Will anyone head down to the quayside to wave goodbye to Rod Blagojevich? I would, were I closer at hand. I miss him already. Blago instilled a rare spirit of unanimity in the Illinois State Senate, which voted 59-0 yesterday to oust him from the Governorship of the Land of Lincoln. And just to be sure they hadn’t merely scotched the snake, that great body of public-spirited men and women–all of whom, I am sure, are above reproach in the discharge of their duties to the taxpayer–also voted unanimously to bar the dreaded man from ever holding public office in Illinois again. Take that!
I won’t say the Illinois Senate killed the goose that laid the golden egg, but it certainly has deprived the public of a rich source of entertainment. Indeed, as the soap opera that was Rod Blagojevich was unfolding in the media, I mentioned to several friends that I had a plan to solve, or at least soften, Illinois’s fiscal embarrassment. Rod Blagojevich is a great showman: why not contrive some sort of cover charge to watch his act? After all, we pay for movies, why not the comic opera which is Illinois State Politics, starring Rod Blagojevich? I wish now I had had the forethought to send the idea to some duly enfranchised Illinois lawmaker before it was too late. Next time I will.
But here’s a question. What criminal act did Rod Blagojevich commit? I am perfectly willing to entertain the possibility that he committed many: but what were they? He was alleged to have offered to sell Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder. But did he? In the accounts I’ve read, he said lots of tabasco things about what a valuable commodity it was. But I don’t recall any deals. I am not asserting that there weren’t, only asking if there is evidence that there were. Rod speaks like something out of a bad mobster movie. But is foul-mouthed braggadocio a crime?
One news report carries the detail that before the Senate assumed the role of jury and voted to kick the sonofabitch out of office, they took a moment to denounce him publicly as “devious,” “cynical,” “crass,” “corrupt,” “inept,” “a liar,” “a hypocrite” and “irresponsible.” Maybe so. Let’s set “corrupt” to one side. Is being “devious” or “cynical” or “crass” an impeachable offense? Is being “inept”? I hope at any rate that no Illinois State Senator is going to stand up and tell us with a straight face that he thinks being a hypocrite is an impeachable offense! If so, who (as the Danish Prince asked) shall scape whipping?
Rob Blagojevich may have done all sorts of things. But the only thing that I know for certain that he is guilty of is being a huge embarrassment to the Democratic party. It wasn’t until yesterday that I learned that was an unforgivable offense, punishable by impeachment, political banishment, and who knows what else. Interesting, isn’t it?
A tale of honor and courage among thieves.
Is there anything more hilarious than a self-righteous politician?
“How dare you violate the public trust, you scoundrel!”
I’d laugh if it weren’t for the fact that these pirates have an increasingly tight grasp on the economy.
Can Rod Blagojevich argue that he was only speaking tongue in cheek? Did he ever unambiguously demand a payment for the vacant U.S. senate seat? Can the prosecution prove this charge beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury? I strongly suspect that Patrick Fitzgerald should have a bit more patient and made sure his case was airtight.
Per the question; Interesting, isn’t it?
Yes.
Then add it’s 2009 along with his hair, his leather jacket, his reedy James Cagney-like speak, and his serious appearance on The View with the Three Witches of MacBeth and suddenly it all becomes so delightfully farcical.
From the Illinois State Constitution:
“SECTION 10. GOVERNOR – REMOVALS
The Governor may remove for incompetence, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office any officer who may be appointed by the Governor.”
I didn’t search through the rest of it to see if impeachment is addressed anywhere else, but the state constitution doesn’t seem to make conviction of a crime a necessity for removal. I’m guessing “neglect of duty” and “malfeasance” covered Blago’s recent exploits.
On a slightly related note, we should be thankful that we can laugh at dorks like Blago here in the US, and that he can removed from power relatively peacefully. There are plenty of others countries in the world that don’t get to do things like that.
