Ill. governor and aid arrested. From TPM:
Beleaguered Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich was taken into custody by law enforcement authorities at his home this morning, reports the Tribune Company, sourcing a US Attorney’s office spokesman. The governor’s chief of staff, John Harris, was also arrested.
Hours earlier, the Chicago Tribune reported that the federal probe of pay-to-play politics in the Blagojevich administration had expanded to include the question whether the process of filling Barack Obama’s US Senate seat — for which the governor is responsible — had become tainted.
Quite the turn of events. Don’t know much if anything about Illinois politics or Blagojevich. Obviously these are very serious allegations.
Then again, it’s not as if the Bush Justice Department has ever been accused of targeting a Democratic governor for political reasons.
I guess we’ll just have to see how this sorts out.
UPDATE 9:15 AM–Here’s one quick take by Josh Marshall on the charges against llinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D):
A few of you have written in to ask whether this is a case of Siegelman redux — that is, something akin to the case of former Gov. Don Siegelman of Alabama, a Democratic governor sandbagged by Republican partisans in the US Attorney’s office.
Short answer: Don’t bet on it.
Needless to say, I haven’t had any real chance to evaluate the specific charges themselves. But I would be extremely cautious about jumping to such conclusions. Patrick Fitzgerald, the US Attorney in Chicago, put the previous Illinois governor away too. That was Republican George Ryan. Fitzgerald was also the special prosecutor who investigated the Plame Leak case.
I remember a few years ago I was having lunch with a prominent Democratic consultant who told me that Fitzgerald was “naive” about how politics worked — relative to his work in Chicago. I just listened and waited to move on to another subject. What is true is that Fitzgerald takes a pretty stringent view of political corruption. But that’s not such a bad thing.
Goldy has also stated sentiments along the same lines. I think that’s a fair analysis at this point, and as the story unfolds, it’s becoming clear that those familiar with Illinois politics are not exactly surprised. I’ve read the word “idiot” associated with Blagojevich about ten times in the last twenty minutes.
Yeah Jon…it MUST be Bush’s fault!
That’s all you Atheist Progressive’s can ever say about questionable conduct by Democrats.
Oh and Jon…FYI
Obama has recently decided he isn’t a Progressive. He will trot around AlGore and other posterchildren of the fringe lunatic left…but Obama is appointing non-progressives and his indications are that his actions will also be non-Progressive…but keep cheering for your “victory”
You remind me of the WE WANT ICE CREAM CROWD!
I was born and raised in Illinois, and most of my family still lives there. This is a surprise to NO ONE who lives there. We were all just taking bets HOW LONG it would take the gov to get arrested, not when. Illinois has a lovely history of putting its governors in jail. Doesn’t matter which party. Blagojevich is a Democrat. The former gov was a Republican (George Ryan)…guess where Ryan is today? If you said in jail, you win a prize…a fancy new senate seat in Illinois! Maybe Blagojevich and Ryan can share a cell?
Given the push by the Bush administration to drive out of the Justice Dept. and the F.B.I. anyone who is not a confirmed “Bushie”, and hiring policies which violated federal law in giving preference to those with neo-con leanings, and the blatant violations of federal law in the political prosecution of the southern governor (Georgia?) which appears to be heading for dismissal on appeal, I’m not prepared to pass judgement one way or the other on this issue. I’ll wait for the trial – and hopefully under an Obama administration, the justice department will conduct it fairly.
It is interesting that the arrests come a day after the Illinois governor had made statements in support of the laid-off workers of the Chicago window & door company who were refusing to leave the facility until they received payments which were due to them under state law.
#1 – Bush is a douche and one of the worst Presidents in the history of our nation…truly and idiot in every sense. As a Republican, you should be ashamed to even mention his name.
I love your lunatic Republican fringe that bitched during the campaign that Obama was the MOST liberal person in the U.S. Senate…and now isn’t even “progressive” at all! ROTFLMAO. Trying making up your mind. Either he’s an evil terrorist robot who will eat our children, or not. ;-)
Jon,
You and Goldy are intellectually dishonest and morally bankrupt. If this were a Republican, you’d have bold, flashing headlines and you and the rest of the Kossacks would be spewing your vomit all over the ‘net.
