Better than Obama speaking to George Will, Charles Krauthammer, et al: Berkowitz w/State Rep. Hamos on Impeachment of Rod, etc. Cable and Streaming
Jeff Berkowitz: But in the general election you supported [Rod Blagojevich for Governor in 2002], right? President-elect Obama sat in the chair you’re sitting in, in June of 2002, and said he couldn’t even think about running for the U. S. Senate because he had to work hard to elect Rod Blagojevich for Governor. And then in 2006, didn’t Speaker Mike Madigan and Mayor Daley co-chair Rod Blagojevich’s re-election committee? They did.
State Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston, 18th Dist): I know. It’s kind of shocking.
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State Rep. Julie Hamos: Again, I think it’s a totality of circumstances. What put it over the top, certainly for me, and for other members of the committee, is when our sitting governor was arrested by the federal government. Now, I would personally feel better if there were an indictment...
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Eleventh year Illinois State Rep. Julie Hamos (D-18th Dist., Evanston), a member of the Illinois House Select Committee on Impeachment, debates and discusses impeachment [Watch here] and other issues (See, below) with show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz in this week’s Chicago Metro suburban edition of “Public Affairs.” For the suburban Public Affairs airing schedule, as well as next week’s airing schedule for the show in Chicago, Aurora and Rockford, please go here.
You can also watch the show on your computer here.
*************************************************
Following up on the headline for this post, go here to read about President-Elect Obama's charm offensive trotted out in his meeting with eight conservation pundits. The attributes of Obama noted in this article: charming, well informed, smart, bright and strong command of the issues are the same attributes that characterized the Obama that this reporter got to know in 2001-04 [Watch here].
***************************************
Topics discussed on the show with Rep. Hamos include whether or not:
• Hamos favors impeachment and/or resignation of Illinois' Gov. Rod Blagojevich,
-Democratic Party Leaders in Illinois were well aware of many of Gov. Blagojevich's "questionable practices," for the last six years
--Illinois Republican Party leaders handled former Republican Governor George Ryan's "issues," better than the Democratic Party leaders handled Gov. Blagojevich's "issues."
• Hamos thinks there should be a special election to replace President-Elect Obama in the U. S. Senate,
• Hamos thinks Governor Blagojevich had the power to appoint Roland Burris as a U. S. Senator,
• the House is using the appropriate standard for impeachment,
• the U. S. Senate can decline to seat Roland Burris- based on the relevant constitutional provisions,
• Hamos will run for Attorney General,
• House Bill 1 (or its successor) reasonably regulates pay to play,
• There should be limitations on contributions to politicians and much more.
Please go here for more about Rep. Hamos and various state legislative issues.
***********************************
A partial transcript of the show with State Rep. Julie Hamos is included, below:
Did Blagojevich do anything criminal relating to the U. S. Senate Seat?
Jeff Berkowitz: The real thing people want to know, Julie Hamos—you are on the select impeachment committee in the House--
State Rep. Julie Hamos [D-Evanston]: Right.
Jeff Berkowitz: The thing of it is, you’re looking at issuing articles of impeachment against Rod Blagojevich, right?
Rep. Hamos: Yes.
Jeff Berkowitz: Team Obama says they investigated this thing…about the allegations… and the U. S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois says that the governor was trying to sell the Senate seat, put it up for auction…In any case, Team Obama said they looked at those communications, and they didn’t see any inappropriate discussions. And they didn’t see that Rod Blagojevich ever suggested something in return for names that were being suggested by Team Obama for the next Senator, to replace Barack Obama. And Team Blagojevich, of course, says he wasn’t doing anything wrong. So where’s the illegality here? Because if Team Obama didn’t offer anything—which Team Blagojevich would say [and the wiretap and bug transcripts seem to support that], I’m sure—and Blagojevich didn’t ask for anything, which is what Team Obama is saying, is there any illegality that you see? In that transaction?
Rep. Hamos: I think the important thing is-- that is not the only transaction we’re looking at. And I think, if anything, the impeachment committee is looking at a totality of circumstances… The Illinois Constitution is vague on what is a cause for impeachment. It doesn’t define it. So we are left, as an impeachment committee, to define standards for why and how we would impeach. I take that very seriously. And in part, I think, Jeff, it harkens back to my days escaping from a totalitarian government… I think we have a huge challenge-- a huge responsibility here-- to do it right, to set a precedent that has to survive future generations. It cannot be a political lynch mob. It cannot be a witch hunt. It has to be something very thorough, very concrete, as to why we would impeach a sitting governor… So that one issue that caused the U. S. Attorney to stand before a press conference and announce that he is now arresting the Governor, and moving ahead with an indictment, is not the only issue before us, the United States Senate appointment. We are looking at many other issues, going back years, when we believe, as a Legislature, that there were gross abuses of power that require us to take a look at what is the proper role of a Governor.
