I
was probably more surprised than anyone when I was invited to tag along on Gov.
Rod Blagojevich's road trip last week. The governor toured the state to push
his universal health insurance plan and his gross receipts tax on business. I was
on the bus with him for three days and we talked for countless hours.
I
had a cordial relationship with Blagojevich back when he was in the Illinois
House, but that was a long time ago. Over the years, the governor granted
interviews to almost every other news bureau in the Statehouse, but I was
excluded. He has visited just about every editorial board of every major (and
quite a few minor) newspaper editorial boards, but I was kept away. During one
press conference a few years ago, Blagojevich refused to answer any questions
from me at all, so I whispered my questions to a couple of willing Chicago TV
reporters who relayed them on my behalf, knowing he couldn't ignore them.
That's
not unusual. I wasn't given much access to George Ryan. One of Ryan's top aides
once threatened to put my political newsletter out of business. I was granted
almost no access at all to Jim Edgar, and one of his former aides once helped
draft a piece of legislation designed to put the company I wrote for back then
out of business.
The
part of the tour that most impressed me was just how much the governor thrives
on a tough fight. He draws strength from negative press coverage, intransigent
political opponents and booing crowds. He was practically ecstatic after last
Tuesday's event in Quincy, where he was severely heckled by more than half the
audience over his gross receipts tax proposal. The boxer analogy often employed
by Statehouse observers (the governor fought in Golden Gloves) is right on the
money. He loves a fight. He joked at one point that he misses Judy Baar
Topinka, but I think he misses last year's long campaign brawl more than he
misses her.
That
lust for battle often leads to problems, of course. Blagojevich jabbed Rev.
Jesse Jackson hard after Jackson turned against the gross receipts tax last
week, attacking Jackson's motives by claiming he was listening to his
"contributors."
Going
in, I had given Blagojevich the benefit of the doubt that he was absolutely
committed to providing some form of universal health insurance, and that was
confirmed during the trip. He is convinced that the lack of health care is the
biggest problem facing the nation today, and he's not fazed at all by the fact
that state legislators aren't getting many calls from people who believe as he
does. Regular folks, he said, don't call their state legislators. Besides, he
asked, what does that say about legislators if they only respond to the
concerns of people and interest groups who seek them out?
That's
a good point, but it underestimates the level of sheer panic in the General
Assembly about this tax hike plan. If he wants to get something done by the end
of the scheduled legislative session, then he has to do something soon to calm
the nerves of thousands of anxious business owners.
He
does seem to grasp the political dangers of the gross receipts tax. He admitted
he knew that his proposed $7 billion tax hike could make him another Richard
Ogilvie, the Illinois governor who was ousted in the 1972 election after
imposing a brand new income tax. Blagojevich said he was willing to "wear
the jacket" and take all the blame for his tax increase.
If
Blagojevich's approval rating was higher, that would be a much easier task.
Legislators could simply hide behind his political skirts. But since his
ratings are so low, particularly downstate, he can't provide legislators much,
if any, cover. He may be willing to lose his job over this tax hike, but most
of them aren't.
So,
does this bus trip change the coverage Blagojevich will get from me in the
coming weeks, months and years? I'm sure it will. I now have a much better
understanding of where he's coming from. And, frankly, he gets a lot more blame
than he should on some things and not nearly enough credit.
He
ought to bring more reporters in for a long, close look. There is definitely a
"there" there.
-30-
Rich
Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and
thecapitolfaxblog.com