Posted on 12/12/2008 11:20:48 AM PST by John W
CHICAGO (CBS) ― The push for impeachment gained traction in Springfield Thursday, as Gov. Rod Blagojevich tried to keep up a front of "normalcy," working at his downtown office.
Sources told CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine that the governor is actively considering resigning -- perhaps sooner rather than later -- as the move to impeach him gained new momentum and new urgency.
House Democratic leaders began to gauge the appetite within their caucus to support an impeachment motion that could be filed as soon as Monday.
Kissing his daughters and his wife good-bye the morning as they headed off to school and to work was the only glimpse we got of the governor Thursday. The only sign of him at the state of Illinois building was his Christmas greeting hanging in the Atrium.
Blagojevich's spokesperson, Lucio Guerrero, said the governor was upbeat and "trying to stay positive" as he spent a second day working since his arrest. But he acknowledged the governor is aware of outside public sentiment.
"I think he realizes there are some people out there who want him to resign," Guerrero said. "I think the suddenness of all this is something he has to take some time to sort through things."
Guerrero added, "There's a lot of things he would like to say to the people of Illinois, and he probably will say them when the time comes."
Behind the scenes, Illinois lawmakers were moving to end the crisis in state government quickly.
Thursday afternoon, a letter to all Democratic state representatives from Rep. John Fritchey, head of the House Civil Judiciary Committee, maintained "it is imperative to replace Governor Blagojevich as soon as is practicable."
"Pursuing impeachment, while unfortunate, is the most direct and certain way to achieve the goal which we need to achieve, which is the removal of the governor," Fritchey said in an interview.
In Springfield Thursday, Lt. Governor Pat Quinn said the impeachment process should begin when the Legislature convenes. If lawmakers don't take action, he would support Madigan going to the Supreme Court.
Quinn strongly criticized the possibility of a special election to fill Obama's seat, saying it would take too long, leaving Illinois with just one senator in Washington for months. Quinn said he has not spoken to potential Senate appointees and doesn't have a short list of candidates.
If he becomes governor, Quinn said his "first order of business" will be appointing a senator. He did not flatly rule out choosing a Republican, saying he would pick the most qualified candidate.
Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday by federal agents for allegedly trying to sell the vacant seat to the highest bidder.
The state's Republicans also seemed to agree it's time to impeach.
"Our governor has no ability to lead anymore," House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego, said. "People don't have any confidence in him anymore. We need to move forward."
Cross also favors forcing a special election for the U.S. Senate seat.
Of course all this could be sidetracked should the governor decide to step down. There is also some thought being given by the governor -- who still maintains privately he did absolutely nothing wrong -- to sticking around and fighting the impeachment movement, at least at the beginning.
Fritchey urged his colleagues help remove Blagojevich from office, rather than rely on the governor to resign voluntarily or hope that legal proceedings initiated by Attorney General Lisa Madigan would be successful. Fritchey asked the House members to respond by Friday and invited them to sign on as co-sponsors of the impeachment measure.
Fritchey has been a longtime critic of Blagojevich, a Chicago Democrat whose administration has been plagued by scandal and controversy.
In Illinois, the House initiates and convenes impeachment proceedings, but the Senate renders a final decision on whether to remove a sitting governor.
Resign on Jan 20.
If Governor Blutarsky resigns, it’s because he is working/has worked a deal with Fitz, and is about to sing....
And he knows where ALL of the bodies are buried.
“I think he realizes there are some people out there who want him to resign,” Guerrero said. “I think the suddenness of all this is something he has to take some time to sort through things.”
Guerrero added, “There’s a lot of things he would like to say to the people of Illinois, and he probably will say them when the time comes.”
...
An impeachment would take months. Take your time, Blago ... and more leaks, please! :)
What exactly has Blago done that is really illegal? He hasn’t received a single dollar or offer of any position....has he? He may have hinted like heck that he wanted a pay-off from the Obama dimwits...but all they had to do is say “no”....and this entire episode would have been finished
What no one can explain to me....is why Obama would even care about who got the senator seat. This has no advantage for Obama and should have been of zero value for him to discuss this matter. Here is Biden who simply suggested his chief of staff be the temp until elections are held. I can’t understand for a moment why Obama even bothered to care about this seat. Its the governor’s position and he should have invited the five guys in and asked each what they would give him....and never messed with Obama.
