My memory of meeting Rod Blagojevich, who for the sake of brevity I will simply call Blago, dates back to the 2002 election cycle. I was working as part of the State Coordinated Campaign in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. When I signed up for the gig, I assumed I was going to Chicago. After five days in the Windy City, I was sent to the bright lights and two story skyscrapers in the Vern. We became known as the outsiders, Gephardt’s boys, the DNC kids, Victory 2000, D.C. folks and City Slickers. First and only time in my life I was called a "city slicker". Oh and we were only paid $100 a week.
My recollections of encounters with Blago during that have become a bity hazy. Please forgive me, I forgive myself. At the time I did not blog, heck I just learned about the internet in 2008. Had I been one of those inter tube journalists, my ramblings would have probably better resembled a TMZ or Tucker Max. The stories were legendary and always involved lots of beer and shenanigans at a dive called Sam's that served some kick-butt Chili. Sam's usually got the big chunk of the weekly Benjamin Franklin in our pockets. One of my favorite memories is how we actually spent time in a bar one night that had a target shoot in the back and a waitress that pulled out her false teeth. Yes real guns and real dentures.
Back to blogging Blago. So he was over an hour late for a fundraiser at one of those old fancy Victorian style houses in small towns. We were the advance for the evening for Congressman David Phelps - a gospel singing Congressman. Blago finally shows up and woos the crowd with a rendition of "Love Me Tender" by Elvis.
To prove I’m not fabricating this tale of Blago being an Elvis impersonator - here’s a YouTube of Blago singing some
His speech that evening was terrible. I swear he was the goofiest politician I’ve ever met and I’ve had interractions with hundreds of them. At the time, Blago was a godsend to the Democrats in Illinois. Despite being a Democratic stronghold in Chicago, Illinois over the previous 25 years had been represented by three Republican Governors. I learned really quickly about how Illinois State politics came down to Chicago and the collar counties crossing each other out. So Downstate as it was called was often the "great decider" in these state electoral contests.
A lot of folks that I met and befriended were excited about the opportunities for Democrats in Illinois. They were excited about the State jobs that would be available and the belief that this administration would be less corrupted than that of most recent Governor George Ryan. I left Illinois a week after the election to try my hand in the nation’s capital, so my first hand knowledge of the Blago term is like the "Ground Zero" Mosque - non existent.
But those that spoke highly of Blago within the first year of his tenure began to become disgruntled. They felt Blago was being lead astray and miscast as the State’s Governor.
So what happened really was no surprise as he was always a bit cartoonish. Brilliant never the word I would have used to describe the very bad Elvis impersonator. So as the old saying goes anyone who represents themselves in court has a fool for a client. Although as the verdict came in and Blago was found not guilty on all but one count he had the last laugh. Another politician much more crafty than we perceived. Elvis lives.