Blago is ill. And this is no longer funny to me. It's just painful

[cali]

he was all over the map, and not really coherent. I'm now feeling sorry for him. This is the most spectacular public crack up I've ever seen. The guy is suffering from delusions. They better put him on suicide watch when he crashes.

[Justitia]

1. Cali, I totally agree - that was disturbing. I think he is in serious mental jeopardy. -eom

[cali]

3. Corrupt as he may be

I just feel sorry for him. Awful to watch someone crack up in public.

[Justitia]

5. I think we are witnessing someone having a break w/reality, for real. I worry for his family.

I think he has crossed the line into serious mental jeopardy.

[cyclezealot]

62. His cowboy/ hang em comment was just bizarre.

And now his wife gets sacked. From a favorite tune. "Dirty Laundry." Love that song. Something about the way Americans sensationalize. Not that he does not deserve his fate , but....



Kick em when their up, kick em when their down.
..
Can we film the operation, Is the head dead yet.
You know the boys in the newsroom got a running bet.
Get the widow on the set.
We need dirty laundry.
kick em when their up, .... down.
....

[JuniperLea]

2. I missed it

Now I'm happy I did. Ugh. Thanks for taking one for the team. Do your eyes itch?

[cali]

4. I just felt badly for him and his family

it was grotesque.

[YOY]

6. It's like remembering that a train wreck has a human passenger component.

The entertainment value plummets.

[katty]

7. off his meds or never on them

[TheCowsCameHome]

8. Maybe this is what his future holds.............

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/23/blagojevich-show-in-the-works/#comment-2283645

[PBS Poll-435]

11. A Radio Talk Show is a Fucking Valuable Thing!

nt

[slutticus]

9. What happened? Just now?

[Justitia]

14. He just had the weirdest press conference. He seems mentally ill - no joke.

I think he is seriously losing it and watching that, it stopped being funny.

The man needs some kind of help.

[cali]

15. He gave a presser and was way out of control

delusional, tangential, pressured speech.

[theboss]

21. I missed it

But did it feel like a Budd Dwyer situation?

[mentalsolstice]

24. Yes it did.

I wonder if I was going to watch a head explode on my HD TV. It was truly disturbing.

[sammym3]

10. I wondered before if he didn't have a drug problem.

His behavior sure seemed like it. Now that his wife has no income, if he does have a user addiction, this will throw him over the edge. It is sad. If it is the case that his lust for money was because of a drug dependency, he should fess up. The public would be more forgiving of this than just a lust for power and money based on sheer ego. No matter what, I feel sorry for him and his family and anyone else who loses their mind over the material. I think about his kid and other family members. I don't like him but I still do feel sorry for him.

[cali]

13. looks more like bipolar disorder than a substance abuse problem

to me, but it could well be both. Lots of folks with untreated bipolar disorder self-medicate.

[H2O Man]

45. In the documents

that have been made public, people around him admit to long-time abuse of cocaine and meth. Both of those substances produce mood disorders that mimick bipolar disorders. (And, of course, many people with mood disorders also abuse various substances.)

What I find interesting is his breathing when he has done two of his most recent press conferences. I would think that there is a very real possibility that the guy is damaging himself with substance abuse.

[cali]

59. here's why I think it's more than just drugs

drugs can induce mania, but often they spark mania in someone with an underlying bipolar condition. The man has clearly been manic, and probably hypomanic, for quite some period of time. If he were doing meth or coke or amphetamines for months, I think we'd see it more clearly on a physical level.

[H2O Man]

65. Valid points.

Without question, there is a very good chance that you are correct.

Another possibility is that he has the type of personality that thrives on the "rush" from excitement, which makes one prone to the effects of cocaine. Add to that a firm belief in the ability to control virtually everything, and one can have cycles of substance abuse, often related to other risk-taking (rush-inducing) behaviors. I'm also looking at the relationships he has had with others, ranging from his father-in-law, to other influencial business leaders and politicians. I say this, in large part because Blago's behaviors remind me of a specific sociopath I worked with years ago.

Again, I recognize that you are raising valid points, and that there is a very good chance that you are right. Either way, it is a sad case. But if you are right, it is sadder for the Governor himself; if I'm correct, it's sadder for the state he was elected to run.

[depakid]

70. I've seen no indication whatsoever of a manic or hypomanic state

No pressured speech, racing thoughts or flight ifeas- no physical signs of lack of sleep or unusually high energy levels -or anything of the sort that would lead me to believe he's had a hypomanic or especially a manic episode.

That he's grandiose and full of himself, has bizarre ideas or is impulsive and irritable would what one would expect to see from almost any narcissitic politician under these circumstances.

