Light The Edgar-Signal
Meow.

As he officially folded his bid for governor at the Illinois State Fair on Thursday, U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood urged Republicans still in the race to save their venom for Gov. Blagojevich and refrain from attacking one another.

"We need to end that kind of campaigning," the Peoria congressman said. "We are not going to be able to come together if Republicans trash one another."

The unity lasted a little more than 17 minutes.

That was when Aurora dairy owner Jim Oberweis took to the podium and unloaded on top party official Bob Kjellander over the millions of dollars in consulting fees Kjellander has made with the Democrats in control of state government.

"You cannot serve two masters," Oberweis lectured to Kjellander. "You cannot serve the Republican Party while serving the Democratic Party. So Bob, I'd ask you on behalf of the good of the Republican Party to step down and to do it soon."

Oberweis' move drew a smattering of applause from the sparse crowd of GOP faithful as Kjellander sat, his fingers knitted together, alternately shaking his head, grinning, scowling and looking up to the sky. When Oberweis returned to his seat, Kjellander glared, his eyes following every step.

"He's clearly the candidate of [conservative activist] Jack Roeser, and his campaign manager was Jack Roeser's executive director, who spent the 2002 campaign chasing [GOP gubernatorial hopeful] Jim Ryan around in a chicken suit, so what would you expect?" [Kjellander said].

That's not a figure of speech: Wiegand really did dress up like a chicken to accuse Ryan of cowering out of debates. I like Jim, and Kjellander should step down, but for crying out loud. On the other hand, Governor Blagojevich is accusing potential lead candidate Judy Baar Topinko of being, well, just like him:

Gov. Rod Blagojevich has criticized State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka for voting to award a lucrative state pension contract to a firm with ties to a GOP businessman who still owes the state $27.5 million on a hotel construction loan.

Yes, Rod, we all know Topinka is probably almost as corrupt as you are. Thank you.

Nothing, however, can deter the Blagojevich Defense League:

"It's never been better to be a Democrat in Springfield, Illinois," proclaimed Mayor Tim Davlin at the afternoon rally on the director's lawn at the fair.

"We've got a lot to celebrate," said U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, another speaker at the rally.

He included "an outstanding governor that has led us to make sure Democratic values are at the forefront." Despite disagreements, Obama said, "we are all on the same page."

Well, now we know what Democratic values are, I guess.

"I think what you've seen are some intramural skirmishes that have taken place down in Springfield because that's the nature of politics, and lot of times these issues are difficult," Obama told reporters. "But I don't think you've ever seen anybody who thinks that a Republican governor would do a better job than our Democratic governor" in meeting the needs of constituents.

Catch John Bradley in a private moment.

"There's probably not a Democrat in this room who hasn't had differences with me," Blagojevich acknowledged. "I plead guilty."

But he said the differences have been in means, not ends, because Democrats "believe that government can (be) a vehicle to help people. ... Let's be proud to be the party that cares about the hard-working people of this state."

It's helped to put huge numbers of the hard-working people of this state out of work, way behind the rest of the national economy, as far as I can tell.

Blagojevich maintained that he's bipartisan to the point that if Republican Abraham Lincoln were alive today, he'd vote for him.

...I'd like to see an exact quote on that one, because I'm wondering if Blago claimed he'd vote for Lincoln, or that Lincoln would vote for him.

Even Comptroller Dan Hynes came out, despite having to refuse to cut checks to stop the state from blowing millions on Blagojevich's ridiculous grandstanding for flu shots. Despite not having officially "decided" if he's running, Blagojevich is already pulling his staffers off the state payroll to formally take pay from his campaign fund.

Only one man can save us now.

They picture him as a serious-minded alternative to Blagojevich and his fun-loving image - Ward Cleaver to Blagojevich's Beaver. They dream of a candidate with the political skills to win four major races and a record of guiding the state through a budget crisis.

Edgar is seriously considering it this time, motivated in part by what he considers the Democratic governor's mismanagement. He said ordinary citizens, as well as party insiders, insist the state needs him again.

Illinois Republicans have endured one disaster after another since Edgar declined to run in 1998 for a third term.

