Madigan launches legal attack to oust Blagojevich

Oh snap! This was already mentioned yesterday but I understand that she's filed a motion today!

Attorney General Lisa Madigan today opened an unprecedented legal attack against a sitting Illinois governor, taking the formal steps to ask the Illinois Supreme Court to declare Gov. Blagojevich unfit to hold office.

Madigan filed paperwork with the state high court this morning, invoking what is known as Rule 382 that would ask justices to rule on ³the ability of the governor to serve.

There's supposed to be a press conference as I started to write this, still waiting....

We knew this was going to happen in fact when I started work on the Jesse Jackson Jr. post it was one of the many blurbs I've posted. Madigan has wasted little or no time on this.

This morning some black ministers visited the Governor:

[Rev. Ira of Greater St. John Bible Church] Acree and two other pastors -- Rev. Steve Jones, president of the Baptist Pastors Conference and Rev. Marshall Hatch of New Mt. Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church -- arrived at the governor's home shortly after 8 a.m. and met with him for about 20 minutes.

Jones said they prayed with Blagojevich and his family.

"I look at it like this: Everybody that's hurting needs hope and the family needs hope and that's what our jobs are as pastors," Jones said. "Nobody should be left hopeless. Nobody -- no matter what the circumstances."

Shortly after they left, a fourth minister, Rev. Leonard Barr of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, arrived at the governor's house with his wife, Rita.

He said they were invited by the governor and the two "prayed that he would continue to be a great governor for the state of Illinois."

I heard this on the radio this morning as well...

[Acree] said the governor discussed trying to get a legal and political consultation team in place, but feels as if everything is closing in on him and that he's not getting "any space or chance to sort anything out."

Still waiting for this Madigan press conference. Watching CLTV at this very moment!

11:41 AM - Press conference starts! She wants to strip the governor of Illinois of his current powers and install in his place the Lt. Governor as acting Governor.

11:44 AM - Madigan says that her action should not affect the General Assembly's ability to impeact and remove the Governor.

12:19 PM - Press conference over but you can read this write up by WBBM-TV and look at this last paragraph:

CBS 2 has learned that the governor is actively considering resigning from his post, sooner rather than later. But on Thursday night, a spokesman was not saying when that might happen.

My goodness I think he's finally come back to earth. People said that he won't willingly resign and that we'll have to pry him away from the Governorship! We'll see!

12:29 PM - This update is going in the JJJ post.

12:43 PM - Governor's Chief of Staff John Harris has resigned sources say. Story from Crain's, Harris was arrested with the Governor on Tuesday.