100 Comments

1. The Anti Jihadist:

Nothing to see here, move on please. Pay no attention to the man behind the ‘For Sale’ sign.

Dec 9, 2008 - 9:27 am 2. Eggplant:

The barn door isn’t interesting, the horse was stolen a month ago.

Dec 9, 2008 - 9:30 am 3. Gerald Hanner:

Illinois politicians are notorious for corruption. This is just the latest example. How many more alligators in the swamp? How many politicians does the State of Illinois have?

Check Russ Roberts at Cafe Hayek for his observations http://cafehayek.typepad.com/hayek/2008/12/lord-acton-was.html

Dec 9, 2008 - 9:31 am 4. Tony:

I resent this analogy the urgency of a salesman meeting his annual sales target because in sales, the stuff we sell actually has to work at the job it was bought to perform. As Obama proved, in the Senate you just work to get the NEXT job.

You know, it’s just more testament to Obama’s amazingness. He arose from this environment of political scum, and he is completely pure and unguilty of anything.

Dec 9, 2008 - 9:39 am 5. Fat Man:

Fitzmas will be a little late this year. Just imagine what would have happened if this had blown up 6 weeks ago. This may begin a very trying time for President-elect-for-life Hussein.

Dec 9, 2008 - 9:50 am 6. Lamont Cranston:

Tony –
You’re on crack. Obama is as corrupt as any OTHER Chicago machine politican. He’s just been slicker at not getting caught.

Lamont
Proud Participant in Obama Derangement Syndrome
“It’s Obama’s Fault!”

Dec 9, 2008 - 9:53 am 7. Fat Man:

I figure Husein is the Michael Corleone of the Chicago machine. They may have deliberately kept him out of the worst stuff to create a veneer of respectability. Will he step up to his responsibilities if Sonny goes down?

Dec 9, 2008 - 10:01 am 8. Patriot Front:

I think Tony was being sarcastic, at least I hope so. Amazingness & unguilty!

Dec 9, 2008 - 10:02 am 9. Tony:

Thanks Patriot, of course I was being sarcastic, I try to signal that with funny words, as you noticed.

Fat Man, I think you might be on to something. Not that it will make any difference, we all knew Bill Clinton was a lying, adulterous scumbag within the first few seconds of seeing him and Hillary on TV after the Super Bowl that year before the election. But Hillary loved having a lying, adulterous scumbag for husband, and that’s good enough for the “everybody does it” crowd. Same with Obama, if this scandal touches him, we’ll soon be hearing “no biggie, everybody does it.” Like my liberal friends explained to me when Clinton sold us out to the Chicomms – “all politicians do that.”

Dec 9, 2008 - 10:15 am 10. Dave:

If Obama keeps Fitzgerald on the job, the Republic will survive.

Dec 9, 2008 - 10:22 am 11. Peter Boston:

I find it interesting that a “big union job” gets tossed into the pot as casually as ordering a coffee. Apparently the unions have a policy making spot in the Obama administration even if nobody will ever admit it.

It would seem that there is a tremendous opportunity for a political organization that could successfully present itself to the public as plain-speaking and honest. It would take an entire organization to withstand the assault from the Democrats and country club Republicans.

Maybe those kinds of politicians don’t even exist anymore.

Dec 9, 2008 - 10:28 am 12. gumshoe:

#11. Peter Boston –

…”a tremendous opportunity for a political organization that could successfully present itself to the public as plain-speaking and honest.”

…”Maybe those kinds of politicians don’t even exist anymore.”
__________________

if you mean “honest” as in “disinterested”,Peter Boston,
i’d have to say they never did.

Dec 9, 2008 - 10:36 am 13. Orphaned Son of Liberty:

Lamont Cranston ded:
Proud Participant in Obama Derangement Syndrome
“It’s Obama’s Fault!”

How bout this: “Obama smoked and people croaked!” we’ll save it for the impending attack, natch.

Dec 9, 2008 - 10:40 am 14. geoffgo:

Let’s see. Isn’t Hillary’s seat in NY vacate also?

Dec 9, 2008 - 11:00 am 15. Peter Boston:

For “honest” I’d take anybody who would even admit that he/she had even a tiny bit of responsibility for that thing called the Public Good.

I would like to think that at some time in history, somewhere, politicians were expected to be honest and held to that standard. The only thing that comes to mind is Athens were administrative officials were selected at random from the demos and then audited at the end of each year. Any screw ups, even in policy, were compensated out of the office holder’s personal hide.

And then again, the demos killed Socrates, massacred the population of a reluctant ally, started a war with Sparta and then weren’t smart enough to end it short of their own destruction when they could have.

Maybe the Athens example is more relevant that it seems because I can see how people sick and tired of being plundered at the national and state level will organize into smaller, autonomous communities and refuse to participate any longer.

Dec 9, 2008 - 11:00 am 16. Fred:

So U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is shocked, shocked! to find corruption in Illinois. Who’s kidding who?

Why now and not any time in the last five years? What’s changed?

Dec 9, 2008 - 11:04 am 17. PineKnot:

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald will be the first to be fired when Obama takes office. Of course, there won’t be a single newspaper or Democratic politician in the country who doesn’t think the firing is ‘non-political, and justified’ because everyone knows Fitzgerald is just rocking the boat.

Too bad we can’t find out if Rezko has been spilling about Obama. Of course, even if he does, it will never see the light of day.

Dec 9, 2008 - 11:11 am 18. Alexis:

I’m not sure whether Blagojevich is in trouble because he offered to sell a seat in the U.S. Senate or because he defied Obama’s orders to fill the seat with the President-Elect’s designated replacement.