The long list of Republicans interested in the governor's office is dominated by relative unknowns who have never won a major office, let alone beaten an incumbent Democrat armed with millions of campaign dollars in a Democrat-leaning state.

Edgar hasn't either. But he did win two races for secretary of state and two for governor. Political insiders say polls show he remains popular and trusted.

Yes, he does, and if he decides to run, a decision he may not make until December, the rest of the party had better get the hell out of the way. The major problem in Illinois conservative politics is infighting, and once everyone gets their feelings hurt, they just stay home on election day. This is too important for that idiocy.

How Do You Say His Name?
President Bush meets Governor Blurponedich:

"Somebody said His Honor may be here. There he is," Bush said, pointing at Daley from the lectern. The president called him a great mayor and said he was proud Daley was there.

"Let me just say," Bush added, "you want him on your side."

Yeah, you wouldn't wanna wake up in anybody's trunk...

But when it came time to nod to the governor, the president wasn't so smooth. He stumbled over Blagojevich's name, getting it on the third try.

"In fairness to President Bush," the governor said later, "he's from Texas and you gotta think there aren't a lot of Blagojevichs down in Texas." A quick search of the Internet site whitepages.com turned up zero.

Actually, there's aren't any listed in Illinois either, and only 8 in the United States as a whole. I can only assume they started getting unlisted numbers.

Of course, you could always buy one of my pronounciation guide t-shirts, which have been moving like hotcakes this week for some reason.

Dear Rod
We're all campaign contributors, now!

Gov. Rod Blagojevich spent nearly $10,000 in taxpayer funds to send a letter touting his health-care record for the poor to nearly a quarter of a million people who are receiving state-subsidized medical benefits.

The letter, printed on governor's office stationery, prompted Republican critics to accuse the first-term Democrat of using a state mailing list of benefit recipients to promote his prospective re-election campaign.

The letter was sent at the end of July to recipients of medical benefits under the state's KidCare and FamilyCare programs, which provide health care to the working poor who qualify based on income.

"There is nothing more important than making sure that you and your family can see a doctor whenever you need to," Blagojevich wrote in the letter. "That's why I've worked with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to make health care my top priority these last two years."

Since becoming governor, moves by Blagojevich have added more than 310,000 people to the state's Medicaid program that provides health care to the indigent. Another 56,000 people are expected to be added this budget year through the FamilyCare program.

Yes, and as more and more Illinoisans become indigent under the crushing weight of Blagojevich's failed economic strategy, enrollment will continue to increase, further burdening our already bankrupt state. In fact, we're already there:

Watson echoed some Republicans exploring a run for governor who have criticized the Blagojevich administration for choosing to expand government-subsidized health care at a time when the state is under severe financial pressures. The state's cash-flow situation has resulted in a delay of several months in payments to medical providers to the poor.

Then we wonder why doctors don't want to work here. Way to go, Rod. An "achievement" would be for Illinoisans to be becoming prosperous enough to get off the dole. Of course, as Abby Ottenhoff explains, to say such a thing clearly means that we must hate babies:

Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said "it's hard to imagine how anyone who truly cared about helping working parents succeed could oppose efforts to make sure they know how to obtain health care for themselves and their children."

Ottenhoff disputed the criticism that the letter was a political tool to help Blagojevich, calling such a rationale a "very cynical view of the role of government." She said letters were sent to 236,800 recipients at a cost of $9,500.

Ottenhoff said the letter was aimed at informing KidCare and FamilyCare enrollees about "new options" for health care available to them, although the only such reference in the missive was Blagojevich noting that recipients can visit "the doctor, the eye doctor, the dentist, the hospital, the pharmacy ..."

She also said the letter was aimed at encouraging current enrollees to encourage others to sign up for the program.

"Health care really relies on word-of-mouth referrals. People ask friends and neighbors about doctors, about medications or clinics or facilities," Ottenhoff said. Asked why the letters were sent under Blagojevich's name rather than under the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Ottenhoff said, "When a letter arrives from the governor, a person is more likely to pay attention to it."

Definitely: I've gotten so many ridiculous "letters from the Governor" lately, what with his name plastered over everything the state prints, that I feel like I have a pen pal. Maybe I should start writing back.

