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Rick Garcia is absolutely right in his quote below. What we need here is some leadership.
The governor has hidden from this issue for way too long, hoping it would somehow die a natural death. This thing has been going on for two weeks now and all he has done is run from reporters’ legitimate questions, refused to take meaningful action and attempted to divide the Jews against each other.
After days of silence, Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Thursday that the furor over his hate crimes commission has revealed simmering tensions that he wants to resolve.“What we need to do here is ask people to cool their passions, reduce their tempers and try to bring people together to find understanding and try to reach common ground,” the Democratic governor said during an appearance in Bolingbrook. […]
“It’s about time,” said commission member Rick Garcia, political director for the gay rights group Equality Illinois. “It’s completely out of control and someone needs to exert some leadership.” […]
“I think it’s very irresponsible for political leaders to use for political purposes the kind of divisive talk and divisions that they want to bring to the community,” [Blagojevich] said.
Absolutely correct. Now stop being so divisive, guv.
Blagojevich also chastised the media a bit.
“And I would caution even you guys in the media to not keep fanning the flames of some of this and some who are trying to make political capital out of dividing people,” [Blagojevich] said.
If he had resolved this issue TWO WEEKS AGO nobody would be writing about it today. His dithering, deflection, division and decampment is what has led to all of this. (I liked that alliteration so much I made it the headline)
UPDATE: The SJ-R editorial board weighs in.
Governor, this is not guilt by association. Leaders of the Nation of Islam, like Sister Claudette Marie Muhammad, can no more separate themselves from Louis Farrakhan than Roman Catholic cardinals can denounce the pope. If you want to have this commission, then remove Muhammad. If not, then disband the commission and end this ongoing disaster.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 7:14 am
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Sounds like Rich that you reporters need to stand up and take the blame for this one according to the Gov..Everyone should know that he does nothing wrong and he always places the blame elsewhere.Well this time he threw the entire media under the bus.Man that’s a big bus.
Comment by DOWNSATE Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 7:24 am
How predictable from our governor. Here’s my take:
http://backyardconservative.blogspot.com/
2006/03/governor-has-big-picture.html
Comment by Backyard Conservative Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 7:37 am
Oh yeah, the media. That’s what made whats-her-name go on WVON instead of WBBM OR WXRT and talk about the flap. She had every opportunity to defuse it then and instead fanned the flames.
He named her to this commission…she is his responsibility whether he wants to accept that or not.
But no, she isn’t the blame. Bradley Tusk and the guv’s minions could not have done a worse job of vetting this candidate for the commission on hate and discrimination. My goodness who else did they consider, the Grand Poobah of the KKK? Maybe the idiots who have defaced DePaul University with swastikas?
This is about leadership. We see no leadership. The Governor doesn’t know what that word means.
I don’t think EE has a chance in the primary, but he is who I am voting for. In the general, I’ll vote against GRod.
This issue will have a lasting influence on many people.
Comment by Mongo Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 7:42 am
You press guys better toe the mark or else RGod will keep “ducking” you and your questions. Does anybody, other than employees he has hired or those with state contracts, even like this guy? I sure don’t find any in the deep south.
Comment by Paul Powell Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 8:09 am
I can’t help but think that All Politics All the Time Blago is doing this on purpose. It helps him reinforce his support for the African American community and it’s free.
Otherwise why not give Ms. Johnson a nice fat state contract and disband the committee.
Comment by Cassandra Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 8:33 am
The Governor is right about one thing. Statements like this from Republicans:
Republican candidates for governor accuse him of calculating that he can afford to offend Jews in this election year more than he can blacks.
Are only intended to fan racial flames even further, and only for political gain. Moreover, the statement isn’t true. The Governor can’t afford to permanently alienate either group.
Republicans are treading on thin ice, though, cause this could easily come back to haunt them.
Imagine instead of merely asking members of the commission to sign a statement, the Gov’s allies put that statement into bill form, and suddenly Republicans find themselves voting on a measure that explicitedly says you can’t criticize someone just for being gay.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 8:40 am
Watch it - all of us ( didn’t say you); G-Rod’s going to move in at Pennsylvania Ave., Eashington D.C., U.S.A.! Remember?
Landfills, Hate Crimes, In-Laws just speed bumps on the Raod to The White House. Then he can hire non-Union painters to throw a couple coats of Baby-Blue Weather All on the oustide.
Comment by Pat Hickey Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 9:05 am
YDD, please properly cite that quote. I’d be happy to comment on it after I can properly place it.
Comment by grand old partisan Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 9:15 am
The following remarks were made by Edwin Eisendrath today.
March 10, 2006
Comments from Edwin Eisendrath, Democratic Challenger for Governor:
Real leaders accept responsibility and answer questions. My opponent ducks.
He was spotted this week slamming the door of his SUV on reporters, running down a hallway to avoid questions, and ducking into a freight elevator when cameras appeared.
He has refused to debate issues in this campaign and he has ducked responsibility for his own actions.
Real leaders lift us up. But my opponent cannot see the better angels of our character. That’s why he panders for politics. If anyone took him seriously the consequences would be much worse than they are. But voters, all voters, are smarter than that.
It’s time to put the human relations commission fiasco into context and move on. The good news is that there is no real human relations crisis.
The tensions these past three weeks have never been about relationships between African Americans, Jews, and Gays. In Illinois, these groups have long been working together on areas of mutual concern.
The bad news is that Rod Blagojevich created just another opportunity to pander for votes. It fits his pattern.
• When he offered a million dollars to the Pilgrim Baptist Church, Alderman Beale correctly pointed out that the Gwendolyn Brooks School had needed money for years.
• When he rushed to enact HB 4050- supposedly to protect communities from predatory lenders - Bishop Jordan correctly questioned whether the effect of the law wasn’t just to redline certain African American communities.
• When Governor Blagojevich, through his short sightedness, neglected to build his own commission and lead them to a common viewpoint instead, allowing it to collapse over the “old†news that Minister Farrakhan’s style of speech is divisive.
As a politician Rod Blagojevich can pander all he wants. But as a governor he should not.
If you want votes, earn them. Improve our schools. Grow our economy. Bring people together.
For several weeks now I’ve offered a way out of this mess. I’ve said this is no longer an issue to be resolved by staff or by the commission. The governor has to apologize for his indifference and then use the full power of the governor’s office to bring leaders together in the mansion in Springfield to create a new charter for this commission and start over.
But don’t do it by press conference. Get on the phone and actually talk with people. If this turns out to be too hard, call in Bill Clinton.
Comment by Eisendrath 2006 Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 10:53 am
Blago is absolutely amazing.
First he chooses a high ranking official of a known, recognized hate group (the Nation of Islam) to be on a commission that is supposed to eradicate hate. He then declares February 12th to be Elijah Muhammad (founder of the Nation of Islam) Day when hopefully he knows that this the actual birth date of one of Americas most admired Presidents. He then refuses to correct the mistake he made on Sister Claudette’s appointment. After all of this he then accuses the media of ‘fanning the flames’.
What’s next from this man, the appointment of a member of the Aryan Nation to the commission? After which his response will be “I didn’t know until I read it in the papersâ€. How can he blame the media for all of this when it’s the media that is his sole source of information?
Comment by Sound Reasoning Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 1:53 pm