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* The setup, from an e-mail I received last night…

Hi,

I am an MBA student at [redacted] and I am wondering if you could help me track down any articles that might have given some hints of Gov. Blagojevich’s narcissistic tendencies as an executive before any of the formal mess began in Decemeber. I am leading a class discussion on narcissism and leadership on Wednesday and would like to see if anything on Blago could be brought to to the discussion.

* The Question: A little help for this person, please? Keep in mind that this student is looking for pre-arrest examples only.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 9:49 am

Comments

How about photos. At almost every parade, Gov. Blagojevich would photographed running faster than all of his staffers, flunky’s and volunteers.

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/02Lj9Sp9RX7qU/340x.jpg

Comment by The 'Broken Heart' of Rogers Park Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 10:04 am
“Open Road Tolling: Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor”

Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 10:05 am
I guess the hairbrush being referred to as the football would be a sign.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/15/blagojevich-hair-brush-th_n_151005.html

Comment by OneMan Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 10:06 am
Blagojevich had a knack for milking an issue for publicity even when it was a minor issue.

In Congress Blagojevich milked the issue of napalm being shipped through Chicago. The DOD decided that old napalm was no longer useful. Over time it had deteriorated so it was less effective for battlefield use. The DOD decided to destroy the napalm by incineration. The facility chosen was in Indiana. This meant shipping the napalm by rail through Chicago.

Blagojevich (with the help of the Sun-Times) milked this issue for getting not just an article in the paper, but a big picture of Blagojevich.

Stuff as toxic or as flammable gets shipped through Chicago all the time. Blagojevich didn’t oppose these other toxic and flammable shipments.

I’m almost certain Blagojevich dropped the napalm issue as soon as he got the newspaper article.

Blagojevich had a nose for a bad-faith issue that would allow him to get publicity.

Other examples:

Getting his name on signs on the CTA about women only being paid $0.71 on the dollar for men. Blagojevich did nothing substantial to address the pay inequities of gov’t employees in Illinois.

Then there was the Latina girl turned away from school for a day incorrectly in Berwyn (maybe Cicero). The school corrected the problem itself within a day. Blagojevich milked that for 3-5 days worth of newspaper articles.

Blagojevich loved publicity. Before the publicity, Blagojevich was too lazy or dull to put thought into crafting public policy that would solve problems. And after the publicity Blagojevich lacked follow through.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 10:09 am
Veteran’s Care - In 2006, Blago created a Veterans Health Care Plan for the “thousands of Illinois veterans” who have no health care.

Launched with a huge splash, the administration dispatched cabinet officials to promote the program around the state and sign up veterans to the program.

Media asked for the enrollment numbers for the program, six months after it was created. Blago hemmed and hawed and said they were still trying to compile all the data.

He waited until after the election of 2006 before he released the final numbers. After spending Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars in media promotion, sending state officials out, the numbers were finally released.

Of the “thousands of uninsured veterans” in the state, exactly 14 individuals signed up for the program.

Neverheless, Blago continually used veterans programs as one of his successes as Governor.

Comment by Downstater Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 10:26 am
I don’t have the date, but David Bernstein’s profile of Blagojevich in Chicago magazine would be a good starting point for this student.

Comment by the Other Anonymous Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 10:28 am
I always thought his out of town travel — a dozens of bodyguards, pre-positioned state SUVS — was the height of narcissism. I mean, nobody outside the state knew who this jamoke was.

Here’s a Chuck Goudie column on 2004 DNC and Washington trips. I seem to remember a California trip where he actually had his troopers putting on sirens and flashing lights to get through interesections.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/print/?id=258139

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 10:29 am
During most of his administration he had staffers record any instances of his television appearances on each of the Chicago stations. The video clips would then be compiled onto master tapes, with written summaries, and then the staffer would deliver the tape to his home for ‘review’.

Comment by anon Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 10:30 am
Here’s another: arriving late to almost everything, especially Sen. Vince Demuzio’s funeral.

Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 10:31 am
===Here’s another: arriving late to almost everything===

On the bus trip I took with him in 2007, we pulled into a town a few minutes earlier than scheduled. RRB had the driver pull over to the side of the road until we were behind schedule.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 10:33 am
Oh, please!

Just watch Blagojevich’s deranged performance at the 2008 Daley Center rally held to celebrate the Chicago Cubs’ playoff appearance against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The man was a raving lunatic who gave an incoherent and endless speech that made me think that his hair was on fire. Blagojevich fared about as well as the Cubs did in the divisional playoff (swept in three straight and eliminated).

Comment by Honest Abe Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 10:35 am
I believe that the CA. trip mentioned above was for a staffers wedding.

Then, there was the embarrassing press conference at his first National Governor’s Conference. No other governor gave a press conference. The other governor’s had Blago’s number early on.

Comment by Shelbyville Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 10:36 am
Rod makes appearance at Republic windows the day before his arrest
I could not find the pictures of Rod in his black leather jacket, showing some of his testicular virility at this event the day before his arrest.

Comment by Third Generation Chicago Native Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 10:42 am
After the tornado in Utica(sp?) with photographers positioned on rooftops for his arrival, he broke from his written speech and mis quoted from the book of Job. It was a classic moment. And using a community ravaged by a tornado for your own benefit pretty much makes the students thesis.

Comment by the Patriot Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 10:47 am
This is my personal favorite back before “Overtime in Hell!”

http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/Gov.Rod.Blagojevich.2.335989.html

Comment by Levois Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 10:59 am
Don’t know where the article is, but a 3 word google search should provide one of the toppers: “blagojevich testicular virility”.

Comment by Baines 4 Prez Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:01 am
In July 2004, both Chicago papers reported that hospital board appointments were made by Blagojevich in 2003 to two individuals, both of whom had given his campaign checks of $25,000 on the same day eighteen days before their appointments.

This is what was said in response to this discovery:

“There’s no connection whatsoever, and that’s by design,” said Cheryle Jackson, the governor’s press secretary. “Campaign activities are separate
from government activities.”

Now recall what’s on the tapes about his decision making: “Legal, personal, poltical.”

The only difference between 2004 and 2008 was that “legal” was added to the equation.

Comment by Proud Goo-Goo Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:05 am
In January 2005, after a row between Blagojevich and his father-in-law, Dick Mell, over a landfill, this is what was reported in the Sun-Times:

Publicly humiliated by Gov. Blagojevich’s administration in a Will County landfill dispute, Ald. Richard Mell came out swinging Friday. He angrily accused his son-in-law, the governor, of ripping apart their family, being so politically manipulative that he would “throw anyone under the bus,” and granting plum appointments in exchange for $50,000 campaign contributions.

The surprisingly harsh words come from Blagojevich’s longtime political patron, who helped shape virtually every facet of the governor’s political career but later became a liability amid concerns the powerful 33rd Ward boss would dictate policy from the Executive Mansion.

That hasn’t happened, Mell insisted Friday, as he talked of months of building animosity with the governor that has driven a wedge between the alderman and his daughter, first lady Patti Blagojevich. Mell said he rarely talks anymore with her, and the Blagojeviches won’t return his phone calls — isolation Mell compares to “putting a stake through my heart.”

“She’s got blinders on. Patti will wake up one day,” Mell said, hinting that she cannot see Blagojevich’s penchant for doing anything for his own political gain, even at the expense of family and friends.

“He uses people, and he used me. He uses everybody, and when there’s no more use, he discards them,” Mell said. “When he was running, we talked five or six times a day. After he became governor, we never talked. He wanted everyone to believe he got there on his own.”

Comment by Proud Goo-Goo Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:13 am
May 2005; NBC5.com:

Blagojevich refused to say Monday if he had been subpoenaed by a grand jury looking into allegations that his chief fundraiser traded jobs for campaign contributions, but a source close to the investigation confirmed subpoenas had been sent to the governor’s office, his major fundraisers, his political committees and some agency heads.

But, quoting Theodore Roosevelt, the Democratic governor told reporters that any investigation would show his office to be “as clean as a hound’s tooth.”