Jeff Berkowitz: Why are you looking at it now? Because, look. Rod Blagojevich came in in 2002, there was a Democratic primary, as you know. You didn’t support him in the primary, right?
Rep. Hamos: Right.
Did the Democratic Party “enable,” Rod’s impeachable offenses?
Jeff Berkowitz: But in the general election you supported him, right? President-elect Obama sat in the chair you’re sitting in, in June of 2002, and said he couldn’t even think about running for the U. S. Senate because he had to work hard to elect Rod Blagojevich for Governor. And then in 2006, didn’t Speaker Mike Madigan and Mayor Daley co-chair Rod Blagojevich’s re-election committee? They did.
Rep. Hamos: I know. It’s kind of shocking.
Jeff Berkowitz: So four years [later], things must have been fine enough for them to chair that. You supported Rod Blagojevich in 2006, right?
Rep. Hamos: Yes. He was our sitting governor.
Jeff Berkowitz: You didn’t support Ed Eisendrath. You had a choice, a reformer, in the Democratic primary. Did you go with Eisendrath, or did you go with Blagojevich?
Rep. Hamos: He [Blago] was our sitting governor.
Jeff Berkowitz: You went with Blagojevich. I don’t mean just you, the whole Democratic Party—well, thirty percent of the voters went with Eisendrath, but the overwhelming majority of the Democratic public officials, I’m sure, stayed with Blagojevich. So my point is—what’s happened now, if its not this U.S. Attorney complaint about the sale of the office, on January 4, 2009, what’s happened now to make these abuses, that, as you say, have been going on for years and years—why would you impeach him now if he was good enough to re-elect, according to the Democrats, in 2006?
Is it appropriate to impeach a Governor who has not been indicted?
Rep. Hamos: Again, I think it’s a totality of circumstances. What put it over the top, certainly for me, and for other members of the committee, is when our sitting governor was arrested by the federal government. Now, I would personally feel better if there were an indictment. And the indictment now looks like it is not going to happen next week, the following week, as we had hoped. [The U. S. Attorney is] asking for an extension of [90 days to file the indictment] Ed. note; The prosecutor's request for a 90 extension of time to file it's indictment was granted last week.
Jeff Berkowitz: It may never happen at all.
Rep. Hamos: I think it will happen.
Jeff Berkowitz: You think?
**********************************************
Public Affairs thanks its intern, Amy Allen, for preparing a draft of the above partial transcript of our show with State Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston)
******************************************************
The show with Rep. Hamos was taped on January 4, 2009, five days before the Illinois House voted to impeach Governor Blagojevich, sending the matter to the Illinois Senate for a trial of the Governor, to be "presided," over by State Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Fitzgerald. However, rulings by Justice Fitzgerald can be reversed by a majority of the state Senators. If he is convicted, which requires a two-thirds majority vote of the fifty-nine senators, Blagojevich will be removed immediately as the Governor, and replaced by Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn (D-Chicago).
The trial of Gov. Blagojevich in the Senate is expected to begin on January 26, 2009 and take approximately two weeks. This week and next week will be used to handle pre-trial motions, witness issues and other procedural matters. Also, many of the Senators will be in Washington, DC to see the inauguration of and attend related balls and parties for their former colleague, President Barack Obama.
*************************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. *************************************************************
"Public Affairs," is a weekly political interview show airing in Chicago on CANTV, in the Chicago metro area, Aurora and Rockford on Comcast and also often on the Illinois Channel. You can watch the shows, including archived shows going back to 2005, here.
**************************************************
Recently posted shows on the Public Affairs YouTube page include a recent Bill O'Reilly segment w/Berkowitz on Obama, shows with State Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston) newly minted State Rep. Mark Walker (D-Arlington Heights), essentially the first Dem to represent his district since the Civil War, on the connection between the mess in Springfield and in Cook County government, Chicago Alderman Manuel (Manny) Flores (D-1st Ward, Wicker Park) on impeachment of Rod, Chicago issues and a possible run to replace 5th CD Cong. Emanuel, Cook County Cmsr. Tony Peraica (R-Riverside) on the mess we call Illinois politics, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell, State Senator Bill Brady (R-Bloomington), State Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Westmont), Cook County Commissioner and possible 5th CD Dem. Primary candidate Mike Quigley (D-Lakeview), State Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) and Cook County Cmsr. and Obama Media Team Member Forrest Claypool and much more.
