Looks like these are the last days of Governor Blagojevich.  While there will be a collective sigh of relief across the land that we will have seen the last of this Governor's corrupt rule, it will neither be the last we see of Blagojevich, abuse of power in Illinois government nor the last of the corrupt political system in which the Governor arose.

It is important to realize that this has been a family feud, a war amongst the members of Illinois' political "machine," over who will control the levers of state government (and, thus, the money that flows from it).  Ridding ourselves of Rod Blagojevich only removes the most public embarrassment that stems from the corruption endemic to the state's politics.  But it won't change the fact that the state remains one of the most corrupt in the nation.

This is Illinois, as one political reporter likes to remind us. Corruption is endemic here.  Abuse of power is common.  It is, as Illinoisans like to remind outsiders, the price of getting things done.  People accept it.  That's the way it's been since people can remember.

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In my previous diary, I wrote that fighting for reform hasn't always been easy.

I've spent a career in Cook County government on the opposite side of the Chicago political machine on virtually every issue. That itself can make one's career tough.

But the truth is that I enjoy finding ways to improve government. Call me naive, but my view is that government should play an important role in improving the lives of citizens. I believe that government can and should do more.

I am running for Congress in IL-05 to replace Rahm Emanuel because we desperately need reform and because it's too important right now in our country's history to not have our best and brightest fixing our problems.

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Say George Bush needs to raise half a billion dollars for his eventual presidential library and scholarly institute in Texas. In fact, he does, and that's the most a presidential library has ever cost -- Clinton's ran $165 million and George H.W. Bush's half that. The way the law stands now, anyone and everyone is welcome to anonymously chip into the kitty: Halliburton, the Saudi government, somebody looking for a pardon, whomever. Heck, a single donor could kick in every red cent needed for construction and his or her name need never appear anywhere in the public record. Think someone who's willing to help a sitting president erase what is in effect a huge debt is going to curry a little bit of favor? It's a giant backdoor into the president's good graces. Rep. Henry Waxman's been fed up with the way that presidential libraries are funded since when Clinton was passing the hat for his. Today, at about 11 or so, Waxman's Oversight Committee will be hearing a bill that would amend the Presidential Libraries Act. He'd make it so that the name of every donor over $200 is disclosed and posted online in a timely fashion.

Crossposted at Daily Kos

The Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment (HR 5672) would have blocked the Justice Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from harassing ill and elderly patients who use marijuana medically to treat their conditions. It failed by a vote of 163 to 259, June 28, 2006.

Congressman David Obey (D-WI) told the White House, the Congress, the Justice Department and the DEA to butt out of meddling in citizens' medical affairs.

Congressman Obey asked: "When is this Congress going to recognize that individuals in their private lives have a right to manage their problems as they see fit without the permission of the big guy in the White House or the big guy in the Justice Department or any of the Lilliputians on this Congressional floor?"

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Okay, she's running for Lt. Governor. But one can dream . . .

This is my first diary at MyDD, and I apologize if I'm doing it wrong!  This is cross-posted at my blog, here

http://blogolodeon.blogspot.com/2006/05/ jackie-speier-for-governor.html

I had just about decided to vote for John Garamendi for Lt. Governor just to piss off the insurance companies who are trying to blackmail him.

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