The proud tradition of Illinois

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 11:21 pm

I want to be a Governor.

and

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:45 am

In Illinois they luv the Guv'nuh
Boo, boo, boo!

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 4:54 pm

Mr. Track Suit tries to turn impeachment into a criminal trial. How long before it he makes it a 1st Amendment matter?

Gov. Rod Blagojevich, at his home, telling reporters to go talk to Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, who he said lives down the same street. (Michael Tercha/Chicago Tribune)

Trib wrote:Speaking to reporters outside his North Side home this morning, Gov. Rod Blagojevich accused the Illinois House and Senate of attempting to "thwart the will of the people" by removing a twice-elected governor.

"The impeachment trial is a sham," he said.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 5:02 pm

So I guess he feels that he has a mandate from the people to do what he feels is right (for him)...

Freezer-TPF- · Post by **Freezer-TPF-** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 5:19 pm

Has he tried to pardon himself yet?

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 1:07 am

Freezer-TPF- wrote:Has he tried to pardon himself yet?

He claims that what the FBI found was only ectoplasm.

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 2:47 pm

The fun continues. The beloved, if only slight less corrupt than Blago, mayor of Chicago, Richard J. Daley, has publicly called Blago "Cuckoo".

I believe Blago will respond with a standard, "I am rubber, you are glue" retort.

Freezer-TPF- · Post by **Freezer-TPF-** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 3:35 pm

Blago compares his arrest to Pearl Harbor attack

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 3:53 pm

Cuckoo Blago wrote:"The reason they're doing this is because they can't wait to get rid of me so they can raise taxes on the people of Illinois," he said. "This is as much about a tax increases as it is about anything else."

I knew it! Selling a Senate seat and bribing the Tribune Co. into firing editors who were uncomplimentary toward Rod were just a clever ruse to raise my taxes!

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 4:04 pm

Freezer-TPF- wrote:Blago compares his arrest to Pearl Harbor attack

What a colossal, insensitive boob.

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 3:35 pm

Isgrimnur wrote:
Freezer-TPF- wrote:Blago compares his arrest to Pearl Harbor attack
What a colossal, insensitive boob.

Blagoyovich would call it "testicular fortitude." It's a combination of no shame and a titanic ego.

It's going to be interesting seeing the soon-to-be impeached Governor make his case on the talk shows. I so badly want to see the spectacle of watching Stephen Colbert interview Blago on the Colbert Report.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 11:19 am

With the comments he made about Oprah circulating this morning, I was convinced the man is just trying to build a case for an eventual insanity plea, but then I remembered Arnold Schwarzenager, Sonny Bono, and now probably Al Franken and thought...why not?

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 11:37 am

Carpet_pissr wrote:With the comments he made about Oprah circulating this morning, I was convinced the man is just trying to build a case for an eventual insanity plea, but then I remembered Arnold Schwarzenager, Sonny Bono, and now probably Al Franken and thought...why not?

He's trying to drop a Baby Ruth in the jury pool. But it's irrelevant with the impeachment and with the criminal matters, there are hundreds of pages unrelated to the senate seat. Fitzgerald is a completist.

Boston Globe wrote:SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Governor Rod Blagojevich won't participate in his impeachment trial, which is scheduled to start today in the Illinois Senate. Instead, he will be giving television interviews.

Interviews complaing about how the trial he is missing, to be at the interviews, is unfair.

LA Times wrote:In the NBC interview, portions of which aired Sunday and others to be aired today, Blagojevich said that when he was arrested on federal corruption charges last month, "I thought about Mandela, Dr. King, Gandhi, and trying to put some perspective in all of this."

The Preacher · Post by **The Preacher** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 11:38 am

Freezer-TPF- · Post by **Freezer-TPF-** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 1:49 pm

EXTRA EXTRA: Embattled IL Gov. 'Just Making Random Shit Up Now'

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:09 am

Letterman takes on Blagojevich

I love the audience laughing at Blagojevich claiming he's innocent.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:45 pm

Moliere wrote:Letterman takes on Blagojevich

I love the audience laughing at Blagojevich claiming he's innocent.

Transcript

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 12:48 pm

What a surprise. Burris now on the hotseat.

Perjury or not, Burris shows he is at least a liar

February 16, 2009

BY MARK BROWN Sun-Times Columnist
I'll leave it to the proper investigative bodies to decide whether Roland Burris committed perjury last month in testimony before the Illinois House impeachment committee. From a strict legal perspective, maybe he didn't.

