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* The setup…
A trip through the Hall of Governors at the state Capitol might leave a person feeling like they are forgetting someone. Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich is not among the portraits of all the other former governors hanging in the hall.
That doesn’t bother state Rep. Bill Black (R-Danville). He is sponsoring legislation to prohibit the state from paying for the portrait of an impeached and convicted governor. Black says the cost of those portraits can be as high as $25,000, and he thinks the taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill.
* The Question: Envision the official Blagojevich portrait. Got it? OK. What is he doing?
Keep it clean, please.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:24 am
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He is sitting in a jail cell, behind bars, dressed in a clown costume.
Comment by Downstate Commissioner Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:28 am
I envision a candid in the style of Norman Rockwell with the Rodster lovingly primping his hair in a mirror.
Comment by Ken in Aurora Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:29 am
He is wearing a jogging suit and he is getting Richard Nixon’s autograph.
Comment by siriusly Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:29 am
Lifting weights in a prison yard.
Comment by Anon Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:29 am
curled up in a fetal position on a floor with an inlay of the state seal, muttering, “It was bleeping golden…”
Comment by Ghost Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:31 am
Jogging but this also begs a question is it a impeached and convicted or is it a impeached or convicted governor.
As Blago was impeached but not yet convicted and George Ryan was not impeached but was convicted who has to pay for the pictures of these two gems?
Comment by HMMM Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:31 am
He’s in full Elvis regalia: the jumpsuit and cape, sequins, sunglasses and of course, the hair. The details are important, we need to see the gold necklace with the bolt of lightening and “TCB” etched into it.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:32 am
HMMM, Blagojevich was impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:32 am
HMMM: I assume that the impeached and convicted means impeached by the House and then convicted by the Senate, rather than it being a reference to the criminal proceedings. Then again, that is an assumption.
Comment by Saluki09 Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:34 am
Getting fired by Donald Trump
Comment by Sewanee Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:34 am
At a microphone wearing an Elvis getup.
With luck there could be Jailhouse Rock playing in the background.
Seriously…take a nice digital photo, print it out on canvas…Job done for less than 200 bucks!
Comment by Plutocrat03 Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:35 am
Sitting in a prison cell wearing an orange jumpsuit getting a prison tat from his cellmate George Ryan and leaning forward with his chin in his hands smiling as an imagination bubble is above his head showing him dressed in an Elvis Presley outfit while standing in front of a series of Blagojevich 2016 campaign signs.
I think that juxtaposing his delusional side with reality would be the only way to go.
Comment by TJ Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:37 am
an empty frame. saves the state the money and just about says it all…
Comment by bored now Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:39 am
47th Ward - you forgot that the portrait should be on black velvet.
Comment by Interested Observer Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:40 am
A giant Godzilla-sized Blago shaking Children’s Memorial Hospital.
Comment by Prognosis Negative Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:41 am
In a jogging suit, wearing an Elvis wig, holding a “##@?& golden ticket”!
Comment by 312 Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:42 am
I think a certain degree of formality is required with these things. You’d have Blago sitting at a slight recline in an armchair, in the traditional way. On his face, the sort of self-righteous gaze he’s good at. On tbe side table, perhaps a few bottles of hair product, along with a voodoo doll of some other state politician who has stood up to him. In the bookcase, an appropriate selection of tawdry reality show DVD jackets — C*O*P*S, Get Me Out of Here and so on — along with a file box of IOUs. A painting or objet d’art in the background that symbolizes un a subtle way the collapse of Illinois.
The key here is quiet satire. Light entertainment for visitors to the Capitol that makes it worth the expense of commissioning the painting and memorializes the record of his administration.
Comment by Angry Chicagoan Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:43 am
Ok, maybe instead of a blurred-out wardrobe malfunction, it can be just a painting of him with his mouth blurred out. Or pixelated.
And a constant beep coming from behind the frame.
Comment by George Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:44 am
A screen shot from his first attempted TV role on “I’m Kind of a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here but Bring The Cameras”: falling into Central America. It should be cheap to digitize something…maybe a tenth of what Rep. Black said. I’d chip in…
Comment by Vote Quimby! Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:45 am
sitting around a table playing poker with ryan, walker and kerner
Comment by colt 45 Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:46 am
They could just blow up his mug shot.
Comment by dave Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:46 am
How about a “wanted” poster with a black and white photo of Blago? A lot cheaper than a pricey oil painting.
Comment by Whatever Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:46 am
His picture and in the background a “Lady Justice wearing a blindfold and holding a scale. There is a pile of money on one side that says Mine and nothing on the other side that says The Peoples’.
Comment by Justice Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:50 am
I suggest enlarging that picture of him and some tourists in the Governor’s office, where the man is standing behind him holding out a $20 while Blago is oblivious. That one gets me every time.
Comment by LN Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:50 am
Make it look as official and normal as any other governor. We need to show people that one cannot determine honesty by a person’s appearance alone.
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:54 am
Don’t forget the kitty. There has to be a kitty.
Comment by Montrose Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:56 am
LN beat me to it. That one is perfect and already in print.
