Free Will Classic

9:58 pm, 4/23/04

Blagojevich: "God hath smote Utica, as he smote Soddom and Gommorah before you."


Examples of the tornado carnage in Utica. (Via CBS 2 Chicago)
What is it with liberals and mind-boggling gaffes this year? Yesterday, I referred to Blagojevich paying a visit to the damage in Utica, and giving an absurd little speech. This was replayed on CNN, and even caused the anchors there to look at each other in awe of our Governor. (Not in a good way.)

You can witness his speech for yourself by clicking here to view the video clip in it's entirety. However, I want to draw your attention to a few specific comments.

"This is a very humbling experience because it reminds all of us that, in the final analysis, God has a purpose for all things. This was an act of God."

This may be the worst opening to a comfort-speech in the history of American politics. I'm sure he meant to appeal to what he regards as their quaint, amusing, rural ways, as he often tries with us down here, but it came off as an implicationt that God desired the destruction of Utica for some reason. He then provides that reason:

"I would ask, if I could, that we all... not only take inspiration, but act according to what our responsibilities are, and that is to be better to our friends, our neighbors, our families, our loved ones, and to serve our community more."

God destroyed Utica because the residents don't play nice and share, so be nicer in the future.

"The Illinois Emergency Management Agency has been here from the... the moment the tornado struck."

Blagojevich even showing up is an improvement.

"This is a... a disaster."

Without you, we never would've found the right word. Thank you. You are truly a... the great communicator, Rod.

"As I said, it's a humbling thing to see. I had this experience last year, during the summer, when we visited some of the other parts of Illinois that were victims to tornados."

Yeah, it was nice of you to mosey on down here when you finally made the time because the region was ready to issue a fatwah after you called the destruction "not important enough". Couldn't get around to mentioning it by name, either, could you?

"It's a reminder of how... how precious life is, and how short and uncertain it is. A reminder, too, that we have to spend it as well as we can. That precious and short period of time we get... on Earth... we need to always remind ourselves of our responsibilities to help others."

Who's this "we", anyway, white mobster? Blagojevich has set a great example of public-minded service by donating $445 of his $300,000 income to charity and shutting down orphanages. Perhaps his sense of community service comes in not stealing from the collection plate at church, which, presumably, is outside of Illinois, forcing him to fly there on a state aircraft on the taxpayer's dime every Sunday.

Can you return a Governor without a receipt?