Dark Clouds Gathering, Evil Now Palpable

7:00 am, 10/1/05

Dark Clouds Gathering, Evil Now Palpable
Even with his archrival for the big chair out of the way, it's been a rough couple weeks for Governor Blagojevich:

In Springfield Wednesday for a ceremony to break ground for Union Square Park at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Blagojevich joked as he grabbed his pointed shovel that he would "use it with the media."

There were a lot of people there who would've liked to get ahold of that shovel themselves:

[Gov. Blagojevich] was scheduled for a 1:30 groundbreaking at Union Square Park, the last leg of the Lincoln Presidential Library complex. But when heavy fog prevented him from traveling to Southern Illinois this morning, he decided the groundbreaking should be moved up at the last minute, so he could go south this afternoon after the fog lifted.

How last minute? The fax announcing the new noon start time for the event arrived at the radio station at 11:30. And the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, which had earlier sent e-mails to members inviting them to the event, had to send out urgent updates to warn them of the noon time. They were hitting e-mail boxes anywhere from 12:02 to 12:11 p.m.

CapitalFax notes that the markets aren't responding well to Blagojevich's decision-making, either:

Shares of Exelon Corp. and Ameren Corp., the owners of the biggest power companies in Illinois, fell again Thursday, a day after Gov. Rod Blagojevich replaced the state's chief utility regulator with consumer advocate Martin Cohen.

Shares of Chicago-based Exelon fell 96 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $53.04, after tumbling 4.3 percent Wednesday. Shares of St. Louis-based Ameren declined $1.06, or 2 percent, to $52.85, after dropping 2.9 percent Wednesday. Both trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

Blago apparently bumped off the former chief regulator so it'd look like he was doing something constructive in his office, rather than playing with one of those executive putter sets all day. Concern about utilities is hilarious, considering that a few years ago a federal judge had to intervene when Blagojevich basically attempted to sell Illinois' entire telephone network to Mayor Daley's brother. On the other hand, maybe he needs the relaxation time, since corruption inquiries have driven him to hire an attorney: Like everyone else who works for him, they bought the job.

A prominent Chicago lawyer with ties to all three Democrats involved in an ongoing state corruption investigation has been named to represent Gov. Rod Blagojevich in the matter.

Since August, attorney Bruce Meckler has represented the Blagojevich administration in a grand jury inquiry of allegations that appointments to state boards and commissions were traded for campaign donations.

Meckler's firm has given nearly $100,000 to Blagojevich's campaign. Last year, Blagojevich appointed Jack Carriglio, one of Meckler's law partners, to a state board--three weeks after getting a $25,000 campaign donation from the firm.

Meckler's firm has also given campaign donations to Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan and Cook County State's Atty. Richard Devine, the officials running the grand jury probe.

...and if he can't buy them, he can buy us!

Governor Rod Blagojevich denies that he has changed his position on government "pork" projects.

Blagojevich is releasing $195 million worth of legislative projects that he froze when he took office. He also is deciding whether to release more of the frozen money.

When he ran for governor, Blagojevich condemned the legislative projects as wasteful. He promised to end the practice of giving lawmakers pots of money to spend as they please.

But today Blagojevich said his complaint was with the way the money was handed out -- not the specific projects that he is now approving.

His problem with the way money was handed out was probably that he had not yet figured out a way to funnel 20% into his campaign fund. That money is about to matter.

Sneed hears Gov. Blagojevich, whose name has surfaced as "Public Official A" in documents relating to a state health pension sandal, is trying to rally 10,000 supporters for a major event Oct. 23 at Finkl & Sons Steel, the plant where his father worked and the site where he announced his first gubernatorial run.

The night of October 23rd is the eve of the full moon. Blagojevich requires the 10,000 souls in order to perform a massive human sacrifice ritual that will unseal the portal to Hell beneath the Finkl & Sons Steel plant, thus fulfilling his blood pact with the Prince of Darkness. Hail Satan!