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* My statewide syndicated column poses a question right up front.

If you think Gov. Rod Blagojevich gets bad press now, imagine how harsh the coverage would be if we knew what he was hiding.

* Bernie Schoenburg covers the guv’s changing story about “the check.”

Once again, a governor who has to back up many of his promises with signed “memorandums of understanding” to get budget agreements, and who has a habit of making audiences laugh by telling them about a young girl who mistakes him for Chicago’s mayor - never telling the audiences that the story is fabricated and he considers it a joke - has a credibility problem.

We should be able to believe statements from the governor’s office. And, to be accurate, those statements should come from or be approved by the governor. But if he later contradicts a statement, does that mean he never approved it? And if he didn’t, who wrote it?

* Aaron Chambers writes about the governor’s disastrous press conference and puts it into perspective:

Iâ€™ll bet if you put Gov. Rod Blagojevich in an empty room by himself, he would come out with bruises.

He must be his own worst enemy. And each time he moves, he collides with himself.

The self-styled boxer is a one-man Fight Club. He throws a punch and it hits his face. He shuffles to avoid another and trips himself to the ground. […]

His performance in Chicago was so self-destructive that campaign workers for state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, the Republican trying to unseat him, posted footage of it on You Tube, the video-sharing Web site.

* Finke:

It’s expensive. It’s poorly run. It’s being shunned by its target audience. And it’s illegal.

Outside of that, Gov. ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s I-SaveRx drug program is something taxpayers can be proud of.

*** UPDATE *** I forgot to include Carol Marin’s column.

We need a voter guide to the November election. Not the glossy, colorful kind that civic groups and political parties hand out. We need a voter guide from the feds. We need to know before we go to the polls if, in fact, Gov. Blagojevich has a target on his back. […]

On Oct. 27, and then again on Nov. 1, Stuart Levine’s plea agreements will be made public in federal court. He’s the guy who was advising Cari on how to get pension business. […]

Looking for a voter guide for the coming election?

Consider Levine’s plea required reading.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 9:12 am

Comments

Remember the 1969 movie Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid? Once the posse was in relentless pursuit of Butch & Sundance. Butch kept quipping,”Who Are Those Guys”?
Similarly as does Mr. Blagojevich we he screams the same line like a little girl at his staff daily…..
Well, Mr. Blagojevich they are the law, That’s L-A-W!

Comment by Angelwings Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 9:24 am
Wow,
Rich, Bernie, Aaron and Finke don’t like the gov..
That’s suprising! It seems that all of that collective knowledge along with Judy’s negative commercials are having no influence on the voters according to the latest Copely poll. Could it be that the voters are sick of all of the biased, negative, columns about Blagojevich and are just ignoring them? Or could it be that not many people actually read their stuff at all?
The lack of indictments sure does put a damper on their anti-blago rhetoric and their less than truthful cheerleading for Topionka. Like Eisendrath, Topinka, and the gang they are all waiting for the indictments that will never come close to the governor.
If there is wrong doing in the administration Blagojevich will root it out and fire those responsible. Since he is an honest man and has done nothing wrong the Blago haters will be waiting a long time.

Comment by Bill Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 9:49 am
My prediction is Blago will win, due to the ability to hide the big stuff, much like Ryan did against Prashad.

But the biggest prediction is that the Gov will be indited during his second term.

Overall it is not a good future for the people of Illinois.

Comment by Wheres the leadership??? Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 9:54 am
“If you think Gov. Rod Blagojevich gets bad press now, imagine how harsh the coverage would be if we knew what he was hiding.”

How about we wait until the guy is convicted before we hang him, Rich? Being convicted in your star chamber doesn’t count.

I am no fan of the governor, but your statement smacks of McCarthy-like demogogery and is intellectually dishonest.

Comment by Leroy Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 10:02 am
If Blago is so straight and narrow, why can’t he give a simple answer to a simple question that he knew for nearly two weeks was going to be asked? C’mon, even my pre-school kids do a more convincing job of covering up when caught than the Gov did at that press conference.

Comment by Bluefish Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 10:08 am
The feds are giving the governor the chance to step aside and not run. He isn’t taking the hint.

Comment by Shelbyville Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 10:08 am
Iâ€™m no political op, but instead of striking a Jackie Childs pose and saying how itâ€™s ludicrous and ridiculous that the administration has to answer questions about the $1,500 check, wouldnâ€™t a little humility have helped the governorâ€™s cause? If he had said something along the lines of â€œI appreciate that the check raises some red flags for some of you, but I can assure that it was a legitimate gift to my daughterâ€, wouldnâ€™t that have helped to avoid the embarrassing episode that we witnessed last week? I donâ€™t understand how being so aggressively contentious could be considered a sound PR strategy. Does anyone have any thoughts on why they would have chosen that tack?

