Impeachment talk about Gov. Blagojevich continues

The amazing thing about this story is that it came out before the Tony Rezko verdict was announced.

Governor Rod Blagojevich, the unpopular Chicago Democrat, may be fighting a two-front war this summer--one against federal prosecutors, the other against the Illinois House of Representatives.

As the Legislative session ended Saturday, House Speaker Michael Madigan sent a clear message about all that's standing between Gov. Rod Blagojevich and impeachment proceedings.

Asked if the embattled governor would need to face a criminal indictment before lawmakers would seek to boot him from office, Madigan replied: "It's going to take 60 votes in the House."

The response drew chuckles from reporters peppering the House speaker at a rare Capitol news conference. But it underscored just how far talk of impeachment has come in recent months -- and how quickly it could become a reality under the right conditions.

Some fear the governor could be asking for trouble if he brings lawmakers back to town this summer to fix an out-of-whack budget.

Rezko was a key adviser and confidante to Blagojevich, something Barack Obama must have known--he served in Springfield during the first two years of Blagojevich's term--and even though "Blago" are Obama aren't close, the prospect of an indictment or an impeachment--or both--of a Democratic governor in Illinois could negatively resonate among voters this fall.

Technorati tags: politics Illinois Election Democrats Chicago Tony Rezko corruption legal Blagojevich Obama Barack Obama