Aw dadgummit! Wrong section:
“SECTION 14. IMPEACHMENT
The House of Representatives has the sole power to conduct legislative investigations to determine the existence of cause for impeachment and, by the vote of a majority of
the members elected, to impeach Executive and Judicial officers. Impeachments shall be tried by the Senate. When sitting for that purpose, Senators shall be upon oath, or
affirmation, to do justice according to law. If the Governor is tried, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall preside. No person shall be convicted without the concurrence
of two-thirds of the Senators elected. Judgment shall not extend beyond removal from office and disqualification to hold any public office of this State. An impeached officer, whether convicted or acquitted, shall be liable to prosecution, trial, judgment and punishment according to law.
Get him on solicitation? He was soliciting bribes. He did it ON TAPE. That is against the law. I mean, DUH. What are you arguing here? That a governor who tries to SELL A SENATE SEAT shoudn’t lose his job? Say what?
dont forget harry reid trying stop obamas replacement from taking his seat. just because blago appointed him doesnt give reid the right to stop him. this is a senator taking law into his own hands.only because its an embarassment to his party.whether the other guy deserves the seat or no is immaterial.harry reid is not a judge or a jury in this case. it is abuse of power which itself is an impeacheable offense.
Meg, If they are going to “get him on solicitation” then they need to file some charges. As Prof Kimball points out, corruption, even (for the sake of argument) if Blagojevich was the one at the top, involves a system and a political machine, which goes a long way to understanding why the national Dem machine so enthusiastically lynched the guy. In corruption there is no hierarchy; all involved got dirty fingers and the taint reached all the way to ubamas admin, where ubamas, before taking the executive office was nothing more than a regional bagman for the illinois/chicago machine. This “corruption”, if you will, casts a shadow on anyone you would care to name, Rahm Emanuel, Emil (“Some call it Pork, I call it Steak”) Jones, Daley, Meeks, Cain, Farney Brank, Waters, Dodd etc
We are to understand that Blagojevich said untoward things regarding ubamas senate seat, from wire taps leaked to the press by federal prosecutor Fitzgerald.
Apparently the Dems don’t have a problem with wire taps if it gets a conspicuous hot dog such as Blagojevich off their rap sheet.
The wire taps were alleged to have been collected as a result of an investigation into “widespread corruption” in illinois/chicago machine.(?)
And the salty language Blagojevich used in those previously private conversations (were) leaked to the press before charges were filed and subsequent trial conducted?
This stinks worse than the relative inuendo level of this “convicted in the press” scenario.
It seems Blagojevich was offered a deal he couldn’t refuse, without the deal even being offered to him.
It was this, you will be driven from office, but charges won’t be filed, cause no one will dare stand up for you. You won’t be charged or convicted, and you will not be given the chance to confront your accusers, your stock will plummet while stock of all the croneys, such as Rahm Emanuel and B.0. will rise, because they want cleam and open government, and so on.
This is a tribal style ostracizing well outside the legal and constitutional guarantees given to the accused in this country. The Gitmo people are awarded fourth Amendment protections they don’t qualify for, by a rogue court, and yet Blagojevich won’t even get to confront his accusers in a court of law, whose prosecuter (Fitzgerald) that leaked “evidence” collected from a “investigation” into “widespread corruption” that has yet to file even a single charge against anyone purported to be involved in “massive corruption at the highest level”.
This is FUBAR. Sheesh. And you think this won’t happen to you, or someone you know? I thought “illegal” wire taps of American citizens was a big buggaboo for the Left, and/or the Criminal Liberties Union? Its a soak and mirrors, and Democrat party is bunch of liars and hypocrites.
Blagojevich may have done all sots of things: but how do we know if we the people don’t hear what it is he is alleged to have and done in a court of law according to court procedure?
Blagojevich has actually been diss-appeared. Because once the late night TV jokes have blown away, in six months time, we will all be saying, Blagojevich who? Oh yeah, that guy who sold the senate seat. and no one would touch him with a ten foot pole.