Blagojevich stripped of access to classified federal security information

[Ichingcarpenter]

Source: Chicago Sun Times

Gov. Blagojevich's access to classified federal security information was revoked by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security after he was charged last month with trying to sell a Senate seat to the highest bidder, officials confirmed Friday.

Every governor is given such a clearance by Homeland Security to receive briefings on sensitive security information from Homeland Security and other federal agencies such as the FBI, said Amy Kudwa, spokeswoman for Homeland Security.

"Being the subject of a criminal complaint, no matter who you are, is a disqualification," she said.

State Police Director Larry Trent and Illinois Emergency Management Agency Director Andrew Velasquez — as well as other top state officials — have access to such federal security intelligence and could relay it to the governor, said Patti Thompson, spokeswoman for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.

Read more: http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/1360091,blagojevich-department-of-homeland-security-010309.article

[BlooInBloo]

1. Clearly an uninformed governor cannot adequately carry out the duties of his or her office.

[Titonwan]

19. That's not Homeland Fuhrer's job.

You watching Democracy crumble, little by little, and you're making judgements on a Governor that hasn't even had a trial or hearing yet. What's more, you think it's perfectly OK for a Security Service (SS has a nice ring to it) that is another powerful, yet obscure, department set up by Neo-conservatives with absolute power over the Head of a State... This is how you lose your rights. If Fatherland Security decides they can do this- what's next? Perhaps your papers aren't in order and one day they're knocking at your door. Oh wait... that could NEVER happen! I don't like Ron in the least (he's my Governor), but for you to chime in and cheer about him being overridden by the Federal Government is astonishingly naive and dangerous. I don't think you fully realize what's going on here. It ain't good.

[RandomThoughts]

2. Did Cheney lose his?

He was indicted in Texas a few weeks ago as a co-conspirator in Prison for profit schemes.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/11/18/cheney-gonale-indicted/

[Ichingcarpenter]

5. I think it has to do with a federal indictment not a state indictment but

cheney should just be indicted by the local, state, federal and world court authorities

[stillcool]

8. I thought he wasn't indicted yet?

I don't understand the status of this complaint thing. He was arrested, charged with conspiracy to defraud the state government, and now what? Why isn't there a trial date set?

[Canuckistanian]

3. Hey, terrorists! Come to Illinois - Nobody's minding the store

This is getting ridiculous.

Either indict him or apologize for the arrest.

[williesgirl]

4. And it begins...

Wonder if he'll fight this in court since he's not been convicted of a crime. rec'd

[2Design]

6. innocent until proven guilty except if it is a democrat n/t

[msatty99]

7. The apparent minority view

which I share is that as bad as everything this guy is reported to have said is...Can someone please tell me what
ACTION, DEED or FACT occurred that makes him guilty of any crime. I also have to laugh at the whole part of the case
based on him supposedly 'demanding' the Chicago Trib fire its editorial staff. As I got it, the owner of the trib wanted
some help getting some special sweetheart tax deal as he sold Wrigley Field. The man's own paper was spiking the
effort on the pages of the paper and Blago taunts the guy saying his own editorial staff is the biggest problem.
Maybe this wasn't Sunday School talk, but so what?

I am also not so enamored of Fitzgerald who gets the brief to indict the criminal who outed Valerie Plame but
who winds up indicting Libby who as far as I can tell, committed the crime of not remembering who he told what
when.

No fan of "Scooter" here... but this case was a crock. Where was Fitzgerald on this question..."Who outed an undercover
spy for the US."?

I find it suspect that "Fitz" filed this charge so early. I also find it amusing that he saw fit to physically arrest
the Guv. That was great stuff for the rubes in the peanut gallery.

[earcandle]

9. I am so down with you!

This is blatant gossip and hearsay out to wreck a man's
career!

Is this what happened to Siegelman?

Let us not let this happen to Blago as well!

Sniper press!  

Meanwhile the peeps who ruined our country get off scott free?
 

What is up with that?  

[msatty99]

10. Fitz just threw in the stuff about "firing the editors"

to get the media behind him. You can do anything you want...but threaten a 'media' job and you are a pariah.
Now Blago can never get a fair shake. I challenge someone to tell me what he did that was a crime.

I am so glad I am not a governor with an important appointment to make so I don't have Fitz taping my
conversations with all my BS. If you can indict a Governor for what they BS about when they chatter with
their buddies god help the little guy if the Fed wants your A$$.

[Piewhacket]

12. You aren't alone

as there are at least two of you. I know because I'm one of you.

First, an overt act is legally required (as you apparently know) and while I
may not have seen everything, and I haven't seen the arrest warrant what FACTS I am aware of
to date has not appeared (imho) legally sufficient, even if they are otherwise damning.
So we agree on that.

