Blagojevich impeached in Illinois: Sacia says the process 'seemed like an eternity

Source: http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=229196

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Gov. Rod Blagojevich was impeached Friday by Illinois lawmakers who are both furious that he turned state government into "a freak show" and eager to separate themselves from his political troubles, setting the stage for a state Senate trial that could end with his ouster.

The action culminated a process that one northwest Illinois lawmaker said "seemed like an eternity."

The 114-1 vote was a stinging rebuke against the governor, arrested Dec. 9 on charges that include trying to auction off President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat.

The Democrat becomes the first governor impeached in the long, ugly history of Illinois politics, a reflection of his poor relationship with lawmakers, their desire to keep a political distance and genuine disgust with his behavior.

Blagojevich dismissed the impeachment as a foregone conclusion from a House that has resisted his efforts to help real people instead of "special interests and lobbyists."

Illinois state Rep. Jim Sacia, R-Pecatonica, who sat on the 21-member committee that unanimously recommended impeachment, said he is satisfied with the House vote.

While the process might have seemed to onlookers to move quickly, Sacia said the three weeks the committee spent delving into records and interviewing subjects "seemed like an eternity."

Watching Blagojevich on television Friday vowing to "fight to the end," Sacia said the governor's reaction shows how "people sometimes lose touch" with reality.

"If he honestly believes the Senate will exonerate him, he's smoking something much better than I am," Sacia quipped.