The proud tradition of Illinois

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 4:50 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote: Anyone taking an appointment from Blagojevich would be an instant lame duck. I think any mainstream career politician would refuse it. Now if he appointed Kanye West or Mike Ditka...

I ain't sayin' he a golddigger...

Padre · Post by **Padre** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 5:46 pm

Awesome, a good old-fashioned Chicago corruption story, seemingly as flagrant and undeniable as one could hope for. In this postmodern world of uncertainty it's nice to see some straightforward political douchebaggery getting exposed, you know?

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 5:51 pm

I'm hoping this shakes things loose and we can get Mayor-for-Life Daley on the hot seat next!

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 6:11 pm

Padre wrote:Awesome, a good old-fashioned Chicago corruption story, seemingly as flagrant and undeniable as one could hope for. In this postmodern world of uncertainty it's nice to see some straightforward political douchebaggery getting exposed, you know?

Usually our politicians are craftier and more difficult to bring down. I can only speculate that too much time spent downstate made his head soft.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 6:49 pm

Court drawings, suitable for framing (from Cheryl Cook/Chicago Tribune):

Is that a track suit?

Or the guy from that Rolling Thunder arcade game?

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 7:05 pm

Why is it that artists are allowed to draw pictures of the court room, but a photograph would be too, too... real?

I enjoy the quaintness of courtroom sketches - but I never really understood (or was ever told, I guess) the reason behind it.

Are artists quiet and flash photography too annoying?

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 7:06 pm

ImLawBoy wrote:That's what kills me. It's no secret that he was under all sorts of investigation for corruption, and he's so arrogant that he's still trying to sell Obama's Senate seat? That takes some balls.

Really sad part is apparently Obama's team was playing ball. He just didn't like the offer. I guess Obama needs to learn how to use the grease gun like a real Democrat.

Mr. Fed · Post by **Mr. Fed** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 7:09 pm

Rip wrote:
ImLawBoy wrote:That's what kills me. It's no secret that he was under all sorts of investigation for corruption, and he's so arrogant that he's still trying to sell Obama's Senate seat? That takes some balls.

Really sad part is apparently Obama's team was playing ball. He just didn't like the offer. I guess Obama needs to learn how to use the grease gun like a real Democrat.

?

Later in the conversation, ROD BLAGOJEVICH said he knows that the President-elect wants Senate Candidate 1 for the Senate seat but “they’re not willing to give me anything except appreciation. F**k them.”

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 7:09 pm

ImLawBoy wrote:Obama may come off looking really good here. Blago was trying to get something in return for Obama's preferred person being named, but Blago is on tape saying, "they're not willing to give me anything except appreciation. Fuck them."

Where did the talk of offering his wife a position on a couple corporate boards come from? Have I been misinformed again?

Freezer-TPF- · Post by **Freezer-TPF-** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 7:11 pm

What's the penalty for offering appreciation to an elected official?

Freezer-TPF- · Post by **Freezer-TPF-** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 7:14 pm

Rip wrote:
ImLawBoy wrote:Obama may come off looking really good here. Blago was trying to get something in return for Obama's preferred person being named, but Blago is on tape saying, "they're not willing to give me anything except appreciation. Fuck them."
Where did the talk of offering his wife a position on a couple corporate boards come from? Have I been misinformed again?

The governor's wife, not Mrs. Obama.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 7:19 pm

Freezer-TPF- wrote:
Rip wrote:
ImLawBoy wrote:Obama may come off looking really good here. Blago was trying to get something in return for Obama's preferred person being named, but Blago is on tape saying, "they're not willing to give me anything except appreciation. Fuck them."
Where did the talk of offering his wife a position on a couple corporate boards come from? Have I been misinformed again?
The governor's wife, not Mrs. Obama.

Exactly that is what I had heard but that the position for the governor's wife was being offered by Obama's representative in return for naming Obama's candidate to the seat. Of course all I have heard is water cooler talk, just now getting to looking over actual news so I may have been misled as to who was offering what.

pengo · Post by **pengo** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 7:36 pm

If they are so dodgey why are they being voted in?

