Politics

New Effort To Impeach Blagojevich

SPRINGFIELD (CBS) ― There was a renewed effort Wednesday night to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

State Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo) said the governor lacks leadership for ordering lawmakers back to Springfield next week to balance the overdue state budget when Blagojevich has the power to balance the budget on his own.

"He won't compromise. He threatens layoffs and cuts to social programs … It's just a game to him. ... He won't make hard choices."

The governor has brushed aside any talk of impeachment. "I think it's a sideshow and ridiculous and I think they need to do the right thing and pass their revenue so they can have a balanced budget, which is a constitutional requirement," Blagojevich said Wednesday.

Franks wants to form a special House committee as early as next week to determine whether there's enough evidence to bring articles of impeachment against the governor.

It's not the first time Blagojevich's political rivals have suggested impeachment. Last month, House Speaker Michael Madigan, the powerful head of the state Democratic Party and Blagojevich's main nemesis, circulated talking points to Democratic legislative candidates on how and why to call for impeachment hearings.

Specifically, it suggests excising "a tumor."

"Criminal activity in the Blagojevich administration is no longer theoretical -- it is proven," Madigan's memo says. "The first step to cleaning up the mess and getting the state back on track may be to remove the governor from office."

The governor's aides downplay impeachment talk, saying it's merely an effort by Madigan to distract people from his role as a spoiler on key issues, including a state construction program.

Fighting between Blagojevich and Madigan over the state budget and related issues have led to two long stalemates at the state Capitol and a lawsuit over special sessions. Madigan, in fact, refuses to meet with the two-term governor for any reason.

An Illinois governor has never faced impeachment. Lawmakers considered impeaching a state Supreme Court justice a decade ago but didn't follow through. Legislative researchers could only find one impeachment proceeding against a judge in the 1830s, which ended with no conviction.

Illinois lawmakers have complete discretion to decide what merits impeachment. If the House votes to impeach, a trial would follow in the state Senate.

Impeachment talk started among several House Democrats after allegations that Blagojevich had discussed a state board chairmanship with a top donor. The trial resulted in another Blagojevich donor and friend, Antoin "Tony" Rezko, being convicted on 16 of 24 counts of government corruption.

Blagojevich has not been charged with any wrongdoing and denies the allegations.

Republicans largely have stayed on the sidelines. They want Democrats to damage themselves with infighting but also want to accomplish key policy goals such as getting a new statewide construction program approved.

Blagojevich argues Madigan is using the memo to divert criticism of his own leadership flaws.

"It's time for the speaker to join the rest of the legislative leaders who have been working with the governor to pass a capital bill that will put thousands of people to work," Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said.

Madigan's spokesman and some allies insist the memo is not a statement of where the speaker stands but rather an aid for candidates who might need to answer questions on the issue.

Still, Madigan has done nothing to quell impeachment talk in the House, where Democrats have 67 of 118 votes. It would take 60 votes for the House to move forward with impeachment proceedings.

CBS 2 Political Producer Ed Marshall and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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