Blagojevich "The Antithesis Of Leadership"

Former State Attorney General Says If Indicted Ill. Gov. Refuses To Resign, He Must Be Removed

(CBS/AP)  The political currents are running strongly against Rod Blagojevich, with a former state official saying if the Illinois Governor does not resign, every measure must be taken to remove him from office.

Yesterday in an unprecedented move, the state's highest law enforcement official asked the state's highest court to strip Blagojevich of his powers.

"The state government is paralyzed by a governor who is incapable of governing," said Illinois attorney general Lisa Madigan.

Madigan is petitioning the State Supreme Court to temporarily remove Blagojevich from office, kicking him out while the legislature works toward a permanent exit through impeachment, reports CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds.

But does the Illinois attorney general have the power to force the governor out of office?

Former Ill. attorney general Jim Ryan said the attorney general is the right person to file an action in the state Supreme Court but adds, "Whether or not she'll prevail is still problematic because there's no precedent."

Appearing on The Early Show Saturday Edition, Ryan told anchor Chris Wragge, "I think she did the right thing because if Rod Blagojevich won’t go voluntarily, then we have to use every legal means at our disposal to try to remove him."

Under the Illinois Constitution which references the reasons for removing a sitting governor ("If the Governor is unable to serve because of death, conviction on impeachment, failure to qualify, resignation or other disability …"), a question is whether the federal indictment into Blagojevich's alleged attempts to financially benefit from selling a political favor means he is "disabled" from serving in his position as governor.

Ryan said this reading of the law is technical, and remarked, "That's untested, unchartered waters that the attorney general is in right now. We have to wait for the court to decide that. But from a practical standpoint, I think he's incapable of governing. No one trusts him and no one is going to listen to him. He is the antithesis of leadership right now.

"He has to go either voluntarily or we have to force him out," Ryan said.

Ryan said the charges against Blagojevich indicate "reckless" behavior which would taint any decision he makes - whether appointing a successor to Obama, issuing executive orders or spending state money - as a "travesty."

The Associated Press reported that on Saturday, Blagojevich's vehicle was seen parked outside the offices of high-profile defense attorney Ed Genson, whose clients have included newspaper magnate Conrad Black and R&B singer R. Kelly.


Obama Aide Not A Target

In another development, The Chicago Tribune reported that Obama's pick for chief of staff, Rep. Rahm Emanuel, was recorded on government wiretaps speaking with Blagojevich, although the Justice Department said that Emanuel is not a target of the investigation at all.

Emanuel, a Chicago congressman who has long been close to both Blagojevich and Obama, gave Blagojevich's chief of staff a list of Democrats acceptable to Obama to fill the Senate seat, according to the Tribune report. The report did not suggest there was any dealmaking in the conversations, which were captured on court-ordered wiretaps.

In fact, in transcripts released by the Justice Department, Blagojevich complained to chief of staff John Harris that Obama's team was "not willing to give me anything except appreciation. [Expletive deleted] them."

Blagojevich met with a group of ministers on Friday seeking spiritual guidance. He said nothing publicly.

But the stain of the corruption probe is causing discomfort among local politicians and their advisers.

Among them: the person alluded to in the government's criminal complaint as "Senatorial candidate number five," who has been revealed to be Jesse Jackson, Jr. (left). The Chicago congressman is denying a report in the Chicago Tribune suggesting he and his brother were involved with Blagojevich's pay-to-play schemes to auction off Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.

Of his brother's alleged fundraising, Jackson said simply, "He's not authorized to, nor has he ever done it on my behalf and he doesn't have to do it on my behalf."

Citizens of Illinois for Better Government said its members would gather at noon in front of Jackson's Chicago office and call for his resignation.

[blitzder]

Why are democrats so corrupt?
Why?
Posted by EmanuelSpeak.

Right!. And your leader ''Wide Stance'' Larry Craig is still in office til Jan 20th, why not ask him???

[blitzder]

Posted by skuareoff at 04:13 AM : Dec 15, 2008.

Good post, lets put it this way, if there was anything in it to taint Obama, it would have have come out by now.

