Gordon bows out, Blagojevich pounces
Thursday, Mar 17, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Our “reform” governor has had problems explaining this appointment, so he caught a break when she bowed out yesterday…
A former lawmaker is resigning from a job that Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn gave her only days after she voted for his 67 percent tax hike, the governor’s office confirmed today.
Former Rep. Careen Gordon withdrew her name from consideration for an $85,886-a-year spot on the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. Quinn had nominated her for the position, but her ability to win confirmation in the Senate was in doubt.
Critics charged the timing between her vote on the tax hike and her appointment by Quinn were too cozy. Both Quinn and Gordon have said there was no connection.
* And the Blagojevich clan got in on the action…
Patti Blagojevich said Wednesday that there is no difference between what her husband is accused of and the alleged deal between Gordon and Quinn.
“Here’s somebody who…made a vote to get herself a job. And on the other hand, you talked about jobs, investigated things with your lawyers. Discussed things and never took any action but you’re under indictment for pretty much the same thing,” said Patti Blagojevich on the radio.
“She may be correct. It’s pay for play,” said [Pat Brady, Illinois Republican Party chairman].
Political reformer Dawn Clark Netcsh disagrees.
“If you are going to tell the governor you can never appoint someone who is in office at one time, who might have voted the way you thought was the right way to vote, that’s absurd. I don’t find that to be an example of what we thought to be pay to play,” said Netsch.
Being caught trying to allegedly shake down a children’s hospital CEO for a contribution in exchange for releasing state funding is just a bit different than this. Also, Blagojevich was caught on tape talking about out and out trading a US Senate appointment for jobs for himself and his wife. Despite the obvious appearance problem, there is no evidence at this time that either Gordon or Quinn were that explicit. Rod Blagojevich was a crass crook. He’s also a convicted liar.
* Gordon’s defense…
In late October, she told The Daily Journal: “At this point now, I can’t ask the people who live in my district for more money until the state of Illinois shows that they are good at money management. I haven’t voted for a tax increase and I have showed I won’t vote for a tax increase until we show that.”
In a telephone interview Saturday [after her vote for the tax hike], she said: “The income tax increase signed by the governor goes farther than that. The money has to go to pay bills, with no new programs. There also are spending caps (2 percent per year) and the provision is if the increase goes over that the tax increase is null and void.
“Over the next two years, there will have to be a minimum of $800 million in cuts each year to meet that spending cap.”
That explanation is a heck of a lot more plausible than Blagojevich’s excuses. It still stinks, but this is no “Pay to play on steroids.”
- Excessively Rabid - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 7:23 am:
Word for the day: Blagojezilla. Talk about radioactive. I hope they can get him in a containment vessel pretty soon.
- South of I-80 - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 8:09 am:
I noticed that Blago did not compare himself to Moammar Gadhafi with all the trouble that his going through.
If I recall, a couple weeks ago, Gadhafi was staying that his people love him and then they showed a group of his followers waving flags and carrying his picture. Now that I think about it, Moammar took a page at of Blago’s play book!
- downstate hack - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 8:20 am:
She is stepping now. At least now she did the right thing. While Blago was an out and out crook, a lot more issues than just the Senate seat, this move by Quinn was also just plain wrong, unethical, and in poor judgment if not illegal. For a man to claim the higher moral ground and run as a reform candidate, the whole episode was another slap in the face to Illinois voters. Quinn should apologize.
- Just Asking - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 8:32 am:
Isn’t it Gordons apparent actions rather than Quinns that are a clear violation of the public trust-at least. I know we generally hate Rod-he earned that-but if you assume it is unbelievable that her vote flip was unrelated to the job, how is getting that job for a vote any better than Rod getting a job for a Senate appointment. I don’t think it is all that relevant that Rod or Patti never got the jobs or that a Senate appointment is traditionally a high level political patronage appointment.
- Anons - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 8:36 am:
I just have to say one thing. I have never cared at all for Careen Gordon. Never. At all. But all these people complaining about her getting an $85k/year job is ridiculous. As if she is getting paid an absurd amount of money. Granted, it’s much more than most in her former district make, but do these naysayers know how much lawyers can earn? She’s more than qualified for this job and it’s the state’s loss that she will go elsewhere and make a lot more money.
- South of I-80 - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 8:44 am:
Quinn was short sighted when he made the announcement of Gordon’s appointment so soon after the lame duck session. If he had waited a couple months the outcry would not have been this intense and maybe she would have received the appointment.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 8:47 am:
I see a couple of common themes developing here already.
