April Fool!
Wednesday, Apr 1, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My favorite April 1 joke so far today is John Patterson’s claim that Rod Blagojevich might still be governor. Why, you ask? Well, Patterson writes that that the Senate impeachment trial appears to have violated its own rules. Here’s the rule in question…
Each Senator, as his or her name is called, shall rise in his or her place and answer “Yes” or “No”.
But here’s what happened…
The senator-by-senator roll call was being called but there were two problems. First, state Sen. Louis Viverito, went ahead and cast a “yes” vote electronically when the first names were called rather than wait for his name to be called. That threw everyone off as they tallied the votes needed to oust Blagojevich.
Second, somehow Senate President John Cullerton’s vote was shut out of the roll call. He was the last person to vote. So, the Senate went about the process of doing a second roll call on the question of whether to convict and oust Rod Blagojevich from office.
But this roll call was done like any other vote in the Senate, with members pushing the voting buttons on their desks rather than standing and answering “yes” or “no” as prescribed by the impeachment trial rules.
This roll call was declared official and Blagojevich was removed from office.
Hence the question: Was the Senate’s vote to remove Blagojevich legal and proper under the very rules the Senate adopted for the proceedings?
Great joke, right?
If it is a joke…
I shudder to think.
Have you seen (or perpetrated) any noteworthy pranks today?
- PPHS - Wednesday, Apr 1, 09 @ 11:47 am:
I am not certain that I see what the difference is between pushing your button yes or no and standing and saying “yes” or “no”. But, whatever.
As far as Cullerton, I was sitting with a former Speaker’s chief of staff, as we were watching the votes be cast and my friend was yelling (from 1500 miles) “You are wired to the podium!”
I shudder to think who is in charge in Springfield, anymore.
- South of I-80 - Wednesday, Apr 1, 09 @ 11:47 am:
My friend packed her husband’s lunch on April Fools’ Day. She packed his favorite Oreo cookies, but she removed the cream and replaced it with toothpaste
- Anon 13 - Wednesday, Apr 1, 09 @ 11:49 am:
Called my brand new state rep today at 10:57 am and told him there were 40 people standing in the district office insisting he had scheduled an 11 AM meeting with him. He caught on fast, called me on it, and apparently has a great sense of humor.
- Skeptic Cal - Wednesday, Apr 1, 09 @ 11:54 am:
My favorite April fool was played on me early.
Actually in November 2006 when I last got to vote for a candidate for governor.
- Best hoax I've seen today - Wednesday, Apr 1, 09 @ 11:55 am:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/apr/01/guardian-twitter-media-technology
- Frank Booth - Wednesday, Apr 1, 09 @ 12:00 pm:
Knowing he’d not be in office today, Rod sprung his April 1 joke on us early:
U.S. Sen. Roland Burris
- HV in HP - Wednesday, Apr 1, 09 @ 12:03 pm:
I love this one:
http://mail.google.com/mail/help/autopilot/index.html
- This just in - Wednesday, Apr 1, 09 @ 12:10 pm:
From the Quigley campaign via Twitter:
Mike Quigley endorses Todd Stroger for Cook County Board President: http://tr.im/i5lt
- montrose - Wednesday, Apr 1, 09 @ 12:15 pm:
Google has done a fine job again this year:
//www.google.com/intl/en/landing/cadie/index.html
- If It Walks Like a Duck... - Wednesday, Apr 1, 09 @ 12:33 pm:
I came to work today and senior staff were still there. I thought it was a cruel joke, but then realized that I’m the April fool for thinking that they’d be gone.
- Quinn T. Sential F/K/A Blago Sphere "TM" - Wednesday, Apr 1, 09 @ 1:15 pm:
Actually; in watching the Senate render its verdict in the impeachment trial, I don’t think Patterson is too far off with respect to the situation with Cullerton.
After each Senator was called individually, and then they were collectively called to record their vote electronically, the Chief Justice presiding over the trial directed the Clerk to take the record, which the Clerk did not then do.
The Constitution calls for the Chief Justice to preside over the impeachment trial. Recognizing that his own vote had not been recorded however, Cullerton, rather than asking to be recognized by the Chief Justice for a parliamentary inquiry prior to the rcording of the vote, instead intervened in the process and came to the podium and then directed the Clerk not to take the recorded vote, and instead directed the Chief Justice to take the vote electronically again, which the Chief Justice then did.
Had the constitutional Impeachment Trial procedures and rules been followed, Cullerton could have; and perhaps should have been recorded as having not voted. A record vote in the Senate is taken electronically, not orally anymore.
Just another example of the political expedience gene in action, as Cullerton could not have stomached the political blow-back of being recorded as not having voted on the issue.
- Hoping For Rational Thought - Wednesday, Apr 1, 09 @ 1:52 pm:
That isn’t funny. It’s crazy enough for Blago to pick up on and start another media tour claiming that he is still the Gov!
- Not Funny - Wednesday, Apr 1, 09 @ 1:53 pm:
Here’s one to avoid: Today a third grade teacher at my kid’s school talked the principal into “firing” her in front of her class.
As any reasonable person could have predicted, the children burst into tears and were inconsolable, even after they were clued in.
Note to self: try to get kid into the other third grade class when the day comes.
- April-Wha???? - Wednesday, Apr 1, 09 @ 2:13 pm:
How about Springfield’s WMAY announcing that all charges against the former gov have been dropped?!?!?!?
- The Supremes - Wednesday, Apr 1, 09 @ 2:29 pm:
4/1 was the date my father and his ex-wife, previous to my mother, were married. So every year my mother and I give him an anniversary card.
You can’t pay for timing like that. It never gets old.
- Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Apr 1, 09 @ 2:53 pm:
Two nominations. First, the Justice Department dropping all charges against Ted Stevens. Second was WBEZ in Chicago pissing me off royally this morning with a regular traffic report that simply presented grossly inflated (but totally realistic) traffic times. Yea, right, that was funny, not.
Unfortunately the first one wasn’t an April Fool’s joke.
- Huge in Japan - Wednesday, Apr 1, 09 @ 3:17 pm:
With a vacation looming next week and reservations booked, paid for and un-refundable, I informed my girlfriend today that Quinn had pulled a Rod and called for Special Session next week to tweak the Capital Bill and that I am being forced to work.
Problem is, you never know with this state and I pray my joke doesn’t come true…
- Brett - Wednesday, Apr 1, 09 @ 3:46 pm:
I told a Die-Hard Broncos fan to order his #18 jersey because the Bears sent Orton and two draft picks to Denver for Cutler. Knowing his internet was down, I confidently proclaimed it was posted on espn.com. He totally bought it and starting cursing and thowing things about, until I dropped the April Fool’s bomb. To which he replied, “Thank God…good one!” As he caught his breath!!
- Brett - Friday, Apr 3, 09 @ 11:36 am:
I cannot believe my April Fool’s prank became a reality the very next day!!