I think that IL Governor Rod Blagoivich signalled his intent to try to destroy Obama today

[Politics_Guy25]

I think by this news that his lawyer wants Rahm Emmanuel and Valerie Jarrett to be forced to testify before the IL House impeachment panel is an indication that Blago really intends to go down with all guns firing and to try to take down as many people as he can with him. I think he probably wants to take the president-elect down. Why else would he make this move? Jonathan Alter told Keith on countdown the night that this broke that he thought Blago would make up stuff to try to take the new administration down.

Well, here we go. The only answer is for the impeachment to proceed ASAP and get this jerk out of office.

[wryter2000]

1. I think you're right

I honestly don't know what making them testify will do for him, and I imagine the testimony will only exonerate Obama et a.

[Politics_Guy25]

3. I think what it is is throwing the kitchen sink

Trying to divert attention away from him, trying to spread the mud, trying to take the heat off of him, etc.

Hate the guy.

[elleng]

11. It may exonerate EVERYONE.

.

[Clio the Leo]

2. But CAN he is the question.....

.... the general concensus I've heard pundits say all day is that Blago et al are gonna be laughed out of hearing room.

[firedupdem]

4. Money talks......

I wouldn't doubt anything he would do in order to pocket some change. He doesn't care about "saving face"....he will take anybody through the mud for the right offer.

:tinfoilhat:

I thought about this the other day. Blago has been slimy for years. Suddenly when it comes to the senate seat issue he gets busted. For the right offer he will say he met Michelle at Walgreens to discuss some kind of deal.

[Politics_Guy25]

5. fired, that is what worries me

what Blago tries to sell Fitzgerald to avoid jailtime himself.

[firedupdem]

6. I think he'll try anything but I don't think he'll be successful. I just

hate that it diverts attention from other stuff the transition team needs to be working on. He's such a little jerk.

[merh]

7. it's firing across the bow

trying to ward off the prosecution, kid of a "I'll take you with me" sort of warning.

It only matters if Obama/Emmanual/Jarrett have done anything wrong. I doubt they have since Blago calling Obama a motherf*cker and was shopping for deals.

[IndianaGreen]

8. No, he is just trying to muddy the waters as to his own culpability

US Attorney Office has beaucoup recordings of Blago indicting himself. What Blago's attorney is doing is standard defense tactic.

[Neshanic]

9. He's making the mud puddle bigger, on hopes he will get lost in it.

[elleng]

10. They did it for LEGAL reasons;

don't read too much into such tactics.

[elehhhhna]

13. any decent defense lawyer would demand this.

[scubadude]

16. There is so much political infighting in this state...

that we will probably never know what the "real" truth is. Illinois has a great history of political corruption. Blagojevich has many foes within the state, especially the father/daughter team of Mike and Lisa Madigan.

Mike Madigan is a Dem Speaker of the Illinois House of Reps for the last 25 years or so with his adopted daughter Lisa Madigan currently serving as Illinois Attorney General. It has been long know that they aspire to have Lisa as either Governor or a Senator, and have been beating on Blagojevich since he became Governor. Lisa is also a know friend of Obama's.

Add to that the fact that the Governorship of Illinois is one of the Crown Jewels of American politics, with a plethora of Republicans chomping at the bit to discredit any Dem they can, especially the Governor, the last of who, George Ryan, a Republican, is doing time right now...

Even though the state votes solidly for most Dem presidential candidates of late, over the last 108 years or so there have been 12 Republican Governors vs 8 for the Dems with the Republicans in office the vast majority of time holding office over 70 of the last 108 or so years.

Also add to the above a solidly Republican leaning Chicago Tribune, the largest newspaper in the state. Obama was the FIRST Dem they have ever endorsed in the papers 147 years or so...

Blagojevich may be guilty or not. In my eyes he is innocent until proven guilty. Note how Patrick Fitzgerald is using the press as an axe here whereas during his stint as Special Counsel he meticulously kept his distance.

There is much more than meets the eye here. Illinois has provided a Democratic President, now the scrambling for the political crumbs begins in earnest.

Scuba

[elleng]

20. MADIGAN has been a big political name in Ill for a while, eh?

Heard of Kim? Cousin or something? Interesting that Lisa adopted; she LOOKS perfect!

[scubadude]

22. No, I am not familiar with Kim.

I'm not knocking the Madigans per se. Right or wrong there has been a feud going on between Mike Madigan and Blagojevich for years. Many here may not know this.

Also note how many who cried out against the media's support of the Bush administration are eating up the attacks on Blagojevich from that same media.

Makes you wonder if anyone has learned anything about the media during the last 8 years?

What I have learned is they are right leaning and aren't necessarily on the lookout for the stories that are true,
but rather look for the stories that pay, true or not.

Scuba

[elleng]

25. 'Juicy' stories, that's it.

Before Mike there was someone else, right?

[scubadude]

28. I'm not following you. I am not close enough nor do I care to track

rumor if that's what your getting to, but if you have more than that please elaborate.

Scuba

[elleng]

31. I hate and do not track rumors;

my point is that media is mostly interested in 'hot,' 'sexy' so-called news. Much of msm trends right 'cause that's who owns them, too. Really tired of this!

[scubadude]

34. Yes, exactly.

They give you what you want. That is if your a typical on the surface type. Even many intellectual folks are misled by "framing". You place something into a package which gives one meaning when the reality is something else entirely. An example would be the "intelligence" Bush is so fond of saying was wrong. The fact is that he "framed" the intelligence message given to the public, but now he claims it was wrong. At the time they got the idea they wanted across, in big huge letters with sexy packaging pounded out 24/7. Sorry we don't buy the lies...

