Blagojevich Impeachment: Majority Of State House In Favor, Speaker Madigan Won't Commit

Chicago Sun-Times:

SPRINGFIELD -- House Speaker Michael Madigan turned heads last spring by admitting his staff had researched impeaching Gov. Blagojevich, then followed up with a fall memo to Democratic candidates advocating impeachment.

So why on the eve of lawmakers returning to Springfield to address a full-blown political crisis won't the powerful Southwest Side Democrat commit to impeaching a man regarded by some as the most corrupt state officeholder in modern Illinois history?

"It's baffling," said House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego), who was among the first pushing impeachment after Blagojevich was arrested and charged Tuesday as part of a blockbuster federal corruption investigation.

Even more baffling is the fact that plenty of votes exist in the House to get the job done.

On Friday, Cross had a conference call with his 52-member GOP delegation and said "at least" 45 favored launching impeachment proceedings immediately.

The same day, Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago), who is preparing an impeachment resolution independent of Madigan's office, received commitments from 30 House Democrats to back impeachment.

All told, that's at least 75 House members wanting the impeachment process to begin against Blagojevich. Sixty votes are necessary to get the ball rolling.

Read the whole story: Chicago Sun-Times

Comments

[SouthPrairie]

If anything I think that B.l.a.g.o is a p.u.t.z. He was just narcissistic enough to support the development of 0.b.a.m.a.'s first post election snare.

It seems to me that this would be a perfect set-up job to entrap both J.a.c.k.s.o.n and 0.b.a.m.a. You know the proverbial two birds with one stone. I think that E.m.a.n.u.a.l pushed to have this s c u m b a g outed with good reason. There are many money men who would like to see the 0 b a momentum shifted--any way they could. Paranoid? Maybe, but I do not put anything past these men of greedy interests.

In addition, I do not think that this will be the last one. The whole CIint0n affair was a trap, they (GP.) targeted his weakness and set-up an opportunity to continue their menacing. Even if they did not succeed in impeaching CIint0n, they made it extremely difficult for him to function effectively.

The intent of the GP. is to h.a.r.a.s.s and m.e.n.a.c.e 0bama--linking him to anything they can--in order to take the sheen off of his halo.

THERE WILL BE MORE TRAPS--but I feel confident that 0.b.a.m.a is not weak in his morals as these tainted politicians are.

[lynettema]

I think they will give him the option: resign or be impeached.

[brynn6]

Let's see, we have a corrupt and perhaps mad Governor that is still jockeying for power or an out. An Elliot Ness-like Federal Prosecutor. A Lt. Gov. that has not spoken with the Governor for at least a year and stands to rule shortly. A Speaker of the House who has not had a one-on-one conversation with the Minority Leader for a year and who may be deliberately holding back on impeachment so that his daughter may get all the glory by declaring the Governor unfit. A Republican Minority Leader that has been working closely with the Democratic Governor to work a multi-million dollar deal.

A U.S. Senator calling for a special election and the Senate Majority Leader declaring he will not accept any appointment by the Governor.

Is this Shakespeare, a Greek play or daytime soap opera?

[eden4barack08]

"As Illinois Turns" --- Tune in "Daley" in Chicago, from 9 to 5.

[leo21]

I sure as heck don't wan't this to start while Emil Jones is down there! Madigan doesn't think they can finish before the new legislature is seated and if that's the case, they may have to start the whole thing over again. And it will go a lot smoother with a new Senate president.

[EDM]

It's quite clear that Madigan is a machine politician, standing up for his machine colleague. The federal prosecutor is taking apart the machine one by one. Blago, the Jacksons, et. al are machine politicians, almost feudal in nature. I hope we're going to see the machine taken apart.

[mjb5406]

Maybe Mike Madigan is Senate Candidate #3 :-)

[kisskiss]

I can't wait until everything starts coming out. I want to see just how many the Governor is going to take down with him.

[alexis d]

If Madigan won't take action, they should take legal action against *him,* too.

[eilish]

Uh oh.

[watchingthings]

Is it really baffling or is it maybe that there is something Madigan wants to "remain in the closet"?