Illinois State Senate

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Tea Partier: Black Guys Prefer Drugs to Education

But not minority women—they have kids

(Newser) - Illinois Republican leaders are calling for their state Senate candidate, Tea Partier Al Reynolds, to step down in the wake of his racially insensitive remarks at a candidate forum last week. Asked about the lack of diversity at public colleges, Reynolds explained that minority women were more motivated than minority...

Illinois' Political Culture Is Even Worse Than NY's

But scandals in both states makes it a close race, notes Gail Collins

(Newser) - Illinois and New York both have such awful political cultures that it's tough to decide which state is the biggest loser, writes Gail Collins. Both states have governors who were forced out by scandals and whose successors are mired in controversy, although at least Eliot Spitzer isn't going to be...

Illinois Awash in Philandering Drunks: Blago

Deposed guv rails against 'holier than thou' lawmakers

(Newser) - The lawmakers who deposed Rod Blagojevich are “holier than thou” hypocrites, the ex-guv declared on a radio show this morning, saying that Springfield is full of anonymous lawmakers who drink too much and cheat on their wives. “This is how the system in Springfield works,” he said....

Illinois Pols Offered Me Easy Out: Blago

Replacement denies deal to keep him on as 'incapacitated governor'

(Newser) - Rod Blagojevich said today that shortly after his December arrest by federal authorities, he was approached by “leading senators” who offered him a chance to stay on as an “incapacitated governor,” the Chicago Tribune reports. The deal, which the now-impeached governor rejected, would have been contingent on...

Prosecutor: Blago Has No 'Right to Be Governor'

Rebuttal of governor's speech comes as impeachment trial nears conclusion

(Newser) - The Illinois House prosecutor gave a forceful rebuttal today to Rod Blagojevich’s closing speech, in the last act of the governor’s impeachment trial before the state Senate deliberates on his fate, the Chicago Tribune reports. “He doesn’t have a constitutional right to be governor,” David...

Day 1 of Blago Trial Wraps Up
 Day 1 of 
 Blago Trial 
 Wraps Up 
UPDATED
Jan 26, 2009 8:06 PM CST

Day 1 of Blago Trial Wraps Up

(Newser) - The first day of Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment trial in the Illinois Senate has ended after testimony from only one witness, the Chicago Tribune reports. Former federal prosecutor John Scully described how agents built a criminal case against the governor, approving wiretaps and bugs after a rigorous vetting process. “...

Illinois Senate Convenes Blago Impeachment Trial

(Newser) - The Illinois Senate has convened a historic impeachment trial that will determine whether Gov. Rod Blagojevich is removed from office, the AP reports. Chief Justice Thomas Fitzgerald began the trial today by reminding senators that they face "a solemn and serious business." They will consider charges that the...

Ahead of Trial, Blago Paints Himself as Victim

(Newser) - Rod Blagojevich addressed his public again today, warning the citizens of Illinois that if he goes down they are all in danger, the Chicago Tribune reports. Blago likened his Senate impeachment trial, which he will boycott when it starts Monday, to a “hanging” and “a gross violation of...

Blago's Impeachment Lawyers Jump Ship

(Newser) - Ten days before Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment trial in the Illinois senate is scheduled to begin, the disgraced governor’s legal team has stepped down, the Chicago Tribune reports. A short timetable and the fact they can’t call witnesses make the situation “fundamentally unfair,” said the attorneys,...

Obama's 'Pull' on Ethics Bill Helped Spark Gov. Case

But past ties also reveal Obama's ascendency through machine politics

(Newser) - Barack Obama isn't as distant from the scandal surrounding the indicted governor of Illinois as he has let on. The president-elect used his pull in the Illinois senate to get an ethics bill passed that contributed to Gov. Rod Blagojevich's indictment on corruption charges, reports the New York Times. While...

A Convention Outsider Moves to Center Stage

In '00 Obama couldn't get a seat; in '04 he wowed the crowd

(Newser) - Barack Obama arrives in Denver today one election away from the presidency—a far cry from the 2000 convention, when he couldn't even get a seat on the floor. As Al Gore received the Democrats' nomination in Los Angeles, the state senator barely had enough money to rent a car....

Obama's Republican Pal Gets Grief
Obama's Republican Pal Gets Grief
Jul 18, 2008 1:25 PM CDT

Obama's Republican Pal Gets Grief

Appearance in campaign ad costly for Ill. senate colleague

(Newser) - Kirk Dillard is a lot like many Obama supporters. He came to respect and admire Obama, and he appeared in an early primary ad saying so. But the Illinois legislator also happens to be a Republican—and a delegate for John McCain. Now that Obama is the nominee, Dillard’s...

12 Stories