Obama's Intervention Indirectly Led to Case (NYT)

[struggle4progress]

By MIKE McINTIRE and JEFF ZELENY
Published: December 9, 2008

.. Barack Obama’s .. phone call .. three months ago to urge passage of a state ethics bill indirectly contributed to the downfall of .. Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich.

Mr. Obama placed the call to his political mentor, Emil Jones Jr., president of the Illinois Senate. Mr. Jones was a critic of the legislation, which sought to curb the influence of money in politics, as was Mr. Blagojevich, who had vetoed it. But after the call from Mr. Obama, the Senate overrode the veto, prompting the governor to press state contractors for campaign contributions before the law’s restrictions could take effect on Jan. 1, prosecutors say ...

When the Illinois Senate passed the measure by 55 to 0 on Sept. 22, with Mr. Jones reversing his position, Mr. Obama praised the move as one creating “a tougher ethics law that will reduce the influence of money over our state’s political process” ...

Mr. Blagojevich was busily trying to shake loose up to $2.5 million in campaign donations, much of it from contributors with business before the state, according to federal prosecutors. The governor’s goal was to bring in the money before the end of the year, the complaint said, “before a new state ethics law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2009.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/10/us/politics/10chicago.html?_r=1&ref=us

[FreeJG]

1. you are kidding yourself....

this is HUGE! they are all in it up to their ears!!!

[tridim]

2. !!!!!!!11

[struggle4progress]

3. Gotta link? A reality-based community prefers accusations that come with evidence

And welcome to DU! :hi:

[surrealAmerican]

4. So, it's a case of hurry up and cheat before the deadline.

Too bad the new ethics law couldn't have been effective immediately on passage.