Scuba

[IsItJustMe]

27. You have a very good sence of the situation. There are several other important news papers in

Illinois which are owned and operated by Republicans. These papers are just as viscious as Faux news. And a person would be a damned fool as to believe that the constant noise that these news papers puts out does not have a large effect on the public opinion in Illinios.

Like you, I don't know whether Blago is innocent or not. But at the same time, I can easily see how a Democratic Governor could be set up and sent away in Illinois. The political environment there is worse than toxic, for the reasons that you posted, and then some.

[scubadude]

30. Thanks for the compliment, I try to pay attention at a distance.

Our history over about the last 40 years has taught me that the media cannot be trusted. You'll get a bit of what is going on but if you follow too close you'll get what they're selling, not the real picture.

The longstanding Republican rule of the state has provided some interesting and ironic prizes for industry. For instance Illinois supplies much of the midwest and east with electrical power. Republican Governors have set up a regulatory environment here were all the power companies have to do to get a power plant built is show a need at any time. A brownout during the hottest day of the year is enough. The people of the state are required to pay for these power plants.

Going back over 40 years this has meant that the power companies (who supported Obama heavily in his run for Illinois Senate) have built many expensive plants here. The requirement that the Illinois populace pay for them has given us some of the highest rates in the country. Here's the ironic part; much of the electricity generated by these plants is sold to other states at much lower cost. We pay for the construction of the plants that sell much of their the power to other states...

In effect the largely Republican built regulatory environment of Illinois has created a very lucrative environment for power companies at the expense of the people of the state.

Republican run newspapers and other businesses realize this type of political environment really helps their cause further attempts to tilt the environment even further.

The Dems got back a little with the conviction of Ryan, but this is just too big a cash cow for the Republicans to ignore.

As you noted there are many other factors in this fairly politically complicated state.

Scuba

[ColesCountyDem]

12. It won't work.

Fitzgerald has already stated publicly that Obama, et al, have n-o-t-h-i-n-g to do with this, an extraordinary thing for a prosecutor to do.

Blago is just throwing sh*t at the wall and hoping that something sticks-- which this won't.

[Diamonique]

14. It takes a special kinda stupid to purposely piss off the next POTUS.

[RichGirl]

15. He can't destroy Obama.

EVen before all this happened, his approval ratings were really low and none of his colleagues liked him. He has no credibility, he's the poster boy for sleeze, he doesn't even have an innocent wife we can all feel sorry for. All he can do is dig himself deeper.

[Hamlette]

17. What? He wants Rahm and Valerie to testifiy to exonerate him.

they will both say there was no deal making going on...at least not in conversations with them.

[shimmergal]

18. I think you're right that he's

trying to. And unfortunately the press is all too ready to keep chirping about Blago and his charges. At the very least, it's an attempt to tarnish Obama's image before he even takes office.

Most of the MSM has moved on from the Rick Warren issue, but they won't let go of this, because it has that delicious hint of "scandal" which they love to cover. No matter how peripheral Obama and his people are to the whole controversy.

Meanwhile, Illinois needs to have a new Senator, legitimately chosen, and it looks like that's on hold indefinitely. Arghhh!

[zulchzulu]

19. It's time to snuff Blago out politically

He indeed did ask for it... start the train and let's run over the fuckhead.

Rod Blagojevich has a 10% or less approval rating with the people of Illinois. He is nuclear politically. What does want to do? He needs to resign immediately or expect the train to run over him shortly.

There is no link to Obama with Rod Blagojevich. That should obviously be front and center. What's unfair to the people of Illinois is that they have an embarrassing governor who can't lead at this point.

[Divine Discontent]

38. you love mob shows, ha

"snuff Blago out", "start the train and let's run over the fuckhead", "expect the train to run over him shortly".


I am sick they let him stay this long as gov. It's sickening - they've got him on audio tapes saying he wants paid for the seat? How easy does it get to say this guy needs impeached, ya know

[Autumn]

21. So let him

Emmanuel and Jarrett did nothing wrong. So there is no way in hell Blago can take anybody down.

[ileus]

23. Leave Blago alone....more power to him fight fight fight.

[camera obscura]

37. LEAVE BLAGO ALOOONE! He's a HUMAN! He's not WELL RIGHT NOW!!!!!

:cry:

[IsItJustMe]

24. I don't think so. It tells me that Blago never tried to negotiate with Obama's staff for that

Senate seat. Obama's report says they had no inappropriate conversations with Blago regarding this matter.

If that is true, then that also tells me that Blago may very well be innocent of the charges. The only way that he could prove this is to call Obama's people to the stand to testify to this fact.

Not everything has unholy motivations behind it.

[MadMaddie]

32. Blago could be innocent of charges from Rahm and others but

there are other potential candidates that he may have tried to shake down. If I were betting I wouldn't bet against Fitzgerald, he would not have done this if he didn't have enough evidence.

[HeraldSquare212]

26. He's a rank amateur, which is what got him into to trouble, and it won't save him now

[onefreespiritedchick]

29. I cannot stand Blago

I wish they kick his arse out of office pronto. He is nothing but pure scum.

[Swamp Rat]

33. Blago is toast

:)

[Freddie Stubbs]

35. Perhaps not

If he never specifically asked them for a bribe, he may simply want them to take the stand and say so.

[Colobo]

36. Blago is done. Guy is guilty as sin and the evidence proves it.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

39. Emmanuel and Jarrett were not involved in "deal making". Blago's lawyer needs them to say that

it exonerates his client...at least in those two cases.

[DailyGrind51]

40. Blago has only ever thought about himself and his amibition,

ask his estranged father-in-law, Richard Mell!