* Rep. Bill Mitchell has found an almost perfect press release vehicle…
Like Dad taking the car keys away from a troublesome teenager, a lawmaker wants to ground Gov. Rod Blagojevich for not finishing the state budget.
Rep. Bill Mitchell is proposing banning the governor and legislative leaders from flying on state aircraft if they if they haven’t agreed on a budget by the May 31 deadline — as happened last month.
* This is a very big state, so I don’t agree with the particular legislation in question. The governor ought to be able to get around quickly. But Mitchell’s timing was solid and it seemed to strike a nerve at Blagojevich HQ…
The governor’s office has refused to respond to questions about the matter. But spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said in an e-mail Tuesday, “Rep. Mitchell should focus his energy on doing something constructive to move the budget forward instead of on state officials’ transportation.”
* Speaking of “Air Rod,” I’ve been thinking about putting this cartoon on a t-shirt as part of our charity project. Perhaps you can come up with a suitable caption in comments today…
* More budget-related stories, compiled by Paul…
* Illinois officials hope to pass temporary budget this week
* Illinios eyes temporary budget
* Stopgap budget set to be approved by Madigan’s House
* Agreement will keep Illinois operating until the end of July
* Carson and Williams-Harris: One month budget by Friday
* Editorial: Tricks usually not cheap when legislature involved
* Cindy Richards: Quit the petty sniping and pass the budget
- OneManBlog - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 9:30 am:
Hey Look it air ‘Testicular Virility’
or
Look his hair is still perfect…
- Anon - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 9:33 am:
Could you tell me the way to Springfield
- dan - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 9:35 am:
It’s a bird, no it’s a plane, no it’s AirBlago!!!!
- Truth - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 9:39 am:
Hair Force One
- can't imagine - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 9:51 am:
Hair force one is great. Include him throwing tax payers $$$$’s out of the plane.
- dupage progressive - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 9:53 am:
“There goes our Governor…
He must have taken advantage of the special summer OT flight package — $5800 RT Chicago to Springfield and a bag-full of hair products.”
- Bluefish - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 9:58 am:
Flying to Springfield at taxpayers expense: $5,800
Cost to taxpayers of each day of overtime session: $50,000
Seeing the expressions on the faces of the suckers/taxpayers who voted to reelect Governor you as you fly overhead: Priceless
- Justice - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 9:58 am:
Look!!! its a bird, no…its a plane, no…its dipwad!!
- Boone's Rat - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 10:03 am:
Blagojevich: Taking “pay-per-view” to the next level…
- JW - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 10:07 am:
I would love to hear Abby Ottenhoff’s suggestions on how a minority House Republican can move the budget forward.
- Northside Bunker - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 10:22 am:
Milo can’t be subpoenaed at 15,000 feet. Milo’s planning on spending as much time as he can in the air. He’s hoping Fitz and Lisa forget about him.
Still like the Virgin Galactic idea. $200,000 per pop. No problem for Milo, it’s not his money.
- Anon from BB - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 10:27 am:
Want to get away?
- Truth in Budgeting - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 10:31 am:
Caption: 1.4 million people are without…..
- KenoMan - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 10:45 am:
“I didn’t think a guy with the size of his claimed “Testicular Virility” could get airborne.”
- Jaded - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 10:45 am:
“Look Mom, No brains!”
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 10:56 am:
Hey Rod!
CROP DUST THIS!
- Ghost - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 11:06 am:
Is that a Bird? A plane? Its Blago Air! Come to flyby the budget process like a speeding bullet!
- Under Dog - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 11:19 am:
From the Under Dog cartoon - “Look, it’s a bird. No, it’s plane. No, it’s a frog. Nope, it’s just little ole me, Under Rod. We can even give him a cape - a red cape - to symbolize the debt he’s put us in.
- Polly - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 11:25 am:
Governor: This is weird. I’m used to running on hot air.
- Not Anon - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 11:26 am:
Hey Patti! What’s for dinner?
- truman democrat - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 11:28 am:
Which way to the Bermuda triangle?
- 6'2" Yeti - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 11:29 am:
“Under Rod, We Don’t Trust”
- the Patriot - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 11:52 am:
The plane needs to be turned upside down with the caption, “Hey George, if you think that was good, watch this.”
- Stallion - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 11:56 am:
Hey Abby & Sheila “tell everyone we need to work at least 5 days a week !!! Whoa, and look No Hands just like the budget..Can I land in Peotone yet like I promised some people ? “
- de Vreisee - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 12:08 pm:
The “Want to get away?” line was great. Southwest should contract him to do commercials, they would be great.