Blagojevich got caught elbow-deep in the cookie jar. Say what you want about Uncle Ted (who I am *not* a fan of), but you Dems sure know how to take sleazy politics to the next level. None of the slimy contracts and influence peddling of the past GOP comes close to SELLING A SENATE SEAT!!
Dems ’08: Tammany Hall for a New Generation!
Buildng a house for a Republican Senator and contributing to a Democratic governor’s political campaign are two very different things.
In this tit-for-tat political world, I’m sure it won’t take the Obama team long to find a Republican governor doing the same or worse.
Fucking crooked bastards and I mean from both
parties. We ought to send them to Gitmo!
Brainless, witless, shiftless Loose-y:
It is one thing to influence a contract to one vendor or another. It is a whole ‘nother ballgame to try and SELL AN F’IN SENATE SEAT!
Lucy,
Here’s your evidence:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/a.....1rod1.html
@5-Funny, I got attacked in my first post this morning for failing to post about Blagojevich even as the story was still breaking nationally. Guess we really do need that crystal ball. Obviously you haven’t read Goldy’s post that happened after you posted your comment, so you are obviously intellectually bankrupt too.
Jon,
Pay attention to the timeline. I posted my comment after your weak post. Then Goldy posted and I immediately gave him credit.
To your credit, at least you had the balls to post Josh Marshall’s comments. It must be hard being an unofficial press secretary for the Left.
One last note… I never said anyone was intellectually bankrupt. I said you were intellectually dishonest and morally bankrupt. Them pesky facts and details, huh??
LMAO @ Surreal Mark!!
This corruption case warranted a post and this TOTAL, ABSOLUTE LOSER Surreal Mark is whining about hypocrisy?
He’s finally here to face the music about his carrying water for a BANKRUPT, HARD-RIGHT agenda.
On a Obama win of the White House? Never gonna happen right? So sorry. Wrong..
Ayers? Bullshit. Noise. Fear-mongering.
Wright? Ditto.
Khalidi? Oooooh. Funny last name. I’m so scaaaarrred!
Khalidi himself had the last word for the blatherings of Surreal Mark and his hard-right ilk:
“an idiot wind’.
Before all you little Republican twits get all up in arms. The PREVIOUS gov was a Republican…and HE’S in jail for a LONG LONG series of corruption charges too(including pay to play also). It’s not a Dem v Rep thing in Illinois…it’s the whole bloody state. :)
IRL @ 13
Oh, I agree it is the whole state… Probably extends to Senators… former State Senators… community organizers…
Nah. I’m a pretty partisan Chicago Democrat, and Blago had this coming. There’s no need to speculate about GOP motivation — he got his dumb self into this mess all on his own.
There was one Illinois Governor that got undone, I think it was Kerner, because one of the people that paid him, put the bribe down as a tax deduction! The person thought it was a legitimate business deduction as the cost of doing business in Illinois.(First heard it from the Mystery Buttom segment on KPOJ Mornings in Portland. Hartman’s Co-Host has a huge collection of political campaign buttons).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O.....conviction
There is a story going around that Obama’s CHief of Staff tipped off the Feds to what was going on. Interesting. Then again, Firedoglake and ThinkProgress say the reporter leaking that rumor is from the FOX Chicago affiliate.
Now I have heard of some bad things Daley Jr has done at times. The most agregious recent one, was demolishing Meigs Field, a General Aviation Airport on the edge of Downtown Chicago without going through the normal process. Thankfully the plane that was on final as the bulldozers were doing the midnight destruction of the runway at Meigs pulled up and landed elsewhere. There was a reason they were supposed to notify the FAA in advance of the runway being decommissioned, and that is to prevent airplanes on Final making a destructive landing on a runway that had a bunch of X’s carved into it.
The Blagojevich scandal has been brewing a long time, and the corruption of his administration was plainly evident to people who do follow Illinois politics.
