Question about Rob Blagojevich (D-IL)

Has he really gone downhill, or is it just phony media (like FAUX news) making him look bad?

If it's the former, what's an IL Dem voter to do? :shrug:

His initial reaction to Gov. Ryan's moratorium on the death penalty was to reverse it. I don't know if he actually did, though.

He did sign legislation that protected the LGBT community from employment and housing discrimination, but I suspect thats more a product of the Democrats regaining control of the legislature.

What's an IL Demo voter to do? Hope the GOP nominates someone as hapless as Jim Ryan or Alan Keyes.

was the right thing to do. But this wouldn't surprise me from Blagojevich . . . I've never much liked the man.

I totally supported the moratorium and was supremely disappointed when I heard his reaction.

And, yes, there is a phony media problem, as well.

I think he mostly got elected because the republican party in IL screwed the pooch so badly with George Ryan. Gov. Blowdryavich (I couldn't resist) has done some good things for the state, I believe -- and specifically in providing health care for kids. (That said, I can't think of anything else off the top of my head.) And I do think the state is full of mean-spirited, sore loser republicans who will say anything, do anything to try to get back in power (sort of like the rest of the nation, I guess...). The candidates that the repubs want to run for gov are a joke...Judy Baar Topinka? Sheesh. She was the one who was responsible for bringing in Alan Keyes for the senate race...

Here's some stuff I have found on Gov. Elvis:

- he has avoided raising taxes while leading the state out of a $5 billion budget hole left by Republicans, who nearly four years ago gave him the keys to a government in "complete and utter meltdown."
- he had raised the minimum wage, boosted school funding, provided health care to all Illinois children, preserved abortion laws, imposed higher graduation standards on high school students and not raised taxes on the middle class.
- he's got some baggage about awarding contracts to favorites, but that's pretty much business as usual in IL.

his daddy-in-law suggested in public that he was ashamed of how sonny was selling public offices for $40k in campaign donations, after sonny cancelled some pet projects of daddy-in-law. my thought is that he started in office already downhill, and simply made things worse. He seems to be good at that.

Bloggo does not need Faux to make himself look bad. He does fine on his own. but for the truly underworldly reptilian GOPers who are running in the primary to run against him, he would have no chance. As it is, one brave democrat has already signed up to run against him in the primary. A retired former aldercritter from Chicago. Unfunded, honest, nice guy. I will probably vote for him. Bloggo has over $25 million in funds, some of which he plans to use for a run at the presidency in 2008.

If he makes it to be a serious presidential candidate, kiss our country, our party, our values and our future goodbye. There is only one person who truly believes that he is qualified as president. His mirror. But not to worry, he visits it often, so he has that going for him.

I suspect that CHicago will vote for him only to keep the reptiles and even worse thieves out. But, despite having the judiciary, both houses and the governorship, he has managed to less than any other governor in my recollection. His most recent ploys, drug imports, flu vaccine, skuling for kids, and more - it was nothing he could not have done two or three years ago. No, he saved it for the campaign, in one of the most blatant, cold and manipulative campaign efforts imaginable.

Yes, he will win, but no, he is not loved. to the contrary. We have his number, and we tried to leave it at the bar, crumpled and tossed in the ashtray. The jerk superglued it, though and we can't seem to get rid of him.

he is a liar and fraud. The ethics office he set up for citizens to report unethical behaviors in public offices is a joke. His Attorney General has/had a worker who called and threatened me...THREATENED ME...if I didn't "back off" things were going to get really bad.

I didn't back off and they did exact their pound of flesh. If I had to do it all over again, I would because those bastards work for ME, I voted for him, I pay his wage!

Most here don't know me but I know Blago for the lying fraud he is!

Jenn

the way he has systematically destroyed talented people (who honorably served both parties - no - who served the public with distinction and without crime) and replaced them with hacks who will have bars on their windows in the near future, has been unbelievable. State services have suffered by every measure as a result.

You hit it on the head. A fraud he is. Except in his own mind.

for the acknowledgment. As an aside, did you know there is asbestos in a local corrections center and when an inmate brought that fact up, he was told to shut up because if it is known, they will shut it (the facility) down?

Blago condones this stuff...and Walker rubberstamps it :mad:

Jenn

What kind of democrat cuts education funding?