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State Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston, 18th Dist): I know. It’s kind of shocking.
****************************************
State Rep. Julie Hamos: Again, I think it’s a totality of circumstances. What put it over the top, certainly for me, and for other members of the committee, is when our sitting governor was arrested by the federal government. Now, I would personally feel better if there were an indictment...
*******************************
Eleventh year Illinois State Rep. Julie Hamos (D-18th Dist., Evanston), a member of the Illinois House Select Committee on Impeachment, debates and discusses impeachment [Watch here] and other issues (See, below) with show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz in this week’s Chicago Metro suburban edition of “Public Affairs.” For the suburban Public Affairs airing schedule, as well as next week’s airing schedule for the show in Chicago, Aurora and Rockford, please go here.
You can also watch the show on your computer here.
*************************************************
Following up on the headline for this post, go here to read about President-Elect Obama's charm offensive trotted out in his meeting with eight conservation pundits. The attributes of Obama noted in this article: charming, well informed, smart, bright and strong command of the issues are the same attributes that characterized the Obama that this reporter got to know in 2001-04 [Watch here].
***************************************
Topics discussed on the show with Rep. Hamos include whether or not:
• Hamos favors impeachment and/or resignation of Illinois' Gov. Rod Blagojevich,
-Democratic Party Leaders in Illinois were well aware of many of Gov. Blagojevich's "questionable practices," for the last six years
--Illinois Republican Party leaders handled former Republican Governor George Ryan's "issues," better than the Democratic Party leaders handled Gov. Blagojevich's "issues."
• Hamos thinks there should be a special election to replace President-Elect Obama in the U. S. Senate,
• Hamos thinks Governor Blagojevich had the power to appoint Roland Burris as a U. S. Senator,
• the House is using the appropriate standard for impeachment,
• the U. S. Senate can decline to seat Roland Burris- based on the relevant constitutional provisions,
• Hamos will run for Attorney General,
• House Bill 1 (or its successor) reasonably regulates pay to play,
• There should be limitations on contributions to politicians and much more.
Please go here for more about Rep. Hamos and various state legislative issues.
***********************************
A partial transcript of the show with State Rep. Julie Hamos is included, below:
Did Blagojevich do anything criminal relating to the U. S. Senate Seat?
Jeff Berkowitz: The real thing people want to know, Julie Hamos—you are on the select impeachment committee in the House--
State Rep. Julie Hamos [D-Evanston]: Right.
Jeff Berkowitz: The thing of it is, you’re looking at issuing articles of impeachment against Rod Blagojevich, right?
Rep. Hamos: Yes.
Jeff Berkowitz: Team Obama says they investigated this thing…about the allegations… and the U. S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois says that the governor was trying to sell the Senate seat, put it up for auction…In any case, Team Obama said they looked at those communications, and they didn’t see any inappropriate discussions. And they didn’t see that Rod Blagojevich ever suggested something in return for names that were being suggested by Team Obama for the next Senator, to replace Barack Obama. And Team Blagojevich, of course, says he wasn’t doing anything wrong. So where’s the illegality here? Because if Team Obama didn’t offer anything—which Team Blagojevich would say [and the wiretap and bug transcripts seem to support that], I’m sure—and Blagojevich didn’t ask for anything, which is what Team Obama is saying, is there any illegality that you see? In that transaction?
Rep. Hamos: I think the important thing is-- that is not the only transaction we’re looking at. And I think, if anything, the impeachment committee is looking at a totality of circumstances… The Illinois Constitution is vague on what is a cause for impeachment. It doesn’t define it. So we are left, as an impeachment committee, to define standards for why and how we would impeach. I take that very seriously. And in part, I think, Jeff, it harkens back to my days escaping from a totalitarian government… I think we have a huge challenge-- a huge responsibility here-- to do it right, to set a precedent that has to survive future generations. It cannot be a political lynch mob. It cannot be a witch hunt. It has to be something very thorough, very concrete, as to why we would impeach a sitting governor… So that one issue that caused the U. S. Attorney to stand before a press conference and announce that he is now arresting the Governor, and moving ahead with an indictment, is not the only issue before us, the United States Senate appointment. We are looking at many other issues, going back years, when we believe, as a Legislature, that there were gross abuses of power that require us to take a look at what is the proper role of a Governor.
