Blagojevich denies shaking down race track owner

[The Northerner]

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich took the stand on Friday for the second day in his federal corruption trial, denying he tried to shake down a race track owner in exchange for signing legislation favorable to the industry.

Government witnesses testified that in the fall of 2008, Blagojevich directed lobbyist Lon Monk to lean on track owner John Johnston to give or raise a $100,000 contribution while Blagojevich stalled on signing a revenue-sharing bill that would divert riverboat casino money to the horse racing business.

But Blagojevich said he postponed signing the legislation not because he was waiting for campaign cash, but because he wanted his aides to study the bill to make sure legislators had not inserted "poison pill" language.

Blagojevich explained that sometimes lawmakers insert hidden language to routine bills in an effort to get some proposal passed the governor would otherwise oppose.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110527/pl_nm/us_blagojevich

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. rye, whole wheat, multigrain, or white?

Just curious about exactly which kind of toast Blaggo turns out to be.