Dec 9, 2008 - 11:11 am 19. James:

Remember Mike Royko on the subject of Illinois corruption? (Column starts on p109 above, is about ERA)

Dec 9, 2008 - 11:14 am 20. oldmath:

Anyone know the party affiliation of this Blagojevich guy? I looked all through the Chicago Trib article and all I learned was Richard Nixon bugged the Democrat party Headquarters.

Dec 9, 2008 - 11:19 am 21. Vogz:

Some of us here in Chicagoland had been hoping that a few papers would have taken a little time out from dumpster diving in Wasilla, Alaska to send somebody over here. But for those that are looking for a Pulitzer nominee in all this, read the Chicago Tribune’s archive of John Kass columns.

Dec 9, 2008 - 11:30 am 22. RWE:

First, I am “shocked, shocked” that there is such corruption in Illinois politics.

Secondly, if the Govprisoner had been appointed the head of Health and Human Services, just how was he going to make this big money he desired? I don’t know of anyone who gets a Cabinet level position who does it to make money. Later, maybe, after he is back in the private sector, but not in the job itself.

Of course, there were those accusations made against the Clinton Commerce Chief, Ron Brown, about selling seats on junkets, but that T-43 crash ended any further investigation of that.

Dec 9, 2008 - 12:05 pm 23. RWE:

Oldmath:

Rule of thumb is that if they don’t say what party a crooked politician is with is with he is a Democrat.

If they don’t say the race of the guy who robbed a store then he is black.

If they don’t say the citizenship of a Hispanic criminal then he is an illegal immigrant.

If they call a politician a “Statesman” then he is dead.

Unjustifiable pork is known as “vital constituant interests” in DC.

Any more examples, folks?

Dec 9, 2008 - 12:33 pm 24. Ruby:

RWE: Rule of thumb is that if they don’t say what party a crooked politician is with is with he is a Democrat.

On Faux News, Mark Foley (a Republican who liked to have cybersex with underage congressional pages) was listed as a Democrat.

Dec 9, 2008 - 12:47 pm 25. NahnCee:

I wonder who ratted him/them out.

Dec 9, 2008 - 1:04 pm 26. Biggie:

1.) Is it best to consider corruption, in general, a capital offense?

2.) Would that not mean that we value our commons to an extent that increases the risk of those trying to game that commons?

How much do we value our public space, our public power?

Dec 9, 2008 - 1:13 pm 27. 49erDweet:

Thank you, Ruby. Without your astute and timely observation none of us would have known that Republicans are really, really bad people. We will go forth, now, looking for more of those evil folk.

Thankfully the gov. of Illinois is apparently non-partisan, because we would have been told first thing is he were Republican.

Dec 9, 2008 - 1:32 pm 28. 49erDweet:

Biggie, corruption by a Repub is a capital offense. By any other it is simply an infraction, requiring a small fine and maybe a class or two in citizenship or cultural studies.

Dec 9, 2008 - 1:35 pm 29. RWE:

Actually, Mark Foley, whom I have met and I think even had dinner with, sitting under a Saturn 5, came out in support of Obama before the election, so whose to say that Fox, News (The way I say it) was not right? What evil lurks in the heart of men? The Fox babes know!

Anyway, I can just see the SPAM that is going to start arriving any time now:

Dear sir:

Pardon this intrusion but I wish to inform you that for a limited time only I can offer you the position of U.S. Senator from the state of Illnoise (SIC). If interested, please remit $12M U.S. and transfer funds to the following Nigerian bank account….

And…

Dear sir:

In regards to my previous offer please be advised that I am now also able to offer you the position of Governor of the State of Illnoise (SIC). Both of these are limited time offers so please respond by forwarding the money to the following Caymen Islands Bank Account….

Dec 9, 2008 - 2:17 pm 30. Peter Grynch:

When we as a nation criminalize politics, only crooks will run for office.

Dec 9, 2008 - 2:53 pm 31. Ruby:

Alexis: I’m not sure whether Blagojevich is in trouble because he offered to sell a seat in the U.S. Senate or because he defied Obama’s orders to fill the seat with the President-Elect’s designated replacement.

Mr. Obama doesn’t give the FBI orders until this coming January 20.

Peter Boston: I can see how people sick and tired of being plundered at the national and state level will organize into smaller, autonomous communities and refuse to participate any longer.

Maybe that’s why people voted for a community organizer to be President. Oh, wait, I forgot, giving $700 billion to Fanny and Freddy and AIG and Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs and Chrysler and GM isn’t really plunder because a Republican President is doing it.

Dec 9, 2008 - 3:09 pm 32. buckets:

Fred,

I know you seem skeptical that Fitzgerald hasn’t done as much as he could have, but damn, the man has done quite a bit. NO ONE in the entire country has done more in the last 25 years to clean up Illinois than Fitzgerald. NO ONE. There’s always room for improvement, but let’s give the man his due.

Daily, Fitzgerald must face down enormous pressure from state officials, federal officials, and otherwise powerful interests who run the Chicago machine. They want him to stop, they want him looking somewhere else, and they want him gone.

I know this sounds corny, but Fitzgerald reminds me of Harvey Dent in “The Dark Knight.” Corruption here is endemic, it is pervasive, and no one in law enforcement is willing to take it on. Fighting corruption in a thoroughly corrupt city is no easy task, and it takes guts to do it, and do it well.

Do we wish the indictments came before Nov. 4? Sure, and maybe Fitz did delay until after the election. But given that the straw that seemed to break the camel’s back was Blago’s attempt to trade a U.S. Senate seat for a seat in Obama’s cabinet, maybe Fitz can’t be faulted.

