Blagojevich ready to rumble with fellow Democrats?

Senator alleges retaliation

Democrat says governor playing hardball to get health-plan vote

By Monique Garcia and Jeffrey Meitrodt
Tribune staff reporters

June 2, 2007

SPRINGFIELD -- Desperately trying to salvage even a symbolic victory, Gov. Rod Blagojevich pulled the plug Friday on $75 million in state funding for a university campus in the Quad Cities because a senator refused to vote for the governor's stalled health-care initiative, the senator said.

Sen. Mike Jacobs (D-East Moline) said Blagojevich also threatened to run a primary candidate against Jacobs for not going along, prompting the legislator to say, "Bring it on."

"If this governor would have been in East Moline, Ill., at one of my local taverns, I would have kicked his tail end," an angry Jacobs told reporters.

Blagojevich's office disputed Jacobs' version of his meetings with the governor.

The Senate left without voting on health care.

The failed bid to pass the plan amid a Blagojevich lobbying blitz came a day after he and fellow Democrats running the House and Senate blew their spring budget deadline. Passing a budget after the midnight Thursday deadline now takes Republican support in the House because of a required three-fifths supermajority vote.

Republicans want a smaller budget and oppose the governor's broad health-care initiative, which he tied to the largest tax increase in state history. Both chambers will return Tuesday.

The governor's office, in a brief e-mail statement, said Jacobs "wanted a commitment of a $75 million project in his district in exchange for his vote to provide health care for everyone. The governor refused."

But Jacobs said he refused Blagojevich's offer of the money to expand Western Illinois University's Moline campus in exchange for the senator's health-care vote. Jacobs said Blagojevich also withdrew another $13 million in WIU funding.

A WIU spokesman said the governor's office requested Friday that the school president call Jacobs to ask for his vote for the health-care bill, but the school funds were not threatened.

Sen. Susan Garrett (D-Lake Forest), said Blagojevich called her during the Senate debate and "simply asked me to vote for the bill, no strings attached."

Lawmakers also left without relief for skyrocketing electricity rates, although they want to cut a deal with Commonwealth Edison and Ameren Corp.

Lawmakers have asked for a two-year package worth up to $1.3 billion in rebates and future rate rollbacks, more than twice the previous offer, according to sources on both sides of the talks. They are exploring how to change the way utilities buy power.