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 7:45 pm

Rip wrote:Of course all I have heard is water cooler talk, just now getting to looking over actual news so I may have been misled as to who was offering what.

Enjoy.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 7:56 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote:Enjoy.

Page 63 wrote:ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated that he is “struggling” financially and does “not want to be Governor for the next two years.”

Be careful what you wish for.

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 8:45 pm

pengo wrote:If they are so dodgey why are they being voted in?

Because the Republican party in Illinois was so scandal plagued arising out the prior administration that the Democrats could run a completely inept, corrupt tool and still get elected.

And that's what they did.

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 8:46 pm

Rip wrote:
Freezer-TPF- wrote:
Rip wrote:
ImLawBoy wrote:Obama may come off looking really good here. Blago was trying to get something in return for Obama's preferred person being named, but Blago is on tape saying, "they're not willing to give me anything except appreciation. Fuck them."
Where did the talk of offering his wife a position on a couple corporate boards come from? Have I been misinformed again?
The governor's wife, not Mrs. Obama.
Exactly that is what I had heard but that the position for the governor's wife was being offered by Obama's representative in return for naming Obama's candidate to the seat. Of course all I have heard is water cooler talk, just now getting to looking over actual news so I may have been misled as to who was offering what.

I haven't heard anything about that, and I've had CNN on for most of the day. From what I heard, Obama's team basically told Blago that he wouldn't get him anything, except that "appreciation" stuff.

triggercut · Post by **triggercut** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 8:50 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote:Court drawings, suitable for framing (from Cheryl Cook/Chicago Tribune):

Is that a track suit?

Or the guy from that Rolling Thunder arcade game?

Apparently the FBI arrived at his house at 6:00am. An agent called Blago and told him about the arrest warrant and asked him to get dressed and come to the door and not make a scene.

triggercut · Post by **triggercut** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 8:52 pm

ImLawBoy wrote:
Rip wrote:
Freezer-TPF- wrote:
Rip wrote:
ImLawBoy wrote:Obama may come off looking really good here. Blago was trying to get something in return for Obama's preferred person being named, but Blago is on tape saying, "they're not willing to give me anything except appreciation. Fuck them."
Where did the talk of offering his wife a position on a couple corporate boards come from? Have I been misinformed again?
The governor's wife, not Mrs. Obama.
Exactly that is what I had heard but that the position for the governor's wife was being offered by Obama's representative in return for naming Obama's candidate to the seat. Of course all I have heard is water cooler talk, just now getting to looking over actual news so I may have been misled as to who was offering what.
I haven't heard anything about that, and I've had CNN on for most of the day. From what I heard, Obama's team basically told Blago that he wouldn't get him anything, except that "appreciation" stuff.

Just Rip, misinformed but hopeful.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 9:28 pm

AWS260 wrote:
LawBeefaroni wrote:Enjoy.

Page 63 wrote:ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated that he is “struggling” financially and does “not want to be Governor for the next two years.”
Be careful what you wish for.

Page 44 (marked) wrote:73. In another call between ROD BLAGOJEVICH and Deputy Governor A that occurred a short time later on November 3, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH and Deputy Governor A discussed an editorial from the Chicago Tribune regarding the endorsement of Michael Madigan and calling for a committee to consider impeaching ROD BLAGOJEVICH. During the call, ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s wife can be heard in the background telling ROD BLAGOJEVICH to tell Deputy Governor A “to hold up that fucking Cubs shit. . . fuck them.” ROD BLAGOJEVICH asked Deputy Governor A what he thinks of his wife’s idea. Deputy Governor A stated that there is a part of what ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s wife said that he “agree with.” Deputy Governor A told ROD BLAGOJEVICH that Tribune Owner will say that he does not have anything to do with the editorials, “but I would tell him, look, if you want to get your Cubs thing done get rid of this Tribune.” Later, ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s wife got on the phone and, during the continuing discussion of the critical Tribune editorials, stated that Tribune Owner can “just fire” the writers because Tribune Owner owns the Tribune. ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s wife stated that if Tribune Owner’s papers were hurting his business, Tribune Owner would do something about the editorial board.

