June 12, 2005
Section: Local State
Page: 1C, 2C
BUSH BEWARE: Blagojevich compiling his own 'isms' Analysis:
Governor a man of his words
AARON CHAMBERS; Register Star Springfield Bureau
Rockford Register Star
SPRINGFIELD -- Rod Blagojevich captured the moment when he
sauntered into a meeting with George Ryan in December 2002, a month before he
was sworn in as governor.
"I'm going to see the de facto governor,"
Blagojevich cheered before disappearing into the governor's Statehouse office
to discuss the transfer of gubernatorial power.
Blagojevich delights in the power of words. He picks those
sure to engage the media and, by extension, the public. He picks the ones with
punch.
He uses words to reinforce his message of reform and his
image as a regular guy. He uses them to depict himself as a leader staring down
the great challenges of his time. And he uses them, perhaps not deliberately,
to position himself on the edge of political convention.
The comment before the meeting with Ryan embodied
Blagojevich's energy and enthusiasm for language. It was colorful. And like so
many of the Chicago Democrat's remarks, it was awkward.
Ryan was not the de facto governor. He was the de jure
governor.
"Life isn't a TV show. Life isn't a movie set,"
said Deputy Gov. Bradley Tusk, the governor's chief in-house adviser.
"There are times when you say things that are perfect
lines and you're proud of yourself, and there are times where you think of a
comeback an hour later. To Rod's credit, I don't think he comes off like
someone with a perfect sound bite all the time."
Illinois on its toes
Blagojevich is seldom without a provocative comment. In 2
1/2 years as governor, he built a reputation as a man who might say anything,
however bizarre.
When he bought a steer named Flushy at a state fair auction
last summer, he said his natural resources director suggested they make a game
of hunting the ruminant.
Blagojevich said that, as governor, he probably would get
the "best first shot." Still, he said such a hunt would be
unsportsmanlike and wouldn't happen.
"Can you imagine? We'd take him down to Pike County and
just kind of let him loose," Blagojevich said. "We'd all kind of get
dressed up in those fatigues, in the camouflage, and we go out and there's
stationary Flushy just kind of standing there."
When Democrat Barack Obama ran successfully for the U.S.
Senate against Republican Alan Keyes last fall, Blagojevich said he dreamed
that he helped Obama change a tire on a cab escorting Obama.
"So as Barack and I are fixing that taxi cab and the
security detail is getting more and more nervous about security,"
Blagojevich said, "the taxi-cab driver gets out of the taxi cab, and it
was Alan Keyes."
The governor's critics say he doesn't appear to contemplate
the implications of his words.
"I just think sometimes he says things without really
thinking," said Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson, R-Greenville. "I
don't know that he means anything by what he says other than it comes out and
can be damaging."
The governor's supporters say he's just saying what's on his
mind.
"It's part of the reason we've been friends for many
years," said Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville. "When you discuss an
issue, he doesn't sugar-coat it. He's blunt and honest about it."
On time and in context
Successful delivery of a rhetorical device, especially
humor, depends on proper timing and context. At least that's the case if
success is defined as evoking a favorable response from a group of people.
"A bunch of college students are going to find dead
baby jokes hysterical," said Anne Libera, artistic director at The Second
City comedy club's training centers. "The neonatal nurses? Not so
much."
But Blagojevich appears to speak without deference to
conventional standards. In mid-May, he referred to his own "testicular
virility" as the trait that helped him make tough decisions like
temporarily closing a landfill run by a distant relative of his wife.
The comment ignited a firestorm among legislators,
particularly women and Republicans, who said it was unbecoming of the state's
chief executive.
"I thought it was just vulgar and stupid," said
Sen. Christine Radogno, R-Lemont.
During his annual prayer breakfast two days later,
Blagojevich compared President Bush with the emir of Qatar -- two heads of
state who recently visited the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
in Springfield.
"They both come from big oil states," Blagojevich
said. He paused, then continued, "But President Bush has only one
wife."
The joke drew little laughter. Apparently sensing the faux
pas, Blagojevich offered this aside: "I probably shouldn't have said
that."
Libera said a politician's challenge is to speak in a
context broad enough for the masses. She noted few pols are known for
successful public jokes because, to be funny, one must dance on the edge.
"That testicular virility comment probably would not
have passed anybody's notice in a group of guys in a back room," she said.
"But there's a whole bunch of women out there."
