My Governor is a total Rod...

[ICantSpellDawg]

And to what extent is that sort of sentiment a self-fulfilling feedback loop?

Blagevodinnerjacket (D) is a scumbag who is going to prison. Let's not extrapolate him onto all politicos just because we feel like casting lazy aspersions.

Right.

Jesse Jackson Jr seems to be relatively innocent of this thing. His associate just seems to have suggested that Jackson would raise a ton of funds for re-election.

It is a bit uncouth, but politics works through making trades. It makes me sick to my stomach when they are bartering for themselves rather than the electorate.

Obama is rather clean as well, but again the things that he has said about the Governor give me more reason not to trust him, his judgment or the depth of his words on any subject.

If he thought "The people of Illinois have a dedicated servant in Rod" (among many other stellar comments), how wrong will he be on issues that he isn't intimately associated with.

[CountArach]

Claiming that this shows anything about obama's lack of judgement is completely false. How could Obama have known about this in advance?

[Devastatin Dave]

Claiming that this shows anything about obama's lack of judgement is completely false. How could Obama have known about this in advance?

Well it is kind of a strange trend of Obama to hang out with some of the shaddiest SOB's in politics, religion, and money sources. There comes a time when even His worshippers should question is strange lack of judgement.

[Crazed Rabbit]

Claiming that this shows anything about obama's lack of judgement is completely false. How could Obama have known about this in advance?

Oh, I should hope he has some skill at judging character, Obama's certainly been in power in the same state as Blagovejerk long enough and I doubt he never heard or saw anything shady.

But still all politicians go around saying how the other guy who's supporting them is such a great fellow (at least until that other guy gets caught). In the future, though, Obama's endorsements for governor may not mean as much.

CR

[Devastatin Dave]

One more point...
This is kind of conspiracy, tin foil hat thinking on my part, but I have the feeling that the investigation only went as far as it did in order to protect Obama. We'll see I guess..

[Xiahou]

Claiming that this shows anything about obama's lack of judgement is completely false. How could Obama have known about this in advance?

Is knee-jerk lying a lack of judgment?

Obama quickly denied having any discussions with the governor about his senate replacement- despite multiple sources that mentioned him having discussions with the governor about it. That doesn't prove that Obama had anything to do with corrupt dealings, but it sure sounds like he lied.

Note: Before someone gets apoplectic, the source I linked was only chosen because it listed the multiple sources that contradict Obama. These sources include David Axelrod and the Chicago Tribune, among others.

[Lemur]

Obama comments on the Blagoyovittich (D) controversy. Also, kittens.

[Crazed Rabbit]

Heehee.

Related story.

Also, Rahm Emanuel isn't answering questions. That looks good.

CR

[rory_20_uk]

Obama rose like a rocket in one of the most corrupt parts of a pretty corrupt / plutocratic system. Did he do this as he was such a nice, honest person who would clean house? No. He made deals and traded influence with the best of them, but is bright enough to manage to get away clean.

In a leader I want one who is a devious bastard and is good at what he does - as that's who he's going to meet on the world stage and also in his own country. I don't want a Neville Chamberlin who is open and honest, but a complete berk. Of course the hope is that these "skills" are used for the benefit of the country and not to its detriment.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Apparently Rod has even been banished from Ichigoland.

[Hosakawa Tito]

Obama rose like a rocket in one of the most corrupt parts of a pretty corrupt / plutocratic system. Did he do this as he was such a nice, honest person who would clean house? No. He made deals and traded influence with the best of them, but is bright enough to manage to get away clean.

In a leader I want one who is a devious bastard and is good at what he does - as that's who he's going to meet on the world stage and also in his own country. I don't want a Neville Chamberlin who is open and honest, but a complete berk. Of course the hope is that these "skills" are used for the benefit of the country and not to its detriment.

According to this North Dakota is the worst. Hard to believe that the most disfunctional state government in the US, New York, isn't leading this category too, but not for lack of trying. I guess they just have better defense lawyers and a more complacent definition of corruption.

[Lemur]

Looks as though Illinois Dems have found a potential way to block Blagodinnerjacket's (D) latest asinine move ...

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White said he will not co-sign an appointment from embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to the U.S. Senate.

Any appointment made by the governor to the seat left vacant by Pres-Elect Barack Obama would have to be co-signed by White.

[rory_20_uk]

So White won't let a black get the job?

[Yoyoma1910]

Louisiana, Alaska and North Dakota all fared worse than the Land of Lincoln in that analysis.

Ahem. Thank you very much?



Y'all better watch it or we're going to start trying to find another Huey P. Long.

[Lemur]

Happy New Year, Illinoisians ...

[Kralizec]

Brilliant

[Hosakawa Tito]

That is funny as . LeatherCreations must not have any Illinois State contracts. Wonder when they come out with the Blago Sofa?

[Crazed Rabbit]

Roland Burris, the appointee, is a scumbag worse than Blagofabitch.

In 1992 he tried to get an innocent man executed while he was running for governor - maybe to look tough, maybe because he had no regard for law or justice, or maybe because he is startlingly incompetent. By that time another man had already confessed and a police detective and prosecutor had resigned in protest of the continued prosecution of Rolando Cruz.

In 1995 the prosecution continued even after DNA evidence showed Cruz didn't commit the crime. He was finally released after the state supreme court ordered a new trial which did not exclude the confession of the other man.

Blagofabitch took bribes. Burris tried to commit murder.

CR

From the election thread, for Lemur.

CR

[Hosakawa Tito]

Even without seeing that article Burris strikes me as a man with a warped sense of integrity to even accept any endorsement from Blago. No one should cooperate with nor enable this soon to be ex-Guv. Burris, and his supporters are just revealing themselves to be the grasping,shameless, power-hungry political animals that we have too many of already. Yeah, OJ's already in jail so I guess we got to go with Roland...

[Devastatin Dave]

The selection of Burris is a MASTERSTROKE by Blago!!! And I'm loving every minute of it!!! First, this shows who's boss and the imense balls the current governor has. Now it will show the complete and total hypocricy of the democrats in the senate when they try to block a BLACK MAN, and only BLACK MAN in the senate, from taking is legal place as senator of the state of Illinois. My god this is delicious. Funny watching the dems having to act like a bunch of cross burning hicks keeping a brutha down.

[ICantSpellDawg]

double

[ICantSpellDawg]

I agree with Buchanan's opinion of the Burris appointment. If there is no suspicion that Burris gave anything in return for his appointment, then there is nothing wrong with it. Obviously if the ruminations about contributions to Blagojevich by associates pans out, he should be barred, but as it stands I don't see the real problem.

I would prefer a special election, but that was always unlikely. As a conservative, I have nothing against a constant reminder of Democratic corruption stuck to the Senate - especially since the guy in question isn't the corrupt one.

No brainer. Experienced politico in the Senate, Democrats look stupid.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/art...he_stakes.html