Blago is beyond redemption on almost anyone’s chart. Most attempted or consummated political actions will look better than his in comparison, whether apples-to-apples or not.
Careen Gordon was not the most well-liked legislator, but she was a capable attorney who otherwise would be well qualified for the job, but for the appearance of impropriety.
- Fed up - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 8:57 am:
It’s not as bad as Blago shaking down a hospital but she sold her vote for a job after she lost the election. However Quinns deal with the public employees union for cash and endorsement before the election was right out of Blagos playbook. That was pay to play.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 9:29 am:
So Pat Brady walks into it and lets himself be quoted agreeing with the Blagos. Smart leadership by the GOP chairman.
Maybe he just wants to be associated with somebody who won something.
- Irish - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 9:32 am:
I have maintained from the beginning that the only time to get Blago was early on and I am afraid that the missed opportunity of the first trial will come back to haunt this state.
My reason for taking this position was that given enough time the rest of the politicians in this state will continue to act as though they have no ethical compass or duty to the citizenry, and will continue to perform acts that will dilute the initial public outrage over Blago’s acts. By the time the second trial starts there will be any number of examples of similar or nearly similar actions by those in power that will cause any future jury pool to wonder if Blago was really that different.
The real danger in all of this is if there is no conviction in the second trial, then look for Blago to come back at the state for compensation for a whole laundry list of perceived injustices. I can picture the interviews, talk show appearances further court proceedings. This guy won’t go away.
- umm - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 9:45 am:
I am not world’s biggest Careen Gordon fan, but even I recognize that she isn’t being treated very fairly. She was looking to leave the General Assembly long before the election. She has wanted to get back to her lawyer/prosecutor roots for a long time. It’s ridiculous to assume that she was offered the position in exchange for voting for a tax increase. Anyone who has ever had a conversation with her about politics, corruption, the law would know that she isn’t the kind of person who can be bought. Every member of the General Assembly KNOWS that the tax increase was necessary, but most don’t have the guts to admit it. This idea that she campaigned against the tax increase is somewhat incorrect, given that the statements against the tax increase came from DPI mail, not Careen herself. Even if she did advocate against the tax increase every member of the General Assembly with a race campaigned against a tax increase. That’s just politics.
When it came time to pull the trigger, she voted for the tax increase because it was the right thing to do, not because she thought she would get something out it.
- Just Asking - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 9:46 am:
Hey Irish, would that jury pool be so wrong?
- kendradoggle - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 9:47 am:
There was no shakedown of Childrens’ Memorial Hospital. Their $900K CEO had a lobbyist, John Wyma, who got this whole debacle started. The CEO was asked to make a $25k contribution, and there was no connection between it and the pediatric rate increase to doctors. At least, the jury thought so. Bad comparison. Patti makes a good point.
- Because I say so - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 10:14 am:
I wish the media would just stop give Blago the attention he desperately craves.
- Canned Yard - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 10:41 am:
If Careen Gordon is the talented attorney everyone claims she is then the last place she’d be looking to take up space is on the Prisoner Review Board (her “prosectuor roots”–we get it). Unless, of course, the plan is to have a top-notch law practice first, with PRB work as “supplemental” income. Not unheard of, I guess . . .
The ex Blago folks — even the ones who now grudgingly admitted his ‘approach’ might have possibly been/could have maybe been on the left side of unhelpful/wrong — loved this from day one because it gave Rod (and them) an opening.
Does it really matter who throws the rock if your house is glass? Irish is right. Every day someone will commit a new ethical blunder that will smack of hypocrisy in the eyes of the Blagophiles.
- Bee - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 10:49 am:
Careen is being treated fairly, she is being treated just as she treats others. Her actions do have consequences.
The bottom line is that she did not do her job for the last 2 1/2 years. She should not be rewarded for that. If she wanted out of the legislature, she could have stepped down and had someone appointed to replace her. Her actions to her peers and to her constituents the last several years would/should probably preclude her from getting a position in any law firm.
Whether she was given the job for her vote or because she made the GOP spend money in the campaign will never be known. There are a lot of people looking for work and she should not be a priority candidate for any state job.
- mokenavince - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 10:55 am:
This can turn out to be a good omen. Our reform
Gov. get caught the 1st time he tried play for pay. I wonder what else Quinn has up his sleeve. Coreen Gordon had the good sense to withdraw. I still believe there was a connection.Blago is still a jerk.
