Google News Alerts rock as they pointed out a bunch of lege members were wearing flowers in support of Rep. John Bradley after The Blagorgeous’ attack on him.
Call It A Comeback
Google News Alerts rock as they pointed out a bunch of lege members were wearing flowers in support of Rep. John Bradley after The Blagorgeous’ attack on him.
This is like a broken record: if Gov B was determined to create a budget crisis, he could not be doing a better job.
Here’s some additional food for thought: any legislation passed now (like the budget) requires a 3/5 vote of all the members, not just the members voting. So, the Gov. needs 71 votes in the House.
Check out the quorum calls for the last few days:
6/29 — 97 members
6/28 — 107 members
6/27 — 97 members
6/26 — 81 members
6/25 — 108 members
6/24 — 94 members
(I’m using some shorthand here to make a point; with 5 special sessions simultaneously there are a whole bunch of quorum calls each day. Also, I am not discriminating against the Senate here; the Senate does not have its journals available online for 2004 yet. I’m pretty sure the attendance numbers for the Senate have been low the last week as well.)
On any given day, the Gov needs more than 3/5 of those members in Springfield to pass his budget. Now, subtract members that he has personally insulted, offended, etc. (e.g., Bradley, Lou Jones) — who the Gov will find very very difficult to persuade. Now subtract further members that will oppose whatever the Gov does (political and philosophical rivals).
It gets harder and harder to see how the Gov. gets to 71 votes in the House.
(Sure, it could be that more members will show up when there actually is a budget. But I would imagine that Blagojevich loyalists are already in Springfield. There’s no reason to believe that the folks skipping the Special Sessions are squarely in the Governor’s camp.)
I’d hate to think that the Gov’s Administration is this clueless — but I cannot imagine how the Gov benefits by stretching out the budget crisis.
Anyone?
This is like a broken record: if Gov B was determined to create a budget crisis, he could not be doing a better job.
Here’s some additional food for thought: any legislation passed now (like the budget) requires a 3/5 vote of all the members, not just the members voting. So, the Gov. needs 71 votes in the House.
Check out the quorum calls for the last few days:
6/29 — 97 members
6/28 — 107 members
6/27 — 97 members
6/26 — 81 members
6/25 — 108 members
6/24 — 94 members
(I’m using some shorthand here to make a point; with 5 special sessions simultaneously there are a whole bunch of quorum calls each day. Also, I am not discriminating against the Senate here; the Senate does not have its journals available online for 2004 yet. I’m pretty sure the attendance numbers for the Senate have been low the last week as well.)
On any given day, the Gov needs more than 3/5 of those members in Springfield to pass his budget. Now, subtract members that he has personally insulted, offended, etc. (e.g., Bradley, Lou Jones) — who the Gov will find very very difficult to persuade. Now subtract further members that will oppose whatever the Gov does (political and philosophical rivals).
It gets harder and harder to see how the Gov. gets to 71 votes in the House.
(Sure, it could be that more members will show up when there actually is a budget. But I would imagine that Blagojevich loyalists are already in Springfield. There’s no reason to believe that the folks skipping the Special Sessions are squarely in the Governor’s camp.)
I’d hate to think that the Gov’s Administration is this clueless — but I cannot imagine how the Gov benefits by stretching out the budget crisis.
Anyone?