Blagojevich said the investigation was started because he would not do business as usual and let friends and family benefit from his office.

NBC5’s Dick Kay said the governor was referring to his father-in-law, Alderman Dick Mell.

When asked about the importance of the public knowing whether a governor has been subpoenaed, given the pending corruption case against former Gov. George Ryan, Blagojevich said he wasn’t Ryan and wasn’t simply looking the other way when family members benefited.

“This is the kind of thing that I think separates the men from the boys in leadership. Do you have the testicular virility to make a decision like that, knowing what’s coming your way?” Blagojevich said. “I say I do.”

Comment by Proud Goo-Goo Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:19 am
Carl Nyberg above brought up the issue of old napbalm being shipped by rail through Chicago.
In addition to that Gov. Goofy also tried to ban the shipment of guns and ammunition via railroad intermodal trailers and containers through the 5th district.
I’m sure railroad officials had a good chuckle about how ridiculous the idea was, but Rod got a few headlines out of it.

train111

Comment by train111 Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:20 am
His penchant for going places and promising millions of dollars to some or other local agency, milking the press pop, and then not following through.

The incident I best recall is his visiting a downstate high school, promising over a million dollars in state cash to help with the repairs and upgrades the school needed, and then, for years and years and years, not delivering, despite the bad press it was generating.

Comment by Anon in BB Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:21 am
One of my favorites was when he offered to “help clean up” Chicago! July 2008. The picture of him in the cowboy hat on the front page of the Sun Times was priceless. We still have it at the office and it makes me smile everytime I see it.

Comment by rachel Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:24 am
Keep in mind that this question isn’t about your least favorite RRB moment. It’s about his narcissism.

===• Psychology; extreme selfishness, with a grandiose view of one’s own talents and a craving for admiration, as characterizing a personality type.===

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:28 am
Chicago Tribune, August 12, 2006

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Rod Blagojevich defended his efforts to ferret out wrongdoing in state government and suggested Friday that newspapers are competing to sensationalize news about investigations of his administration.

The governor jokingly called reporters “sharks” before he cut the ribbon to officially open the Illinois State Fair. But he grew testy when pressed on whether he knew about possible hiring violations in his office.

“Hey, let me ask you a question? Do you think I get up every single day wasting my time doing that?” Blagojevich said. “I get up trying to get health care done for people, education funding, create jobs–the stuff that people care about, doing things for people.”

Comment by Proud Goo-Goo Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:29 am
More…

An all-pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behaviour), need for admiration or adulation and lack of empathy, usually beginning by early adulthood and present in various contexts. Five (or more) of the following criteria must be met:

*

Feels grandiose and self-important (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents to the point of lying, demands to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)

*

Is obsessed with fantasies of unlimited success, fame, fearsome power or omnipotence, unequalled brilliance (the cerebral narcissist), bodily beauty or sexual performance (the somatic narcissist), or ideal, everlasting, all-conquering love or passion

*

Firmly convinced that he or she is unique and, being special, can only be understood by, should only be treated by, or associate with, other special or unique, or high-status people (or institutions)

*

Requires excessive admiration, adulation, attention and affirmation - or, failing that, wishes to be feared and to be notorious (narcissistic supply)

*

Feels entitled. Expects unreasonable or special and favorable priority treatment. Demands automatic and full compliance with his or her expectations

*

Is “interpersonally exploitative”, i.e., uses others to achieve his or her own ends

*

Devoid of empathy. Is unable or unwilling to identify with or acknowledge the feelings and needs of others

*

Constantly envious of others or believes that they feel the same about him or her

*

Arrogant, haughty behaviours or attitudes coupled with rage when frustrated, contradicted, or confronted

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:29 am
Yeah, Anon BB…a search for “Blagojevich Carterville” oughta give some good background on that.

From my time downstate I’ll always remember the Marion Baseball Stadium groundbreaking, which was basically a chance for Rod to spout off about the Cardinals and Cubs. I’ll also remember the “wallflower” incident, which culminated in the entire Democratic caucus berating Blagojevich behind closed doors because his ego had gotten out of control.

