Blago plays chicken with state legislature
posted at 9:56 am on December 18, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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At first blush, Rod Blagojevich’s promise not to appoint a replacement for Barack Obama’s Senate seat might put some minds at ease in Springfield and Washington DC. However, under the circumstances, it creates a game of chicken with the Illinois legislature. How long are they willing to leave the seat vacant?
Gov. Rod Blagojevich will not appoint anyone to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama, the governor’s lawyer said today.
Speaking at a news conference following his appearance before a committee weighing Blagojevich’s impeachment, lawyer Ed Genson was asked if Blagojevich would make an appointment against the wishes of Democrats across the state and country.
“No,” Genson replied. “(U.S. Senate Majority Leader) Harry Reid said that they’re not going to accept anybody he picks. Why would he do that?”
As long as Blagojevich stays in office, he’s the only person who can appoint Obama’s replacement. If he refuses to do it, and if he refuses to resign, the seat will stay empty. That means Harry Reid loses another potential vote against filibusters, as he has to have 60 votes to defeat one. Democrats will lose a portion of their advantage, and Republicans have a better shot at blocking legislation, as long as the seat remains unfilled.
That puts the ball in the legislature’s court. They adjourned this week without considering a special election. Blagojevich has supported the idea of a special election as long as the legislature permanently changes the law to force special elections for mid-term Senate openings, and he won’t sit idly by if the legislature passes any temporary solutions — especially one that transfers his powers to Pat Quinn without an impeachment.
Blagojevich has already shown that he will fight impeachment with everything he’s got, probably right up until Patrick Fitzgerald gets a conviction against him for corruption. Even House speaker Michael Madigan concedes that it will take months to remove Blagojevich. How long will Madigan and Senate president Emil Jones allow the Senate seat to remain empty while playing chicken? Either they have to approve a special election or handicap Senate Democrats for the foreseeable future.
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Hey Blago keep up the goodwork. You will be the poster boy for the GOP as agent of reform in corruption. I hope they refuse to can you champ.
Sincerely,
the GOP
sven10077 on December 18, 2008 at 10:03 AM
Checkmate.
Starlink on December 18, 2008 at 10:03 AM
You Go, Blago!
Realist on December 18, 2008 at 10:06 AM
Hey Blago, pick Keyes, Ditka, or Sinise to fill the senate seat. This will drive liberals nuts!
jencab on December 18, 2008 at 10:06 AM
This is still Illinois we’re talking about.
Likely we’ll get a Dem-only or Dem-legislature-approved-only slate of candidates…..
Heh. Maybe Oberweis will finally win one… wonder if Palin will campaign for the token Repub on the ballot?
Mew
acat on December 18, 2008 at 10:07 AM
The brazenness of this guys is shocking. At this rate, it won’t be the legislature that removes him, it will be the angry mob with torches and pitchforks.
Squid Vicious on December 18, 2008 at 10:09 AM
Can I send him money for his defense?
Hopefully I’ll have CHANGE leftover for popcorn.
ex-Democrat on December 18, 2008 at 10:11 AM
Gotta say that even filthy friends of Obama can be right from time to time. It’s not exactly clear that the bastard can be convicted. In an era where a Congressman can end up with $90K in marked money in his freezer and still be reelected once and narrowly lose a second election, the presumption of innocence is still a right that Blago should be accorded.
Besides, what’s the net loss when a filthy Senator Obama spent his entire career voting “present” on controversial legislation?
highhopes on December 18, 2008 at 10:12 AM
Goingtojailovich has a massive mane of hair to protect him in a fight.
That must count for something!
Mr. Joe on December 18, 2008 at 10:15 AM
They won’t have much to impeach him with if Fitz won’t release all the evidence. He won’t do that till he builds his case completely.
Advantage- Blago.
Meanwhile, he has the rest of them crapping bricks because they don’t want him telling what he knows. But, once Obama gets sworn in, the media will lose interest.
a capella on December 18, 2008 at 10:20 AM
Chickens Comin’ Home … to Roost, ILGOP edition. Too.Flaming.Funny.
So, by supporting a crook/puppet for Governor, Dems are in a position that requires that either they impeach, convict, and remove him from that seat, or work without a second Illinois Senator for a good long while.
Bwaaaaaa!
Jaibones on December 18, 2008 at 10:24 AM
Hair can be a liability in a fight. Ask any chick who got in a schoolyard brawl. There’s a reason UFC fighters tend to shave their heads.
Plus, that mane is nothing compared to Gert Wilders’!
Disturb the Universe on December 18, 2008 at 10:26 AM
Illinois citizens elected all of these guys. Who do you think they would choose in a special election. Past behaviour best indicator of future behaviour and all that.
wtis02575 on December 18, 2008 at 10:29 AM
Blagojevich is a nasty, vindictive little toad with the typical liberal democrat’s sense of entitlement. Having listened to him for the past six years, I can assure you he feels totally self-righteous in everything he does.
