http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=255503&src=109
Blagojevich defends taking state plane to meet with Obama
Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL) - Thursday, December 4, 2008
Author: By John Patterson Sr. State Government Editor jpatterson@dailyherald.com
SPRINGFIELD — Just days after shuttering several state parks and historic sites and asking for understanding from Illinoisans amid bleak economic times, Gov. Rod Blagojevich took his taxpayer-provided aircraft to Philadelphia to tell fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama how bad things are in the state they both live in.
Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero defended the trip and use of the state plane, noting that if the governor hadn’t gone, he’d surely have faced media criticism for his absence.
“This was a historic meeting that was attended by virtually every governor in the United States, and our being there could help bring billions of dollars to Illinois,” Guerrero said Wednesday in an e-mail responding to Daily Herald questions.
Obama met Tuesday with members of the National Governors Association to discuss how the federal government can bail out states struggling to balance budgets .
“And, had we not gone out, I am sure you would question us on why we failed to go out and meet with the other governors and the president-elect,” Guerrero added.
Blagojevich , and other governors, flew into Philadelphia to tell tales of economic woe on the same day executives from the Big Three automakers drove to Washington, D.C., to plead for economic assistance. The executives faced harsh criticism for taking personal jets to a previous Capitol Hill hearing.
Obama represented Illinois in the U.S. Senate and before that served in the Illinois Senate. He and Blagojevich both reside in Chicago with about 15 miles separating their households.
But Guerrero said the governor’s two-day Philadelphia trip was an important opportunity to discuss urgent budget issues with Obama and the other governors.
(snip)
Let’s see...I count three meetings between Blad and OB in the first 8 days of December. I bet they were just focusing on “economic” issues.
Another Midwesterner flies a private (state) plane to DC to seek lots of money.
Why was Blog treated so much nicer than his friends at GM, FORD, Chrysler?
Oh, they are not his friends?
Don't count on it.
And the politicians who criticized them? Didn't that include DICK DURBIN, the Turban from Suburban? He's the "other Senator" in Illinois, and he didn't criticize Blog but he did criticize the auto guys ~ I saw this on TV!!!
Did the Tribune corporation do a total coverup on this at the time? Look up "state park" and see! Bet there are even more articles about this "non event" (Obama told us so, eh) than we can believe if we know but where to look!
Thanks for sharing, maggief. I’m feeding these directly to a few big talkers. ;-)