Viva la Fitzgerald

Dec 9, 2008 - 3:14 pm 33. Lifeofthemind:

What happened to all of our trolls from the Lubyanka that were here during the Georgia invasion? Now that we have a topic they could contribute meaningfully to, third world socialist corruption, they have vanished.

Dec 9, 2008 - 3:25 pm 34. Lifeofthemind:

@PineKnot,
Unfortunately you are correct. It is hard to imagine anything that will stop Obama’s train and America’s wreck.

Dec 9, 2008 - 3:30 pm 35. Unsk:

At Time Magazine, Michael Scherer had the audacity to write an article saying that the Blago indictment would haunt Obama.

The nutroots subscribers went absolutely berserk. In the comments section, they just about were ready to lynch him for that offense. How dare he ask tough questions and link the One to Resko, Blago and all the other corruption in Chicago!

It’s nice to know we now live in such a tolerant, truth seeking country.

Dec 9, 2008 - 3:58 pm 36. Tony:

I heard a snip of Obama speaking today, saying he had no conversations with the governor about his vacated seat in the Senate. The Drudgie popped up the Axelrod quote from 11/23 saying Obama the govprisoner had discussed the seat and a lot of names were in the hopper, so to speak.

Didn’t Fitzie indict and convict Scooter Libby for misremembering a conversation with a newsie? Ahhh, no matter.

And I agree, sadly, with both PineKnot and LifeOf, there ain’t no stoppin’ us now.

Dec 9, 2008 - 4:02 pm 37. Wadeusaf:

I would like to give Fitz his due.
Like how come he held back on this one till after the election, when Scooter Libby had to be rushed to trial before the election–Apparently if you have actually done something criminal then it might be seen as electioneering. If you haven’t it is not.

I really would like to give Fitz his due, but he might charge me with something…,unusual and like in the NY way, totally apolitical.

Dec 9, 2008 - 4:52 pm 38. Biggie:

“When we as a nation criminalize politics, only crooks will run for office.”

This is interesting to think about, but I hope its more sophistry than reality. Is consideration of Capital Corruption charges really akin to The Ring, and this power would inevitably transform us effectively into the Soviet bureaucracy?

Corruption rising to the “capital” level may only be crimes that have large measures – for instance, the quantity of money swindled, an entirely speculative opportunity cost to the given polity

I suppose if we were being too cautious in our treatment of drug dealers (legalize or execute) or corrupt leaders (do “recalls” count? or execute), some indicators might provide feedback…now which indicators…

Dec 9, 2008 - 4:59 pm 39. Biggie:

China killed a man for failure to protect the food and drug supply.

China killed a man for swindling hundreds of people out of $416 Million in some shady aphrodisiac business deal.

Certainly, there are cases where we’d judge China’s use of the death penalty as excessive. Do we judge either of these excessive use of execution? Of the idea of “Capital offense?”

Dec 9, 2008 - 5:02 pm 40. Wadeusaf:

Worthy of a Capital punishment

Dec 9, 2008 - 5:07 pm 41. mdgiles:

Ruby
Maybe that’s why people voted for a community organizer to be President. Oh, wait, I forgot, giving $700 billion to Fanny and Freddy and AIG and Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs and Chrysler and GM isn’t really plunder because a Republican President is doing it.
Uh, no child.
The Dems have been in charge of Congress (you know, the guys actually in charge of the purse strings) for a couple of years know. Perhaps that sun like aura surrounding the Chosen One has blinded you to that fact?

Dec 9, 2008 - 5:14 pm 42. fred:

Anybody know why and how Chicago got to be the most corrupt city in America? I lived there for two years while I was a seminarian at Loyola and I never could understand the place. The corruption in Boston is nuthin’ compared to the Windy City.

Fitzgerald probably has the toughest job in America. Even tougher, in some respects, than POTUS. But then again, he’s in a target rich environment.

But I still have questions about Chicago’s culture. It isn’t just a few isolated big boys; the whole place is corrupt. Hell, the people who may not be involved in any kind of corruption TOLERATE IT, which makes them kind of complicit. How did Chicago get this way? That’s a good question for anthropologists, psychologists, and sociologists.

Dec 9, 2008 - 5:24 pm 43. Starko:

Of course Obama would like this to go away, but the evidence is so incredibly damning that this case is now a proverbial third rail.

If you want to dream big, this case could end with some of the union corruption and its tentacles being brought to light, including some of the ones latched onto the incoming president.

I don’t intend to take this thread off-topic, but Obama weighing in on the striking workers aiming at Bank of America is completely absurd. I’m afraid it’s a sign of things to come on many bad levels, including Obama’s sympathy for organized labor, with or without corruption.

Dec 9, 2008 - 6:00 pm 44. LJ Miller:

fred, speculating here… NYC all mobbed up and tolerant of jerks who stink up the joint goes bankupt in the 70s, in concerted plan to recover starts jailing mobsters and shutting down public nuisances.

When has that happened in Chicago?

Of course the sequel in NYC won’t be pretty. Mobsters having already killed manufacturing in NYC, Sarbox, CRA, and Fannie Mae have followed up by killing off the financial sector. RIP, goose that laid the golden egg. Enormous NYC can’t survive as a mere commercial and tourist center and is probably doomed to irreversible decay.

Dec 9, 2008 - 6:19 pm 45. Kneave Riggall:

What prevents Blago, and his attorney, from pulling an Agnew/Spitzer? Instead of selling a U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder, Blago can trade his resignation for probation or, better yet, the dropping of all charges? If Fitzpatrick won’t deal, then Blago can appoint himself to Obama’s seat. Surely, Reid wouldn’t refuse to seat him: He’s a Democrat!

