Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested and charged by the Feds for numerous (alleged) pay-to-play schemes.
I have tried to inform my colleagues and associates in the greater Washington, DC that Illinois is the most corrupt state in the Union. Mostly people would not believe me and would offer some minor incident that occurred in their home states.
With the news from Tuesday, I rest my case. But what Rod did (allegedly) shocked even me. And I am certain it shocked most Illinoisans. There has always been a quid pro quo mentality in Illinois. Just ask any Chicago resident what they were told when they called up their alderman to have a tree trimmed or some other similar neighborhood task performed by the City. No one in Illinois gets anything for free.
But Rod went beyond what even Illinois residents would tolerate. Rod was elected on a reform platform. He vowed to clean up the mess that was left by George Ryan. Instead, Blago put everything up for sale (allegedly), including Illinois' seat in the U.S. Senate. What the hell was he thinking? This is not some state contract where a contractor throws in a "campaign contribution" after receiving a lucrative deal that arguably has at least some benefit to the citizenry. This is auctioning off a seat for personal gain in an important governing body without regard to the ability of the appointee. Plus, the Rodster had the audacity to try to extort the President-Elect for a cushy position as a Cabinet Secretary, ambassador or private organization director.
What they hell was he thinking? This is a seat in the U.S. Senate! And you know the Feds were investigating you! If there is any time for a governor to do what is in the best interests of the residents of his or her state, this would be it. Try to line your own pockets somewhere else. Do the right thing and appoint the best person for the position.
Rowdy Roddy Blagojevich will get what is coming to him, and I am proud to say that I never voted for him and thought from day one that he was crooked. My advice to him is to resign. He will not be Governor too much longer. Save some face and resign.
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