Blago Impeachment Probe Begins

With no resignation forthcoming from Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the Illinois House began an impeachment inquiry yesterday. A special panel is expected to hold hearings for a few weeks before making a recommendation on whether or not Blago deserves impeachment. The House did not strip Blago of his ability to appoint the next U.S. senator, much to the consternation of some Republicans, who accused the Democrats of trying to avoid a special election. As the Chicago Tribune notes, the governor was unmoved by all of this. He spent the day signing bills into law, “including one involving the horse-racing and casino industries that federal prosecutors allege Blagojevich was using to squeeze campaign contributions in exchange for his signature.”