Maybe he wished for this after all.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 9:39 pm

It seems every time I see a quote from the overtly corrupt soon to be ex governor, or his wife, it has at least one f word in it. Classy. I wonder if they talk like that all the time, or only when they are actively participatatining in corruptational behaviorisms?

cheeba · Post by **cheeba** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 11:50 pm

Why didn't the Tribune write about it and expose the bastard?

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 12:33 am

ImLawBoy wrote:Aren't all of us Cubs fans a little mentally ill?

He sure doesn't behave like a normal person, anyway.

It's called "testicular fortitude."

ImLawBoy wrote:I'm hoping this shakes things loose and we can get Mayor-for-Life Daley on the hot seat next!

Mayor Daley seems to have forgotten that the City that Works has fired its mayors who fail to provide snow removal.

Grundbegriff · Post by **Grundbegriff** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 2:01 am

cheeba wrote:Why didn't the Tribune write about it and expose the bastard?

The G-men asked them not to report on a variety of matters. On some of these, the Trib decided to cooperate; on others, they published.

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 2:12 am

cheeba wrote:Why didn't the Tribune write about it and expose the bastard?

I was wondering that. It may be because he just told it directly to Sam Zell (who owns the Tribune Company), and he didn't take it any further than that. I don't think he gets involved in the day-to-day operations of the newspaper. Still, it wouldn't have been that difficult to tell someone who did work in the news organization what happened.

[edit]Or maybe what Grund said.

[/edit]

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 11:34 am

In an editorial today, the Chicago Tribune editorial board stated that it had not been told of Blago's demands that they be fired. I guess that means that Zell (or whoever received the threat) never cascaded it down to the news folks.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 11:48 am

ImLawBoy wrote:In an editorial today, the Chicago Tribune editorial board stated that it had not been told of Blago's demands that they be fired. I guess that means that Zell (or whoever received the threat) never cascaded it down to the news folks.

Zell was too busy inventing ways to fuck ESOP holding employees to bother telling the board.

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 1:21 pm

ImLawBoy wrote:
Rip wrote:
Freezer-TPF- wrote:
Rip wrote:
ImLawBoy wrote:Obama may come off looking really good here. Blago was trying to get something in return for Obama's preferred person being named, but Blago is on tape saying, "they're not willing to give me anything except appreciation. Fuck them."
Where did the talk of offering his wife a position on a couple corporate boards come from? Have I been misinformed again?
The governor's wife, not Mrs. Obama.
Exactly that is what I had heard but that the position for the governor's wife was being offered by Obama's representative in return for naming Obama's candidate to the seat. Of course all I have heard is water cooler talk, just now getting to looking over actual news so I may have been misled as to who was offering what.
I haven't heard anything about that, and I've had CNN on for most of the day. From what I heard, Obama's team basically told Blago that he wouldn't get him anything, except that "appreciation" stuff.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008 ... plans.html" target="_blank

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 1:26 pm

But nothing there states that Obama's team offered that deal to Blago, which is what Rip's initial thoughts were. If it did, then I would imagine there would be fallout to Obama (with some people likely looking for work). If it was just more of Blago's unrequited dreaming, then it doesn't rub off on Obama (except on some extremist blog sites, I would imagine).

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 1:31 pm

ImLawBoy wrote:I haven't heard anything about that, and I've had CNN on for most of the day. From what I heard, Obama's team basically told Blago that he wouldn't get him anything, except that "appreciation" stuff.

Interesting bit about an "Obama connection" and a glimpse at The Machine.

In a sequence of events that neatly captures the contradictions of Barack Obama’s rise through Illinois politics, a phone call he made three months ago to urge passage of a state ethics bill indirectly contributed to the downfall of a fellow Democrat he twice supported, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich.

...

But like those previous cases, this latest one features political characters who figure in various stages of Mr. Obama’s climb from little-known state senator to presidential candidate, and who have since become politically radioactive because of corruption scandals. Some of those relationships posed a threat to Mr. Obama during the presidential campaign, forcing him to return tens of thousands of dollars in tainted campaign contributions and providing fodder for attack ads by rival candidates.

