A new morning brings a new governor, but ethics still a concern

Following a unanimous Senate vote Thursday afternoon, Rod Blagojevich is no longer governor of Illinois. A governor was cast out of office for the first time in Illinois history.

On Thursday Blagojevich appeared before the Senate to plea for his job. He addressed some of his accomplishments as governor, but never talked about the allegations of attempting to sell the former Senate seat of President Barack Obama. Even if he had, it wasn't going to matter. Blago was, as Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass calls him, "Dead Meat."

But, once the House impeached Blagojevich for corruption, his dismissal was a foregone conclusion. Blagojevich had few political allies and powerful enemies within his own party. House Speaker Michael Madigan and his daughter, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan are known foes of the governor and it's no secret that the elder Madigan wants his daughter to seek the state's highest political seat. Around the state though, Blago's removal has been soundly approved by most citizens. Even the cast of Spamalot got into the impeachment action with several Blago jokes inserted into the script during last night's performance.

But just because Blago is gone, that doesn't mean corruption in Illinois is over. On the contrary, corruption is still a real part of Illinois politics. It is up to the people to continue to watch the politicians and make sure they to the line. Gov. Pat Quinn, who was sworn in Thursday afternoon, has made a start by creating an independent ethics panel while he was still lieutenant governor. Ultimately though, it's the responsibility of the people to fight for clean and open government.

Blagojevich has one weapon left, names

Sometime this week Gov. Rod Blagojevich is going to be out of a job - that's about as close to a sure bet as anything I know. He's angered his constituents and he's angered his fellow Democrats. Earlier this week he told the world that this impeachment was about a plan to get rid of him in order to pass an income and sales tax hike on the people. While he was chastised by Mayor Richard Daley - a fine upstanding citizen leader - for being cuckoo, that may have been the first shot from Blago's last arsenal in his defense, names.

Being on the inside of a corrupt political machine, Blago may have to resort to something we speculated upon when the impeachment controversy broke last month - naming every corrupt deal and deal maker in this state. No one will ever accuse Blago of being noble if he does this, it's the last desperate attempt to save his political hide. But if he does drop names, then he will have finally done something for the people of this state other than implement open-road tolls.

Blago is not going to be at the impeachment trial that begins tomorrow, instead he's going to be making the talk show rounds to appeal to a national audience. Maybe this will be the forum he uses to finally shed some light on the back room deals in this state. I certainly hope this is something he does, but if he does damn the torpedoes and drop names, there's no telling how far this could reach, perhaps even into the White House itself. After all, the president, his chief of staff and the education secretary nominee are all part of the Chicago machine - the very machine that got Blago elected.

Blago seeks to sway public opinion by hiring PR firm

Get your DVRs ready for Monday morning. Impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich is taking his defense to the national media - apparently hoping that will sway the members of the Illinois Senate who will begin to try him next week. Blago will be interviewed on Good Morning America, The View and Larry King Live on Monday.

Also, the governor hired a Public Relations firm to help him with his image - not his legal defense mind you, but his image - according to a report in the Chicago Tribune. This is the same firm that represents former Bollingbrook police officer Drew Peterson, who is a suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife. Blago's only hope is to gain sympathy from the public, but it's doubtful how much sympathy he is going to get. On Friday Blago said he was the victim of a conspiracy of the legislature. In Blago's mind, the legislature wants to remove him from power in order to have Pat Quinn, who will become governor upon Blago's ouster from office, raise taxes. Blago wants the people of Illinois to believe he is the only one standing between them and a tax increase - of course this is the same man who proposed the biggest business tax increase in Illinois history.

Instead of a PR firm, Blago should have legal representation in the Senate Chamber next week. But those fellows (in a PR move that's not helping Blago) are refusing to attend the hearings because they claim the hearings are unfair.

Looks like Obama is already backsliding on ethics rules

CNN and NBC are both reporting that President Obama is already backsliding on the "change" he brought to Washington, DC regarding ethics.

A day after being sworn in to the presidency, Obama signed an executive order on ethics.

"The executive order on ethics I will sign shortly represents a clean break from business as usual. As of today, lobbyists will be subject to stricter limits than under any other administration in history. If you are a lobbyist entering my administration, you will not be able to work on matters you lobbied on, or in the agencies you lobbied during the previous two years. When you leave government, you will not be able to lobby my administration for as long as I am president."

