The fact that [Harry Reid and] 49 other Democratic colleagues

Can we assume that these 50 include Lieberman and Sanders, but not Obama, because he already resigned?

Warning: the phrase "throw X under the bus" is on the official list of banned expressions for 2009. You have 20 days to purge it from your writing.

Right on. An additional point is that in the current affair, the GOPers are trying to tar Obama on the basis that--well on the basis of no evidence, but that he must have talked to the now-indicted governor some time in the past. By that standard, the Democrats should have demanded a full accounting of all conversations any GOP member of Congress ever had with the indicted Tom Delay. You can imagine how such a request would have gone over.

It ain't corruption if you don't get caught.

Blahgojeesvich simply got caught.

Therefore, ofcourse the demoncrats what to quickly distance themselves.

Meanwhile, over in the House...
I've always admired Charles Rangel, so it's dismaying to see the charges now being investigated. It's even more dismaying to see him hanging onto his gavel during the investigation, and giving the GOP another stick to beat Democrats with.
This sucks. Think about how much Rangel has done for the party over all the years he's been in the House. The ethics charges may be 'venal sins' compared to Blago's, but he needs to give up the gavel until the investigation is over. I'm sure that if the ethics committee finds him innocent, or ends up censuring him, he'll be welcomed back.

Depends on your definition of corruption. Rahm Emanuel, the new Chief of Staff, upon leaving the Clinton administration, utilized the revolving door and parachuted into a very, very lucrative position in an investment bank firm. In a banking industry in which he had practically no working knowledge, he earned 18 million dollars in 2.5 years. He used this new gained wealth to essentially buy himself the front runner position to take his House seat. Corruption?

With a great deal of support by bundlers who have raised millions of dollars in campaign dollars Obama reached the White House. Can anyone of us say that their influence will not be felt in future policy making that will impact our lives? In the Bush administration, they certainly did, in
some cases with very deleterious ways.

The wheeling, dealing, arm twisting, horse trading, etc. will go on. Whether it rises to the level of "corruption" depends on just how much our sense of smell has been tainted by acceptance of "good" government if some level of competence that benefits our interests is satisfied.

Corruption in Washington will continue.

on a semi-related note, did it strike anyone else as an odd choice of terminology to see David Vitter, he of the prostitute sex scandal fame, rumored to have, um, interesting proclivities, leading the charge against the Detroit bailout by saying it was "ass-backwards"?

somehow it just reminded me of his scandal. i'm not sure why. it isn't like he said "diapered-ass-backwards." but still.

by saying it was "ass-backwards

At least he didn't use the term "pay to play".

Hit the News Media

Even as I type, Juan Williams of Fox News (in his gig on NPR) is agreeing unctuously that the Blagojevich affair "will be a real problem for President Obama for a long time." (approximate quote)

That the media would continue to flog allegations that are proven to be untrue, just because the Republicans keep saying them, is outrageous. The real story here, for any who dare print it, is that the Republican Party is continuing to repeat disproven allegations. Coverage ought to be a Reaganesque "There they go again!" followed by a hearty laugh track, and maybe some zany pix of "Newt" Gingrich, Karl Rove, and George Bush falling off a Segue.

What can the public do to bring this about?

Pretty sure that DeLay was indicted in 2005:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/28/AR2005092800270.html

Brock: Warning: the phrase "throw X under the bus" is on the official list of banned expressions for 2009. You have 20 days to purge it from your writing.

YES. Much overdue.

There is little similarity in the cases of DeLay and Blagojevich. DeLay was indicted by a renegade Democrat DA, Ronnie Earle who also has tried to use the legal system in Texas to harass other Republicans. The tactic was effective as there has still been no trial and it is three years. I hold no brief for DeLay and think his "K street project" was a disaster for Republicans but he cannot be fairly compared to Blago.

The question is whether evidence of Obama's connections will surface. He has already lied about meeting Blago about the Senate seat. Deleting TV news web site stories can't keep the lid on forever. The coverup is always worse then the crime.

Almost universally, our legislators tell us that there are no quid pro quos connecting campaign donations and votes.

Tell me, honestly, do any of us believe this?

So, please, zero tolerance for corruption? Total bullshit. Steve, this is kool aid of a different "d" flavor.

Thanks for the links/evidence Mike K. Very convincing post.

his "K street project" was a disaster for Republicans

A disaster? Just for Republicans? Blago's corruption pales by comparison. Blago and his henchmen were shaking down people, but K Street (and Delay) were selling policies and giving away public funds left and right to political allies on a massive scale.

Thanks, Mike K. Complete bullshit from start to finish.

P.S. Prosecutor Fitzgerald, prominent Republican, stated unequivocally that there is no evidence whatsoever linking Obama to any of this.

And there's plenty of evidence from Blago's own mouth that he hates Obama and would have nothing to do with him. It's on the FBI wiretaps.

Face it, Mike. You wingnuts got nothing, because there isn't anything to get.

Blagojevich and Delay are NOT comparable. One was in the club, while the other was clearly NOT, as far
as the senate club is concerned.

The Rangel case is much more similar to how the republicans played the Delay case. Let's see
how that one works out.
(The republicans thought Delay was politically attacked by Ronnie Earle, Likewise for the scrutiny
of Rangel by the Post.)

