Better Late Than Never

by hilzoy

From the Chicago Tribune's 'Clout Street' blog:

"In a historic vote, the Illinois House has impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich, directing the Senate to put the state’s 40th chief executive on trial with the goal of removing him from office.

The vote by the House was 114-1 and marks the first time in the state's 190-year history that a governor has been impeached, despite Illinois' longstanding reputation for political corruption. (...)

A Blagojevich spokesman said the governor will not resign. A 2 p.m. news conference with the governor is scheduled for the James R. Thompson Center in downtown Chicago. (...)

Next week, when the Senate convenes, it will begin the process of setting up a trial of the governor in which each of the 59 state senators act as judge and jurors.

A total of 40 senators are needed to convict Blagojevich which would remove the governor from office and make Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn the state’s new chief executive. A trial is expected to take at least three weeks."

I have no idea why this didn't happen weeks ago, sparing us the Burris distraction. But I'm glad it happened now. The sooner Blagojevich leaves office, the better.

Comments

[Eric Martin]

The vote by the House was 114-1

Any idea who the "1" is? And what type of pictures Blago has of her or him?

[Gary Farber]

Beat ya.

;-)

"I have no idea why this didn't happen weeks ago, sparing us the Burris distraction."

Because they were waiting for this until this last week:

[...] The impeachment panel is awaiting the results of a Monday court hearing at which U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald will ask a federal judge for permission to allow covert recordings into the impeachment process. They're focused on allegations Blagojevich tried to cut a deal to sign horse-racing legislation in exchange for campaign contributions.

The panel probably would wait only two or three days for the judge to release the recordings, said Rep. Lou Lang (D- Skokie).

The recordings weren't released, but they went ahead this week with the hearings, which took a few days.

[Gary Farber]

The one who voted no, Eric.

I live to serve.

[Eric Martin]

Thanks GF

[hairshirthedonist]

He should have voted "present." (Sorry, I'm waxing nostalgic for the good old days of the presidential campaign - NOT.)

[Cpl. Hicks]

Another detail in the delay over the tapes:

[...] Yet it is Burris' conversation with Monk that takes on an added dimension as the Blagojevich case plays out in federal court. U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald asked a federal judge to allow the impeachment panel to hear covert FBI recordings in which Blagojevich and Monk allegedly discussed how the governor would sign horse-racing legislation in exchange for campaign contributions.

The panel pressed on and unanimously voted to recommend Blagojevich's impeachment to the full House without hearing those tapes after a judge gave lawyers for the governor and others until Jan. 23 to file in writing their objections to making the tapes public.

The lege had been waiting for the tapes, but after hearing that they'd have to wait until January 23rd, decided to move ahead.

More about Burris:

[...] Under questioning by state Rep. Jim Durkin (R- Western Springs), Burris said he mentioned his interest in the Senate seat when he asked Monk to send him lobbying business. Burris thought Monk, who had recently left Blagojevich's office, might have a conflict of interest with some of his potential clients.

Pressed further after the hearing, Burris explained the move as that of a "sharp businessman."

But Burris, a campaign contributor who also threw a 2006 re-election fundraiser for Blagojevich, said he had "no idea" whether Monk ever relayed the message. Burris told the Tribune that he got no lobbying business from Monk, and Monk's attorney declined to comment.

Also Thursday, a close confidant of Burris confirmed he called another top Blagojevich staffer, John Filan, to recommend Burris' nephew for a state job. Fred Lebed, Burris' partner, called on behalf of Steven Burris, who had applied for a job as a chief financial officer with the Illinois Historical Preservation Agency.

Lebed said later, the governor's co-defendant and former chief of staff, John Harris, approved hiring Steven Burris. But Burris never started at the agency that had cut 32 jobs.

More detail about the impeachment.

They really moved fast, actually, given that it's been only one month since Blagojevich's arrest on December 9t, and three weeks since the legislative inquiry was opened on December 16th.

[Gary Farber]

Oops.

