Now what?
Thursday, Jun 5, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A few days before Tony Rezko’s conviction, House GOP Leader Tom Cross had this to say about Speaker Madigan’s bitter feud with Gov. Blagojevich over the capital construction plan…
“We all run into people in everyday life who we don’t like and we don’t trust,” said House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego. “The fact that we don’t like somebody is no longer an excuse not to get our work done.”
* The leaders (minus Madigan) are meeting with the governor today to talk about the budget and the capital plan. You gotta wonder whether Cross will change his tune, but at least one top Senate Democrat says the Rezko conviction shouldn’t matter…
“We cannot stop the operation of state government because of something that could possibly happen or some innuendo.” [said state Sen. Terry Link, a Waukegan Democrat]”
* Was there a script or something?
“If he has any involvement, he needs to be charged,” [Democratic state Sen. David Koehler said]. “If not, we need to leave it alone. Innuendo is not a fair way to go about this.”
* The “let’s forge ahead anyway” line was also echoed by a Senate Democratic freshman…
“Anyone that would use this as leverage to shut down the system would not be doing this as a service to the public whatsoever,” said state Sen. Mike Noland, an Elgin Democrat. “This is something that’s not going to factor into the legislative process at all, or at least it shouldn’t.”
* And I’m kinda wondering about the last sentence in Democratic state Sen. Deanna Demuzio’s reaction to yesterday’s verdict and its impact on Gov. Blagojevich and the Statehouse…
“We passed an ethics bill, and hopefully what we did is send a message that we don’t want anymore of this. I don’t know if this will be the end or not. All of us will wonder what will come out of it. You have to be careful who you associate with.”
The Senator is right, of course. And the people that Democratic legislators like her “associate with” might also include Rod Blagojevich.
* Rep. Franks, on the other hand was pretty clear about the impact…
“I believe the conviction has probably doomed the capital bill to the dustbin,” said state Rep. Jack Franks, a Woodstock Democrat.
That’s a line you may hear a lot in the coming days.
* Related…
* Mike Madigan on Blagojevich corruption
* Ethics legislation in the hands of the governor
* Birkett calls for moratorium on Blagojevich pay-to-play system
* Governor shrugs off ally’s conviction
* Blagojevich ‘deeply sad’ about Rezko
* ‘It makes us all look bad,’ lawmaker says of scandal
* Rezko found guilty on 16 of 24 counts
* Rezko convicted
* Rezko’s Attorney Plan Appeal
* Timeline: ‘Operation Board Games’
* The Rezko verdict, count by count
- Crimefighter - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 9:08 am:
Deanna Demuzio sure wasn’t thinking that when she voted NO on the recall amendment.
- the Patriot - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 9:09 am:
Hopefully it does shut down what is left of the process. The less damage this governor and this GeneralAssembly does the better.
- Reform & Renewal - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 9:13 am:
“What was SHE thinking?”
She was thinking you are going to jail, Rod, just like the rest of us now do.
- Lost in Translation - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 9:23 am:
Koehler is out of touch with his district defending the Gov. He get out in his district and see how people really feel about the job he is doing in Springfield
- Vote Quimby! - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 9:44 am:
I agree with Patriot….our state government can obviously not be trusted to operate on behalf of the people. Why should we give them over $30 billion more to play with and fight over?
- Big W - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 9:46 am:
I am looking for a LEADER, and I am not getting one from either the Dems or the GOP! They are, it seems like everyone has told me, they are all alike! all Crooks and I would hope the people of this State would be fed up! I like most Illinoian’s are looking for a leader and possibly a new Party, the Bull Moose party sounds GREAT!
On the EVE of the Republican Convention I will be interested to see who will stand up and demand impeachment or at least an investigation….We know he “Blago” has stolen and sold this State, he was elected to change Illinois, “Business NOT AS USUAL” He LIED! I will be at the Convention, and I will be looking for a Leader—Now who will it be? Or are they all a bunch of wimps with no integrity or honor, just wanting to rape the citizens of Il. or get thier little pet projects funded…….the jury is OUT!
- Ghost - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 9:50 am:
=== “We all run into people in everyday life who we don’t like and we don’t trust,” said House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego. “The fact that we don’t like somebody is no longer an excuse not to get our work done.” ===
is Osqego really this niave? The problem is any deal with blago is subject to blagos word that he will comply with it, release finds etc. i.e. that he wont refuse to fund an approved projected so that he can channel money to a 151 mil violence projectm free breast exams for the wealthy etc. It’s not about like or dislike, its about the fact that you can’t get a deal done with somone who won’t honor the deal and there exists no way to make them live up to their word.
If Oswego does not understand this fundemental problem then the GOP is in for a bigger mauling.
Any Gneral Assembly which puts capital funds into the hands of a Gov who is selling off state jobs and contracts should be removed! an Republican who thinks they wil get the fund released for projects in their district if the Gov decides to redirect funds to provide free healthcare programs is fooling themselves and not representing their constituents.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 10:03 am:
Madigan’s looking a lot smarter today. I take back my comments that he was handing the governor a p.r. victory by not attending the meetings.
I think resignation or impeachment are the only ways we’re going to get the government back to any heavy lifting like a capital plan.
