Yesterday, Citizens to Impeach Blagojevich sent to House Speaker Mike Madigan, Minority Leader Tom Cross, Attorney General Lisa Madigan and the Governor himself the first wave of petition signatures -- 1365 -- they've gathered in just one week since they unveiled www.impeachblago.com.
With all the anonymous belly-aching and whining about the Governor in the media and on the blogs, there's been some trash talk about the seeming small number of people who've signed on. Without my signature, it would have been 1364. . . about 1000 more than I actually expected to participate.
Why so few, you ask?
It's easy to figure out. Of the 12 million people in Illinois, a recent University of Illinois study showed only about 4 percent of Illinoisans get their news online. Another study showed that over 51 percent of Illinois' work force is state employees, or state-affiliated independent contractors.
Then there are the thousands and thousands of retired state employees' whose pensions are at stake. If you got a check and your CEO was the governor, would you have the guts to sign a petition calling for the Democratic-controlled House to investigate the boss?
Then there are those left who aren't state employees, but fear finding their name on such a list could trigger a pesky visit from Illinois tax agents.
That brings down the number to the state's minority of Republicans, few or which are paying attention to politics right now and most of which don't understand the power of perceptual politics. Obviously.
While the state re-elected Blagojevich last fall, it wasn't because he was so great, it was because the Republican candidate and her campaign were so weak. Plus the fact that conservatives washed their hands of the whole process when their candidates lost in the 2006 GOP primary.
There must be more than 1365 frustrated conservatives in Illinois, you might say. Yes, it's likely there are, but conservatives in Illinois can't cooperate and most are too depressed and self-absorbed to encourage a good idea -- even when the target is Rod Blagojevich.
So when you think of it, 1365 signers at www.impeachblago.com is an excellent beginning.
