Governor's touch toxic?

SPRINGFIELD - A born campaigner and prolific fundraiser, Gov. Rod Blagojevich finds little demand for his talents these days.

He's the only Democrat twice elected to the governor's office in more than a generation, but no one's inviting him to campaign rallies. His ability to raise money set records for Illinois campaigning, yet now his cash isn't welcome. Even the state's presidential nominee snubbed him from the national convention stage.

From the suburbs to Southern Illinois, Republicans and Democrats alike campaign against him, trying to tie their opponents to the governor in mailers and ads.

"He is kryptonite, man," said state Rep. Jack Franks, a Marengo Democrat and vocal Blagojevich dissident. "The fact of the matter is the governor is toxic."

The governor's spokesman disputes the political spin, claiming the governor remains in demand, out and about and well received.

"He's not radioactive," said spokesman Lucio Guerrero. "People still want to be around him, people still want to shake his hand."

But a check of campaign finance reports finds the governor hasn't helped a legislative candidate in more than two years. "It would be the kiss of death for him to send a campaign contribution, even if someone turned around and sent it right back," said Kent Redfield, a political scientist at the University of Illinois' Springfield campus who tracks Illinois politics and campaign spending.

Just three weeks out from the crucial November elections, Blagojevich took on the tollway, always a sure way to score points with commuting suburbanites. But as he unveiled his idea for green express lanes intended to boost carpooling and hybrid vehicle use, nary a suburban lawmaker shared the stage, although there's no shortage of suburban Democrats in tough races.

Guerrero said there was no reason to include lawmakers since they have nothing to do with tollway operations. He provided a list of events where the governor appeared with lawmakers and other politicians, including a pre-playoffs Cubs rally and touring flooding in Des Plaines.

"We're out more now than he has been in the last year and a half," Guerrero said. "I think his public appearances have increased."

Political observers, however, say his campaign appeal has decreased.

"Who wants to be associated with him?" said veteran Illinois political watcher Paul Green, Roosevelt University's School of Policy Studies director. "He's poison."

"These guys read what's going on. He's a political animal. He knows the story."

The story increasingly resembles that of scandal-plagued predecessor George Ryan in 2000.

That campaign season, in the midst of Ryan's tenure, got so bad the Republican governor went on a trade mission to Mexico just six weeks out from Election Day.

That same summer, Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush, then the Texas governor, briefly campaigned in Illinois alongside Ryan only to have a key Ryan aide indicted and Bush peppered with questions about whether Texas motorists were safe from the Illinois truckers who'd bribed their way to licenses under Ryan's watch.

It quickly put an end to Bush's appearances with Ryan, who's now in prison from the resulting corruption investigation.

"George in 2000 had some bad poll numbers," said Dennis Culloton, Ryan's former press secretary. "But the numbers we're seeing now for the incumbent (Blagojevich) are even worse."

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