Suburban lawmakers say Blago indictment shows why he had to go
SPRINGFIELD - Suburban lawmakers weren't surprised by the federal indictment against former governor Rod Blagojevich, saying the latest action by prosecutors validates his removal from office and adding they're grateful he is gone.
"I am pleased that the indictment came through," said state Rep. Suzi Bassi, a Palatine Republican. "It was interesting that apparently one of the pieces that they said was new factual evidence is that Blagojevich had decided to continue to use his office even after one of the indictments came down for personal profit, which is exactly what we were saying in the impeachment trial itself."
The indictment, however, is not a trial and state Sen. Dan Duffy, a Lake Barrington Republican, said it is great, but not enough.
"I think it is just another step to validate the impeachment. Once the trial takes place and once we see what happens with the trial and the end results, that will finally validate the impeachment process and that we made the right decision," Duffy said.
In a statement following his indictment, Blagojevich proclaimed his innocence. He's said the impeachment and ouster were a political conspiracy to get him out so lawmakers could raise taxes.
State Rep. Rosemary Mulligan, a Des Plaines Republican, said she looks forward to the trial so the people of Illinois can put this behind them.
"I think they've got more on Blagojevich than they got (former Gov. George) Ryan on. Blagojevich was so arrogant about Ryan and how he was going to be squeaky clean," she said.
State Rep. JoAnn Osmond, an Antioch Republican, believes that if he had not been removed from office before the indictment, the legislature would have to remove him now.
"I think that we would have to go through the whole process we went through earlier. We would have to get him out of office," she said.
Since the impeachment, lawmakers face trying to plug a nearly $12 billion budget hole. This week, members did agree, after years of stalemate, to pass the initial phase of a construction spending plan that'll invest roughly $3 billion in state money in roadwork.
Legislators said this never would have happened if Blagojevich were still in office.
Sullivan said the legislative process would not be working without the impeachment.
"It was already at a standstill at the time when he was charged. If he was still in office right now, nothing would be getting done," said Mundelein Republican state Rep. Ed Sullivan. "We wouldn't be talking about a capital bill and putting jobs out there. We would be at an absolute standstill."
Lake Barrington's Duffy agreed.
"If he was still here, all this bipartisan work wouldn't be happening. We are moving forward, and I think it is a great thing he is out of the way," Duffy said.
Some lawmakers didn't even want to think where the state would be had they not removed Blagojevich.
"Oh dear God! We are in enough trouble right now. If he were still here, I can't even imagine. This man was so incompetent and self-centered and so oblivious to the problems of the people of the state, I don't know where we'd be at," said Palatine Rep. Bassi.
"I think it would be worse. I think our state would probably go bankrupt," said Rep. Jack Franks, a Marengo Democrat. "We would be laying off thousands of people and closing lots of state entities. We needed to remove him from office. He was a cancer. He was ineffective, he led us really to the abyss."