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A laugh riot

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* The governor obviously didn’t want to answer questions yesterday…

Gov. Rod Blagojevich tried a new tactic Thursday afternoon when asked by reporters about testimony at a federal corruption trial that he offered to trade state business for national fund-raising assistance: he summoned schoolchildren and tourists.

“Kids, where are you when … I need you,” said Blagojevich, laughing and motioning to the bright yellow-shirted children to gather around him outside of his Capitol office. “Come on over. Come visit. Come on over.” […]

Asked to explain his approach to campaign fundraising, Blagojevich kept turning to children and other visitors saying, “How you been? How are you? Hi. How you guys? How are you? How you guys doing? […]

Pressed on whether he denied what [Rezko prosecution witness Joe Cari] said on the witness stand, Blagojevich said: “No such conversations took place—like that. Let me say it again: No such conversations like that took place.”

Listen to the audio by clicking here.

[Photos via OneMan, who was in Springfield this week and was invited into the govenror’s office after the presser with his daughter, Morgan.]

* The governor had just left a meeting with some of the legislative leaders and Denny Hastert about a capital plan. Hastert had this to say…

“Our next step is to look at possible revenue sources,” said former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who attended the meeting. Hastert and Southern Illinois University President Glenn Poshard were appointed by Blagojevich to bring lawmakers together on a construction program.

Hastert declined to discuss specific funding options, but said a gambling expansion bill passed by the Senate last year is “a good place to start.”

* Blagojevich claimed that everyone agrees they need to spend $25 billion, but, wait…

Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago, said the $25 billion figure isn’t necessarily the bottom line. That will be determined by how much state money leaders agree to put into the program, she said.

* The governor wants to lease the state Lottery to pay for much of the capital spending plan…

Gov. Rod Blagojevich is launching his 2008 public relations campaign to convince lawmakers to lease the Illinois Lottery to a private contractor as a way to drum up billions in immediate revenue.

Yet there is still little indication that the proposal has the necessary support in the House, where the idea went nowhere last summer.

Blagojevich’s budget team pitched the idea Thursday in a conference call with the Tribune’s editorial board. The governor’s team said a lease arrangement could generate $7 billion in upfront cash to help pay for a capital construction program, which has been stalled in Springfield.

“Stalled” is a polite way of saying, “very nearly dead.” Why? Well, here’s just one reason…

Charles Hannon [testified today that] Rezko offered he and his wife, Fortunee Massuda, a quid pro quo involving Gov. Blagojevich’s controversial proposal to lease the Thompson Center. Rezko, who at the time owed the couple $7 million, offered to sign on Massuda as a consultant for whomever signed up to lease the State of Illinois Building — known as the Thompson Center.

And now he wants to lease the Lottery?

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 6:41 am

Comments

OK, so I guess that the state will just stop doing any business at all because of the trial. Don’t we have a legislature and other constitutional officers that can provide some oversight if the governor can’t be trusted? How much longer will we have to wait before the duly elected legislators do something, anything, to address the fiscal problems that the state has been facing for the past several decades?
I know that it is probably much more fun to argue and fight and call each other names and sue each other. It makes for good theater and is very entertaining but does little to address the needs of the citizens. It is time for a mushroom revolt. Get to work and do something. If it has to be in spite of the leadership instead of because of them so be it.

Comment by Bill Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 7:03 am
Rich,

What is the number for DCFS?

I’m afraid I’m going to have to report OneMan for contributing to the delinquency of a minor by recklessly exposing his child to a Public Official A!

Remember folks: It’s okay to take your kids to the zoo, but be sure to keep them separated from the more dangerous creatures.

– SCAM
so-called “Austin Mayor”
http://austinmayor.blogspot.com

Comment by so-called "Austin Mayor" Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 7:45 am
So now we are using an admitted drug user and long time political opportunist to make excuses for inaction? Come on. I was briefed on the plan last week. Having someone pay the state for the cumbersome responsibilty of running the lottery and getting the same profit share makes sense. People know it and we all know (even from Madigan’s reps) why nothing is being done. People want to talk about recall. Lets recall those who would put the state’s economy in peril and the livelihood of all Illinoisans.

Comment by Tistophone Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 7:50 am
===So now we are using an admitted drug user and long time political opportunist to make excuses for inaction? ===

No. We’re talking about one of the governor’s top fundraisers and closest advisors here. A guy who could pick up the phone and call the guv’s chief of staff on a whim.

Have things changed? Has anyone seen evidence of change?

Until we know for sure things are different, the Lottery plan is suspect.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 7:52 am
The lottery plan is not just suspect, its a bad idea. We are selling off future profits to the State for a short term payment today. STart with the basic concept that the lease payment has to be less then what the lottery brings in to get a buyer then go on from there. If the lottery increases its reveuens by roughly 5% a year, in roughly ten years it will be adding 1 Billion to the state coffers. BUT we will only be able to recieve the fixed income amount of 625,000 under the lease deal. That fixed amount never adjusts for inflation or profitability so every year we are in the elase we loose more and more money. Heack within 10 years we are losing 400,000. By roughly year 18 we will be losing 1 billion a year alone on the deal! All we are doing is robbing the future for some quick cash in the present. Since Govt will be around forvever we need to get rid of short term solutions that only serve the needs of the sitting officials and think long term benefit of the State.

