The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Dec 9, 2008 14:39:51 GMT -5
Wow. Just wow. That complaint is absolutely priceless.
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vcjack
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Post by vcjack on Dec 9, 2008 15:32:31 GMT -5
The thing is the last Illinois governor (who also happens to be the previous governor) that we sent to jail was fairly well liked, and still is I think, but there is absolutely no one who has ever liked Rod.
Thanks for I-Pass Rod! (which he takes too much credit for).
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royski
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Post by royski on Dec 9, 2008 18:20:38 GMT -5
I'm an unabashed leftist, and I can see that Blagojevich's actions are infinitely worse than Spitzer's or Craig's.
Then again, that might be because I'm an unabashed leftist.
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EasyEd
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Post by EasyEd on Dec 9, 2008 19:22:26 GMT -5
I'm an unabashed leftist, and I can see that Blagojevich's actions are infinitely worse than Spitzer's or Craig's. Then again, that might be because I'm an unabashed leftist. I agree and I'm an unabashed rightist.
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C86
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Post by C86 on Dec 9, 2008 21:27:13 GMT -5
The allegations against Blagojevich are jaw-dropping, even by Chicago standards. The fact that I have the hardest time wrapping my head around is how divorced Blago seems from reality. The man has been under continuous investigation for about 5 years. His political crony Tony Rezko is in jail and cooperating with the feds. His approval rating is at 13 percent and dropping. Obama for years has been treating him like he doesn't exist. NONETHELESS, Blago is scheming to be appointed to the Cabinet?!? If that doesn't work, he'll take the Senate seat, "rehabilitate" his image, and then run for PRESIDENT?! This is just crazy talk, but I don't think he understands how ludicrous it is.
VCjack, I respect your taste in baseball teams, but I respectfully disagree with you on the popularity of George Ryan. Ryan was extremely unpopular when he left office. Like Blago, he was under continuous investigation while in office. One allegation against him was that he stonewalled an investigation into illegal drivers licenses in Illinois (the holder of one illegal license caused a horrible auto accident in which 5 children burned to death). Ryan refused to run for a second term, because he was utterly isolated. Of course, by Blago's standards he looks like Pericles, but that's more of a comment on Blago, than Ryan.
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Post by jerseyhoya34 on Dec 9, 2008 21:47:39 GMT -5
Leaving the allegations aside, how stupid must someone be to even be in the position where an allegation of trying to curry favors off the nomination of Obama's replacement is in the realm of possibility? Blajo appeared today in Court wearing sweat pants and tennis shoes. Ridiculous.
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Bando
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Post by Bando on Dec 9, 2008 21:52:58 GMT -5
It's really just the arrogance of power. He had to known that he was under investigation and his phones were tapped, but he just couldn't help himself when the power to appoint a Senator dropped in his lap.
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C86
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Post by C86 on Dec 9, 2008 22:09:53 GMT -5
The weird thing about Blagojevich is how powerless he really has been as governor. His erratic way of doing business has emboldened other Dem's (notably the Speaker of the State House) to block his initiatives. He really has gotten very little done.
Mr. Ambassador, for years Blago has been running the state from the basement of his house in Ravenswood Manor. He's rarely in his office in the Loop, and in Springfield even less. Casual dress may just be natural to him.
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vcjack
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Post by vcjack on Dec 9, 2008 22:37:19 GMT -5
The allegations against Blagojevich are jaw-dropping, even by Chicago standards. The fact that I have the hardest time wrapping my head around is how divorced Blago seems from reality. The man has been under continuous investigation for about 5 years. His political crony Tony Rezko is in jail and cooperating with the feds. His approval rating is at 13 percent and dropping. Obama for years has been treating him like he doesn't exist. NONETHELESS, Blago is scheming to be appointed to the Cabinet?!? If that doesn't work, he'll take the Senate seat, "rehabilitate" his image, and then run for PRESIDENT?! This is just crazy talk, but I don't think he understands how ludicrous it is. VCjack, I respect your taste in baseball teams, but I respectfully disagree with you on the popularity of George Ryan. Ryan was extremely unpopular when he left office. Like Blago, he was under continuous investigation while in office. One allegation against him was that he stonewalled an investigation into illegal drivers licenses in Illinois (the holder of one illegal license caused a horrible auto accident in which 5 children burned to death). Ryan refused to run for a second term, because he was utterly isolated. Of course, by Blago's standards he looks like Pericles, but that's more of a comment on Blago, than Ryan. Perhaps I worded myself incorrectly, I meant that Ryan had some redeaming qualities as governor*, where as you mentioned in your other post Rod had none. His general clemency of everyone on death row probably saved a bunch of innocent people convicted by a bad justice system and his work with normalizing relations with Cuba (as little as that has to do with Illinois) probably did some good. Still doesn't excuse the fact that he is still unrepentant for the trucking scandal that killed that family. But enough about the tragic and unfunny criminal governor, more about the hilarious and delusional one. I think this case has less to do with him being unaware of the danger he was in and more a case of dumbly overeacting to a precieved "opportunity" to weild his power, which he has done time and time again. *This just might me drinking the DuPage Machine kool aid
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Post by Coast2CoastHoya on Dec 10, 2008 9:46:20 GMT -5
Boooooo Blago, boooooooooo. What an unabashed arse.
