In Blagogate: Where is the budget?; Voters wants to do a Gray Davis on G-Rod.

What about the budget?:



Lawmakers are hopeful they can reach a budget deal by the end of the month and get out of town, avoiding a marathon overtime session like last year.

State Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, said it will be disastrous if session drags through summer again.

"There's a lot of pressure on the speaker (of the House) and the Senate president to arrive at some kind of compromise," he said.

The federal corruption trial of Tony Rezko, one of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's political inner circle, may prompt the governor to be open to negotiating a deal, said state Rep. Patrick Verschoore, D-Milan.
"He's got his problems and I don't think he wants to call an overtime session," he said.
With the Saturday, May 31, adjournment deadline looming, a number of budget proposals are beginning to percolate under the Capitol dome, from pushing a no-growth spending plan to a "wish list" budget loaded with additional spending at the other end of the spectrum. More on the story.

And I smell recall in Illinois:

Voters Favor Impeachment of Blagojevich

A new statewide poll has found that 59 percent of Illinois registered voters want the Illinois legislature to begin impeachment hearings against Governor Rod Blagojevich.

The survey of 600 registered voters was conducted May 7 through 10 and has a margin of error of 4 percent.