And nothing one could responsibly attribute to a bipolar disorder.

[FSogol]

12. Its his hair. He looks like a Hanna Barbera Cartoon character. n/t

[kwenu]

16. No sympathy from me until he's out of office.

[Shakespeare]

17. The Pearl Harbor comment was unreal.

Delusional megalomania, on display for all to see.

[cali]

18. Pretty typical, almost textbook, behavior of someone in

the throes of a manic psychotic break. And he could still have some ways to go before he crashes, if that's what's happening. Delusions of grandeur are often seen in someone who's flying high on a manic wave.

[derby378]

19. If Blago is truly mentally ill, I hope he gets the help he needs

Having said that, mentally ill or not, he's not capable of serving Illinois as Governor any longer. Maybe if he gets some medical intervention, he can come back in the future. But he needs to take care of himself.

If he's perfectly sane, however, there's no excuse.

[cali]

20. He definitely needs to be removed from office. And quickly

it's dangerous having someone that out there with the kind of power he still has.

[AZ Criminal JD]

22. He is not ill.

He is a typical Chicago politician and you just haven't been exposed to it.

[alcibiades_mystery]

25. ding ding ding

seemed pretty lucid to me.

[cali]

27. What was the lucid part?

the part about Pearl Harbor? How about his belief that he's being persecuted because he tried to help the people of illinois, or that they want to get rid of him to raise taxes?

[alcibiades_mystery]

40. easy snappy

nice and easy, now.

:rofl:

[Fire1]

33. Agree totally. He was lucid enough to know his rights and he

couldn't be that much of a 'crack up,' if the people of the state elected him TWICE!!

[H2O Man]

44. He also made claims

to "rights" that exist only in his mind.

[cali]

26. oh, baloney. the man was tangential, his speech was pressured

and he was delusional as hell. Sorry, he may be a typical politician, but Madigan had him pegged back in December.

[EFerrari]

36. No, he was clearly manic at that press conference. n/t

[ieoeja]

23. Some of us began to suspect that a year ago.

Before Fitz arrested him, and people were simply speculating on whom he might select, I always responded, "there is no point in speculating. Our governor is so whacky he might select some random person on the street."

And his behaviour since the arrest has led to speculation in the print media (Chicago Sun-Times; I don't read the Trib) about his mental health.

When his wife took the kids to Florida for Xmas leaving him alone, first thing went through my mind was that he didn't want them around when he offs himself. I assume they are back now given that his wife was fired from her job this week.

[RadicalTexan]

28. What happened?

I am at work - is he actually ill, or is this hyperbolic speculation?

[cali]

30. he was way, way out there during this press conference

I don't think I'm engaging in hyperbole at all.

[RadicalTexan]

32. Wow

Guess I'll have to watch Olbermann.

[mentalsolstice]

29. I'm a cowboy,

on a steel horse I ride
I'm wanted dead or alive
Wanted dead or alive

Seriously, that was a disturbing presser. The more I would turn down the volume, the louder and faster he would start talking. My husband and I have spoken about Blago, um, maybe twice in the past, but I had to call him to tell him about it because it was so disturbing.

edited to correct

[Fire1]

34. He was obviously upset and rightfully so. You'd be upset too,

if you felt you were being 'rail roaded.'

[mentalsolstice]

51. Sorry, but the guy has problems

I'm a retired atty., and I think the legal case against him is weak. However, I spent a good part of my career working representing persons who are mentally compromised...his presentation today was scary.

[Fire1]

52. Not imo

[SidneyCarton]

31. It certainly seems that way.

I have no idea if his hubris and paranoia have driven him to delusion, or if he may have some other, far more serious problem, but in any case, the man needs help, he's obviously not well.

[EFerrari]

35. They better put him on suicide watch now, I agree. n/t

[geiger]

37. Where's the LINK?

Thanks.

[EFerrari]

38. I checked the video forum but there's only a very short one.

He couldn't stop talking and was obviously going out of control. I can't believe his people let him go on and on like that. Even if you don't like the guy, he's clearly not well at all.

[geiger]

64. thanks.

[TimesSquareCowboy]

39. I thought he was coherent and made good arguments.

I actually enjoyed listening to him.

[cali]

41. ack. do summarize the good arguments

and welcome to DU.

[DangerousRhythm]

54. Are you one of the six cowboy friends he was talking about? ;)

J/K but I really couldn't resist. :rofl:

[H2O Man]

42. I find his presentation

to be consistent with what would be expected if he had a problem with addiction. I'm sure that there is some personality pathology to begin with, but I think it is very, very likely that the guy is heavily abusing a certain group of drugs.

