complicit or tolerant of widespread institutional corruption. The Republican Party appears to be just as bad or even worse than Democratic Party, given that Ryan has actually been convicted of a crime. The short-term outlook is bad for both parties. But I have some opitmism about the future of Democrats in Illinois in a post Blago-Jones-Madigan era because I think we have an abundance of good and decnet people in the other constitutional offices - Madigan, Hynes, and Gianoullis, as well as others, who want to move up and probably will do a good job. I think the dysfunction of the Democratic trumvirate in Springfield has created an opportunity to resurrect the Republican Party. Which Republicans do you think are available to captitalize on this opprtunity and win statewide? Who/where are the moderate successors to Edgar and Thompson? - JJ - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 11:22 am: Now Blago has fired the Northwestern Illinois economic development coordinator. Watch for other things to suddenly go awry in that area of our state. Better not get in the Governor’s way or your area will pay. He’s a piece of work. - Yellow Dog Democrat - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 11:25 am: Vanillaman - Just a reminder, one-third of Democratic Primary voters voted for Eisendrath, who might has well have been a write-in candidate, his campaign was so pathetic. Bill - Just a reminder, a majority of voters in 2006 voted for someone besides Blagojevich, despite his historic advertising. Rich - I agree with your assessment of the SJR article. Although I’ve heard from folks who work for the Governor that he won’t take Shiela Nix’s advice, or the advice of women in general. Maybe we need to bring Tusk back just to sign Nix’s memos. - Team Sleep - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 11:59 am: Captain, the successor was supposed to by JBT. Unfortunately, that didn’t work. Senator Radogno would have been another torch-bearer, but she lost and she would make a great Congresswoman. So now, barring any actions by an unnamed legal eagle, we have 3 1/2 more years of this “stuff”. I’m not surprised that a great campaigner like Blago has fizzled. He has a great personality, and his work ethic (when he wants something, at least) is very good. But he doesn’t seem to understand the nuances of governing, accountability, management and, in a way, the overall law. He was uninspiring as a state rep and as a Congressman, so why people think he would make a great head of a state is beyond me. Jim Ryan and JBT both had long, successful and palpable times in an executive office. Sometimes, too, politicians and businessmen forget when to stop campaigning and pushing for unpopular ideas. Bad CEOs and corporage board members are often good old boys who are smart and savvy and friendly but either don’t know what they are doing or have no intention(s) or working to improve their firm. I think Blago is the same way; he doesn’t know when to drop it and when to sit down with a serious face and work out a problem such as the budget or a tax matter. Right now, it seems as though President Bush, along some of the top members of his administration and top elected officials of his own party, don’t know when to end their defense of a bad policy (immigration, a troop surge), of a fallen “comrade” (Scooter Libby) and of a possible constitutional showdown (executive powers). ARGH! Sorry, just a little internet frustration let-out. - Captain America - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 12:18 pm: Team Sleep, My only defense is that I actively camapaigned for Vallas in the 2002 primary. It was a tough choice becasue Rod was our Congressaman and I liked him personally. I have absolutely no regret about voting for Rod versus Jim Ryan because Ryna was too conservative for my taste. Rod seemd like he had great potential to be a good governor because of his tremendous campaigning skills. He’s just missing the other half of the equation - governing. Most candidates, regardless of their education and experience are able to grow into their offices even if they are not up to snuff initially. - i d - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 1:32 pm: Most don’t get the point. This State of Illinois is in chaos because individuals cannot put the State before their own petty personal caprice. And we and the members of the legislature continue to show no interest in finding the middle ground. This is a government of checks and balances but the legislative leaders seem unaware that they do NOT need the governor to pass a reasonable budget. - reformed - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 1:51 pm: Hey Bill I voted for blago last election never again. He flys over the working people of this state while saying hes fighting for us. Maybe if he got his self important a$$ in a car and drove to springfield and interacted with working people he would know we dont want and cant affod his ideas. Blago needs to go. - Team Sleep - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 1:55 pm: But you know what, Captain? That isn’t what killed Jim Ryan; it was the electorate thinking he was the next George Ryan or the son of George Ryan - because of his name. What a false pretense for a voter to use. But it worked and the rest is history. A great campaigner only shows that you want the job. You have to put some oomph behind your thoughts and ideas. That is my opinion, but running hard without a reason for running or not having any viable ideas just shows that you have only thought out one half of the job requirement. I guess you could get away with that if you are running for dog catcher or township trustee, but the governor’s office is a little more important. And I did want to give Rod a chance when he was first elected, but his bond scheme ended that. - Garp - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 1:59 pm: The time has come for the House and Senate to override the Governor and the Senate Leader. They need to pass a conservative budget that addresses the needs of public transportation and put off the debate on funding education, healthcare and pension matters till next fiscal year. This should be accomplished by a small increase in taxes on businesses and closing unfair loopholes. Blago’s not going to bend because the only credibility he has is that he hasn’t raised income or sales taxes. Madigan doesn’t want to be the one seen as the tax raiser so he would rather let the governor spew venom and blow in the wind than move this thing forward. The solution is to do as little damage as possible and move on. - Inquiring Mind - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 1:59 pm: Isn’t this the same Sun-Times that endorsed Blago? - Six Degrees of Separation - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 2:31 pm: Well, Pennsylvania has solved their budget crisis, so now it’s only Illinois that is wringing its collective hands. