Blago: History-making impeachment no surprise

SPRINGFIELD - Gov. Rod Blagojevich surrounded himself Friday with the sick, poor, elderly, disabled and a crying baby, trying to erect a political human shield around his embattled administration in hopes of thwarting the push to remove him from office.

Earlier Friday, Blagojevich became the first governor in Illinois' sordid political history ever impeached when the House voted 114-1, with one other lawmaker voting "present," to recommend his removal from office. The case now goes to the Senate for a trial later this month. If convicted, the 52-year-old governor could be removed by early next month.

"It is our duty to stop the freak show that has become Illinois government," said state Rep. Jack Franks, a Marengo Democrat who may serve as an impeachment manager in the trial. "We are finally doing what we should have done a long time ago."

In response, Blagojevich trotted out a litany of people he said he'd helped, asking them to share their stories of the medical and financial woe relieved thanks to the governor, often in spite of legislative gridlock if not rejection.

Blagojevich used their stories to paint Illinois House members as petty politicians more interested in themselves than helping the real people of Illinois. In a rapid-fire speech, he rattled off his efforts to expand state-sponsored health care, admitting that when he hit a legislative hurdle, he went around lawmakers rather than work with them and launched the programs and spent taxpayers' dollars anyway.

"My question to you is: Is that an impeachable act?" asked Blagojevich.

The answer from the Illinois House was a resounding "yes."

"He certainly has asked for this," said state Rep. Rosemary Mulligan, a Des Plaines Republican. "And he got it."

Even Blagojevich's good friend and political pal state Rep. Jay Hoffman, a Collinsville Democrat, voted to impeach.

House members said the governor's arrest last month on federal conspiracy charges topped a pattern of abuse stretching back to his first year in office that has rendered him unable to govern and can no longer be tolerated.

The arrest occurred after federal agents, prosecutors say, caught the governor on wiretaps trying to sell off President-elect Barack Obama's remaining two years in the U.S. Senate and shaking down a children's hospital and state contractors for campaign cash.

Lawmakers admit those charges are the "sexy" portions of the impeachment case. But he's also being investigated for hiring and contracting fraud, including cheating veterans out of jobs by skirting preference laws to get his cronies on the state payroll. And the governor spent millions of state tax dollars on pet health care projects and programs that were never approved by lawmakers.

In one case, the governor tried to import foreign flu vaccines without getting federal approval and taxpayers got stuck with the tab for shots that ultimately got sent to Pakistan only to be destroyed because they'd expired.

"This is absolutely as bad as it gets," said House Republican leader Tom Cross of Oswego, saying the governor has turned the state into a national laughingstock and people should be "mad as hell."

At first, Friday's historic vote began with the typical boisterous and often unruly climate of the Illinois House. Within minutes, Speaker Michael Madigan admonished members, and a near-silent, somber mood fell over the palatial chamber where Blagojevich once represented a sliver of Chicago. But on this day, the two-term Chicago Democrat was called a "plague" on the state and repeatedly compared to disgraced President Richard Nixon, whose birthday would have been Friday.

"Here we are on Richard Nixon's birthday and the truth is this governor sounds in many ways a lot like Richard Nixon," said state Rep. Lou Lang, a Skokie Democrat. "Ladies and gentlemen, we deserve better."

After the vote in Springfield, protesters from a group calling itself "Rod Must Resign" demonstrated outside the governor's Chicago office, demanding he step down.

"How much do you charge for a resignation," read one sign.

"If the comb fits, you must impeach," read another.

"Governor, read my wiretaps: Resign. It's bleeping time," said a third.

Chicagoan Scott Cohen, the founder of the group, insisted he is just an everyday, average citizen fed up with the governor.

But many of the protesters were members of United Neighborhood Organization, a Latino advocacy group. Cohen said his publicist, Phillip Molfese, knew the group and asked them to participate.

Cohen said they were protesting "so that he (Blagojevich) would see the average, everyday citizen is now asking him to resign."

Calls for his resignation have come from all corners of Illinois and the nation, from President-elect Obama on down.

But Blagojevich remains adamant that he's done nothing wrong and will not step down.

His afternoon news conference turned into a rant against the Illinois House and he again declared he'll fight to protect his office and innocence.

"I am not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing," Blagojevich said, predicting that he'll be exonerated of all charges.

In his last public appearance, Blagojevich quoted Rudyard Kipling in making his defense. On Friday he turned to another classic poet, Alfred Tennyson, in telling the public he will not "yield."

State Rep. Susana Mendoza, a Chicago Democrat, suggested the governor should begin attributing his defiant lines to 1970s cult separatist Jim Jones, who tried to create his own society before leading a mass suicide.

"We're done drinking the Kool-Aid," said Mendoza.

• Daily Herald staff writers Rob Olmstead, Dan Carden and Nicole Milstead contributed to this report.

ImpeachED: Lawmakers compare Blagojevich to Nixon

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Related documents</h2> <ul class="morePdf"> <li><a href="/pdf/impeachmentreport.pdf">The committee's report </a></li> </ul> <h2>Video</h2> <ul class="video"> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=4&type=video&item=45">Gov. Rod Blagojevich press conference</a></li> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=4&type=video&item=46">Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn press conference</a></li> <li><a href="javascript:void(window.open('http://video.ap.org/?t=By%20Section/U.S.&g=0109dv_blagojevich_latest&f=ILARL','_blank','width=788,height=598,status=1,scrollbars=1,resizable=1'));">Illinois House Impeaches Gov. Rod Blagojevich </a></li> </ul> <h2>Related links</h2> <ul class="moreWeb"> <li><a href="/story/?id=263403">Photo Gallery: Images from Blagojevich's impeachment</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.dailyherald.com/packages/2008/blagojevich/">Daily Herald's complete Blagojevich coverage</a></li> <li> <a href="http://www.ilga.gov/house/committees/reports.asp?CommitteeID=758&GA=95">General Assembly's Special Investigative Committee</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.dailyherald.com/js/swfobject/swfobject.js"></script> <div id="flashcontent"> This text is replaced by the Flash movie. </div> <script type="text/javascript"> var so = new SWFObject("/graphics/impeach/dh_impeachday.swf", "dh_impeachday", "250", "482", "8", "#ffffff"); so.addParam("base", "/dev/tbroderick/dh_impeachday/"); so.write("flashcontent"); </script> </div>