Well, the deputy walks on hard nails and the preacher rides a mount
But nothing really matters much, it’s doom alone that counts
And the one-eyed undertaker, he blows a futile horn.
“Come in,” she said,
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm.”
* 3:19 pm - Click here to read the transcript of the governor’s event.
* 3:14 pm - Most of the governor’s media event…
* 3:11 pm - We’re coming a bit late to this, but Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn is doing a press conference right now. Click here to watch.
* 3:01 pm - The governor quoted from Tennyson’s Ulysses today. This stanza immediately preceding the one Blagojevich quoted seems much more appropriate…
‘Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down;
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Blagojevich, the first governor in Illinois history to be impeached, sought to portray himself as a governor fighting to expand health care and the availability of affordable prescription drugs against an Illinois House that stood in the way.
“The House is impeaching me for that? Is that an impeachable offense?” Blagojevich said at a news conference at the James R. Thompson Center in downtown Chicago.
Women, minorities, crying babies and a man in a wheelchair served as the backdrop on stage at a news conferenece rembattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who the Illinois House voted to impeach today 114-1.
Blagojevich continued to show a defiant confidence in his innocence.
He called the House’s decision to impeach him not a surprise. “This is not something that came as a complete surprise to me,” he said, since the state House considered the idea in 2007.
He discussed how he has pushed the House, for “real and meaningful” housing, for cancer screenings and other policy initiatives.
“Is that an impeachable act,” Blagojevich said.
* 2:35 pm - Blagojevich: Not a surprise… foregone conclusion… What the House did today they’ve been talking about doing for the last couple of years… First time was in the summer of 2007.
It happened kind of fast, but then again kind of expected. Dynamic since reelected as governor in 2006. Struggled to… try to get things done for people.
Wanted to do a capital program but: “The House has stood in the way of letting that happen.”
And so from the moment of my reelection I’ve been pushing and prodding the House to expand health care… stood in the way of my expansions.
Wanted tax relief for homeowners of Cook County, they passed a bill to take away tax relief.
The House’s action today and the causes of the impeachment are because I’ve done things to fight for families who are with me here today.
The governor is now going through the impeachment counts to defend himself, starting with the I-SaveRx program, which was first suggested to the governor by Rahm Emanuel.
“The House is impeaching me for that. Is that an impeachable offense?”
Now he’s talking about helping a mammogram patient and his mammogram screening program. “That’s a life-saving program the House would not act on. I found a way to do it by going around the House… Is that an impeachable offense?
Now, it’s AllKids. Another beneficiary is pointed out. “Is that an impeachable offense?”
“Creative ways to use the executive authority of governor” to get things done. “I don’t believe those are impeachable offenses.”
“I’m going to continue to fight every step of the way.”
Quoting more poetry. Left without taking questions, even though he indicated he would earlier.
* 2:21 pm - “Supporters” of the governor have been ushered into the room. He needs a cheering section, apparently.
When Blagojevich ranted, “I will fight until I take my last breath,” those legislators saw the gauntlet once again being thrown directly at them.
The word “impeachment” was first uttered publicly back in the summer of 2007, when the General Assembly and the governor engaged in a superheated, months-long battle. The governor and his henchmen reacted swiftly.
Legislators were threatened with direct retaliation. If they had a mistress, their wives would hear about it. If they had ever asked for an untoward political favor from the governor or his staff, they would be dragged through the mud right along with him. Every rumor they’d ever heard about personal or official corruption would be leaked to the media. It would be total war. […]
Still, nobody will be surprised if Blagojevich attempts retribution. A quick read of the FBI’s surveillance records clearly shows that’s his way.
It could be fun, campers. We’ll see. He loves to blame the House for absolutely everything. Today will obviously be no different. The big question I have is whether he calls out individual members by name. He’s just bizarre enough to do it.
[Cross] defended his decision to work with Blagojevich on projects such as legislation to pay for road and building construction. Cross called such cooperation necessary for the state.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was banking on the Illinois court to resolve the matter after turning away Burris earlier in the week because his paperwork was not signed.
But White says he still won’t sign the document, since the court didn’t force him. And Democratic leaders on Friday maintained that Burris still cannot take President-elect Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat without White’s signature.
“Mr. Burris is exactly where he was a week ago,” a senior Democratic aide told FOX News. “He does not have a valid certificate, and we cannot seat him.” […]
But White told several Democratic officials Friday that he will not sign the appointment, maintaining his position that he wouldn’t certify any Blagojevich appointment in the wake of the governor’s federal corruption arrest unless the court forced him.
Senate Democratic leaders are weighing their options in light of the Illinois State Supreme Court decision that Roland Burris’s certificate of appointment does not require the secretary of state’s signature.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Illinois senior Sen. Dick Durbin had been very clear that their path to seating Burris began with the signature of Secretary of State Jesse White, citing a Senate rule from 1884 that seems to require it. The court ruled Friday afternoon that no such signature was required.
The court ruling leaves Burris in a new state of limbo, just two days after his seating in the Senate seemed imminent. But Burris, in a Friday afternoon statement, portrayed the ruling as a victory.
“I am very happy that the Supreme Court ruled supporting our argument that everything surrounding this appointment was legal and complete,” Burris said in a statement. “This appointment meets the qualifications required by the U.S. Senate of all gubernatorial appointees to fill vacated seats.”
Democratic leaders have refused to allow Burris – the 71-year-old former state attorney general – to serve because they said Senate rules require all appointees to have a signature from the secretary of state and the governor on their certification papers.
Burris believes the ruling helps him pass the test established by Democratic leaders.
“I am confident I have cooperated with all the requests of the U. S. Senate and I expect they will validate my credentials and seat me in a timely manner,” Burris said.
* 1:44 pm - From Attorney General Lisa Madigan…
It is clear that Secretary White is not the roadblock to Mr. Burris’s appointment to the U.S. Senate.
It remains within the power of the U.S. Senate to seat Mr. Burris. They should do so immediately.
