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| BLAGOJEVICH: Victim? Or still a bum? |
Many
GOPers keep repeating the talking point that Madigan is a power-hungry tyrant who
has gone out of his way to undermine every single person who has served as
governor in the three-plus decades he has held his speakership title.
OF
COURSE, THEY like to remind us of the early 1990s battles with Jim Edgar (which
created overtime sessions that seemed downright historic then but now seem ever
so quaint – July 19??), downplay the fact that he and George Ryan got along and
even show some sympathy for Pat Quinn.
But
what do they say about Rod Blagojevich?
It
seems that now, under these circumstances, they’re willing to speak decently
about the governor whom they impeached. Because it fits their partisan
circumstances now.
As
if it was because of Madigan that the mood of state government became ever so
ugly; refusing to accept the authority of the first Democrat to hold the
gubernatorial post in 26 years.
THAT,
OF COURSE, is nonsense. At least the part about Madigan picking on Poor Little
Rod.
The
reality is that it was a desire by Blagojevich to assert his own authority that
caused Madigan to use his legislative power to remind the governor of the fact
that the executive branch is only one-third of state government, and that our
government truly represents the people who elect it when the three branches
work together.
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| MADIGAN: Who picked on whom? |
Perhaps
that means the real comparison is between Blagojevich and Gov. Bruce Rauner –
who seems like he needs to be taught first-hand this spring about the need for
cooperation.
Rauner
may have won the November 2014 general election for governor, but those same
voters also kept the same partisan political balance in the General Assembly
that give Democrats the ability to stand up for the principles they espouse
about working people and the labor unions that represent their interests.
BLAGOJEVICH
GETS SOME nice talk; until Tuesday at least.
For
it seems the U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago finally issued its ruling in
Blagojevich’s appeal – some 19 months after it was initially filed and argued
before a judicial panel.
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| RAUNER: Blagojevich similarities? |
The
appeals court determined that five of the charges that Blagojevich was found
guilty of cannot stand. Which has some people speculating that the 14-year
prison sentence (he’s done about three years thus far) will have to be reduced.
Although
I couldn’t help but notice that one-time First Lady Patti Blagojevich expressed
disappointment at the decision. For it seems the charges that are no more are
more minor and technical.
THE
APPEALS COURT wrote in its decision that the remaining charges are severe
enough to warrant the full 168-month term in a federal prison. Although the
desire had been that the sentence could be reduced by enough that he would no
longer be classified as such a serious threat to the public safety and might be
eligible to be moved to a federal corrections facility closer to Chicago.
Perhaps
he could receive the “Oxford education” that many a Chicago political personage
has received at the federal facility in Oxford, Wis.?
One
part of the appeals ruling caught my attention – the part that stated the use
of wire fraud charges was overdone. All too often, federal indictments come
across as multiple counts of wire fraud (or mail fraud) and an act that is not
explicitly illegal but which someone in a prosecutor’s office did not approve.
But
all of this is bound to bring out the political people who earlier this week
were saying Blagojevich is a victim reverting to form and lambasting the former
governor; while also speculating about what he looks like since his hair dye
has long worn away and he likely now looks his age of 58!
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