[Sophocles]

Where do you get off, you sick little twist? Sexual? I'm not sexual with them. I'm not abusive with them, how dare you write that in your paper without knowing nothing about me, biting's not sex, it's biting! I'm not sick like that. Maybe I should come bite you, would you like that, scotty? I bet you would like that, I am right? You write about me like I'm sick. You're the sick one, you know that? Is that why you like me, scotty? Is that why? I could come bite you; you tell me how sexual it is. You humiliate me like that? You mortify me like that in front of my father? My father's father? Listen to me, smack daddy, crack daddy, little baby whack daddy, here's what's happening. You ain't never going to find them anymore. You aint never gonna see them no more. I'm sending you something right now, You take a good look at this guy, because you ain't ver going to see him no more.

[Dan]

For better or worse, we're stuck with Burris. I, too, wish they could have impeached Blago before we were saddled with his choice for the Senate, but at least they're getting rid of him.

And, um... I am clearly too obtuse to understand the reference, but WTF, Sophocles?

[cleek]

in other BlagoBurris news, the IL Supreme Court just ruled that the Sec State's signature is not required for Burris to become Senator.

[Gary Farber]

One representative did vote "present," actually:

[...] So who was that lone vote against impeachment? It was Chicago Democrat Milton Patterson.

He says he read the impeachment committee's report but wasn't comfortable voting against the governor because he has "no first-hand knowledge of any of the evidence."

Patterson says he went by his own "gut feeling." He says he isn't defending Blagojevich. But he says it's up to prosecutors -- not him -- to indict the governor.

State Rep. Elga Jefferies -- another Chicago Democrat -- voted "present."

[KCinDC]

I did watch season 5 of "The Wire", so I do know where the psycho rant comes from, but I'm still missing the relevance.

[KCinDC]

Hmm, he seems to have hit at least Ezra Klein, Washington Note, Unqualified Offerings, and (appropriately, because of the name) Hit & Run, and the blog posts have various subjects, so I guess it's some sort of weird pointless sp4m.

[Eric Martin]

LG&M too....

[Dan]

Whew. OK. Here I was, thinking this was something only the ultimate political junkie could understand that I didn't get. Glad I didn't try to fake it with a "Ha, ha... good one, Sophocles."

[Gary Farber]

At least Sophocles has good taste in blogs.

[Gary Farber]

WIRE 5th SEASON SPOILERS!

***

***

***

***

***

***

***
It's the phony phone call that McNulty makes to the newspaper reporter who has previously falsely claimed to have heard from the non-existent serial killer that McNulty has, in fact, made up in order to get more funds channeled to him so he can properly investigate Marlo-the-drug-lord during a severe cutback in police funding. McNulty pretends to be the serial killer and sells that monologue.

Why anyone would post it to apparently random blog threads, I have no idea.

[MikeF]

The one who voted no, Eric.

That is one well-dressed legislator.

[Gary Farber]

I can't get any of the current pages to load so I can post. I only managed to get this by going back to an old cached version. Don't know if it will post, or anyone else is having this problem.

I'm getting greyed out "preview" and "post" buttons, and the fields for personal info under the comment box. A Typepad problem, or just me?

Also, I was going to post this: Oh, goodie, the weird Wire spammer got to my blog while I was out. To delete or to keep, that is the question....

[KCinDC]

Things seem to be working for me, Gary, though the interface has changed (preview and captcha now load within the page with JavaScript rather than going to a new one).

[Gary Farber]

So, going back to a cached copy of a page will still let one post (me, anyway), but all current pages seem to have their template screwed up, it appears to me.

It appears to me that the most recent comment other than the one posted by me using the cached copy method was by Posted by doretta at 04:49 PM.

Something broke yet further at Typepad, I'm guessing.

Ok, now, whoever did it, fess up.

[Gary Farber]

Ok, then it's just me.

[Andrew]

For what it's worth, Sophocles odd spam hit Angry Bear, as well.

As to the impeachment of Hot Rod, I have a small bit of appreciation that it did not happen sooner. While I, as a Chicago native, would have wished him good riddance years ago, the man has not actually been convicted of a crime yet. That matters quite a bit.