" 'The governor said Obama and his team are "not willing to give me anything except appreciation. [Expletive] them.' "

Oh, but you know some Republican trolls will be digging in the dirt to find some tenuous link between the governor and Obama. I predict the "scandal" they gin up will call to mind the ghost of Vincent Foster and his link to the Clintons who, wingers assured us, was murdered by the then-President and his wife.

The idea that Rod could position himself for a presidential run is so delusional that I have to question its veracity. Look, the Trib in a recent poll showed that he had an 11 percent approval rating. It is really an achievement to have a lower approval rating than George Bush in this state.

Here's another thought: lest Republicans try to make political hay out of it, it should be pointed out that Blago’s predecessor, George Ryan—a Republican—is currently serving time in the federal pen. We seem to have a problem electing governors in this state.

On a lighter note, this week we have the governor get arrested, workers take over a factory, and the city’s major newspaper filing for bankruptcy—and it’s only Tuesday!

Who else might be caught?

Well, unfortunately for their young children, his wife, Patti, has been close to much of the action. Early on, she was involved in some shady real estate deals with Rezko, receiving large commissions for questionable sales. Now it appears she was in on some of the recorded phone conversations.

Choc--actually, I've seen a Rasmussen poll (it's on their website somewhere but I can't find it right now) that gave him an approval rating of four percent. No, that's not a typo. That's pretty much statistical error and a big family, but methinks he won't be getting many Christmas presents this year.

At the rate the week's going in Chicago, the headline "Zambrano traded to Mariners for box of jelly donuts" may not be as improbable as one would think.

The sad thing is that here in Illinois republicans are almost extinct in the political scene.

If this gives them a toehold again, I will be pissed.

but we know that Barack Obama isn't part of any of this

Nonetheless, the updated portion from the last post suggests that people thought Obama would cooperate. Why? And there were quite a few people in on the conversation.

Already on MSNBC, Michael Izikoff (sp?) is trying to draw links between Obama and Blagojevich through Rezko, and noting that Rahm Emmanuel took Blago's congressional seat (not sure why that is relevant).

I am having second thoughts about Fitzgerald. I am probably a good enough prosecutor to nail these idiots, but he was not good enough to nail the Bush administration? :-)

The best news is that Fitzgerald is the USA on this. It ensures that Blagojevich will be strung up by his Jesse Jacksons and nobody will doubt the validity of the charges.

This proves how important the USA's integrity is to our form of civil government.

Any chance the state legislature can rush through legislation on stripping this governor of this appointment?

You have no idea how happy I am to hear that last little bit. I have no doubt that there will be some attempt to paint this episode as if it were somehow connected to Obama, but Blagojevich's comments make it clear he wasn't going along with them.

merry fitzmas!
blago is the creation of chicago's 33rd ward dem organization, run by his father-in-law (who he's on the outs with).
as someone (mike royko, i think) once said, "the amazing thing is not how easy it is to buy chicago politicians. it's how ridiculously little they cost."
on the other hand, it does make it easier to define an honest politician here: it's a guy who -- when boutht -- stays bought!

Corruption must be exposed by the party. The Illinois Democratic Party should have dealt with the problem of a known corrupt governor. Business as usual will help Republicans regain power.

I wonder if the federal prison system might find it useful to set up a special political crooks wing of some prison?

Someplace where you can find Ney, Cunningham, and soon Jefferson and Blagojevich?

And what does Blagojevich do, well aware that his every move is under the microscope? He literally tries to sell a vacant U.S. Senate seat.

And not just any old Senate seat, but the vacated seat of the incoming President of the United States. Because no one would pay attention to that little appointment, would they.....?

At the rate things are going in Chicago, Mayor Daley will sprout wings and fly, a newly revitalized Sears & Roebuck will move back into the Sears Tower, and a giant meteorite will land on Soldier Field as a halftime show of the next Bears game.

But the Cubs will not win the World Series. I mean, let's be realistic here.

