WMD
Thursday, Aug 7, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Best lede of the day…
In a move that jeopardizes a tamer health insurance expansion plan, Gov. Rod Blagojevich launched a fresh assault on House Democrats by rewriting a measure to force insurance companies to cover dependents well into their 20s.
That pretty much encapsulates the real pitfalls about this new “strategy” by Gov. Blagojevich. He wants to “improve” bills, but he may end up killing them. More…
But state Rep. Fred Crespo, who helped push the underlying health insurance legislation, said the governor’s move is wrong.
“Now the governor, by doing this, risks us not getting anything at all,” said the Hoffman Estates Democrat. “Many of us are getting sick and tired of this little game. It is hurting people.”
The governor was AWOL during spring session and now he wants to play legislator. A bit late.
* The Tribune had some extensive online coverage yesterday, but the dead trees edition is a bit lighter. The paper led with the other salient point from yesterday’s presser…
Gov. Rod Blagojevich lashed out at two of his fellow Democrats on Wednesday, accusing House Speaker Michael Madigan of blocking his progressive social agenda for the state and contending that Mayor Richard Daley is complicit by failing to intervene. […]
The remarks represented a return of Blagojevich’s strategy of using public appearances to criticize his opponents and underscored the dysfunction among Democrats who control the state.
It’s always somebody else’s fault.
* And this is something that I’ve been talking about for weeks, but has been mostly overlooked by “mainstream” publications…
Rep. Louis Lang of Skokie, a member of Madigan’s leadership team, said that Blagojevich’s criticism leaves “no doubt in my mind that the governor is doing all he can do to try to make it more difficult to try to elect Democrats” to the House this fall.
The governor has already said that a veto-proof majority for Madigan would be harmful to his interests, and the House GOP has allied with him on his precious capital bill, so expect him to do whatever he can to help the Republicans hold onto their seats.
* Feisty? Really?
A feisty Gov. Rod Blagojevich lashed out Wednesday at lawmakers he accuses of stonewalling his statewide construction program and even took a swipe at Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, imploring the powerful politician not to side with the “oppressor.”
This wasn’t “feisty,” behavior. This was destructive behavior.
* From yesterday’s Tribby coverage…
“You know, we did a little homework and we found out some of the things that he said when Governor Thompson was governor and Governor Edgar was governor, the same things he says now he was saying back then. These are just tactics. They are tactics, they are politics, it’s the games they play and that’s why it’s so frustrating and so disappointing that you would screw with the lives of people because you have your own political agenda.”
I’ve been making this point time and time again. Thomspon and Edgar always found a way to deal with these “tactics,” so why can’t Blagojevich? Also, other legislative leaders gave other governors tons of grief in the past, yet somehow things - sometimes big things - still got done.
* And then there’s this point…
Blagojevich said he has identified more than 50 bills he can rewrite to strengthen them.
* Back to Patterson’s article…
On three separate occasions the Illinois Supreme Court has ruled the governor does not have the unilateral ability to wholly rewrite legislation. If Blagojevich’s changes are approved, a lawsuit could follow based on those earlier rulings.
If he deliberately violates the Constitution 50 times in a row, that, in my opinion, could be construed as an impeachable offense. They’ll never base impeachment on this because it would play right into the governor’s hands.
“They want to impeach me for giving hundreds of thousands of people access to health insurance.”
Even so, serial constitutional violations should be taken very seriously.
* Related…
* Schoenburg: Session forces politicians to change fundraising plans
* Constitutional officers considering layoffs, furloughs - Budget cuts put jobs on the line
* Gov’s ‘Rewrite To Do Right’ Plan Angers Lawmakers
* Gov plans to extend age for health coverage
- Ghost - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 10:01 am:
SO the legislature gets together and negotiates compromise bills. Support is obtained by changing language, adjusting requirments and what is generally noted as consenus building by negotiation and compromise.
The Gov does not think passing law through negotiation and compromise with bi-partisan support is the way to operate government. So instead he will the apporach that any deal must reflect the terms he wants and he does not need to obtain any support. Thus the gov is saying that the best way for our government to proceed is with the Gov, one man, siezing control of the law and passing whatever he, and he alone, thinsk should happen. Thus avoiding discussion and compromise. In short, a dictatorship.
BTW the Gov’s actions clearly violate the serpation of powers contained in out history and at the heart of our consitution. His announced intent to violate, coupled with him having actually acting in this fashion should serve as a grounds for impeachment. The number of 25k checks from contractors should serve as grounds for impeachment. The number of people hired in jobs relocated to counties with no veterans, but where the employee works out of a county with veterans is grounds for impeachment. The Rezko trial convictions for using the Gov’s authority to shakedown buisness in Il is grounds for impeahcment. The Gov transfer of State offices to reward and punsh legsilators for their positions on bills is grounds for impeachment. The Govs signing off on a deal to benefit his daughters school is ground for impeahcment. The Gov;s pardoning of a felon to give 1 mill to a school being pursed by the Feds for non-payment of taxes is grounds for impeachment. Firing qualified and skilled employees of the State because of their political affiliation is grounds for impeachment. repeated and ongoing violation of the states FOIA law is grounds for impeachment. The Govs abuse of the special session process is grounds for impeachment. The Govs refusal to comply with the JCAR law he signed into being is grounds for impeachment…..
Impeach Now
- Madame Defarge - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 10:01 am:
yes, there were tactics and rhetoric in the past, but underneath there was a respect for the process, a respect for the other guys opinions and most of all TRUST.