From a common sense point...this was minor league stuff for the Obama team to even mess with this deal. They should have been concerned with White House operations...not some senator seat from Illinois. None of this makes any sense.
What laws did Blagojevich violate?
He didn’t take a bribe, and didn’t appoint a candidate.
He didn’t get the Tribune to fire editors he didn’t like.
He asked a fund manager for a contribution and when it wasn’t forthcoming the fund manager got $2.25 billion to manage anyway.
He has been investigated for five years but never before charged, and has $500,000 in legal fees outstanding to Sidley & Austin, a large Chicago law firm. It seems to me that he was trying to protect his family just as Barack Obama did by getting his wife named to a job with 3x the salary and an independent board position when he was in a position to throw her some business.
The press conference announcing the filing of charges seemed to be as filled with hyperbole as Fitzgerald’s press conference announcing the arrest of Scooter Libby. He charged the governor with stealing from the citizens of Illinois the opportunity to provide us with honest government. Well, when have we ever gotten that? If Blagojevich has not violated any other laws, then he hasn’t deprived us of that, has he?
It seems to me that politicians always receive contributions from people who support what they do, including the appointments that they make. I don’t see that Blagojevich’s actions are any different from those of anyone else in my state or federal government.
I for one — as an Illinois native (I will show you my birth certificate) and voter — would urge Blagojevich to stay in office and fight this charge. Show us how everyone does this, including ambitious state senators who become presidential candidates in a few short years.
Why should he resign? To clear the decks for Obama and eliminate the problem before it ties in to him more definitively? Let him stay and fight for his name like a man instead of skulking off in the night!
When Republicans in office get into deep trouble, they tend to resign quickly, but when Democrats in office get into deep trouble, they tend to keep their power for as long as they possibly can. What a “nice” double standard that Republicans and Democrats have among each other!
No, politicians under indictment or facing charges should resign.
That was true for William Jefferson, Larry Craig, Ted Stevens and must also hold true for Blagojevich
Is that a joke?
Please do it Rod! Your leaving no matter what, don’t make us Illinois taxpayers pay for the hallabaloo it would take to kick you out.
He should take a good hard look at his bargaining chips and hunker down for awhile.
He might also want to increase his security detail and even get some private bodyguards. There are powerful actors out there who might be affected by whatever he knows.
Has anyone else noticed the similarity of President Ahmadinejad’s eyes and those of Governor Blagogofetch?
He is too public a figure now and the "suicide out of embarrassment for family scenario" would not work for any political "cleansing" operations to take place. Blago, Rezko, Wright have been snubbed, lost their usefulness. Their payback is/was to be expected. No investigations are wanted.
Meanwhile: Jackson works on damage control by passing out turkeys at the Illinois Republic Window company. The UE organizer and Jackson go after Bank of America to make high risk loans to said named company with meetings between U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill) and UE's organizer Leah Fried Local 1110 who are left high and dry by owners. "Where did all those windows go?" one worker asked. And Bank of America is expected to give OUR money to these Crooks?
Blago is just doing what every other Lib politician and bedfellow Union bigwig is trying to do in these difficult times..take care of his or her own. ;)
Upbeat? What a phony baloney.
Under my Bus
The ones who once had me down
Under my Bus
The ones who once pushed me around
It’s down to me
The difference an election makes
Down to me, the change has come,
their under my Bus
Ain’t it the truth now?
Under my Bus
Friends squirmin’ as their hauled away
Under my Bus
They wonder why I shoved them
Under my Bus
It’s down to me, yes it is
The way they look when their hauled away
Down to me, the change has come
Their under my Bus
Ah, ah, say it’s alright
Under my Bus
old and new friends and relatives
Under my Bus
It’s the sweetest, hmmm, feeling in the world
It’s down to me
The way they look when their hauled away
Down to me, the change has come,
Their under my Bus
Ah, take it easy there’s a pardon on the way
Yeah
It’s down to me, oh yeah
The way they look when their hauled away
Down to me, the change has come,
their under my Bus
Yeah, it feels alright
Under my Bus
The way they look when their hauled away
Under my Bus, well I
still have some one the way
It’s down to me, oh that’s what I said
The way they look when their hauled away
Down to me, the change has come,
their under my Bus
Say, it’s alright.
Say it’s all...
Say it’s all...
Take it easy gov
Take it easy gov
Feels alright
Take it, take it easy gov.
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