But I'll tell you straight up, our new U.S. senator proved himself to be a lying little sneak.

The word preposterous comes to my mind to describe Burris' explanation -- and accompanying performance Sunday -- in which he basically says his previous failure to disclose relevant contacts with Rod Blagojevich's inner circle about the Senate vacancy was simply a matter of everyone else's failure to ask him the right questions or give him time to answer.

...

The senator now wants us to believe he never knew we might find it relevant that the governor's brother Rob was putting the arm on him for campaign donations during the same period in which the governor is accused of trying to sell the Senate seat -- and while Burris was practically begging everyone he knew for the appointment.

And he doesn't want us to think his newfound truthfulness has anything to do with the intervening disclosure that some of Rob Blagojevich's calls were caught on a wiretap.

Still waitng for representation. Still considering Lake Michigan Tea Party.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 3:30 pm

And now, our white Northside disgraced ex-governors are blacker than our black Southside presidents.

cbn wrote: "What the (expletive)? Everything he's saying's on the teleprompter," Blagojevich told the magazine for a story in its February issue, which hits newsstands Jan. 19.

"I'm blacker than Barack Obama. I shined shoes. I grew up in a five-room apartment. My father had a little laundromat in a black community not far from where we lived," Blagojevich said. "I saw it all growing up."

At least he didn't say "mo' blacker."

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 3:33 pm

he was recently on the howard stern show and i listened to his interview. for a long time i was under the impression that he got to where he was at in government through connections, graft and other forms of corruption, and while that still may hold true for the majority of his success, after you listen to him you realize that he's a pretty charming fellow. To underestimate him is a mistake.

I still think the man's a sociopath and should not be within 100 miles of power, but I at least respect him enough to realize why he's dangerous.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 5:58 pm

Deadlocked.

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Thu Aug 12, 2010 1:34 am

On at least some counts. But which ones? The prosecution relied on the opportunity to impeach Rod on the witness stand, but never got the chance.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Thu Aug 12, 2010 7:42 am

Speaking of the proud tradition of Illinois, R.I.P. Rosty.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Thu Aug 12, 2010 10:59 am

Illinois does a few adult films to make ends meet..

"Look, sometimes you just don't have a choice," Gov. Pat Quinn said. "No one's stepped up to fund Illinois' special-education programs or infrastructure improvements, so we have to do what we have to do. Nobody has the right to judge us. Not you, not anybody."

"Luckily, we've got a manager now," Quinn continued. "Jerry's been in the game a long time, and he's really looking out for us. He's been like a father figure."

Reached for comment, Jerry praised Illinois as a sweetheart with an innocent Midwestern look, adding that the state could be making a lot more if it would get some decent implants and maybe try some "harder" material.

"The whole state-next-door thing is nice and all, but to make it in this business you got to be willing to do anything on camera—you know, the edgy stuff," Jerry said. "Just look at Wyoming. Ask Wyoming to do a gang-bang, mother-daughter action, choking, whatever, and it's 'lights, camera, action' every time."

Added Jerry, "That state's a freak."

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Thu Aug 12, 2010 11:32 pm

AWS260 wrote:Speaking of the proud tradition of Illinois, R.I.P. Rosty.

Aside from Rosty's sins, he was the architect behind the "Reagan tax cuts" and significant changes to Social Security. He was also a Democrat who knew how to kick ass and take names in the legislative process, while still getting deals done with the Republicans.

Perhaps more important, he held sway over other House members, who knew that crossing him meant paying a price. "I knew everybody wanted something from the chairman," he told the Tribune. "The best attitude was to have people afraid to ask you for anything, and then when you gave them something, they'd be tickled to death. I loved that."

As a parting gift, Rosty negotiated a deal for Loyola University of Chicago's business school to be built at cost by a contractor expecting to get more work on contracts building military base. The condition for the additional government work -- prove you can build on time, on budget.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:39 am

Zarathud wrote:On at least some counts. But which ones? The prosecution relied on the opportunity to impeach Rod on the witness stand, but never got the chance.

All but two according to what they're saying now.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 11:47 am

Don't tell me Big Hair Blago is going to walk?!!? That would indeed be a travesty of justice.

