Blagojevich Could Be Impeached Next Week

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois House could vote as early as next week on whether to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The Illinois House has bumped up its schedule and will meet several days next week. They had been set to reconvene on Jan. 12.

A spokesman for House Speaker Michael Madigan says the chamber may vote on a recommendation from the special committee studying whether Blagojevich should be impeached.

It would take a simple majority vote for the House to impeach _ which basically means accusing him of misconduct.

Then the state Senate would hold a trial to determine if the governor is guilty. A conviction there requires a two-thirds majority.

Blagojevich was arrested Dec. 9 on charges alleging he schemed to swap President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat for profit.

Comments

[bittertooth]

There is nothing wrong with what this man did. His voice, and his words, should be protected by the constitution. He did not yell fire, but that's what he is getting. Alas, it's not fair.

[Butquestioning]

Since Fitzgerald is unable to even present a case against Blagojevich right now, asking or an additional 90 days to seek an indictment, why did he rush to arrest him? Is he trying to force the Democrats to conceed to a special election and with all the stir about the Dem Governor, maybe a Republican would get elected? And why is Madigan, the leader of the State House, who's daughter wants to be either the next Gov or the new Senator, trying to get Blagojevich out so quickly? Remember, Fitzgerald didn't even to the bottom of the Valerie Plame outing...I­s he one of the US Attorney's playing ball with the Republican Administration still in office???

Both Madigan and Fitzgerald should step aside and have a new US Attorney named to investigate the allegation­s...someon­e not involved in the situation.

[SF13]

I totally agree. I think Fitz is playing politics with this now. He needs to go right now and let someone else complete this.

[Rainman]

Impeachment should only come after guilt has been established by an impartial Jury for a serious crime.

Otherwise this is nothing but a LYNCH MOB getting the governor on hearsay or tape say. This is not a land where the Queen of Hearts can scream "Off with his head".

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

He rushed to arrest Blago because one of the Chicago papers outed his investigation and Blago & Co. were trying to backtrack & cover up what they had been doing.

[Palemoon]

That is EXACTLY why this is going the way that it is. Once Reid showed his fake, mock outrage over it, the drive is on for a special election and it's all being driven by the Republicans who are laughing at the Democrats for falling for it.

And you just watch, a Republican will win the governorship as a result, just like they have the majority times in Illinois. Yes Virginia, there have been alot more Republican Governors of red state Illinois than there have been Democrats. And there's a reason for that.

[Rendon76]

What a shrewd cowardly move it was for him to use the newly appointed senator to shield himself from criticism. This guy needs to be buried. Throwing the heat off himself with an innocent man.

[kassandrasduplex]

All Blago All the Time. With coverage like this, you begin to wonder if the news outlets are really liberal...
They didn't give GOP briber Abramoff this much ink. And he was tight with Bush and 13 GOP congressmen.
Who thinks Blago can get a fair trial after this media feeding frenzy?
I don't.
And why aren't Cheney and Bush on trial for profiting from their elected positions? They have made millions, maybe hundreds of millions.

[messy]

Well, he might be aquitted. Then what?

[anopenmind]

Where is the "OUTRAGE’ from the Citizens of Chicago??

They should be Out Protesting Blago’s selfish maneuvers!! C’mon Chicago get out there and speak out and Protest Blagojevich and his pick! Blagojevich needs to put his Country and State First and Stop Playing Games!! Our Country has many other important issues to deal with - two wars, and plus the major conflict in the Middle East, and an Economic Crisis!! The Senate doesn't need to deal with this BS and drama!

I'm surprised that we are NOT hearing "Outrage' from the Citizens of Chicago!!

[eden4barack08]

Exactly! Not just Chicago, the entire state. I wish they would organize, just as we did for Obama, and show him that he's not serving the people of IL as he keeps saying he wants to. If he doesn't 'get' what 4% approval means, the people should show him.
This should've been done as soon as he refused to resign. By now, precisely for the astute move he made in the choice of Burris, unfortunately lots of people who were otherwise against him are actually defending him in the name of supporting Burris' appointment. They fell right in his trap.

