Freeing Blago

I’m not cool with yesterday’s presidential commutation of the former Governor of Illinois’ prison sentence.

The fact that Rod Blagojevich is a free man is a lousy message to the people trying to de-corrupt Illinois government.

Granted, he served for almost eight years in a Colorado federal prison…but a jury of peers gave him 14 years behind bars. Let’s not forget what got Blago convicted. He ransomed the U.S. Senate seat of Barack Obama. He was willing to give it to the highest bidder.

Six Illinois Governors have been charged with crimes during or after their governorships….four were convicted and Blago was the first to be impeached and removed from office. And his party held both the Illinois House and the Senate at the time of the impeachment. It wasn’t so much that the party was embarrassed by his actions… as the fact that he was stupid enough to get caught.

I have been an advocate of the indictment of the current governor who, while being a billionaire, had the toilets removed in his Chicago mansion to get tax breaks. It was a scheme to defraud. You and I pull something like that…and we won’t avoid prison…and we most assuredly will serve our entire term.

I don’t look for the former governor to quietly ride into the sunset like the last convicted Governor, George Ryan. Blago will attempt to shamelessly make a living off his fame.

Understand, it was a commutation…not a pardon. You can’t pardon stupidity.