But, Obama is already seeking exceptions to that rule. Obama is seeking a waiver for William Lynn, a former lobbyist for defense contractor Raytheon. Obama wants Lynn to be a deputy secretary of defense - a violation of the executive order he signed the other day. Color us so surprised. Oh sure, Obama's cronies in the Senate are attempting to add stipulations to Lynn's confirmation, saying he would recuse himself for a period of one year whenever something comes up with his former employer. It seems the change Obama is bringing to D.C. has a Chicago kind of flavor.

If Obama is willing to backslide on change so quickly, what else will his administration attempt to circumvent.

Blagojevich says impeachment is a plot to have new governor raise taxes

Gov. Rod Blagojevich finally spoke out on his impending impeachment, which begins next week.

Earlier this morning he talked with morning radio hosts on WLS-AM. Playing the victim card, Blago said this impeachment proceedings are nothing more than a plot to raise income and sales taxes on the people of Illinois by May. Blago claimed that Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn has cut a deal with the Democrats in charge of the legislature to get rid of the embattled governor. Of course earlier this month Blago told the press the House has conspired against him because they didn't like the way he was trying to help the common man.

It is entirely possible the Democrats in Springfield are conspiring against him. It's no secret that Blagojevich and Democratic leaders in the legislature, particularly House Speaker Mike Madigan, have a poor relationship. However, it is more likely the Democrats want to get rid of Blagojevich because he is an ineffective governor and chances are there will be a backlash in the next gubernatorial election which could return Republicans to the governor's office.

Blagojevich did not address any of the charges against him - like attempting to sell the Senate seat of President Barack Obama (now Roland Burris), pay to play scams and threatening the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune.

In an interview on Thursday, Blagojevich is also claiming the impeachment proceedings are unfair and unconstitutional because he will not be allowed to call witnesses who would refute the charges he was attempting to sell the Senate seat. In fact, Blago's own attorneys are refusing to represent him in the impeachment proceedings because they are claiming the proceedings are unfair as well.

Blago believes he is the victim of apolitical conspiracy, but in reality the victim is the population of Illinois which deserves good, open government - something that will be a long time coming given the state of politics in Illinois.

Obama sets tone for openeness, but will it last?

Apologies for the time lapse between postings, but I'm back now.

Since my last post we now have a new president - Barack H. Obama. Like millions I watched the inauguration and some of the news coverage, but after a while I found it repetitive and an orgy of love for the new POTUS. Don't get me wrong, it was news and the swearing in of our nation's first black president was historic, but after about two hours I was glad for cable television and the DVR.

Obama hit the ground running on his first day (as all presidents do) and the love continued from the media. One of Obama's first actions was to promise a more open government. That was enough to set the news staff at CNBC cheering.

“For a long time now there’s been too much secrecy in this city,” Mr. Obama said at a swearing-in ceremony for senior officials at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, adjacent to the White House. He added, “Transparency and rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency.” (From a New York Times article)

No one disputes the need for a transparent government. One of the monumental roles for journalists is to be a government watchdog for the citizenry. So the cynic in me wonders if this move by Obama was something offered as a bone to a media that has been very friendly to the Chicago native. When Obama decides something is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act, how will the media act. Will they cut him some slack because of his proclamation? If so, that's a brilliant move on Obama's part to placate some of his biggest fans. Time will tell on this. Obama said the people must hold government accountable. And if he does not follow through on his call of openness, then he must be called on it.

I must laud something that Obama said on his first full day on the job. At a White House press conference he told the assembled reporters that public service is a "privilege" and not about advancing yourself, your friends or your corporate clients. Truer words were never spoken. The men and women who represent their friends, neighbors and total strangers in the halls of the legislature would do well to remember that being a public service is a privilege and a tremendous responsibility.

What kind of moral message does this really deliver?

Maybe Grease really isn't "the word." Maybe the word should be whoa.


We've all seen Danny and Sandy dance around the silver screen pining for each other all while singing really catchy ditties. The memorable music often overshadows the storyline, which sends a really bad message to people, particularly young girls.


Last night my wife and I saw a stage production of the musical with some other couples. I've seen the film version with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John several times. It's been 30 years since the film was released. And while the film has often served as background noise, I've never really paid that much attention to the story. It took a friend of mine who has never seen the film or the stage production to make me re-examine the story. Sure, it's about rock-n-roll and the sexual revolution. That's simple enough to gather. It's also about teen angst and acceptance. But acceptance at what kind of cost?

Now, it's been a while since I felt the pressures of being a teenager and trying to fit in at school. But the story has undertones of changing who one is in order to fit in. At the end of the musical Sandy has tarted herself up in order to win her man Danny (who would have accepted her as she was - after all he did fall for her over the previous summer when she was more proper). So now Sandy acts like the very thing she was upset at Danny for making her out to be - an "easy" girl.