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/10/us/10penn.html?_r=1&oref=slogin One of the hangups in PA was how to spend the $650 million state surplus, or to use some of it for taxpayer relief. I’m confident that issue will not be on the table here. - silentk - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 3:21 pm: Seventh Special Session Seventh Special Session Seventh Sescial Spession Speventh Sescial Spession Seventh Sessial Session Speventh Special Spession Seventh Special Session Nope. Can’t say it seven times fast. Adjourned. - Concerned Voter - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 4:45 pm: Boy I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen when many of the state employee contracts come up for negotiations. Will we get screwed or will he try to buy off the unions for their endorsemnets again? - Concerned Voter - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 4:47 pm: oh yeah, go Sun Times! - Huh? - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 5:04 pm: Rich - Any chance of seeing a list of banned nick names? - some former legislative intern - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 5:04 pm: Recently, the Governor accused Speaker Michael J. Madigan (D-Chicago) and Chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois of in reality being a Republican. This is the same man that almost singlehandedly resurrected the Democratic Party in Illinois after the 1994 debacle when the party controlled neither legislative chamber nor a single constitutional office. What did the current Governor do during that time? Well, he did admit recently that he voted for Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Granted, many “Reagan Democrats” voted for the longtime Republican back in the day, but none of those people that I know of are now running a state like Blagojevich. Let’s try again: who is the Republican, Governor? - Squideshi - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 5:22 pm: “The Chicago Sun-Times endorsed Blago for Governor and Todd Stroger for Cook County Board President. Now it criticizes both. Funny that.” I absolutely agree with this statement. “I’m just imagining the commercials against Rod for 2010… If that man is the democratic nominee, the Illinois Republicans shall rise again!” I don’t think people are happy with the Republican Party either. Let’s not forget that the last Republican Governor was found guilty of corruption. “Yet the Illinois Democratic Party renominated him…What good is a political party that is willing to nominate anyone they think can win an election? What good is their nomination? What does it mean to voters when the criteria they seem to base their nomination on is the ability to win? Why should voters support a party like that?” Unless you agree with the state that the only criteria for “membership” in the Illinois Democratic Party is to request their ballot at a primary election, it wouldmight be more accurate to say that Blagojevich was nominated by self-selected voters who requested a Democratic Party ballot at the primary, regardless of their ACTUAL political party affiliation. You do make an EXCELLENT point about supporting candidates based on “electability.” This is a terrible standard, which only serves to perpetuate the status quo; and unfortunately, too many organizations use it–labor unions, newspapers, etc. “Tragically, Governor Blagjevich has never been able to make the transition from campaigning to governing for reasons I just can’t fathom.” I don’t think that he hasn’t been able to do it–he just hasn’t CHOSEN to do it. I think it’s very much a conscious choice that he is using the office to promote himself, and the big signs over the tollways with his name on it are evidence. “Your opinions are no more or no less valid than anyone else who posts on here. Here in America the majority (or plurality) rules.” I’m glad that Bill recognizes here that sometimes a plurlity rules, which is just another way of saying that a minority sometimes rules; and certainly that is the case with this administration, as evidenced by the fact that Blagojevich was unable to achieve a majority of the total vote in 2006. “I think the dysfunction of the Democratic trumvirate in Springfield has created an opportunity to resurrect the Republican Party.” It has created an even better opportunity to build the Green Party here in Illinois. - Holdingontomywallet - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 7:47 pm: I just can’t get over the actions of our legislators and Governor. Illinois has become the joke of the country. I hope everyone realizes how emabarassing this is for the democrats and how incompetent they have been. This session and overtime will be talked about for years to come. Great job, great job. - Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 8:13 pm: Rich, I understand your concern for the nasty nicknames. Having said that, you may want to think about desinging a nice t-shirt with some of the best ones on the back with a cartoonish pose of the “target” on the front. You might net Sojourn another nice pile of cash. After all, look how many orange t-shirts have been sold around Champaign (for years) reading ” **** Fichigan.” I’m telling you, this stuff sells. Except for the unfortunate case of AA Jr. and his high school buddies a few years back who were inspired to order up a nice batch of “Ch*** Fatham” shirts before a big football game. Someone tipped off the administration and the fellas were advised that those shirts would be a big impediment to graduating. - Cat - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 8:47 pm: The truth is that Bernie had it right in Sunday’s J-R. Blago is just obfuscating and delaying - a cover-up for subpoenas, depositions, settled cases (CMS, DOT, etc.) and he thinks he can be King if he just delays the bad news long enough - he can get more money for his supporters through jobs, contracts, and subcontracts. He flees from reporters, but I don’t see any one newspaper put all the facts in one article. I believe he will try to delay the new budget until he can sign off on it at the State Fair, and make it sound like he is responsible for all the goodies in the whole she-bang. This administration is disgusting, and perhaps, just perhaps, Madigan will be able to get Jones to negotiate a budget, and leave Blago out in the cold. - JUST.... - Tuesday, Jul 10, 07 @ 10:32 pm: SHOW GOVERNOR ROD BLAGOJEVICH THE MONEY! 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