Blagojevich Just Had to Go

Friday, January 30, 2009 | 0

By Eugene F. Keefe

Synopsis: In our humble opinion, we finally get to see the end of the career of the worst governor in the history of all "governors" of any kind... anywhere. Hopefully, this embarrassing chapter in Illinois politics will finally come to a close.


Editor's comment: We want our readers to understand our view - Mr. Blagojevich was the worst "governor" of all, and that includes governors of universities, school boards, governors on furnaces or golf-cart engines; any "governor" you ever heard of.

As we approach the end of the road for Milorad "Rod" Blagojevich's political career, we have had a number of readers respond to his many public diatribes to ask if he is being treated fairly and whether the Senate trial is unfair. We want to provide you this short reminder of all the many, many, many things this man did that led him to being removed from all public office.

The impeachment resolution cites abuses of power that included:

•    He conducted allegedly completely political hiring at all levels of state government - much of it in exchange for campaign contributions the Gov then got to keep. An individual named Ali Ata testified under oath in federal court trial of political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko that he provided $50K in campaign cash to be appointed by this governor to a job paying about $125K per year. With deference to Mr. Ata, his qualifications to get the important state post were giving the $50K. If it was a crime from Mr. Ata to pay for the job, it should also be a crime for the Gov to appoint him to the job.

•     To those of us who laughed to hear an individual named Stuart Levine repeatedly admit during the Rezko trial that for several decades he used and abused most forms of illegal drugs/narcotics including horse tranquilizers, please remember this admitted drug addict was quickly anointed by the Gov to the Illinois Hospital Planning Board and effectively put in charge of planning for institutional medical care across our state. Mr. Levine's qualifications for the post were his orchestration of contributions to the Gov and his then-fundraiser, Tony Rezko.

•         Soon-to-be citizen Blagojevich allegedly took $50K from a company that later got $500K in state business to do, among other things, spray-cleaning of the state's road salt domes. If you think about it, there is no discernible reason to clean road salt containment facilities, as we take road salt and throw it under cars, cabs and buses - who cares if they are clean?   
  

• This Governor allegedly acted on his own to illegally purchase and attempt to import foreign flu vaccines with your state tax dollars in the amount of several million dollars. He was supposedly told before he made the purchase the vaccines could not legally be imported into the U.S. and anyone who tried would be arrested and charged with a crime under federal law. The Gov went forward to purchase on his own authority. Those vaccines sat during discussions/negotiations that went nowhere; they don't "bend" federal law because you are a governor. The Gov then donated the vaccines you paid for to Pakistan - however, the negotiations and tomfoolery took so long the vaccines became outdated and had to be destroyed. No, he didn't offer to pay the state or you back.

•      The Governor was invited to speak at a fund-raiser for a foundation for the arts and got a standing ovation for boldly promising $1 million in state monies to boost their fund-raising efforts. We were told he then completely refused to answer calls or take any actions to back up his braggadocio in front of the audience. No, we were advised they never got the money.

•     During his initial campaign, the Governor promised not to randomly replace state workers with his political pals. Blagojevich was then sued by several former state employees who thought that he was sincere in his campaign promises. Specifically, they noted his pledge that good workers need not fear losing their state jobs only to have them filled with lackeys. Yet some prison officials, Republicans and Democrats alike, found themselves suddenly unemployed. When they sued, the governor's lawyers made an astonishingly candid argument and noted Blagojevich's promise was nothing more than "classic political puffery." Where we grew up, the priest and nuns taught us puffery equals lying.

•     The Gov keeps bragging he was elected twice to the position by Illinois voters. Please remember the monies he "raised" for his campaigns didn't come from Oprah or you and me. During his second election, he raised $27 million dollars and outspent his opponent by a three-to-one margin. We argue when you allegedly break just about every campaign and ethics law to raise that huge war chest, it is hard to say you were fairly and freely elected.

•     Probably the most despicable thing he will be remembered for is trying to intentionally stall millions due in state funds for Children's Memorial Hospital. The partners of this firm have donated money to this charitable institution that doesn't turn away infants/babies who need major surgery like heart transplants and other emergency, life-threatening problems. Milorad tried to "hold up" the CEO/President for $50K in exchange for releasing monies already due the facility. When the Gov didn't get the $50K in his coffers, we are told he tried to find a way to get the state payments back.