In his new book, The Governor (see Mick Dumke’s review), Rod Blagojevich blames Michael and Lisa Madigan, every legislator in Springfield, U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, and his own father-in-law, 33rd Ward alderman Richard Mell, for destroying his plans to help the hardworking people of Illinois. But the buck doesn’t stop there: he also rips the press for disseminating reckless accusations against him to sell more papers and drive up ratings.
You probably won’t be surprised to hear that Blago’s account isn’t exactly gospel—he didn’t even get the headline right. It was “Rod Gives ‘Em the Shaft.”
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They were so upset with Blago that this traditionally tight-lipped bunch was proposing to do the unthinkable: spill their guts to me.
And yet one day in April 2004, Avila, Longo, and I met for lunch downtown at Volare on Grand. It was a blast to finally meet Longo, one of those larger-than-life political tough guys whose legend was enhanced by the felony rap he took for vote fraud back in ’84.
My story ran on May 6, 2004, and I wrote a follow-up a few months later about another Mell old-timer who felt betrayed by Blago.
Incidentally, I have no particular grudge against Blagojevich. I’ve never even spoken to the guy. And, I’ve actually been liking him more and more since his fall. Yes, his book is filled with self-pity and distortions—his account of how he began his career as a crusading reformer is particularly laughable—but I still hope one day he’ll emerge as the Jose Canseco of Illinois politics, the guy who says, yeah, I did it—and now I’m going to tell you about the other guys who did too.
Well, here’s my advice: Don’t go, Mr. President.