Dec 9, 2008 - 6:26 pm 46. James:

Looking at the timeline, Rezko started talking after he was convicted in June, with a sentencing in October pushed back as he was still talking. My guess is he’s the source used to get the wiretap warrants, and the FBI waited until it had a really big scoop.

Dec 9, 2008 - 6:39 pm 47. George:

LJ: Great post from prior thread about the fraud of fractional reserve. But the consequences of the debt collapse are NOT going to be a good thing for the people who loose there jobs – and there will be a lot of them. It will only be a good thing for the long run if people can understand how they’ve been swindled and insist on a gold standard to prevent this from happening again. But they won’t. The inflationary party will begin again. But not nearly as soon as many people here believe. FDR and the mad Keynsians primed the pump like crazy for years after ‘29 but inflation took a long time to start and only progressively crept up over a period of many years. I wish I had some numbers or a nice picture to give an idea of the magnitude of the debt collapse. Believe it or not you can’t drop that kind of cash from a helicopter. Something Ben failed to realize. I think he gets it now.

Say it: In gold we trust.

Dec 9, 2008 - 6:46 pm 48. Alexis:

Patrick Fitzgerald may not indirectly report to President-Elect Obama yet, but that doesn’t mean Mr. Fitzgerald’s timing isn’t suspicious.

The fact that the Governor of Illinois would auction a U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder isn’t news; it would surprise me if such auctions weren’t a standard practice among Illinois governors. No, the shocking news is that Governor Blagojevich broke The Pirate’s Rule. He got caught.

Dec 9, 2008 - 6:52 pm 49. 3Case:

Hire a Chicago machine politician, get a Chicago machine politician.

For the 1993 to 2001 time period, please substitute “Arkansas” for “Chicago”.

Dec 9, 2008 - 7:18 pm 50. grawp:

And if we all are very, very quiet, and listen very, very hard, we can hear faint sounds of merriment coming from Crawford, Texas.

Merry Christmas, y’all.

grawp

Dec 9, 2008 - 7:29 pm 51. NahnCee:

Oh, hell. We’re just so silly not to have recognized it — it was a Rove trap. Too bad poor Karl mis-timed it by just a few weeks.

The smoking gun here is not how stupid or arrogant BlogWHoosit is — it’s what did Obama know and when did he know it. Maybe all those soon-to-be-unemployed journalists can start digging into a real scandal, instead of trying to make up one from whole-cloth, like who is the father of Palin’s baby.

Dec 9, 2008 - 7:57 pm 52. NahnCee:

Oh, hell. We’re just so silly not to have recognized it — it was a Rove trap. Too bad poor Karl mis-timed it by just a few weeks.

The smoking gun here is not how stupid or arrogant BlogWHoosit is — it’s what did Obama know and when did he know it. Maybe all those soon-to-be-unemployed journalists can start digging into a real scandal, instead of trying to make up one from whole-cloth, like who is the father of Palin’s baby.

Dec 9, 2008 - 7:57 pm 53. NahnCee:

Oh, hell. We’re just so silly not to have recognized it — it was a Rove trap. Too bad poor Karl mis-timed it by just a few weeks.

The smoking gun here is not how stupid or arrogant BlogWHoosit is — it’s what did Obama know and when did he know it. Maybe all those soon-to-be-unemployed journalists can start digging into a real scandal, instead of trying to make up one from whole-cloth, like who is the father of Palin’s baby.

Dec 9, 2008 - 7:57 pm 54. Bob:

It’s been suggested by DRat that the governor, who is out on bail, may have an ‘accident’ and die, or, maybe, even ‘commit suicide’, dead men being unable to tell tales.

Dec 9, 2008 - 8:33 pm 55. Pay Attention:

I heard Jesse Jackson Jr. was sniffing around for the Senate job. Maybe this could be a Rainbow-Push-Bloggo twofer.

Dec 9, 2008 - 8:38 pm 56. DCH:

Watching Meet the Press this past Sunday,Brokenjaw asked the O about Ms.Kennedys name being floated for Clintons senate seat. The One said “I have enough to worry about with chigago politics” which made me say Huumm. Anyway, back to lurking. Merry Christmas to our Host and all on this Blog.
Dave

Dec 9, 2008 - 8:38 pm 57. Alexis:

On pages 63-64 of the official affadavit, it says the following.

c. ROD BLAGOJEVICH said that the consultants (Advisor B and another consultant are believed to be on the call at that time) are telling him that he has to “suck it up” for two years and do nothing and give “this m**********r [the President-elect] his senator. F*** him. For nothing? F*** him. ROD BLAGOJEVICH states that he will put “[Senate Candidate 4]” in the Senate “before I just give f***** [Senate Candidate 1] a f***** Senate seat and I don’t get anything.” [Senate Candidate 4 is a Deputy Governor of the State of Illinois.]

Why would the Daniel W. Cain’s affadavit make specific reference to Rod Blagojevich dissing Barack Obama? Why? The profanity could have been left out of the affadavit. The fact that the profanity was left in the affadavit strongly suggests a political agenda.

This story could have been one about petty corruption. However, if one adds in the remarks about Governor Blagojevich calling Obama a m**********r, such an addition can legitimately lead a reader (and press reporters) to consider if Governor Blagojevich’s real sin was dissing Obama! Perhaps the real moral of this story isn’t that corruption is wrong, but rather that one had better watch one’s mouth when talking about the President-Elect.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/print?id=6424985

Barack Obama doesn’t like getting disrespected.

Dec 9, 2008 - 8:40 pm 58. Ruby:

Do I cite the first post by Nahncee, the second one, or the third one? Let’s go with number three.

