Obama Says Illinois Gov Should Resign, Deputy Gov Steps Down

by Rob Walker | December 10, 2008 at 12:31 pm

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President-elect Barack Obama thinks beleaguered Governor Rod Blagojevich should resign, after his arrest earlier this week.

While he did state that he should resign, Obama stopped short of demanding it.

Illinois' troubles continued today with the resignation of the deputy governor, Bob Greenlee.

A spokeswoman for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich says one of his top aides has resigned.
Spokeswoman Kelley Quinn on Wednesday said Deputy Gov. Bob Greenlee resigned. The reason for his resignation wasn't immediately clear.

Greenlee's resignation comes a day after Blagojevich was arrested on federal corruption charges.

Illinois' Democrat Governor Rod Blagojevich has been indicted for a wide-ranging criminal conspiracy that includes his attempts to try to sell or trade the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by President-elect Barack Obama.

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lefty_liberated

at 12:37 on December 10th, 2008

He's not quite yet in the position to demand it, I suppose.

dunkelberg

at 13:04 on December 10th, 2008

All "demands" for action, be it resignation, firing or whatever, are pretty pointless and toothless if one has no way of enforcing that demand.

To wit:

"Yes," said Deep Thought. "Life, the Universe, and Everything. There is an answer. But," he added, "I'll have to think about it."

A sudden commotion destroyed the moment: the door flew open and two angry men wearing the coarse faded-blue robes and belts of the Cruxwan University burst into the room, thrusting aside the ineffectual flunkies who tried to bar their way.

"We demand admission!" shouted the younger of the two men elbowing a pretty young secretary in the throat.

"Come on," shouted the older one, "you can't keep us out!" He pushed a junior programmer back through the door.

"We demand that you can't keep us out!" bawled the younger one, though he was now firmly inside the room and no further attempts were being made to stop him.

"Who are you?" said Lunkwill, rising angrily from his seat. "What do you want?"

"I am Majikthise!" announced the older one.

"And I demand that I am Vroomfondel!" shouted the younger one.

Majikthise turned on Vroomfondel. "It's alright," he explained angrily, "you don't need to demand that."

"Alright!" bawled Vroomfondel banging on an nearby desk. "I am Vroomfondel, and that is not a demand, that is a solid fact! What we demand is solid facts!"

"No we don't!" exclaimed Majikthise in irritation. "That is precisely what we don't demand!"

Scarcely pausing for breath, Vroomfondel shouted, "We don't demand solid facts! What we demand is a total absence of solid facts. I demand that I may or may not be Vroomfondel!"

"But who the devil are you?" exclaimed an outraged Fook.

"We," said Majikthise, "are Philosophers."

"Though we may not be," said Vroomfondel waving a warning finger at the programmers.

"Yes we are," insisted Majikthise. "We are quite definitely here as representatives of the Amalgamated Union of Philosophers, Sages, Luminaries and Other Thinking Persons, and we want this machine off, and we want it off now!"

"What's the problem?" said Lunkwill.

"I'll tell you what the problem is mate," said Majikthise, "demarcation, that's the problem!"

"We demand," yelled Vroomfondel, "that demarcation may or may not be the problem!"

"You just let the machines get on with the adding up," warned Majikthise, "and we'll take care of the eternal verities thank you very much. You want to check your legal position you do mate. Under law the Quest for Ultimate Truth is quite clearly the inalienable prerogative of your working thinkers. Any bloody machine goes and actually finds it and we're straight out of a job aren't we? I mean what's the use of our sitting up half the night arguing that there may or may not be a God if this machine only goes and gives us his bleeding phone number the next morning?"

"That's right!" shouted Vroomfondel, "we demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty!"

Albert Milliron

at 18:29 on December 10th, 2008

I see some of the right wing blogs talking about the democratic corruption machine in IL..... Hmm lets see don't they have a Republican Governor in jail right now. Sorry folks, I am a conservative and corruption in IL has no party affiliation. So lets stop with the Left/Right who is more corrupt threads. Lets stick to the news.

dunkelberg

at 07:59 on December 11th, 2008

Where is the partisan argument?

My comment above is a non-partisan rant against empty demands, such as a demand for a governor to resign whether it comes from a president-elect, sitting president, lame-duck president or lame-duck duck.

