Blago To Bring The Awkward, Preside Over Senate

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jan 13, 2009 5:10PM

Talk about awkward. Governor Rod Blagojevich will be in Springfield tomorrow to preside over the state senate to swear in new senators for the new legislative session. And the second item on the senate's agenda after swearing in the newbies? Finalizing rules for Blago's impeachment trial which begins January 26. So what kind of reception will the embattled governor receive. Illinois State Comptroller Dan Hynes said, "I would say that he would be lucky to just get silence as opposed to outright boos," and Rep. Susana Mendoza added, "I think he should just stay away." Ouch. We imagine it'll probably go something like this:

Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Madigan has named David Ellis as the prosecutor in the Senate impeachment trial against Blago. Per the Trib, "Ellis served as the lead lawyer for the House impeachment panel and was the primary author of the committee's report that recommended impeaching the governor."