I’m not sure how well either incident fits the “narcissist” definition…more “incompetent”.

Comment by Concerned Observer Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:34 am
Temper tantrum / nearly fist fight with Sen. Jacbobs anyone?

Still thinking he could become President even though his approval rating in IL was 13% as of 12/4/08 (see FBI wire taps).

Press conference with Naperville moms to promote his banning of violent video games for teens. The press conference was postponed by 48 hours at the last minute because it appeared he wasn’t going to get enough national press to cover it.

Comment by carbon deforestation Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:34 am
Even before the definitions, I was thinking about the Mell landfill issue…that was early on and from a family member. Thanks to Proud Goo-Goo for the details above. RRB certainly used up the governor’s office and was ready to discard it…allegedly.

Comment by Vote Quimby! Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:34 am
The Rod vs the FDA with the flu shots.

CHeck all CapFax cashed pages from any Monday to see what edict Rodney issued via Press COnference the prior Sunday.

Comment by Wumpus Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:34 am
Rich, I’ve seen that description poisted several times. Where did it come from?

Comment by Anon Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:37 am
Blago’s appearance on the Daily Show with John Stewart LOL

Comment by Doing one day @ a time Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:38 am
I don’t have the exact citation, but I do remember him being quoted with respect to his feud with the Speaker as saying Madigan was “flexing his little muscles”, as opposed to his own supposedly bigger muscles. I have it on what I believe to be good authority that he appeared in a meeting in his Springfield office with legislators during the great summer budget standoff, in his t-shirt–perhaps again to show off his muscles. I do have one first hand experience because I was there–when he arrived at the NCAA finals basketball game with North Carolina in 2005, he said, “Thompson couldn’t do it, Edgar couldn’t do it, Ryan couldn’t do it, but I did it.”, presumably taking credit for the team’s success. It was sort of a joke, but people around him did not take it as completely a joke, given his self-promotional excesses.

Comment by jake Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:39 am
>

Tribune; September 8, 2006:

Blagojevich denounces critics as `scoundrels’
He says he inherited a `mess’ from Ryan

Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Thursday that if the ethical reforms he put into place had been in effect years ago, the state may not have witnessed the corruption that occurred during former Gov. George Ryan’s tenure in the secretary of state’s office.

But Blagojevich, who is facing a challenge from Republican Judy Baar Topinka, lashed out against those who he said were making “wrongful and harmful” accusations against his administration that have led to state and federal investigations into alleged improprieties involving hiring, contracting and fundraising.

“C’mon,” he told reporters after an appearance before the Metropolitan Planning Council. “It’s absurd, ludicrous, ridiculous, outlandish, OK? Accusations by scoundrels, OK?”

. . .

Blagojevich contended that as a result of ethics reforms he pushed as governor, including the creation of an inspector general law to investigate allegations of wrongdoing, “the system is completely different today” than it was during Ryan’s two terms as secretary of state and one term as governor.

“Had you had what we put in place in Springfield when Ryan was in charge, you may not have had the kind of corruption you had with Ryan, because they had nobody policing that corruption. They had no system that had staff, resources and the ability to find information to go police it,” Blagojevich said.

The governor said he believed complaints about his administration, including those that have resulted in state and federal investigations, were a result of the “push back” from “bringing change” and “ruffling feathers” and “shaking up a system.”

“When you change things, it’s going to be filled with conflict and tension. That’s inherent,” Blagojevich said. “And I frankly think all of that you hear and the stuff that people say and the complaints and the criticism and the loose accusations that people make that are wrongful and harmful–that’s proof that we’re changing things and not afraid to make the hard choices.”

Comment by Proud Goo-Goo Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:42 am
How about a “press-release-a-day” policy so you could see your name in the paper!

Comment by Kakistrocracy Kid Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:51 am
forgot a good link for the Daily Show/ blago news from 2/2006
http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/Gov.Rod.Blagojevich.2.325174.html:

Comment by Doing one day @ a time Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:51 am
The November 2003 profile in Chicago Magazine where Blagojevich openly muses about running for president was my first clue.