* 1:43 pm - Here’s the alternative route suggested by the Supremes…
There is one final point we feel constrained to mention. While the Secretary of State has no duty under Illinois law to sign and affix the state seal to the certificate of appointment issued by the Governor, he does have a duty under section 5(4) of the Secretary of State Act (15 ILCS 305/5(4) (West 2006))
“to give any person requiring the same paying the lawful fees therefor, a copy of any law, act, resolution, record or paper in his office, and attach thereto his certificate, under the seal of the state.”
The registration of the appointment of Mr. Burris made by the Secretary of State is a “record or paper” within the meaning of this statute. A copy of it is available from the Secretary of State to anyone who requests it. For payment of the normal fee charged by the Secretary of State in accordance with this statute, Petitioners could obtain a certified copy bearing the state’s seal. Because such relief is possible, no order by this court is necessary or appropriate. [emphasis added]
The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled that Roland Burris can take his seat in the U.S. Senate without further action by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.
In an action which may remove the last legal or political impediment to Mr. Burris becoming senator, the seven justices on Friday unanimously ruled that Mr. White does not have to sign a certificate attesting to the appointment of Mr. Burris by Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
”No further action is required by any officer of this state to make that appointment valid,” the court ruled. “We further hold that the only ministerial act required of the Secretary of State in this case is that he register the appointment.”
Mr. White already had done so, but had refused to sign a certificate delivered to the Senate, saying Mr. Blagojevich should not have appointed anyone to a seat he is accused of attempting to sell.
* 12:52 pm - The Illinois Supreme Court has just rejected Senator-Designate Roland Burris’ motion to force Secretary of State Jesse White to co-sign Burris’ appointment form…
Because the Secretary of State had no duty under section 5(1) of the Secretary of State Act (15 ILCS 305/5(1) (West 2006)) to sign and affix the state seal to the document issued by the Governor appointing Roland Burris to the United States Senate, Petitioners are not entitled to an order from this court requiring the Secretary to perform those Acts. Under the Secretary of State Act, the Secretary’s sole responsibility was to register the appointment (15 ILCS 305/5(2) (West 2006)), which he did. No further action is required by the Secretary of State or any other official to make the Governor’s appointment of Roland Burris to the United States Senate valid under Illinois law. Moreover, to the extent that additional proof of the validity of the appointment is necessary, Illinois law provides a mechanism for obtaining it without the need for judicial intervention.
For the foregoing reasons, petitioners’ request for issuance of a writ of mandamus is denied. Mandate to issue forthwith.
The ball is now in US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s, um, court. Reid has said that the rule requiring the secretary of state to co-sign has never been waived in the history of the Senate. So, he’ll have to back off that as well if Burris is to be seated.
Reid said this week that the full Senate might vote on whether to seat Burris.
Blagojevich emerged from his home on the city’s North Side in a black jogging suit Friday. He berated members of the media for bothering his neighbors and refused to answer questions before running off down the street.
A Blagojevich spokesman said the governor will not resign. A 2 p.m. news conference with the governor is scheduled for the James R. Thompson Center in downtown Chicago.
“I voted Present because I did not completely agree on a Yes vote, and I didn’t agree on a No vote,” Jefferies said. “I felt that the reason all this had come about has been blown out of context.”
Jefferies said that she felt that the investigation against Blagojevich had become personal, with the legislators digging in on hirings that went back years. “I think there’s a lot of things that he could have done differently,” said Jefferies. “I’m not saying he’s been 100% right. And he’ll have his day in court.”
Jefferies concluded: “I voted my conscience.”
Yeah. Right.
* 12:08 pm - Illinois Public Radio is doing a live broadcast that’s definitely worth a listen. Click here.
* 11:46 am - Today is Richard Nixon’s birthday…
* 11:43 am - Rollcall video…
* 11:32 am - More on Rep. Patterson, the lone “No” vote…
[Patterson] says he read the impeachment committee’s report but wasn’t comfortable voting against the governor because he has “no first-hand knowledge of any of the evidence.”
Patterson says he went by his own “gut feeling.” He says he isn’t defending Blagojevich. But he says it’s up to prosecutors — not him — to indict the governor.
* 11:01 am - Where to now? The Senate will return next week to take up the impeachment issue. As I’ve told you before, the Senate will begin taking pleadings and other motions from the various parties on January 14th. The Senate trial is scheduled to start January 26th and is expected to last about nine days or so.
The House will likely pass a resolution on the 14th, when the new General Assembly is sworn in, to apply the impeachment resolution to the new GA. That’s standard procedure.
Removal by the Senate will require at least 40 votes, meaning that Gov. Blagojevich will have to find 20 votes to avoid removal. Impossible.
* 10:57 am - Via Progress Illinois, House Majority Leader and impeachment committee Chair Barbara Flynn Currie’s closing statement…
*10:54 am - A few new stories…
* Sun-Times: Illinois House votes to impeach Gov. Blagojevich
Governor Rod Blagojevich may have another appointment to make in the near future. Patricia Young resigned her seat on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s Board of Commissioners to return to her former position in the public affairs division of the district.
Under Illinois law, the governor appoints a replacement.
Rep. Milt Patterson (D-Chicago) was the lone vote against impeaching the governor. Patterson, from Chicago’s Southwest Side, said after the roll call that he didn’t feel it was his job to vote to impeach the governor. He declined comment on whether he approved of the job Blagojevich is doing.
A Blagojevich spokesman said the governor will not resign. A 2 p.m. news conference with the governor is scheduled for the James R. Thompson Center in downtown Chicago.
We’ll live blog that as well.
* 10:44 am - Rep. Patterson, who has been quite ill, is still obviously bitter about being elbowed out of running for reelection by the political powers that be in his area last year. Jefferies is desperately seeking employment. That may not totally explain things, but it’s a start.
* 10:35 am - Rep. Elga Jefferies (D-Chicago) voted “Present.” FYI, Jefferies lost her primary last year and has been seeking employment.
* 10:31 am - Rep. Milt Patterson (D-Chicago) was the lone “No” vote.
* 10:27 am - 114 Yes, 1 No. Governor Blagojevich is hereby impeached. Adjourned
* 10:25 am - Speaker Madigan just said that there are no other people seeking recognition. Rep. Currie is now closing.
