Bye Bye Blagojevich

Rod Blagojevich has been removed from office.

In a historic Illinois Senate vote, former Illinois Gov. Blagojevich was removed from office with 59 votes against 0.

Blagojevich delivered his own closing remarks. He used the time to play the martyr.

But how can you throw a governor out of office on a criminal complaint, and you haven't been able to show or prove any criminal activity? How can you throw a governor, elected twice by the people, out of office when the rules don't even require that you prove up elements of criminal allegations?


And more than that, how can you throw a governor out of office who is clamoring and begging and pleading with you to give him a chance to bring witnesses in to prove his innocence, to do more than just ask for a presumption of innocence? Don't even give me that. Let me make my case, let me bring my witnesses in, let me show you that I'm innocent and I didn't do anything wrong.

The most appalling part was Blagojevich portraying himself as a champion for low-income people. "Now, how is it an impeachable offense to protect low-income parents from losing their health care?" Blagojevich asked. "How is it an impeachable offense to keep those families in a position to be able to see their doctors?"

It is impeachable to do Quid pro quo shakedowns for Barack Obama's seat.

It is impeachable to run a gambling operation for organized crime.

It is impeachable to ask a horse-racing track owner for campaign contributions, in return for a bill signing.

It is impeachable for Blagojevich to extort the Tribune Company, in an attempt to fire editorial writers.

Blagojevich is many things. A champion for the common man is not one of them.

Update: Pat Quinn is officially Governor.