‘A uniquely bad relationship’
Add comment February 3rd, 2009
That’s what Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan told me a few minutes ago about her interaction, or lack thereof, with ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
The last time all of Illinois Constitutional officers got together was in 2003. Seems to me the highest ranking elected officials in the state should get together regularly to figure out what’s best for Illinoisans, but that’s not been the case.
Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias had never been to the governor’s 16th floor office at the Thompson Center in Chicago until the recent meeting with new Gov. Pat Quinn and other constitutional officers.
“Giannoulias stopped by the governor’s Capitol office in early 2007 to introduce himself after being elected. But since that time, he has not had a scheduled meeting with the governor in either office,” Kati Phillips, a spokeswoman for the treasurer’s office told me in an e-mail. “He has met with staffers like Harris and Filan in our offices, and he has had conversations with the governor at public events. That’s all.”
Blagojevich didn’t deal much with Comptroller Dan Hynes either, which makes me wonder how he would know what the state’s finances were if he didn’t talk to the state’s top two money men. Hynes and legislative leaders met with Blagojevich about four years ago to discuss stem cell funding.
So as Blago continues his media blitz, remember that he’s now talked to national talk-show types more than with the people who were also elected by hard-working Illinoisans.