We also seem to agree on Fitz. While he is an excellent lawyer, he's political, on the other
side, and not to be trusted. Moreover, the arrest was theatrical and shocking, only justified
by a strong case coupled with imminent peril. Was it justified? Hard to say just yet, we'll see.
Fitz had better have a damn good case or HE is going to be the next political bar-b-quee.

As for the govenor, the 'otherwise damning' part is pretty bloody damning, politically, and
I would say that what has been disclosed is sufficient to toast Blago. He's toast with me.
Because, lets face it, we don't have to vote or support politicians we don't like, and we are
damn well not obliged to use the state or federal penal code to measure a politician's
qualifications for high public office. Personally I don't like liars and crooks, or
politician's who act like they are or wannabe, even if they aren't. So that's what I think.

In sum, I agree with your comments but...
Blago is political toast and should resign, and if he doesn't he will be impeached, nor
will his appointment be recognized. Fitz had better have a damn good case or he should be
forced to resign or fired. Scooter was guilty and should have done the time, but Cheney was the
real scum and should be next (but can't be arrested while in office, remember?). Why Rove isn't
in jail is a complete and utter mystery to me. So there it is.

[msatty99]

14. Simpatico

I agree with your views.

[Titonwan]

20. You know what time it is.

This is BS and no one seems to call them on it. I'm ashamed of our weakass Democrats in Washington talking smack about this peon, with his tiny infractions, yet they'll ignore the biggest criminals in the history of the United States. I'm not buying this distraction, either. And why isn't Dick Cheney not in prison? And Addington, Rumsfeld, Rice, Yoo and Junior? We NEED to get Barack to join the ICC (International Criminal Court) so they can prosecute these animals and send them jail for War Crimes. WAR CRIMES are a tad more serious than what Ron's doing, don't ya think? The internet's great, but if we don't use our VOICE on it, we're liable to lose that too. Along with all the other freedoms we're losing, inch by inch.

[TankLV]

29. You aren't the only one...

I've continually wondered and noticed the same thing...

[McCamy Taylor]

11. Did Sarah Palin lose hers when she was being investigated? He has not been charged.

The state of Illinois is being blackmailed by the feds.

[Garbo 2004]

21. Palin wasn't arrested. n/t

[Pavulon]

13. Dumb Ass and crooked as fuck

he is all over tape. He will be indicted and convicted. He is all over the phone doing his dirt. Is the toe only person who did not see "The Wire"?

Party affiliation is not relevant, he is crooked and will pay for that.

Bet on it.

[Barbara2423]

15. I don't trust the government - Bladj is innocent until proven guilty

[kevsand]

16. So glad all the Einsteins here have this all figured out.

1) Blago is as dirty as the day is long. Everyone in Illinois has known it for years. We re-elected him in spite of it. See how we are.

2) Fitz was forced to arrest prematurely just to keep Blago from actually selling the seat. He compromised his own case to prevent a greater harm.

3) These will not be the only charges brought against Blago. (See point 1.) This is only the beginning.

4) Fitz is not partisan. He also indicted and convicted our previous governor (one of the most powerful Republicans in the history of the state) who is now serving time in Federal prison. That's why we take Fitz so seriously here.

5) I don't have to check your profiles to tell that not only is it extremely unlikely that any of you live here, but you obviously have rarely even read an Illinois newspaper, or you would already know all of this.

[rpannier]

22. Agreed

I live overseas, but I am registered in Illinois and I do keep up with what's going on there through family and friends (I have a friend who has family that works/worked for Blago)

He is a crook.
Most everyone knows it.
The knee-jerk support he gets around here reminds me of my daughters when one gets caught doing something wrong "Well (name) did (something wrong)."

It doesn't change the fact that even people close to Blago admit he is a crook -- albeit not publicly.
Is he guilty of a crime -- Time will tell.

I'm a believer in innocent until proven guilty.

[msatty99]

24. I'm not saying he isn't corrupt and a bad egg

I am saying that sitting around talking about how you'd like it if someone banked you for making the
appointment they wanted isn't a crime. "Gee, I would like to rob a bank just like cool George clooney
and Brad Pitt". Does saying that out loud set me up for prison?

And don't give me the "Fitz as a victim" scenario. "had to harm his own case to prevent a greater harm".

What a crock. That doesn't quite explain the dragging the guv out of his office in handcuffs media scene
does it? But I suppose Fitz was victimized by that too.

This is not knee jerk reaction and defense of a 'dem'. (I also thought the Scooter Libby case was a crock).

I am saying the WHOLE THING STINKS. And no one here has yet answered the question...What did the guy DO
THAT WAS A CRIME?