Comment by Jake from Elwood Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:57 am
Against a background of $100, $500 and $1000 bills. Just the blacked out silhouette of Blago from the chest up. ( like on those game shows where you have to guess qwho it is by their silhouette.) And a small placard with, “The $25,000.00 Man”, on it.
Comment by irish Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:57 am
Sitting cross-legged in a white padded room, wearing a straight-jacket and one of those mouth-ball thingies with a wild look in his eyes.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:58 am
Sitting in his office chair with that guy holding up money behind him…
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 12:00 pm
He should be looking at a map trying to locate Springfield
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 12:06 pm
Elvis get up on black velvet are great ideas. Holding a hair brush for a microphone. I’d have Madigan and Daley, Blago campaign co-chairs, in the background as his band.
Comment by TaxMeMore Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 12:07 pm
He should be portrayed where he spent most of his time governing. You know like the Capitol Building, the Governor’s Mansion or the Governor’s Office in the JRTC.
Remember how right after his arrest he “went back to work as usual” every day at the JRTC. That was a good one Rod!
Comment by siriusly Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 12:08 pm
“and one of those mouth-ball thingies” LOL
Rich I heard a lot of rumors about the guy - but “going gimp” wasn’t one of them!
Comment by siriusly Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 12:11 pm
===you forgot that the portrait should be on black velvet===
IO, that’s a great suggestion. In fact, they could make velvet rugs of the official portrait and sell them from vans in abandoned parking lots all across the state. Maybe then the state can recoup some of the cost of the portrait and Black’s bill won’t be necessary.
I mean, who hasn’t seen those rug guys by the side of the road, with leopards and unicorns, and dogs playing poker. Rod’s Elvis portrait would be a top seller.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 12:13 pm
Primping in front of a mirror.
Comment by Stones Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 12:13 pm
In Elvis garb from head to toe with the name plate that says Elvis Has Left The Building, along with the date of his Impeachment.
Comment by Too Easy! Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 12:18 pm
Sitting on the bench of the United States Supreme Court.
Comment by Bill Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 12:19 pm
They should put up a mirror in lieu of a painting– a reminder that each one of us is to blame, in some small degree, for letting the nutcase get as far as he did for as long as he did.
Comment by FOIA Fan Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 12:20 pm
Just reprint the Sun Times photo of him in the alley behind his home with the Rat poster on the utility pole. Priceless.
Comment by San Juan Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 12:23 pm
Let’s do something avant garde–a video installation of all his greatest photos, including all those mentioned so far, w/ a soundtrack of Elvis and the wiretaps mashed-up together
Comment by D.P. Gumby Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 12:24 pm
The portrait should be based off the picture of him peering from behind the telephone pole that had the rat extermination poster stapled to it.
Comment by White Rabbit Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 12:24 pm
He is tying some fair young maiden to a railroad track as he smiles and twirls his newly grown moustache between his fingers. A new “Twist” on “the culture of the hair”(Sorry, Mr.McKenna).
Comment by Beowulf Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 12:28 pm
Eating cake
Comment by Bue Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 12:36 pm
Can someone link to this Blago alley rat poster pic? Or tell me where I can find it? Sounds priceless!
Comment by Anon Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 12:39 pm
He is sitting in Obama’s US Senate Seat.
Comment by not applicable Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 12:41 pm
Sitting in the oval office with the seal of the President of the United States behind him and a big red stripe thru the whole thing.
or,
Sitting on a white horse with his hand shoved into his shirt and wearing a tricorn hat. Our very own Napolean Bonaparte
Comment by dupage dan Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 12:48 pm
===Anon==== http://newsbusters.org/blogs/ken-shepherd/2008/12/10/special-blagojevich-scandal-captionfest
Comment by irish Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 12:53 pm
Yes, a portrait should be done, he is part of Illinois Government History. Should we take Ryan’s picture down? No, he is also part of history.
Comment by Third Generation Chicago Native Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 1:00 pm
Tape a picture of him to a dartboard and charge a dollar per throw. Budget problem solved.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 1:07 pm
== Sitting on the bench of the United States Supreme Court. ==
As part of NBC’s new show, No you did not just drop LSD
Or perhaps playing right field in Wrigley…
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 1:07 pm
Bill Black is my rep and I usually agree with him, but I think he is wrong. That $25K is only one view and for Rod, we will need one from the front and one from the side.
Comment by Downstate weed chewing hick Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 1:17 pm
Head pic, framed by the window on the state plane, The Worst Way Express.
Comment by vole Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 1:19 pm
His portrait has already been painted and can not be improved upon. It hangs above the bar at the Old Town Ale House on North Avenue in Chicago. I’m sure the owners would give it to the Hall of Governor’s on permanent loan for a nominal fee. Perhaps Rich could put a copy on this site and ask for comments!
Comment by walter sobchak Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 1:21 pm
Full fronal view of him tearing up the state constitution.
Comment by Fed Up Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 1:23 pm
How about a 3″ by 5″ polaroid in a tiny frame?
Comment by One of the 35 Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 1:28 pm
Cover art of MAD magazine with full Alfred E head shot smirk and the motto “What was he thinking?” ribboned across the bottom.
