Prairie fire in Illinois over Blagojevich--the governor who cannot govern

CBS 2 Chicago reporter Mike Flannery says he "hit a nerve" Wednesday night when his reporter on Rod Blagojevich--the governor who will not govern.

Channel 2 was inundated with e-mails, Flannery reports, almost all of them denouncing the Chicago Democrat, and their web site published dozens of them.

Almost all are worth reading--here a few:

I am embarrassed to be from Illinois. The antics of our current governor make the crimes of George Ryan look tame in comparison. Soon the "Welcome to Illinois" signs on our borders will be taken down and replaced by signs that read "State closed due to foreclosure - Rod Blagojevich, Governor". How much longer are the people of Illinois going to put up with this hack? California recalled their useless Governor Davis, so when are we going to do the same?
- Evan Breyn, Crystal Lake

The report by Mike Flanagan definitely reinforces the belief by many that he is a totally incompetent Governor. He shows the same interest in the State of Illinois and its problems as King George did when dealing with the colonies. He lets his advisers suggest ways and his cronies in the legislator (parliament) deal with the problems and then still feels that he has the divine right to do as he wants to do because he is the Governor (King). I am glad that there is a need for a super majority or else there would be a crisis as to how to pay for all of his programs for only the people that he wants to help. The only trouble we have is that it has taken so long for the news organizations throughout the state this long to uncover his true lack of responsibility to the state not just himself and his desires for our tax money.
-Marc Woods, Westmont

Now that was good reporting! If the Governor in his arrogant way, thinks we will stand still for his management by being absent, he's got another thing coming. Our Governor has done more harm to the State of Illinois than anyone who previously held that office. If he attempts to run again, he will see how those of us who pay for his leisurely management style feel about it. While Governor Nero fiddles, and jogs and says hello to his kids, Illinois burns. We aren't the dummies he thinks we are. His days in office are numbered.
- M. Saper, Wilmette
Again, thanks for your candor.

Reasons for going or staying in war aside, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn has done more to honor our Illinois troops than Gov. Blagojevich ever has. I've seen Quinn at several military funerals, but why can't the executive of the state at least pay his respects?
- Acton H. Gorton, Carbondale, IL

Mike Flannery deserves an Chicago Emmy Award for Wednesday's story. He followed up last night with more salvos against our failure of a governor.

More from CBS 2 Chicago:

Can the governor be recalled? How much do we as taxpayers pay for his lifestyle? Those are just some of the questions viewers e-mailed to CBS 2 after Wednesday night's special report exposing they way Gov. Rod Blagojevich is spending his time and the state's money.

As CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery reports, the story hit a nerve. A viewer asked what taxpayers are paying for the governor's flights back and forth to Springfield from his Northwest Side home. That total is $5,800 per day. CBS 2 has asked the governor for his flight records from this year, though he has yet to supply them. Even still, it is safe to say that hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent this year just so he could sleep in his own bed in Chicago, or make it to a hockey game and back to Springfield for a short time, as he did Wednesday night.

Another viewer asked about the cost of holding special legislative sessions. The governor has thus far called 35 such special sessions, more than all previous governors combined. (Correction: Just the last 40 years.) They cost more than $1 million in salaries and expenses for lawmakers.

And what is his security detail costing taxpayers? CBS 2 observed no less than seven staffed vehicles surrounding the governor's home. Some of the state troopers earn six figures with overtime. It is a conservative estimate, but it costs hundreds of thousands of extra dollars a year to cover the multiple shift changes, squad cars and sport-utility vehicles ferrying Blagojevich all over the state.

Blagojevich needs to be removed from office and the best way to do that is to amend the state constitution to allow recall elections.

But ultimately, we must ask who is to blame for this mess, and besides the Democratic Party of Illinois and its leaders--yes, I'm looking in your direction Senators Obama and Durbin, and House Speaker Madigan, and a whole bunch of others--the slightly over 50 percent of the voters who chose Rod Blagojevich in a three-way race last year are responsible for the man who lives 200 miles away from the seat of government while not governing the state.

People of Illinois: This is your state--take it back.

Amend the constitution. Or write a new one. Recall Blagojevich!

Related post:

Illinois' "governor who cannot govern" doesn't seem to even work

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It's My Mind

Technorati tags: politics Blagojevich illinois Chicago Patrick Quinn Democrats Springfield Illinois Politics

Sen. Dodd an Iowan for now

Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) has literally packed his bags, with his family, and moved to Iowa. I'm not making this up. His oldest daughter attends a Des Moines elementary school. Jokes have been made about rival Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards doing that, but Dodd, since late October has put down stakes in the Hawkeye State. He's planning to stay until the Iowa Caucuses in early January.

