http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/09/illinois.govenor/index.html

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/rod.blagojevich.charged.2.883170.html


Everyone knew this guy was shady in Chicagoland but this takes the cake.

History majors or anyone else out there know how many times a sitting US Governor has been arrested and placed into custody for any charges, let alone suppression of free speech and whatever else this asshole has done?

12/9/2008 10:34:17 AM

Blagoyevich is a corrupt SOB. They've been investigating him for a while now. If there's any surprise for me, its the fact that he he was so arrogant to actually say these types of things on the phone when there was a Federal investigation sniffing his tracks.

The people of Illinois really need to start vetting their governors better. I suppose third time's the charm...

12/9/2008 11:16:54 AM

holy shit look at that hair.

can anyone say, "I am not a mobster"

12/9/2008 11:34:43 AM

nobody in illinois likes this guy, now nobody in the country will, either

what an idiot

12/9/2008 11:43:19 AM

Quote :

"Three former Illinois governors have gone to prison in the past 35 years: — Otto Kerner, a Democrat who was governor from 1961 to 1968, served less than a year of a three-year sentence after his 1973 conviction on bribery, tax evasion and other counts. He was convicted of arranging favorable horse racing dates as governor in return for getting horse racing association stock at reduced prices. Kerner died in 1976. — Dan Walker, a Democrat who was governor from 1973 to 1977, served 1 1/2 years of a seven-year sentence after pleading guilty in 1987 to bank fraud, misapplication of funds and perjury. The charges were not related to his service as governor. — George Ryan, a Republican who was governor from 1999 to 2003, was convicted of corruption in 2006 for steering state contracts and leases to political insiders while he was Illinois secretary of state and then governor. He is serving a 6 1/2-year prison term. In addition, William Stratton, governor from 1953-1961, was later indicted but then acquitted on charges of income tax evasion. "

12/9/2008 11:44:30 AM

Another Chicago-machine politician arrested on corruption charges.

But I'm sure the Chicago-machine politician we just elected President will be OK.

12/9/2008 12:14:00 PM

nice connection there earthy

12/9/2008 12:25:28 PM

Didn't have a chance to verify it, but Wikipedia was saying that as of October, his approval rating was running around 4% while there were open talks of recall or even impeachment.

The Obama camp has been pretty quiet about this so far. He needs make a statement soon to distance himself given that it is both his home state and someone he's endorsed in the past.

12/9/2008 12:27:25 PM

gg to the feds for bringing this to light before he selected someone for us senate

12/9/2008 1:04:14 PM

Quote :

"gg to the feds for bringing this to light before he selected someone for us senate"

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=agOFtufX.FXQ&refer=home

I wonder if that has anything to do with it. Plenty of scummy folks had reason to want this particular scumbag replaced. He deserves what he gets, but we would be foolish to assume he is the worst in the ring, or that those who caught him did so because they love law and justice so much.

Does anybody know the reason the wiretaps were ordered in the first place?

12/9/2008 1:05:43 PM

Sounds like it had to do with some state contracts and his fundraisers.

What a rediculous asshole. The whole St. Jude's blackmail thing is almost worst than the Senate seat, but I'm glad that they stopped him from appointing a senator.

Sounds like they also have a lot of quotes from the guy saying that Obama wasn't cooperating with him, and wasn't helping him in anyway.

12/9/2008 1:09:49 PM

Ill ive heard over the cube wall is:

UNION
PAY-TO-PLAY
DEMOCRAT
LIBERAL

im assuming they are talking about the same thing

12/9/2008 1:16:51 PM

so from the most corrupt state, the country chooses the next president

:shakes head in sadness:

12/9/2008 1:27:18 PM

^hmmmm in terms of widespread corruptness. I would have to say that Louisiana or Mississippi beat Illinois.

I've spent time in both states in politics, and it's incredibly disturbing what goes on and how much is swept under the rug at the highest levels.

12/9/2008 1:37:04 PM

Fuck politicians. But more importantly, fuck the people who keep electing these assholes time after time.

