Well, here we go into a new legislative session, and the fifth most populous state in the nation is short a Senator in Washington because anyone even mildly tainted with the King Rod Blagojevich scandal is unacceptable to the Democrats in Illinois, and the national leadership of the party.  Roland Burris?  Come on - the guy is, of course a Chicago Democrat, and therefore subject to skepticism?  But the man has not ever been associated with anything dirtier.  Which, of course, says enough - that he's a Chicago Democrat.

This headline almost sounds like the editors at the Pantagraph are SHOCKED by King Rod Blagojevich's paid mouthpiece doing his job - keeping his client in office and out of jail.  Unfortunately, the people of Illinois will have to suffer at least another week of King Rod in the seat of power as his impeachment hearing is briefly drawn out.

You have to wonder about the Illinois Constitution's set up, don't you.  Unlike the US Constition, which requires the President to veto a bill within 10 days, we're stuck with legislation sitting for weeks... months... years under the thumb of Governor King Rod Blagojevich.  Sitting... waiting... to cut off the funding that he oh so loves in his "pay to play" brand of politics.

King Governor Rod Blagojevich is trying to get two political heavyweights, Glen Poshard and former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert to convince the General Assembly that he can be trusted. Crain's Chicago Business is apparently buying into this bamboozle, too with their headline "Blagojevich moves to break budget logjam." But then they go on to say that King Rod himself never bothered to actually sign the memo that outlines the capital spending plan.

Well, King Rod Blagojevich is at it again this year, stalling the state budget. Technically, all of the employees of the state should be on unpaid furlough right now and every state agency, other than emergency services, shut down. And King Rod says he's looking at the unbalanced budget looking for the appropriate areas to slice and dice with his line item veto authority, which he so callously used as a political weapon last fall.

A tough week for Governor King Rod Blagojevich in a short four day span. A discrimination lawsuit against him is moving forward, an independent auditor sampling a minuscule portion of the state's contracts found some hanky panky going on with how King Rod doles out our tax dollars - and his buddy Tony Rezko gets indicted in Nevada for more gambling related shenanigans. Oh - and the House has collectively told him to kiss their ass on the budget.

So... are the Illinois citizens stupid, King Rod? Was the question stupid? Or, are you stupid for not acknowledging that you are in the gun sights of the United States Attorney General? I wonder if Clown Prince Emil Jones, who may be more politically savvy than King Rod, has covered his tracks, too?

Two years - for TWO YEARS - Governor King Rod Blagojevich has sat on a strings-free federal grant, while he awaited word on which of his cronies would best benefit from the handout of choice sidewalk and road improvement contracts meant to make it safe for kids to get to and from school. And almost three months after finally making the decision on which Chicagoland cities would get the money (did any downstate schools benefit? Doubtful) - the money STILL isn't disbursed.

I'm amazed the Federal Highway Administration hasn't asked for the money back.

Poor Don Moffitt (R-Galesburg) thinks that Governor King Rod Blagojevich should *gasp* follow the law, and actually GIVE BACK TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY the taxes they paid that are supposed to go the schools! Oh MY! Our "pro-education" governor couldn't even get around to signing the disbursement legislation for 5 months, Don, so what makes you think he won't blow that cash on his commuting expenses, first?

Well, finally, almost all of the Democrats working hard in Springfield have told Governor King Rod Blagojevich to take his name off of state-owned property. The sole dissenter in the House was Kenneth Dunkin, who said there is value in having an officeholder's name emblazoned on signs promoting state programs. What was your first clue Sherlock Dunkin - the fact that it costs businesses thousands of dollars every month to use an outdoor advertising structure? And King Rod has commandeered over 30 of them?

The depths to which Governor King Rod Blagojevich will go in order to hide from public scrutiny are purely astounding - being aided and abetted by his attorney William Quinlan and Abby Ottenhoff.

So much for his "open and transparent" government.

Ottenhoff, when queried by the Decatur Herald & Review on the nature of the search for documents related to Tony Rezko said:

""We don't comment on internal legal communications."

Oh, that Governor, King Rod Blagojevich, he is one FUNNY man. Why in the world would you move 150 jobs OUT of Springfield, a centralized location within the state, and make a state-wide agency more inaccessible. Oh... wait... the GOVERNOR'S office is in a corner of the state too, isn't it. Well, at least he thinks so.

Ah, you have to love King Rod Blagojevich's staff, loyal to the core. Abby Ottenhoff said in the press statement yesterday that "We have to take action now" when referring to King Rod's "new" plan to combat street violence in Chicago.

I wonder how many of King Rod Blagojevich's political appointees are looking over their shoulders these days? How many of them have gone to throw-away cell phones for communications with the Governor's office - how many demand personal meetings in safe rooms recently swept of electronic monitoring?

Riddle me this - when did the Associated Press put two and two together, and finally figure out that Tony Rezko is merely a stepping stone to the headwaters of Illinois's corrupt government? And why did they soft peddle the mountain of testimony pointing at Governor King Rod Blagojevich?

The financially beleaguered Illinois Teacher's Retirement Fund had a little help into falling into its woes, courtesy of King Rod Blagojevich's cronies. The Chicago Democrats - the people who helped spawn Senator Barack Obama's meteoric rise into political superstar status, should be so ashamed.

The entire Loop School million dollar boondoggle is starting to take shape, with Ms. Gill's ties to Jesse Jackson revealed, and Jackson apparently exerting influence on King Rod Blagojevich to pardon her.

Perhaps it is time for the General Assembly - well, the House at least - to lob some shots BACK at Governor King Rod Blagojevich with slash and burn cuts to the budget allotted for the Governor's office itself. Two huge and gaping wounds there that are nothing but wasteful spending - King Rod's personal misuse of taxpayer-owned aircraft, and the commuting costs for his staff to do their jobs.

Is anyone else wondering what sort of deals are being offered to Tony Rezko's lawyers by federal prosecutors for testimony against King Rod Blagojevich? Yesterday's testimony about how Levine and Rezko were manipulating the near-bankrupt Teacher's Retirement Fund's dollars is getting mighty close to King Rod.

Ah, the chickens are coming home to roost. How much more will the prosecutors get on record from Levine against King Rod Blagojevich during his testimony is the BIG question. Man, this investigation reached right to the top a LOT faster than the one against George Ryan.