* The Daily Herald, which editorialized in favor of permanently changing the Illinois Constitution to allow for the recall of elected officials editorializes today against impeaching Gov. Blagojevich, calling the remedy “extreme“…
And try to imagine an impeachment proceeding based on vague grounds. It would be the most hideous political circus in the state capital we’ve seen yet. It would accomplish little more than serve as a distraction lawmakers would love to have to get away from the harder work of actually governing the state. Blagojevich would get a well-deserved pounding from a long and loud impeachment proceeding — even as the axles of our cars would still be getting bent in potholes, public transportation would still be waiting at the station for more funding and our property taxes would still be going up.
Actually, a serious threat of instigating impeachment proceedings might hurry the session along a bit. But, whatever. Daily Herald: Hoplelessly dead recall proposal=Good; Possible remedy of impeachment=Bad.
* Meanwhile, the Champaign News-Gazette is frothing at the mouth in the wake of last week’s vote against recall…
Whether by recall, impeachment, federal indictments or a constitutional convention, this level of disdain by elected officials for the public must not go unanswered.
But their solution can’t be implemented until the next leadership election in January, and probably won’t happen even then…
The real test is whether those Democrats, and others, are willing to offer an alternative leader to Jones and restore some semblance of respect and responsibility to the people and the government of Illinois.
* And the Lake County News-Sun has another idea: Elections…
The Illinois Senate has become a place where democracy is derided to protect the interests of a powerful few, where representative government is mocked and scorned.
So yes, let’s remember this fall that we can still “recall” our elected officials via election.
Problem: Just two Senate Democrats who voted against the recall proposal face a challenger this fall. The rest either aren’t up for reelection, or the Republicans never bothered to slate candidates against them.
So, that won’t work, either.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
* By the way, the Senate has canceled today’s session….
With their former colleague [Barack Obama] vying for votes in neighboring Indiana, the Illinois Senate has called off work today, a move one Republican said is improper given Illinois’ lingering problems.
“I’m not sure that’s an appropriate reason to call off session with only a few short weeks to go, to send your camp over to Indiana to campaign. I don’t think that’s appropriate,” said Illinois Senate Republican leader Frank Watson of downstate Greenville.
The Senate Dems say Obama’s campaign was not the reason they aren’t returning to town until tomorrow, but they pulled the same thing on Ohio’s primary day.