Lil Blago trivia...

[Joeboo]

Tommorrow is his 52nd birthday.

I'm a lifelong Springfield, IL resident. I worked for the State of Illinois for 10 years, my grandfather served in the Illinois legislature as Majority Whip in the 50's, and I've worked with/for and met both Gov. Blagojevich, and President-Elect Obama.

If he's convicted we'll have 2 governors in prison at one time, he's the first SITTING governor to be arrested, he's currently being arraigned. If convicted he'll be the 4th governor sent to prison and the 5th indicted since 1950.

The extremely disconcerting element to this is that the rest of the nation is getting a peek inside the machine that produced Barak Obama, one of the worst things that could happen to his presidency is if the press turns on him.

We here in the state don't know for certain just how far the rabbit hole goes...but if it reaches the pitch that the media can no longer shill for Obama, or outright ignore his pedigree, let alone any culpability, or attachment to all of this one of two things will happen.

They'll either decide to ride it out and go down with the ship...which could do very long term damage to the principle of a free press, or they'll open the flood gates, and play dumb...turn on him for being so artfully duped, and they'll tear him to shreds...imagine another 4 years of scathing Bush~esque coverage, that's something I'm not sure Obama could/would weather.

The complaint is amazing in the sense that Blago knew he was under investigation, he has been since 2005, hell since before Rezko was every even arrested...the fact that he was so brazen, delusional AND the fact that so many REALLY heavy hitters played ball with him is scary beyond even my cynicism. Honestly, some of the stuff in this complaint is just fumblingly stupid...I honestly hope that it ends with Blago (I sincerely doubt it), but I hope it stops there.

The issue Barak will have to deal with are the subsequent prosecutions that will come to light, and these are people the two of them share a political intimacy with that simply is not deniable. These folks were NOT I repeat NOT in anyway subtle about what was going on. The fact that it took this long had become a joke, and folks here in Springfield are all walking around going, 'well duh?!'

You might think I'm being disingenuous in my desire to see the issue terminate with Blago, but I honestly don't want another 4 or 8 years of public discontent, venom, accustion et al...and I hope, regardless of my political agreement/disagreement that the end game of Obama's presidency is positive, this doesn't bode well for that possibility as he hasn't even taken office yet.
__________________

[IDon'tCare]

Joeboo

Well put.
I laughed my ass off this morning hearing the news about Gov. BlagoShit.

It is about time.

By chance do you listen to wmay?

If you do I'm not BILL.

[Jim]

Once again, we see demonstrated the warning Edmund Burke issued: "All that is necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing."

[Joeboo]

Joeboo

Well put.
I laughed my ass off this morning hearing the news about Gov. BlagoShit.

It is about time.

By chance do you listen to wmay?

If you do I'm not BILL.

LoL Ranger I don't care, I do listen to WMAY here and there, and my name IS Bill, but I'm not THAT bill.

Ranger Jim, Burke's commentary is definitely true, however the chicanery some of these folks are capable of boggles the mind. Had it not been for legislation sitting on Blago's desk for a children's hospital in Chicago, I think Fitzgerald would have waited until a transaction had taken place to guarantee the felony conviction. The issue is unfortunately systemic, will Blago going down deconstruct it? I sincerely doubt it.

After George Ryan went to prison, many of my then colleagues within the State of Illinois took the attitude that we couldn't do much worse. I cautioned against the attitude of diminishing returns, and being right about that isn't worth the price of admission, and "I told you so" doesn't uncluster my State.

[Silverback]

I was raised under the specter of Chicago politics, after all Illinois politics is "Chicago Politics". I would not ever consider living in the city (or state for that matter) that was once home to me. I still have a lot of extended family and friends living there, but they'll have to visit if they ever want to see me.

[Joeboo]

I was raised under the specter of Chicago politics, after all Illinois politics is "Chicago Politics". I would not ever consider living in the city (or state for that matter) that was once home to me. I still have a lot of extended family and friends living there, but they'll have to visit if they ever want to see me.

Ranger Silverback, I can certainly relate to your sentiment and the frustration it delivers. No wonder Hillary decided to run for Senate in New York, eh?

[Silverback]

I was raised under the specter of Chicago politics, after all Illinois politics is "Chicago Politics". I would not ever consider living in the city (or state for that matter) that was once home to me. I still have a lot of extended family and friends living there, but they'll have to visit if they ever want to see me.

Ranger Silverback, I can certainly relate to your sentiment and the frustration it delivers. No wonder Hillary decided to run for Senate in New York, eh?

No one escapes Chicago politics completely clean....not even POTUS(elect) Obama

[Joeboo]

I was raised under the specter of Chicago politics, after all Illinois politics is "Chicago Politics". I would not ever consider living in the city (or state for that matter) that was once home to me. I still have a lot of extended family and friends living there, but they'll have to visit if they ever want to see me.

Ranger Silverback, I can certainly relate to your sentiment and the frustration it delivers. No wonder Hillary decided to run for Senate in New York, eh?

No one escapes Chicago politics completely clean....not even POTUS(elect) Obama

Guilt by association, proximity, etc doesn't seem to be an issue of any concern or priority in regards to POTUS(elect) or his supporters thus far. Active participation however, is another ball of wax. Obama and Axelrod have already contradicted one another, and since recanted the contradiction, cited it as a misspoken statement.

I am suspicious of Obama's answer yesterday that he had had no contact with Blago about his replacement, that is ludicrous. Does an incoming president want any association with radioactive Blago...well, hell no, but there are legitimate reasons including due diligence and good procedure that would have justified or almost mandated that it would be responsible to have talked to him. In and of itself that implies nothing other than a concern for his Senate seat, and the associated constituency.

I'm trying to keep my rose colored glasses on, but if, Barak clawed his way up through the hard nosed Chicago machine, and all of it's broad shoulders...and he maintains this political cowardice to maintain his image/popularity my optimism will be seriously diminished.

[Ranger Bill]

I'm trying to keep my rose colored glasses on, but if, Barak clawed his way up through the hard nosed Chicago machine, and all of it's broad shoulders...and he maintains this political cowardice to maintain his image/popularity my optimism will be seriously diminished.

I doubt Obama clawed his way up. I think others did the clawing and he got where he is by serving those who did the clawing.

[rgrpuck]

My Daddy used too say when you lie with dogs ...you get fleas.