Anything less than impeachment is dereliction of lawmakers' duties

From Sunday's Tribune:

Should Rod Blagojevich remain as governor of Illinois?

He shows no inclination to resign from office. And while the state constitution does allow for his impeachment by the Illinois House and trial by the Senate, it's doubtful legislators could bring themselves to such drastic action. So the realistic question becomes this: Given the multiple ineptitudes of Rod Blagojevich -- his reckless financial stewardship, his dictatorial antics, his penchant for creating political enemies -- should citizens create a new way to terminate a chief executive who won't, or can't, do his job?

In Sunday's editorial, the Trib called for Illinois to adopt a recall provision to rid the state of future disastrous governors such as our current Governor Rod Blagojevich.  While the Trib's frustration with the governor is understandable, the remedy it suggests leaves us in limbo, even if the process to establish recall was to begin immediately.  The Illinois Constitution already has a provision to rid the state of the likes of Blagojevich -- impeachment.

The Trib brushes aside the impeachment idea, saying it is "doubtful" legislators could "bring themselves to such an action," a pathetic brush aside of our General Assembly's potential fortitude.  State legislators are elected to legislate on behalf of the state's welfare.  For them to not attempt to correct the state's ills by not "bringing themselves" to do the difficult but right thing is irresponsible and, simply, dereliction of duty. 

The lllinois House should begin impeachment proceedings upon return to Springfield.  An investigation should begin, and the Governor should be challenged for abuse of power and breaking his vow to uphold the state's Constitution. 

Impeachment proceedings is a place to start if anyone is REALLY serious about redirecting Illinois' political disaster.  Anything less is just a distraction and a way to escape accountability for being having a part in Hot Rod's re-election.  The Tribune itself stands responsible.

Link: Removing a governor -- chicagotribune.com.

Comments

[cicero]

I doubt any office holder has ever been impeached by a legislature controlled by his own party. If the legislature won't touch impeachment, it sure won't approve a recall bill that includes themselves.

[Ralph W. Conner]

The way Governor Blago rolled over the republicans in 2006 offers no options for relief from his dictatorship for the foreseeable future. With strong support from Daley and Stroger and Madigan for new taxes of every stripe and nature, the Tax Orgy has just begun. I do not have to tell you who it is client scheduled for the voter-consensual tax-raping: it's you.
Voters who hate Bush and War and niggardly penny-pinching welfare state-hating Republicans, gave all Repubs a true shellacking when the Rod Blago era re-extended its one-party state control. Now Rod looms larger than the entire legislature, and Emil (Daley-controlled) Jones has a veto-proof southside Chicago-based majority in the State Senate which covers Rod's back while Madigan fiddles and postures as a statesman mired in strategy sessions for his daughter's governor's race in 2010..ad nauseum...
The answer:
We must join Speaker Madigan in supporting the Illinois Constitutional Convention for November 2008 ballot question. We need a constitutional convention which mandates that Governors CANNOT subvert the entire democratic process by independently and arbitrarily re-designing HIS own state budget without input from a LEGISLATURE controlled by his own Party!

Support Illinois Con-Con to place into the Illinois constitution the necessary citizen-protections which will mandate that our chosen legislators deliver a balanced state budget by July 1 each year.We must mandate that the legislature infrastructure be changed back to three member districts with Republicans and Democrats evenly balanced around the State: break up the contentious taxing machine which suffocates its own young with onerous taxation, a runaway profligate tax and spend menace fueled and sustained by the unaccountable Chicago political machine.

[Michelle]

I wonder if the media and the Democrats would be so nice and easy on Republicans if the shoe was on the other foot. Why are we such wimps?

[Jericho]

Should citizens create a new way...

How about an old way? Revolt