* 10:24 am - With a hat tip to a commenter, this is from the Tribune’s live blog…
Where, you might ask, is Gov. Rod Blagojevich as the Illinois House debates his impeachment?
A Tribune photographer took pictures of Blagojevich going jogging in his Ravenswood Manor neighborhood at about 10 a.m.
* 10:21 am - Rep. Julie Hamos, a possible statewide candidate: The impeachment power of the Legislature should be used in only the rarest of circumstances and for the most egregious acts… That’s why I have been uncomfortable from the beginning about the vagueness in the Illinois Constitution’s cause for impeachment… I wrote to 11,000 people on my e-mail list [about this topic] and I received hundreds of replies…. the vagueness of the Constitution is actually its strength.
* 10:07 am - I posted this in comments, but figured I’d front-page it as well. From CBS2…
A survey reported in Rich Miller’s “Capitol Fax” newsletter shows Illinois voters have had it up to here with Blagojevich, who is the focus of impeachment proceedings in Springfield.
When asked “Should the General Assembly remove Gov. Blagojevich?” – 78 percent said “yes”; 12 percent said “no.” Ten percent said they didn’t know or were not sure.
* 9:53 pm - If you’re having trouble with the state’s audio/video feeds, click here for the Tribune feed, or search around for others.
* 9:49 am - Rep. Jack Franks just said that the government under Blagojevich has become a “freak show.”
Franks: “The only way we hear from Rod Blagojevich is when he communicates through his criminal attorneys.”
* 9:42 am -Rep. Sara Feigenholtz is the other missing member. She’s reportedly on her way to the chamber, but I’m not sure when she’ll get there. I tried contacting her but have not yet heard back. Feigenholtz is running for Congress, so missing part of the debate is not a good thing.
*** UPDATE *** Feigenholtz reportedly had a medical emergency yesterday and is now on a plane on her way to Springfield.
The other hole in the rollcall for attendance is the late Rep. Wyvetter Younge, who has not yet been replaced. As I told you earlier, Blagojevich lieutenant Ken Dunkin is absent. That was by design, I’m told.
* 9:34 am - Rep. Lou Lang: The governor received an unprecedent level of due process at this committee. Bill Clinton’s lawyers were not allowed into the US House’s impeachment process, they couldn’t question witnesses, etc. “We asked many times to have the governor of the state of Illinois appear personally.”
“Cause,” Lang said about the reasoning for impeachment, “is up to you to decide.”
Lang quoted Richard Nixon saying: “‘When the president does it, it is not illegal.’ That’s Rod Blagojevich.”
Lang: “He has violated that oath, not only once or twice, but repeatedly. A pattern of abuse of power that I never thought we’d ever see in the state of Illinois and I hope we never see again.”
* 9:30 am - Rep. John Fritchey: This House is united to right the wrong that has been done to the state of Illinois.
* 9:26 am - Committee GOP Spokesman Jim Durkin: Our constitution doesn’t state that the attorney for the governor is allowed in the hearings… allowed to question witnesses… rebut evidence… allow him to call witnesses, but we did. We were thorough and fair. The governor’s attorney failed to rebut any of the evidence… The evidence was overwhelming.
* 9:13 am - House GOP Leader Tom Cross is now speaking. Cross thanked everyone involved in the process. He said committee members handled themselves in a professional, exemplary way. “[They] were able to find that fine line between fairness and due process.”
Cross: “He’s failed in his responsibility as governor. You will see a pattern that he repeatedly and systematically violated that oath of office.”
Cross: “We have no choice today but to vote ‘Yes’ on this resolution.”
* 9:06 am - Rep. Currie: We stand here today becase of the perfidy of one man. Rod Blagojevich.
Currie defended the impeachment process, pointing to the weeks of hearings and investigation, and noting that if this was truly a “vigilante” action then Blagojevich would have been impeached within days of his arrest.
The Speaker has just scolded the House for talking and walking around the House floor during this historic debate. That’s the usual House way, but it’s not exactly dignified during an impeachment vote.
Currie: “The governor has failed to uphold his oath of office… he is no longer capable of defending our liberty…. Gov. Blagojevich has forfeited his right to hold office.”
* 9:04 am - Rep. Ken Dunkin (D-Chicago) is a staunch Blagojevich ally and he’s absent today. How fitting. 115 of the 118 members answered the rollcall. Not sure yet who those other two are.
* Here’s a roundup of impeachment stories. You know pretty much everything already. Updates will be placed at the top of this post. The House will convene at 9 o’clock this morning. Listen or watch here. I’ll be live-blogging again.
* My Sun-Times column today is a deliberately contrarian viewpoint that may not go over well with some people. So be it…
There’s been a lot of talk lately that Roland Burris can’t possibly win a full term if he’s seated in the United States Senate.
I’m not 100 percent convinced, so please allow me a few contrarian thoughts.
The appointment of Burris by arrested, embattled and soon-to-be impeached Gov. Blagojevich has caused an intense racial firestorm in our state and our nation. The situation is almost approaching O.J. Simpson levels, and it’s intensifying with every passing day.
A statewide poll taken this week by the Glengariff Group illustrates the racial divide. African-American voters in Illinois support the Burris appointment by a 67 percent to 21 percent. White voters opposition to the appointment is a similarly lopsided 58 percent to 26 percent.
Illinois Democrats are divided. But a plurality, 46 percent, favors the appointment while 41.5 percent oppose it, the poll found.
If Burris is seated as our state’s next U.S. senator, he’ll have to run for re-election in 2010. The Democratic primary is in early February of that year, less than 13 months from now.
Considering the racial hostility inflamed by this appointment, with U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush leading the charge by first warning against “lynching” Burris and then comparing the U.S. Senate leadership to old-time southern sheriffs, there is no way that a legitimate white Democratic opponent will announce against Burris anytime soon. Too risky.
Yes, there may be some early interest expressed by the usual white liberal suspects, but those people have never shown an ability to move too far up the ladder.
