Since I don’t have my own story to post today, here’s one that links my current venture with my future one. While Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell is in Chicago with a bunch of other Democratic governors to discuss economics with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama, Illinois’ own governor will not attend. Gov. Rod Blagojevich is from Chicago and continues to live there while his Executive Mansion sits vacant in Springfield.
Embattled Blagojevich invited to Obama event but won’t attend
Posted by David Mendell and John McCormick –Chicago Tribune’s Clout Street ‘blog
Embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich likely will not be among the 15 to 20 governors talking about the economy with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama Friday morning in Chicago.
An Obama spokesman confirmed Thursday afternoon that Blagojevich was invited along with all Democratic governors to the Friday event. A Blagojevich spokeswoman, however, said the governor likely will be heading to the downstate Metro East area to monitor rising flood waters.
Blagojevich did attend a dinner function on Thursday night with Obama and the governors, the spokeswoman said.
The governor’s approval ratings continue to sag in Illinois, and Blagojevich and Obama have not appeared together in public in Obama’s recent presidential campaigning.
Both of them came up during the federal corruption trial of Antoin “Tony” Rezko. The Wilmette businessman, who was found guilty of 16 of the 24 charges he faced, raised campaign cash for both Blagojevich and Obama.
Filed under: PA/IL comparative news | Tagged: Barack Obama, Blagojevich, economy, governor, Rendell