There is just one problem. It hasn't helped Dodd break from the bottom of the pack among the Democrats.

Technorati tags: elections 2008 Dodd democrats Iowa politics Des Moines Connecticut

CNN burned by poisonous debate plant--again

Perhaps CNN, "The Most Trusted Name in News" should quit the presidential debate business. For the second time this month, planted questioners with ties to the Democratic Party, have sprouted in a CNN debate.

Read more about the first incident here.

Since I missed last night's Republican debate, I'm utilizing the insight of VodkaPundit's Stephen Green, who offered his analysis on Pajamas Media.

On of the best questions of the night came towards the end, and concerned the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy. The questioner, was a retired Army general who served, in the closet, for 42 years before he could reveal himself as a gay man. Did CNN owe its viewers the courtesy of letting them know that that the general now serves on Hillary Clinton’s "Gay Steering Committee?"

On the subject of cable news, it's important to remember that the Democratic presidential candidates and their top staffers, spurred on by the nutroots, are boycotting the Fox News Channel, because of that network's alleged conservative bias.

The Democrats must prefer CNN's bias, as well as that belonging to MSNBC.

Fox News, of course, enjoys much higher ratings than either network.

UPDATE 4:30PM CST: Michelle Malkin found more plants in the CNN garden. Red State wants a debate "do over."

Technorati tags: CNN media bias msm democrats elections 2008 Hillary Clinton Hillary politics

Henry Hyde dies

Henry Hyde, the Republican congressman who represented Chicago's western suburbs for over thirty years, passed away early this morning--he was 83.

Hyde chose not to run for re-election last year, and was succeed by another Republican, Peter Roskam.

After the Republican takeover of Congress in 1994, House Speaker Newt Gingrich chose Hyde to chair the House Judiciary Committee. He was one of the few non-southerners Gingrich chose to head a committee.

While in charge of that committee, Hyde presided over the initial impeachment proceedings of Bill Clinton, which led to the tarnishing of his reputation. Salon.com revealed that the married Hyde had an affair while in his 40s with a married woman, leading to the breakup of her marriage.

Despite his indiscretion, Hyde was an honorable man and an effective congressman, and a hero to pro-lifers. Rest in peace.

Teri O'Brien echoes similar sentiments, but this mentally unbalanced blogger, The People's Republic of Seabrook, wishes that Hyde roasts in Hell.

Hyde of course, unlike former President Clinton, never lost his law licence for committing perjury, something Seabrook leaves out of his post.

Earlier this month, President Bush presented lifetime Chicago area resident with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Because of illness, Hyde was unable to attend the ceremony, his son accepted the award for him.

Technorati tags: Henry Hyde Illinois impeachment Bill Clinton politics Republican

Illinois' "governor who cannot govern" doesn't seem to even work

I've always been a proponent of the maxim, that the government that governs the best is the one that governs the least.

But what about a governor who doesn't seem to govern at all? That seems to be what we have with Governor Rod Blagojevich, a Chicago Democrat.

In a recent editorial, the Chicago Tribune called Blagojevich "the governor who cannot govern." But based on a CBS 2 Chicago report by respected journalist Mike Flannery that I watched a couple of hours ago, the Tribune was being easy on "Blago," who once boasted that he had the "testicular virility" to run Illinois.

But Blagojevich can't even show up to work. And if he works at his Chicago home, or at his nearby campaign office, there's little to show for it, based on what political insiders have to say.

Meanwhile, state legislators met in Springfield last night in a special session to maybe fix the mass transit budget shortfall that the governor has "kicked the can" on for months. Blago called for the special session. But Blagojevich wasn't anywhere near the capital last night--he was sitting in the 100 section of the United Center watching the Chicago Blackhawks game.

Blagojevich doesn't even speak on a semi-regular basis with his lieutenant governor, who figures prominently into my post two entries down.

When asked earlier this month when was the last time he spoke with the governor, Quinn replied, "I don't know, couple of months, probably."

From CBS 2 Chicago:

According to his own records, in the last four months Blagojevich made an average of one public appearance every five days, only taking questions from reporters two or three times a month.

The governor does make unannounced appearances, but his office would not reveal how many.

By comparison, Mayor Daley typically faces reporters three or four times a week; Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin almost every day.