The top white Democratic prospects will have to lie low until the heat dies down. Time is money in politics, and every day that goes by will mean one less day that they can’t raise cash.
A legit white opponent could eventually emerge. State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias comes to mind.
Giannoulias, who has set his sights on the governor’s office, would likely only run with the blessing of his mentor Barack Obama, however. Obama played a key role in the Senate’s capitulation to Burris this week by privately urging Democratic leaders to just get it over with and seat the guy. And you better believe there will be pressure on Obama from African-American politicos to endorse Burris, or at least stay out of the 2010 race.
A Giannoulias/Obama win also assumes the emergence of only one major white candidate. There could be more. Comptroller Dan Hynes, for instance. More than one white candidate would immensely help Burris’ primary chances.
Burris has become a national cause celebre, so he ought to be able to raise lots of early campaign money from African Americans throughout the country. And because 46 percent of Illinois Democrats support his appointment, the move wasn’t as unpopular with his party as some (like me) assumed.
Then there’s the general election. Democrats are in a pickle with voters right now — Burris, Blagojevich, Todd Stroger, etc. — but that doesn’t mean Illinois voters automatically love Republicans.
Plus, what sort of Republican might emerge from a primary? If past experience dictates, it will be either a conservative who will repel general election voters, or a badly damaged moderate. And, remember, “moderate” is a term that can be easily twisted to “right-winger.” Just ask Judy Baar Topinka.
The dynamic changes if Pat Quinn can persuade the General Assembly to call a snap special election after he is sworn in as governor. But I’m not so sure Quinn will be able to keep that promise. Legislative Democrats don’t want to take the chance of a Republican winning the seat — even if the chance is somewhat small.
Barring that prospect, Burris might just surprise everybody by winning in 2010. I wouldn’t bet big money on it yet, but I wouldn’t bet against him right now, either.
* Meanwhile, I was shocked yesterday that the Republicans on the impeachment committee let this pass without much notice…
A potentially troublesome new detail emerged about Roland Burris’ controversial U.S. Senate appointment Thursday after a state House panel voted unanimously to recommend Gov. Blagojevich be impeached.
For the first time, Burris indicated that he asked Blagojevich’s former chief of staff and college classmate, Lon Monk, to relay his interest in the Senate seat to the governor last July or September. […]
That testimony appears to differ from an affidavit Burris submitted to the impeachment panel this week in which he stated he spoke to no “representatives” of the governor about the Senate post prior to Dec. 26.
Federal prosecutors, who identified Monk as “Lobbyist 1″ in their criminal complaint against Blagojevich, indicated they tapped Monk’s phone in November as Blagojevich moved to fill President-elect Barack Obama’s Senate seat.
The Near West Side school Thursday was told officials want to close Carpenter — where students are 97 percent low-income — and turn its building over to a Gold Coast elementary recently approved for a new high school.
“I’m still in shock. You’re taking our school to give to rich kids? What about poor kids? I’m so angry,” said parent Patricia Herron.
Chicago Public Schools officials declined comment, saying school closings, to be announced next week, haven’t been finalized.
“Today’s vote was not a surprise. The outcome was a foregone conclusion especially when you consider the committee released its report hours before wrapping up testimony. The Governor believes that the impeachment proceedings were flawed, biased and did not follow the rules of law. His team was not allowed to subpoena witnesses, they were never allowed to cross examine people and never given the chance to put on any kind of defense. In all, the Governor’s rights to due process were deprived.
“When the case moves to the Senate, an actual judge will preside over the hearings, and the Governor believes the outcome will be much different.”
* 4:44 pm - Let’s start a fresh impeachment thread. The other one was getting too long. The committee is back in session now. Here are a few news updates…
* Burris denies any improper deals for Senate seat
*** RACIAL PUSHBACK *** Well, this is interesting. There’s some pushback on the African-American play by Gov. Blagojevich. Exhibit 70 is written testimony by a former IDOT employee who said she tried to investigate allegations that job applicants were being coached on their employment test. The alleged idea was to get around minority hiring laws. When the employee investigated, she was fired.
*** GENSON/ADAM LEAVE *** Sam Adam and Ed Genson have left the room and won’t be coming back. Rep. Bill Black is now asking whether he can be sworn in to testify before the committee. The view was that Adam was one of the governor’s defense attorneys, but Ed Genson said that was not true and told the committee not to expect any testimony from Adam.
* The committee is now debating the impeachment report. Not sure how long it will be before we get a vote.
* Process debate on why the report was released this morning at 9. Rep. Currie said she was trying for transparency.
*** ROLL CALL *** Beginning now. Each member will have a couple of minutes to explain their votes.
* GOP Rep. Bost points out that all but about three charges in the impeachment report predate his call for Blagojevich’s impeachment in July of 2007, when he was scolded for speaking out. Good point.
* Rep. Mary Flowers: Governor should have stepped aside so we weren’t made the laughing stock of the country.
*** NEW POLL *** I told subscribers about this poll today. There’s a lot more to it than what’s in this story, but it’s a start…
[The Glengariff Group] poll indicates that 52 percent of Illinois voters oppose the [Burris] appointment. Only 32 percent support it and only 21 percent approve of the governor’s decision to exercise his appointment power, while 72 per cent want a special election or an appointment by Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn to fill the Senate seat.
* I never thought having Burris testify was a good idea and I told a GOP member of the committee just that the other day. Burris has the right to crow a little…
Roland Burris, Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s choice as the next U.S. senator from Illinois, says he “passed the test with flying colors” when he appeared today in front of a legislative committee investigating whether to impeach the governor. […]
“I have nothing to hide,” Burris said at a State Capitol news conference immediately after he finished answering questions from committee members. “I am a hard-working public servant.”
The Lon Monk meeting is quite curious, and he should’ve been asked about it far more than he was, but nobody thought to do it. Maybe the papers will pick it up. If not, this was a very good day for Burris.