[cali]

49. could be, but he was certainly manic

manic phases can be triggered by amphetamines, coke, meth, and other substances. I really don't think there's much doubt the guy is in the throes of a psychotic break- whether drug induced or the result of bipolar or both.

[H2O Man]

53. While I do not

particularly care for this fellow, I found it disturbing to watch. One of my sons was here, and asked me if he was going against his attorney's advice in doing this press conference. I honestly can't think of anyone who supports him thinking that this was a good idea, or went well. I would rank it as very high among the televised melt-downs that I've witnessed.

[leftofthedial]

43. seeing a little of the coverage of him the last couple of days,

the media reminded me of a gang of 8th graders picking on the weakest 7th grader.

[cali]

50. I agree with you

the media today were definitely into taunting him.

[PatSeg]

46. Mayor Daley called him "whacko"

I've heard other Illinois Democrats say he's basically nuts. His press conference looked more like satire than reality.


Sorry, not "whacko". It was "cuckoo". "I said cuckoo once, I'll say it again. Cuckoo."

[Fire1]

57. And Daley is by all means credible. NOT.

[cali]

63. Blago's chief defense attny just quit

Why? Because Blago is out of control- though he put it in a more polite manner. He said he doesn't insist that clients do what he say, but he does ask that they listen to him, and Blago wasn't doing that.

[Fire1]

76. That happens all the time between client and attorney, just ask

Kwame Kilpatrick, former Detroit Mayor. It doesn't make them crazy. I commend Blago's attorney for not just racking up fees which
several of Kwame's lawyers did. Kwame wasn't listening and they kept on billing. There were only two of his attorney's that he actually 'let go,' but by the time he did, he owed them a hefty sum.

[FloridaJudy]

47. What *was* all that "cowboy" crap?

I agree: that sure looks like someone having a manic episode to me.

[pipi_k]

72. It was a parable

you know...like the kind ministers and teachers might use to get a point across to someone.

[FloridaJudy]

75. Yes, but it was totally inappropriate

To the subject at hand. If he'd left it after the "fair trial" statement, that would have made sense. But he belabored it to the point of incoherence.

[pipi_k]

48. Maybe I'm watching a totally different video

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/23/watch-live-blagojevich-pr_n_160423.html


???

but it seems to me that he's doing the same thing I often do...using examples I think relate to a point I'm trying to make...similarities...

as far as him having a breakdown, he seems angry, and I don't blame him.

Oh well..I suppose if I understand him, that must mean I'm as mentally ill as he is....

:shrug:


PS...I first thought he was guilty as hell when all this first came out, so it's not like I love the guy or anything and I'm not trying to stick up for him....I just understand his reasoning in comparing his own case to the anecdote about the cowboy about to be hanged after a fair trial...

[Fire1]

56. Thank you! I guess it's 'selective due process.'

[elleng]

60. Ditto

.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

55. I also think he's unstable.

Poor bloke.

[WildEyedLiberal]

58. Is there any video?

I hate what Blagojevich has done to my state, but I don't wish the man ill, and if this is as bad as it sounds, he needs treatment. He also needs to be removed from office ASAP - this state is in freefall because of his belligerent negligence.

I dislike him very strongly, but if you're right, then I can't take a whole lot of glee in his downfall. I missed the presser, though, so if anyone has a video link I'd appreciate it.

Edit: Just watched it on MSNBC.com... I think he's delusional at the very least. His grasp of reality seems tenuous at best... he appears to not realize that his "rights" vis a vis an impeachment trial are different from his rights in a court of criminal law. And this guy ostensibly is a lawyer... yeah, something's not right.

[elleng]

61. A couple videos here.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/23/blagojevich-im-skipping-t_n_160447.html

Its not clear to me that he's NOT making reasonable arguments in the face of impeachment trial; he should be entitled to address the allegations with evidence/witnesses. Haven't checked the rules he references. After 20 minutes or so he tires, but otherwise he seems rather coherent to me.

[WinkyDink]

66. Well, the most spectacular in my life was an on-camera suicide by a politician in PA!

[cali]

67. That's awful

and worse than Blagojevitch, of course. But this is definitely pretty dramatic.

[WinkyDink]

69. Budd Dwyer. During a press conference.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budd_Dwyer

[cali]

71. Holy shit. I don't know why I don't remember that

how terrible. I really, really hope there's no repeat. ever.

[H2O Man]

74. It was surreal.

The media -- including the regional and national tv -- kept replaying the scene, cutting off at the point he shot himself. But the torment he displayed in the moments before killing himself were certainly as disturbing a scene as any that has ever been televised.

[H2O Man]

68. I keep thinking

of that when I watch Blago.

[rucky]

73. If you were falsely accused of cattle rustlin', you'd be sick too.