The Check Is In The Mail
Remember when a few of Blago's buddies were dragged out of bed by FBI agents? Turns out, federal prison is a powerful catalyst for reform:

Illinois politicians are scurrying to distance themselves from a series of corruption indictments leveled by federal prosecutors.

Levine, Joseph Cari and Steven Loren were indicted last week in connection with attempting to arrange kickbacks with companies doing business with a state pension fund for retired Illinois teachers.

"Any money associated with any of these federal investigations, she's going to give it to charity," said David Loveday, a campaign spokesman for Topinka, who received $12,000 from Levine between 2001 and 2003.

Rauschenberger is donating $2,000 he received from Levine to charity, said campaign spokesman Dan Proft.

Blagojevich campaign spokesman Pete Giangreco said Cari and Loren contributed $24,500 to the governor, who is returning the money.

Levine contributed $4,267 to Blagojevich. Giangreco said the governor is awaiting the outcome of the case against Levine before deciding whether to give back the cash.

I love it, Levine gets off the hook, and Giangreco gets to use a line like "They never proved nothin' about nobody."

The most entertaining response, however, has to be the explanation given by LaHood:

U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood, a Peoria Republican who is considering a bid for governor, said he returned a $1,000 contribution from Levine, but the refund check was never cashed. After the May indictment was announced, he tried again to return the money.

LaHood's original decision to return the contribution wasn't based on the recent indictments. Rather, Levine had asked for LaHood's help as a member of the appropriations committee in getting some land transferred for a veterans' hospital.

Soon after a meeting occurred between the two, a campaign contribution from Levine arrived.

"Anything like that, Ray will return the check," said LaHood spokesman Tim Butler.

Guy's a regular boy scout.

Mob Rule
Alright! Let's shut this joint down!

Building on his long-standing commitment to protect workers' rights and improve conditions for working men and women across the state, Governor Rod R. Blagojevich recently signed legislation that broadens picketing rights for labor unions and other workers involved in labor disputes with their employers.

"His long-standing commitment to protect workers' rights and improve conditions for working men and women across the state?" The Salem Times Commoner editor who allowed a statement that loaded to get into the article should be docked a paycheck. Can you imagine the fury if it said "building on President Bush's glowing record as a unifying figure in national politics"?

House Bill 1480 allows people involved in labor disputes to picket, post temporary signs, park vehicles and set up tents or other temporary shelter areas for the picketers on public rights of way without having to require a permit. Currently cities, which are often employers with whom unions might have labor disputes, sometimes use public safety issues to suppress a union's right to picket during a dispute, according to a press release issued by the governor's office.

...A public right of way is defined as a portion of a highway or street next to a roadway for accommodating stopped vehicles or for emergency use, that portion of a street between the curb lines, or the lateral lines of a roadway and the adjacent property lines.

Remember: Slow down when driving in a no-work zone.

Human Weather Vane's Reality To Be Altered
It's on:

Republican Steve Rauschenberger is looking for a good housekeeper.

He joked Wednesday that if he's elected as the state's top executive, his first order of business will be to have the governor's mansion cleaned.

"I don't think anybody's been living there for three and a half years," he said, referring to Gov. Rod Blagojevich's decision to live in Chicago instead of Springfield.

"Gov. Blagojevich has declared war on middle class families," Rauschenberger said. "And it's time we fight back."

Rauschenberger said his commitment to Southern Illinois is focusing on the need for medical malpractice reform, but he stopped short of addressing other issues. He said he has the willingness to learn more about [Southern Illinois].

Rauschenberger became the latest Republican to formally launch a campaign Tuesday. He also had harsh words for Blagojevich, calling him a "political chameleon" and "another in the long line of human weather vanes who seek political power to exercise for his personal benefit." Rauschenberger said in his announcement speech. "Well, the policy wonk from Elgin is going to alter Rod Blagojevich's reality in this race."

Blagojevich campaign spokesman Pete Giangreco said Rauschenberger opposed measures to help the middle class, such as raising the minimum wage and providing health care for thousands of families.

"If he's a champion for the middle class, the middle class is in deep trouble," Giangreco said.

