Rod Blagojevich Impeached by Illinois House

Governor Rod Blagojevich has been impeached by the Illinois State House by a vote of 141 to 1. The matter now goes to the Illinois State Senate where a trial to officially remove Blagojevich from office is expected to take three weeks.

The loan vote in the Illinois State House against impeachment came from Milt Patterson, a Chicago Democrat. Another Chicago Democrat, Elga Jefferies, voted present.

The impeachment of Governor Rod Blagojevich took just a month from his December 9^th, 2008 arrest for, among other things, attempting to sell the Senate seat being vacated by Barack Obama for money or some other consideration to be negotiated. The Governor Rod Blagojevich scandal has rocked both Springfield, the Illinois capital, and Washington and has proven to be a distraction for President Elect Barack Obama.

Governor Rod Blagojevich complicated matters by appointing Roland Burris, a former Illinois Attorney General, for the United States Senate seat being vacated by Barack Obama. So far the United States Senate has refused to seat Roland Burris, citing as a technicality the fact that the Illinois Secretary of State did not sign off on the appointment. Roland Burris is now testifying before an Illinois legislative committee and is maintaining that there has be no quid pro quo for the Senate appointment.

Most observers suggest that Governor Rod Blagojevich will be found guilty by the Illinois State Senate and will be removed from office. Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn would then take office as Governor of Illinois. The first item on his plate will be what to do about Roland Burris.

Roland Burris has been maintaining that he is in fact the duly appointed junior Senator from Illinois. Governor Rod Blagojevich appointed Roland Burris before his impeachment and while he has not yet been indicted for anything. Roland Burris holds the position that whatever Rod Blagojevich has done, he, Roland Burris, is not even under suspicion of wrong doing.

Nevertheless, Senate Democrats have dug in their heels and have so far put up road blocks to the seating of Roland Burris in the Senate. Why they are doing so is not clear, though Rep. Bobby Rush, a prominent African American, has suggested that there is a taste of racism involved.

Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn can do one of two things. He can reappoint Roland Burris, which would settle the problem once and for all. Or he can appoint someone else, which would certainly cause a court battle that could last weeks, if not months. The idea being floated by Illinois Republicans, that the matter be settled by a special election, has virtually no chance as Illinois is a heavily Democratic state and, the way things are going, there is too much of a risk of a Republican becoming junior Senator from Illinois under that scenario.

Source: Gov. Rod Blagojevich impeached by Illinois House, Ray Long and Rick Pearson, LA Times, January 9th, 2009