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/November-2003/Governor-Sunshine/

A couple snippets:
“Blagojevich’s irrepressibly sunny disposition soon returns, however. He is looking good on this casual Friday in a navy blue polo shirt and tan gabardine slacks, their creases razor sharp. His hair, as always, looks perfect-or perfectly ridiculous to those who think he should lose the choirboy bangs. His runner’s body is toned, his waist trim, his stomach taut. He is as pleased as can be with the private shower in his office. He shows off photographs of himself with the actor Sylvester Stallone taken on a recent trip to Los Angeles; he was there promoting an incentive package to bring moviemakers to Illinois, but he also managed to raise money for future campaigns. He loves to tell stories, especially when he is the star, and with a reporter in the office he has a willing audience.”

“As the campaign wore on, the old confidence re-emerged. After a morning run through the streets of his Ravenswood Manor neighborhood, Blagojevich would bound into the front seat of Esteban’s car and stow his hairbrush-his aides nicknamed it ‘the football’-in the glove compartment, removing it frequently to tame his floppy mane. (Blagojevich’s top aides warned him that his bangs made him look goofy, but he insisted on keeping them.)”

Comment by Boone Logan Square Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:53 am
LOL how about trying to get members of the Chicago Tribune’s editorial board fired in exchange for a tax break on the Cub’s deal. Or another personal favorite, the fact that he was gearing up for a presidential run even after his campaign fund was being investigated by the Feds, and his disapproval rating mirrored Dick Cheney’s.

Comment by Kevin Fanning Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:57 am
“All in all, I think it was an Up Day…”

Comment by Commonsense in Illinois Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 12:16 pm
He wasn’t called Governor Press Release for no reason. Usually around 5:00 p.m. on a Friday we could expect a press release about something that was controversial and could not be delved into deeper because it was now the weekend.

How about the Carterville school issue. Blagojevich’s response to critics? “If they have a problem with me putting Carterville at the top of the list, sue me,” Here’s the link to a great article: http://www.peopleforeddy.com/articles/09_16_06_Blagojevich%20making%20habit%20of%20suddenly%20giving%20away%20money.pdf

Also at the 2006 State Fair he said and I quote, “I’m going to call an audible. I’m the governor. I make the big decisions in government,” he said before announcing that
the agriculture youth groups FFA and 4-H would each be getting $250,000.

“It is an election year,” said Sen. Donne Trotter, a Chicago Democrat who specializes in budget issues. “This is a way of saying I’m a working governor and I’m working on the needs of your community.”

All governors have used their authority to tinker with the budget, Trotter and others said. New needs come up, groups explain their problems and the state finds extra money to help them out.
But that has usually been treated as a matter of routine and done with little fanfare. BLAGOJEVICH CHANGED THAT.

Comment by Little Egypt Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 12:17 pm
How about the 2003 State Fair when he exclaimed “There’s a for you kids, Don’t use drugs!”
when Mongo, a 1,294-pound crossbred steer, had been given an anti- inflammatory drug for a sore leg. Blagojevich also said, “If we discover that someone is cheating, whether they be human beings or cows, they’re going to pay a price.”

Mongo, was vindicated later in court.

He tried to milk the situation for all its worth.

Comment by Rufus Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 12:19 pm
====Or another personal favorite, the fact that he was gearing up for a presidential run even after his campaign fund was being investigated by the Feds, and his disapproval rating mirrored Dick Cheney’s.====

Kevin, that is my personal favorite too. It definitely takes the cake. If that is not narcissim, I do not know what is.

Comment by Mike Murray Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 12:21 pm
Rich - This is the first time in a month I have read every response to a post. Goes to show you how much I miss the Rod bashing.

CapFax Blog is still of course an essential and un-matched news source. . . blah blah blah . . But THIS is just good fun!

Comment by carbon deforestation Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 12:21 pm
Go back to the trip he made to Serbia with Rev. Jackson to ask Milosevic to release three captured soldiers. Sec of State Albright pleaded with them not to go, that it would be used as propaganda by Milosevic and would undermine US interests, but the two equally narcissistic individuals went anyway. (All of this was captured on film for a documentary.)

