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* Former Illinois Deputy Governor Bradley Tusk writes about how he dealt with Rod Blagojevich…
When I took the job as Deputy Governor, I didn’t realize what type of person I was about to work for. By now, everyone knows the tragic tale of Rod Blagojevich, but at the time, he seemed like a dynamic, forceful change agent.
But Rod’s allergy to doing real work, understanding policy, negotiating budgets, reviewing legislation, focusing on operations and everything else that goes into responsible governing soon became clear, so I also know what it’s like to work for an irresponsible, even unbalanced leader. […]
Rod and I fought all of the time. He always had a conspiracy theory or a grudge or some plan that was invariably a bad idea. It’s no fun to have your boss scream at you 24/7. But, it’s also how you stop stupid things from happening and how you stay out of jail. If you’re not willing to fight - and to be fired for it - don’t take the job. […]
Rod, both logically and illogically, saw his job as running for office, not holding office (he would constantly say, “I did my job,” meaning he won the election). In some ways, his refusal to focus on actual governing was maddening, but in some ways, it was incredibly liberating. We were free to come up with all kinds of new ideas and policies. Some worked (like tearing down the tollbooths throughout the Illinois Tollway system and creating open road tolling), some didn’t (like importing cheaper prescription drugs from Europe and Canada), but we used the freedom to try all kinds of new things and that made the job interesting and worthwhile.
In retrospect, hiring Tusk was one of the better things that Blagojevich did. Things went totally off the rails when he left after the 2006 election.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:06 pm
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(Rauner’s) allergy to doing real work, understanding policy, negotiating budgets, reviewing legislation, focusing on operations and everything else that goes into responsible governing soon became clear, so I also know what it’s like to work for an irresponsible, even unbalanced leader. […]
Fixed it.
Comment by DuPage Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:12 pm
Required reading for people working in the Trump administration . . .
Comment by Out Here In The Middle Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:18 pm
Tusk description of Blago sounds like Trump.
More interested in campaigning and winning than governing.
Comment by Jake From Elwood Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:23 pm
It’s like deja-vu all over again.
Comment by Henry Francis Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:23 pm
Well, there went the title for Book I of AA’s autobiography.
Tusk could himself be a tad crazy to work with, but when it was all said and done, he was a good listener, an honest broker of ideas, and a guy that probably kept some people out of the G’s hands.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:25 pm
Then-State Rep. Blagojevich seemed to be allergic to his 8 a.m. House Jud committee hearings as he could be seen jogging around the Capitol complex in his gym shorts on some of those days.
Comment by Downstate Dem Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:34 pm
Not a fan. He came in with Seth Webb. They should have stayed in New York.
Comment by pool boy Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:36 pm
Not to get picky, but the open road tolling was already underway during George Ryan’s tenure. Rod was of course happy to take the credit for that and hang his name over said tollways in big expensive blue signs, in violation of his own anti-state-paid-advertising “ethics” act. Brad might want to pick some other example, is all I’m saying.
Comment by Newsclown Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:38 pm
Bradley = Captain Obvious.
The article is awesome hindsight reading material. /s
Comment by New Slang Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:58 pm
Doesn’t Tusk have a new crazy boss in New York by the name of DeBlasio?
Comment by Keyser Soze Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:59 pm
Keyser Soze —
Um, no. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ex-bloomberg-aide-leads-2017-push-replace-de-blasio-article-1.2663719
Comment by Soccermom Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:03 pm
==- Newsclown - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:38 pm:==
Really? Trib has it starting in 2005.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2005-11-18/news/0511180287_1_open-road-tolling-toll-plaza-tollway-officials
Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:07 pm
Keyser Soze, Tusk has been bankrolling and organizing multiple attacks on DeBlasio over the past couple of years.
Comment by Juice Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:10 pm
No. Tusk worked for Bloomberg. He’s opposed to DeBlasio who is too liberal for Tusk whose tastes are pro-corporate
Comment by Truthteller Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:12 pm
Please…Anyone who worked Tusk knows he was just as crazy. He thought Blago liked Scott Kennedy better than him so he demanded Scott’s termination (and got it). Kennedy had been with Blago since Day 1. That move showed as much about Tusk as it did about Blago.
Comment by FIREDup! Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:18 pm
I too, worked for Rod exactly 1 year and 10 months while he was in the Governors office. Bradley Tusk was a breath of fresh air. What he put up with was unbelievable. Bradley was very smart and sane and I am happy to see him doing so well. If you worked for Rod you can work for anyone. The pain was real.
Comment by Onfire Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:19 pm
>If you’re not willing to fight - and to be fired for it - don’t take the job.
Amen. Frame it, copies to all members of Illinois’ Legislative and Executive Branches.
Comment by Earnest Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:35 pm
“I did okay ” ! ?
What a bunch of self serving crap.
Comment by Langhorne Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:38 pm
After reading his daughter’s, ‘my dad is innocent’ letter berating Obama for not pardoning him I see that crazy unaware is a family trait.
Comment by Red tower Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:57 pm
Whoops. Wrong DeBlasio connection.
Comment by Keyser Soze Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 2:06 pm
Tusk’s description of Blago sounds like Gov. Rauner.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 2:33 pm
I would say that fired up is smoking something. Kennedy wasn’t fired. Period. Anybody who knows Kennedy knows that he is an exceptionally smart guy and I think the tedium of the governor’s office just bored him. Also, while the guy sacrificed a lot over the course of two Blagojevich campaigns, Kennedy never loved blago. Tusk was a stabilizing force in that office, but he and Kennedy had very little interaction.
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 4:24 pm
Why did Tusk ever think anything could have come out of Blagojevich other than goofy lies? Did he follow Blago’ “steller” congressional career? Did he read about his GA record?
About Blago’s rise via marriage?
How he hung around the Vrdolyak kids to catch the old man’s attention?
Blagojevich was a small time hustler.
What gave Tusk the illusion that Rod was more than that?
Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 6:07 pm