The minimum wage hike was one of the most rapidly and startlingly destructive moves I've ever seen in Illinois politics. Businesses closed so fast (dumping their employees out on the curb) that I actually had to find new restaurants to eat lunch at the same week it was announced. Giangreco can't even see the irony: The middle class is in deep trouble in Illinois. Now.

Blagojevich won't decide whether to run for re-election until late this year, he added.

Wouldn't that just be a dream. Somebody buy the man a train ticket to Wisconsin and see if he takes the hint.

Audience With the Blagfather
In what may be the least startling headline in Chicago Tribune history, it turns out that "Blagojevich supporters get work from state".

At a fundraising party for Gov. Rod Blagojevich inside the Field Museum in June, a select group of donors were ushered past the dinosaur skeletons and behind a black curtain to meet personally with the governor.

Those who were secreted away had qualified for the special access by giving Blagojevich at least $10,000, sizable contributions that helped fill the governor's campaign coffers to unprecedented levels for an anticipated re-election run next year.

As it turned out, more than a quarter of those who qualified for the private meeting have also done business with the state since he took office, according to a Tribune analysis of campaign disclosure records released this week. Those big donors have done--or have been approved to do--more than $1.3 billion in state business during Blagojevich's first term in office.

Hey, you know how it is: On days like this, he must grant any request.

In raising $4.7 million during the first half of this year, Blagojevich received $10,000 or more from about 170 individuals, companies and unions, the records show. Campaign officials say most of that money was raised at the Field Museum event, where the minimum donation was $1,000.

Aides to the governor say politics and money are carefully separated from the official business of running the state.

Blagojevich campaign spokesman Pete Giangreco said Thursday that while the governor did receive some money from state contractors during the first six months of the year, "the vast majority of our contributors have no state contracts."

That's because they didn't donate enough. If this is their idea of "careful seperation", I can only assume that without that seperation, the mafia would be selling state contracts from a cart on Maxwell Street.

He also said that most of the potential rivals running for the Republican nomination also received donations from state contractors.

...and half of them are crooked, too. Who is Giangreco kidding here?

"This is a system that the Republicans put into place and the governor hopes to reform and change the system to limit the contributions with campaign finance reform." Giangreco said.

Whatever. Giangreco should bear in mind that the last Republican to "rock the system" the way Blagojevich has been is halfway into a prison cell. In other news, Governor Sportsman vetoes three pro-gun bills:

One bill called for elimination of an Illinois State Police database that tracks firearms purchases.

Another piece of legislation would have eliminated the waiting period for gun owners trading in firearms.

A third bill would have overridden local laws regulating the transport of firearms.

Blagojevich says vetoing the measures better protects families and communities.

Yeah, forget what those crazy "legislators" had to say: It's not like they're closer to actual families and communities or anything.

Hey Rod, if you already have a gun to trade in, what's the point of a waiting period?

Plus, our flu shot stash expired Monday, meaning Blago's grand publicity stunt cost us $2.5 million bucks. Keep rocking that system, Corruptevich.

What do you do, Rod, what do you do?
Oh, this makes me feel better.

Republicans hoping to unseat Gov. Rod Blagojevich in 2006 got some sobering news Monday: If all eight Republicans running for governor or considering a run pooled their campaign cash, they would still trail Blagojevich by at least $5 million in the fund-raising sweepstakes.

Worse yet, that's just the campaign money we know about. Much of this comes from out-of-state, like his fundraising trips to California, likely including the infamous Blagojespeed incident, when Governor Schwarzenegger planted a bomb on the bottom of Blagojevich's limo which would explode if he went slower than 55 miles per hour. (This is the only possible justification for why the Governor's security detail brought a convoy of state police vehicles along and closed roads in somebody else's state so our fearless leader could blast through redlight intersections.)

I think I should live in Colorado instead:

The Colorado Democratic Party had less than $16,000 in the bank at the end of June, thanks to sluggish donations and strict campaign finance laws. Some Democrats claim the party couldn't meet its payroll...

It's probably because potential donors gave all their money to Blagojevich.

First Blood
Liberal Chicago slumlord Ron Gidwitz has just begun his television ad campaign, making it possibly the earliest start date for a gubernatorial ad campaign in Illinois history.

