The 'Southern Illinoisan' gets it right.

[ColesCountyDem]

Voice Of The Southern

Innocent unless proven guilty, but not fit to govern

Saturday, December 20, 2008 6:38 PM CST

"THE ISSUE: Gov. Blagojevich said Friday he plans to fight the charges against him and eventually answer all the accusations made by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.

In the face of an impending impeachment process and intense scrutiny, the governor said he should retain the presumption of innocence.

OUR OPINION: The governor is correct. He deserves the same rights afforded to us all when facing criminal charges. He should be considered innocent unless proven guilty. Even so, his reputation, political clout and credibility are in shambles, and he is not fit to be governor. Gov. Blagojevich should resign.

Our governor on Friday asked the people of Illinois to reserve judgment, to afford him the very things we would want.

In Rod Blagojevich's own words: "Afford me the same rights that you and your children have: the presumption of innocence, the right to defend yourself, the right to your day in court - the same rights that you would expect for yourselves."

Governor, you've got it.

You are innocent unless proven guilty. The Constitution demands it. You've retained highly competent counsel to help keep it that way. And should your criminal case go to trial, it's quite more than likely that an experienced, capable federal judge will have a firm grasp of that fundamental concept.

But all of that is for the courtroom, sir. What your brief address to the public on Friday completely ignored is your ability to lead or govern.

You have not a friend nor a vote left in Springfield or Washington. Should you, perhaps in a fit of insanity, attempt to appoint someone to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama, there is not a chance the Senate will seat that person. And your own party controls the chamber.

Each time you make a decision, each time you sign a bill, your motives will be questioned.

Friday's pardon of 22 people is one example. Your office could not, or did not see fit to, release any more than a list of names. You or your personnel could not be bothered to mention of what crimes these people had been convicted.

Given your own situation, it won't be only pundits who wonder aloud what motivates you, our state's chief executive, in each decision. It will be the people of Illinois catching the evening news, reading the morning paper, surfing the Web or just talking to each other.

We know you run toward, not away, from fights. As you reminded us Friday, "I will fight, I will fight, I will fight until I take my last breath."

Good for you, sir. You've got one heck of an opponent in Patrick Fitzgerald, one of the U.S. government's most capable prosecutors.

And maybe your own formidable attorney is right: You did no more than jabber and struck no illegal deals. But to believe what Fitzgerald has revealed so far is going to be all he'll be bringing before a grand jury or a trial court is more than naïve.

Anyway, we digress. Have a good fight.

In court.

In office, there's nothing left you can do for the people of Illinois. You've lost any political capital you ever had, and you've lost the people's trust.

And the highly edited wiretap quotes courtesy of Fitzgerald weren't the beginning of that loss of trust. They were the end.

As the state's stack of unpaid bills piles toward the $5 billion mark, there is next to nothing you can do about it (not that we'd noticed much being done about it, anyway).

You can't get an agenda through the Legislature, withstand a veto effort or make an appointment vital to the people of Illinois. And then there's that pesky impeachment process.

Fight like a demon in court, sir. Maybe you'll prevail, keep your law license and get another job.

But your ability to lead, to govern, to act on the behalf of the people of Illinois - they're gone.

Your fight in court is your own, and you're entitled to it.

But in your fight to hold onto office, you are simply staggering around the ring and giving yourself a beating while the real business of government waits.

Resign, sir.

You have at least one fight left in you. But don't kid yourself and believe it is for the people. It's for your freedom and your livelihood."

http://www.thesouthern.com/articles/2008/12/20/opinions/voice_of_the_southern/27273257.txt

:thumbsup:

[DollyM]

1. I hate the southern Illinoisan in general . . .

because they are generally very pro republican but there may be hope for them yet. I bet the comment section will be full on this one though as most of the readers are rabid Republicans.