Yes, he will fight tooth & nail for his God-given (in his eyes) right to remain governor and to profit from it. And that’s the most important thing – the rest of his party, our state, and the country be damned.
DamnCat on December 18, 2008 at 10:29 AM
Blago holds a pretty good hand.
Let’s hope he stretches the game out for a long time.
notagool on December 18, 2008 at 10:31 AM
Let’s just sit back and enjoy the show as that entire gaggle of political maggots devour each other.
rplat on December 18, 2008 at 10:32 AM
He must realize that in order to impeach him they will have to bring out all the information. Information that may implicate The One.
He’s banking on Obama being protected at all costs…including Fitz having to withhold information that would take old Blago down.
Ditkaca on December 18, 2008 at 10:32 AM
Heck, if a mini-Ditka went to the Senate, he’d kick all the other Senators’ @sses.
What a nice early Christmas present.
rbj on December 18, 2008 at 10:32 AM
Onama’s presidency is rising from a cesspool. My bet: presidential impeachment in the first term.
Cicero43 on December 18, 2008 at 10:33 AM
Liberals don’t like it when Liberal tactics are used against them.
PappaMac on December 18, 2008 at 10:38 AM
Who would have thought that a Democrat was going to be the GOP’s Most Valuable Player. Funny thing happened on the way to the inauguration…
DCA on December 18, 2008 at 10:49 AM
Frankly, a vacancy is as good as a win, as far as the Republicans are concerned. If the vacancy is going to remain for a long time, the ‘Rats may be inlined to (shudder) take their chances with the voters…
gridlock2 on December 18, 2008 at 10:51 AM
All they need is for someone to find him a job to go to if he resigns office.
MayBee on December 18, 2008 at 10:53 AM
The more he fights, the more press this story will receive. Can only be a good thing to draw this out and have names named, Dems rolling over on each other etc.
There may be a God after all.
riverrat10k on December 18, 2008 at 10:55 AM
Give the poor guy a break. He came up in a political system where corruption is the accepted norm and he really doesn’t think he did anything wrong.
TooTall on December 18, 2008 at 11:04 AM
This is serious fun.
Branch Rickey on December 18, 2008 at 11:05 AM
Does any of this really matter? The Obamatrons will love their dear leader no matter what. Hell, there could be video of him smoking crack with Blago and Wright and talking about what an awesome dude OBL is….and still 55% of the American population would want Obama’s face on Mt. Rushmore.
It makes for some good drama, but at the end of the day Obama is made of teflon and nothing will harm him.
angryed on December 18, 2008 at 11:10 AM
If it’s true that Jackson Jr. was working with the FBI on this case, it’s interesting that Blago doesn’t seem to fear this dynamic.
Keemo on December 18, 2008 at 11:11 AM
http://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/ap/20081218/twl-clinton-foundation-donors-1be00ca.html
This is the biggest story of the day (so far)…
Exit question: What country is actually running America?
Keemo on December 18, 2008 at 11:15 AM
Hippiedom?
Branch Rickey on December 18, 2008 at 11:22 AM
The worst thing that could happen from the GOP point of view is for Blago to resign and allow Quinn to appoint Obama’s successor. Doesn’t look like that will happen, although I’m sure some discussions on quid pro quo have occurred between Blago’s camp and Harry Reid on it. The best thing that could happen would be drawn out impeachment proceedings, with Rezko monitering the results and singing accordingly. Looks like that has restarted. His info becomes less valuable as it becomes more widely known. Rahm will disappear,..I just can’t see Obama keeping him if impeachment proceeds, and time is getting short..
Madigan and his daughter are wild cards. Their power needs will surpass all else. Emil Jones will ride it out O.K. He can blackmail in all directions to protect himself, if need be.
a capella on December 18, 2008 at 11:23 AM
You’d have to think that any prosecution of Blago will take long enough that this mess will be fresh in everyone’s minds come the 2010 elections. If the GOP can get their ideological act together, they could make a serious comeback.
We can always hope for change, so to speak.
landshark on December 18, 2008 at 11:25 AM
Sadly, I don’t look for that to happen, till the GOP leadership changes. The RNC is full of Beltway types.
a capella on December 18, 2008 at 11:30 AM
Whatever could Blagojevich want?
Speakup on December 18, 2008 at 11:47 AM
complete with the Kwame Kilpatrick perp walk.
He is dirty in all directions. Murky past. Sealed transcripts. Divorce records unsealed. Rezko. CAC money wasted. Campaign fraud. ACORN. It’s all there if anyone cares to look.
