Illinois House Votes to Impeach Blagojevich

Susan Davis and Douglas Belkin report on politics. The Illinois state House overwhelmingly voted to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich today, setting the stage for a Senate trial in the near future. Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D., Chicago) presides as House members consider impeachment of Gov. Rod Blagojevich Friday. (AP) “You ought to be angry, you ought to be disgusted, you ought to be mad as hell,” said Rep. Tom Cross , before urging his colleagues to join him in voting to impeach. No one spoke in defense of the governor. Blagojevich said in a statement Thursday that he expected the outcome, which he criticized as flawed, and said he would bring a spirited fight to the Senate trial. The Dec. 9 arrest of Blagojevich for pay-to-play schemes has sent shockwaves through Chicago and the U.S. Capitol. He defied demands of Democratic Party leaders and appointed Roland Burris , a former Illinois attorney general, to fill the seat vacated by President-elect Barack ... (link)