12/9/2008 1:48:57 PM

Quote :

"Fuck politicians. But more importantly, fuck the people who keep electing these assholes time after time."

Consistency check: who did you vote for?

12/9/2008 1:54:03 PM

Not Blagojevich if that's what you're asking

But really, who I vote for is none of your business. I can assure you, however, that I am no fan of career politicians, especially those who use their office primarily as a means of getting themselves re-elected or for personal gain. Which means I pretty consistently don't vote for one of the two major parties.

12/9/2008 2:02:53 PM

Quote :

"But really, who I vote for is none of your business. I can assure you, however, that I am no fan of career politicians, especially those who use their office primarily as a means of getting themselves re-elected or for personal gain. Which means I pretty consistently don't vote for one of the two major parties."

When you make political statements, you open yourself up for criticism if you do not act consistently with your ideology.

That last part is enough for you to establish consistency. Anyone who regularly votes for either major party has no right to complain about corrupt politicians.

12/9/2008 2:14:02 PM

Not to be an asshole, but since I'm not a public official, so I am under no moral or legal obligation to disclose anything I do to you or anyone else.

I don't have to justify my opinions with my voting record. That is what kicks ass about the United States.

12/9/2008 2:23:29 PM

Quote :

"nobody in illinois likes this guy"

and yet somehow he was elected governor

12/9/2008 2:24:07 PM

Quote :

"Not to be an asshole, but since I'm not a public official, so I am under no moral or legal obligation to disclose anything I do to you or anyone else. I don't have to justify my opinions with my voting record. That is what kicks ass about the United States."

Jeez, when did I assert or imply you did have such an obligation? You have the right to lose all the arguments you like, and questions like mine help people avail themselves of those rights.

Little touchy today, eh?

[Edited on December 9, 2008 at 2:36 PM. Reason : a]

12/9/2008 2:35:46 PM

Quote :

"Anyone who regularly votes for either major party has no right to complain about corrupt politicians."

that's straight-up stupid. if you had said anyone who votes for a politician known to be corrupt, then i'd be with you.

12/9/2008 2:40:13 PM

Quote :

"that's straight-up stupid. if you had said anyone who votes for a politician known to be corrupt, then i'd be with you."

If you regularly vote for either major party, you do vote for corrupt politicians. There are exceptions, of course, but then that wouldn't make someone a regular voter for a particular party.

[Edited on December 9, 2008 at 2:41 PM. Reason : a]

12/9/2008 2:41:36 PM

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/01/27/news/doc479d547f2dd8a198198621.txt

Quote :

"and yet somehow he was elected governor"

people's opinions are allowed to change. or aren't they?

12/9/2008 3:02:57 PM

What would entertaining from a political perspective is if he goes ahead and appoints someone to the Senate in prison. According to Illinois law, he continues to have that power until dead, convicted, or impeached.

Quote :

"hmmmm in terms of widespread corruptness. I would have to say that Louisiana or Mississippi beat Illinois."

I dunno, it would be pretty close (at least with Mississippi, I'll give you Louisiana). As someone pointed out, this is the fourth governor in 35 years convicted of corruption (only third if you don't count Mr. Walker who technically didn't commit a crime related directly to his office). Then you have the infamous Chicago Daley machine and the checkered legacy it leaves behind.

12/9/2008 3:36:09 PM

Governor Rod "Silvio Dante" Blagojevich, Democrat-Illinois

12/9/2008 3:57:29 PM

Blagojevich free on $4,500 bail after arrest

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/09/illinois.governor/index.html

how did he ever manage to scrape that kind of coin together?

...

[Edited on December 9, 2008 at 4:47 PM. Reason : .]

12/9/2008 4:47:32 PM

Quote :

"The governor, who appeared in court in a blue jogging suit"

12/9/2008 4:51:46 PM

^ that's what he was wearing when they woke him up and took him to the slammer.

I hereby sentence you, Rod Blago...Blagojevich, to a term of no less than four years in a federal pound-me-in-the-ass prison. Rod Blagojevich, you've led a trite and meaningless life..and you're a very BAD person.