DeweyWins on December 18, 2008 at 11:55 AM
Ed pointed out on Hugh Hewitt’s show that the Illinois house has a very low bar to hurdle for impeachment. If I recall correctly, it’s enough that they want to do it. The decision then goes to the state senate for approval/rejection. If that’s the case, it seems unlikely that any dirt will emerge from the proceedings – it’s the Fitzgerald prosecution that will be the real show.
landshark on December 18, 2008 at 12:10 PM
Jill Stanek is from Illinois and has been covering this from the POV of a pro-lifer who has seen the dirty work and players.
She writes about Blago’s anti-life pay-to-play. In 2005 when he was tired of waiting on the legislature to fund ESC research, “He found $10 million in a vaguely worded state budget line item and took it”. This raised the hackles in his own party and in newspapers because he didn’t wait for the legislature.
In reading her column I was very interested to discover that the House Minority Leader was a college roommate of Blago’s. My emphasis in bold.
INC on December 18, 2008 at 12:17 PM
Now that we know Blago was a bookie before his political days, I feel as if I have a connection to him. I might even owe him money.
His attorney is a freaking genius. The pols and the media had his bags packed minutes after the details of the wiretaps were revealed yet his counsel wisely told him that he only has a position of strength if he stays.
It is obvious that Blago knows where the bodies are buried and has told the right people (read: Obama and those scumbags, the Madigans) that he is not afraid to have his attorney haul all of them before the judge.
Once names are named, it will look really bad for Obama and no one in the Democrat party is going to let The Black Caesar get brusied before Jan 20th.
grdred944 on December 18, 2008 at 12:17 PM
Please oh please oh please…
Just wanted to say that THE HAIRDO ™ on the front page pic is hilarious and I hope you keep using that pic. Am still mad about all the MSM’s focusing on GOVERNOR Palin’s glasses and high heels so bringing up this corrupt buffoon’s squirrel-moptop cheers my resentful heart. Hope lots of slime comes out about all the Dems involved because of this.
inviolet on December 18, 2008 at 12:25 PM
It would look like an omen if Palin could help a republican take Obamas senate seat..
the_nile on December 18, 2008 at 12:26 PM
As I mentioned on another thread, Blago has a more troubling option for Democrats: appoint a Republican.
Barnestormer on December 18, 2008 at 12:35 PM
I can’t look at this guy anymore because I just get distracted. Seriously, what is he hiding under that mop on his forehead?
thevastlane on December 18, 2008 at 12:56 PM
Could it be….
Blago is Kaiser Soze!
max1 on December 18, 2008 at 1:02 PM
I saw a link to this article in the Chicago Sun-Times at RedState. We’ve all figured this out, but it’s nice to see a paper reporting the denial by Obama’s people and the contradiction by investigation sources:
I’d like to know what those instructions to his aides included.
INC on December 18, 2008 at 1:05 PM
It hasn’t been mentioned before, but “Dirty” Harry Reid caused the dem’s more problems by shooting off his mouth. Blago is able to use his comments as leverage.
rdm1173 on December 18, 2008 at 2:01 PM
Yeah, that’s a big part of his leverage with Reid et al. I hope no one thinks Congressional leaders are
just standing on the sidelines on this. Blago holds some high cards, but Obama has to somehow make this go away without appearing to do so. Pretty tall order, particularly when Fitz asks for an indictment, and we don’t know what else he has on tap. It will also be interesting to see who fills Rahm’s state senate seat if by some chance he stays on as Obama’s CoS.
a capella on December 18, 2008 at 2:04 PM
And the downside for conservatives in the short term is….?
mwdiver on December 18, 2008 at 2:10 PM
Good point. ‘Pinky’ Reid should have kept his mouth shut. My guess is someone from Obama’s team shut him up and gave him the wink-wink that it could get ugly for Team Obama so Reid needed to back-the-f-off and let Illinois deal with it.
grdred944 on December 18, 2008 at 3:02 PM
It’s hard to see why Blago should do anything but hold tight, with resignation and the Senate appointment power tucked safely away for tactical future use.
While Job #1 is to minimize his criminal jeopardy, he doesn’t now know what the ultimate indictment will charge; or whom; or even who the U.S. Attorney will be. He doesn’t know when, if ever, the impeachment process will rise out of its primordial state. And the IL Sup. Ct. has, with a pen stroke, made Lisa Madigan look like she should accompany that mouthy state rep./attorney, whom Ed Genson suggested should return to law school.
Meanwhile, all the bad guys, known and to be announced, are or are likely to be, Democrats. And but for Fitzgerald, even the would-be good guys are looking more like rats trying to figure out how to drown one of their own and salvage the Senate cheese than white knights. As political theater goes, it is decidedly not a national brand burnisher.
Barnestormer on December 18, 2008 at 3:35 PM
Oh, and on Genson’s remark about Blago’s appointment intentions, the AP story a few minutes ago on that subject contained this tidbit:
Hmmmm.
Barnestormer on December 18, 2008 at 3:52 PM
Heh. Just a little added pressure.
a capella on December 18, 2008 at 4:51 PM
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