The smoking gun here is not how stupid or arrogant BlogWHoosit is — it’s what did Obama know and when did he know it.

Mr. Obama says that’s not the Governor Blagojevich that he knew, and it’s a great tragedy. Mistakes were made. Sure, he’s been in smoke filled rooms with the guy, but Barry says he didn’t like it and he didn’t even inhale.

Dec 9, 2008 - 8:45 pm 59. Starling:

@ Fred 42: See Slate magazine’s take.

“Why Is Chicago So Corrupt?And how do you measure corruption, anyway?”

http://www.slate.com/id/2206364

Dec 9, 2008 - 10:35 pm 60. Subotai Bahadur:

1) Fitzgerald’s term in office will end shortly after January 20 in the coming mass purge of the US Attornies.
2) His successor will first de-emphasize, and then quietly drop the case,and any others that might affect Hussein Pasha.
3) There are functionally several sets of laws in effect in this country. First, there is the general principle that none of the Nomenklatura can be held responsible for their conduct. They are above any law. Second, this first principle may be subordinated to the will of the Left, in that anyone to the Right of Trotsky can be jailed for spitting on the sidewalk, while any Democrat can literally get away with murder and be praised for it. Third, If y’all ain’t one of the ruling class, you are guilty until [and sometimes after being] proven innocent unless you can claim “protected class status” in which case you are the victim, if only of society.

On a related note, Thomas Paine not only wrote the piece Common Sense during our Revolution, but during the later French Revolution wrote their Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. I reference his formulation of the equivalent to our inalienable rights that includes “the Right of Resistance to Oppression”.

Subotai Bahadur

Dec 9, 2008 - 10:42 pm 61. twobyfour:

OT – Not a good news

Dec 9, 2008 - 11:29 pm 62. twobyfour:

I am pretty sure there are folks out there that can’t stand Blago’s singing.

Sooo, any bets how long Blago would last?
One of these odd suicides by three bullets in the head?

Dec 9, 2008 - 11:33 pm 63. Contrarian:

What we are seeing is the first stage of the crumbling of the Obama presidency. If he fires Fitzgerald, it will be seen for it is, an attempt to bury his possible complicity in the Illinois fraud game. The Republicans can then continuously for the next two years call for a special prosecutor to investigate and prosecute Democrat political corruption. This will resonate with the electorate and set the stage for a Republican comeback in the 2010.

If he lets Fitzgerald stay in office, then the web will slowly weave it’s way to Obama and his Illinois associates. As this happens, watch for some Republicans to start using the “I” word (impeachment, in case you didn’t guess). Away from the electioneering hype, Obama is looking more and more pathetic, and less and less presidential.

Dec 10, 2008 - 12:02 am 64. Peter Boston:

I have no desire to see Obama caught up in this. The guy hasn’t even taken office yet and the entire Chicago coterie of his administration is already highly suspect of criminal activity.

That is not good for the country. My best hope for an Obama administration was always that enough of the American fabric would survive to rebuild. Four years under the din and distractions of continuous Clintonesque accusations would dim even that meager hope.

Dec 10, 2008 - 1:54 am 65. Starko:

Peter Boston, I share your sentiment, at least to some degree. One the one hand my candidate lost, so I’d like to see Obama taken out early.

On the other hand, a weak sitting president in this environment as well as all of the intense partisanship that would follow gives me a headache.

At the moment I come down more on the side of wanting to see him taken down a notch, in the sense that he can’t make things happen by fiat during his honeymoon period.

Specifically, I’m pretty ticked off about the whole striking workers/Bank of America thing (full disclosure- I [for the time being] work in finance but not for B of A).

Labor unions are one of many cancers on the economy and are one step above organized crime (though in some cases they ARE organized crime).

Dec 10, 2008 - 5:31 am 66. Lifeofthemind:

@Alexis,
Read your quote again, Obama is deep in this. That is why there is a desperate effort to shield him. It clearly says that Obama had his own candidate (Candidate #1 “his candidate”) that Blago refused to accept without a payoff.

This may be why Hillary accepted the poison pill of State. Obama thought he had sucker punched her into a glass cage while he intends to run policy around her out of the NSC. Now Hillary has a safe perch while Obama implodes. The civil war between the Clintons and the Kennedys goes on.

Dec 10, 2008 - 6:05 am 67. Lifeofthemind:

Sorry I was unclear I meant that Candidate #1 was not “his candidate” since the rest of the indictment makes clear #1 was the SEIU candidate that Obama did not favor.

Dec 10, 2008 - 6:10 am 68. Insufficiently Sensitive:

giving $700 billion to Fanny and Freddy and AIG and Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs and Chrysler and GM isn’t really plunder because a Republican President is doing it.

But the Democrat President-in-waiting is about to see that ante and raise it astronomically. So that proves it will be kleptocratic governance-by-looting. Secure your valuables.

Dec 10, 2008 - 6:42 am 69. Peter Boston:

It should be noted that the Obama’s first opportunity to publicly address this scandal was a lie.

