Illinois governor popular only as campaign weapon

[October 24, 2008]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Democrats and Republicans don't agree on much in Illinois, but they're united when it comes to distancing themselves from Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose latest 13 percent job-approval rating undercuts even President Bush's record lows.

The second-term Democrat isn't up for re-election until 2010, but you might not know it because of how often his name has surfaced this election season.

While Republicans are hoping they can use Blagojevich to stop a Democratic tidal wave in this blue state -- home to Barack Obama -- on Nov. 4, even the governor's own party is getting in on the action.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has taken the unusual step of running attack ads in a tight suburban Chicago congressional race that highlight the Republican candidate's past contributions to Blagojevich.

"He's an easy target because he's that damaged," said former state Sen. Steve Rauschenberger, now volunteer president of a group that raises money for GOP legislative candidates in Illinois.

Blagojevich -- pronounced blah-GOY'-uh-vich -- has been dogged by an ongoing federal corruption investigation of his administration that has resulted in the conviction of a former top fundraiser, who is now cooperating with prosecutors. He's also been hammered by disarray in state government caused in large part by Democratic infighting.

The governor has not been charged with any wrongdoing as federal investigators look at how his administration doled out jobs and state contracts.

One race where Blagojevich has figured prominently this fall is the contest to fill the seat being vacated by exiting GOP Rep. Jerry Weller.

Republican businessman Marty Ozinga has repeatedly knocked Democratic state Sen. Debbie Halvorson for being a bigwig in Blagojevich's Democratic-controlled state government. But she has tried to turn the tables on Ozinga -- with help from the DCCC.

Halvorson has criticized Ozinga for previously donating to the governor's campaign -- primarily a $10,000 donation in 2005. To drive home the point, the DCCC funded an ad that called Ozinga "the last guy you'd send to clean up Washington" and featured a sheepish picture of Blagojevich.

Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero said the governor is a convenient bad guy for candidates in the heat of an election.

"If people are frustrated, they take it out on the person that they know," Guerrero said. "He's the top guy, so it's him."

A Chicago Tribune poll released this week shows frustration with Blagojevich isn't confined to his fellow politicians. His job-approval rating is only 13 percent, 5 percentage points lower than the president's. And voters overwhelmingly do not want Blagojevich to seek a third term, according the telephone poll of 500 registered Illinois voters by Market Shares Corporation conducted Oct. 16 to 18. The error margin was 4.4 percentage points.

It's easy to see why Democratic candidates in Illinois don't want anything to do with Blagojevich, said John Pelissero, a political science professor at Loyola University in Chicago.

"It's become an embarrassment and huge disappointment to many Democratic officeholders that the leader of their party in the state has had so many problems in his time as governor," Pelissero said.

The governor also wasn't invited by the Democratic National Committee to speak at its convention this year, despite his position as leader of their presidential nominee's home state.

In southern Illinois, Republican businessman Dwight Kay is running against Rep. Jay Hoffman, a staunch Blagojevich ally, and Kay is bullish about connecting the two.

Kay's campaign recently featured them both prominently in an ad calling them "thick as thieves."

"I'm actually running against two people," Kay said.

For his part, Blagojevich isn't jumping into this year's election fray. He has told the state Board of Elections he won't be giving away campaign cash this fall to help other candidates.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, two other state officers not up for re-election this year, also have turned in non-participation reports. Both Democrats have been mentioned as possible gubernatorial candidates in 2010.

[Associated Press; By DEANNA BELLANDI]

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