*** 21 YES, 0 NO, 0 PRESENT. MOTION IS ADOPTED TO SEND THE IMPEACHMENT REPORT TO THE HOUSE *** Committee adjourns.
* It’s time for a little tune. Hit the play button…
*** IMPEACHMENT RESOLUTION MOVED TO HOUSE FLOOR *** With a hat tip to a commenter, the House has filed its impeachment resolution, HR 1671, and the Rules Committee has already sent it to the floor.
When asked “Should the General Assembly remove Gov. Blagojevich?” – 78 percent said “yes”; 12 percent said “no.” […]
Voters were divided along racial lines when asked if they support the embattled governor’s appointment of Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate.
Among all voters, only 32 percent expressed support. Among white voters the margin was just 26 percent. Among African-American voters, 67 percent, or two-thirds, supported Burris’ appointment.
Still, 46 percent of African Americans supported impeaching Blagojevich; 28 percent of black voters favored keeping him as governor.
* 2:52 pm - OK, campers, Roland Burris’ testimony should begin soon. Listen or watch here or click here to watch CBS2’s live feed, or check CNN or the Tribune, etc.
* 3:04 pm - Rollcall
* It’s not up yet, but exhibit 68 will have some details about the governor’s campaign finances since July 1. You’ll eventually be able to find it here.
* Roland Burris is now being given the oath.
* Republican Spokesperson Jim Durkin asked Burris about his thoughts after Blagojevich’s arrest. Burris said “surprised,” and Rep. John Fritchey objected to the line of questioning, saying it seemed irrelevant. “Our role… is to investigate Rod Blagojevich and not Roland Burris.”
* Durkin: Have you read the criminal complaint? Burris: No.
* Durkin: When did you first become interested in the vacant seat? Burris: After Obama won the Democratic primary for president.
Burris said he brought up the vacancy in July of last year with Lon Monk, during a meeting where Burris was trying to get state business. That would be new info, and not so great for Burris. Monk’s cellphone was tapped by the feds and he was this/close to the guv.
[Uh-oh, my site seems to be slowing down. Traffic anyone?]
* Burris says that as of today he’s not a registered lobbyist with the state, county, city, federal, etc.
Before Gov. Rod Blagojevich picked him to fill the state’s empty U.S. Senate seat, Roland Burris called a top Blagojevich staffer to recommend his nephew for a state job, a close Burris aide said today.
Fred Lebed, who runs a lobbying and consulting firm with Burris, said Burris called Blagojevich’s top financial officer John Filan on behalf of his nephew, Steven Burris, who had applied for a job as a chief financial officer with the Illinois Historical Preservation Agency.
* Burris is being pressed on the dollar level of state contracts received by his lobbying clients. Burris said he didn’t know, but his attorney said he would supply that information.
* Burris: Over an eight-year period of time made just over $11,2000 in campaign contributions to Blagojevich. Individually, he gave $4500. Durkin said, including the law firms, the total was far higher in the past six years.
* Burris seemed to have trouble remembering whom he lobbied for. He listed the mortgage brokers and tobacco interests and then drew a blank.
* Burris said he hasn’t contributed to the Blagojevich campaign since July of 2007. He said he didn’t know if his law firm contributed since he had no control over that. He said he did not bundle nor did he hold a fundraiser for Blagojevich. He attended one funder last year, and held a fundraiser for candidate Blagojevich in 2006.
* Durkin asked whether anyone from Blagojevich’s staff asked him to get involved in the 2002 primary race. Burris consulted with his attorney and said: “The answer is ‘No’ Rep. Durkin.”
* Now we’re getting to Telephone USA Investments, which gave a $1.2 million contribution (via a loan) to Burris in 2002. The only other individual to receive a contribution from the company was Rod Blagojevich in 2006. The idea here is to tie Burris closely to Blagojevich through this company. Burris said he didn’t know what the relationship the company’s owner has or had with Blagojevich.
* Durkin is being asked what, exactly, he’s getting at by Rep. Lou Lang. Durkin then asked Burris if he asked the company owner to contribute to Blagojevich. Burris said he didn’t. Durkin wants to know whether there’s conditions for repayment of the loan. The attorney objects, the chair asks Durkin to finish with the line of questioning.
* Durkin is now quoting from Burris’ claim last month that the governor was incapacitated. Burris said that if he was attorney general at the same time that Lisa Madigan was, he’d have taken the same action she took. “There’s an obligation… to make a determination as to whether or not the statute applied to the governor.”
Burris’ defense of that statement is that since the Supremes kicked out LMadigan’s motion, the governor is essentially not incapacitated.
* Durkin: Should the governor resign? Burris: I have no authority over the governor. That is his decision and he said he would not.
Do you support the impeachment efforts of this committee? I don’t know what the evidence is..
* When asked by Rep. Flowers whether there was any quid pro quo of any kind, Burris replied: “Absolutely, positively not.”
* So far, nothing has really come up except some allusions to other deals. If Durkin has evidence that contradicts Burris’ testimony, then there will be trouble. If Durkin has no such evidence, then these are just questions.
* Oy. Rep. Bill Black is popping off again. Black was asking questions about whether Burris agreed to any deal in Washington, DC about whether Burris would run again. Fritchey interrupted and wondered what, exactly, that has to do with Burris running in 2010 and Gov. Blagojevich.
* Burris denied knowing anything about how Mrs. Blagojevich got a job with the Chicago Christian Industrial League. Burris’ business partner, Fred Lebed, sits on the CCIL board of directors. Lebed has flatly denied that he played a role in the hiring, claiming that Gery Chico was the one who pushed CCIL on Mrs. Blagojevich’s behalf.
*** Ed Genson: Sam Adam, Jr. is not the governor’s criminal defense attorney and will not be. *** Interesting. Adam, of course, approached Burris on Blagojevich’s behalf.
* Burris said Adam did not discuss anything with him about the governor’s criminal case.
* Burris said he didn’t know all the ramifications of the governor being stripped of his federal security clearance, and that he would check with Sen. Durbin on what authority he had before acting.
* Burris: “The governor will have to deal with his problems that he has… but I will in no way be trying to interfere with any legitimate information being brought against the governor. That is not my purview.”
Burris further clarified the purpose of his meeting last year with Lon Monk: He said he was seeing if Monk had “excess clients in the lobbying business.”