More peace pipe, please.

jughead

at 17:38 on December 10th, 2008

Opening day 2008 Chicago Cubs. Caught a snapshot of the Illinois governor at the game after he had passed the free ride for seniors on the CTA.

jughead has contributed a photo to this story.

Albert Milliron

at 18:26 on December 10th, 2008

Very good media offering. Thank You for allowing your original work to be showcased here.

Albert Milliron

at 18:25 on December 10th, 2008

Rob,

Thanks for the excellent write-up. It is a shame that Obama has to have questions over his head on his senate election due to this corruption that has been living in IL like mold on the walls for decades.

I would not have asked him to step down. I would use that office as a bargaining chip to gather further information. I am sure PE Obama is aware of that and knew that political expedient thing to do was ask him to step down. I also sure hope that JJ Jr is not implicated. He is Number 5 in the documents. I think the only thing said was that he would raise money for the campaigns. There is nothing criminal about that. Obama also was brought up since , "he wanted play" so the Gov said, "F@#K Him" that ultimately will be good for Obama. The problem comes that His campaign manager said that he had been in communication with the Gov during the campaign. Obama and the campaign manager came out today an said they NEVER spoke or communicated.

edmond lee

at 21:22 on December 10th, 2008

Blagojevich was talking about the outrageous gas prices during the summer of 08. I stopped to shoot some photos of the Governor.
Edmondleeart@yahoo.com

edmond lee has contributed a photo to this story.

dunkelberg

at 10:05 on December 11th, 2008

Apparently, those who can back up a demand to resign are threatening to take action. It appears these are not empty demands for resignation.

As the fallout from Blagojevich's arrest gathered steam, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said Thursday that she was ready to ask the Illinois Supreme Court to declare Blagojevich unable to serve and put in Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn as acting governor.

"I am prepared to take action," Madigan said in an interview on CNN.

"The easiest way for us to move on in the state of Illinois is for Governor Blagojevich to do the right thing for the people and to resign," she said. "Now, it doesn't appear that he has any inclination to do that. Maybe things will change today or tomorrow."

Madigan said she "won't wait terribly long."

The attorney general was among a growing number of Illinois politicians trying to force the governor to step down and to strip him of the power to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Obama. Legislative leaders have called a special session for Monday to authorize a special election.

Wiseguy

at 00:13 on December 12th, 2008

Gov Rod Blagojevich stands outside Wrigley Field in front of the statue of Ernie Banks - September 20th 2008

B Bretz has contributed a photo to this story.

Franrose O. (not verified)

at 01:34 on December 15th, 2008

Normal 0

Presidential election in the United States is now over, President-elect Barack Obama is now narrowing the candidates for his administration. But who among them can be worthy of people’s trust if they assume the position. We all clearly know that politics these days are getting dirtier and dirtier, especially in Illinois. Bad morals will eventually catch up with you. It was payday for Rod Blagojevich who along with his chief of staff John Harris was arrested Tuesday morning on several charges by the FBI. I was shocked to hear that Governor Rod Blagojevich had been arrested as this is the second time in a row that an Illinois governor has been arrested on federal charges. The governor who preceded him was George Ryan who was indicted on federal charges as well. Blagojevich was apparently trying to sell the senate seat being vacated by president elect Barack Obama who resigned from the senate after he won the November 4th election. Apparently, according to Illinois state law, it is the governor's job to fill the seat and governor Blagojevich saw the opportunity to use his power to leverage some additional amenities for himself. According to the news, Blagojevich was hoping to get a substantially higher salary, a position on the board for his wife, a cabinet post and more in exchange for his choice of a senate replacement. Looks like the governor got a little greedy. The FBI apparently has been on to him for awhile as they filed a seventy six page indictment against both Blagojevich and Harris. It was reported that a court ordered wire tap got him on tape last month. The Residents of Illinois will have to wait patiently for the outcome as the governor professed that everything he has said, both in public and in private, has always been lawful. Hopes are high but times look tough for both Blagojevich and his cohort John Harris as they might not get to see their next payday in office.

Click to read more on Blagojevich courtesy of Personal Money Store's Payday Loan News

hansenfotos

at 05:00 on December 19th, 2008

Blagojevich will never just step down. He's way too arrogant and cocky for that. Instead, he will cost Illinois tax payers millions of dollars while he pretends everything is business as usual. It's sad to think that Illinois governors tend to be such a corrupt group of people. I hope Obama can bring some much needed change to this state.