Tuesday, December 16, 2008

why is it so hard to get rid of criminals?

Should Blago stay or should he go?

The pressure on Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to resign rises exponentially with the start of impeachment proceedings Tuesday, but there may be good reason for the embattled governor to hunker down in office.

It’s his bargaining chip.

“He’s in a much better position to make a deal if he was a sitting governor,” said Ann Lousin, a professor at John Marshall Law School in Chicago. “In his position, I would not resign. He loses his leverage.”

Blagojevich faces a short, universally painful list of options as the state legislature and the state Supreme Court weighs measures to oust him, and the Justice Department continues its corruption probe.

He could stay in office and battle it out. He could step aside temporarily. Or he could resign — but only after trying to strike a deal for leniency with prosecutors, according to interviews Monday with eight Illinois legal experts.

Almost no matter what he decides, the case shows little sign of a quick resolution.

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Of course, he won't do the honorable thing and resign so we can all move on...

More:

Illinois impeachment panel begins work
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