Marathon Pundit: Illinois' "Gov. Do Nothing"

Governor Rod Blagojevich broke precedent by being the first governor not to live in the Governor's Mansion in Springfield, choosing to operate out an office in the sprawling State of Illinois building in Chicago's Loop.

Once known as "Governor Elvis" for his boisterous public appearances, lately he's been acting like another American icon who died in the 1970s, the reclusive Howard Hughes. And Eric Krol of the Daily Herald is reporting that Blagojevich doesn't even make the ten-mile trip downtown to his office, preferring to use a nearby location to, I guess, work.

Keep in mind that being governor in the nation's fifth most-populous state is supposed to be a full-time job.

Dan Curry at Reverse Spin adds more:

Rod has done a good job of hiding his laziness over the years. When he first campaigned for governor in 2002, the TV airwaves were filled with Rod running back and forth across the street at community parades, his arms flailing like the inept high school basketball player he was. That, combined with an unprecedented blitz of advertising fueled by his bandit campaign treasury, created an image of Rod as a fast-moving, energetic politician. He does move fast when he moves. The truth is, when it comes to government, he doesn't move that much. He didn't in the state Legislature, in Congress, or the Governor's mansion. According to one source very close to Rod, he curtailed his minimal governmental activity sharply once the federal investigation stories began to appear in 2005. His trips to the downtown governor's office ceased almost completely. He spends most of his time reading books and jogging.