Chicago Daily Observer

The growing field of 2010 Illinois governor aspirants, with the exception of Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, have a common motto: “I don’t like Mike” – as in Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan. All the candidates want to be the ultimate “tumor remover,” and they don’t want Madigan to impeach Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich before they get their chance to defeat him.
A recent memorandum concerning the possible impeachment of Blagojevich, prepared by the legislative staff of Madigan, stated that “criminal activity” in the Blagojevich Administration has been “proven” and is now a “tumor” on the state’s body politic.
Madigan’s memo further argued that impeachment is feasible, for three reasons:
First, that the ongoing federal investigation into alleged bribes-for-jobs, involving Blagojevich, his wife, and his campaign committee, has “impaired” his ability to govern. The recent plea of Ali Ata, who gave Blagojevich $125,000 in campaign contributions, and got ... Read More...

Will Gov. Blagojevich be indicted? Let’s say that a cursory study of grand jury corruption probes from all 50 states…including those when the U.S. consisted of 48…shows that there has never been an occasion when so many allegations and testimony before federal juries has failed to yield an indictment of a major figure whose name has been so prominently mentioned. That doesn’t mean this couldn’t be the first time—but knowledgeable people say not for attribution that if Blagojevich isn’t nailed, it will be an historic first.

One deciding factor seems to be testimony last week at the Rezko trial by Clyde Robinson, director of investor relations at JER Partners, a private equity, real estate investment management company headquartered in McLean, Virginia which manages private equity real estate funds with clients totaling more than 100 institutional investors including some of the world’s largest public and private pension funds, endowments and ... Read More...

A bipartisan panel of lawmakers wants to hear what Gov. Rod Blagojevich has to say about state government’s finances before it decides whether to approve rules implementing his proposal to expand health-care access.

The panel, known as the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, met Wednesday but postponed until Feb. 26 its consideration of rules dealing with a larger Family Care program. The governor’s desired expansion would add 147,000 Illinoisans to the program, which allows uninsured parents or guardians to qualify for discounted medical treatment.