Blagojevich said the media trivialized his "testicular
virility" remark. He said ordinary folks understood he was referring to
the fortitude to fight for the public interest and against negative forces. He
called it "complete baloney" to suggest the phrase excluded women or
was inappropriate.
"I think the people get it," he said. "I
think the people understand what that means."
Building 'people bonds'
Blagojevich does go out of his way to connect with ordinary
folks through rhetoric. He campaigned in 2002 as a populist and has not stopped
using that platform.
He routinely talks about the Chicago Cubs, using baseball
analogies to explain policy matters. He's also fond of chatting about Elvis;
early in his term, Blagojevich habitually began public appearances with
references to Elvis or his songs.
"I've always believed the thing that serves a
politician best is identifying with people, gaining their trust and
confidence," said former Republican Gov. Jim Thompson.
"It's what I call people bonds -- common experiences
shared by the politician and members of the public so the members of the public
can say, 'Hey, he's like me. He's a regular guy. I'd like to have him as a
neighbor.' "
So does talking about Elvis endear people to Blagojevich?
"I suppose there are a lot of Elvis fans out
there," Thompson said. "It depends on how much you lean on Elvis and
what the occasion is, because rhetorical devices work differently depending on
the occasion."
Blagojevich also leans on buzz terms to perpetuate his
message. While Bush spoke of the "axis of evil" and President Reagan
spoke of the "evil empire," Blagojevich speaks of the "old
way."
The "old way" refers to the era of Ryan, a
Republican facing trial on public corruption charges. It also appears to refer
to all things that could potentially cast Blagojevich in a negative light.
Moreover, Blagojevich has not hesitated to vilify other officials
or institutions to reinforce his own positive image. When he wanted to take
over the State Board of Education, he called it a "Soviet-style
bureaucracy." When he wanted to hike taxes on Illinois businesses, he said
they were taking advantage of "tax loopholes."
Last summer, in the midst of a protracted battle over the
state budget, House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, complained that
Blagojevich's "PR view" pervaded even closed-door meetings with
legislative leaders.
"There are times when the governor is talking to us and
we come to the view that it's like watching a TV screen," Madigan told the
State Journal-Register.
But Tusk said Blagojevich is simply packaging his message in
terms that matter to the public.
"The question is, who are you talking to?" he
said. "Are you talking to the guys directly in front of you scribbling on
their pad, and trying to win their approval? Or are you trying to talk to the
people out there, whom you serve, and talk about the issues that they care about?"
Poking fun at himself
Blagojevich routinely employs a time-honored rhetorical
device -- self-deprecating humor -- in his efforts to connect with regular
folks. Specifically, he pokes fun at his own academic career.
During his 2002 campaign, he said during a debate that he
scored a D in algebra.
In May, while on stage with Bush at the dedication of the
Lincoln Presidential Museum, Blagojevich announced that he scored only an 18 on
his ACT. The comment was directed to Mihan Lee, a high school student who had just
read her award-winning essay on freedom.
"If I can be governor of Illinois, Mihan, you can be
president of the United States," Blagojevich said.
In 2003, when Blagojevich was confronted with questions
about the constitutionality of a policy maneuver, he told reporters he earned a
C in constitutional law when he was in law school.
He said he had trouble finding the law library.
Tusk said ordinary folks appreciate Blagojevich's
self-deprecating nature.
"They're used to seeing politicians who like to talk
about how important they are," Tusk said. "And I think it's somewhat
refreshing for a politician who will not try to impress everybody and is happy
to make a joke at his own expense."
Not everyone is amused. Belvidere schools chief Don
Schlomann said such remarks can diminish the importance of education.
"We're always striving to have children push as far as
they can," Schlomann said. "And when they see people in leadership
say, 'Education really didn't matter all that much,' that can at times
hurt."
Feeling good
If Blagojevich is in pursuit of an over-arching rhetorical
theme, it appears to be that everything is under control.
His way is the "new way," he says. He talks of
"change" and leading Illinois into a "new day."
When the state's auditor general in April cited
Blagojevich's chief administrative agency for myriad accounting irregularities
-- including its failure to substantiate $600 million in expected savings --
the governor dismissed the conflict as a "prizefight between
accountants."
At the close of the Legislature's spring session on May 31,
Blagojevich brushed aside complaints about the budget fix he and his fellow
Democrats engineered. They had diverted $2.3 billion from public pension systems
over two years to free up cash to balance the budget while increasing state
spending.