Comment by Dan at BlogFreeSpringfield Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 10:09 am
LOL, Leroy, I’m not convicting anybody. I just want to see what the guy is hiding. That was just a silly comment, dude.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 10:28 am
Your right Bill Blago will root it out and the reporters agree with you that Blago is hanging hisself.

Comment by DOWNSTATE Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 10:48 am
what check? does not everyone get nice gifts from their friends for something or some time?
here’s my dod “checkers”

Comment by annie Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 10:55 am
We don’t need a conviction; Blagojevich is a sack of garbage.

One of the real problem’s here is reflected in Leroy’s stupid comment…. The hard-core Democratic voter in this state could care less how corrupt, stupid, and ineffective the Democratic candidate is. As long as that candidate’s name appears in the Democratic column, and even if that voter knows about his defects and has stirrings of conscience, the Democratic voter will still vote for the candidate, and so indicate to the pollsters.

That’s a real story in this state that is not covered… how shameless are Democratic voters about letting the corrupt and self-serving rise to the top just so they can be content that the party that is “the best for the people” is in charge?

Leroy shows (as indicated in the Rostenkowski campaign in 1994) that the typical Democratic voter needs an actual conviction of a serious nature to stare them in the face before they begin defecting. Short of that, the candidate can BS his way out of anything, because the Democratic voter, like Leroy, will happily buy that BS. It is this condition, and not that the honest voter is unconcerned about corruption, as some columnists have offered, that really affects politics here.

Comment by Conservative Republican Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 11:01 am
Bill: “If there is wrong doing in the administration Blagojevich will root it out and fire those responsible.”

What you really mean he will fire the ones THAT FOUND IT…

Comment by Animous Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 11:12 am
Regarding the illegal prescription drug program, why doesn’t someone go to the FDA/FBI/U.S. Attorney’s Office and swear out a complaint against Blago, DHFS, and the Program Administrators?

Is that what it takes to shut down a state program that violates federal law? Or, would it make no difference? Is there no penalty for this?

Comment by Anon2 Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 11:40 am
No matter how this election season turns out, I am just so excited to have this good of entertainment. Blago and Bill Clinton in one week. This is great!!! Two people that are huge frauds being outed and then the panic sets in for them… and they have a total breakdown for all to see. Dang… Just puts a little smirk on my face…

Comment by Lovie's Leather Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 11:44 am
Hmmm, he receives checks he can’t account for - comes up with numerous excuses, none plausible - I think we’d better check his closet for “Paul Powell” shoeboxes - he may have some cash he can’t account for too…

Comment by BBishere2 Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 11:47 am
To conservative Rep: Perhaps you haven’t considered that Dem voters feel that a corrupt Dem is simply more effective in office than is a Rep of any kind. It isn’t necessarily that Dem voters are buying their candidate’s BS; it is simply that they prefer his BS to that of your candidate.

Comment by WorkingGRL Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 11:53 am
I find that very entertaining WorkingGRL. You assume that if somebody running for office is overtly corrupt, their opponent practices closet corruption. It is the same crap that got George Ryan elected. Fool me once… shame on… shame on you… If fooled, you can’t get fooled again….

Comment by Lovie's Leather Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 12:18 pm
Conservative Republican, a somewhat more benign way of looking at the phenomenon you discuss would be to simply chalk it up to people being “issues voters” (a rarity on this board I know). For example, if protecting a woman’s right to birth control is your biggest issue in the gubernatorial election, then why should you care how much illegal patronage Governor Blagojevich may have handed out? You’re going to vote for him because he’s the better candidate on the issue you care about.

Same works in reverse. If I’m a conservative Republican, I wouldn’t care if Peter Roskam tortured puppies in his basement (not saying he does), I’d vote for him over Tammy Duckworth because on the actual issues I care about, he would vote my way. There are plenty of historical examples of voters tolerating corruption from both parties based in some measure, one has to hope, on a philosophical belief that stances on the issues matter.

Indeed, most voters are far more likely to be affected by policies on taxes, education, health care, toll roads, etc. than they are by corruption, which is why many people continue to stick with candidates even in the face of scandal. On this board we all care enough about state government to be interested in its machinations, but particularly in Cook County (Blagojevich’s base), many people don’t.

In some ways the thorniest dilemma this election cycle will be for the Claypool voters, who will be torn between their instinct to vote Democrat based on their beliefs on a whole host of issues, and their instinct to vote Peraica over Stroger because in Cook County the bureaucracy really has become the central issue and they have no doubt their interests will be better served by Peraica. It won’t be an easy choice for many people.

