Conservative Rumblings

U.S. Sen. Roland Burris has changed his story again about what happened before ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed him to the Senate, and state Republican leaders said Saturday they want an investigation into whether he perjured himself.

Burris gradually has acknowledged deeper contacts with Blagojevich allies after initially portraying himself as a surprise pick for the controversial seat the former governor is accused of trying to sell.

But Illinois House Republican leaders said they now wonder if Burris purposely deceived the public while under oath last month by not telling a special House impeachment panel that Blagojevich’s brother asked for fundraising help before the now-disgraced ex-governor appointed him.

This is not surprising. Chicago politicians are always connected.

Every one of them.

Foregone conclusion, but still hilarious to see.

Illinois senators stripped Rod Blagojevich of power Thursday in the final act of a political drama filled with twists and turns that will likely end Blagojevich’s political career and hand the reins of state government over to Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn.

Senators voted unanimously to convict Blagojevich, 59-0. The outcome was never in doubt. In fact, Quinn went to the state Capitol earlier in the day in preparation of being sworn in immediately after the vote.

Full story.

Anyone who has watched one of Blago’s recent press conferences knows he’s off his rocker. Quoting British poets, parading homeless people across the stage and vehemently asserting that he got a new liver for a kid that had a kidney problem are only a small glimpse at his lunacy. Add in his most recent declaration of innocence where he spent 10 minutes talking about cowboys and horse thieves, and you have yourself one crazy governor.

Illinois State Rep. Mark Kirk agrees:

Governor Rod Blagojevich could be removed from office by the end of the week.

Some members of the Illinois General Assembly now say the governor’s decision not to present a defense will likely speed up the impeachment trial that begins Monday.

The governor’s recent call for changes to the rules for the proceedings and his media tour have some state lawmakers wondering about his motives.

“He’s gone insane. He has decided that he’s only got a couple of days left in office and he’s gonna go out in a blaze of misguided glory,” said Republican Rep. Mark Kirk of Chicago’s north suburbs.

Of course, if you ask Blagojevich, it’s all one big, crazy conspiracy to remove him from office and raise taxes.

We knew it was coming, now it’s official: our walking effigy of arrogance and corruption has been impeached.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was pushed one step closer to the edge of the cliff Friday when the Illinois House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to impeach him. The 114-1 vote came exactly one month to the day after he was arrested on charges of trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s Senate seat.

Impeachment required just 60 votes. Friday’s decision was unprecedented in Illinois history, and sets the stage for a Senate trial on whether he should be thrown out of office for corruption and abuse of power.

The governor has denied wrongdoing and continues to hold on to office. But lawmakers and officials say the governor has violated the public trust and can no longer perform the duties of his office.

“We need him out and we need him out immediately,” Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White told FOX News after the House vote. “The people of the state of Illinois would benefit from his removal.”

He’s probably going to chain himself to his desk and refuse to physically leave his office…what a sociopath. This should illustrate how disastrously messed up my stupid state is that we elected this lunatic to office in the first place.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich is expected today to name former Illinois Atty. Gen. Roland Burris to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate, despite warnings by Democratic Senate leaders that they would not seat an appointment by the disgraced governor who faces criminal charges of trying to sell the post, sources familiar with the decision said.

Shortly after Obama’s Nov. 4 victory, Burris made known his interest in an appointment to the Senate but was never seriously considered, according to Blagojevich insiders. But in the days following Blagojevich’s arrest, and despite questions over the taint of a Senate appointment, Burris stepped up his efforts to win the governor’s support.

Full story here.

Are you kidding me? He is in the process of being IMPEACHED and he’s going to still attempt to fill the Senate seat? Utterly reprehensible.

Here’s hoping Harry Reid follows through with his promise and refuses to seat the tainted seat if Blago still tries to do it.

There’s no love lost between the Madigans and Blagojevich, and you can bet that they are going to move immediately to deep-six this crook. It’s important that they get this accomplished as soon as possible, because if they don’t get him removed from office and declared unfit, he can still appoint the Senator to replace Obama.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois attorney general has filed a motion with the state’s highest court asking justices to remove scandal-plagued Gov. Rod Blagojevich from office.

Lisa Madigan took the action Friday as pressure on the governor intensified to step down. The motion challenges his fitness to serve and asks that the Supreme Court oust him.

Full story here.

The Feds finally got wise to what we knew for the last few years: Blago is a poster child for corrupt politicians.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested at his North Side home Tuesday morning. His chief of staff John Harris was taken into federal custody as well.

The criminal complaint by the FBI agents said the two had been arrested on federal corruption charges. Each were arrested on two charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery.

Blagojevich and Harris will have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court Tuesday.

The arrest is the latest step in a three-year probe of “pay-to-play politics” in the governor’s administration. A statement by U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said Blagojevich and Harris “allegedly conspired to sell U.S. Senate appointment, engaged in pay-to-play schemes and threatened to withhold state assistance to Tribune Company for Wrigley Field to induce purge of newspaper editorial writers.”

Is anyone surprised?

Something funny I found on Facebook:

Blagojevich Facebook Groups

It really is sad that he got elected again; what’s even sadder is that most of the state wanted him gone…just looking over the Trib’s tallies, Blagojevich scored nearly 70% in urban areas, and barely 30% in rural and suburban areas.

A red state with blue cities, as usual.