Some University of Wisconsin students say if Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is proven guilty, it would be the perfect time to show the public the consequences of being a corrupt politician.

Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on charges of conspiring to sell the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama. He was released on a signature bond which stated he would have to pay $4,500 bond if he doesn’t show in court.

While former Students for McCain co-chair and UW senior Mark Bednar said he does not necessarily think the alleged behavior of Blagojevich reflects on the Democratic Party, he said it “points out the greater fallacies in government in general.”

Bednar said he finds it “troubling” that the government system gives governors an opportunity to abuse their powers, as Blagojevich supposedly has.

Roger Moore, a UW sophomore from Illinois, said the allegations brought against Blagojevich are “really not all that surprising.”

“He’s already been under investigation for a few other things, hasn’t he?” Moore asked. “Over the past years he’s proved that he obviously isn’t too bright. … This moron was practically holding an auction (for the senate seat).”

Blagojevich is the fourth governor of Illinois to be facing jail time since the late 1960s, following Otto Kerner, Dan Walker and most recently George Ryan.

“It’s a little frightening that we haven’t deterred anyone from taking advantage of their position,” Moore said of the long history of corruption in Illinois politics.

Bednar also spoke of corrupt politicians, such as Elliot Spitzer, who resigned as governor of New York in 2008 because of his involvement with a prostitution scandal, saying that many of them get off too easy.

“If he is found guilty, he should absolutely be removed from office and made an example of,” Bednar said.

The governor is innocent until proven guilty, but the Illinois Legislature has made noise about impeachment proceedings if he does not resign, and Moore thinks this would be necessary.

“Corruption of this magnitude mustn’t be tolerated and, in my mind, should be categorized alongside treason,” Moore said. “Blagojevich undermined the very system which he swore to the citizens he would better and deserves to pay dearly.”

College Democrats Chair Claire Rydell said she is shocked and saddened by the events, but she does not think it reflects on politics as a whole.

“It demonstrates that politics are not perfect, accepting that to this day we still have to work to make these things run smoothly and to keep politicians we elect accountable,” Rydell said.

She also hopes people will realize what Blagojevich did was wrong no matter what political party he belongs to, and will not tie his actions to the Democratic Party.

Bednar agreed and said it is important to realize that the government is run by human beings.

“We do make mistakes and get greedy or selfish,” he said. “We do screw up.”

Bednar also suspects the Illinois government will call a special election to fill the vacant senate seat.

“People are going to treat that seat appointment like the plague,” Bednar said.

Moore is just glad Blagojevich will not be filling the seat.

Carla Vigue, spokesperson for Gov. Jim Doyle, said Tuesday Doyle has no comment on the allegations against his fellow Midwestern governor.