What is a laugh is the notion that Blagojevich and his telephone conversations are the primer corruption and the worst of the worst selling a Senate seat. I laugh about all the media while listening to the pressure the news media is ranting daily about; he is guilty get rid of him. He is a horrible Democrat. And please when editorial from news papers like the Tribune news paper claim to be shaken down is laughable. Here men sit around distributing a rage, then be challenged by what they say. Hey free speech, or the press, or the cable broadcast medium is exampling clear breach of balance.

Please, it would be wonderful to listen in on some of Joe Lieberman’s conversations. Do they have them? Is it proper to have them if they do? Please don’t tell me Lieberman is clean, and didn’t buy into McCain and Palin. My guess is millions perhaps hundreds of millions of dollars are behind Lieberman and his quest to help McCain. Those powers that be know.

Heck, Lieberman and Blagojevich have political similarities. But the suppression by mainstream media is glaring right at America and the electorate is duped again. I am not saying Blagojevich is not guilty, he should play out what the law currently gives him. Heck anyone in politics that is watching all the trillions of dollars evaporate into the stock market screw up certainly should frustrate any politician. But if the same principles are held for Lieberman, it begs the question is Lieberman fit to be in the Senate as a Democrat. Do any of the Democratic profile have sanity in leadership to let Lieberman and his maverick move go with out justice.

Like I said this CNN, MSNBC, and FOX are after OBAMA. Blagojevich is small time stuff compared to Obama.

He has already lied about meeting Blago about the Senate seat.

And your evidence for that is .... what, again?

"I really really want to believe he lied" doesn't count as evidence.

Hey, before you say the Party, better check with the House. So far it seems like we got lucky with Jefferson losing, but Rangel's situation is a mess.

It's not just Blago. The Democrats have also gotten rid of Kirkpatrick, Mahoney, and Jefferson, the last two were handled by the voters, but the party didn't defend them. And Spitzer -- whose failings were less serious, is also gone, as well as that ex-Senator from NC whose very name is gone.

Not ALL the embarrassments are gone. But it a definite, positive start after recent administrations.

Yeah, if there is evidence that Obama met with him about the Senate seat, please let the rest of the world know. Patrick Fitzgerald, for one, would probably be very interested in any evidence that Obama colluded with Blagojevich, as he has publicly stated that he has none so far.

Obama has also said in today's presser that he will be asking his advisers to reveal any contact they have had with Blagojevich. Of course, Bush said he would fire the person who leaked Plame's name and he ended up pardoning him, so just because one says he will cooperate doesn't meant that he will. But the idea that Obama is covering up anything is completely contradictory to any evidence we have thus far. The failure to produce evidence of wrongdoing isn't in itself evidence of a coverup.

As a Chicagoan, may I say I and all Illinoisans have whiplash from being mortified by/proud of/mortified by/proud of our Great State! I hope Daschle is able to address this particular healthcare crisis!

Thanks for the links/evidence Mike K. Very convincing post.

Posted by: in vino veritas

If I add links, you delete my comments even faster than usual. Just keep those fingers in your ears and it will all go away.

mike....yes...keep your fingers firmly in place..

DEM - Unfavorable = 28%

GOP - Unfavorable = 52%

- NBC/Wall Street Journal 12/10/08

"The age of Obama may have begun, but so, perhaps, has the GOP comeback." - Karl Rove in the WSJ 12/11/08

mr. irony, I welcome you back after (what seems like, at least) a long hiatus.

I was looking through the archives recently and it caught my eye what great contributions you've made over the years.

I may as well join in:
Mike K @ 9:20 AM posted: "...DeLay was indicted by a renegade Democrat DA, Ronnie Earle who has also tried to use the legal system in Texas to harass other Republicans...".
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and presume, as those are the remarks of either a troll or a liar, that you're actually the former.
Mr. Earle has gained a well-earned reputation, not only in Texas, but throughout the country, for going after corrupt politicians without any regard for their party affiliations. If memory serves me correctly, he has actually prosecuted more Democrats than Republicans. Gives new meaning to the word "renegade", doesn't it?
Nor do you need to believe me; a simple Google search will provide you with ample proof - provided you actually want to read facts and not simply spew the talking points of a corrupt, partisan and indicted Republican.
Oh, and it's "Democratic DA" not "Democrat DA". In the first example "Democratic" is an adjective, in the the second "Democrat" is just incorrect. Unless you meant to type: "renegade Democrat, DA Ronnie Earle...", but somehow I doubt that's the case...

I have never understood the rhetorical appeal of channeling Joe McCarty by using the word "Democrat" as an adjective. Apart from the deliberate use of colloquial dialect--e.g., Peter Finley Dunne's Mr. Dooley--why does anyone think the use of non-sandard English is persuasive?

Granted, this is picking nits - or my nose or something, Steve. But when your source makes the obvious mistake of saying 50 sitting Democrats of the US Senate signed the petition, and there are, at most, only 49, I wonder what other facts the writer misrepresented or was mistaken about.

trex: I welcome you back

coming from you..

that is high praise..

thanks!...