Jeff Berkowitz: Why are you looking at it now? Because, look. Rod Blagojevich came in in 2002, there was a Democratic primary, as you know. You didn’t support him in the primary, right?
Rep. Hamos: Right.
Did the Democratic Party “enable,” Rod’s impeachable offenses?
Jeff Berkowitz: But in the general election you supported him, right? President-elect Obama sat in the chair you’re sitting in, in June of 2002, and said he couldn’t even think about running for the U. S. Senate because he had to work hard to elect Rod Blagojevich for Governor. And then in 2006, didn’t Speaker Mike Madigan and Mayor Daley co-chair Rod Blagojevich’s re-election committee? They did.
Rep. Hamos: I know. It’s kind of shocking.
Jeff Berkowitz: So four years [later], things must have been fine enough for them to chair that. You supported Rod Blagojevich in 2006, right?
Rep. Hamos: Yes. He was our sitting governor.
Jeff Berkowitz: You didn’t support Ed Eisendrath. You had a choice, a reformer, in the Democratic primary. Did you go with Eisendrath, or did you go with Blagojevich?
Rep. Hamos: He [Blago] was our sitting governor.
Jeff Berkowitz: You went with Blagojevich. I don’t mean just you, the whole Democratic Party—well, thirty percent of the voters went with Eisendrath, but the overwhelming majority of the Democratic public officials, I’m sure, stayed with Blagojevich. So my point is—what’s happened now, if its not this U.S. Attorney complaint about the sale of the office, on January 4, 2009, what’s happened now to make these abuses, that, as you say, have been going on for years and years—why would you impeach him now if he was good enough to re-elect, according to the Democrats, in 2006?
Is it appropriate to impeach a Governor who has not been indicted?
Rep. Hamos: Again, I think it’s a totality of circumstances. What put it over the top, certainly for me, and for other members of the committee, is when our sitting governor was arrested by the federal government. Now, I would personally feel better if there were an indictment. And the indictment now looks like it is not going to happen next week, the following week, as we had hoped. [The U. S. Attorney is] asking for an extension of [90 days to file the indictment] Ed. note; The prosecutor's request for a 90 extension of time to file it's indictment was granted last week.
Jeff Berkowitz: It may never happen at all.
Rep. Hamos: I think it will happen.
Jeff Berkowitz: You think?
**********************************************
Public Affairs thanks its intern, Amy Allen, for preparing a draft of the above partial transcript of our show with State Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston)
******************************************************
The show with Rep. Hamos was taped on January 4, 2009, five days before the Illinois House voted to impeach Governor Blagojevich, sending the matter to the Illinois Senate for a trial of the Governor, to be "presided," over by State Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Fitzgerald. However, rulings by Justice Fitzgerald can be reversed by a majority of the state Senators. If he is convicted, which requires a two-thirds majority vote of the fifty-nine senators, Blagojevich will be removed immediately as the Governor, and replaced by Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn (D-Chicago).
The trial of Gov. Blagojevich in the Senate is expected to begin on January 26, 2009 and take approximately two weeks. This week and next week will be used to handle pre-trial motions, witness issues and other procedural matters. Also, many of the Senators will be in Washington, DC to see the inauguration of and attend related balls and parties for their former colleague, President Barack Obama.
*************************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. *************************************************************
"Public Affairs," is a weekly political interview show airing in Chicago on CANTV, in the Chicago metro area, Aurora and Rockford on Comcast and also often on the Illinois Channel. You can watch the shows, including archived shows going back to 2005, here.
**************************************************
Recently posted shows on the Public Affairs YouTube page include a recent Bill O'Reilly segment w/Berkowitz on Obama, shows with State Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston) newly minted State Rep. Mark Walker (D-Arlington Heights), essentially the first Dem to represent his district since the Civil War, on the connection between the mess in Springfield and in Cook County government, Chicago Alderman Manuel (Manny) Flores (D-1st Ward, Wicker Park) on impeachment of Rod, Chicago issues and a possible run to replace 5th CD Cong. Emanuel, Cook County Cmsr. Tony Peraica (R-Riverside) on the mess we call Illinois politics, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell, State Senator Bill Brady (R-Bloomington), State Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Westmont), Cook County Commissioner and possible 5th CD Dem. Primary candidate Mike Quigley (D-Lakeview), State Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) and Cook County Cmsr. and Obama Media Team Member Forrest Claypool and much more.
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