"He has not run for office before, so it's important we introduce him to voters and share his vision to restore leadership, fiscal discipline and credibility into our governor's mansion," said Terri Hickey, Gidwitz' spokeswoman.

Gidwitz also could be looking to blunt recent negative publicity over a low-income housing complex that he partially owns in Joliet.

Sorry, partial slumlord. Now, I saw one of these ads about 20 minutes ago, and it didn't introduce Gidwitz for crap. Basically, it was just some incriminating Blago soundbites, which, in fairness, Blagojevich's own words usually make a pretty compelling case against him.

The ad package includes a 30-second TV spot in which the 60-year-old candidate criticizes Gov. Rod Blagojevich for his "broken promise" to reform the state's pension system. Gidwitz says: "I've succeeded at business and government by running a tight ship and keeping my word."

The ship is so tight, in fact, that Gidwitz apparently can't clean the feces out of the halls at the complex mentioned above.

"The governor's really not concerned about what a second-tier Republican candidate says," Blagojevich campaign spokesman Pete Giangreco said. "He can run as many ads as he wants. The governor is busy making life better for families in Illinois."

Gee, thanks, Governor! Fewer than 1 in 3 Illinoisans outside Chicago appreciate it. Besides, isn't calling Gidwitz "second-tier" a matter of giving him way too much credit?

We Are Winning
Well, I sure am glad Illinois hiked the minimum wage on all those jobs we don't have:

The unemployment rate in Illinois went up two-tenths of a percentage from 5.8% in May to 6.0% in June, according to labor statistics released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) on Thursday.

IDES announced that Illinois added 6,700 non-farm jobs in the month of June when compared to May. IDES also reported that the state has added a total of 50,900 jobs over the past year.

However, Illinois' unemployment rate is twenty percent higher than the national average at 6% compared to the national average of 5%. Only Ohio and Michigan have higher unemployment rates in the Midwest.

In a written statement, IDES Director Brenda A. Russell credited Gov. Blagojevich for the additional jobs saying, "The consistent growth of new jobs in Illinois reflects the successes produced by Governor Blagojevich's economic development strategy."

Russell's statements come with amid unemployment data that have remained virtually stagnant over the last 12 months. According to IDES' own numbers, the total number of unemployed in June 2005 was 387,600 compared with 387,500 a year ago.

The Governor's approval rating is down to 38%, 30% outside Chicago. In related news, the Governor has a new fansite, to go with his old one.

Gubernatorial Activism
Prairie Lord Blagojevich speaks out:

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Wednesday that he believes Roberts would overturn Roe "if his past is any indication of what he'll do once he gets on the Supreme Court."

The Governor should be thrilled at this prospect: Overturning that ludicrous ruling would return the decision to the individual states, where the Constitution clearly intended it to belong. Best of all, in Holy Illinois Emperor Blagojevich's world of emergency edicts and carefully hidden spending, it would basically give the decision to him.

"He's a pick I would not have made," Blagojevich said. "If I were a senator, based on political philosophy, I would oppose his confirmation."

Putting aside my abject terror at the fact that Blagojevich is still talking about "what if I were President", that's exactly the problem, isn't it? Judicial nominees aren't supposed to be selected for their political philosophy, Rod, they're supposed to be selected for their ability to put aside their political philosophy and interpret the true meaning of the law. (Via SondraK)

Imperial Senate Acts
Wow.

Without fanfare, Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Tuesday signed a bill arising from a nasty family feud he had this spring with his father-in-law, Ald. Richard Mell (33rd), over a controversial Joliet landfill.

The new law requires any relative of the governor, attorney general or state environmental officials to divest their ownership in any dump--a move that infuriated Mell, whom Blagojevich has accused of trying to make money off a landfill investment by leveraging his ties to the governor.

This may be among Blagojevich's most arbitrary actions, ranking right up there with the emergency action to force pharmacists to serve up contraceptives. Blagojevich is mad at a relative in the garbage business (imagine that), so he bans relatives from being in the garbage business? Is this even legal? What about his wife's creepy real estate deal with Blair Hull, which they defended by squealing that the Governor's family is entitled to earn a living? Shouldn't they be banned from the real estate business, too?

Et Tu, Wallflower?
Down with snivelly Caesar!

State Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, called Gov. Rod Blagojevich's order to spend $10 million to support stem cell research a "horrible move" during an interview with WSIU Radio Tuesday afternoon.

Bradley said an issue as divisive and important as stem cell research should have been decided by the legislative process not an executive order.

When asked what corrective action would be taken by legislators who opposed the decision, Bradley said he would let the issue cool before deciding how to approach.

"You probably shouldn't legislate when you're angry," he said.

Bradley should really consider crossing the aisle and becoming a, uh, what do they always call McCain? "Maverick" Illinois Republican. Except Bradley wouldn't suck.

Update: Uh, hey, it's still Monday. The Southern Illinoisan has finally hit the blogger big time: They Laphamized.

Drug Cartel To Expand
Governor Blagojevich's ISaveRX program has had a fair share of troubles, what with Canada jumping ship and all, but he's got it under control:

"We've known for some time that a sound importation program can't rely solely on Canada. Thats why we originally included the United Kingdom and Ireland, and why today we're also announcing plans to include Australia and New Zealand."

The theory, as Blagojevich explained at a conference I attended, is that we can deal safely with English-speaking countries because a lack of a language barrier is just another safeguard to avoid medical mistakes. I guess when these guys start telling us to go to hell, we'll have to import from Botswana, Brunei, and Cameroon.

Illinois Republic Falls, Illinois Empire Is Risen

We've been changing so many things here in Illinois, we're making so many different interests unhappy, that I have to do fund raising now in places like California....[It] gives you more independence; gives you more strength... [Thucydides] said that power is in question only among equals. The weak will do the bidding of the strong while the strong will forever exact their wills." - Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich

Blagojevich is independent of us alright: So independent that he's decided we no longer need democracy.

Yet there was Blagojevich this week, boasting that he has ordered up $10 million in stem-cell research on his very own. He disguised the funding in such vague terms in the state budget that legislators didn't know it was there. Then he issued an executive order to trigger the funding for the research.

His actions, Blagojevich declared, were "morally right," leaving the impression that those who question government funding for such research are immoral. The end run, he said, was necessary because the General Assembly might have balked. "While we are forced to live in a democracy with several branches of government, sometimes in a democracy the process is frustratingly slow," the governor explained.

I didn't realize that "end run" meant he was now just making up laws. So much for our Constitutionally-mandated republican form of government.

Driving The Monkeys To The Airport
Let me explain this to you, Governor: We don't have any money.

Illinois became the latest state to support stem cell research after Gov. Rod Blagojevich circumvented the Legislature and ordered $10 million in tax dollars be used for the research that is condemned by some religious groups.

Lawmakers, who have questioned whether state funds should be used for research in such an ethically sensitive area, have debated related measures twice in the past year and either rejected state support outright or shelved the idea without a vote.

Ethical issues? Try fiscal issues. If Blagojevich jumps in now, there's still time to declare bankruptcy before the reforms hit, and hey, we might even be allowed to keep our homes.

It's A Trick!
Remember John Simmons, the Illinois Democrat, Metro East trial lawyer and former aspiring candidate for Senate who popped up and seized control of the Southern Illinois Baseball Group about the same time Governor Blagojevich got involved? The Midwest League is a little concerned.

A minor-league baseball official wants Metro East lawyer John Simmons to stop "going around saying he's bought a team" to bring to Marion, Ill., until there's some indication that such a sale is actually happening.

"There's nothing on the desk of the Midwest League president to indicate that anyone's about to sell his ballclub," George Spelius, the president of that league, said Thursday. "He's being quoted as saying he's buying a team, and we don't even have any paperwork on that."

Simmons has been quoted in the past month as saying he either has bought or is buying a team in the Midwest League to move to Marion. The Southern Illinoisan newspaper in Carbondale reported last month that Simmons had confirmed he had sealed a deal with an undisclosed Midwest League team. "The acquisition of a team is no longer an issue," the newspaper quoted Simmons as saying.

Spelius said, "I sit here at my desk not knowing what team he's talking about." He said he sent a letter to Simmons a week ago asking for more information about his purchase plans and requesting that "he take the proper steps" if he's actually buying a team.

