Stimulus Bill Targets Rod Blagojevich
Jay Allbritton
Contributor
Posted:
01/27/09
One of the myriad of details in the forthcoming 647-page, $825 billion economic stimulus package is the writing off of impeached, yet hilarious, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. According to CNN the bill includes a provision added by the House Appropriations Committee that would withhold funds from the state of Illinois "unless the Legislature directs how it will be spent, or until 'Rod R. Blagojevich no longer holds the office of governor of the state of Illinois.'" As far as Blago not holding the office of Governor anymore, the State of Illinois is way ahead of the House Appropriations Committee on that one. While Blago continued his media tour with an appearance on the Rachel Maddow Show, where he called himself "The anti-Nixon", only his voice made it to his impeachment trial via FBI tapes of the Governor.
Phil Bronstein at Huffington Post, sarcastically argues that Blago shouldn't be impeached, rather, he should be made President. "Governor Blagojevich is the right man for our time," Bronstein wrote, "a winking, brash combination of the 1950s wrestler Gorgeous George, Mickey Rourke, Bernie Madoff, Richard Nixon, Jim and Tammy Faye, the old Richard Daly, and Donald Trump."
Most likely Blago's antics are designed to create value for a run a TV or radio show after he is removed from office and tried if his forthcoming indictment actually happens. Incidentally, there is an open slot on MSNBC.
Blagojevich would need 20 of the 59 Illinois Senators to vote for his acquittal to avoid removal from office, which is not likely for a politician who polled at sub-Cheney levels just last month.