How is “Darcy” saying “tsk,tsk,tsk Jon. You must have missed this headline…” attacking you, Jon? Sounds pretty mundane for an “attack”, especially from somone at the waste treatment facility that is HA.
How is “Darcy” saying
attacking you, Jon? Sounds pretty mundane for an “attack”, especially when the complaint is coming from somone at this day care center for reprobates.
Does it really matter what Gov. Blivet’s (that, three pounds of s–t in a two-pound sack)politcal affiliation might be? Hardly! The man is a crook, plain and simple. Is he less of a crook if he sits on the left or more of a crook if he sits on the right? Stuff and nonsense: the simple fact is that he is a crook and we ought to be glad he’s been exposed. Period. The rest is self-serving smokescreen.
Fool@4 wrote:
Earth to moron…
Look up YLB – yelling loser boy. He told all of us on this blog Obama was the most liberal senator in the senate. You do know how to search HorsesAss right?
Again since you are as dense as spent uranium… yelling loser boy was the one who told us all about Obama’s liberal voting record. He wanted to know how could Puddy support the most liberal senator in the Senate.
End of correcting your foolish drivel. Or was that dribble?
@22 In your case it’s ‘drivel’, Pudz.
Hey, here’s a link for you to check out!
http://www.republicanoffenders.com/Pedophiles.html
The pedophile infestation of your party doesn’t bother you, does it? I wonder why?
It was only a matter of time. This has nothing to do with Bush. Stop trying to tie this to anything other than what it really is. Look at what this scumbag was saying and tell me that he shouldn’t be put away. It saddens me as a resident of Illinois to have to deal with this. You may question the timing of the arrest but I would rather it be done now than after he appointed another scumbag into the Senate seat. The most unfortunate part of this whole thing is that there will probably be another crooked disgusting subhuman voted into office by the people of Chicago because a bigger carrot is held in front of them, sickening.
Steve, HAs’ resident goatherder and goatbutt checker:
One word message to you…
Huh?
I wonder if the evening news will tell everyone if Rod Blagojevich is a Democrat. Listen carefully to the news this evening.
Most of the time they mysteriously forget this small fact.
Remember Kwame Kilpatrick ex-Deeeeeeeeetriot mayor. Initial news reports forgot to tell you he was Donkey.
HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR
@25 “Huh?”
It used to be denial was Pudz’ usual response to the subject of Republican pedophilia. Now he just goes stupid on us.
Oh, and Pudz, regarding your goatfucking, quit with the Psych 101 projection for a moment, if you possibly can, loser.
Steve, HAs’ resident goatherder and goatbutt checker:
While everyone is discussing political corruption you bring that tired web site again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again.
Keep up the good work. We know you have the prized goat herd of WA State. Which ones will you sport at the Evergreen & Puyallup fairs next year?
Christ, you’re stupid, Pudz. The conversation about Republican pedophiles has never ended, no matter how much you might wish it to go away. The conversation ends when the Republican pedophilia ends. Apparently that isn’t any time soon. Stupid goatfucker.
Oh look, this is from a couple weeks ago. How totally irrelevant, right, Pudz?
http://www.lakeplacidnews.com/.....l?nav=5005
Oh, and stop with the third person shit.
Hardy-har-har. (D)
Steve, HAs’ resident goatherder and goatbutt checker:
Which goats are you sportin’ next year? Are you getting the big petting pen?
and then there is former massachusetts governer mitt romney. the media didnt like him. why? apparently too much integrity. and of course the media kept talking about the fact that he was a mormon, even though all they ever talk about is non discrmination. i guess he wasnt the right religion, i do know when lieberman ran for president the media couldnt get enough of what a religious man he was.
oh and when was axelrod mistaken, two weeks or today.
Hey, Goldy! What marching orders do you have from Daily Kos? Can Blagojevich blame his troubles on Bush too?
Question of the Day: How much does Obama know and when did he know it?
i think some people are starting to think someone is going to get vince fostered.