Simmons was out of town on vacation and unreachable for comment Thursday, according to his law firm.

Like Governor Blagojevich, Simmons imagines that Southern Illinoisans are not aware of them new-fangled "cell phones".

Spelius said media accounts of a possible sale have created tension among the league's owners. "They're wondering, 'Why is someone going around saying he's bought a team when we have no information on that?'" Spelius said. "They don't feel anybody has the right to go around saying he's bought a team."

There's nothing to prevent the sale of a team, but the league would have to approve any attempt to move it to a different city. The starting price for a minor league team generally is at least $5 million, Spelius said.

That would be in addition to the estimated $16 million already committed to the project. Simmons has secured a loan covering most of that cost, with the city of Marion agreeing to a one-quarter-cent sales tax increase to help repay it. In addition, Gov. Rod Blagojevich has committed more than $3 million in state dollars for infrastructure improvements related to the ballpark.

No one seems to know exactly what's going on with the ballpark, either:

It's been more than two weeks since the Southern Illinois Baseball Group, led by lead investor John Simmons, broke ground on a new minor league baseball stadium near Interstate 57 in Marion.

At the time, Simmons said he planned to get together with his contractor and architect and soon afterward announce when construction on the $15 million stadium would begin.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Friday that the president of the Midwest League, George Spelius, was perturbed that Simmons was "going around saying he's bought a team" to bring to Marion when he had not received any information concerning a purchase of one of the league teams.

Group spokesman Dennis Poshard had little to say Friday, acknowledging conversations have been held with the contractor and designer, but that he does not have any knowledge of when an announcement will be made in regard to construction. He confirmed Simmons was out of town on vacation and unavailable the last couple of days.

Having been living in Illinois for a long time, I'm going to try to solve for X here: Simmons is a major Blagojevich campaign contributor. Simmons agrees to "build" a baseball park and "buy" a baseball team. Blagojevich agrees to fund "infrastructure improvements" to the tune of three million taxpayer dollars. Simmons and his associated henchpeople win three million dollars!

Update: Mind meld!

The head of the Illinois Republican Party is calling for a time-out before a state check for $3 million is issued to help pay for construction of a baseball stadium in Marion.

In a statement released Tuesday, state GOP Chairman Andy McKenna asked Attorney General Lisa Madigan to appoint an independent counsel to investigate the multi-million dollar funding proposed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The funding would pay for infrastructure on the $15 million baseball stadium. Efforts to bring a minor league baseball team to the area have been led by the Southern Illinois Baseball Group and its lead investor John Simmons, a Metro East trial attorney.

McKenna said Simmons is a "Democratic insider" who has given almost $1 million over the last two years to Democratic campaigns, including those of Blagojevich, Madigan, and former State Supreme Court candidate Gordon Maag.

Then there's the local reaction:

"Of all the money going into the Chicago area for various and sundry, idiotic proposals, why pick on this one in particular? What is this? Selective discrimination? Why don't they check out the millions set aside for the funding of a gay and lesbian center on Chicago's Northside or the multi-million shooting complex in Sparta? (This attack) is ill-advised and certainly not appropriate," said Marion Mayor Bob Butler.

Well, Mayor-for-Life Butler is right: Illinois is the land of sundry and idiotic spending proposals, and the ballpark is one of the least idiotic to date. Unfortunately, the fact remains that there does not appear to be an actual team to play in the ballpark. Criticism of this isn't ill-advised or inappropriate, it's our moral imperative as Southern Illinoisans: If we want a minor league ballteam, we need to make sure the project is clean and not sell it out to outside influence, because nothing will wreck it faster than the dynamic duo of Chicago Democrats and Metro East trial lawyers, who have virtually developed an entire field of scientific inquiry dedicated to destroying this region.

Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, said the project can and should be investigated, but "No question about it, so then should each and every Chicago project financed by the state be investigated as well."

Then we start with the arrests!

Flight of the Illinois Air Force
Hey, why don't we just secede from the union?

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich put the Pentagon on formal notice Monday that he will not approve its proposed move of F-16 fighter aircraft from the 183rd Fighter Wing in Springfield to Indiana.

In a letter sent to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, the governor argued that under federal law if he does not consent to the realignment, the change can not legally be made.