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 12:25 pm
Hmmmm, why the delete?

Comment by Little Egypt Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 12:50 pm
I didn’t delete anything.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 12:53 pm
Ah, Akismet eated it. Thanks for telling me.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 12:53 pm
Thanks

Comment by Little Egypt Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 12:55 pm
Blago always went out of his way to make others look bad in order to bolster his image, then took advantage in front of the press.

Case in point: His staff would send out a fax on a Friday night telling the Reps about a bill signing or other event on Monday morning at 8 or 9 AM.

Mind you, it would be Friday at 5:16 or 5:23 PM. The front cover was from the office of the Governor. They set it so that there was no time or date stamp showint on the fax. They expected most offices to be closed until after the event ttok place. I would be in the office, pull the message off the fax, time and date stamp it myself and send it to my Rep.

Many times Rod tried to make others look bad, while he was the HERO. Wonderful Rod, bad legislature, why they (bad selfish legislature) don’t even show up to events (they don’t know about), they don’t care about you little people - only I care about you. He did this many times using people standing behind him. He even used the disabled for his own selfish purposes and to make himself look good. It was sickening to watch.

Comment by Say WHAT? Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 1:07 pm
Agree with Honest Abe on Cubs rally speech. That speech was more about Rod’s encyclopedic knowledge of baseball and the Cubs than anything else. Also, at the tree-lighting ceremony shortly before his arrest he told about how a friend of his, an unnamed multi-billionaire, had lost half his fortune. Rod concluded that for the average person half of several billions would be plenty for most people but this individual was hurting as much as the common folk. I didn’t know what to conclude except that the comments seemed unrelated to the context.

Rod’s affinity to power and having an entourage are classic symptoms of narcissism IMO. His lack of awareness that he was not executing his duties in a responsible manner is also a sign.

Comment by Ahem Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 1:22 pm
Akismet is very greedy!

Comment by Levois Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 1:41 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzOW5unGpDg

So I this what the Broken Heart is referring too?

2006 Bud Billiken difference between Judy Baar Topinka and Gov. Blagojevich!

Comment by Levois Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 1:53 pm
Let’s go for a ride in the waaaayyyy back machine.
Given the wire tap info, this lil old story from the first weeks of the first term says so much …

Publication date: Tuesday, February 25, 2003
Publication name: Daily Herald
Headline: Governor says his own pay won’t be cut
Subhead:
Byline: John Patterson Daily Herald State Government Editor
SPRINGFIELD - Gov. Rod Blagojevich said the budget cuts he’s ordering should be a shared sacrifice. So while most state agencies are cutting 10 percent from their operating budgets, his office will cut 15 percent.
But the governor ruled out cutting his pay to help meet that goal. The governor is paid $150,691. A 15 percent cut would cost him $22,600.
“You know we looked at that, but the most important thing for me is to stay married,” Blagojevich said. His wife, Patti, is pregnant and expecting their second child in the middle of March.
“We have another child on the way, college in the future so we’re not going to do that,” he said of cutting his pay. “It almost sounds gimmicky.”

Comment by Frank Booth Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 2:03 pm
What about all of the stunts RRB pulled as a congressman? Heck, just call former attorney general Ryan and ask for his old campaign literature (gubentorial election 2004); should be plenty of examples there.

Comment by Scooby Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 2:29 pm
Methinks that narcissism is the least of the psychological issues that may bedevil our ousted leader. Narcissism actually seems to be a requirement for virtually all politicians that I’ve known over the years. I’m sure that it gets people into some vainglorious issues that aren’t helpful, but the abject denial that the gov seems to suffer would seem to be a more fruitful conversation starter.

Comment by chiatty Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 2:55 pm
I always think about an interview with Blago and Eliot Davis, a reporter with Fox 2 in St. Louis, when Mr. Davis asked Blago about his excessive use of the state plane. After asking the camera crew to move so that he had a better backdrop, he stated that he was not using the plane enough. When asked about the high cost of commuting from Chicago to Springfield again he said he needed to use the plane more.