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 1:10 pm

Carpet_pissr wrote:Don't tell me Big Hair Blago is going to walk?!!? That would indeed be a travesty of justice.

Hung Jury /= Acquittal

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 5:27 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote:
Zarathud wrote:On at least some counts. But which ones? The prosecution relied on the opportunity to impeach Rod on the witness stand, but never got the chance.
All but two according to what they're saying now.

Actually, they said they had agreed on two counts, were deadlocked on 11, and hadn't yet voted on the other 11.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 5:30 pm

ImLawBoy wrote:
LawBeefaroni wrote:
Zarathud wrote:On at least some counts. But which ones? The prosecution relied on the opportunity to impeach Rod on the witness stand, but never got the chance.
All but two according to what they're saying now.
Actually, they said they had agreed on two counts, were deadlocked on 11, and hadn't yet voted on the other 11.

Yeah, that's what I meant. They had reached a verdict on 2, not deadlocked on 2. I misquoted Z in my mind. Somehow. Whatever.

I have done nothing wrong.

Mr. Fed · Post by **Mr. Fed** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 8:01 pm

Grifman wrote:
Carpet_pissr wrote:Don't tell me Big Hair Blago is going to walk?!!? That would indeed be a travesty of justice.
Hung Jury /= Acquittal

True. But under the circumstances, if I had to bet, I'd say it's more likely the ones they agreed on were acquittals, not convictions.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 5:40 pm

1 verdict apparently. EDIT: Guilty on false statement/misrepresentation (lying to the FBI).

I guess they retry and this guy costs us more money? EDIT: Yes, the are going to retry.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 8:07 pm

They just really want to put his ass on the stand.

Oh well, it's what passes for civic entertainment here in Illinois.

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 11:01 pm

Wow. Looks like the media has already gotten to the jury -- the Chicago Tribune reports only 1 holdout on the Senate seat charge.

The prosecution seems to have been bamboozled by expecting Blagoyovich to testify in his own defense and by shifting its strategy trying to streamline their case. I don't think they'll make those mistakes again.

Mr. Fed · Post by **Mr. Fed** » Wed Aug 18, 2010 12:39 am

Why the fuck does anyone talk to the FBI?

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Aug 18, 2010 1:31 pm

Mr. Fed wrote:Why the fuck does anyone talk to the FBI?

Because they really seem to understand just what you're going through.

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Wed Aug 18, 2010 9:30 pm

hepcat wrote:
Mr. Fed wrote:Why the fuck does anyone talk to the FBI?
Because they really seem to understand just what you're going through.

Especially if you are Governor Rod Blagoyovich. The man can't stop himself from jabbering...except when he knows it's under oath. D'oh!

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Fri Aug 20, 2010 1:00 pm

Thank you Taiwan for breaking down the Blago case!

hentzau · Post by **hentzau** » Sat Aug 21, 2010 2:15 pm

I was at the Chicago Comic Con yesterday, and they had a sign up:

Advance Tickets for Rod Blagojevich Autograph Session

Saturday, August 21

Autograph - $50

Photo Op - $80

I shit you not. What a douche.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 1:55 pm

Whee!

Rod Blagojevich’s second corruption trial began Wednesday with little of the hoopla that surrounded the first, as potential jurors quietly began filling out questionnaires aimed at weeding out anyone with strong biases for or against the ousted Illinois governor.

Since Blagojevich’s first trial ended last year with jurors deadlocked on all but one count of lying to the FBI, federal prosecutors have simplified their case and dropped complex charges to address previous juror complaints that the evidence was too difficult to follow.
...
Blagojevich still faces 20 charges, including allegations he sought to sell or trade an appointment to President Barack Obama’s vacated U.S. Senate seat for campaign cash or a top job.

The 54-year-old is returning to trial with a scaled-down, more bookish defense team that no longer includes lead lawyer Sam Adam Jr., whose courtroom theatrics in round one often drew the judge’s ire. Blagojevich also will be the lone defendant after authorities dropped all charges against his brother.
...
Prosecutors have since dropped racketeering charges, which have stupefying legal points and subpoints. They also dismissed all charges against Blagojevich’s brother and co-defendant, Robert Blagojevich, allowing them to focus entirely on the former governor.

They even sought to edit out what they consider irrelevant chit-chat on hours of FBI wiretap recordings, evidence at the heart of the government case, including a reference in one conversation to Blagojevich’s famously bountiful locks.