9/26/2006

Governor Rod Blagojevich's worsening ethical problems

Brendan Miniter writes about Blagojevich's worsening ethical problems at Opinionjournal's political diary:

On several occasions Gov. Blagojevich does a double take and asks for questions to be repeated as one reporter after another grills him on the details of what's becoming a damaging new ethical scandal. The details are known thanks to Chicago Tribune reporter John Chase: In September 2003, Gov. Blagojevich accepted a $1,500 check from a family friend, Michael Ascaridis, shortly before helping that friend's wife land a $45,000-a-year state job. The wife previously had flunked the civil service exam, and the governor now admits instructing his chief of staff to help find her a place anyway. Gov. Blagojevich also neglected to report the check on his annual disclosure forms until the FBI began snooping around his financials this summer. He defended the error by saying the check had been a gift for one daughter's christening or another daughter's seventh birthday, he wasn't sure which. . . . .

Ms. Topinka remains a serious contender because Mr. Blagojevich has been unable to push himself across the 50% threshold. His job approval rating is anemic and with some 12% of the electorate undecided on who to vote for this November, Ms. Topinka would stitch together a narrow victory if Mr. Blagojevich continues to flounder in explaining what for many voters will be a very simple story: A friend of the governor cut a check and then his wife landed a state job.

2 Comments:

Blogger saturdaynightspecial said...

The NRA and the Illinois State Rifle Association endorse Judy Topinka. She runs on a return to balanced budget spending ("...we need to learn to live within our means.") She is grandma age and a successful mom of a law school graduate serving in the army.

Rod: did you ever smoke marijuana ? "yes but I never inhaled it."

Rod: did you ever accept a gift in exchange for giving a friend a job in the State of Illinois? "No, I merely gave a job to my best friend's wife."
Rod: Did the friend ever give your tiny daughter a $1500.00 check for a birthday gift? "Yes, we do that...we exchange gifts between our children."
Rod: did this occur two weeks before you gave your friend's wife a job ? "Well no, yes it did."

Blagoyavich is in favor of an assault weapons ban. He's an excellent mudslinger, especially when it comes to telling the public Topinka is insensitive towards children. She's never been accused of corruption by the feds, only by Blagoyavich.

9/26/2006 3:29 PM  
Blogger wrangler5 said...

I fear there will be at least five hundred more dead who vote in Chicago than Blago will actually need to keep his job.

9/29/2006 1:35 AM  

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