Check out Obama's buddy the governor

Worse than Bush and Congress
Governor Blagojevich's approval rating at 13%

Is it possible that any politician in America can be disliked more than President Bush or be despised as much as the congress of the United States? The answer is yes.

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has a 13% approval rating according to a recent poll conducted by the Chicago Tribune. In nearly 3 decades of political polls, the Tribune claims that no politician has had an approval rating lower than the Democratic Governor has. Making matters worse, less than 10% want to see him re-elected.

It's not surprising that an overwhelming majority of Illinois residents are disgusted with Blagojevich. When he ran for the office in 2002, his platform was to rid the state of corruption. At the time Illinois was recovering from a four-year term of George Ryan (R), who is now a guest of the state, residing at the Federal Correctional Institution in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Today the joke in Illinois is that Blagojevich will one day be Ryan's cellmate. It's also very easy to believe such as scenario since he has been under countless federal investigations. As America has become familiar with the name Tony Rezko during the current presidential race. It was Blagojevich who allegedly received the most benefit from his relationship with the recently convicted-felon. That is saying a lot since Obama received a sweetheart of a deal when purchasing his family home with Rezko's "help."

The timing of the Blagojevich poll is interesting. In Chicago it is widely believed that Rezko is very frightened of going to prison and is singing like a bird to reach a deal that will curtail his jail-time. The belief is that he is producing the goods the feds need to have a slam-dunk case against Blagojevich. Only time will tell if that is the case.

Corruption aside, Blagojevich has turned Illinois into an economic cesspool. When he ran for re-election in 2006 his budget could only be described as politically motivated. Fearing at the time a primary challenger and low approval ratings even then, he came up with a populist plan that sounded like it was Christmas in Illinois. Over 1 billion dollars in new spending would have devastating consequences for a state that was already well on its way to be in a financial crisis similar to California. Two years later the devastation is upon us. Making matters worse is that his Democrat comrades in Chicago and Cook County have raised every non-payroll tax and fee imaginable, forcing even harder times on the citizens, especially the poor.

What America should closely examine is that Illinois is a microcosm of the country. Most of the state is rural and conservative, but a concentrated majority of the population resides in the Northeast part of the state that grants the Democrats control. In other words, just like the United States, most of the map is red, while a small concentration is blue and denser in population.

Democrats especially in Illinois don't like to admit that Barack Obama cut his political teeth from the same mold as Blagojevich. Does that mean he is the same as Blagojevich? No, but it can't be ignored that both men have very similar political views and ideas, which come from a political machine mindset that has devastated this state and destroyed Cook County.

If Obama and Blagojevich's friends are willing to raise the sales tax to over 10%, hurting the poor and middle class, why should anyone believe that Obama wouldn't hesitate to implement similar policies as President? Obama supporters will argue that you can't blame him for what other Democrats have done and that is valid point. What they conveniently forget is that his friends who made these harmful decisions didn't do so to be mean or deliberately hurt the poor, their decisions where based on a shared philosophy that bigger government is better and politicians should have the money not the people because they can do a better job with it than you.

That is what Blagojevich, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, County Board President Todd Stroger and the Democratic machine in Illinois believe and live by as their governing philosophy. That is why the Land of Lincoln has become the Peoples Republic of Illinois. Obama has already demonstrated these beliefs as senator. Now he wants to turn the United States of America into the State of Illinois.

Imagine how bad things must be in America for President Obama to have a 13% approval rating. That's called a nightmare.

Paulie