Blagojevich must go —right now.

If Gov. Blagojevich does not resign immediately, impeach him.

This is the inescapable conclusion that comes after reading Tuesday's 76-page criminal complaint against the governor alleging a runaway crime spree of political corruption.

Even if the governor were found not guilty of every accusation against him and given the apparent weight of the evidence against him, we're not taking any bets the criminal charges would cripple his already limited ability to lead Illinois.

The criminal complaint paints a portrait of Blagojevich that is stunning in its venality and arrogance. It taints any future decision Blagojevich could make as governor, especially his selection of the next U.S. senator from Illinois.

The federal investigation of the governor's administration dates to 2003, but the details in the criminal complaint are as fresh as this month.

With federal agents planting listening devices at Blagojevich's campaign office and on his home phone, the most damning evidence against the governor comes from his own mouth.

To Blagojevich's way of thinking, the criminal complaint alleges, picking the next senator from Illinois isn't a solemn obligation, it's a sale to the highest bidder.

"It's f - - - - - - golden and . . . I'm not giving it up for f - - - - - - nothing," Blagojevich is recorded saying, according to the complaint.

And if President-elect Barack Obama doesn't give Blagojevich something valuable in return for selecting Obama's choice to replace him in the U.S. Senate?

"F - - - him," Blagojevich allegedly said.

In the same spirit, deciding how much taxpayer money to spend on a tollway project is not a matter of fine planning. It's a matter of fund-raising how much money a highway contractor who will profit from the job can raise for the governor. If the contractor raises too little money, too bad.

"If they don't perform, f - - - 'em," the governor allegedly said.

And, in the same sad spirit, figuring out whether the state should help the Tribune Co. finance the sale of Wrigley Field doesn't come down to dollars and cents. It comes down to muscling the Tribune to fire the editorial writers who called for the governor's impeachment.

"Fire those f - - - - - -," Blagojevich allegedly said.

We repeat these quotes not to dwell on an unpleasant obscenity but to give you insight, based on what's in the complaint, into how the governor privately views his commitment to serve the people of this state.

Earlier this year, you may recall, Blagojevich opposed a state ethics law limiting how much businesses with state contracts could donate to him.

He claimed the bill wasn't tough enough.

Few believed him then.

Fewer will believe him now, as the criminal complaint details how Blagojevich allegedly went on a fund-raising spree to squeeze $2.5 million in contributions from those very businesses before the ethics law went into effect.

Context is key to understanding why the allegations against Blagojevich are worse than your typical charges against a politician who shakes people down. (We sadly say "typical" because, after all, we live in Illinois.)

In Blagojevich's case, federal agents have been swarming over every part of the governor's life for years. His friend and fund-raiser Tony Rezko has been convicted for political corruption in Blagojevich's administration.

So what kind of man knowing all this continues to shake down businesses and puts a Senate seat up for sale? What combination of hubris, stupidity and greed is at work here?

What kind of governor considers snatching back a state grant to Children's Memorial Hospital because its CEO refused to cough up a campaign contribution?

If the business of political corruption is a race, these allegations suggest, Blagojevich has left former Gov. George Ryan in the dust.

The only scenario worse than Blagojevich's refusing to resign would be his refusing to resign and then selecting our next senator. Fortunately, the state Senate and House look poised to meet, so lawmakers can change the law to select a new senator by special election.

None of this, of course, will be necessary if Blagojevich does in fact resign. He could do this for the sake of the state, not as an admission of guilt.

In his last official act, Gov. Blagojevich can show the people of Illinois that, for once, he has their interests at heart.

Chicago Sun-Times. Dec. 9.

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Time to remove governor from Springfield

"I don't care whether you tape me privately or publicly. I can tell you that whatever I say is always lawful."

Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The joke, apparently, is on Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The governor has known for three years that he was being investigated for alleged hiring fraud, yet the day before his arrest he shrugged off the revelation that authorities were listening to his conversations.

And FBI agents said Tuesday that when they told him that he was being arrested, he asked, "Is this a joke?"

Tragically, for the people of the State of Illinois, this is no laughing matter.

The governor appears to have attained new heights of arrogance or cluelessness, according to the court papers.

Blagojevich is accused of giving jobs, contracts and appointments in return for campaign contributions and illegally threatening to withhold state assistance to the owners of the Chicago Tribune for the sale of the Chicago Cubs in an attempt to get the paper to fire editorial writers who had criticized him.

Federal investigators say they heard conversations in which the governor conspired to sell the Senate seat being vacated by President-elect Barack Obama in return for cash or a juicy job for himself and/or his wife.

This is amazing stuff, even for Illinois, which has an undistinguished reputation when it comes to state politics. If Blagojevich is convicted and serves prison time, he will be the fourth Illinois governor in the last 40 years to go to federal prison.

"If it isn't the most corrupt state in the United States, it's certainly one hell of a competitor," Chicago FBI Chief Robert Grant said Tuesday.