There is also the lesser relationship between the characters of Kenickie and Rizzo. The two begin a sexual relationship and suddenly Rizzo finds that her period is late. Thinking she's pregnant, she rebukes Kenickie. But of course at the end of the production when she finds out she was not pregnant and everything is alright between the two of them and they can be together - as if nothing happened. Now that is somewhat realistic with the irresponsibility of many teenagers, but don't we want our youth to be more responsible?

Don't get me wrong, I'm no moral arbiter, but it is funny how beloved stories can be glossed over without a real examination of their themes.

House impeaches Blago

The Illinois House voted 114-1 to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich this morning. Not that this is any surprise to anyone - least of all to Blago. At his post impeachment press conference this afternoon, the disgraced governor said the animosity between him and house leaders (read Speaker of the House Michael Madigan) has been brewing for years and an impeachment was something expected.

Regardless of why it happened, the House allowed the problem to become fodder for national pundits and talk show comedians. Illinois is embarrassed. The people of Illinois are embarrassed. And more than Blago is to blame for his alleged crimes. The entire culture of corruption in Illinois should be put on trial. While Blago bears the guilt for his impeachment - after all, personal responsibility is an admirable trait - but the entire culture of corruption that has permeated the political landscape of Illinois contributed to the arrogance of Blago and his predecessors in thinking they could get away with whatever they wanted. For too long many Illinois lawmakers believed they could do what they wanted to line their pockets all while ignoring the the duties of the office they were elected to. Sadly it took the arrogance of the helmet-haired one to have the beacon of light shine into the dark nooks and crannies of the Illinois culture of corruption.

And speaking of lawmakers not doing their jobs, what in the world was Ill. Rep. Milt Patterson, D-Chicago, thinking when he voted against impeachment. According to a comment issued to the Chicago Tribune after the roll call vote for impeachment, Patterson said it was not his job to impeach Blago. What did he mean by that statement? Unfortunately he did not talk any more to the Tribune. Whether or not Rep. Patterson is part of the culture of corruption remains to be seen, but I imagine his past will be investigated after a comment like that.

Porn producers want federal bailout too!

Apparently you people are not doing enough to stimulate the economy. At least that's the position of Larry Flynt and Joe Francis - two giants in the adult entertainment industry.

Flynt, who publishes "Hustler" magazine, and Francis, who created "Girls Gone Wild" are planning to appeal to Congress for a $5 billion bailout. According to an NBC report, sales of adult videos are down 22 percent and the pornographers are hurting financially.

Congress must "rejuvenate the sexual appetite of America," Flynt said.

If Congress caves in to the demands of the flesh peddlers, then this nation is truly doomed. If adults want to look at pornography, that's certainly their right. But this is not an industry that needs to be subsidized by the federal government. Besides, there's plenty of free XXX material available on the Internet.

Senate set to back down on Burris appointment

It seems the U.S. Senate Democrats are prepared to cave on the Senate appointment of Roland Burris. After President-elect Barack Obama met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., earlier this week and the Senate Democrats backed down from their refusal to allow Burris to take the seat he was appointed to.

It's an outcome that was almost assured from the get-go. Burris was appointed by embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich who has been accused of attempting to sell that seat to the highest bidder. Now it is true that Burris donated money to the Blago gubernatorial campaign, according to an article in Sunday's Chicago Tribune, but Burris has not been accused of any wrongdoing. And Blago, as corrupt and ineffective as he seems to be, is still governor of Illinois and it is in his legal power to appoint a replacement for Obama.

Several things were at play in the Senate's backing down. First, Reid, who prior to Blago's Dec. 9 arrest, pushed for someone other than Burris to receive the appointment, does not want to start off the new session with a hostile relationship with the Obama administration. Obama took a personal interest in his former seat, and Reid is not going to go against the wildly popular president-elect.

Secondly there are legalities involved. Election law experts told ABC news that senators may not have the constitutional power to refuse to admit Burris into the Senate without some indication that his appointment was corrupt. In 1969 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. House must seat Adam Clayton Powell who was accused of corruption. The high court ruled the House did not have the authority to refuse his entry because he was legally elected to the House.

Thirdly, race plays a big role in the appointment of Burris. Obama was the only black member of the U.S. Senate. Burris is black. Democrats do not want to refuse to seat a black man who has not been accused of any wrong doing. The political backlash could create a rift between Democrats and the black community who overwhelmingly vote Democratic. U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Il., a former Black Panther, urged the Senate to allow Burris' appointment because of his race. Of course Rush backed a white politician for the seat when Obama ran for it, which negates his call for the need of a black man in the Senate. But this is politics where the winds of change are constantly blowing - especially for people who have no principle.