Some great programs that benefited students here have been scrapped because the U of I is the first victim of Blago's budget. I guess we aren't Chicago enough for him :eyes:

I'll vote for him over the Repuke, but I'm NOT a fan.

You cannot pour money into every cause as a politician. He inherited massive amounts of debt from the crook that preceded him--just as **'s successor will. That's the new MO for republicans, run up the tab and leave it for the Democrats. Let the Dems take the heat for responsible bugeting.

but the University of Illinois budget was slaughtered. This wasn't the place to cut funding.

...Practically every newspaper in the state has serious issues with him.

After campaigning as a "reformer" who would reverse the corruption that was the heart and sould of former Gov. Ryan's administration, he sadly looks to be much of the "same ol' same ol" for Illinois...in other words, the state capitol is not Springfield, it's Chicago. Actually, just a small portion of Chicago at that. In fact, shortly after taking office, Blagojevich declared that he would govern Illinois from his Chicago office. After all, his wife and kids were there...why should he have to spend time in Springfield?

That was the WRONG response in a state where for decades the voters south of Joliet have felt disenfranchised.

His most recent budget contains a lot of smoke and mirrors (and partly screws teacher's pension, I'm told by teacher-friends), and doesn't begin to address the the bleed of manufacturing jobs from Illinois, coupled with the high tax rate the state imposes on businesses, driving manufacturing out. And after years of lead poisoning being a serious issue, it was Obama that finally got Illinois moving again on this problem, not Gov. Rod (yes, it's ROD, not Rob).

I could go on...but a little Googling will lead you to much more...there is a great deal of Democrat disappointment in Blagojevich. Edwin Eisendrath has a very good shot at unseating him in the primary.

That's probably the only way to keep a Dem in the governor's mansion, regardless of whether it's Blowdryavich or Eisendrath... Judy Baar Topinka is just scary. And she's got Birkett running with her...

after being an independent for many years. She is scary!

of corruption. And you are right , but Blagojevich not only screwed teachers he screwed students too!

He's pretty much Chicago through-and-through, and I mean that in the "rampant corruption and cronyism" sense. He also deigns to govern the state not from the capital city of Springfield, but from Chicago, lest he dirty his pressed suits with the grime of the farms and factories of downstate.

He's also gutted the budget of the University of Illinois, the state's flagship public university, and forced students like me to pay more and more in fees for fewer and fewer programs and services. Thanks, Rod. I thought it was Republicans who hated institutions of higher learning?

He's done two good things: a) the kids' health care bill and b) a law guaranteeing women the right to have their prescription filled at ANY pharmacy. I will doubtless vote for him over the Repuke. But he's far from good for the state, IMO.

The same people who are complaining about him cutting funding for programs now would have been the first to jump on the bandwagon to complain about higher taxes if he had raised them to pay for the programs. People are funny.

Don

http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/politics/13918757.htm

Foes criticize Blagojevich on budget but offer few details

CHRISTOPHER WILLS

Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Gov. Rod Blagojevich's political foes are quick to criticize his handling of the state budget crisis, but they're in no hurry to provide details about what they would do differently.

Massive budget deficits have dominated Blagojevich's three years in office, forcing him to scramble for ways to fill the gap without breaking his promise to hold income and sales taxes flat.

His Republican opponents unanimously condemn the Democratic governor's policy of increasing hundreds of fees and special taxes, and they promise to try to roll back some or all of them. They don't talk, however, about how to replace that lost revenue.

"We will reduce or eliminate entirely those programs that are unnecessary and uneconomical," Jim Oberweis replied to an Associated Press questionnaire.

Blagojevich's opponents also accuse him of shortchanging state pension systems but fall silent when asked where they will find the billions of dollars that will someday come due.

And Blagojevich is damned any way he turns.

As mentioned in this thread, the Governor is not perfect. Also mentioned, the Governor has done some good things for Illinois. One of the biggest complaints would be living in Chicago rather than Springfield.

I really hope that (DIEBOLD) will be a fair trade in Illinois for a Chicago address! Oh I know, we still have Jesse, but if you put a Republican in the Governors mansion, you most likely in the future will get a Republican sec of state.

If Diebold counts the votes in Florida, Ohio, California and Illinois well hello my fellow Republicans!!!!!!!!!!!