Illinois Governor Blagojevich in federal custody

[runningman]

Re: Illinois Governor Blagojevich in federal custody

like Obama??

[superdave]

Re: Illinois Governor Blagojevich in federal custody

Sounds like he's not going to resign and fight to keep his job. God, I hope so and it gets to be an even bigger mess in Illinois. I hope he starts naming other corrupt politicians too.

[Miroslav]

Re: Illinois Governor Blagojevich in federal custody

not only is the guy a total asshole, he's also a fucking idiot. Who talks openly on an telephone line about how he wants cash for a Senate seat? what a dumb piece of shit...

oh, and as if that wasn't enough this dumbfuck also likes to shake down children's hospitals for cash.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/09/blagojevich.affidavit/?iref=mpstoryview

On October 8, Blagojevich told a person described only as "Individual A" that he was willing to make $8 million available for Children's Memorial Hospital, but "I want to get [Hospital Executive 1] for 50."

Individual A felt that Blagojevich was talking about a $50,000 campaign contribution from the hospital's chief executive officer and that the $8 million referred to a recent commitment by Blagojevich to secure state funds via "some type of pediatric care reimbursement."

"Intercepted phone conversations between Rod Blagojevich and others indicate that Rod Blagojevich is contemplating rescinding his commitment of state funds to benefit Children's Memorial Hospital because Hospital Executive 1 has not made a recent campaign contribution," the affidavit says.

can we just give him the death penalty? please?

[toasty]

Re: Illinois Governor Blagojevich in federal custody



Spot on IMO.

[88Mariner]

Re: Illinois Governor Blagojevich in federal custody

sign that guy up for the iraqi information minister slot!

[toasty]

Re: Illinois Governor Blagojevich in federal custody

According to a Blago spokesman:

“I don’t even know if he knows about those things [like Barack Obama saying he should resign]. I mean, I think he’s got bigger things to worry about, like the state budget, the economy, things like that. Making sure the state continues to run and not those types of things.”

via Wonkette's post: ‘Upbeat,’ ‘Positive’ Hairsuited Moron Blagojevich Forges Ahead

Seriously, WTF is this guy doing at his office right now? He has completely lost his ability to govern...

[toasty]

Re: Illinois Governor Blagojevich in federal custody

impeachment efforts are now officially underway:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/12/12/illinois-democratic-lawmakers-begin-impeachment-effort-for-gov/#more-32470

Here's a bigger question -- who would vote to not impeach the guy? That's a vote that you could be guaranteed to come back and haunt you the next time you're up for reelection.

[floridaorange]

Re: Illinois Governor Blagojevich in federal custody

"Blagojevich, whose 52nd birthday was Wednesday, is charged with conspiracy and solicitation to commit bribery, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and 10 years, respectively."

Ouch!

[Miroslav]

Re: Illinois Governor Blagojevich in federal custody

and of course, he refuses to leave.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081210/ap_on_re_us/illinois_governor

typical behavior of a greedy, shameless cockface.

[88Mariner]

Re: Illinois Governor Blagojevich in federal custody

Not to belabor this point, but why the hell is this guy still in office? Even though he is technically still the governor, he has lost public trust and the ability to govern. Just when you thought George W. Bush was the lamest lame duck ever, along comes Rod Blagojevich. His deputy governor has resigned, he's getting calls from Democrats to resign, and I'm frankly not aware of anyone that thinks that him staying in power is good for anyone. The dude is toast -- why stick around?

and this was BEFORE things broke on monday.....

[runningman]

Re: Illinois Governor Blagojevich in federal custody

For the same reason the Sen Stevens and Sen Craig won't resign for their actions. They believe that the US is so corrupt that nobody will kick them out.

Can't you see the trend here?? It is scary to think where that $850 Billion bailout is going then..

[toasty]

Re: Illinois Governor Blagojevich in federal custody

Not to belabor this point, but why the hell is this guy still in office? Even though he is technically still the governor, he has lost public trust and the ability to govern. Just when you thought George W. Bush was the lamest lame duck ever, along comes Rod Blagojevich. His deputy governor has resigned, he's getting calls from Democrats to resign, and I'm frankly not aware of anyone that thinks that him staying in power is good for anyone. The dude is toast -- why stick around?

[runningman]

Re: Illinois Governor Blagojevich in federal custody

Well do we on here actually believe that Obama isn't a sell out?? You have to be a sell out in order to get the media attention and corporate sponsorship that he received during his campaign. I wouldn't doubt it if this goes all the way back to Obama (which it won't because Obama is a sell out)

[toasty]

Re: Illinois Governor Blagojevich in federal custody

perspective? perhaps Blago was outed because he wouldn't put in Obama's choice? What else would be the impetus for Rahm? All of this could have been avoided, assuredly, if Obama's choice was used.

Food for thought...

When I first heard about this, my first thought was "please don't let Obama be implicated in this, because it would really be disappointing," so I am not blind to the idea that he might not be squeaky clean. I am close enough to Illinois, both literally and figuratively, to know that Blago is a scumbag and that Illinois politics in general is shady, but I hold Obama to a higher standard. You might not believe this, but if he were on those calls, too, and was OK with what Blago was doing, I'd be calling for his head.

Perhaps Rahm's impetus was that Obama actually wanted to shut this guy down. Remember during the Pennsylvania primaries, Obama refused to dole out "street money" to the local pols?

The Los Angeles Times: "Flush with payments from well-funded campaigns, the ward leaders and Democratic Party bosses typically spread out the cash in the days before the election, handing $10, $20 and $50 bills to the foot soldiers and loyalists who make up the party's workforce. It is all legal -- but Obama's people are telling the local bosses he won't pay. That sets up a culture clash, pitting a candidate who promises to transform American politics against the realities of a local political system important to his presidential hopes.”

“Obama's posture confounds neighborhood political leaders sympathetic to his cause. They caution that if the senator from Illinois withholds money that gubernatorial, mayoral and presidential candidates have willingly paid out for decades, there could be defections to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York. And the Clinton campaign, in contrast, will oblige in forking over the money, these ward leaders predict."

More: "Neither the Clinton nor the Obama campaign would say publicly whether it would comply with Philadelphia's street money customs. But an Obama aide said Thursday that it had never been the campaign's practice to make such payments. Rather, the campaign's focus is to recruit new people drawn to Obama's message, the aide said.”

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/04/11/877410.aspx

He ran on a platform of trying to diminish the impact of influence-peddlers, and this would be an example of doing that very thing. For the time being, I'm going to give the guy the benefit of the doubt until there's an actual reason to suspect wrongdoing. What you're suggesting is, as far as I'm aware, nothing more than rank speculation.

[88Mariner]

Re: Illinois Governor Blagojevich in federal custody

Am I missing something?

perspective? perhaps Blago was outed because he wouldn't put in Obama's choice? What else would be the impetus for Rahm? All of this could have been avoided, assuredly, if Obama's choice was used.

Food for thought...