The Edgar Countdown

Story from The Sun Times

Will Edgar run? There's a '50-50' chance

You don't run for governor reluctantly," Edgar said. "If you get into this race, you run to win, and you go all-out.

From the Chicago Tribune

Edgar, who had angioplasty in 1992, quadruple bypass surgery in 1994 and was hospitalized in 1998 for a partially obstructed blood vessel at the bottom of his heart, also said he will be undergoing tests with his doctors to see if the rigors of a campaign would endanger his health.

Edgar said the reason he was even considering giving up a financially lucrative private life to re-enter politics was because of his concern for the state.

But Peter Giangreco, Blagojevich's campaign adviser, contended Edgar had shorted pension funds while serving in the private sector.

"When he was on the board of Kemper Insurance, they cut their employee pensions by $11 million and stuck the taxpayers with a $500 million unpaid pension liability," Giangreco said. "He's not Jim Edgar. He's Jim Enron."

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It is an enviable position for the governor to be in; decide against a return to public life and have privacy and wealth, or, jump back in and almost certainly win.

But whaddya win? A bankrupt state and a Democratic-controlled legislature?

Gov. Blago has clearly given Giangreco the latitude to throw high hard fastballs at Edgar's head.

So add the grief of engaging Blago in a nasty street fight, and it looks less than 50-50 Edgar runs.

But then again, he runs, he wins.