Illinois attorney general goes to court on governor
By spalladino
@spalladino (17891)
United States
December 12, 2008 11:51am CST
When you refuse to leave office gracefully.....
[i](CNN) -- Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has filed a motion with the state Supreme Court about Gov. Rod Blagojevich's "inability" to do his job, Madigan spokeswoman Robin Ziegler said Friday.
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested this week on federal corruption charges.
Madigan will hold a news conference Friday about the matter, her office said.
Madigan said Thursday that stepping down is the "right thing" for Blagojevich to do.
She added, "If he fails to, the two other options are obviously the Legislature moving forward on impeachment, or I have the opportunity to actually go to our Illinois Supreme Court and ask them to declare basically that our governor is unable to serve," she said.
In that case, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn would become acting governor, she said.
Madigan had said she wouldn't wait "terribly long" to take action. [/i]
The complete story can be found here:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/12/blagojevich/index.html
Anyone taking bets as to what he's going to do now? 
1 person likes this
3 responses
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
12 Dec 08
I'm really glad I don't live in Illinois right now. Sticky mess they have indeed.
The one thing the governor has on his side right now is time and he knows this. The legislative process is leangthy and impeachment is but one step in the removal process. The AG can go to the supreme court but, though she seems convinced otherwise, the constitutionality of doing so is in question and the only perscribed remedy is therough the legislature, it is not even certain the state supreme court will be willing to take it up. The federal supreme court can do nothing as there is no authority given to them, the state takes precedent here. Obviously congress and the president can do nothing, as again, the state takes precedence and there is no authortiy given.
So lets say the governor continues to refuse to step down, the state supreme court rules and they impose a restraining order on his authority (which is what the AG has said she would first seek) or they rule him disabled or unable to serve. If he chooses to ignore this, what then? And then there is the possibility, remember the governor has time on hs side, that he could continue to refuse to step down, and as protests and unrest begins, as often happens when people get mad at "the man", he could use this as an excuse to impliment martial law, as was done in times of civil unrest and states of emergency, activate the state and national guard, and presto, you now have an unremovable man.
He still runs the state police, he still is commander in chief of the state and national guard, he remains in office untill he is officialy arrested and is out of the way for the legislature to replace.
1 person likes this
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
12 Dec 08
I'm glad I don't live there either. Chicago politics has always been rough...unlike here in Florida where our governor (and his tan) will be getting married this evening. 
1 person likes this
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
13 Dec 08
The only thing missing in this case is the cross dressing boyfriend of the governor's. This guy is unreal and I can't believe he still can show up to work every day. I personally would crawl away with my tail between my legs 
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
13 Dec 08
I sure wish they could get him out of office immediately but I guess that's not going to happen. It's unbelievable that in this country someone can't be removed from power immediately when they're accused of this kind of criminal activity.
My money is on him refusing to leave until they have to drag him out by his hair with both him and his wife cursing up a storm on the way out!
Annie
