Blago's famous last words "The Fix is In" (He's Out!)

5:38 p.m.
Illinois has a new governor! Patrick Quinn is being sworn in right now.

WTG Illinois senate!
Blagojevich impeached!

(title link to the Trib story)

I'm still at work, but had to get this out!
Such Good News! More later!

10:50 p.m.
UPDATE: After a long day at work, I will keep this short. Our local news out of Springfield gave a little more information than in the linked article. Blagojevich is forbidden from running for any political office again. He will be allowed to draw his pension ($64,000 annually), as long as he isn't convicted in criminal court. The criminal trial is expected to begin in April. It is possible that his wife Patti could still be indicted as well. If Blagojevich is convicted (looks like he will be) this Spring, he will likely be sent to prison just like his predecessor.

Like most Illinoisans, I am just glad this part is over. I don't know what was worse, all the news talk shows that gave him air time or the ex-Governor himself for going on that media blitz.

And I want people outside of this state, who have asked how he was elected twice to know the main reason. Like many elections of recent years, we were faced with two "so-so" candidates. In other words, we had to vote for the best of the worst. Blagojevich had at least six times more money than his Republican opponent Judy Baar Topinka. He used that money to bombard the airwaves, especially the last two weeks of the election to show Topinka's closeness to the tainted former Governor George Ryan, who is now in prison.

In the Blago ads, all he did was show Topinka complimenting, hugging, and even doing the polka dance with George Ryan. His ploy worked, and she was seen as being too close to Ryan and possibly just as corrupt as Ryan. I can still remember how funny the ads were, especially the polka dance ad. I think we all learned a hard lesson though. Just because we are a democrat, we won't automatically vote for a democrat anymore!

And as for Governor Quinn, don't expect him to be elected when he must run for that office. But that is a whole 'nother story!