Blago is NOT a "crook." In fact, he may very well be innocent.

[Unsane]

What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty? I'm willing to give Blags the benefit of the doubt.

Fitzgerald and that ridiculous, hyperbolic head FBI agent (Robert Grant?) may have jumped the gun. Fitzgerald is a Bush appointee. He isn't infallible.

[Thrill]

1. Their case is weak. From whats been released, all he ever does is talk about deals

Never actually does it.

[roguevalley]

5. nothing has to change hands to fulfill solicitation of bribes.

[Thrill]

12. But thats a sticky area. When you consider the political arena

where political deals are made all the time that aren't illegal.

[Kelvin Mace]

15. "Qui pro quo deals' are almost invariable illegal

That's why politicians are idiots for ever getting into "deal making".

[stillcool]

45. but isn't that what politicians do?

facilitate deals, and then say "I hope I have your support"? Stomping on it, or taking a cut, is where the problem comes in, no?

[roguevalley]

32. that will be Fitzgerald's biggest problem, distringuishing this.

[Kelvin Mace]

11. Mearly talking about a deal is "conspiracy"

That is a crime whether you take action or not.

[Thrill]

14. Well that depends on what is defined

as a political deal which are done everyday and aren't illegal. Unless they have more than they have released, with the attorney's he has, he'll beat this.

[Kelvin Mace]

18. When you are talking about offering

a senate seat in return for cash, donations, appointments, promotions, or other considerations which benefit you, your family, or an ally financially, you have crossed the line.

[Unsane]

21. your banner sig is apropos

[Afikpo Chic]

38. Blago is a foul mouth arrogant crook!

End of discussion.

[ryanmuegge]

2. If you lived in Illinois you would know that this guy is guilty as hell.

[Unsane]

4. The Chicago press is VIRULENTLY anti-Democrat

If that's the source for your opinion, I take it with a grain of salt.

[alcibiades_mystery]

8. I live in Chicago

The "selling of the Senate seat" is weak as hell. The supposedly damning tapes sound like Sorkin dialogue from the West Wing, with a few healthy fucks thrown in for emphasis. Go ahead and splice up Josh Lyman's wheeling and dealing on a bill and you'll see how easily this stuff can be made to sound damning. The Tribune stuff, on the other hand, is filthy.

Anyone who says Blago is "innocent" is a fool, of course. But the same can be said for 90% of the US Senate if this is the measure.

[Blarch]

22. I live here, and he probably IS giulty.

But ... I need proof.

And I am not convinced Fitz has proof.

[alcibiades_mystery]

26. It's pretty clkear that Fitz proof is made for the media rather than the jury

otherwise, he would have taken it to the grand jury.

[RandomKoolzip]

3. Blago is about as innocent as Rick Warren is tolerant.

[terrya]

28. I just love "Blags"

He's swell. He's my hero.

Just like Rick Warren.

[glowing]

6. I like Due Process.. Not trial by media and speculation.

[Kelvin Mace]

19. Well, tell me which country or planet

has complete control over what people think? Yes, the media can stir up the public (see the Ramsey family and the injustice they suffered), but it is the evidence in court that counts.

Me, I look at the evidence as it goes, and form an opinion based on that evidence, the reliability of the source of the evidence, and my experiences. If I am sitting on a jury, then I have an obligation to pay strict attention to due process. If I am on the jury, I can convict/acquit someone.

Posting to DU cannot convict/acquit anyone of anything.

[Drunken Irishman]

35. And that is our right. We're not the court of law, so we get to speculate who is and isn't guilty.

Ain't it great?

[DJ13]

7. Guilty or innocent it doesnt matter at this point

Even if he's innocent his career as Governor is effectively over, and for his family's sake and the good of the party he represents he should step down while he clears his name as no one will deal with him after this.

[sandnsea]

9. They all do fundraisers

for each other in exchange for political support. I'm still not sure whether he's guilty of breaking the law or just not being so slick while he does what they all do.

[Kelvin Mace]

10. You misundertand the concept

"Innocent until proven guilty" is how the criminal justice system is supposed to work. The public at large has no obligation to afford a person accused of a crime this nicety unless called to serve on the jury.

Fitz is a competent prosecutor, and the tapes are pretty damning.

[Unsane]

13. I didn't misunderstand anything

I didn't LITERALLY mean that the general public should take the role of a jury. I'm using the notion as a general rule to follow.

[leftstreet]

16. I hope Obama makes him Fitness Czar

[Unsane]

17. me 2

[alwysdrunk]

20. He might very well be "not guilty" he isn't innocent

Not by a long shot. He won't be not guilty either. They wouldn't say they have him on tape if they didn't have him on tape. He may act like he's not fucked, but he's fucked.

