Bye-bye Blagojevich

What was virtually inevitable has occurred, the Illinois State Senate having convicted and removed Rod Blagojevich as Governor of Illinois, and further voted to prohibit him from holding any state office in future. For those who aren't familiar with the document, these things have been done pursuant to specific provisions of the Illinois Constitution of 1970....the law, in other words.

What I am going to say now should not be confused as any sort of encomium for Blag-O, but the performance of the Illinois Legislature, certain other Illinois elected officials, as well as certain member of Congress and other Federal officials (specifically exempting Federal Prosecutor Fitzgerald) has been alternately clownish, discreditable and cowardly in the weeks since Blagojevich's indictment.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan attempted to circumvent the provisions of the Illinois Constitution of 1970 by attempting to have the Illinois Supreme Court declare Blagojevich "incompetent." No provision for doing this is a part of Illinois law. Madigan should resign as Attorney General and be forced to wear a placard in public (I'll settle for a tattoo on her forehead) saying: "I tried to suborn the state."

Congressional Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senator Harry Reid attempted to exert pressure to have Blagojevich removed. For this the Illinois Legislature should pass a declaration specifically condeming these actions, including the names.

President Barack Obama went on the record, lending presidential weight to the attempt to speed up Blagojevich's removal. For this, the President and his associates should be vigilantly watched. While Blagojevich probably deserved to be removed from office, there's little doubt the skids were greased because he represented (and perhaps still does.....) an embarassment to the current administration in Washington......which I don't believe is part of his Federal criminal indictment, nor, I believe, is embarrassing someone part of sufficient grounds for impeachment.

As Blagojevich's Federal indictment moves forward, the matter of his other involvements may bear closer watching than it did before "Little Rod" left office.