Archive for December, 2008
December 18th, 2008
Yesterday I posted Van Morken’s Rod-Blagojevich-inspired version of “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Today the Tribune’s John Kass offers his rendition.
Seems everyone’s doing either a ‘Twas parody or some kind of Christmas carol parody with Blagojevich as the main character. I’ve done parodies before, but I’m going to sit this season out.
Those of you who tried to find Rick Horowitz’s songs early in the day yesterday may have had a bad link. I fixed the link later, but in case you missed it, here’s where to GO.
December 17th, 2008
You’re no doubt familiar with the late-night jokes and the Saturday Night Live sketch. It seems there’s no end to people having a laugh thanks to Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Rick Horowitz, a free-lance columnist out of Milwaukee, puts recent events to song. The last minute or so is about Blagojevich. See/hear it HERE.
Today I received this from Van Morken of Loves Park:
“Merry Illinois Christmas”
Twas the Night Before Christmas
Twas the night before Christmas
And all through the house
Not a politician was talking
Not even the louse
Indictments were hung
By the chimney with care
In hopes that Fitzgerald
Soon would be there
Illinois’ens were nestled
All snug in their beds
While visions of gallows
Danced in their heads
And momma in her kerchief
And I in my cap
Had just settled our brains
For another cheek’s slap
When out on the lawn
There rose such a clatter
I sprang for the news
To see what was the matter
Away to the window
I flew like a flash
Tore open the paper
And read more political trash
The moon on the breast
Of the new fallen snow
Gave the light of midday
To the sordid scene below
When what to my wondering
Eyes should appear
But a washed up governor
Showing no fear
A narcissist ole pol
So belligerent and quick
I knew in a moment
It must be St. Slick
More rapid than eagles
His contractors they came
He whistled and shouted
And called them by name
Now Graft, now Grant,
Now Trade and Tricksin
On Power on Payoff
on Favor and Fixin
To the top of the highway
To the top of the wall
Now run away, hide away
Dash away all
As day crooks that before
The wild judges fly
When they meet with a jury
They mount to the sky
So up to the State House
The buddies they few
With a sleigh full of dollars
And St. Slick too
And then in a twinkling
I heard on the news
The betrayed peoples outrage
And their collective boos
As I drew in my head
And was turning around
Slithering down the chimney
Slick came with a bound
He was dressed all in fur
From his head to his foot
Reputation tarnished
And covered in soot
As bundle of cash
He had fling on his back
And he looked like a burglar
Just opening his pack
The stump of a life
He held tight in his teeth
And his hair it encircled
His head like a wreath
He had a flat face
And a little round belly
That shook when he lied
Like a bowl full of jelly
He was arrogant and selfish
A real joyless elf
And I cried when I saw him
In spite of myself
A wink of his eye
And twist of his head
Soon gave me to know
I had everything to dread
He spoke not a word
But went straight to his work
Filled up his stocking
And proved himself a jerk
And laying his finger
In the middle of his hand
Flashing it towards me
Said I’ll never be canned
He sprang to his sleigh
To his team gave a whistle
And away they all flew
Like the down of a thistle
But I heard him exclaim
‘ere he drove out of sight
Madigan and Madigan
We’ll have a good fight
December 15th, 2008
Those who think the governor has done a good job have kept quiet on this site, but from comments and chats I’ve seen at other sites, here’s what the 8 percent think.
First, there’s a lot of innocent-until-proven guilty sentiment. Second, some folks think the gov was set up and he’s clean and the rest of Illinois is dirty.
Third, they like the fact that he’s increased healthcare, kept the lid on income taxes, and championed environmental issues.
If any of the 8 percent out there have a different reason or would like to expound on the three reasons listed above, please do so.
December 13th, 2008
Recent polls show Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s approval rating is 8 percent. The low rating is not surprising given this week’s arrest of the governor, but I was wondering who out there thinks the governor has done a good job.
If you’re one of the 8 percent, post a comment here and let us know why you still back the governor.
December 12th, 2008
I just received this news release from state Sen. Dave Syverson’s office:
State Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) is expressing deep skepticism about Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s move to have the Illinois Supreme Court remove Gov. Rod Blagojevich from office.
Syverson agrees the governor should be removed, but says the best course of action would be through the impeachment process, which would give lawmakers the chance to closely investigate the charges against Blagojevich.
“To remove the governor the way the Attorney General wants to would put us down a slippery slope,” Syverson said. “To have the Supreme Court come in and summarily remove a sitting governor could set a dangerous precedent for the future. There’s no question the charges against Gov. Blagojevich are reprehensible and, if true, he doesn’t deserve to serve. But the better way to do it is through a comprehensive impeachment process where we can thoroughly consider the governor’s questionable actions.”
Rockford’s senator expressed skepticism as to why Madigan was pursuing the governor’s removal now, when his conduct throughout his administration has always been highly dubious.
“Since taking office in 2003, the governor has embarked on a pretty transparent policy of rewarding his political donors and allies with state contracts and jobs,” Syverson said. “Many lawmakers on my side of the aisle have been urging a closer scrutiny and investigation of the governor for years. It’s a little puzzling why Attorney General Madigan has waited so long to pursue the governor’s removal when his actions have been raising red flags since practically the day he took his hand off the Bible at his first swearing in.”