Comment by Gus Frerotte's Clipboard Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 1:12 pm
Conservative Republican - nice rant. Allow me to clarify my position…

I can no longer tell who is pulling my chain. Is Candidate X a crook? The media implies that he is. Now that candidate may actually be a crook, as in Blago’s case. If candidate X is Alexi Giannoulis, I am not sure if he is a crook, as the media implies, or if the slander is simply political. A candidate might come along and upset the system, only to be smeared by a sympathetic (or paid off) media.

That being said…I can no long trust what I am being told by the media/bloggers/political campaigns. Remember…the Tribune endorsed Ryan ‘despite his faults’.

You want me to believe someone is a crook? Get a conviction. Anyone can level endless accusations for the purpose of smearing somone. Politics & the media in this state are way too dirty for me to believe Candidate X is a crook based on a trusted source’s word. Wolf has been cried too many times. Give me an indictment / conviction. THEN I’ll believe. This Machivellian “He must be a crook because a lot of heavy hitters think so” no longer washes with me.

Comment by Leroy Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 1:20 pm
You’re on your way to a place called “regret”, Leroy. You sound like a person with a conscience. If you vote for Blagojevich, I believe with every cell in my body that you will live to regret it.

Comment by Truth Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 3:24 pm
Does anybody remember the press conference last week when Public Offical A spelled the word “law”? At least we know that he can spell the word, unfortunately he wouldn’t know or follow one if it jumped up and bit him.

I was at a convention last week where the key note speaker was talking about the trust and credibility that a public servant (government employee) has to have. Unfortunately, David Phelps, Assistant Secretary of Transportation, lost all credibility when he tied those needed virtues to the “great” governot.

Comment by huh? Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 5:23 pm
As someone who worked on his campaign the first time around, who believed in him the first time around, and who got burned, I’ve learned the hard way I can’t trust him. My family has learned they can’t trust him. And not just my immediate family. My friends have learned this, too. When one pays attention to the little details, day to day, how things are manipulated in the state system, how budgets are messed with, how people who try to do good things get screwed, one learns.

I don’t trust him. I don’t believe he’s innocent in everything that’s gone on. It’s too bad that more people aren’t paying attention. It’s too bad the feds can’t work faster, but probably in the long run a good thing (work too fast and mess up a good investigation gets him out of trouble), so that they can make sure what they have on him sticks.

My “people” can’t support his campaign because they are disabled and they don’t have voices of their own. They are paying a hefty price and no one in his administration or in any position that matters cares. I won’t ever forget what he’s done to them.

Comment by Tessa Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 5:46 pm
I’ve been wondering if Mrs. Ascaridis will be invited to any more birthday parties!

Comment by Tired at IDOT Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 5:50 pm
Leroy, if you can’t trust the media bloggers, then stay out of the kitchen (or off the blogs). In case you aren’t aware of it, there are two court systems - the judicial system and the court of public opinion. Blogo is most definitely being judged in the court of public opinion and he’s losing. My guess is he will eventually lose in both.

Hey Bill, how was your weekend? Can you help get me a job after November because you are so absolutely positively sure your boy Elvis (oops you don’t like that) will get back in. I can certainly scrape $1,500 together and I can make the check payable to either you or Blogo. And I will pledge my undying loyalty to your boy too.

Comment by Little Egypt Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 6:19 pm
Bill, what has he done to Cini after he was informed by the prior IG of blatant disregard of hiring laws? Nothing as far as I can tell. When will start cleaining up back taking care of this? Never!

Comment by fed up dem Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 7:15 pm
I find Marin’s column and the comments by Cari’s attorney very interesting. Attorney Lassar, who obviously has regrets about 1998 and who likely knows more about ol’ Stu then he’s telling, says of Stu’s plea agreement, “If Levine’s plea agreement is as explicit as Joe’s, it could be quite a bombshell.”

Get ready for Code Red, Bill. Stu is not going to be finking out GRyan or JBT.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 7:42 pm
Why didn’t Rod say the obvious. He was a life long friend, like a god parent to my child, it would be crazy to think I shook down a friend for a job for his wife. Oh yeah, I forgot it’s Rod, he uses his children as human shields and let’s not forget how he treats his relatives, the father in law and the junk yard cousin.

Comment by Santos L. Halper Monday, Sep 25, 06 @ 8:24 pm
Now the JudyBore Team is betting on their guy Stu’s plea.
Wow does that sound like a dumb bet.
But then they bringing Bush back to state too. It seems like they are staging DumbBetpalooza ‘06. And folks said they could not top Keyes. Guess the folks were wrong.
And please don’t forget — when all is said and done — an AccordionGal loss means Brickhead the Executioner does not get to fry anyone.
TTFN

Comment by Reddbyrd Tuesday, Sep 26, 06 @ 7:36 am