[diogenes1967]

eden, why do people think illinois=chicago?

[eden4barack08]

Good question. Geographic ignorance?

[SF13]

Hey all we can do is contact our reps and say we want a special election. They ignored that request.

[eden4barack08]

That's not the only option though.

[inluvwkeitholbermann]

so c'mon already...­.....

[rdiaz921]

we won't be talking about this guy soon. Get rid of him already. It's a new day in Washington. There's no room for this garbage.

[diogenes1967]

In its most basic form, impeachment is the formal statement of charges against a government official. In Illinois, the process starts in the House of Representatives where an investigation begins, and a majority vote is needed to approve bringing formal charges of wrong-doing against an elected official. If the House approves the charges, the official is considered impeached.

If the House of Representatives votes for impeachment, the process moves to the Senate where consideration of the impeachment charges begins. The Senate convenes a process similar to a courtroom trial—witnesses are brought in to testify on the merits of the charges. The Senate President acts as the presiding officer of the proceedings for impeachments of elected officials, but in the case of the impeachment of a Governor, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is the presiding officer.

A two-thirds majority in the Senate is needed to convict the official of the charges. According to the Illinois Constitution, the only sentence the impeached official can receive from the Senate is removal from office and disqualification to hold future public office in Illinois. Any additional criminal charges would have to be filed by a law enforcement agency.

[brooklyncitizen]

I'm gonna miss him.

[ATruthBeKnown]

First of all I don't believe the Illinois state "anything" has the b@lls to impeach "The Governor". After all this guy was duly elected by the people. I am so disappointed that our elected officials take their job to guard the ethics of their office so poorly. We have no one to blame but ourselves because we are not holding any of them accountable. This crook should have been impeached the day after Fitz revealed he (The Governor) had had these conversations.

Well "The Governor" has punked Illinois and the US Senate. How do ya like them apples ?

[diogenes1967]

With approval ratings at 8%? Please.

[ATruthBeKnown]

The problem is his rating could be 0% but he still has the power. Approval rating don't mean dit if you have the power.....

Heck George B. and Cheney are living proof of that. rating only mean something if that translate to action or influence. With these mooks they don't give a tinkers darn about ratings ... and I agree. The MSM use ratings to sucker the public....­.

Step up America...

[hjo4]

Other than make a total fool out himself and his wife what did this man do to get impeached. Anybody?

[sherbug]

We still don't know with whom he schemed. Obama didn't. Jesse, Jr. didn't, so who did? So far, we don't have any evidence that he actually approached anyone and proposed a trade deal. I don't trust this Bushite, Fitzgerald. Why does he need more time to wrap this up. I would think Obama's AG would be online long before April and Fitz would need to get up out of the U.S. Attorneys Office anyway.

[gwashington777]

Reminder: This "bushite" dropped a very large hammer on cheney's main guy, scooter.

[Badfickle]

Yeah if Fritz was a politcal hack this would have come out before the election and he would not have publized the quote of Blago mad because Obama wouldn't play ball.

[diogenes1967]

Fitz is OK, he did prosecute and convict George Ryan (who's licenses for bribes scheme actually cost lives).

[JustSteve]

Because after Blago was arrested the federal prosecutor's office has been overrun by people reporting of wrongdoing on the part of the Governor's office. As someone who lives in Illinois, and has suffered through this Governor's administration (sadly his last opponent in the Governor's race wasn't much better than him) believe it that there are problems in the Governor's office.

The good news is that we are an equal opportunity State. We have had as many bad Republican Governors as Democratic. Its got to be something in the water...

[mellene]

So what! Why not go after the real criminals--Bush and Cheney.

[harriscrl3]

Oh good grief do yo know how government work Congress cant impeach Blago its the Illnois legislature they have NOTHING to do with impeaching Bush and Cheney.

Carol

[gwashington777]

... well then they SHOULD be able to.

[aOsO]

Get this guy out of office already and don't seat Burris.