Though extreme examples, they were emblematic of the path cut by Mr. Obama through Chicago politics, where he became known for making alliances of convenience with personalities that seemed antithetical to his self-image as a progressive reformer. His political roots were in the left-leaning neighborhood of Hyde Park, but at key moments in his career he did not hesitate to form relationships with politicians who were fixtures of the Democratic machine.

Also includes a great picture that has nothing to do with anything. But it's still great.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 1:43 pm

Today is Rod Blagojevich's birthday. Happy birthday, Guv!

LawBeefaroni wrote:

Karate CHOP!

Enough · Post by **Enough** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 1:51 pm

Obama is calling on him to resign.

ImLawBoy wrote:Obama may come off looking really good here. Blago was trying to get something in return for Obama's preferred person being named, but Blago is on tape saying, "they're not willing to give me anything except appreciation. Fuck them."

This article from the Hill breaks down this story well.

President-elect Obama and Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich clashed over whether to appoint a senior Obama adviser to replace him in the Senate, according to a criminal complaint filed with a federal district court.

The adviser at the center of the dispute appears to have been Valerie Jarrett, whom Obama has tapped to serve as White House senior adviser and assistant to the president for intergovernmental relations and public liaison.

When contacted Tuesday, Obama’s transition team said they were not prepared to comment on the complaint just yet.

Obama’s advisers declined to give in to Blagojevich’s demands, prompting angry outbursts from the Illinois governor behind the scenes.

Blagojevich in a conversation intercepted by federal agents calls Obama a “motherf----r” and dismisses Obama’s unwillingness to strike a deal: “F—k him.”

Your quote is in the article too, probably not too much new stuff for this thread but it does make it look like Obama wasn't playing ball.

Montag · Post by **Montag** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 2:42 pm

Sources say candidate #5 is Jesse Jackson Jr. I am all giddy inside.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 3:41 pm

Montag wrote:Sources say candidate #5 is Jesse Jackson Jr. I am all giddy inside.

LOLz.

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 4:12 pm

Jesse Jr. is holding a press conference this afternoon, apparently to deny any wrongdoing. He has, though, had a recent meeting with Blago regarding the Senate seat.

Freezer-TPF- · Post by **Freezer-TPF-** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 4:21 pm

This is going to be a circus with many rings. The talking heads must be pleased, since the Obama transition stuff was getting boring.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 12:12 am

Jon Stewart's opening bit was on Blago today. I especially liked the caption on his picture: (D-IL) Weed.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 2:12 pm

Jeebus, is there ANYONE in that family who isn't corrupt.

next the feds will release tapes of the family dog trying to negotiate a bigger dinner bone for himself by bribing the children.

ImLawBoy wrote:Jesse Jr. is holding a press conference this afternoon, apparently to deny any wrongdoing. He has, though, had a recent meeting with Blago regarding the Senate seat.

It amazes me that this family also gets away with all that they do...

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 2:26 pm

hepcat wrote:It amazes me that this man gets away with all that he does. He and the equally vile Al Sharpton should have been thrown in the hoosegow at least 4 criminal actions ago...

Note that we're talking about Congressman Jackson (i.e., the son with the same name) and not Reverend Jackson. (Although maybe you've got something against his son, too. I hadn't heard too much bad about him yet.)

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 2:29 pm

ImLawBoy wrote:
hepcat wrote:It amazes me that this man gets away with all that he does. He and the equally vile Al Sharpton should have been thrown in the hoosegow at least 4 criminal actions ago...
Note that we're talking about Congressman Jackson (i.e., the son with the same name) and not Reverend Jackson. (Although maybe you've got something against his son, too. I hadn't heard too much bad about him yet.)

I actually changed that a few seconds before you posted that since I see the word "Jackson" and I immediately become blinded by rage, thereby missing the "jr".

And yeah, I have no proof that the son is like the father. But I have my doubts...although they're based solely on my intense dislike of daddy jackson and therefore completely unfair and biased.