The Capitol Fax Blog » Impeachment memo: Aspects that could hurt Dem candidates

Impeachment memo: Aspects that could hurt Dem candidates

Wednesday, Jun 11, 2008

* As mentioned below, the impeachment memo was ostensibly drafted for House Dem candidate Emily McAsey. The Sun-Times notes this today…

At least one Madigan-backed candidate, Emily McAsey, has incorporated some of the exact language contained in the memo into her campaign material, using some of it as direct quotes attributable to herself.

* But there are several passages that could cause trouble for McAsey and others. For instance, this passage from the Q&A section…

Are you doing this at Mike Madigan’s behest?

This has nothing to do with Mike Madigan. I’m doing this because, after carefully considering the facts and thinking about what is in the best interests of the state, I am convinced that it is the best course and now is an appropriate time. As far as I now, the Speaker has been resistant to the idea of impeachment.

So, neither Madigan nor his staff has had any involvement with you or preparing you to make this announcement?

I am calling for the House to begin impeachment proceedings because I believe that it’s the right thing to do. I’ve researched the issue on my own and after careful consideration believed that now is the right time to do it.

* And then there’s this…

Are you just doing this to benefit Lisa Madigan’s goal to become governor?

[Note: Don’t repeat her name or get into a discussion about her future political plans. This matter has nothing whatsoever to with that, and the ine-of-succession is to the Lt. Gov.]

I’m doing this because there’s a problem. This has nothing to do with furthering anyone else’s ambitions. In any case, were the governor to be removed from office, it is Pat Quinn who would become governor.

Do these and perhaps other passages make impeachment a potentially dangerous campaign issue for House Democratic candidates? Can it backfire? Explain.

- posted by Rich Miller

20 Comments

- Rob_N - Wednesday, Jun 11, 08 @ 9:23 am:
For the one candidate that copied + pasted and got caught — it’s an embarassment. I don’t think it’s a long-term problem.

For the other candidates (esp. known recruits), they can now point to the memo and use it as a foil against both Blago and Madigan (to show independence).

MJM’s authorship becomes a moot point.

- Romeoville D - Wednesday, Jun 11, 08 @ 9:25 am:
Well at least we now know that Emily McAsey aspires to be just another Madigan rubber stamp. Good for you Emily, way to be an independent thinker.

- He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint - Wednesday, Jun 11, 08 @ 9:25 am:
It could backfire. The points above show Madigan just getting things ready for Lisa

If I was a GOP Candidate, I would use this letter to show that the Dem cannot think on their own and will just be a puppett with MJM moving the strings.

- Bill Baar - Wednesday, Jun 11, 08 @ 9:27 am:
It could make problems for Democrats all over the ticket… whether MJM would consider that a backfire or not is the question.

There may be quite a few Dems MJM is quite happy to cause problems for.

- Rob_N - Wednesday, Jun 11, 08 @ 9:27 am:
Romeoville proves my points. ;)

- ChampaignDweller - Wednesday, Jun 11, 08 @ 9:33 am:
It’s not a major problem since this governor’s approval ratings are near single digits. I would guess those continuing to support him without question are in more trouble, except in those district where there is no competition for them, like Emil Jones.

- zatoichi - Wednesday, Jun 11, 08 @ 9:37 am:
Groups use talking points in hundreds of situation to get their message out and make it easier for members to crank out documents, so this is nothing new. It is always your choice to use them or not. It would be nice if the candidates at least came up with their own words for public statements. Waiting for the photo op where B and M make nice with the memo as a backdrop. This is just one more item in the ongoing love fest between these camps. Not the first and surely not the last, just a little more blatant since it has “accidentally” popped up and has been added to the general discussion as a summary of issues that is easy to find. Sure will make those leader budget meetings fun.

- bored now - Wednesday, Jun 11, 08 @ 9:41 am:
i understand people trying to force fit this story into their own pre-existing notions, but it’s hard to see how running against an unpopular governor is ever a bad thing. one only need refer back to one of rich’s old columns:

A new statewide poll has found that 59 percent of Illinois registered voters want the Illinois Legislature to begin impeachment hearings against Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

[…]

Just 29.6 percent of registered voters opposed holding impeachment hearings, while 38 percent strongly supported holding hearings and 20.5 percent “somewhat supported” the idea.

Even a plurality of Democrats supports holding impeachment hearings. Democratic voters said they supported the idea by a margin of 49.4 percent to 41.5 percent. Independents overwhelmingly like the proposal, backing it 63 to 24.

talking about impeachment tells voters that the candidate is independent of blago. most voters don’t have a clue who madigan is (sorry, folks). it’s hard to see how this is a bad thing for democratic candidates, as long as the guv’s appearance in the news is related to rezko, corruption and federal investigations.

plus, what is the governor going to do now? raise money (like he promised for those candidates like toni ashmore to run against a madigan ally) and run negatives ads against them? if he couldn’t get it done in the democratic primaries, he sure won’t be a factor in the general election.

backfire? the only way it could backfire on democratic candidates is if the pope suddenly declared rod a saint. we should all be able to agree that this isn’t going to happen…

- Bill Baar - Wednesday, Jun 11, 08 @ 9:44 am:
Bored… you don’t think a desperate Blagojevich would start telling some stories of his own?

There’s potential big backfire right there….

- Vote Quimby! - Wednesday, Jun 11, 08 @ 9:49 am:
===most voters don’t have a clue who madigan is (sorry, folks).===

This may be often overlooked by those not involved daily in state government: at least downstate, the few people who know who Mike Madigan is don’t really know much about him. His public perception is similar to Mr. Burns from The Simpsons. Certainly by design….he’s merely setting the stage for Lisa (Madigan, not Simpson).

- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jun 11, 08 @ 9:52 am:
I doubt it. Are GOP candidates going to defend Blago?

- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jun 11, 08 @ 10:04 am:
This is the point in the impeachment conversation this morning where stupid comments start pouring out of computers.

We have been seeing a slow motion train wreck of an administration. Voters are aware of the legal problems Blagojevich faces. They are also aware of the stalemate in Springfield. They are aware of the personal partisanships, the fingerpointing, the bloviating, etc. After years of witnessing this, the voters understand the bedrock reasons we are discussing impeachment.

The politics of the situation are unavoidable, yet the caution that we have seen in dealing with the ongoing Blagojevich crisis should resonate well with citizens. Today’s impeachment discussions are not a knee-jerk reaction to a contemporary political opportunity, but a thoughtful reaction to a drawn out, and seemingly endless Purgatory. No one has jumped Blagojevich without warnings. The Governor’s legal bills indicate a multi-million dollar realization of his situation. The last guy who should be surprised by impeachment is Rod Blagojevich.

There are those of us who, like Monday morning quarterbacks, focus on how a specific player erred causing the last minute touchdown or game-winning field goal. These bloggers will look at our situation today and endlessly debate political minutia, “what ifs?” scenarios, and partisan conspiracies over political power. They somehow believe that Rod Blagojevich was done in by a trivial or unfair event that would go unnoticed if produced by another.

Then there are those of us who recognize that being governor is one of the highest honors a democracy can bestow on one of it’s citizens. We recognize the power, prestige, and importance that can be harnessed behind it’s Office. When we discover that one of it’s occupants corrupts the Office for their own short-term political benefit, we are obligated to remove that occupant.

Impeaching Blagojevich is part of the cleansing reform the office needs now. Allowing him to remain unquestioned or unchallenged diminishes us all. If you want good governors in our future, you must dispense with the bad one we face today.

- Dirt Guy - Wednesday, Jun 11, 08 @ 11:06 am:
Thank you VanillaMan. A lot of the comments posted here show many cannot see the forest for the trees. Just ignore your party affiliation for a moment and ask yourself “Is Illinois better off than it was 5 years ago?” It is not. Why is it this way? Because of the Guv.

- Legal Eagle - Wednesday, Jun 11, 08 @ 11:08 am:
This reminds voters that one-party government does not work - either in Springfield or in Washington. People expecting an Obama/Dem landslide in Illinois should be cautious - do the voters also want to reward the party that has given us Blago, Stroger, Jones, and unlimited corruption? So far the inept GOP in Illinois has not capitalized on this feeling. We’ll see, GOP needs to get away from government meddling in gas prices, and going into debt to fund public works projects. Not very classic Republicanpositions !

- Captain America - Wednesday, Jun 11, 08 @ 11:15 am:
Frankly, I think attacking Blago politically is a winning strategy that can save Democrats from a serious backlash when the Governor is eventually indicted. The Republican Party saw no evil, spoke no evil,and heard no evil about Geroge Ryan unitl he was indicted.

Blago created a groundswell for recall and impeachment by irrational in-your-face tactics and at least several extraconstitutional actions. However, incompetent performance is not an impaechable offense. When push comes to shove and he is indicted, Blago won’t have any political friends or allies left. The public would like to be rid of Blago ASAP!

- Loop Lady - Wednesday, Jun 11, 08 @ 11:57 am:
The big drawback for me has nothing to do with Blago, but the Dems must gauge the blowback to Obama’s candidacy by the RNC…guilt by association with Rezko in the pokey is the norm for many folks…they will exploit this to the max should the Gov be impeached…careful boys and girls…Rod is worthy of this diminishment…it’s definitely a crapshoot as to how this will play out in the state and national levels this year…

- Loop Lady - Wednesday, Jun 11, 08 @ 11:59 am:
BTW, Mike Madigan may be setting the stage for Pat Quinn, not Lisa Madigan…in my opinion she needs to lie low should the Guv be impeached for at least a couple of years …

- Louis G. Atsaves - Wednesday, Jun 11, 08 @ 12:02 pm:
Dirt Guy, is it only because of the Governor that Illinois is not better off than it was 5 years ago? And mind you I am not about to defend this governor’s actions. But he has had numerous enablers and defenders these past five + years.

What about the rest of the Democratic majority in the Legislature along with the statewide elected officials? Their performance over the last two sessions was pathetic. And pathetic is a polite word. Very few of them have expressed any angry rebukes of the governor and the entire system which is broken.

And now because of a memo they will have the talking points to speak in unison over the situation?

Removing one person will not instantly repair the entire system. The enablers have got to go too. They all voted for the guy. They all endorsed the guy. They all campaigned with him or worked on his campaigns.

The memo is clearly a buffer to avoid that “beep, beep, beep” sound you hear of a truck backing up.

Rich Miller has it right. Loyalty comes with a price at times. With the GOP it was Ryan (Statewide) and now Bush (Nationwide). With the Democrats (Statewide) it is Blagojevich.

- L.S. - Wednesday, Jun 11, 08 @ 12:59 pm:
outside the dome, this doesn’t have legs. Its not exaclty news that candidates get talking points. And I’d love to see whcih GOP candidate will come running to the defense of a governor that is under federal investigation and is disliked by 7 out of 10 voters.

Oh- and Romeoville D - when in the time that Hassert has been Tom Cross’s lacky has he shown an ounce of independance???

- some former legislative intern - Wednesday, Jun 11, 08 @ 9:03 pm:
whoever leaked this one, oh boy

Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.