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Illinios Dems in Favor of Fitzpatrick

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While its true Patrick Fitzgerald is going after Gov. Rod Blagojevich,  this does not mean that he is looked on unfavorably by Illinois Democrats.  Blagojevich's popularity among the various constituencies in the Democratic Party is not high: among machine Dems, he doesn't get along with Ill. Democratic Party Chair Mike Madigan.  Many progressive/liberal Democrats have been disgusted with his administration, and if he is corrupt, would love to see him brought down.  Though Judy Baar Topinka could have been a strong challenger to him in the last election, she lost many "moderate" votes because of picking Joe Birkett as her running mate -- and if it comes down to a battle of the running mates, Pat Quinn, the current lt. gov., wins, as Birkett is a nasty, unlikable piece of work.  Some voters were cynical enough to believe that there was a high chance that both Topinka and Blagojevich were likely to be indicted, and so voted on the basis of the lt. gov., and have been waiting for Fitzgerald to indict.  Blagojevich has torn the party apart with his ineptitude, and there are many in the Democratic Party who will be relieved to see him go. 

Meanwhile, never forget that Fitzgerald convicted the former governor, Republican George Ryan, who is currently sitting in prison.  It was Topinka's closeness to Ryan that had many speculating on what he would find in her closets.  People like him because he has been so even-handed, and because corruption costs us all  -- and the evidence comes out daily in the papers. 

I think official "A" has always been Blago, and not Obama: I think Obama's connection to the case is tangential.


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