In other news, Syverson urged local residents to visit a new Web site, set up by the Senate Republican caucus, detailing the impeachment process and what it could mean for Illinois.
The Web site, which can be found at www.impeachment.senategop.net contains sections on the background and procedures for impeachment and trial, discusses the Illinois Constitution’s provisions for impeachment and looks at the Senate Rules adopted in 1832, the last time there was an impeachment trial in the Illinois Senate.
December 12th, 2008
The controversy that surrounds Gov. Rod Blagojevich makes you wonder what else might have been for sale, which brings me to one of my favorite topics: state parks.
After this week’s allegations, it would not be a stretch to think that the governor’s end game with closing state parks was to sell them. When I floated that theory to colleagues, they dismissed it, saying the public backlash would be too great for him to ignore.
He already ignored thousands of petition signatures, pleas from other lawmakers and rallies across the state. He’s ignored calls from the president-elect on down for him to resign, so it does not seem he can be pressured by his peers or the public to do the right things.
If you believe the charges against the governor, it also would explain why he’s been so slow to appoint a permanent director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Perhaps the bidding didn’t get high enough for him to replace Sam Flood, who has been acting director for about three years.
If Blagojevich resigns, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn could start the process of fixing the damage done to the DNR during the last six years.
December 12th, 2008
Everyone is wondering what Rod Blagojevich is going to do next. Seems like everyone but his wife and kids has asked that he step aside or resign.
I saw one headline that said the gov was trying to return to normalcy. Story said he was going to work at the Thompson Center and even might sign some bills.
Actually, that would not be normal for the gov. We all know he spends very little time in Springfield, but less widely known is that he spends little time in his Chicago office. He either works from home or from his campaign office, which isn’t too far from home.
Speculation is that the reason the gov is going to the Thompson Center now is that the feds did not bug his office there. Why? Because he’s never there. Blago figured that out so now he’s going to the office where he can rant and rave to his heart’s content without folks listening in on the lack of diversity in his language.
Don’t expect the gov to resign soon. Speculation around his resignation is that he may try to cut a deal to protect his wife from prosecution. Another theory out there is that he may yet appoint himself to the vacant Senate seat so he can buy himself some time. A story in today’s Tribune says the Senate may not be able to block a Blagojevich appointment.
If none of that happens, and it’s all a guessing game right now, impeachment looks like the best option to getting him out of office. I don’t think the Illinois Supreme Court will listen to Lisa Madigan’s case that the gov is unfit to serve.
Looks like Illinois will continue to be the butt of late-night jokes for a while.
December 11th, 2008
Jesse Jackson Jr., or Senate Candidate 5 in the criminal complaint against Rod Blagojevich, was going to visit us this week if the House wrapped up its vote on the auto bailout soon enough.
Jackson has been seeking newspaper endorsements in his bid to replace Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate. The Chicago Sun-Times did endorse him for the post.
I told Jackson’s rep that it would be unlikely that the Register Star Editorial Board make an endorsement for the seat because we don’t know who all the potential candidates are and would probably not get a chance to interview them. I added that I didn’t think we had much influence with the governor.
I said we’d still like to meet Jackson so we’d have a better idea of who he was if he did get the job.
Doesn’t look like that will happen.
In February I wrote a column about who Blagojevich might pick for Obama’s seat and I theorized that he would pick himself so he could get out of Illinois. The criminal complaint said he would have appointed himself if he didn’t get enough bucks from any of the other candidates.
December 10th, 2008
That was one of the headlines Fox News used this morning (I try to keep up with all kinds of media outlets) and no one can disagree after Blagojevich’s arrest yesterday.
Lots of interesting theories floating around. Yesterday Executive Editor Linda Grist Cunningham posted on her blog that she thinks the governor needs mental help. She’s not the first, or only, person to wonder about the gov’s mental health. An article in the February 2008 issue of Chicago Magazine had this sentence: “Privately, a few people who know the governor describe him as a “sociopath,” and they insist they’re not using hyperbole.”
Chuck Sweeny in his blog said the governor didn’t know how to do corruption properly, which may be evidence of Linda’s theory.
An observation that would boost Linda’s theory is Blagojevich’s behavior in public. When he leaves his Chicago bungalow, he strives to be the center of attention. He’s charming, engaging and hyperactive. But on the flip side, he hunkers down in his Chicago bungalow for long stretches without any meaningful contact with the outside world. CBS News followed him around last year and the guy hardly ever left home.
Illinois has had governor’s of both parties indicted. That gives this paragraph in our 2006 endorsement of Green Party candidate Rich Whitney for governor more weight: “The complicated web of corruption allegations snares both major parties. We think a new party has the best chance to bring honest government to the state of Illinois.”
About a quarter of the voters in Winnebago and Boone counties seemed to agree. Wonder how many more are feeling that way today.
December 9th, 2008
Some folks may be cheering that the feds finally caught up with the gov, but I’m not among them. All I feel is sad as the state faces another sorry chapter in a history of corrupt politicians. It was bad enough with George Ryan, but then the guy who promised to end pay-to-play politics looks like he not only kept the tradition, he enhanced it.
It doesn’t matter what party you belong to, days like this make all politicians l look bad. There’s enough cynicism about our elected officials and days like this add to that cynicism.
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