[wildonion]

23. Gov. Blago: "Come and get me, coppers!!!" video

Can't believe this...

The only people who believe Blago is innocent are the same people who think OJ got railroaded twice.

[Unsane]

27. well that convinced me

:sarcasm:

[wildonion]

42. Absolutely nothing will convince those who simply want to be disagreeable

& don't have a sense of humor

[bottomtheweaver]

24. Worth remembering.

I don't live in Illinois, but I do live in a state where the Dem governor (Grey Davis) got railroaded out of office by the media and replaced by, surprise, the biggest GOP stooge since Ronnie ordered the National Guard to start shooting kids at Berkeley.

So, let's not give them another victory. Kudos to Blago for showing a little spine.

[and-justice-for-all]

25. Love him or hate him....

You have to have sold proof of the allegation before you even have a case against him. Being that it is 'alleged' or 'assumed' that he did something wrong, does not give any credibility to a case against him of his supposed wrong doing.

I am beginning to think the whole think is a set-up to make Obama look bad, simply because he is from Chicago and worked with Blago from time to time.

"Fitzgerald is a Bush appointee", enough said.

[Clio the Leo]

29. The hair is a dead giveaway.

Who have you ever known who had hair like that wouldn't rob their own granny if they could get away with it?

I firmly believe he has a career ahead of him as a televangelist when this is all over.

[PVnRT]

30. I guess Bush isn't a "crook" either

Or Nixon. Or Rove.

Or does your standard of evidence apply only to Republicans?

[bottomtheweaver]

31. No comparison whatsoever.

Bush has ginned up illegal wars on false evidence, refused to follow laws passed by Congress, ordered torture and illegal detention, and that's only the stuff we're allowed to speak about openly. Blago talked on the phone and his conversations were illegally recorded. Pretty lame stretch.

[Hippo_Tron]

37. "Illegally recorded", how do you figure that

Fitzgerald had a warrant to wiretap the Blagojevich meaning it was perfectly legal.

[Shiver]

41. Fitzgerald went and legally obtained a wiretap

Based upon how Blago reacted to new ethics legislation that was passed by the Illinois state senate. The governor began shaking down state contractors to get campaign funds before the law went into action in the new year.

Blagojevich was already under investigation for, among other things, alleged involvement and illegal dealings with Tony Rezko.

[snowbear]

33. As Al Franken would say.... "Oy!"

.
.

[IsItJustMe]

34. The sheep won't listen. We have this bull shit news conference, of the likes I have never seen,

starting the sensationalism. Then you have the msm who tried Blago. And you even have so called liberal journalists like Keith and Rachael insinuating that Blago is insane, has mental problems, or whatever.

This entire thing stinks to high heaven, and when I post anything about it hear, people tell me they basically want to see the MF'er hang.

I get the feeling these are some of the same idiots that were waving flags when we went into Iraq, saying USA, USA, USA.

I don't trust anything I hear on the news and I take my damn sweet time to make up my mind about something that is as serious as this.

From what I have read and understood so far is this: Blago has a big mouth. I hope that isn't against the law now in the good old US of A.

There are two important lessons that I have learned in life. One, things are never what they appear to be, and two, there are two sides to every story.

In all honesty, for the life of me, I can not understand how someone could come up with the conviction that Blago is guilty, based on the information that is out there.

[Hippo_Tron]

36. Innocent until proven guilty is the standard in a court of law

In a court of public opinion we're allowed to speculate that he's guilty as hell. Given the fact that Fitzgerald had enough evidence to indict him and the rate at which politicians indicted by the feds for corruption wind up getting convicted, that's enough for me to assume that he's guilty. If he's proven innocent I will eat my words. But being indicted or federally investigated is and should be a mark of shame against an elected official unless they are later proven innocent. They are supposed to set an example and behave according to a higher standard.

[boppers]

39. Nixon is not a crook. In fact, he may very well be innocent?

Uhm, yeah.

So, here's the rub:
What Blago did, and was released to the public, is totally criminal in the eyes of the public.

and yet...

There are vast numbers of politicians doing the same thing, and thinking that they aren't criminals, because they haven't been caught/prosecuted yet.

As politics becomes more transparent, the "horse-traders" will be convicted more and more for corruption.

Side effect of the 21st century.

[marshall]

40. He may well walk on the senate seat charge

I think there's a stronger case on stuff like the hospital extortion, because he had already acted to withdraw the hospital's funds when they wouldn't cough up the money he wanted.

[amborin]

43. i may be nuts, but i'm warming up to Blago....at least he was transparent

[WeDidIt]

44. Innocent until guilty applies in court

Balgo is the msot crooked son of a bitch in Illinois politics.

He makes George ryan look angelic.