Illinois governor taken into custody

[jdobbin]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/09/ill...enor/index.html

Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, are charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's office for the Northern District of Illinois.

Both men are expected in U.S. District Court in Chicago later Tuesday.

Yikes, putting Obama's Senate seat up for bids. Not cool.

[bush_cheney2004]

Everything has a price....wanna buy a baby?

I wonder if the governor knows Conrad Black.

...anyway, better dirt over at Drudge:

http://drudgereport.com/

Edited December 9, 2008 by bush_cheney2004

[August1991]

I love scandals like this. They are like the Catholic Church in the 16th century selling indulgences, positions and favours.

But here's the real story:

The charges are part of a five-year investigation into public corruption and allegations of “pay to play” deals in the clubby world of Illinois politics. In addition to the charges related to Mr. Obama’s Senate seat, they include accusations that Mr. Blagojevich worked to gain benefits for himself, his family and his campaign fund in exchange for appointments to state boards and commissions.

NYT

Clubby world of Illinois politics? What did Obama know and when did he know it?

[jdobbin]

Clubby world of Illinois politics? What did Obama know and when did he know it?

Yup. That is what Republicans want to know. Some are hoping the arrests lead to Obama's door and that he taken into custody for his part.

Edited December 9, 2008 by jdobbin

[M.Dancer]

Change I can believe in...

[stevoh]

Change I can believe in...

Exactly. The repubs would promote this guy.

[M.Dancer]

Exactly. The repubs would promote this guy.

Highly doubtful. His democractic credentials are unimpeachable.

[Mr.Canada]

Seems like it's business as usual on the hill. Obama is no different to any other President, his honeymoon is fading.

[August1991]

Yup. That is what Republicans want to know. Some are hoping the arrests lead to Obama's door and that he taken into custody for his part.

Hey Dobbin, I didn't use the term "clubby world of Illinois politics" - that was the choice of the NYT.

I heard Obama state to today that he didn't know the Governor, or what he was doing or something to that effect.

Maybe this will lead to another endless Whitewater investigation, or maybe it won't.

[jdobbin]

I heard Obama state to today that he didn't know the Governor, or what he was doing or something to that effect.

Maybe this will lead to another endless Whitewater investigation, or maybe it won't.

I'm sure there will be a huge investigation. At the moment, the FBI are saying they can find no wrongdoing by Obama but some bloggers are going full out right now.

[Shady]

America just elected a President who sprouted out of the most corrupt political environment in the country. How is it possible Obama is untouched from all of this?

You know who Gov. Blagojevich has close associations with, and a working relationship? Tony Rezko. Does the name ring a bell? The same Tony Rezko in which Barack Obama is associated with, and also has a working relationship. Not only that, but Obama and Emanuel (Obama's Cheif Of Staff) both worked as top political advisors to Blagojevich's 2002 run for state office.

Emanuel told the New Yorker earlier this year that he and Obama "participated in a small group that met weekly when Rod was running for governor. We basically laid out the general election, Barack and I and these two."

And late last month, David Axelrod appeared on television and commented that "I know he's (Obama) talked to the governor and there are a whole range of names many of which have surfaced, and I think he has a fondness for a lot of them."

ABC News

I think it's pretty obvious that there's much more to this story. But only time will tell.

[Shady]

Oh, and I gotta be the first one to say it!

This is not the Rod Blagojevich that I knew!

[August1991]

This is not the Rod Blagojevich that I knew!

Let's see where this leads.

Link

(Incidentally the original web page is no longer available.)

[BubberMiley]

Poor Shady must be terribly disappointed that the tapes have the governor complaining that Obama's team only offered their "appreciation" for putting their guy in the Senate seat. He has to invent guilt-by-association accusations that are as impotent as his still-futile obsession with Ayers.

Poor, poor Shady.

[kimmy]

This is not the Rod Blagojevich that I knew!

Ok, other than being from the same state and same party, is there any real reason to think Obama has connections to this guy?

The world of Chicago politics may be "clubby", but all politics are clubby; I suspect that Chicago politics are noted not so much for being "clubby" as for the shady reputation of that club.

I don't think people should make the assumption that Obama was connected to this guy's shady dealings.

-k

[bush_cheney2004]

...I don't think people should make the assumption that Obama was connected to this guy's shady dealings.

Perhaps, but it is naive to think that Obama would have no contact with the Governor's office wrt appointing his successor, and preferred candidate.

[kimmy]

Perhaps, but it is naive to think that Obama would have no contact with the Governor's office wrt appointing his successor, and preferred candidate.

Somehow I'm skeptical that Obama's plans wrt appointing his successor would involve a large cash transfer and a plum job for Mrs Blagojevich.

-k

[Riverwind]

Somehow I'm skeptical that Obama's plans wrt appointing his successor would involve a large cash transfer and a plum job for Mrs Blagojevich.

There are really two issues here:

1) Was Obama involved in these kinds of shady activities? (I would say no because if he was Clinton or MaCain would have found out about it a long time ago).

2) Did Obama know that shady dealings were going on but choose to remain silent? (It sounds like this may have been the case).

If 2) is true then Obama did nothing illegal but being willing turn a blind eye to this kind of stuff is distasteful but I suspect most successful politicians have done the same even if they did not participate (including the politicians who are seeking to use this issue to attack Obama).

Edited December 11, 2008 by Riverwind

[sharkman]

I heard that this story/investigation was suspended until the election was over. This one issue could have changed the outcome. Nice to know people are looking out for the prez now, he's gonna need it when the depression hits.

[BubberMiley]

I guess it's hard to cite voices in your head. I wonder how they suspended the investigation into how he dealt with a vacant senate seat that only became vacant after the election.

[sharkman]

Well, aren't you getting snippy, hope for your sake this issue blows away. Since you can't seem to add 2+2(still equals 4), for a senate seat there would be much competition prior to it coming available so that if it did, one would be well placed to compete for it. Kind of like lining up for boxing day sales, to dumb it down for you.

[BubberMiley]

Still can't cite your accusations?

[Shady]

Apparently Rahm Emanuel has been identified as the Obama advisor on the FBI Blagojevich recordings. I saw it on the MSNBC crawl this morning, but I haven't seen a link yet.

[August1991]

Apparently Rahm Emanuel has been identified as the Obama advisor on the FBI Blagojevich recordings. I saw it on the MSNBC crawl this morning, but I haven't seen a link yet.

Fox's Chicago affiliate is reporting that future White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel had "multiple conversations" with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich about filling President-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat.

The report is sourced to an unnamed person "close to the investigation" who also said that Blagojevich's office was given a list of contenders for the seat who would be "acceptable" to Obama.

Link

[bush_cheney2004]

Apparently Rahm Emanuel has been identified as the Obama advisor on the FBI Blagojevich recordings. I saw it on the MSNBC crawl this morning, but I haven't seen a link yet.

Right...Obama's never should have opened his big mouth.....now he is tainted even before bagging his first Monica.