[kevsand]

25. I never said that Fitz was a victim.

I don't think he is, because I don't think the word applies here. I do think that he was faced with a very difficult decision: wait for a crime to be committed so he could prosecute it successfully, or act to try to prevent it. He appears to have decided that the crime was sufficiently grievous or would have resulted in sufficient harm that it outweighed any other considerations, and he made what he thought was his best choice in protecting the people.

It may well be that, as a result of making the arrest when he did, it will now be impossible to prove that a crime was committed in this particular instance. It may very well be that no crime was, in fact, actually committed. I do believe, however, that a serious crime was prevented.

I also have no doubt the Blago will eventually be indicted by Fitz on other charges unrelated to the Senate seat. Several of Blag's top aides and associates are already in jail. His days both as a governor and as a free man are clearly numbered.

[msatty99]

30. Hard to believe

are you really saying its ok to arrest someone to 'prevent' a crime? Welcome to the world of Philip K. Dick and "Minority Report".
Where do I get to sign up to be one of the thought police arresting people in advance for what they are 'going' to do?

But, all sarcasm aside, what you are admitting is that despite all the big show arrest of a sitting Governor, the big
news reports and trashing of this guy...there apparently was not a crime actually committed. Good job Fitz. Glad
to know you're watching out for all us smucks.

This thing stinks to high heaven. My theory...someone thought they weren't gonna like the appointment Blago boy was
leaning towards so they decided to 'take him out'. Now he appoints a guy that no one can actually complain about,
but the grand leaders of the Senate are gonna stand and block him from being seated. Change indeed!

[kevsand]

31. People get arrested to prevent crimes all the time.

That's why you don't wait for someone to commit murder if you know it's coming.

If you're lucky, you have a way to catch them in the act without anyone getting hurt. A lot of the time, though, that's just too risky, so you grab them now and worry about what to charge them with later. This happens all the time, whether you realize it or not.

It is much better to end up prosecuting someone for conspiracy to commit rather than risking a failed effort to control their attempt or (worse) waiting until they actually kill someone just so you can get the murder conviction.

In this particular instance, it was too risky to let the act occur, since (as Harry Reid is discovering this weekend) it is really, really hard to undo an appointment. Trying to prove that the recipient of the appointment actually participated in the sale introduces a whole new level of burden of proof.

If I had to guess, I'd say that there might be tapes we haven't heard, or (more likely) interviews that have not yet been revealed or maybe even conducted. One of the things we have learned in Illinois from watching Fitz is that he never files an indictment that he isn't really sure he can prove and win. As far as I know, his batting average on that score is perfect, or at least nearly so.

I would not be surprised if the eventual indictment was for conspiracy to sell or even some sort of RICO violation, but I would not be at all disappointed if the inevitable charges against Blago end up never including anything related to the Senate seat.

[msatty99]

33. We have to agree to disagree since you are a Fitz 'fan'

"One of the things we have learned in Illinois from watching Fitz is that he never files an indictment that he isn't really sure he can prove and win. As far as I know, his batting average on that score is perfect, or at least nearly so."

Didn't Libby get aquitted of many of the charges Fitz brought against him? He got him on his failure to testify
consistently with what he had said earlier.i.e., he could say exactly what he had said to whom when. BS.

And, no, we don't arrest people to 'prevent' crime. You are making stuff up now. If you arrest someone without
probable cause to believe they have committed a crime you are violating their civil rights. Sorry. This is not
something we can argue about.

[kevsand]

34. You are entirely wrong about the Libby verdicts.

Libby wasn't "acquitted of many of the charges Fitz brought against him." In fact, the outcome was exactly the opposite of what you suggest: he was acquitted on one charge, and convicted on the other four felony charges.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

17. It's illegal to "relay" classified info to someone without clearance.

Those boyos better watch what they're passing along and to whom, or they'll find themselves passing their messages from behind bars in a federal pen.

[proud progressive]

18. POOR BABY

:cry:

[ck4829]

23. But yet Karl Rove never lost his.

[SKKY]

26. Pretty routine...

[bottomtheweaver]

27. No great loss.

The DHS is nothing but a big repuke money laundering and propaganda operation. Blago would be better off getting his briefings from DU frankly.

[GCP]

28. So they're putting the people of Illinois at risk for the sake of politics

This country is sliding faster and faster into fascism every day.

He did not DO anything criminal, just shot his mouth off about making money from the senate seat, but now he cannot do his job as governor if he doesn't know what threats there might be out there.

Un-fucking-believable. :banghead:

[kevsand]

32. He's done a lot of criminal things...

...he just hasn't been indicted for any of the rest of them yet. In any event, you won't have to worry for too long about him being unable to do his job, because he's probably going to be impeached this week.