Illinois Governor Blagojevich Corruption Scandal and Obama Calls for His Resignation

[BNaylor]

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was recently indicted and arrested on Federal corruption charges on trying to sell Obama's vacated Senate seat to the highest bidder.

This is sad. Man, the audacity of this nutjob. If he does not resign then he should be impeached.

President Elect Obama calls for his resignation and is obviously distancing himself from Blagojevich.

Source: Chicago Tribune

Barack Obama, U.S. senators, state officials urge Rod Blagojevich to resign
Governor goes back to work on 52nd birthday, a day after his arrest on corruption charges

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...,2299811.story

[03cavPA]

Originally Posted by BNaylor

President Elect Obama calls for his resignation and is obviously distancing himself from Blagojevich.

He'd be out of his everloving mind not to.

Sounds like Blag's old lady is a real piece of work, too.

[ericn1300]

Blagojevich should have just put the seat up on Ebay and been up front about it.

[03cavPA]

It was listed on ebay for a short time, but it's gone now.

http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/p...0249/-1/NEWS09

Last updated: December 10, 2008 12:01 p.m.
Illinois Senate seat goes up on eBay
Associated Press

CHICAGO – For sale: One Senate seat. Goes to the highest BLEEP-ing bidder. Seller's positive feedback rating: since Tuesday, just about zero.

Outraged by the arrest of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, more than a dozen people have put the state's vacant Senate seat up for bid on eBay.

The offers popped up on the Internet auction site after Blagojevich was accused Tuesday of trying to benefit financially from his power to appoint a Senate replacement to President-elect Barack Obama.

Daniel Finnegan, a student at the University of Georgia, said he started an auction because he's "extremely upset about what happened" and wants to voice his opinion.

Finnegan says he's glad others posted similar auctions so the accusations against Blagojevich don't go unnoticed.
.................................................. ....

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by 03cavPA

It was listed on ebay for a short time, but it's gone now.

http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/p...0249/-1/NEWS09

Now thats funny.




Two other key players emerge in this scandal. Jesse Jackson, Jr and Rahm Emanuel. Interesting to see how this plays out. Nothing like Chicago and Illinois politics.

Source: Chicago Tribune

Rahm Emanuel talked with governor's office about who should fill Obama's Senate seat
Chief of staff for Obama had list of names

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...,3359611.story

Source: Chicago Tribune

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. again defends himself in Rod Blagojevich scandal
He had no knowledge of any pay-to-play deals to get him appointed to the Senate, he maintains

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...,6879310.story

[old_master]

Ever wonder why every time some crap or corruption surfaces, it always seems to get tied to Obama? Then he claims to have had nothing to do with it and throws 'em under the bus. Happened with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Rev Wright, Tony Rezko, Bill Ayers, his own Grandmother, and the list goes on and on.... Why should Blagojevich be any different??? They'll probably just remove him from office rather than impeach him. If they impeach him that would require a trial, and Lord knows something will come out that ties back to Obama that they can't cover up. Did you ever wonder why, in the two books Obama wrote, that he never once mentioned his own Mother??? Kind of strange don't you think? And in "Dreams of my Father"... (his Father left him when he was 10 years old). How could a 10 year old kid be aware of, or remember his fathers dreams? Just like the Clintons, $20M for "memoirs" but get 'em in a court room and they can't remember shit. I wonder when people are going to wise up, the writing has been on the wall for YEARS. You can take the politician out of Illinois corruption, but you can't take the corruption out of the Illinois politician. Hold your wallet, we're in for a helluva ride!

[thegladhatter]

Originally Posted by BNaylor

President Elect Obama calls for his resignation and is obviously distancing himself from Blagojevich.
[/i]

Kinda reminds you of Bill Clinton/Bart Simpson....
"I didn't do anything. Nobody saw me do anything. You can't prove anything."

[HotZ28]

Now that BO has the Wild Willie clan in his fold, even if he was involved, I am sure Willie will offer some words of wisdom! These two were legendary!

I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms Lewinsky. ...

It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is. If the--if he--if 'is' means is and never has been, that is not--that is one thing. If it means there is none, that was a completely true statement....Now, if someone had asked me on that day, are you having any kind of sexual relations with Ms. Lewinsky, that is, asked me a question in the present tense, I would have said no. And it would have been completely true.

[BNaylor]

Wow! This is a bold move by Blago. He is either the smartest politician in Illinois or the dumbest.

It never ceases to amaze me how the "race card" argument is raised.

I'm glad the Democratic Senate Caucus and Obama have denounced him. "Unclean hands doctrine".

Source: MSNBC
December 30, 2008

Blagojevich appoints Obama Senate successor
Senate Democratic leadership: Appointment ‘will ultimately not stand’

Defying U.S. Senate leaders and his own state's lawmakers, Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Tuesday appointed former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate.

Link to Article

Source: MSNBC
December 30, 2008

Race enters fight over Obama's Senate seat
House Democrat laments lack of African-Americans in Senate

Link to Article

[03cavPA]

Damned if you let the appointment stand, damned if you don't, at the risk of having to wear the "R" label. It won't matter if the appointment is procedurally correct or not, the dog and pony show is going to get trotted out on center stage for this one.

I guess we'll see if blackness trumps all political wrongs and misdeeds.

To be fair, it's not Burris' fault, but he also has a record of giving money to Blago's political machine. Not much, but it's on record.

[YogsVR4]

Politics as usual

[BNaylor]

Well so much for Burris's trip to Washington to get seated as the Junior Senator from Illinois. IMO the Democrats did the right thing.

Source: Reuters
January 6, 2009

Democrat Roland Burris blocked from Senate

Link to Article

[Nicole8188]

"This is the largest taint in US Senate history."

[old_master]

Give it time, something bigger will turn up sooner or later, my guess is after January 20, 2009

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by old_master

Give it time, something bigger will turn up sooner or later, my guess is after January 20, 2009

Not a bad guess. It looks like sooner rather than later. Blago has been impeached by the Illinois House and all the Illinois Senate has to do is convict him.

Source: AP
January 9, 2009

Illinois House impeaches Gov. Rod Blagojevich

Impeachment required just 60 votes. The final result was 114-1.

Link to Article