Will Barack Obama put the voters of Illinois ahead of his own political fortunes in Indiana? Don’t bet on it.
Unless Obama takes quick action, he will have to accept responsibility for killing a constitutional amendment to allow voter recall in Illinois.
With just days left to get a Constitutional Amendment authorizing recall on the ballot, Obama’s political mentor State Senator Emil Jones (D-Chicago) shut down the Illinois Senate so that Democrat Senators could instead go to Indiana to campaign for Obama.
While the state’s House Speaker offered to keep state representatives in town all weekend if needed to meet a deadline for approving the recall amendment, Obama’s close ally abruptly adjourned the Senate May 1. Jones even cancelled a previously scheduled legislative day the following week, in order to give Senators extra time to campaign for Obama.
Jones’ decision to place the Indiana primary at the top of his agenda effectively ran out the clock on efforts to add a voter recall amendment to the state constitution.
Ironically, the effort to enact a recall amendment in Illinois has been fueled in part by the revelations coming out of the trial of Obama associate Tony Rezko. Rezko’s corruption trial and the resultant testimony has helped drive demands from Illinois voters for the opportunity to recall Governor Rod Blagojevich. Rezko, of course, is the longtime supporter that Obama relied on when buying his home in an exclusive Chicago neighborhood.
