Illinois Attorney General, Lisa Madigan, has accused Gov. Rod Blagojevich of using unconventional methods to obtain extra money, and we’re not talking about a cash advance. Madigan is asking the state’s Supreme Court to temporarily remove him from office.
Blagojevich has been charged with trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s senate seat to the highest bidder. Madigan filed the charge in federal court this morning. She has also asked that the state allow Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn to take over Blagojevic’s post.
Senate seat for sale
U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald has said that secret tape recordings were made of Blagojevich attempting to sell the senate seat over the phone. Blagojevich was arrested Dec. 9. Along with the solicitation of bribery charge that he faces for allegedly trying to sell Obama’s senate seat, he was also charged with attempting to commit mail and wire fraud.
Fitzgerald also seized the Governor’s eBay account, after at least one parody posting offered up the senate seat as a joke. I wonder if any eBay users took out a cash advance to buy the Senate seat.
Road to a scandal
Blagojevich has been in hot water for the duration of his political career. A Democrat who voted for Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, he won a seat in the Illinois House of Representatives in 1992, largely because of the influence of his father-in-law, Richard Mell. It’s rumored that the support of his father-in-law is what propelled him all the way to the governor’s mansion. He was the first Democrat to become governor of Illinois in 30 years.
Among other scuffles he had with his fellow Democrats during his political career, he was the only Democrat from Illinois to vote in favor of the Iraq War in 2002. In his current role as governor he is often opposed by his own party members, particularly when it comes to budget issues.
Blagojevich has been the target of multiple federal investigations and currently has historically low approval ratings.
Alternative to Blagojevich
Madigan is imploring the state Supreme Court to appoint Quinn take over Blagojevich’s post immediately. Quinn began his professional career as a tax attorney, but eventually got into politics. He served as Illinois’ State Treasurer from 1991 to 1995.
Quinn ran for Secretary of State and for U.S. Senate before his successful campaign for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. He is considered a serious candidate for Obama’s vacant senate seat.
Madigan states her case
Madigan has cited several reasons to back up her assertion that Blagojevich should be immediately removed from his post. An order from the court for him to cease his position would go through more quickly than an impeachment. She insists that it is crucial for the transfer of power to occur quickly so that the government of Illinois can continue to operate.
She also points out that Blagojevich’s power to appoint a new senator should be stripped because of the charges that he attempted to use that power for his own political and financial gain. Because of these charges, she says, he should also be blocked from being able to spend state money, and thus cannot serve as governor during his trial.
Madigan’s basic message seems clear enough: if you’re a politician in search of extra money, make sure your methods of obtaining it are ethical, like a cash advance.
This guy needs to be removed from his seat as quickly as possible.
Despite the possibility that Blagojevich may have earned his position based on his relationship with Richard Mell, I’m sure he’s put in a lot of hard work to get to where he’s at, or at least where he was at. It’s a shame that all of his hard work is now worth nothing. It’s amazing how foolish people can be. Did he really think that no one was going to catch up to him? I mean, he’s messing with the big dogs in the political ring. These players are not illiterate and have been in the loop for quite a while now. Plus, if you are someone big, via entertainment or politics, you are definitely a target for the media. Your every step, every word you voice, everything you do in general is monitored at all times.
I can’t believe this guy. Either he needs to step down, or they have to get him declared unfit. Impeached would be better. He clearly believes that he didn’t do anything wrong, despite the fact that he obviously, blatantly, did so.
How can any logical thinking person actually do this and think that someone will not speak up, what a crook. He needs to have the governor title stripped away as soon as possible.