New Year. Same old political bickering?

SPRINGFIELD -- It was just a year ago that Gov. Rod Blagojevich was sworn in for a second term, telling a crowd of friends and supporters that the time was ripe for action on health care, school funding and other major issues.

A year later one of those friends -- Chris Kelly -- has been indicted on federal tax evasion charges stemming from alleged illegal gambling. Another Blagojevich political insider -- Antoin Rezko -- has been indicted for his role in a shakedown scheme involving state contracts and investments. Sources knowledgeable of the investigation have identified Blagojevich as being involved, an allegation the governor steadfastly refutes.

Meanwhile, the agenda he outlined at his January 2007 inauguration is largely mired in political mistrust as his relationship with lawmakers has become increasingly hostile and litigious.

In recent months the governor has gone to court to try to force lawmakers to show up at the Capitol and approve his policies. However, if they don't, he's done what he wants regardless, prompting more lawsuits.

So much for that unity candle he and other state leaders lit prior to being sworn in last year. Clearly it's not been the smoothest of years for the Chicago Democrat, but headed into 2008 he offers no apologies or regrets for how things played out.

"This session was the longest in history and brought to light some major policy differences among decision-makers in Springfield," spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch said. "But while it was a long and difficult year in the capitol, clearly it resulted in some good things for people."

Rausch pointed to Blagojevich's ongoing efforts to expand health care and school funding, tough new power plant pollution regulations and the recently completed Dan Ryan reconstruction and tollway's I-355 South expansion.

Just last week the governor said in the spirit of compromise and to avoid a mass transit meltdown, he was abandoning his avowed opposition to raising the income or sales tax. He said he'd sign a bailout that relies on higher sales taxes across Chicagoland if lawmakers agreed to let senior citizens ride for free.

But even that move was greeted with snarky praise from House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat and the governor's political rival, who wanted to "congratulate the governor on breaking his campaign promise."

Throughout 2007 the governor was hounded by a burgeoning federal investigation, repeatedly stymied by lawmakers and shut out in his attempt to raise business taxes to finance health care.

He heads into 2008 facing more and more questions about not only his style, but his ability to get things done.

"It's been the most disastrous year in recent Illinois political history," said state Sen. Bill Peterson, a Long Grove Republican who's been in the General Assembly since 1983.

It's not just Republicans voicing criticism.

State Rep. Fred Crespo, a Hoffman Estates Democrat, said Blagojevich won a second term convincing voters he'd bring people together.

"I think people are just frustrated and he hasn't met the expectations," Crespo said.

Frustration was the common theme among suburban lawmakers' reflections on 2007, which saw months of overtime session costing taxpayers more than $1 million and a running tally of 19 special sessions that didn't produce a final state budget deal until the state's budget year was half over.

"Boy, there are so many words that come to mind to describe this past year and very few of them are positive," said state Rep. Elaine Nekritz, a Northbrook Democrat. "It's been embarrassing, it's been a debacle. What else could I use to describe it?"

Few lawmakers, however, expect things to improve, in part because legislative leaders appear to have dug in their heels. House Republican leader Tom Cross of Oswego recently told the Daily Herald personality clashes had doomed progress on key issues.

"I see this going on for the next couple years. I don't see the will on those who are fighting to stop," Cross said.

Others say the federal probes and controversy are taking a toll on the governor, who's not been charged with any wrongdoing.

Many have seen it before during George Ryan's years in the governor's office. Ryan came in as the consummate dealmaker only to see his political muscle wither as a federal probe made its way up his ranks. Ryan's final year in office was marked by lawmakers citing a lack of trust in rejecting a budget deal he'd helped broker.

"You cannot run the governor's office when you are in a bunker mentality, running from the U.S. attorney, the FBI and the media, all at the same time," said state Sen. Kirk Dillard, a Hinsdale Republican.

State Sen. Terry Link, a Waukegan Democrat, disagreed, saying the federal probes are not an issue. He said if the governor and legislative leaders would start talking, great things could still be accomplished.

"They've got to speak to one another," Link said.

But the halls of the Capitol are filled with skepticism after a wearisome 2007.

Political observer Paul Green suggested the governor incorporate plot twists from the 1980s primetime soap Dallas.

"Governor Blagojevich should pull a Bobby Ewing and just forget 2007 ever happened because it was a disaster. It was just a terrible year," said Green, the director of Roosevelt University's School of Policy Studies.

For those too young or never inspired by Dallas, Bobby Ewing was killed off in one season and the show went on without him. When the actor who played Bobby later decided to return, the entire season in which Bobby was dead was written off as a nightmare and the show picked up as if it had never happened.

"It was all a dream. Simply forget 2007," Green said. "It never happened."