12/9/2008 5:34:30 PM

Things like this are why I think that any public official who is convicted of blatant corruption like this should be executed in the public square the next day

12/9/2008 6:52:30 PM

Quote :

" BLA GO JEVICH "

12/9/2008 7:27:26 PM

Quote :

"Nothing in the court papers suggested Obama had any part in the discussion. In fact, Blagojevich allegedly said in the same conversation that Obama most likely would not appoint him as secretary of health and human services or to an ambassadorship because of the negative publicity that has surrounded the governor for three years. One day later, according to the affidavit, Blagojevich allegedly told an associate he knew Obama wanted a specific Senate candidate but “they’re not going to give me anything except appreciation. [Expletive] them.""

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28139155/


[Edited on December 9, 2008 at 7:40 PM. Reason : ]

12/9/2008 7:40:01 PM

OK I may be getting cynical here...

But what if Obama wanted to put his girl Valerie Jarrett into his old senate seat. Blago wanted too much money or a political position. Obama refused his terms and Blago threatened to put himself into the seat.

So Obama sics Fitzgerald on Blago and the dems throw him to the wolves. Now all you have to do is call for an open election, and Obama gets his gal elected through the Chicago-machine.

Oh why must I have these evil thoughts during the Hope and Audacity? Pelosi told us the culture of corruption is over...

I ... must ... submit ... to the .. will ... of Landru.

12/9/2008 7:54:27 PM

probably because obama wouldn't do something that stupid

no matter what your thoughts on the man, that'd be a far, far reach

12/9/2008 8:00:20 PM

Quote :

"Obama sics Fitzgerald on Blago"

Salisburyboy Mk II

12/9/2008 8:21:55 PM

Quote :

"OK I may be getting cynical partisan here..."

I mean, really.

Between challenging Obama's citizenship and trying to pin this scandal on him, you all are going to smother yourselves in your own ridiculousness.

12/9/2008 9:33:28 PM

I think it's going to be great in a couple years when witnesses come out from Kenya confirming that Obama was born there, and the Hawaii records show that Obama was listed as being born outside of a hospital.

12/9/2008 9:36:04 PM

it's going to be great in a couple years when your brain reconciles your wingnut fantasies with reality.

12/9/2008 9:52:35 PM

Quote :

"But what if Obama wanted to put his girl Valerie Jarrett into his old senate seat. Blago wanted too much money or a political position. Obama refused his terms and Blago threatened to put himself into the seat. So Obama sics Fitzgerald on Blago and the dems throw him to the wolves. Now all you have to do is call for an open election, and Obama gets his gal elected through the Chicago-machine. Oh why must I have these evil thoughts during the Hope and Audacity? Pelosi told us the culture of corruption is over... "

Just putting this out there, but the tapes started back in 2003.... The Senate seat is just what put it over the edge, at least from what it sounded like in the press conference

12/9/2008 10:19:07 PM

this might have kept nc red had it came out like 6 days before the election

12/10/2008 12:21:33 AM

Well, at least now I (kinda) know how to pronounce his name.

I don't buy that there's a sinister Obama connection. The fact is that he was a political nobody who beat the long odds in becoming President; hardly the power player that rises in a political machine. We'll see, though.

Quote :

"What would entertaining from a political perspective is if he goes ahead and appoints someone to the Senate in prison."

Presumably the Senate itself can just toss that person right back out. That would be entertaining.

12/10/2008 1:02:22 AM

Quote :

"The fact is that he was a political nobody who beat the long odds in becoming President; hardly the power player that rises in a political machine."

Are you talking about Obama? He did just that, he got his start in ultra-corrupt Chicago politics, from state senator, to US senator, to President. He did it somewhat quick, what he definitely used the political machine. Now, how dirty Obama had to get, who knows. But I am sure he made some somewhat distasteful agreements.

12/10/2008 2:12:12 AM

Quote :

"The fact is that he was a political nobody who beat the long odds in becoming President; hardly the power player that rises in a political machine."

You can't deny he benefited from the Democratic machine in Chicago. No one gets to at least Senator without help from Daley and Company. However, I also think that Obama is one of those rare individuals talented and unique enough to rise to the top. With or without Chicago, I think he would have made his way to the national level sooner or later; just that circumstance offered him sooner.