- problem - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 10:14 am:
Madigan has gotten beat up the past week for his comments about not meeting to get a budget done.
He is going to be beat up even more if the result of his actions is a worse end product.
But does that matter to Madigan? He isn’t as interested in press as he is in unyielding and unrestrained power.
- problem - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 10:19 am:
And furthermore, I know reporters eat this kind of thing up, but why allow Franks to say the conviction will kill the capital bill when he wasn’t for the capital bill before the conviction?
- The Doc - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 10:20 am:
Good point, Patriot. Handing over an additional $30+ billion dollar check to IL state government seems awfully dangerous right now. The alternative is no better - waiting several years for a new administration, and perhaps a thorough cleansing of the GA to revamp infrastructure. All this while Chicago is vying for the Olympics, meaning Daley will plow full steam ahead to ensure Chicago addresses its myriad of problems - meaning more taxes and fees.
It’s going to take a Minneapolis-like bridge collapse, or worse, to revive a capital bill.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 10:29 am:
===but why allow Franks to say the conviction will kill the capital bill when he wasn’t for the capital bill before the conviction?===
I agree. I’d add that there ought to be at least a temporary moratorium on Jack Franks quotes. lol
- Ghost - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 10:33 am:
Cross I mean, brain backfired on me and I flipped his dist with his name
- Maggie - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 12:10 pm:
Rich has anyone seen the governor this morning ? If so hows he looking ? Any sleep last night ?
- He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 12:50 pm:
How long will it be until Emil will seperate from the Gov and distance himself?
- Michelle Flaherty - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 12:52 pm:
OK on Franks, but the capital bill was dead from the beginning. Doesn’t it deseve a eulogy? Give Poshard and Hastert gold shovels to throw the first shovels of dirt on the casket.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 1:10 pm:
A quote from today’s Tribune -
–State Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D- Evanston) also questioned the governor’s ability to do his job.
“The weeks ahead may provide greater personal challenges for the governor, challenges that may be a formidable distraction to his ability to effectively lead our state during difficult times,” Schoenberg said.–
Schoenberg states the obvious without mentioning what we already know about our situation before the Rezko verdict yesterday. He tactfully focused on how Blagojevich would move on as though Blagojevich was an effective governor up to that moment. We know that is wrong.
A distrusted governor without credibility who now seems to be expected in some near future to be facing criminal charges by the Feds? Already bogged down with the worst legislative relationship in modern state history, Rezko’s guilt drops a load as large and heavy as Gibraltar onto Blagojevich’s head. His paralytic leadership style now has real reasons beyond personal political mischief to force state business into a grinding halt.
How could anyone deal with him at this point? As of this date the Blagojevich administration is so off track it will be a wonder if it could find an executive washroom key.
As the Media starts a coroner’s inquest on this governor, his staff will be searching for a pulse. Due to the responsibilities of The Office, we need to know just how irrelevant Rod Blagojevich currently is. He is radioactive, so who within our government is willing to be seen cozying up for some necessary deal-making?
This man has lost his last friends, as least for now. At this point, even the rats may turn down the juicy crumbs of patronage he offers fearing terminal contamination. It will take the GOP Sisters of Mercy to demonstrate an ability to lead Illinois government by working with this political leper. Cross and company has nothing to lose and should be considering current events as political opportunities to resurrect a GOP Lazarus and demonstrate bipartisanship as we have not seen it since 2002.
But the Illinois Democratic Party is nailing a “quarrantine” sign on Blagojevich’s front door. Our his back door run the last of the hangers-on.
Halvorson assures gawkers that Blagojevich was never very popular just as today’s German tour guides claim that the National Socialists were unpopular back in their
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 1:11 pm:
heimat.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 1:14 pm:
Halvorson assures gawkers that Blagojevich was never very popular just as today’s German tour guides claim that the National Socialists were unpopular back in their heimat. Halvorson is trying to exit a political Hindenburg she piloted during the Blagojevich years for a seat in Washington.
Jones is old and on his way out. He loses and will probably just cash in and hope there are no interviews with hungry lawyers in windowless rooms in his future.
Madigan will remain silent and keep pulling strings and I believe at least for the rest of the Summer of 2008, incumbants will feign memory loss when voters inquire of their involvement with this adminstration. If one shouts “Blagojevich” during a Special Session, you will probably hear languid flies popping against the hot window as legislators freeze and cover their heads.
Ryan was bad, but didn’t promise reform. Blagojevich has turned out to be the Knight in Shining Armour who saw the Illinois villagers and decided they hadn’t been pillaged enough.
- DHouser - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 2:06 pm:
Franks should keep his mouth shut about the capital bill. Labor leaders know he was never for it and he continually looks for new excuses. One of the few House dems, I have respect for these days is Julie Hamos. She told it like it is.
- Little Egypt - Thursday, Jun 5, 08 @ 3:11 pm:
Can we nominate a blogger to take POA’s place when POA resigns or is impeached? I nominate VanMan. He should have been Blogger of the Year last year but instead I would be happy with a higher position of governor. VanMan, you have more common sense than anyone I read here. VanMan takes the politics out of the discussion and lays it all out on the table that is easy for all of us to understand. I sure wouldn’t want VanMan on my bad side. You rocky buddy. You’ve surely got more to say so take the floor please.