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State law may not require that Rod Blagojevich step down when he hasn’t been convicted of anything–or even when he has–but the pressure on him to do so is already soaring. Every politician who can get anybody to listen has called on him to quit, starting with his lieutenant governor, Pat Quinn. Meanwhile, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, who so recently was campaigning for the early release of our last governor-turned-convict, asked state legislative leaders to remove the governor’s power to fill the Senate seat, and they said they’ll comply. Other legislators have threatened to begin impeachment proceedings if the gov doesn’t remove himself soon.
Still, the worse he makes it on the rest of the Chicago political establishment, the less help he’s likely to have for his fight to stay or get out of jail. George Ryan at least figured that one out.