Somehow, given the Kelo ruling, I don't think the Supreme Court would side with Blagojevich even if he were right. The question now is what music should be blasted at the Thompson Center during "Operation: Noriegevich".

Why would you do that?
To create an excuse to steal the money, silly!

A major contributor to Gov. Rod Blagojevich has received a half a million dollars in contracts for cleaning work that experts say is unnecessary or could be performed less expensively by state employees.

In one case, PWS Environmental Inc. got more than $7,000 to clean a brand-new, unused dome built to store road salt and apply a corrosion-resistant concrete sealer _ duplicating work the dome's builder performed just months before, according to documents and Associated Press interviews.

...[T]he Cicero firm has...been hired by the state to wash road-salt domes, office buildings, bridges, rest area structures and Illinois Department of Transportation trucks, although state-owned equipment could be used for the work.

Richard Hanneman, president of the Salt Institute trade organization, said he had never heard of washing a concrete-and-wood salt dome. "I'm having a hard time envisioning why you would do it," he said.

In all, PWS Environmental has received contracts for $522,000 in state work this year, up from just $2,860 in 2001.

A third of the contracts _ $175,000 _ were to clean the masonry facades of four buildings, including the Transportation Department's headquarters in Springfield.

PWS was an early backer of Blagojevich, first giving to the Democrat's gubernatorial campaign in June 2000, according to state records. The company and President William Mologousis have contributed a combined $24,780 to Blagojevich and $5,670 to his father-in-law, Chicago Alderman Richard Mell, or Mell's 33rd Ward Democratic organization.

Mologousis said the contributions and contracts were not related. He said the master contract the company won was competitively bid, although state records show PWS was the only bidder.

Retired IDOT engineers said the exteriors of rest area buildings have never been cleaned before, and state employees typically washed bridges and trucks.

"It may be a good idea, but in all my years nobody ever mentioned washing the inside of a dome," Rippel said.

We have entered the Blagojevich Zone.

Update: Do you have an anniversary coming up, and you're considering doing that deal where you get a star named for her? Forget that: You can get her her very own salt dome!

DuPage County State's Attorney Joe Birkett is making prospective political donors a unique offer: Contribute $50 to the Birkett campaign and gain honorary sponsorships to one of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's infamous salt domes that are being cleaned by his political pals.

"What's next, a contract for sandblasting Oak Street beach?"

According to a trusted source, they actually loaded all the salt onto trucks to take it out of the domes so it wouldn't get wet. These guys got paid half a million dollars to move piles of salt, not from one place to another, but back and forth. The same piles.

Smoke and Mirrors
Does the State of Illinois qualify as a pyramid scheme yet?

Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration claimed more than $130 million in savings through a program to make bureaucracy more efficient, but a report issued Tuesday by Illinois' auditor general said that the savings never really existed.

Where did they go?

The governor's budget office dictated to each agency what its anticipated savings would be from the streamlining and required them to deposit that amount in a newly created government fund controlled by the budget office.

Holland's study -- a compilation of more than two dozen audits his office performed -- noted how the agencies were made to deposit $129.7 million into a special fund between July 2003 and June 2004, even though many experienced no savings under the consolidations.

That meant that the Department of Veterans Affairs, for example, took $433,448 earmarked for 38 additional beds at the Illinois Veterans' Home in Manteno and deposited the money in a special fund to cover what the governor's budget office said the agency saved under the consolidations.

The Department of Public Aid, which could not demonstrate any savings from the consolidations, took a similar step, forwarding $4 million it had earmarked for children's health programs. The Department of Human Services diverted $1.2 million set aside for early childhood intervention programs.

Of the $129.7 million in alleged streamlining savings, $96.2 million immediately went out the state's door, including $30 million paid to five government contractors involved in the efficiency programs. The largest beneficiary was McKinsey & Co. with $13.5 million, followed by Illinois Property Asset Management with $8.9 million.

Team Blago responds:

"The auditor general audited the first year of this initiative where we expected to experience bumps in the road," CMS spokeswoman Nicole Grady said.

"Bumps in the road"? They crashed through the barrier, went straight off the cliff, rolled over several times and burst into flames.