As for this scandal touching the President-elect, I doubt it will do much in the long run. Its just one of those things that's both an embarrassment and an unplanned distraction from an otherwise smooth transition.

Quote :

"Presumably the Senate itself can just toss that person right back out. That would be entertaining."

One of the scenarios I had in mind when I made the comment. There's all sorts of messes that could come out of this. Hopefully the good people of Illinois will hurry up and resolve this before we get to test it.

12/10/2008 2:23:52 AM

^^^ Yes, but it'll never come to that. (1) The Illinois legislature is working on stripping Blago's appointment power, and (2) if I'm not mistaken, the Senate doesn't have to accept his appointment.

In any event, it appears now that the guy's wife was involved.

Governor's wife supported his pay-to-play Senate scheme, complaint alleges

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-blagojevich_patti_10dec10,0,1460523.story

Sweet Jesus. Have Illinois politicians and their cohorts learned nothing about avoiding corruption from their history?

^^ There is a Rezko connection. But it appears, for now, that Obama and his people did the right thing: They wouldn't play ball. If this is truly the case--and it appears to be--I applaud the Obama team.

[Edited on December 10, 2008 at 2:27 AM. Reason : .]

12/10/2008 2:25:25 AM

I've heard Obama won his state senate race because the previous republican senator got busted for corruption, and he played on this to turn people towards democrats.

I've read a lot on Obama from the perspective of the Chicago newspapers, and the closest thing I can think of to tie him to Chicago politics is the unions. When he had his state primary upset win for a senate seat, he had to get their support (since they initially were backing the loser). Supposedly though the union bosses in chicago don't have as much power as they did back in the days (evidenced by their guy losing).

And before he was a state senator, he was a college professor who did lots of community work (how he met Ayers...) he wasn't really involved a lot with labor or the kind of policy those guys usually deal with, and a relatively middle-class professor that works with charities doesn't really have the muscle to sway other things.

Not like a wealthy realestate developer like Rezko or like Blagojevich himself who grew up in Ill. and has a long history of being involved with other convicted Chicago politicians:

from wikipedia

Quote :

" He graduated from Chicago's Foreman High School after transferring from Lane Technical High School. After graduation, he enrolled at the University of Tampa.[12] After two years, he transferred to Northwestern University in suburban Evanston where he obtained his bachelor's degree in 1979. He obtained his law degree from Pepperdine University School of Law in 1983. Through his father-in-law's connections, Blagojevich clerked for Chicago Alderman Edward Vrdolyak.[13] "

Vrodlyak was a chicago politician convicted of wire fraud and mail fraud.

12/10/2008 2:33:48 AM

theres something wrong with illinois. it goes beyond party politics. and it goes beyond this moolie, blagojackhisdick.

this is the tip of the iceberg, and i dont have any confidence that the feds are going to root it out. its been there since before Al Capone, it'll be there for a long time. they'll get a guy here and there, but the Machine will keep running.

Chicago really is Gotham City.

12/10/2008 2:41:09 AM

^ Um. . ."moolie"? I'm not trying to be shitty, but if you're going to use a racial or ethnic slur--as you often do--you should know that Blagojevich doesn't qualify for the one you chose.

PS: The More You Know.

12/10/2008 2:53:49 AM

naw, hes a wop in polack clothing. look at that swarthy bastard. you know his ancestors were dipping in the Moorish wells.

12/10/2008 3:01:11 AM

it is kind of odd how, the winner of the election is a senator from whose state the governor is arrested, and the loser VP is the governor of whose state a Senator is indicted...

12/10/2008 6:13:37 AM

^Yes, it is "kind of odd" how politicians are corrupt.

Take anyone in politics, and play "three degrees of separation" to find a publicly-exposed corrupt politician. If they're from Chicago, play "one degree of separation".

Chances are you'd win every single time.

[Edited on December 10, 2008 at 6:18 AM. Reason : .]

12/10/2008 6:17:32 AM