- Cincinnatus - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 11:27 am:
Rich said,
“Being caught trying to allegedly shake down a children’s hospital CEO for a contribution in exchange for releasing state funding is just a bit different than this. Also, Blagojevich was caught on tape talking about out and out trading a US Senate appointment for jobs for himself and his wife. Despite the obvious appearance problem, there is no evidence at this time that either Gordon or Quinn were that explicit. Rod Blagojevich was a crass crook. He’s also a convicted liar.”
You may not like the other things Rod did, but at this point, the only thing in this paragraph that Rod has been convicted of is lying to the Feds, and the lying took place over 5 years ago.
What Rod did is just a matter of degree different than the pay for play schemes common in Illinois. Quinn plays that game, as does just about every other politician with any influence and authority over a government job.
I do agree with Rich that Rod is a callous fool, but I do not think that Quinn is a goody-two-shoes. He is also corrupt as this deal and the union deal show. It’s only a matter of degree.
- Edison Parker - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 11:52 am:
Umm said: I am not world’s biggest Careen Gordon fan, but even I recognize that she isn’t being treated very fairly. She was looking to leave the General Assembly long before the election. She has wanted to get back to her lawyer/prosecutor roots for a long time.
Wouldn’t it have been easier and cheaper for her to leave the General Assembly by NOT running for re-election and losing. She could’ve just retired instead, right? Doesn’t seem consistent that you want to leave so you run again.
- Cheryl44 - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 11:58 am:
==I wish the media would just stop give Blago the attention he desperately craves. ==
Does anyone know if that was a news chopper hovering over Ravenswood Manor before dawn this morning? Whatever was going on, they work a bunch of people up. I’ve noticed on Twitter a lot of us assumed it had something to do with Blagojevich.
- GMatts - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 11:59 am:
Based on some newspaper reports, The Scoundrel may be in for a nasty surprise by the High School Journalists meeting coming up. Sounds like he won’t get the ‘weasel podium’ he thought he would (and that WLS continues to provide).
- Chicago Cynic - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 12:02 pm:
Too bad we can’t find a way to just lock this guy up and throw away the key. Hey wait a minute, that’s a darn good idea. Next time, it’s bye bye Blago. Hopefully.
- Wumpus - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 12:31 pm:
Pay to play is still pay to play, even if it is with a lowercase “p’. Blago…taxpayer advocate!
- Excessively Rabid - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 12:43 pm:
==At least, the jury thought so==
I’ll say it one more time, and this is not just about Blago. Juries find guilty or not guilty. Not guilty is not a finding of innocence or an exoneration or any of those other words people like to use. And a hung jury is not even a finding of not guilty. He’s entitled to a new trial, and that’s it.
- Louis G. Atsaves - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 2:07 pm:
Somehow I cannot generate any real sympathy for former Rep. Gordon or Governor Quinn on this appointment. Nor can I buy the excuses for their behavior being spouted in the comments.
Did that appointment preclude her from working elsewhere simultaneously?
I know we in Illinois get jaded over politicians who promise one thing during a campaign and then flip and do the opposite after the election, but is that behavior also justifiable? What “facts” dramatically changed after November 2010 about our State finances?
In health sanitation classes we (former) restaurant types were required to take, the old maxim applies here with equal force: Good food doesn’t smell funny. Spoiled food does. If it smells funny, don’t serve it to your customer.
The problem that Quinn and Gordon have is that they served it to us and now pretend that what they served didn’t even smell funny.
- Esquire - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 3:16 pm:
It is getting tiresome that WLS keeps exploiting the trainwreck that was once our governor for Arbitron rating points. Of course, Rod Blagojevich rants and raves, but someone in management gave him a microphone and access to the radio studio. No surprise that the man was and still is a flake, something that was seldom addressed when he was a state representative and a congressman. Enough already, WLS!
- Lobby where it counts - Thursday, Mar 17, 11 @ 4:34 pm:
Gordon wasn’t particularly well suited to the PRB. If done right, it requires people skills and inuition. She also gas nothing in her background regarding mental health, juveniles, etc. From what I understand, she just voted no for everything all the time–a pretty easy way to do the job. This is one mistake Quinn has made that at least could be undone. It really bothers me that Dems leaving office just think it is their entitlement to get another cushy job.