Governor needs to work or quit

OUR VIEW: If governor won't do his job, he should resign

By the JG/T-C Editorial Board
editorial@jg-tc.com

Earlier this week, a federal judge identified Gov. Rod Blagojevich as “Public Official A” in the Antoin “Tony” Rezko corruption case.

Rezko is charged with a scheme to channel kickbacks from state contractors to Blagojevich’s campaign fund.

The governor has not been charged with a crime, Judge Amy J. St. Eve said, nor did she suggest he knew about the scheme.

Blagojevich came to office in the wake of the conviction of former Gov. George Ryan. Blagojevich came promising honesty, reform, bipartisanship, cooperation and attention to the state’s economy — upstate and downstate.

His honesty has been questioned by many members of the Illinois General Assembly and other officeholders. He is not trusted, and trust is the currency of any successful administration.

Bipartisanship under Blagojevich comes not in the form expected. Legislators in both parties are unified in their opposition to the governor. These days, virtually anything he proposes is dead on arrival in the General Assembly.

What we have residing in the governor’s office is an individual prone to behaving like a spoiled brat if he doesn’t get his way, which is, obviously, no way to govern with any modicum of success.

Blagojevich gave hint of his unique ability to antagonize legislators, state office holders and the public in general by announcing he would govern from Chicago — not the mansion in Springfield.

Other governors have given the mansion short shift. Republican Gov. Jim Thompson spent most of his time upstate, but, being politically astute, he didn’t come out and say it.

Blagojevich’s trips to and from Springfield are billed to taxpayers. The tab might be much higher if the governor spent a lot of time in Springfield, but he doesn’t. Absence does not make the heart grow fonder, particularly when it is essential the state’s top official remain in the legislature’s good graces.

The stalemate between the governor and the legislature has no foundation in reason. The governor’s attempts to ram his projects — health care being one — down the throats of lawmakers appear rooted more in petulance than cool logic.

Nothing of consequence has been accomplished in Springfield since Blagojevich went to war with the legislature. In bringing about this state of affairs, the governor has managed to give Illinois a black eye.

Blagojevich’s says he doesn’t know why he was identified as “Public Official A.”

“I am not in that court case,” Blagojevich said Wednesday. “I don’t know much about it. I have a job to do as governor and it’s a full-time job. I don’t think it is fair for me to comment on a pending court case.”

Of course, he has a point when it comes to the Rezko case. The governor is not on trial here. What the future holds for him in the judicial arena, we would not — in all fairness — venture a guess.

What we do take issue with is Blagojevich’s claim to be a full-time governor. His accomplishments in that role have been meager.

Judged by an ability to alienate just about everybody he comes in contact with in the political world, Blagojevich has been a raging success.

He has been a disaster as governor. We would suggest, if he is not willing to do his job, he should resign.

We don’t want to see it come to that. What we would prefer to see is a willingness on his part to work with legislators, not against them.

At a time when the state is drowning in an ocean of red ink, with a puddle of legislative accomplishments, we do need a full-time governor.

— JG/T-C Editorial Board