* You gotta wonder what the Republicans thought they were gonna accomplish with this. So far, as I’ve noted above, they haven’t looked all that great.
*** Genson told the committee “Don’t count on Mr. Adam answering” questions about his role in the Burris recruitment.***
*** Burris has been excused. *** Burris: “God bless you all, happy new year.” 5 minute recess.
*** 2:09 PM *** If this doesn’t show you how things will go tomorrow in the House and eventually in the Senate, then nothing will…
Illinois state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville - a close friend and the arguably top legislative ally to Gov. Rod Blagojevich - confirmed today that he intends to vote for an impeachment resolution expected Friday.
“I can’t imagine how he can provide the type of leadership that is necessary for us to address the issues” facing the state, Hoffman said in a conversation outside the House chambers this morning. “I’ll be voting tomorrow to move forward with the process and impeach the governor.”
Hoffman, a former Blagojevich roommate and unofficial advisor, has been a vehement supporter, at times shouting down House colleagues in heated floor debate as the only voice in defense of the Democratic governor.
Today, though, Hoffman spoke in somber tones, saying he is “disappointed” at the controversy that has engulfed Illinois since Blagojevich’s Dec. 9 arrest on federal corruption charges, and the resulting impeachment proceedings.
I’ve also been talking to some Senate Democrats off the record in the past few days, including African-American Dems. This thing is on a monorail.
*** 2:46 pm *** The House won’t get the surveillance tapes today. The Senate can always deal with this issue later, if necessary, which it isn’t. From Sun-Times reporter Natasha Korecki…
…a House panel will have to wait for tapes of the governor to be released as defense lawyers try to suppress the recordings. Lawyers will return to discuss the matter Jan. 23.
Gov. Blagojevich is asking a judge to kick U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald off of his corruption case, the governor’s lawyer said today.
Sheldon Sorosky said they’re seeking to have Fitzgerald removed because of remarks he made during a Dec. 9, 2008 news conference announcing charges against the governor.
Fitzgerald at the time called Blagojevich’s conduct — which included allegedly trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat — “appalling.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ed Chang called Blagojevich’s move “meritless.”
Gov. Blagojevich is asking a judge to kick U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald off of his corruption case, the governor’s lawyer said today.
Sheldon Sorosky said they’re seeking to have Fitzgerald removed because of remarks he made during a Dec. 9, 2008 news conference announcing charges against the governor.
Fitzgerald at the time called Blagojevich’s conduct — which included allegedly trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat — “appalling.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ed Chang called Blagojevich’s move “meritless.”
But when Arya’s run with Blagojevich came to an end, he had a story to tell — one of intense jealousies by the governor toward President-elect Barack Obama, House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) and others, a terrorized staff, and emotional instabilities that Arya said demonstrate the need for a psychological evaluation by the legislative panel weighing the governor’s impeachment.
More…
One of the “most disturbing” on-the-job actions by the governor Arya said he saw involved a letter sent to the governor from a Kentucky nurse with Downstate roots who was seeking an expungement so she could obtain an Illinois nursing license. The woman had improperly dispensed medication to a patient in Kentucky but was allowed to retain her license there and couldn’t get a license in Illinois, where she wanted to move to care for her dying father.
In her package to the governor was a letter from Sen. John Jones (R-Mt. Vernon), who had months earlier condemned the Blagojevich administration’s failure to meet with a developer who was considering building a motorcycle plant in his district but later opted instead to build it in Atlanta.
Arya described how Blagojevich came into his office, saw his former chief of staff John Harris reading Jones’ letter on behalf of the woman and took it from him to read. “After realizing it was written by a lawmaker that did not see eye to eye with the governor on some administration priorities, Rod took the letter and said, ‘F— him.’ Then (he) cast the letter aside toward the garbage can.
“That was it. Her life would remain on hold and would not even receive fair consideration simply because Rod had an issue with the senator,” Arya said.
More…
Looking back on his 23 months on the state payroll, which ended last October, Arya described Blagojevich as “a good father and a great guy to go to a ballgame with” but an ineffective, emotionally unstable chief executive.
“I would respectfully suggest this committee seek an independent psychological evaluation of the governor as part of this process,” Arya wrote to the impeachment panel. “I believe Rod, the committee and the people of this great state would benefit from such a move. It is clear to anyone who has been around him that there is ample cause for such an extraordinary request.”
* Andy McKenna, chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, had an op-ed in today’s Sun-Times…
Ever since political cartoonist Thomas Nast first featured it in 1870, the donkey has been the unofficial symbol of the Democratic Party. But for the Illinois Democratic Party, another animal has become far more appropriate: the chameleon. How else to describe a party that gave Rod Blagojevich its full-throated support as little as two years ago, despite well-known corruption investigations, but now is trying to convince the people of Illinois that they bear none of the responsibility for his misdeeds?
No Democrat better exemplifies his party’s transparent attempt to rewrite history than Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn.
Quinn built his reputation in Illinois as a crusader for the people, a virtuous reformer. He led the charge to create the Citizens Utility Board, and he was one of the first to call for the impeachment of George Ryan. But virtue untested is no virtue at all. And when Quinn’s virtue was tested, he couldn’t throw it away fast enough. He stopped being Pat Quinn, the reformer, and became Lt. Gov. Quinn, the Blagojevich lackey.
Quinn ran at Rod Blagojevich’s side, twice. He directly benefited from the same dirty campaign cash that Blagojevich is accused of illegally shaking down state contractors to obtain.
For six years, he said nothing about a governor who was clearly corrupt. When asked directly about Blagojevich and his crooked dealings, Quinn covered for him. When he was clutching at Blagojevich’s coattails for a second term in 2006, he said the governor was “a person who’s honest and one of integrity” and that “I have confidence the governor does the right thing all the time.”
But now that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has confirmed what everyone in Illinois has known for six years, and Blagojevich has nothing left to offer him, Quinn has miraculously found his voice. He wants to be Pat Quinn, the reformer, again. He condemned Blagojevich in words that were as powerful as they were politically convenient. He made headlines by announcing a panel to recommend new reforms to clean up Illinois government.