And, why wouldn't Blagojevich be brazenly unafraid?

Fitzgerald went after the cabal that conspired to to out a CIA agent. Despite his "reputation for nailing political figures who violate the public trust," he ultimately didn't do shit. The one scumbag he did convict was pardoned.

If I'm Blagojevich, I go into court mumble, "I don't recall" a few times or claim executive privilege, and wait for Fitzgerald to convict my chief of staff.

There does seem to be an interesting competition between Illinois and Louisiana to see who can have the most ex-governors in prison. Right now it is Ryan from Illinois and Edwin Edwards from Louisiana. Blagojevich will be the tie-breaker.

I don't think Daley has even uttered Blagojevich's name in years. He pretneds he doesn't exsist. This could get very entertaining if some of the big names being mentioned as Obama's replacement were will to take Rod's bait in this scheme.

I hope Patti's ass end up in the can right along with her husband. I'm sick of the spouces and families of these crooks living large off this shit or worse (like this case) up to their necks in it themselves and then getting off scott-free.

CNN is going to show Fitzgerald's press conference any minute now.

With William Jefferson losing on Saturday, and Rod Blagojevich getting busted today, the Democratic Party should be thrilled to be rid of its two most embarrassing members.

And happy the election was a month ago.

You know, if Fitzgerald had worked this hard on figuring out who outed Valerie Plame, we might have had a resolution to that.

Rod's been obviously corrupt for a long time and I'm glad he's going down, but Fitzgerald deserves no accolades.

I hope Patti's ass end up in the can right along with her husband. I'm sick of the spouces and families of these crooks living large off this shit or worse (like this case) up to their necks in it themselves and then getting off scott-free.

And throw their freakin' kids in jail, too!

I have no doubt that there will be some attempt to paint this episode as if it were somehow connected to Obama, but Blagojevich's comments make it clear he wasn't going along with them.

And Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, et. al., are sure to see it your way, too. It would never occur to them to try to tie this around Obama's neck like a millstone by repeating it every day on talk radio and cable for the next four years.

Maybe "Blago the Hutt" can get a job with the Star Wars folks.

As for the Hannity-and-Co. crowd, this illustrates the difference between Dems and GOPers:

We prosecute our bad apples; GOPers prostitute theirs....

With William Jefferson losing on Saturday, and Rod Blagojevich getting busted today, the Democratic Party should be thrilled to be rid of its two most embarrassing members.

I'm sure that both of them will find a warm welcome in the GOP.

-Z

"...The governor said Obama and his team are 'not willing to give me anything except appreciation. (Expletive) them!'".
The level of stupidity (and corruption) shown in that sentence is unbelievable! The governor of Illinois expects the President-elect to baldly state what he will give the governor in exchange for the governor's nomination of the President-elect's preferred candidate for his former Senate seat?
That isn't even the usual political quid pro quo; it's an outright auction to the highest bidder. And doing this while knowing that his telephones are being tapped?
My understanding of the Democratic Chicago political machine was that, while they may have been corrupt, they were at least competent.
Damn kids today can't do anything right...

I've always said as someone raised in Illinois that I have a high tolerance for political corruption. Used to drive me crazy in California when people would whine about the tiniest little show of impropriety. I'm actually sort of proud of being an Illinoisian today. No one does political corruption better. And frankly, what really sank Blago? He's been a terrible governor. No matter where I've lived, people tolerate corruption as long as the basics get done -- roads plowed. Schools work. Garbage picked up. Everything else is gravy above that. And the good governance types hate that -- they want everyone to be outraged by corruption. Most people just want things to work. So Ryan was a travesty, he was a damn good Governor. But Blago? Throw the [expletive] in jail! Never did anything for Illinois anyway. Pat Quinn might very well rise to the Thompson, governor for as long as he wanted it, realm.

At least his wish did come true... He mentioned in one of the phone calls that he didn't want to be governor for the next 2 years.

Beware of what you wish for. LOL Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

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