Impeaching Rod Blagojevich is tiny first step toward healing process

BE-ELECTED
by Chad Rubel

How often does a governor get impeached? Not very often. If you guessed Evan Meacham (R-AZ) was the last governor to be thrown out of office, you pay way too much attention to politics.

While impeachment is rare, Oklahoma did it twice in the same decade (1920s).

In the 20th century, there were six impeached governors. Huey Long (LA-1929) was acquitted. William Sulzer (NY-1913), John C. Walton (OK-1923), Henry S. Johnston (OK-1929), and Meacham (AZ-1988) were removed. James E. Ferguson (TX-1917) resigned, but was declared ineligible to hold office.

But Blagojevich set a national record that will likely never be broken. He served 6 years as governor before being impeached. Contrast that mark with the length of service for the other impeached governors:

Ferguson -- 32 months
Johnston -- slightly over two years (but survived a previous impeachment attempt)
Meacham -- about 15 months
Walton -- slightly over 10 months
Sulzer -- less than 10 months

Even Long, who was acquitted, only served four years as Louisiana governor. And a quick check of governors impeached in the 19th century show that none of them lasted as long as Blagojevich did.

Blagojevich stayed in office longer than he should have not because of his great talents, but the reluctance of the Illinois House and Senate to take action. It does feel like Blagojevich has been investigated from the start. He certainly alienated most of those in Springfield by refusing to live in the Governor's Mansion, or live in Springfield. Commuting by state plane (at taxpayer's expense) can be seen as off-putting.

And for good measure, unlike Meacham who was able to run again for office, the Illinois Senate made it clear what they thought of Blagojevich, the person, by voting 59-0 to disqualify him from future public office in Illinois.

Clearly, impeachment has become rare for governors, now that Blagojevich is only the second governor to be impeached since 1930.

As the Illinois state senators were testifying yesterday, several pointed out that Blagojevich wasn't the only political problem in Illinois. And as bad as things have been for years, getting rid of Blagojevich doesn't cure Illinois politics of being messed up (and this doesn't even count Cook County and Chicago politics).

But some Illinois senators spoke of restoring faith in government, a message politicians on all levels should adopt.

The impeachment of Rod Blagojevich doesn't mean things are okay in Illinois, but it's a first step toward turning things around.

Even though they no longer occupy their previous posts, the impeachment of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney would also be a good start toward the healing process.