* Kevin McDermott writes about how busy McKenna’s staff has been…
As the Burris story rolled out in Washington this morning, my email (and, I assume, that of other reporters covering Springfield) has been inundated by notes from Illinois Republican Party officials trying to keep alive the idea of a special election.
One note, from state party Chairman Andy McKenna, calls on Democratic Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn to “keep his promise” to seek a special election (in fact, that’s just one of numerous positions Quinn has taken on the issue) and warns that it’s his “first test of leadership.” Another note lists suggested questions for reporters to ask about whether some kind of improper deal was cut between Burris and Senate leaders.
Thoughts?
I forgot to post the Tribune’s editorial today, “Profiles in Cowardice.” It sorta fits in here, so go read it.
* 11:17 am - The House is going to caucus and adjourning until tomorrow morning at 9 o’clock. That’s when the impeachment debate and vote will take place.
The House impeachment committee will wrap things up today at 3 o’clock.
It’s almost over, folks. One more day.
By the way, tomorrow is Richard Nixon’s birthday. Appropriate.
Today is Elvis Presley’s birthday. Also appropriate.
* 12:19 pm - I should’ve mentioned this yesterday, but our beloved commenter “Bill” was at yesterday’s impeachment committee hearing.
*** 1:21 pm *** This isn’t unreasonable, but perhaps still a stretch…
Republican Representatives like Jim Durkin, who’s from Western Spring, says that objectivity has been undercut by making public the committee’s report recommending Blagojevich be impeached before a committee vote, likely this afternoon.
DURKIN: Something of this magnitude, which we’re investigating, I think it’s important for us to follow the protocol and procedure, which we set out from the first date.
A spokesman for House Democrats says they wanted to make sure members of the House, and the general public, had adequate time to review the report before the committee considered it.
The vote will be up or down on the report itself. You can’t vote up or down if there are no conclusions in the report. So, I get what Durkin’s saying, I just don’t completely agree with it.
*** 1:31 pm *** Thanks to a commenter, Secretary of State Jesse White has replied to Roland Burris’ reply to White’s reply to Burris’ original filing, which seeks to force White to co-sign the governor’s appointment. Got all that? Go here for it all.
Without going into too much detail because I’ve gotta get moving soon, White’s latest filing is pretty devastating to Burris’ case, at least in my own opinion. They’re trying as hard as they can to punt this thing to Harry Reid and his hapless group of DC Democrats, and they seem to be doing a pretty good job of it. We’ll just have to wait and see how, when or even if, the Supreme Court rules on the matter.
* Except for the very last sentence in this excerpt, I doubt much will come of Roland Burris’ testimony today…
Illinois Republicans are promising tough questions today for Senate-appointee Roland Burris on why he accepted a position offered by disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich and whether he promised the governor anything in return. […]
“I would like to specifically ask, under oath, if there was any quid pro quo for the appointment,” said Rep. Mike Bost, a Republican member of the Illinois House committee considering Blagojevich’s impeachment.
Lawmakers also plan to ask Burris about contributions to the governor’s campaign, how Blagojevich’s wife got a job with a group affiliated with Burris’ business partner and why the governor’s criminal lawyer approached Burris about the Senate instead of a staff member.
Burris didn’t need to offer anything in return for a Blagojevich appointment because the governor was so desperate to create a diversion that he’d appoint just about any African-American who accepted the appointment. Also, Burris’ magnificent ego overrode any reservations he may have had. I’ll let Pat Gauen underscore this point…
For Burris, a man of so many failed political aspirations, the Senate appointment was too much temptation to refuse. He doesn’t seem to grasp the dilemma, that what many people think disqualifies him for the job is his willingness to take the job.
The Sam Adam, Jr. thing will be interesting, however. We’ll see if Mr. Adam shows up today. He skipped yesterday’s hearing.
* More likely committee topics from the Sun-Times…
• $1.2 million in loans Burris, as a 2002 candidate for governor, received from a firm owned by Tinley Park broadcasting magnate Joseph Stroud. Burris closed out his campaign fund with no sign the loans were repaid to Stroud, who also donated $100,000 through the same company to Blagojevich in 2006.
• • $20,296 in cash and services that Burris, his lobbying firm and a law firm he’s associated with gave to Blagojevich’s campaign fund, and whether the donations might have swayed the governor.
• • Burris’ lobbying clients, who have given $107,690 to Blagojevich’s campaign and were under contract with the state for $3.09 million while Burris represented them.
• • A contract that Burris’ lobbying/consulting firm had with the state transportation department under Blagojevich — a deal that paid the firm $294,546.
• • $30,000 in lobbying payments to Burris that are linked to a $10 billion pension bond deal Blagojevich orchestrated in 2003.
• • The role one of Blagojevich’s criminal-defense lawyers, Sam Adam Jr., played in recruiting Burris.
• • Burris’ statement Wednesday that he “don’t have no money.” His state government pension is about $118,200 a year.
As a lifelong Chicagoan, I’m familiar with dirty politics and political drama.
But black leaders should have learned how to play this game without throwing black politicians like White under the bus.
Many of the activists who are agitating for Burris to be seated in the U.S. Senate should still remember the bitter battle that was waged between now-Chief Judge Timothy Evans and the late Eugene Sawyer, when Mayor Harold Washington suddenly died.
Although Sawyer prevailed in that fight, the seat was ultimately won by Mayor Daley in 1989, and a viable black challenger has yet to emerge.
Twenty years later, black leaders are making the same mistakes.
Blagojevich should not have been able to divert attention from his own scandal by pitting one black man against another.
[Secretary of State Jesse White], who was among the leaders calling for Blagojevich to stand down, didn’t have much of a choice in this one.
Cutting White some slack will go a long way toward making sure history doesn’t repeat itself.