Dec 10, 2008 - 8:16 am 70. Mongoose:

Well. Obama and Co. are extremely bad news for the country — he, the Democrats and their assorted “backers” are nothing more than a mixture of mendacious, unscrupulous and narcissistic crooks, cronies, commies, creeps and kooks (but I repeat myself here), and they have the ruination of the nation deeply in their hearts — little else is in those vulture hearts of theirs other than a heedless lust for power. They are also buffoon

If you ask me, it is specious to posit that due to international security and geopolitical concerns we need a “strong Obama. Why? Consider:
1) A “strong Obama” will just use that “strength” to undermine the interests of the nation, and indeed the interests of Western Civilization in general.
2) The Democrat and Media Machine will always put forwad a “strong Obama” and thus our enemies will act with a toxic mixture of trepidation. cynicism and aggressiveness. Nothing will stop this. Our allies will be even more befuddled and flummoxed. Best to have Obama viewed a a brief (and menopausal?) interlude.
3) It is preposterous on the face of it to imagine that this “person” can be “strong” in any true moral or philosophical sense of the word. To imagine that he can take a principled, reasoned and wise stance and hold to it, let alone bring the American people to stand with him, is just pollyannish in the extreme. He does not have it in him. In fact, there seems to be no one at all in the Democrat Party that can do this as they are a pack of feckless opportunists, cowards and traitors (but again I repeat myself).
4) Some of his “backers” are in fact enemies of the nation, in fact they are enemies of all that is worthwhile on this earth.

We need to grasp two core principles about Obama and Co. and hold them firm:
1) They are Marxist-Leninists (with a the emphasis decidedly on the later political “philosposy”). No amount of deflection by way of provisional and initial appointments nor misdiercting peek-a-boos with the collusion of the MSM will alter this. They mean business, and it is the exact same business that Lenin (and Stalin) meant.
2) Obama is a front man. He is not in control. It is completely absurd to think that this “man” is the mastermind behind his political “ascent”. Just look at him, for crying out loud!
What this is all about is about is:

1) Establishing a one party state in the USA that sets up the Democrats, and their American “backers”, as a new “aristocricy/, an new Acien Regime.
and
2) Degrading the USA into a province in a international “new order” that is by turns socialist and corporatist. It will be ruled by the leftist tranzi network in concert with the large, elite business interests. This entails reducing Americas power and economic condition to be in line with other “provinces”. This is aimed squarely at the American middle class and its opportunities, liberties and affluence, and if you think otherwise then have a gander at the Wall St. “bailout” and meditate on the meaning of the “bailouts” to come. Oh, and have a look at your tax statements in about a year and a half.

So the models are Latin America and the EU.

We must never forget either of these two principles. Is is as dangerous as it is absurd to imagine that Obama will somehow “grow Right” in the office, or that it would matter if he did so. He does not even have a true American experience in his own life. He does not have the faintest notion of what America truly is or what an advance in the history of the world her founding, history, principles and traditions represent. We could not have pick a more foreign president had we tried. But is does not matter for he is just a frontman. It is who and what he represents that matters.

The whole unholy lot must be resisted at every step of the way and on every day of his administration.

Dec 10, 2008 - 9:01 am 71. Mongoose:

buffoon=buffoons.

Dec 10, 2008 - 9:04 am 72. Eggplant:

Mongoose said:

“Obama is a front man. He is not in control. It is completely absurd to think that this “man” is the mastermind behind his political “ascent”. Just look at him, for crying out loud!”

This is clear. He is obviously just a mouth piece and a damned good one. But who is the master mind? The snappy come back: “George Soros”, isn’t good enough. It’s like the moonbats exclaiming that Karl Rove was running everything when Bush was in top form. Here are some clues:

1) Obama’s campaign had almost infinite money for his reelection (the master mind has very deep pockets).
2) The MSM was coordinated with Obama almost from day one at the editor / corporate CEO level (this was as much a victory for the MSM as Obama’s victory).
3) Moonbats and moonbat resources like DailyKos were used as foot soldiers during the election but then pushed into the background at the moment of achieving actual power (the mastermind is cynical but not stupid).

I honestly don’t know who the mastermind is. People have suggested the Saudis but I think the Saudis would have left an obvious money trail behind them. Again, George Soros is too glib of an answer. My suspicion (hunch) is that it’s Exelon but again they’d leave a money trail. It’s not obvious but it is obvious that Obama didn’t do this on his own (Hillary would have won the Democratic Primary if the system was running normally).

Dec 10, 2008 - 10:17 am 73. buckets:

If the investigation of Chicago’s machine does continue and the net widens to include Obama’s people and perhaps the One himself, I think our country will certainly suffer. Our president, the political leader of our nation, will be exposed as a smooth-talking fraud always ready to grease a palm or two. National disgrace? You bet. The U.S. looking even weaker on the international stage than we once thought possible? Probably.

But can we really condone hushing up these investigations “for the good of the country”? Are we really better off allowing the vile corruption that is Chicago to put a member of their club into the Presidency? It’s almost tacit approval of the crooks, swindlers, and reformed domestic terrorists who make up Obama’s Chicago circle.

We have to fight corruption where and when we find it, not just where it’s convenient to fight it. We need better and cleaner government. We don’t need a President and Congress willing to further blur the line between government and industry just so long as they all get paid off.

I look at Europe and I see a dying system. Government and the private sector are so inbred, unresponsive, and unaccountable that significant civil unrest is likely in the future. I don’t want to see that happen here in the U.S., and where we start is clean government.

Dec 10, 2008 - 10:35 am 74. veracious:

I think we need to quit allowing corruption to play the bi-political game: Dems did it; nope Reps did it; nope Dems did it; nope…

I wondering if scores of hundred billion dollars in foreign influence may have anything to do with USA corruption at all levels… government, institution, corporations and other organization often community or environmental(8

Clearly few in power have the interest of Wee (we) at heart. …becoming clear that either Wee aren’t capable of deciding our representatives anymore, or that Wee aren’t really allowed to decide them anymore. Unfortunately, being capable really requires good information and that is only available to the few who read BC. Precious little info via alphabit news systems; lots of propaganda.

How could Wee put Franks and Dodd back in office after the trillions they just cost US…duh?