May the corrupt of both parties and any political ideology go the way of Blago, Stevens, Jefferson, Craig, and Spitzer.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Dec 10, 2008 9:59:08 GMT -5
I heard a rumor that Rahm Emanuel may have been responsible for blowing the whistle on him.
Don't know if there is any truth to that -- clearly from this complaint, it looks like a lot was known already, so his role may have been incidental -- but if it is true, even in part, good for the new CoS.
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vcjack
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Post by vcjack on Dec 10, 2008 11:27:24 GMT -5
I heard a rumor that Rahm Emanuel may have been responsible for blowing the whistle on him. Don't know if there is any truth to that -- clearly from this complaint, it looks like a lot was known already, so his role may have been incidental -- but if it is true, even in part, good for the new CoS. The line for people willing to testify probably stretches around several city blocks, and that's just if noone from Springfield wants to make the journey up to Chicago.
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Elvado
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Post by Elvado on Dec 10, 2008 12:35:51 GMT -5
In all seriousness, does anyone believe even for one minute that David Axelrod "misspoke"? I don't believe Obama is involved in anything improper,but the idea that he did not ever discuss a replacement for his seat with the governor is preposterous when it was contemporaneously reported by Axelrod.
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Jack
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Post by Jack on Dec 10, 2008 12:49:30 GMT -5
In all seriousness, does anyone believe even for one minute that David Axelrod "misspoke"? I don't believe Obama is involved in anything improper,but the idea that he did not ever discuss a replacement for his seat with the governor is preposterous when it was contemporaneously reported by Axelrod. Or, given the fact that this is going to receive so much scrutiny and any contact Obama had with Rod B is going to be discovered, wouldn't he be smart enough not to lie about it now?
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Elvado
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Post by Elvado on Dec 10, 2008 13:08:27 GMT -5
Fair enough. I don't buy it and at the same time I don't think Obama's involved in anything improper. It speaks more to Obama's refusal to acknowledge any misstep.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Dec 10, 2008 13:13:04 GMT -5
Apparently (allegedly), Jesse Jr. is Candidate #5. abcnews.go.com/Blotter/ConductUnbecoming/story?id=6431739&page=1I can't really say this comes as a complete shock. EDIT: Oops sorry. Forgot that TC had already posted that. My memory -- even to a day ago -- isn't what it used to be as I get older and more conservative. In my defense, I am working on about 3 hours sleep today.
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DanMcQ
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Post by DanMcQ on Dec 10, 2008 13:21:32 GMT -5
Boz, no great surprise as Junior is only continuing the family business.
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Elvado
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Post by Elvado on Dec 10, 2008 13:37:39 GMT -5
Actually it's almost generational role reversal as the Jacksons are usually doing the "shaking down".
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TC
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Post by TC on Dec 10, 2008 14:00:10 GMT -5
Smoking Gun is still saying that Senate Candidate 5 is Emil Jones, although they've edited their report to note that ABC and the Chicago Tribune say it is Jesse Jackson. Their tone has been pretty absolute since the beginning.
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TBird41
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Post by TBird41 on Dec 10, 2008 14:39:32 GMT -5
In all seriousness, does anyone believe even for one minute that David Axelrod "misspoke"? I don't believe Obama is involved in anything improper,but the idea that he did not ever discuss a replacement for his seat with the governor is preposterous when it was contemporaneously reported by Axelrod. Or, given the fact that this is going to receive so much scrutiny and any contact Obama had with Rod B is going to be discovered, wouldn't he be smart enough not to lie about it now? One would think. www.connecttristates.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=217582(Article link from Drudge)
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