This is not a solution, it is passing the buck (or the lack thereof) to the next Governor by seeking harmful short term cash so this Gov does not have to make real leadership decisions on raising taxes.

The State is out of money, with no plan to get what has currently been spent. Instead of our Govneror spending cash like a drunken sailor on shore leave he needs to either make actual hard cuts, including his health program for which we have no money, or raise taxes.

Comment by Ghost Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 8:21 am
Leasing the State Lottery can only be a good deal for the State if the new operator is able to quadruple the revenue generated by the programs (State expected to retain 25% of the revenues.)

To start with, the Lottery is already a regressive method of taxation. Significant revenue increase would likely come from the poor and disadvantaged.

All one needs to do is to look at a simple spreadsheet to see that the revenue shift will simply create a larger revenue shortage in future years.

How dumb do the politicians believe the taxpayers to be?

Comment by Plutocrat03 Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 8:37 am
Morgan was safe but thanks for your concern SCAM.

On one hand I am proud of my daughter for asking if she could see his office and on the other hand keeping in from the press wasn’t exactly something she was shooting for..

However later when I said ‘You know you did the governor a bit of a favor by asking that’ she said ‘I know’.

Comment by OneMan Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 8:48 am
Yeah, the Hannon testimony didn’t do him any favors on future lease deals.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 9:44 am
Bill

Heres a thought, how about realizing the state cannot afford the Universal Health Care and move on? The gov will stop at nothing to cram it down our throats and the state simply cannot afford it. It would be a great program if we could but there are many other programs that are suffering because of his insistance that all the money goes to health care.

Comment by He makes Ryan Look like a Saint Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 9:56 am
My gosh, besides being a huge liar, Blagojevich once again hides behind the little people. Maybe they’ll get excused from school to go to Rod’s eventual trial.

Comment by Women & Children First NOT! Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 10:27 am
It’s not going to be pretty after Rod throws everyone under the bus and their are no women and children to shield him from the inevitable.

Comment by Rod's Free Pass is expired Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 10:48 am
Abby told me to say, “No such conversations took place—like that. Let me say it again: No such conversations like that took place.”

Comment by Guv HotRod Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 10:52 am
RICH writes: Have things changed? Has anyone seen evidence of change?

The guy you are talking about is on trail. Do you think he’s cutting deals for the state and calling the Governor or his chief is staff to make deals.

Comment by Andie Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 10:56 am
Don’t worry Tony, “Stick with us and you’ll do very well for yourself”
That’s after they lock you up and throw away the key.
But not to worry, trust Rod.

Comment by Subject: Making deals Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 11:19 am
The lottery lease deal is more than just suspect.

Find out who will pick the contractors to actually run it day to day and you will find that the same contractors (ie Advertising firm, Lottery promotions firms, Lottery systems firms etc) that were/are picked by the current administration will still be there.

Follow the money.

Comment by Anon Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 11:23 am
Nothing of any substance should be approved while this Governor holds office. It has been proven that he exploits the taxpayers for the benefit of his crooked cronies and cannot be trusted. Any lawmaker that assist this administration in further malfeasance is complicit. This boil must be lanced before the body can be healed.

By the way, it was Dusty Baker’s return to Wrigley that gave Blogo the idea of hiding behind the kids so he doesn’t have to answer tough questions. Call it a Blogo tribute.

Comment by Garp Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 11:27 am
I seem to remember Mrs. B getting extremely upset a couple of years ago when Blago used daughter #2 as a shield between him and the press during I believe an Illinois State Fair function. Perhaps Mrs. B should be more upset with the childish shenanigans her husband pulls rather than with the press just trying to do their job.

Comment by Little Egypt Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 12:20 pm
That story about the governor trying to distract the press or hide behind those kids, reminds me of something… something familiar about the picture…. was it this…

http://mediamatters.org/items/200710030009

or maybe he’s just hiding out from a psychic that looks like Christopher Walken.

Either way its pretty cowardly to hide out from press questions behind children, as well as to bold-faced lie in front of them.

Comment by Very cynical today Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 12:38 pm
Rich, is it true that the Governor wanted to check out the earthquake damage in southern Illinois so he had the state helicopter pilot fly him out to Pontiac? Just asking.

Comment by Cogito Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 12:50 pm
This incident is so funny because it reminds me of the time he got questioned on another corruption issue, picked up his youngest daughter and claimed the media made her cry. Its the Blago Shuffle, look for some kiddies, use them as pawns and try to slink away.

Dodge Duck Dip Dive and….Dodge

Comment by prairiestatedem Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 12:56 pm
Why oh Why has the the House not started the impeachment process???????

Comment by Dan S, a Voter & Cubs Fan Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 2:20 pm
No, the governor did not go to check out the damage. He had his press staff send memos out to key citizens saying he caused it and would rain down more destruction on the uncooperative if they choose not to appease him.

Right now they are busy looking in the almanac for the date of the next solar eclipse so they can time the future press release accordingly.

Comment by Gregor Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 6:08 pm
Did he say “public works” or “public roost”, or public something-else program to create jobs, job, jobs? Too much, I know, to expect details on the program, but I’ll be happy with being able to start with identifying what he’s calling it.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 6:59 pm