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Central Illinois Gazette

Is impeachment talk practical or political?

Posted by: Tom Kacich

Thursday, May 1, 2008 10:28 AM

In case you didn't see my column Wednesday, here's a bit of what I and some local legislators had to say about the possibility of impeaching Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

It's among the most intriguing topics being discussed in Springfield, and not just because Blagojevich is so unpopular. It's also so rare, so extreme that I just can't imagine it happening.

But I think I felt that way about Nixon in 1974 too.

"The idea of impeaching Rod Blagojevich is as appealing today as it was three years ago, and even more justifiable. But realistically, its chances of success are as remote as George McGovern's were 36 years ago [--] and not because the Illinois Constitution is silent about what is an impeachable offense. (State Rep. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, has an interesting theory. He notes that a governor, under the Constitution, can remove one of his appointees for 'incompetence, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office.' Presumably, Rose said, those could be grounds for removing a governor as well).

"Plenty of legislators, Democrats and Republicans, are openly discussing impeaching Blagojevich. There's little political risk in doing so. He's so unpopular with the public, particularly downstate, that it's beneficial to be seen as a foe of the governor, even among Democrats.

"And last week's guilty plea by Lemont businessman Ali Ata, who said he got a $127,000 state job after giving the Blagojevich re-election campaign $50,000, has weakened Blagojevich's standing even more.

"'I found all of that very disturbing,' said Sen. Mike Frerichs, D-Champaign. 'Selling a state job would seem to me to be an impeachable offense.'

And yet Republicans in the Illinois House, where the impeachment process would begin, think it probably would be a waste of money and time because an article of impeachment would run into a wall in the Senate, where Blagojevich ally Emil Jones presides. Further, some Republicans think a move to impeach Blagojevich would cost them; they'd be blamed for ignoring other state issues while prosecuting the Democratic governor.

"'I would vote to impeach him,' said state Rep. Shane Cultra, R-Onarga, 'although I would want to listen to the arguments. But I think it's a moot point. I don't think Emil Jones would ever let it happen.'

"Rose said he believes Blagojevich could have been impeached last year for being essentially missing in action during most of the legislative process.

"'Last summer you had a guy who didn't show up for work for six months. That's dereliction of duty. That's an impeachable offense,' Rose said. 'And if Emil Jones would give this a fair vote, I would have filed a motion to do it yesterday. Or last summer.

"'But I think it would just be a waste of the taxpayers' money,' he said. 'That is very much at the forefront of my calculus. It would be much toil and trouble for no good outcome.'

"Rep. Bill Black, the deputy minority leader in the House, agrees that Jones would not permit an impeachment trial in the Senate (where, incidentally, it would take at least 39 votes to convict).

"'I don't see President Jones giving anyone the option of bashing his friend in the Senate,' the Danville Republican said.

"And Black thinks Republicans promoting impeachment would be playing into the hands of the wily Speaker of the House, Michael Madigan.

"'For the Republicans to do this, to protest and yell and pursue this agenda, that would mean that nothing else would get done for six, nine, 10 working days,' he said. 'Then who do you think gets blamed when nothing else gets done?

"'We would have to be very, very careful. As I recall, the Republicans in Congress didn't come out real well after Bill Clinton's impeachment.'

"Black said Republicans run the risk of being sucked into an impeachment effort, then finding minimal Democratic support. And a House impeachment would take at least 60 votes, requiring at least eight Democrats.

"'I don't see an upside,' Black said, 'unless we can do a really good job of counting noses and predicting what the Senate would do. It's very possible that the impeachment supporters would get out front, get them into a real no-man's land and then turn around and see that there's no one behind them.'

"In fact, area Republicans seem to agree with state Rep. Naomi Jakobsson, D-Urbana, who said she believes the Legislature should let federal prosecutors continue what is an obvious and ongoing investigation of the Blagojevich administration.

"'Some of the things he has done have been baffling, even vindictive and obviously politically motivated,' she said. 'But impeachment is really very serious and not something to be taken lightly.'

"'I think we'd be better off letting the federal government continue its investigation before we did anything,' Jakobsson said.

I suspect that's how most legislators will view the idea of impeachment: leave Blagojevich's future to the nearly inevitable indictment from the feds.

Maybe that's best; they do have plenty of other work to do, especially since we seem to be operating without a governor.