"The Senate seat, as recently as days ago, seemed to be on the verge of being auctioned off," U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said. "The conduct would make Lincoln roll over in his grave."

The FBI said in court documents that the governor was conspiring to sell the soon-to-be vacant Senate seat for campaign cash or lucrative jobs for himself and/or his wife, Patti, a real estate agent.

He even held out hope of getting appointed as Obama's secretary of health and human services or an ambassador.

According to court papers, the governor tried to make it known through emissaries that the Senate seat could be had for the right price.

We agree with many others who have voiced, in the short time since the news of Blagojevich's arrest was announced, that he needs to vacate the office of governor.

However, this governor has shown no signs that he is a reasonable man.

The Illinois General Assembly needs to begin the process of impeachment proceedings to remove Blagojevich from office. No one in state government should delay in hopes that the governor will voluntarily step aside.

From refusing to stay in the state capital and refusing to work with the Legislature to initiating programs without legislative approval and blatantly continuing Illinois' image of a "pay to play" government, Blagojevich has shown little regard for doing what is in the best interest of the state.

It's now time for state officials to remove this governor from Springfield.

Mattoon Journal Gazette & The (Charleston) Times-Courier, Dec. 9.

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Step down immediately, governor, it's time Tuesday.

Even in a state accustomed to seeing governors sentenced to prison, Tuesday's news reports about the arrest and indictment of Gov. Rod Blagojevich on corruption charges represent what U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald called "truly a new low" for the state of Illinois.

The day's events surrounding Blagojevich eclipse the once-shocking convictions and prison terms faced by the currently imprisoned George Ryan and the previously confined former governors Dan Walker and Otto Kerner. All were imprisoned since 1970, which is a shameful legacy for the Land of Lincoln.

But the depths of their disgraces pale in comparison to those facing Blagojevich or the stunning saga that unfolded Tuesday: A sitting governor who a day earlier publicly thumbed his nose at law enforcement efforts to record his conversations is rousted from his home before dawn. He is arrested, then taken into federal custody for a court hearing on charges of conspiracy to commit fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and solicitation to commit bribery, which is punishable by up to 10 years.

Blagojevich faces stunning accusations of trying to sell a vacant U.S. Senate seat and seeking bribes for political favors. Fitzgerald said it was necessary to act quickly against Blagojevich to stop a "corruption crime spree." The accusations cast the most unflattering of lights on Illinois, described by FBI Special Agent Robert Grant during a news conference in the following manner: "If it isn't the most corrupt state in the United States, it certainly is one hell of a competitor."

Blagojevich hasn't been convicted of anything, but his ability to govern was irreparably harmed by the accusations and the release of a detailed indictment that includes his coarse and shocking demands for money, special favors and special treatment for himself and his wife. In his own secretly recorded words.

Blagojevich is still our governor, but in name only. He retains the authority to make a U.S. Senate appointment, conduct state business and represent the state of Illinois on the national and global stages. But who would want to accept any type of appointment from Blagojevich, even the golden path of a U.S. senator, or believe he could legitimately conclude any business for the people of Illinois? Any appointee would forever be under a black cloud of suspicion. Any act of government involving Blagojevich would forever be doubted and legally challenged.

This is a time when Blagojevich needs to think about the aforementioned people of Illinois and the best interests of the state he professes to love and swore to faithfully represent. His administration has led our state to the brink of bankruptcy. He has failed as a leader of state government. And his own words and actions have him bound hand and feet in the steely cold chains of federal accusations.

It might be Blagojevich's legal right to stay in office and demand to be tried on the charges, but such a process will be lengthy, disastrously expensive and ruinous to the reputation of a once-proud state. There is only one acceptable course of action. Blagojevich must resign. He must resign immediately.

(Carbondale) Southern Illinoisan. Dec. 9.

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Governor Blagojevich, resign.

This complaint against Gov. Rod Blagojevich is astonishing, even in a state known for its sleazy culture of pay-to-play politics, a state whose last governor is serving time for official corruption.

The people of Illinois have known for more than a year that Gov. Rod Blagojevich is, despite his title, not capable of governing. As we said in an October 2007 editorial, he is "an intentionally divisive governor and a profoundly unhelpful influence." He has tried to circumvent the authority of the legislature and spend money this state doesn't have. He has been plagued — this sorry state has been plagued — by metastasizing investigations of cronyism and corruption on his watch.

And now U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald of Chicago has laid out a devastating set of criminal charges against Blagojevich and his chief of staff. This complaint is astonishing, even in a state known for its culture of political sleaze, a state whose last governor is serving a richly deserved prison sentence for multiple counts of public corruption.

Prosecutors allege that Blagojevich tried to sell an appointment to the U.S. Senate. He tried to barter the powers of his office. He tried to make a deal to get the corporate owner of this newspaper to remove members of the editorial board because this board has been critical of him.