Dec 10, 2008 - 11:19 am 75. Mongoose:

Buckets: You are certainly right about the EU. From the EU elites POV, this combination of socialism and corporatism — and the stagnation is produces — is a feature, not a bug.

This state of affairs entrenches the elites and enslaves everyone else. It is a new medieval age.

Dec 10, 2008 - 11:27 am 76. newtland:

The Matrix is a pretty apt metaphor for all this, isn’t it?

Dec 10, 2008 - 11:52 am 77. RWE:

Well folks it just hit me. Everything is crystal clear now.

Recall what happened to the governor of Arkansas, the one who replaced Bill Clinton when Clinton was elected President?

He went to jail!

So, Obama needs people who can handle this sort of problem. Ones experienced at “distancing” from convicted criminal politicians. People who can divert attention and make embarrassing documents, and if necessary, people, disappear. And the Clinonista Mafia are the best!

And who is the real master, the Don, the leader, the queen of “donno nothin”? Hillary!

No wonder Obama has so many Clinton Alumni in his cabinet! No wonder he paid off Hillary with the SecState job!

Dec 10, 2008 - 12:32 pm 78. Eggplant:

Mongoose said:

“From the EU elites POV, this combination of socialism and corporatism — and the stagnation is produces — is a feature, not a bug.”

Paul Krugman with his nice new Noble Prize courtesy of the Swedish Central Bank seems to be advocating this type of economics. It’s amazing how people who are so intelligent, well educated and well informed can be so completely wrong. However our current economic dilemma is due in part to an inadequately regulated economy. Both Marxism and laissez-faire capitalism are dead end concepts. The trick is to follow the Golden Mean and not be seduced by utopian idealogues (very hard to do).

Dec 10, 2008 - 12:43 pm 79. twobyfour:

this combination of socialism and corporatism

= fascism. Different coating, but same ol’ shite.

Dec 10, 2008 - 12:55 pm 80. twobyfour:

Oh, well, at least trains would run on time….

Dec 10, 2008 - 12:59 pm 81. ridgerunner:

Fred,
An interesting question as to why Chicago became so corrupt. It probably started with the boom Chicago experienced during the War Between the States. During the war, Chicago eclipsed St. Louis and Cincinnati as wheat and meat processing centers because these were considered by northern investors to be too vulnerable to incursion by Southern forces. Fortunes were made in Chicago supplying the Northern armies with beef and hardtack. Chicago’s most corrupt act was allowing conditions at Camp Douglas, on the South Side 3 miles from the Loop, to result in the deaths of more than 6,000 Southern POWs, while vast food stocks were available in the city. My great-grandfather survived a year there, and hated Illinois the rest of his life.

Dec 10, 2008 - 1:38 pm 82. Belmont Club » “I want to make money”:

[...] Go here to feature the rest:

Dec 10, 2008 - 1:43 pm 83. joe buzz:

I too questions Fitz’s timing. Doesn’t one usually wait until an actual transaction has taken place? Bag of money handed over…wire sent or some such? What did his office have to loose by setting on this and listening in for another week or two? Perhaps he may have been concerned about catching too big of a fish. Considering the way he went after White House instead of DOS staff in the Plame game causes me a bit of concern regarding his political leanings. He could have very easily allowed the biding process to proceed but that would have of course implicated more democrats.

Dec 10, 2008 - 2:04 pm 84. slade:

RE: the timing issue

Same here – arrested one day before his birthday BTW (from wikipedia entry which notes as well he is second Serbian-American governor and “Least Popular” with approval ratings in single digits.)

But bigger issue is the mere two-count indictment – one for mail/wire fraud and one for conspiracy to commit. Looks like someone just wanted him out of the way – as in a resignation in return for a light sentence.

Dec 10, 2008 - 2:43 pm 85. RWE:

The Plame case was all about Fitz’s job. He originally was on the list of US Attorneys appointed by Clinton and initially retained by Bush to be fired based on, among other things, their refusal to pursue accusations of vote fraud. Recall the infamous 7 Fired Attorneys case? It was originally 8, counting Fitz.

But if he was pursuing Cheny and Libby and the like they could not dare fire him. It would look too bad. Pointless accusations against Bush Admin officials equaled job security for him.

And needless to say, getting the goods on the Govprisoner has the same effect relative to the Obama Admin.

Dec 10, 2008 - 2:52 pm 86. bogie wheel:

83 joe buzz & 84 slade –

Byron York has an article over on NRO titled “Why Now?” that discusses the timing. It may be that Fitzgerald’s hand was forced by a Chicago Tribune front-page story on Dec. 5th reporting that the Gov’s conversations were being recorded by authorities. At which point Blago started backpedaling (Psst! Ix-nay on the ecret-say eal-day!), trying to cover his tracks.

Personally, I would like to know what the creep was still doing in bed, asleep, at 6AM. Are we electing layabouts to high office these days? I’m just a working prole, and my day is well past started at 6AM.

Dec 10, 2008 - 6:11 pm 87. Wadeusaf:

The tribune facing reorganization, (hey, why not the big three, too) was accused by Blagojoavich of saying things not too nice about him.

Blago should have remembered what happened to Him, according to the original one, “They betrayed Him, they crucified Him. They even criticized Him.”—Mayor Richard M Daily.

What a Bleeping putz.

Dec 10, 2008 - 10:10 pm 88. firefirefire:

“Blagojevich sought appointment for himself as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the new Obama administration”

It might be a good time to check the books over at HHS,Blago must’ve thought there was a bundle to be made there.

Dec 11, 2008 - 6:52 am 89. Peter the Sub Guy:

11. Peter Boston wrote:
It would seem that there is a tremendous opportunity for a political organization that could successfully present itself to the public as plain-speaking and honest. It would take an entire organization to withstand the assault from the Democrats and country club Republicans.
Maybe those kinds of politicians don’t even exist anymore.