Blagojevich boasted that the spending plan contained more
money for education and health care without raising taxes.
"It's a budget that's good for parents and children,"
Blagojevich said. "It's a budget that's good for senior citizens. It's a
budget that's good for working families, for taxpayers, for business, for
doctors and for their patients."
In the end, Democrats had steamrolled opposition from
Republicans. The Democrats, who control the Legislature, avoided a potentially
damaging summertime session in which they would require the assistance of
Republicans to implement a budget.
"I feel real good about the session," Blagojevich
said. "And my only regret is that it has to end."
Register Star reporter Chris Kaergard contributed to this
story.
Contact: achambers@rockford.gannett.com; 217-782-2959
In his own words
Gov. Rod Blagojevich's rhetorical style is energetic,
colorful and odd:
"It's analogous maybe to free agency, when the Cubs are
trying to get a free agent and you want to improve your team. OK? In my
opinion, they should have made a move for Carlos Beltran. And I don't think you
need to look for anybody else. You get him (and) he's a substantial improvement
to your team. That's the way I look at Doug."
In May, explaining his decision to hire former Rockford
Mayor Doug Scott as his environmental protection director
"I went to law school at a place called Pepperdine.
Malibu, Calif., overlooking the Pacific Ocean. A lot of surfing and movie stars
and all the rest. I barely knew where the law library was. So, you're asking me
a constitutional law question. In fact, I got a 'C' in constitutional law, and
I was lucky to get that." June 2003, discussing constitutional law
"I don't know what your SAT score was. I'll tell you
what mine was. I had an 18 on my ACT score. I'm told that's kind of in the
middle, maybe just below. If I can be governor of Illinois, Mihan, you can be
president of the United States."
in April at the dedication of the Abraham Lincoln
Presidential Museum. He was referring to high school student Mihan Lee, who had
just read her award-winning essay on freedom.
"You're talking about individuals and coalitions, and I'm
talking about right making might. You've got to believe in the power of ideas,
man." In May, referencing Abraham Lincoln's Cooper Union speech while
discussing state budget negotiations with reporters.
"An emaciated sot, an enervated glutton and an overindulgent
whore-master. They never enjoy the things that they indulge in. Instead, those
things should be rewards."
In February 2003, paraphrasing a passage from Lord
Chesterfield's "Letters to His Son" to exemplify the
"painful" process of resolving the budget deficit
"My understanding is that the conflict between the
auditor general and (the Department of Central Management Services) is sort of
like a prizefight between accountants not a lot of muscle there, but a lot of
argument and quarrel."
In April, making light of disagreements between the state's
auditor general and his central purchasing agency after the auditor general
released a damaging report on the agency
"It does kind of remind me of that old Frank Sinatra
song, 'That's Life.' 'That's what all the people say. You're riding high in
April, you're shot down in May.' I just think this is part of government. This
goes with the territory. The ups and downs of the business."
In May, responding to reporters' questions about his falling
poll numbers
"Whether it be the Dred Scott decision, or Plessy v.
Ferguson or Brown v. Board of Education, when you think about the key landmark
decisions in courts, generally speaking, they've been about issues relating to
freedom, issues that go back to what the Declaration of Independence has
promised us, and they've been cases involving leaders in the African-American
community and members from the African-American community."
In February, speaking at an event honoring Black History
Month. The U.S. Supreme Court's decisions in Dred Scott and Plessy v. Ferguson
impeded the cause of freedom for African Americans.
"There's a season for all things. A season to be born,
a season to die, a season to plant and a season for pension reform."
In February, using a biblical metaphor to outline one of his
legislative priorities to the Rockford Register Star's editorial board
"(Joel Brunsvold, the natural resources director)
recommended why don't we just let him off, just kind of let him go and then go
hunt him. But there's no sport in that. Can you imagine? We'd take him down to
Pike County and just kind of let him loose. We'd all kind of get dressed up in
those fatigues, in the camouflage, and we go out and there's stationary Flushy
just kind of standing there. We're like all positioned ourselves. And the way
that would probably work is they'd probably give the governor the best first
shot. Right? Like in 'The Deer Hunter.' But we're not going to do that. Anyway,
I rejected that option, totally rejected it. I thought it was
unsportsmanlike."
In September, explaining an option for disposing of Flushy,
a steer he bought at an Illinois State Fair auction
"I'm going to see the de facto governor."
In December 2002, speaking to reporters on his way to a
meeting with outgoing Gov. George Ryan
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