In the last year and a half, both the vastly experienced and huge manpower of Clinton''s & McCain''s campaign machinery (don''t forget Fox News), who spent millions upon millions to dig up something on Obama, and all they came up with was Rev.Wright and Ayers. Obama is clean.

[prudentvoter]

If Obama has the courage to cleanse his staff and expel Rahm Emanuel it would demonstrate good governance. If however, he white washes the situation and continues on Chicago Style, then we are in for trouble. After Jan 20, Obama will be in charge of the FBI and can have the matter set aside.

[betraid]

Clinton never found those files that went missing, and she was never prosecuted for White Water. Bill is still questioning the meaning of %u201Cis%u201D. Now we got Rahm Emanuel, another sleaze bucket. Looks like we are in for four more years of the old Clinton type trash, Obama Chicago Style.

[intheshade-2009]

Blago resembles that other stalwart ally of the Clinton Regime, the famous tie eating Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia. Well known for his underhand dealings, Saakashvili is a close associate of Hillary Clinton, Madam Albright, George Soros and Henry Kissinger. The Clinton/Obama mob seems to attract crooks like flies to something.

[likenoone-2009]

here is your link Tony Rezko to Patty Blagojevich to
obama and his boneheaded mistake to Rod the pals Tony Rezko Stuart Levine and Nadhmi Auchi I smell a rat

[banders6]

you guys are throwing rocks in glass houses
Posted by nomorerupubs

Yep, diversion, why don''t we talk about another subject that is not CBS''s topic.... maybe Georgia??
BO lied on TV saying "I and no one in my inner circle talked to Blago". Probably no big thing, they should of being pushing their person, but why lie?

[nomorerupubs]

for all of you trying to link Obama to this Blogojevich guy,

you better return to looking for the weapons of mass distruction, you know, the ones saddam use to attack us with on 911.

you guys are throwing rocks in glass houses

and you are especially deranged for supporting your madman in cheif

return to the fetal position you assumed after the election

[banders6]

What did Fox News, the Weekly Standard, of NRO uncover - or are those right wing tabloids "covering for him" too?
Posted by IamHungry68

So if CBS, NBC, ABC, NPR, PBS, and every other MSM reporter is covering up for O''bungler, the bad old FOX is really a bad guy? Even if it''s on tape?

[banders6]

From the above article, "In fact, in transcripts released by the Justice Department, Blagojevich complained to chief of staff John Harris that Obama''s team was "not willing to give me anything except appreciation. [Expletive deleted] them."
Question is what did BO team know what to "not willing to give" to? They must of been ask to give something. I think an earlier post was right, "IL has lost two corrupt politicians, one to jail and the other to the white house", will O''bungler really last four years.

[notopennshut]

He''s not the only character who should be banned from politics. Anyone else associated with any form of bribery and corruption should do the same. As for JJJ trying to get back his "great" name, does he not realize that a drop of poison will destroy the whole pot of soup, and regardless of what he now tries to say or do, the damage has been done. He cannot allow his brother and friends to do a fund-raising for the scum of a governor just a few days ago, and he is totally in the dark about it. Nothing can or should save him now - he is a goner.

[nolalou]

Why are democrats so corrupt?
Why?
Posted by EmanuelSpeak

Why do you assume it''s just Democrats? There are plenty of corrupt politicians in both parties. In fact, the former Governor of Illinois, George Ryan, A Republican is currently in jail for corruption!

[jgunther7]

Maybe if Obama ignores us, we will go away.

[likenoone-2009]

Obama surounded himself with the criminals in chicago
and now you want me to belive that that he knows nothing he see nothing and hears nothing I lived and
work too long in chiago so don''t show me a rat and tell me it''s a sable

[likenoone-2009]

Chicago has always had no bid contracts

[emanuelspeak]

Why are democrats so corrupt?
Why?

[emanuelspeak]

Why are democrats so hateful?
Why?

[emanuelspeak]

His wig is up!

Sorry to bring the people more of the same!
Obama must now walk softly and carry a big stick.

[emanuelspeak]

They found us out!

The gig is up!

Sorry to bring the people more of the same!

[emanuelspeak]

They found us out!