My caption:
Want to get away?
ORD to SPI - $5,800/round trip
- Mr. W.T. Rush - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 12:10 pm:
Anyone else notice the Richard’s column conclusion to raise the income & sales tax and throw in a little gaming so we can solve all the problems.
Who should tell this Duchess of Dopiness that most everyone likes this except for her hero —Blago?
I nominate Rich since he is on their payroll.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 12:25 pm:
“Hey Sheila, you better put your top back on, he’s buzzing around for another look at us!”
- Latham Place - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 12:31 pm:
“See ya, suckers!”
- Sick Of It! - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 12:38 pm:
Air Hairojevich!
- Huh? - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 1:08 pm:
Illinois Fly Over Counties: Will, Grundy, Livingston, McLean, Logan brought to you by the airbored governot.
- Huh? - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 1:11 pm:
Add to the cartoon - health insurance cards floating behind the airplane. The caption reads - free health care for all brought to you by Governor Rod R. Blago…
- Anon too - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 1:28 pm:
6′2″ Yeti, how ’bout: “In Rod we bust”?
- Tek - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 1:34 pm:
Wow, is that the best response Abby could come up with? Excuse me, but isn’t it the freaking GOVERNOR who should be leading???
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 1:41 pm:
“The governor ought to be able to get around quickly.”
Agreed, but it seems to me that the walk from the Governor’s mansion to the State Capitol is much quicker than the round trip flight from Ravenswood Manor to Springfield.
- Big W - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 2:02 pm:
I have an old Chevy Pickup for the Bag-o-chips,,,,so he does’nt have to fly the Unfriendly sky’s,,,,and maybe he could see the pot holes first hand in down state IL.
- Big W - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 2:11 pm:
Abby; ” Da Plane, Da Plane”
Mitchell ” Ground Da Plane”
Bag-o-Chips ” Thanks Illinois, you suckas”
- Overtimer - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 2:13 pm:
“Realizing Blago’s embarrassing inability to move beyond his talking points in the budget negotiations, the Governor’s staff decided it best if Rod just take his cue cards and fly around the state for a while to just tell the voters, once again, about how brilliant his budget is.”
- Ferdy - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 2:39 pm:
Sorry, ladies and gentlement of the Illinois state legislature, but I always fly solo.
- fed up - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 2:46 pm:
Hairforce one on board enertainment all elvis all the time. It makes the hindenburg look like a parking accident
- k - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 3:38 pm:
“It’s a bird…..No….It’s a Plane…..No….Its the Governor actually in Springfield….thats shocking
- Wilbur Wright - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 3:41 pm:
“OK Springfield, you want an air show, I’ll give you an air show all right”
-AIR BLAGO 2007-
“reform and renewal high in the Illinois Skies”
Perhaps a bit verbose, but a good t-shirt designer could do something with it.
- HoosierDaddy - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 4:24 pm:
“From out of the clear Blue of the Northern Sky comes… Sky-Rod!”
(Be sure to paint “Jail Bird” on his airplane!)
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 4:33 pm:
“Here I come to save the day…”
- Holdingontomywallet - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 4:47 pm:
“Two more trips and I’ll have enough frequent flier miles to retire from this dumpy state!”
- Commonsense in Illinois - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 4:58 pm:
No, that’s Senator Watson’s plane…
- L.S. - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 5:29 pm:
“Goose, It’s Time to Buzz the Capitol.”
- Drew - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 5:55 pm:
“The Governor’s leaving Springfield already?!”
“There must be a pick-up basketball game in his neighborhood…”
- zatoichi - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 6:10 pm:
Milo E. Neuman was flying the fabled “What, Me Worry?” plane when Shelia realized he would arrive late.
- Justice - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 6:12 pm:
Look!!!! The circus is coming to town!!!
- Papa Legba - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 6:54 pm:
It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s a bird brain.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 8:39 pm:
Gov. Blagojevich:
“So I’m flying to the Capitol, and I fly over these two young girls, one of them a young African American girl, and she looks at me and says, ‘Hey, it’s Mayor Daley!’”
- Buffnut - Wednesday, Jun 27, 07 @ 9:21 pm:
Looks like Wrong Way Rod is headed to Washington to be Hillary’s Running Mate.
- Buffnut - Thursday, Jun 28, 07 @ 12:11 am:
How about this for a t-shirt idea? from the Elton John song Mama Can’t Buy You Love.
Madigan don’t want you, Daley don’t want you
Give it up Blago, Illinois won’t buy your healthcare plan
Hillary don’t want you, Obama don’t need you
Give it up Blago, Emil can’t buy you love