- anon56 - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 10:04 am:
I wasnt going to bother attending Gov day next week, but now wouldn’t miss it
someone is oing to get steamrolled literally or figuratively and I wouldn’t want to miss the spectacle
I wonder when the boom is gonna get lowered on the Rodder, it’s doesn’t seem imminent to me and I’m startin to think the Feds dont have the goods on him
- cynically anonymous - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 10:14 am:
is it just me or does it seem that this governor illustrates “power corrupts and (thinking you have)absolute power corrupts absolutely”?
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 10:23 am:
As I said before, the Illinois House will likely use its authority to rule the Governor’s “amendatory” vetoes “not germaine.” In other words, they’ll say he overstepped his Constitutional authority.
Rod will complain.
The bills sponsors will point out that Blagojevich was AWOL when the measures were in the legislative process. In many cases, they’ll probably show either that the administration failed to even take a position on the bills when they were in committee, or that they filed in support. I’m not sure which is worse.
Madigan will say that Blagojevich can’t ignore the Constitution, no matter how good his intentions.
That is how dictators operate. And Dick Cheney.
- Bill - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 10:35 am:
Ghost,
With all of those reasons why doesn’t your hero call for impeachment hearings in the House?
- Southern Illinois - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 10:37 am:
“The governor has already said that a veto-proof majority for Madigan would be harmful to his interests, and the House GOP has allied with him on his precious capital bill, so expect him to do whatever he can to help the Republicans hold onto their seats”.
I do not think that he is helping the Republicans, using the Republicans is a better term. But it is very correct for the pundit to finally see the trees through the forest in that he is taking his Chicago style politics and in order to destroy MJM, he is destroying his party and the seats which are up for re-election in order to destroy his opponent MJM.
- Belle - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 10:43 am:
“took a swipe at Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, imploring the powerful politician not to side with the “oppressor.”
Hey man, like we’re really gonna fight the establishment, stick it to the man,… Sometimes the guy can crack me up. 60’s replay anyone?
- Ghost - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 10:54 am:
Bill I keep hoping that Jay will do just that, but I am not sure if madigan would support jay’s call for impeachment hearings. Go Hoffman!
- John Bambenek - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 11:13 am:
As far as the health insurance bill, I’m not at all convinced that it is strictly unconstitutional. He isn’t burning the whole thing down and starting over, his changes are within the scope of the legislation as far as I can tell, simply dealing with the ages people must be covered until.
For instance, “free rides for seniors” was constitutional.
Of course, this DOES prove that the amendatory veto is a sterling example of what is wrong with our constitution, why some of the problems we face are constitutional in nature, and why we need a constitutional convention to fix them.
- Hmmm..... - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 11:32 am:
“…Thomspon and Edgar always found a way to deal with these “tactics,” so why can’t Blagojevich?”
Just maybe it’s because Gov Goofy is a ‘child’ in a ‘grown-up’s’ job?
- unspum - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 11:40 am:
Ghost:
The guv has worked very hard on consensus building on the capital bill. Give credit where it is due.
- Truthful James - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 11:40 am:
Rich,
good first sentence but too long for consideration as a lede. The usual standard is 25 words or less
Blago’s swanning around, however, qualifies him not as a Leader but a Leda. Sick humor is covered under the health bill.
- Captain Flume - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 11:41 am:
I find a couple quotes from another famous Hoffman (Abbie) might be germane to the discussion on the proposed rash of AVs:
“Understand that legal and illegal are political, and often arbitrary, categorizations; use and abuse are medical, or clinical, distinctions.”
and
“Structure is more important than content in the transmission of information.”
- John Patterson - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 12:07 pm:
Just to clarify, Joe Ryan wrote our story today. You correctly identified my contribution to his story, but it is his story, and his lede.
- Huckleberry - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 12:17 pm:
Anyone out there know exactly what other bills he’s planning on re-writing. We’ve heard 50 or so but can only find this one in particular.
- Vote Quimby! - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 12:19 pm:
==but I am not sure if madigan would support jay’s call for impeachment hearings. Go Hoffman!==
LMAO Ghost!
- 2ConfuseCrew - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 1:58 pm:
The real lede was:
Chicago —Gov. Blagoof tried todestroy the hard work of another Illinois lawmaker today by violating his amendatory veto power.
It was his second effort in recent weeks. Last month he used the families of autistic children to prove how little he knew about the state constituion.
il, s
- Team Sleep - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 2:09 pm:
I am reminded of the old story in “The Madness of King George III”. King George went mad after losing the colonies and realizing his mortal enemy helped cause the loss. Blago’s actions and reasoning are not much different: he is wildly unpopular; he has budgetary issues; he has and is losing ground to Madigan; and he could watch Madigan gain enough seats to make him even more irrelevant.
- Chanson - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 2:41 pm:
He zigzagged.
He was a knotted hiss.
He was an insane hash
Of rebellious small strengths
Author: Brooks, Gwendolyn
Replace “strengths” with “weaknesses” and I think she’s got it.
- Captain America - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 4:29 pm:
All this extensive rewriting and amending constitutes an abusive use of the amendatory veto power.
The weekly, legislative sessions after Labor Day, seem Like “deja vu over and over again.”
With respect to the attacks on Madigan and Daley, the Governor A is full of “soundbites and fury signifying nothing.”
- IDOT Traffic Safety Worker - Thursday, Aug 7, 08 @ 11:02 pm:
Nuh-uh! Did our beloved Gov REALLY say the following?
“They are tactics, they are politics, it’s the games they play and that’s why it’s so frustrating and so disappointing that you would screw with the lives of people because you have your own political agenda.”
BWAH! HAH! HAH! HAH!! Rod, you’re so funny! Thanks for the biggest laugh I’ve had in three months!