* Related…
* Rush says ‘let’s all get along’: “Politics ain’t beanbag,” said Rush over the top of his Sean Jean glasses, which seem constantly to be sliding down to the end of his nose. “For those whose toes I might have stepped on, I ask for their understanding. Once Burris is sworn in, my motto is, ‘Let’s all get along.’ ”
* Burris practiced in political arts: A closer examination reveals a prototypical Illinois politician, who put a relative on the public payroll, steered legal business to political supporters and sought to trade on his ties when he became a lobbyist.
* 9:00 am -Click here to read the “Proposed Report of the Special Investigative Committee.”
UPDATE: Well, they’ve removed the link. Not sure what happened there. Attempting to find out.
UPDATE 2: OK, the link has now reappared. Go ahead and click here.
* I kinda like this line from page 58…
…the purpose of impeachment is not to punish the officeholder. The purpose it to protect the citizens from the abuses of an official.
* As I told subscribers a few days ago, the committee conclusion focuses not on individual acts by Gov. Blagojevich, but by the totality of the evidence that he abused his powers. With a hat tip to a commenter, this is from today’s report…
Like any citizen, the Governor is entitled to his day in criminal court. But he is no ordinary citizen. He is the supreme executive officer of this state. The citizens of this state must have confidence that their Governor will faithfully serve the people and put their interests before his own. It is with profound regret that the Committee finds our current Governor has not done so.
…the Special Investigative Committee…finds that the totality of the evidence warrants the impeachment of the Governor for cause.
* Here’s something to keep in mind. From page 4 of the report…
The respected Watergate Report noted that, historically, less than one-third of the articles of impeachment drawn up by the US House of Representatives have explicitly charged the commission of a criminal statute.
* You’ll recall that defense attorney Ed Genson introduced as exculpatory evidence the Obama Transition team report, which concluded there was no inappropriate contact with the governor or his staff. Genson also introduced as evidence a DVD of Congressman Jackson’s press conference, when he said he had not been a part of any pay to play on the vacant US Senate seat. The committee’s response is on page 15…
In the Committee’s opinion, the unsworn information the Governor’s counsel introduced does not refute the notion that the Governor was scheming to obtain a personal beneift for the Senate appointment or that he was dispatching individuals to negotiate on his behalf. Whether those subordinates succeeded in their endeavor, or whether they even carried out their directives, does not change the fact that the Governor asked them to negotiate on his behalf.
Moreover, the Governor’s counsel does not deny that the Governor made the statements contained in the [criminal complaint] […]
In any event, these intercepted conversations reveal far more than mere idle “talk.” The Governor, on many occasions, put his “words” into action - he directed many individuals to conduct inquiries and negotiations with interested parties, setting in motion (or at least attempting to set in motion) his plan to sell the US Senate seat. When a governor issues a directive to others to act, his words translate into action. The Committee refuses to write off a myriad of conversations and directives as nothing more than harmless chatter.
Finally, the recorded words of both the Governor and other parties to these conversations reveal that the Governor and others were aware that the plans they were discussing were, at the very least, clearly improper, and quite probably illegal.
* The governor’s failure to appear before the committee is also being used against him. Here’s a sample of that from page 16…
…if the governor never said the words attributed to him in the [criminal complaint], or if there was an innocent explanation for his words, the Governor had every opportunity to testify before the Committee and say so…. The Committee is entitled to balance his complete silence against sworn testimony from a federal agent.
* On the alleged attempt to blackmail Tribune Co…
The Committee finds that the evidence outlined above, taken almost exclusively from the Governor’s words or those of his top aides, reveal a clear intent to condition the provision of State financial assistance on the Tribune Company’s firing of members of the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune… [which] consituted a clear abuse of the Governor’s power.
* Regarding the attempts to link campaign contributions to official acts…
The sworn testimony of the named individuals shows that the Governor was overseeing elaborate schemes to link State contracts or appointments to State positions with campaign contributions to the Governor. These actions constitute a clear abuse of power.
* On the attempts to undercut JCAR and illegally expand health care programs…
…the Committee does not accept the suggestions from the Governor’s counsel that the actions of an agency should not be attributed to the Governor… There is no doubt that the Governor knew exactly what DHFS was doing and blessed its actions.
Blagojevich’s defense lawyer, Ed Genson, said there is no surprise in the report’s recommendation to impeach the governor.
“They came there to impeach him,” Genson said. “This whole procedure was a farce. They knew what they were going to do when they came in.”
Genson said he thinks the governor’s case can be won in the state Senate “if they follow the rules.”
“If they abandon every known rule of fairness as did the House, I’ll have a problem. But I expect them to be fair,” Genson said this morning.
As I’ve been telling some commenters below, it will take 20 Senators to block the governor’s removal. No way will that many Senators vote “No.” No way. And if you believe differently, name them all.
Twenty-three companies in December filed layoff notices with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity under the state’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. That law mandates that companies with at least 75 workers publicly disclose any job cuts that exceed either one-third of their staff or more than 250 workers.
The December WARN figure is nearly six times the total number of job losses filed in November. In December 2007, Illinois businesses filed WARN documents for 1,700 jobs.
The heaviest job losses will come from U.S. Steel Corp.’s facility in Downstate Granite City. That plant has been temporarily idled, causing 2,150 workers to lose their jobs. U.S. Steel said in December that it is consolidating its operations to better meet customer demand.
Barrington has already spent $2 million researching and resisting Canadian National’s now-approved purchase of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railroad.
But having now filed legal challenges against the process used by the federal Surface Transportation Board before it OK’d the deal on Christmas Eve, Barrington leaders are facing the question of how much more they’re willing to spend - and for what.
Arguing that affordable housing is “more important than ever” in an economic downturn, Mayor Daley on Wednesday committed $2.1 billion to create 50,022 units of rental and for-sale housing by 2013.
Chicago will forfeit $153 million in federal funds to create 10 miles of special bus service because the feds refused to allow more time for the city to approve new fees for downtown parking and deliveries.
More than a dozen Illinois power plants store toxic coal ash in sludge ponds similar to the one that burst and spread contaminated muck over 300 acres of eastern Tennessee last month
County board President Todd Stroger’s proposed $3.67 billion budget for 2009 includes holding administrative hearings to deal with minor legal matters, such as shoplifting and noise violations.
