BLAGOJEVICH NEWS EVENT TAKES TWIST

Says He Used Marijuana Twice When Younger

U.S. Rep. Rod Blagojevich, the Democratic nominee for governor, called a
Monday news conference to tout a business group's endorsement, but the
event took an unexpected twist when he admitted to having used marijuana twice.

He said he had smoked marijuana on two occasions when he was "college-age"
but never experimented with other illicit drugs. He said he wasn't sure
whether he had inhaled when he smoked marijuana.

"I just don't know," said Blagojevich, who added that he doesn't smoke and
that he jogs regularly. "I did it twice, and I was so inept at it that I
don't know if I did or didn't" inhale.

"I never liked the smell of it, but it was a smell that we all - of our
generation - are very familiar with," said the 45-year-old Blagojevich.

Dan Curry, a spokesman for Attorney General Jim Ryan, Blagojevich's
Republican opponent, said the 56-year-old Ryan "has not smoked any pot or
used any illegal drugs of any type."

Blagojevich was asked about illegal drugs during the question-and-answer
portion of a Statehouse news conference meant to focus on his endorsement
from the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, which has backed
Republicans in the past two gubernatorial campaigns.

He called the business group's endorsement "a big step forward" and
suggested it was a sign of the kind of governor he would be if elected Nov. 5.

"The idea that if labor is for you, business should be against you, and if
business is for you, labor should be against you, I think is tired and old
and fails to realize that we're all in this together," Blagojevich said.
"My goal as governor is to bring people together so we can grow our economy
and create jobs."

Jim Ryan has collected endorsements from other business-related groups in
the state, including the National Federation of Independent Business and
the Illinois Manufacturers' Association.

Ryan's campaign said the Republican was being snubbed by the retailers
because of his crusade against violent "M-rated" video games and for
cracking down on gasoline stations that increased fuel prices immediately
after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

"Jim Ryan hasn't been afraid to ruffle feathers ... if he's in pursuit of
doing what he feels is right," Curry said. "That's the way he'll operate as
governor."

During a Chicago news conference about Blagojevich's IRMA endorsement, a
disagreement unfolded between the Democrat and the retail group's
president, David Vite.

Vite said his group chose to endorse Blagojevich over Ryan partly because
the Democrat would "work with us on issues like M-rated videos." Jim Ryan,
as attorney general, waged a campaign two years ago to pressure stores to
stop selling the often-violent video games or to ask young people for
identification to make sure they're at least 17 before selling.

"We disagreed with the philosophy of (Ryan), and we don't get the
impression from Congressman Blagojevich that he would use the powers of his
office to put more regulatory structure around retailers' ability to serve
their customers," Vite said.

"This is the first I've heard of this issue," Blagojevich said when asked
about his stance on M-rated video games. "It seems to me that this would be
an appropriate place where there should be some regulation."

Blagojevich said he likes the idea of checking the age of minors seeking to
buy the video games and advocates putting public pressure on retailers who
deal in ultraviolent material.

He noted that he and the retailers association have other policy
disagreements, such as his support for raising the minimum wage.

On another subject, Blagojevich said Monday at the Springfield news
conference that the issue of reopening Lincoln Developmental Center "needs
a lot of study."

"There are different challenges there, specifically, than at some of the
other facilities" that have closed recently. Gov. George Ryan's decision to
shut the facility down was not done "in a thoughtful way," he said.

Later, Blagojevich said he isn't backpedaling on his previous comments that
he would reopen LDC if elected governor.

"I'm not hedging. I want to reopen it. But there's issues of care and
treatment," he said. "I want to reopen it, but the question is how do you
do it and how do you provide the right kind of services."

Copley News Service reporter Mike Ramsey also contributed to this story.