Peter the Sub Guy replies: I truly believe there are people out there like those of which you speak. Unfortunately, in today’s political climate, none would ever be foolish enough to open up their entire lives to scrutiny on a sub-atomic level, especially if running against the two major parties. And someone like those of whom you speak would never find themselves in a position to run in the major parties because they would never have had the connections to rise that far up in the party to be elected to a position where they can make any sort of difference.

Dec 11, 2008 - 10:03 am 90. Peter the Sub Guy:

16. Fred wrote:
Why now and not any time in the last five years? What’s changed?

Peter replies: Well, unless I’m wrong, Obama’s seat in the Senate wasn’t available for sale before 5 or 6 weeks ago.

Dec 11, 2008 - 10:06 am 91. Peter the Sub Guy:

31. Ruby wrote:
Maybe that’s why people voted for a community organizer to be President. Oh, wait, I forgot, giving $700 billion to Fanny and Freddy and AIG and Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs and Chrysler and GM isn’t really plunder because a Republican President is doing it.

Peter responds: I believe what you meant to type was “…isn’t really plunder because a Democratic-controlled legislature is doing it.”

Dec 11, 2008 - 10:19 am 92. Peter the Sub Guy:

45. Kneave Riggall wrote:
If Fitzpatrick won’t deal, then Blago can appoint himself to Obama’s seat. Surely, Reid wouldn’t refuse to seat him: He’s a Democrat!

Peter writes: Word out of the Senate this morning is that they will refuse to seat ANYONE Blago tries to appoint to the seat, whether its Blago or not. The Illinois senate is scrambling to change the law so the seat can be elected by Special Election just to take any chance of it being given/sold/bargained by Blago away.

Dec 11, 2008 - 10:37 am 93. Peter the Sub Guy:

83. joe buzz asked:
I too questions Fitz’s timing. Doesn’t one usually wait until an actual transaction has taken place?

Peter replies: From my understanding, Blago somehow found out he was being wire-tapped the day before the arrest. I’m sure if that had not happened, the investigation might have continued until money was exchanged (perhaps on camera like the recent Boston City Council and MA State Senate corruption indictments). Somehow Blago found out and the FBI needed to move quick.

Dec 11, 2008 - 10:53 am 94. Tarnsman:

“FBI needed to move quick.”

Yeah, before Blago managed to suck the incoming Obama Administration into his scheme and there’d be no plausible denial for The One. Even still, I find it extremely difficult to believe that Mr. Obama had no idea what Blago was up to and that he (Obama) would have absolutely no interest in who filled his vacanted Sentate seat. Please! I ain’t falling for it. Blago WAS talking to someone on the Obama team. And it that someone wasn’t reporting back to the boss what was being discussed then that speak volumes of Obama’s utter lack of management skills. Means he will have little or no control over his Administration down the road. And with the Hildabeast running State and Joe Biden running his mouth….. 2012 won’t come quick enough.

Dec 11, 2008 - 11:49 am 95. Peter the Sub Guy:

94. Tarnsman wrote:
And if that someone wasn’t reporting back to the boss what was being discussed then that speak volumes of Obama’s utter lack of management skills. Means he will have little or no control over his Administration down the road. And with the Hildabeast running State and Joe Biden running his mouth….. 2012 won’t come quick enough.

Peter replies: I have to agree with you 100%.

Dec 11, 2008 - 1:24 pm 96. Mark:

Wrichard asked long ago, “Who sent Obama?” The question is still in play, no?

For amusement, visit Daily Kos, where there is no mention of the Blogo affair. Very entertaining.

Dec 11, 2008 - 1:41 pm 97. njcommuter:

On Faux News, Mark Foley (a Republican who liked to have cybersex with underage congressional pages) was listed as a Democrat.

Do you think that some MSM types may think that the accusations show a fine, well-developed Liberal character?

Dec 11, 2008 - 11:26 pm 98. geoffb:

Will there be some Chicago Tribune people cooling their heels in jail for refusing to name the source of their Dec. 5th story?
If that story is the reason that the investigation had to go public.

Dec 13, 2008 - 12:30 am 99. NahnCee:

“Yeah, before Blago managed to suck the incoming Obama Administration into his scheme and there’d be no plausible denial for The One. Even still, I find it extremely difficult to believe that Mr. Obama had no idea what Blago was up to and that he (Obama) would have absolutely no interest in who filled his vacanted Sentate seat. ”

Am I wrong — wouldn’t Obama have expected his own cut from whomever ended up buying that Senate seat? Wouldn’t Blago have been expected to give Obama a 10% finder’s fee or something? Which is why it’s just ludicrous to me that Obama is pleading ignorance as to the proceedings now.

Dec 14, 2008 - 12:20 am 100. dwallu:

Who knows where they lead but the tracks are: Frank Davis, mentor, self disclosed communist and bisexual pedofile; Lawrence Goldyn, mentor, openly gay liberal professor at Occidential and probably Obama’s first introduction to Tom Hayden style SDS; Ayers, self described bi with his SDS buddies and communist; Obama lived two blocks from Ayers in NYC but 45 min from Columbia where few acknowledge even knowing him; Acorn, another SDS buddy as founder; New party socialists in Chicago with Obama as a signed member. Add in Soros and various Palestine and Saudi supporters. And were does it lead? How the hell did SDS build a president, they have been in the weeds all these years building connections and support with the media? What was Colin Powell thinking, pressure from his wife? SDS and their friends and Soros won this round,, battle is long.

Dec 16, 2008 - 11:36 am

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