So look to Burris being the next U.S. Senator from Illinois. Of course he most likely won't keep his seat when it is up for grabs in 2010. Democrats and Republicans alike are salivating for that fight.

Illinois citizens should make voice heard through anti-corruption commission

People often lament their voice is never heard by elected officials. In many cases it's not that the voice of the people isn't heard, it's that it is ignored. But sometimes the people can impact policy decisions if their collective voice is loud enough.

Since moving to Illinois 18 months ago, the Sideline Pundit has heard many people lament about the corruption of politics in Illinois, but it has often been accompanied by "but that's they way it's always been and there's nothing we can do about it." Let me tell you kids, that ain't true. With the spotlight now piercing the murk of Illinois politics due to the election of Barack Obama and the criminal charges surrounding embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich, this is the time for the people to make their disgust known.

One way is through a new initiative launched by the office of Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn and headed by former U.S. Attorney Patrick Collins - www.reformillinoisnow.org. Through this Web site, citizens can send the commission (members have yet to be named) an e-mail sharing ideas and complaints about Illinois corruption.

This is a good start and the people of Illinois should hammer the commission with all kinds of complaints. However, watchdog organizations should carefully watch this commission and make sure they are truly investigating the corruption. Citizens should also remember this commission is political in nature - oh, they'll say it isn't, but it has been created by an elected official with an eye on higher office. That's not to say Quinn's office will not investigate corruption in the state, but when dealing with elected officials, a bit of skepticism is always recommended.

GOP should sit back and watch Democrats fight over Illinois Senate seat

As the comedy of errors is set to begin tomorrow in Washington, D.C., the republicans would be smart to sit back and let the Democrats handle the Illinois Senate seat.

Roland Burris is on his way to Washington to claim the seat he was appointed to by disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich despite having his paperwork rejected by Senate Democrats. Earlier today Secretary of the Senate Nancy Erickson rejected Burris' certificate of appointment to the Senate as invalid. Before flying off to the nation's capital, Burris told reporters that he is the state's junior senator and that his appointment by Blago was legal and constitutional.

Burris plans on going to the Senate on Tuesday to be sworn in despite having been told by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that he would not allow Burris to take his seat in the Senate. Reid, D-Nev., said he would not allow Burris to be sworn in due to the controversy surrounding Blago's alleged attempt to sell the seat to the highest bidder. However, with reports that Reid attempted to sway Blago's appointment (prior to Blago's arrest) Reid is walking a thin line of piety.

So while the Democrats squabble over the Illinois replacement for President elect Barack Obama, Republicans should sit back and watch the fireworks. The Democrats have backed themselves into a politically correct corner. Can they afford to refuse a black appointee - to a seat held by a wildly popular black legislator (the only black member of the Senate) simply because he was appointed by a disgraced governor? The GOP, which has been marginalized in Washington and Illinois, should quietly hope for Illinois lawmakers to hold a special election for the Senate seat. Playing a petulant game of hardball over Burris and Blago will only remind voters of why Republicans lost overwhelmingly in November - and can remind Illinois voters of possible compliance during the corrupt administration of Republican Gov. George Ryan . If a special election is held in Illinois, that's when Republicans need to turn up the heat and remind Illinois voters of Blago's corruption and the corruption of the Chicago Democratic Machine. Remind voters they wanted change in DC, which brought about the election of Obama, but that change is needed in Springfield and the Illinois GOP offers that change.

Tuesday will be an interesting day for Illinois politics

So what's going to happen on Tuesday? Will Illinois seat two senators or will only Sen. Dick Durbin take the oath of office?

Roland Burris, a former Illinois attorney general, is planning on being in Washington on Tuesday to claim the seat that he was named to by Gov. Rod Blagojevich last week.

So the question is - will the Senate Democrats, who wield political correctness like a weapon, have the brass to refuse to seat a black man who was legally appointed by a disgraced governor? Is this something the Senate can Constitutionally do?

And is this something Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., wants to face after he pressured the governor on who to appoint to the Senate seat. According to a Friday article in the Chicago Sun Times, Reid pressed for Blago to not name Rep. Jesse Jackon Jr., Danny Davis, or state Sen. Emil Jones to be appointed for fear the Democrats would lose that seat to the Republicans come the next election.

Just prior to the arrest of Blago, the Sun Times reports that Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero confirmed that Reid and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) — the new chief of the Senate Democratic political operation — each called Blagojevich’s campaign office separately Dec. 3.

It's a tangled web in Illinois politics right now. Tuesday will be an interesting day to watch.