Even as the probe was closing in on him, the pace of the governor's money-making schemes sped up. Prosecutors said the governor was working "feverishly" to monetize his clout, his ability to confer favors.

Most appalling: When Barack Obama was elected president, Blagojevich saw opportunity in the vacancy created in the U.S. Senate. "I've got this thing and it's (expletive) golden, and uh, uh, I'm just not giving it up for (expletive) nothing," he allegedly said.

The governor must resign immediately. If he doesn't, the Illinois House should begin proceedings to impeach him, and to ask the Senate to try him.

That's not just our judgment. Many of the state's leading politicians, Democrats and Republicans, have called on the governor to step down. In the words of Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan: "Our worst fears have been realized."

Unfortunately for the citizens of this state, that statement could have been uttered too many times in recent decades.

Otto Kerner, the Democratic governor from 1961 to 1968, went to prison after being convicted in 1973 on bribery, tax evasion and other counts.

In 1987, after he left office, former Democratic Gov. Dan Walker pleaded guilty to charges of bank fraud, misapplication of funds and perjury.

In 2006, Republican Gov. George Ryan was convicted of widespread corruption and is now serving a 6 1/2-year term with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

Prosecutors said Tuesday that they had hoped the conviction of Ryan sent a message to all future governors. Much as we'd like to think Illinois public officials are educable on that point, the intended message allegedly didn't get through to Blagojevich. Like Ryan and the others, Blagojevich will get every opportunity to defend himself in court against the criminal charges.

That doesn't, though, mean Illinois should have to put up with him in office for one more day. The allegations against him haven't been proven. They are, however, credible, and they render him unable not just to lead, but unable to serve.

Until he resigns, however, Blagojevich is still the governor. Theoretically he could, even in his last moments, appoint someone to fill Obama's vacant seat for two years.

But that person would be irredeemably tainted by the governor's alleged attempts to sell or barter the seat. Blagojevich needs to step aside and let Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn take over. Quinn has a rare reputation in Illinois politics: He's honest. If he replaces Blagojevich as governor, he can make the Senate appointment.

This moment, though, shouldn't be all about politicians and laws. This moment should be about the serially cheated citizens of Illinois, people who pay their taxes and expect honest governance in return. They have to choose better officials. They have to demand more. They deserve more.

Right now, though, the state faces a financial crisis, a $2 billion budget shortfall and an abundance of difficult choices of what to fund and what to cut. Illinois needs a governor who can lead through this crisis. Rod Blagojevich is, more than before, the governor who cannot govern.

Governor, resign.

Chicago Tribune. Dec. 10.

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Governor should resign immediately.

The American justice system presumes everyone is innocent until proven guilty in court.

So we will not weigh in today on the egregiousness of the federal charges against Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff. We will not muse over what he is accused of saying or demanding in regards to appointing a new U.S. senator to take over President-elect Obama's seat.

Instead, we want to focus on what happens next. Someone needs to take over as Illinois' junior senator. If Blagojevich makes that appointment, it's tainted from the start no matter what is proved or disproved in court.

Someone also needs to attend to the crucial needs of the state at a time when the economy is in recession.

That someone can't be Blagojevich. He needs to resign immediately.

There is no way Blagojevich can govern the state and fight these corruption charges at the same time. Something will have to give, and we think it inevitable that his priority will be to stay out of prison.

"While there is a presumption of innocence, in these troubling economic times the people's work should be placed ahead of Gov. Blagojevich's legal troubles," said state GOP Chairman Andy McKenna.

Democrats agree: "For the well-being of Illinois, Gov. Blagojevich must resign immediately," Comptroller Dan Hynes said.

Even before the governor was unceremoniously arrested at his Chicago home Tuesday morning, he had trouble working with the Legislature. That has been well documented over the years. It will be near impossible for him to have any effectiveness in the legislative process with these charges hanging over his head.

Even his most ardent supporters — such as outgoing Senate President Emil Jones — are prepared to take away his power to appoint the next U.S. senator.

And his most ardent critics will be ready to start the impeachment process as soon as possible. Democratic Attorney General Lisa Madigan says she's prepared to get the Illinois Supreme Court involved in ousting the governor.

But special elections, impeachment hearings, court proceedings and corruption trials all can take a long time. They all cost money. And they all divert attention from the urgent needs of the state.

Blagojevich's resignation would make all that moot. Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn would take over. He would have the power to appoint a new senator. He could focus on the state's problems and start working with the Legislature to accomplish things that have been tangled up for years, such as a capital projects plan. Illinois' new senator could get to work as well rather than leaving open that important office for months.

And Blagojevich could say he did what was right for the people who elected him and then concentrate on his defense. He'll need that time.

Illinois residents, meanwhile, will need that time to recover from the stench of another governor caught up in scandal.

The (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald. Dec. 10.

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