Calls for Governor's Resignation Intensify
By Peter Slevin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, December 12, 2008
CHICAGO, Dec. 11 -- Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich remained silent and out of sight Thursday, a pariah in his own state, as the drama he created swirled ever faster around him.
Beyond the state office building where he reported for work, Democratic lawmakers vowed to impeach him if he does not soon quit.
Across town, the Illinois attorney general mulled a court battle to declare him unfit to serve, and President-elect Barack Obama said directly that it is time for Blagojevich to go.
In Washington, Senate Democrats called on him to resign to allow an early appointment of a Democratic successor for Obama's old seat while the national Republican Party offered its own solution.
"Everyone in our state is hopeful that the governor will resign or step aside," Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn (D) said in an interview. "If he fails to do that, it will provoke an ordeal of impeachment. It will be an ordeal for him, his family and the people of Illinois."
Quinn, who has not spoken with Blagojevich since August 2007, would become governor if Blagojevich stepped down or were removed. Quinn would also inherit the authority to name Obama's successor, something four Illinois House members want to hasten.
Skeptical that Blagojevich -- charged Tuesday with two felony public corruption counts -- will resign, they pushed impeachment, writing to colleagues that a budget crisis and the U.S. Senate vacancy make this "the most extreme of circumstances."
The alternative is a special election, which would require legislation and Blagojevich's signature. As some Democrats see it, the election would delay the seating of an Obama successor and create a chance, however unlikely, for a Republican upset.
Republican National Committee Chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan declared Thursday that a special election would be the fairest way to replace Obama, because "voters should have the final word."
As the maneuvering intensified, Blagojevich gave no hint of his plans. Top statewide officeholders said they could not predict his next move.
State business requiring the governor's signature remained stalled as policymakers and staff members waited for word of Blagojevich's next move. If he does not resign by Monday, lawmakers will meet in an emergency session in Springfield to address impeachment and the need to fill the Senate seat.
State Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) has assigned attorneys to explore a request to the Illinois Supreme Court that Blagojevich be declared unfit to govern, temporarily or permanently.
"It is absolutely clear that the governor is incapable of governing," Madigan said, citing FBI transcripts of Blagojevich discussing schemes to profit from his official duties, including the appointment of Obama's successor. "Who knows what he'll do? He could actually appoint himself."
Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) has said the Senate will not seat anyone appointed by Blagojevich.
As Blagojevich's ordeal captured imaginations and delighted comedy writers around the country, President Bush sent word through his spokesperson that the governor's alleged behavior was "astounding."
Obama said he wants a "quick resolution." The president-elect also said he has had no conversations with Blagojevich or his office about the vacant Senate seat, even when a close friend and adviser, Valerie Jarrett, was considered a contender.
Obama said he would "gather all the facts" about staff contacts between the transition office and the governor's office and release details to the public "in the next few days." But he is "absolutely certain" that his transition staff "had no involvement in any deal-making around my Senate seat."
State Rep. John Fritchey, who once campaigned alongside Blagojevich, was one of the four Democrats who said the impeachment and conviction of Blagojevich would be the most sure and efficient way to remove him. He said the governor could be removed in a matter of weeks, while a special election would take at least several months and cost as much as $50 million.
Fritchey called Blagojevich's removal "our most desirable outcome. That being said, because of the sense of uncertainty, we have to have all of our options available to us, including the special election."
Illinois state law gives the governor the sole power to appoint a new senator. Changing the law, as the Springfield leadership has vowed, would require the governor's signature, and that could prove troublesome. He would have 60 days to sign it, veto it or send it back to lawmakers for changes.
Republicans, meanwhile, have been warming to the idea of an election that might give them an unexpected chance for an upset. Although Democrats outnumber Republicans and operate a far stronger party in Illinois, state and national GOP leaders began a push for an election.
"It is ludicrous to talk about anyone appointing the next United States Senator," state Sen. Christine Radogno, the incoming Republican leader, said in a statement Thursday night. "There is no way that an appointment process can be free from the stench of this corrupt Administration."
The Wall Street Journal reported that Blagojevich, who repeatedly complained of financial hardship on secretly recorded FBI tapes, owes the law firm of Winston & Strawn $500,000 for personal or campaign legal work.
As some skeptics asked whether Blagojevich's actions were little more than political favors granted in the ordinary course of business, one experienced defense attorney called the alleged crimes serious and clear.
"What makes it a crime is that he is essentially soliciting a payoff and he is defrauding the citizens of Illinois of their right to his honest services," said Thomas C. Green, a Washington-based criminal defense lawyer. "I don't think anyone would regard this as everyday politics in Chicago or anywhere else."
Staff writers Kari Lydersen in Chicago and Dan Eggen in Washington contributed to this report.
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