The governor's staff told CBS 2 he's often in the State Capitol, but others we spoke to call that laughable. Those sources say the governor is rarely seen in Springfield or at his Thompson Center (in Chicago) office.

Although there is no provision for a recall in the Illinois constitution, there is a move to amend it, just so voters can have the chance to remove Blagojevich from office.

Let's hope it succeeds. Amazingly enough, Blago wants to run for re-election in three years, according to CBS 2 Chicago.

Of course, since US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is investigating Blagojevich's campaign apparatus, Blago may have other concerns on his mind by then.

After all, three of the last seven Illinois governors have served time in federal prison, including his predecessor, Republican George Ryan, who moved to his confined quarters in Wisconsin earlier this month and is currently pondering why men have no sense of aim when they use the facilities he's cleaning.

Thanks for the link:

It's My Mind

Technorati tags: politics Blagojevich illinois Chicago Patrick Quinn Democrats Springfield Illinois Politics

Beavers leaves it to the race card as America's worst governmental body gets worse

I live in Cook County, America's second largest, it's population is bigger than most states.

The payroll of Cook is overwhelmed by patronage workers and other layabouts. The Democratic Party has controlled county government for 38 years. County government is inefficient, most of the Cook County board of commissioners view the workforce as a place to dump patronage workers and other layabouts onto the public payroll. Yes, there are hard workers working for the county, but in flawed organizations, the least common denominator--which is not excellence--always wins out.

County government typically flies under the radar of most voters, so they generally vote the party line, whatever that may be, on election day.

Which is how buffoons such as William Beavers (D-Chicago) get to become a Cook County commissioner. A majority, but not all of the Democratic supervisors want to saddle people like myself with the nation's highest sales tax. Luckily, the Republican supervisors and a few Democrats refuse to stick it to the five million people they represent.

For instance, one such commissioner is Forrest Claypool, another Chicago Democrat, who feels private interests with health care expertise should run the massive Cook County health service operations, rather than the political hacks.

Makes sense to me. But not to William Beavers. He believes that the reason there is opposition to the tax increase is racism--Todd "The Toddler" Stroger, the President of the Cook County Board, is an African American, as is Beavers.

Of course Stroger only got his job after the Cook County Regular Democratic Organization appointed him to head the county ticket after his father suffered a massive stroke shortly before winning the 2006 Democratic primary over Claypool. The elder Stroger has not been seen in public since, but waited until four months after the primary to withdraw his name from the ballot.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Commissioner William Beavers said "if Todd was a white man, he wouldn't have half these problems," further alleging "this is a remake of the Harold Washington days" at City Hall, where racially fueled votes often ended in 29-21 decisions.

Beavers railed on that one of Stroger's top critics, Commissioner Tony Peraica, "hates everybody who's black ... all black elected officials," going on to say Peraica used to beat up black people growing up in the Bridgeport neighborhood.

Peraica was the younger Stroger's general election opponent. Sadly, common sense and good government lost out when "The Toddler" won in November.

As reprehensible as Beavers' comments were, he managed to top them with this awful offal, telling a reporter he's "the hog with the big nuts and I'm gonna tell you what it is."

Too bad the hog isn't a steer. And the way it is stinks. Like a pile of hog..uh...stuff. Interesting side note to Commissioner Beavers. For over twenty years he represented Chicago's 7th Ward as alderman, until he decided to move on the county government. After an exhausting search of the ward's 60,000 residents, Beavers found a woman named Darcel Beavers to replace him. That Beavers is of course the daughter of William, and Mayor Daley appointed her as alderman. But a few months later, the voters tossed her out, replacing her with Sandi Jackson. She's the wife of Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who is the son of....

Well, you know.

And the people of Chicago and Cook County tolerate this crap. But up to a point, at least when it comes to socking them with the nation's highest sales tax.

Commissioner Beavers can be reached at wbeavers@cookcountygov.com.

Related posts:

Hey Obama! Speak out on proposal to impose nation's highest sales tax in your hometown: UDPATED
Say no to higher Cook County taxes
Partial victory: Cook County Board delays vote on enacting nation's highest sales tax
No fat in Cook County budget?
Your Cook County tax dollars at work
Stop the proposed Cook County phone tax
"Is anyone watching out for Chicago taxpayers?"
Cook County Board may vote for nation's highest sales tax
Time for me to shop...outside Cook County?
Marathon Pundit Chicago River dumping follow up
Cook County sues Cook County

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It's My Mind

Technorati tags: politics Illinois Democrats Cook County Chicago Strogerwaste government race racism