Sen. Dan Cronin wants to remove governor from office

Republican state Sen. Dan Cronin plans to launch a long-shot effort next week to give voters the chance to remove Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich from office.

The Elmhurst lawmaker will introduce legislation to ask voters to amend the state constitution to allow for the California-style recall of elected officials. His target is Blagojevich.

"This is a way for the Republicans to show how we respond to this failure of leadership," said Cronin, pointing to the still-unresolved record overtime session in Springfield. "And the Democrats are worried (Blagojevich) is going to take his party down the drain."

A Blagojevich spokeswoman dismissed Cronin's measure.

"Stunts like this won't get us any closer to passing a balanced budget that meets the needs of our state," spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said. "If that's how the senator wants to spend his time and energy, that's his choice. But I'm sure his constituents would prefer to see a budget resolution that invests in schools and health care and makes sure the state is meeting its obligations."

Cronin, the DuPage County Republican chairman, acknowledged his gambit faces pretty big obstacles. For starters, he would need three-fifths of the Illinois House and Senate to approve putting the should-we-have-recall question before voters. Democrats hold a wide margin in the House and an even wider margin in the Senate.

Assuming the General Assembly allowed voters to weigh in on the recall question, the public would then have to approve the referendum legalizing a recall. Then signatures would have to be gathered asking voters in a separate election whether Blagojevich should be removed from office.

Democratic state Sen. Jeff Schoenberg of Evanston warned a "lynch mob mentality" would set bad precedent.

"My experience is that regardless of how you feel about a particular individual holding elective office, that it's not sound to change the law just to suit those circumstances," Schoenberg said. "I would feel the same way if it was a Republican governor."

A spokesman for Democratic House Speaker Steve Brown had no comment, saying it was the first he'd heard of Cronin's plan.

Cronin said he'll also start an online petition drive for his recall effort.