SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Gov. Rod Blagojevich was thrown out of office Thursday without a single lawmaker coming to his defense, brought down by a government-for-sale scandal that stretched from Chicago to Capitol Hill and turned the foul-mouthed politician into a national punchline.
Blagojevich, accused of trying to sell Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat, becomes the first U.S. governor in more than 20 years to be removed by impeachment.
After a four-day trial, the Illinois Senate voted 59-0 to convict him of abuse of power, automatically ousting the second-term Democrat. In a second, identical vote, lawmakers further barred Blagojevich from ever holding public office in the state again.
"He failed the test of character. He is beneath the dignity of the state of Illinois. He is no longer worthy to be our governor," said Sen. Matt Murphy, a Republican from suburban Chicago.
Blagojevich's troubles are not over. Federal prosecutors are drawing up an indictment against him on corruption charges...
Question: what made this guy so special, as far as corruption goes? Is the real difference mostly that he was more of a blatant asshole about it than, well, *koff* a bunch of government officials who somehow managed to avoid impeachment?
Not that I don't think he deserves it, I hasten to add. Just: wow, he's special, isn't he...
Maybe it's the hair.
2 comments:
He sure is. Funniest thing though, I gotta tell you- I live in Chicago, and on one of the daily papers, there's a picture of Blago with simply the words "Epic Fail."
I totally died. I want it framed.
My friend who blogs under Eyebrows McGee commented (I think not in her blog, so I can't link) that given how many Illinois governors have done time in prison, it's a really impressive trick for Blago to be the first one they've ever impeached.
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