A little corruption, no?
Jeez. You'd think that governors were like royalty - any schmuck born to the right people can be one. I mean, the best person Illinois has to run the state is this guy? I mean Sarah Palin is a ignorant airhead, but Rod Blogojevich is certifiable. After months of investigations over his abuse of power in awarding contracts to cronies and fundraisers, US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald (yes, that Patrick Fitzgerald) and his office - through an already court-authorized wiretap - caught Rod-B plotting to use his power to appoint Barack Obama's successor as senator of Illinois to his personal gain. Trying to wiggle in either an appointment for himself, or a cushy job for his apprarently foulmouthed wife, or even to use the possibility of appointing himself as a last threat, Blogo crossed a line I don't even believe Palin could have even crossed. The idea that he still believes that he can appoint someone that Congress would really seat is stupefying.
It's sad. I lived in Chicago for a few years, and volunteered for Mayor Harold Washington's campaign way back in the day. I was so naive as to not have a clue how corrupt the political system in the city really is. I went back and read all kinds of bios about him, and even saw the amusing Daily Show clip of the governor defending his actually rational position requiring pharmacists to dispense any prescription regardless of religious belief...
Rod-B also pushed for important gun control laws, and improved education and safety in the state. How power ultimately poisoned him is a scary lesson that there always needs to be checks and balances on every level of government. God knows what we'd have if there really were some during the last eight years.
My feeling is that (probably unwillingly) he will resign his seat and the State Legislature will call for a special election. That's the best plan, since anybody appointed by either Blogo or a potential new governor (the next up would be Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn) would be tainted by the goings-on.
As for Obama, Fitzgerald strongly reiterated that there is no connection with the case, though he possibly didn't do himself any favors by trying to be too PC in condemning the acts involved. Grow some, man!
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