Impeachment Postcards

The drum beat for Impeaching Governor Blagojevich has increased. The Committee for Legislative Action (CLA) is continuing its outreach and will update those that are supportive of the Impeachment movement.

CLA has printed post cards for people to complete and mail back stating they support the Impeachment of Rod Blagojevich. When we get the post cards back, we will add their position to the total count and see that those who signed up will be updated when or if Impeachment proceeding begin.

Would you like post cards which ask people to weigh in on Impeaching Governor Blagojevich? The cards are good for distributing at work, Kiwanis, Lions or Rotary Clubs and the coffee shop, beautician or barber.

If you would like cards to distribute, please e-mail Barb@DanRutherford.org with the number you will actually use. The post cards are self-addressed and require only a return stamp after they are filled out. Or write to CLA, 220 West Howard Street, Pontiac IL, 61764.

You may go to the Committee for Legislative Action website at:

http://www.committeeforlegislativeaction.org/ to see the results of those giving their opinion on Impeaching Governor Blagojevich.

Thank you for your help. I look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Dan Rutherford
State Senator

Catholic Viewpoint Quote

Tom:

This link summarizes the actual viewpoints of major churches including the Catholic church regarding organ donation.

http://www.organtransplants.org/understanding/religion

Catholics view organ and tissue donation as an act of charity and love. Transplants are morally and ethically acceptable to the Vatican. According to Father Leroy Wickowski, Director of the Office of Health Affairs of the Archdiocese of Chicago, "We encourage donation as an act of charity. It is something good that can result from tragedy and a way for families to find comfort by helping others." Pope John Paul II has stated, "The Catholic Church would promote the fact that there is a need for organ donors and that Christians should accept this as a 'challenge to their generosity and fraternal love' so long as ethical principles are followed."

The letter you printed this week (12/31/08) implied or stated erroneously that the Catholic church was opposed to organ transplantation. This is not true.

While you certainly can find dissenting members of any organization, all major religions support organ donation in it's legitimate form, i.e, in the conventional hospital environment.

I appreciate your giving everyone a forum, including myself, but I think it isirresponsible of the PACC to print O'Connor's letters when they are so contrary to the accepted views of mainstream science, mainstreamtheologians,and medical ethics experts. Please quit printing this type of urban legend scare tactic letters, as they are detrimental to these lifesaving programs and not worthy of a news organization that has an inherent obligation to socially responsible journalism.

Thank you,

Dan Peterson
Mt. Carroll, IL

To Remember Me

Here is an old clipping that I have had on my refrigerator for several years. It is in response to the Dec. 31, 2008 Organ Donor debate . . . a different outlook.

"To Remember Me"

The day will come when my body will lie upon a white sheet neatly tucked under four corners of a mattress, located in a hospital busily occupied with the living and the dying. At a certain moment, a doctor will determine that my brain has ceased to function and that, for all intents and purposes, my life has stopped.

When that happens, do not attempt to instill artificial life into my body by the use of a machine. And don't call this my deathbed. Let it be called the Bed of Life, and let my body be taken from it to help others lead fuller lives.

Give my sight to the man who has never seen a sunrise, a baby's face or love in the eyes of a woman.

Give my heart to a person whose own heart has caused nothing but endless days of pain.

Give my blood to the teenager who was pulled from the wreckage of his car, so that he might live to see his grandchildren play.

Give my kidneys to one who depends on a machine to exist from week to week.

Take my bones, every muscle, every fiber and nerve in my body and find a way to make a crippled child walk.

Explore every corner of my brain. Take my cells, if necessary, and let them grow so that someday a speechless boy will shout at the crack of a bat, and a deaf girl will hear the sound of rain against her window.

Burn what is left of me and scatter the ashes to the winds to help the flowers grow.

If you must bury something, let it be my faults, my weaknesses, and all the prejudice against my fellow man.

Give my sins to the devil. Give my soul to God. If, by chance, you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed or word to someone who needs you.

If you do all I have asked, I will live forever.

- Unknown

Charlene Collins
Mt. Carroll, IL

Capitol Report

By Jim Sacia, State Representative, 89th District

Ed Genson, Defense Attorney for Governor Rod Blagojevich, began his testimony from the defense table, surrounded by Co-counsel Sam Adam Jr. and Associate Jackie Rankin.

Genson expressed his anger and indignation at US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald causing a cataclysmic array of events following the arrest of his client by the FBI on December 9th. He insinuated that the committee he was testifying before was caused because of this arrest and it was imperative that the Governor be afforded due process, which had been promised by Illinois Speaker of the House, Michael Madigan, and others.

And so our Monday morning, December 29th, began following committee Chairperson Barbara Flynn Currie bringing the committee to order. Mr. Genson reiterated his request of December 23rd, that subpoenas be served on Jesse Jackson Jr, Rahm Emanuel and up to sixteen others, fourteen of which are still unnamed.

Chairwoman Currie made it very clear that in no way would the committee violate the wishes of US Attorney Fitzgerald and his on-going criminal investigation and the issuance of such subpoenas could create just such a problem.

Mr. Genson droned on for some-time doing what defense attorneys do very well; attempting to cause doubt of his client's guilt. Several times he referred to "this court." Several times, either by design or inadvertently, he referred to the "illegal" wiretaps.

I was very proud of the committee. When Mr. Genson concluded, Minority Spokesman Jim Durkin (R-Countryside), correctly stated what had been said numerous times over the past several committee hearings. We are not a court, hearsay is admissible, simply put he did an excellent job of plugging the holes that Mr. Genson attempted to poke in the dike. Next up was Representative Lou Lang (D-Skokie). If you have an opportunity to listen to any part of the testimony you need to listen to Representative Lang. He castigated Mr. Genson for his out of committee comments to the press about us being on a "witch hunt" and numerous allegations. He very correctly took on the numerous insinuations by Mr. Genson that we failed in "due process" for his client noting that he, Genson, was being allowed to testify before our committee and Governor Blagojevich would be welcome "anytime" to explain his actions. Representative Lang correctly noted to impeach the Governor, our only obligation is to show "cause."

For you, the reader, I offer the following: The committee's obligation is to bring a recommendation to the full House of Representatives' 118 members showing "cause" for impeachment. I dare say that can be interpreted maybe 118 different ways but fair to say, it would include "injury to the state" and loss of confidence by the citizens of Illinois.

A simple majority of 60 House members voting to impeach the Governor is part one of a two part process. Should that be to impeach, the Governor remains in office. He would not be removed unless the Senate, acting as a jury, finds him guilty by a 2/3 vote.

We learned today that Mr. Fitzgerald will appear in Federal Court on Monday January 5, 2009 in an effort to obtain several specific wiretaps of the Governor. You need to know that information would be good to have, however the reality is, it will not make or break our proceedings.

As for Mr. Genson's referrals to the "illegal wiretaps," which caused me to dig my fingernails into my palms, never in my many years as an FBI agent do I ever recall one instance of a court ordered Federal Title III (wiretap) being found illegal. Those years also taught me to understand defense attorneys.

As always, you can reach me, Sally or Barb at 815/232-0774 or e-mail us at jimsacia@aeroinc.net. You can also visit my website at www.jimsacia.com. It's always a pleasure to hear from you.

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