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The decision by Gov. Rod Blagojevich to attend a
Chicago Blackhawks game last Wednesday night instead of remaining at the
Statehouse while the Illinois House defeated his proposed bailout of mass
transit says a lot about the governor on several different levels, none of
it positive. Blagojevich knew that Chicago TV station WBBM
(Channel 2) was planning to air a report that same night about how he is
often a no-show at his state office. As the report confirmed, he prefers to
hang around his house all day. The station’s investigative report was
hard-hitting, but the governor’s attendance at that hockey game made
it a blockbuster piece. The move served to boldly underscore the point that
Blagojevich simply isn’t committed to his job and highlighted his
preference for all things Chicago over his duties in Springfield. There he
was, gleefully chatting with the team’s president while the hopes of
millions of commuters were dashed on the steps of the Illinois House. Oops.
Frustration with the Springfield mess is at an
all-time high in Illinois, and the situation in the Chicago area is the
worst I’ve ever seen. After months of turbulence, which saw the
release of local property-tax bills delayed for weeks because of a fight
between the governor and the House Democrats and then relentless coverage
of never-ending doomsday threats for public transit, voters are hopping
mad, and they want action. Blagojevich left Springfield for Chicago around 6
o’clock last Wednesday evening, knowing that he would likely be at
the game during the floor debate. What kind of insane doofus walks right
into a trap like that? The station knew he’d be at the game, because
the Blackhawks promoted the grand “event.” It’s like he
wanted to
be caught. The governor reportedly told his aides that he felt
that he had to uphold his commitment to the Blackhawks because he’d
promised them that he’d be there. Let that point sink in for a minute. Here’s a guy whose word is completely
untrustworthy in Springfield. He’s broken his promises so many times
that legislators don’t even believe him when he signs contracts
— “memoranda of understanding,” in Statehouse lingo. His
untrustworthiness is one of the more valid reasons for House Speaker
Michael Madigan’s refusal so far to agree to a capital construction
plan. Madigan figures that because of their yearlong feud the governor will
shaft his Democratic members when it comes time to dole out the project
funding, no matter what the governor promises. Considering the
governor’s miserable track record when it comes to keeping his
commitments, who could possibly blame Madigan? But hockey — well, on that topic, Rod
Blagojevich’s word is apparently his bond. Blagojevich can recite the entire starting roster of
the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals. He can tell you the bios of minor-league
players called up by the Chicago Cubs late in the season (I watched him do
it on TV). No doubt about it; the man knows sports inside and out.
He’s a veritable Rain Man when it comes to sports trivia. Yet does anybody think he’s ever even opened a
state budget book? Blagojevich’s inattention to the details of
governance is legendary. Now that he’s been called out on his work
ethic, or lack thereof, we can expect a flashy show of meaningless gestures
designed to demonstrate that he’s “on the job.” Last week
the governor threatened to call daily special sessions until Christmas to
get a transit-funding bill passed. More hocus-pocus-dominocus is
undoubtedly in store.
In the old days, Statehouse denizens grumbled about
being trapped in overtime session during Springfield’s July 4
fireworks display. Mind you, that was back when the General Assembly was
supposed to adjourn on June 30. This past August, I listened to the boom
and pop of the State Fair fireworks when I stepped outside the Senate
chambers for a quick break. Last week I was in the Statehouse to cover the
governor’s 18th special session of 2007 and couldn’t help but
notice that workers were assembling the Capitol Christmas tree. If Blagojevich put half the energy into adult-level
governance as he does into kid games, the General Assembly would have
adjourned in May. On time. We wouldn’t even be thinking about a
Christmas session. This Blackhawks blunder is the perfect analogy.
Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily
political newsletter, and thecapitolfaxblog.com
This article appears in Nov 29 – Dec 5, 2007.