Comment by Hello Pot Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 3:00 pm
I forgot about the trip to war torn Serbia with Jesse Jackson. Jesse was at the microphone and on center stage during a television interview and Blagojevich kept trying to move from the left to the right and jump up and down trying to squeeze himself into the television shot. It was hilarious to watch since Jesse kept droning on and moving slightly as if to crowd Blagojevich out of the frame.

Comment by Honest Abe Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 3:04 pm
He is actually a narcissitic sociopath. The following comes from Wikipedia, but the disagnosis is available by typing Sociopath into the goggle search box.
One of the better examples is the decision to make bonehead Larry Trent yank all the exec security.
Another is the he dragged Monk/Tusk to the park to practice warm-up for an hours before throwing out the first ball at Wrigley…
Or the trip to the hockey game.. or

Characteristics of people with antisocial personality disorder may include:[citation needed]

Persistent lying or stealing
Superficial charm
Apparent lack of remorse or empathy; inability to care about hurting others
Inability to keep jobs or stay in school
Impulsivity and/or recklessness[4][5]
Lack of realistic, long-term goals — an inability or persistent failure to develop and execute long-term plans and goals
Inability to make or keep friends, or maintain relationships such as marriage
Poor behavioral controls — expressions of irritability, annoyance, impatience, threats, aggression, and verbal abuse; inadequate control of anger and temper
Narcissism, elevated self-appraisal or a sense of extreme entitlement
A persistent agitated or depressed feeling (dysphoria)
A history of childhood conduct disorders
Recurring difficulties with the law
Tendency to violate the boundaries and “rights” of others
Substance abuse
Aggressive, often violent behavior; prone to getting involved in fights
Inability to tolerate boredom
Disregard for the safety of self or others
People with a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder often experience difficulties with authority figures.[6]

Comment by 2ConfusedCrew Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 3:45 pm
ALL KIDS - anything about All Kids. Before Blago there was Kid Care - all ALL KIDS did was tweak the program slightly and Blago talked about the program as though no one before him had ever thought of a children’s health care program.

Comment by cynically anonymous Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 4:03 pm
I have this quote on my cubical wall under a Tribune photo — not sure the date, but it’s at least a couple of years old: “I must confess, I kind of wish I could do just about everything myself, because I feel Illinois would be a heck of a lot better.” — Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich

Comment by anonymous Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 4:08 pm
===anything about All Kids===

I believe the correct name for the program was “Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s All Kids,” which further emphasizes your valid point.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 4:40 pm
From Bill Flick of the Pantagraph, March 7==

Mitsubishi Motors North America plant, Normal
This is where, in 2003, then-new Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was on a tour of top manufacturing sites around the state, first signaled to the rest of the world just how important that huge head of hair was to him. Blagojevich allegedly refused to wear one of those yellow hard hats, mandatory for such tours of the manufacturing area, because it would have put head dents in that protein mantel of his for the rest of the day.

http://www.pantagraph.com/blogs/main/?p=3679

Also, the closing of Pontiac Prison pushed by Blago even though research proves that this is more costly than keeping the prison open. Total lack of empathy with the employees and the community devastated by his actions.

Comment by Nearly Normal Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 7:17 pm
I’d have to point out his speech style. Certainly, he isn’t the only one, but the repeat for emphasis, the repeat for emphasis of a simple phrase always seemed condescending and narcissistic to me. Seemed to be saying ‘I’m so important, and you are so think that you have to hear this twice to catch it’.

Comment by Frank Sobotka Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 7:52 pm
I have to agree with the Patriot, with an addition. Blago was at least an hour late (maybe more, memory fades) to his scheduled statement in Utica, which delayed the cleanup crews, who were desperately doing their best to get Utica back in order, and then Blago gave a long-winded speech that was meaningless to the situation and more importantly, to the citizens of Utica. That was the day I began to question Blago’s connection with reality.

Comment by HoBoSkillet Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 8:40 pm