Comment by zatoichi Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 1:31 pm
dressed in his arrest day sweatsuit doing his hair ala “The Fonz”
Comment by showmethemoney Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 1:38 pm
I did the “envisioning” thing and all I came up with was Alfred E. Neuman with a blanker look on his face.
Comment by Lefty Lefty Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 1:52 pm
The Kramer
Comment by SAP Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 1:56 pm
Rich,
That ‘mouth-ball thingy’ is called a ball gag. And don’t act like you didn’t know that
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 2:03 pm
Well, he is dressed as a drunken sailor and has a huge stack of papers with a hammer and sickle imprinted on it representing Soviet bureaucracy ISBE rules next to him and holding a voodoo doll of Michael J. Madigan in one hand and an invoice for flu vaccines in the other while over his shoulder is the small barely discernible image of John Filan wearing a t-shirt with words Groundbreaking and Landmark and $10 Billion! printed on it all framed by an I-Pass toll plaza with his name emblazoned on the sign above.
Comment by Captain Flume Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 2:06 pm
I second Mr. Sobchak. The portrait from the Old Town Ale House is priceless. Otherwise, maybe him looking into a mirror primping his hair, but in the mirror he is wearing Roman armor or some other getup of a character he has compared himself to.
Comment by Quizzical Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 2:09 pm
There is a “Far Side” cartoon of a kid pushing on a door that is labeled “pull.” outside the building is a sign that reads “Midvale School for the Gifted”
I would go with a parody of that, with Rod pushing the door, and the sign in the front yard saying “Gov Blagojevich’s office.”
here is a link for reference.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xZJENponhAc/RmHMZmm2d1I/AAAAAAAAAHg/g0HSLDoGjBM/s400/farside1.gif
Comment by Moving to Oklahoma Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 2:10 pm
The portrait should be of his better days. He should be perched like a lap dog at the feet of Dick Mell.
A place that if he stayed, he would probably still be the Governor.
Comment by Bongo Furry Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 2:56 pm
Absent when pictures were taken.
Comment by Way Way Down Here Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 3:06 pm
Holding up the a front page Trib story about himself headlined “Acquitted!” in one hand and the middle finger up on the other.
Comment by Obamarama Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 3:16 pm
“Getting fired by Donald Trump”
I think we have a winner!
Comment by Levois Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 3:28 pm
It would a portrait of Rod painting a portrait of himself.
Comment by Anonymiss Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 3:30 pm
It would be*, that is.
Comment by Anonymiss Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 3:30 pm
Rod in the black jumpsuit, boarding the state plane, hairbrush in hand.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 4:44 pm
Rod in the orange jumpsuit
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 4:59 pm
He’s pointing to a “kitty” with one hand and accepting some cash behind his back with the other.
Comment by Forgotten Few Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 4:59 pm
Is his official “booking mug shot” available? Possibly on The Smoking Gun?
Comment by SilverBack Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 5:04 pm
25,000.00 Man”, on it.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 11:58 am:
Sitting cross-legged in a white padded room, wearing a straight-jacket and one of those “mouth-ball thingies” with a wild look in his eyes.
called a ball gag.
Blago sitting at a bar with a scared look on his face and Mike Jacobs standing in the doorway of the bar with a grin on his face.
Comment by Moderate REpub Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 5:20 pm
Shaking down a sick child with a “wha’ me worry?” grin on his face.
Comment by Boone Logan Square Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 5:22 pm
No picture of Rod. Just a white silhouette on the black frame next to the other gubs, and a message, “Your face here - contact Rod. Highest offer, no bids below $25,000 considered.”
Comment by ZC Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 5:46 pm
I think it should show him sitting at a table with his hands outstreached, while other anonymous hands reach into the picture with wads of money in them.
Comment by RJW Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 6:07 pm
Captain Flume, you forgot the kitty and a CTA bus full of seniors riding for free in the background.
Comment by 32nd Ward Roscoe Village Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 6:58 pm
Only a fool would pay $25g fo a picture.
Comment by Hickory Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 8:16 pm
Waving smiling as people in the background look on joyously at him.
Comment by Lazy Intern Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 10:07 pm
Here’s the scene of the picture:
Foreground: Rod sitting behind his desk, appears to be signing a piece of paper. Big wooden desk — solid- cannot see below his torso; however, his head is down just slightly so his hair is the centerpiece. On the front of the desk is the Illinois State symbol. On the top of the desk, to his left, are some neatly organized papers, but one sheet — a golden colored sheet — is sticking out just enough to be noticed.
In the background: It’s a credenza that matches the desk and stretches the length of the wall — but met by bookcases on either end. Nothing on the credenza, but above are three pictures: a portrait of Kennedy on the left, a portrait of Nixon on the right, and a picture of Wrigley Field in the center. Each book case has four shelves — three of the four shelves on each side contain books. On the remaining shelf on the bookcase on the left is a small mirror. On the remaing shelf on the bookshelf on the right is a bust of Elvis and a hairbrush.
Last, ever so gently, in the far right corner of the floor at the bottom of the credenza is a black kitty.
Comment by unclesam Thursday, Mar 4, 10 @ 10:08 pm