He's a loner

The Hound all of a sudden is feeling sorry for Gov. Rod Blagojevich. He hasn't been given a chance to strut his stuff at the Democratic National Convention next week in Denver. Also missing, though, is Illinois Senate President Emil Jones, the guv's buddy and mentor to presidential hopeful Barack Obama. This is the least of Blago's problems.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan will speak at the national party convention in the Mile High City. So will Comptroller Daniel Hynes. So will state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulis, as will Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. But not Blagojevich. Guess that's what happens when you become the Hugo Chavez of the Midwest. Nobody wants to be your play pal.

Yet, The Hound thinks it's not so much Blago's unpopularity with Illinois Democrats, let alone voters, it's more the baggage he might carry onto the convention floor. Such as a 7.3 percent unemployment rate in July. That's the state's highest rate since September 1993. Wasn't a Republican in office then?

The national unemployment rate was 5.7 percent, a five-year high. But it's not even close to the Illinois rate, which translates into 491,300 people unemployed in the Land of Lincoln. In July alone, the state lost nearly 10,000 jobs. Heaviest hit were jobs in the construction industry.

Now do we see why Blago has pushed for his capital improvement plan? Outside of the teachers' unions and public service unions, trade unions account for lots of jobs and campaign funds for Illinois Democrats. You build things and they will come --- jobs and union campaign funds.

So the guv heads to the Centennial State with a ticket, but not a date. Sounds like he's a loner to The Hound. Like going to the prom without a date.