Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is running circles around Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, at least so far.
Reports that Gov. Blagojevich is open to signing legislation for a special election for Barack Obama’s open Senate seat puts the AG in an impossible position. If the AG supports Gov. Blagojevich signing such legislation, she undermines her already weak Supreme Court lawsuit to strip the Governor of his executive powers on the ground that he is under a “disability” which renders him “unable” to act as Governor. She can’t support having a crazy person sign legislation. But if she opposes Gov. Blagojevich signing the legislation, then she looks disingenuous for claiming that emergency court relief is necessary to prevent Gov. Blagojevich from appointing someone to the Obama Senate seat.
What if the legislature (controlled by the AG’s father) fails to produce legislation for Gov. Blagojevich to sign? Then his announcement that he is open to a special election will reveal the legislature to be the ones playing political games. Blagojevich is proving that he is constitutionally “able” to be Governor simply by being Governor.
This is beginning to resemble a game of Twister, with the AG stretching in every direction to come up with a theory under which Gov. Blagojevich is “unable” to act as Governor due to a “disability.” That’s what happens when you file a reactive, poorly thought out, unprecedented emergency motion based on dubious legal theories, while ignoring other constitutionally available remedies, such as an expedited impeachment trial.
Tip to Madigan: Just get your father to impeach the guy. Stop with the foolish legal antics.
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