rod blagojevich – Page 2

Burris promised a campaign contribution to Blagojevich.

Ace of Spades (H/T, by the way) has kindly given me permission to use the Flaming Blagojevich Skull for this, so I shall:

Sun-Times exclusive: Burris promised Blago campaign a check by mid-December

In a November conversation caught on an FBI wiretap, Roland Burris promised Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s brother that he’d write the governor a campaign check by mid-December, Burris’ lawyer said today.

That was about a month before Rod Blagojevich appointed Burris to the U.S. Senate.

But lawyer Timothy Wright told the Chicago Sun-Times today that his client never sent the check because he believed it wasn’t a good idea given Burris’ interest in the U.S. Senate seat appointment. Wright said Burris’ decision not to send the check had nothing to do with Blagojevich’s Dec. 9 arrest.

Continue reading Burris promised a campaign contribution to Blagojevich.

Blagojevich/Burris wiretap to be released.

It’s been a while since we visited the Matter of Blagojevich, but one thing that you can always count on: there’s always going to be something new coming out from that glorious trainwreck.

Judge OKs release of wiretap of Burris

CHICAGO (AP) — A federal judge said Tuesday he would allow the U.S. Senate Ethics Committee to have a federal wiretap of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s brother having a phone conversation with U.S. Sen. Roland Burris.

To summarize why the Senate might want to listen to this recording: Burris, in the course of getting the US Senate to seat him…

Signed an affidavit indicating that he never talked to Blagojevich’s aides.
Admitted in his testimony that he actually talked to one of the Governor’s unofficial aides.
Said in the same testimony that he didn’t remember talking to anybody else.
Signed another affidavit later on – after he officially became Senator – that he actually had talked to some of Blagojevich’s aides.
Admitted to reporters that he tried to do some fundraising for Blagojevich.

At this point, as the AP remarked:

Then he stopped answering questions, letting others speak on his behalf.

I’ll let Vice President Joe Biden, who is himself no amateur at this sort of spin control, provide the Democratic response:

Succinct, that.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.

Blago Shampoo: It’s Bleep’n Golden!

Blago voluminizing shampoo. (Via AoSHQ Headlines)

No, it’s real. I have no idea what the woman on the sand at the bottom of that website represents, though: unless it’s supposed to represent the feminine company that will swim Lake Michigan to be with you and your newly-epic hair.

Moe Lane

PS: There is a critical lack of this on Amazon – or, indeed, non-lame Blago-themed novelty material in general – so you’re just going to have to satisfy yourself with Pay to Play: How Rod Blagojevich Turned Political Corruption Into a National Sideshow.

So to speak.

Blagojevich to be indicted today.

Brought to my attention by Riehl World View. The best part? This:

Sources: Blagojevich indictment today

The U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago says that later today it is announcing developments in a “significant criminal matter.” Sources familiar with the situation said the announcement is expected to be the indictment of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and others on corruption charges.

Bolding mine. “And others.” That has such a fun ring to it, don’t you think?

Crossposted to RedState.

Results for the IL-05 primaries: Pulido, Quigley, some Green.

The general election is in April, but the majority of reporting is assuming that the winner of the Democratic Party is a shoo-in for the general election. So noted.

Moving along, on the Republican side anti-illegal immigration activist and Minuteman member Rosanna Pulido has won the nomination. Speaking as a pro-“amnesty” anti-immigration squishy-soft moderate, I sincerely congratulate her on her victory and wholeheartedly endorse her in the general election; she’s going into this swinging, and her presence at the Chicago Tea Party is something that more and more conservative candidates and officials need to start doing.

On the Democratic side, Mike Quigley is the Democratic candidate. Running on a strict reputation for reform, Quigley defeated SEIU shill Sara Feigenholtz and Illinois Combine pick John Fritchey. Suggestions that his candidacy was linked to Rod Blagojevich’s old organization via Billy Weinberg and Doug Scofield were, of course, dismissed immediately by the candidate. I congratulate SEIU and the Daley Machine on their loss, and thank them for all the money that they wasted in pursuing it.

On the Green side… eh. Progressives. Nobody really cares. I don’t know why they bothered; they’re all going to vote for the Democrat anyway.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.

Chicago Tribune futilely calls for Burris’ resignation.

(Via Hot Air Headlines) It’s a lovely thought, but it won’t happen. If either state or Senate Democrats cared enough about the humiliation that they were putting the people of Illinois through with this sorry mess, they would have changed the law to permit a special election in the first place. But that wasn’t important. Keeping the seat in the hands of one political party? That was important.

Heck of a thing when the most laudable motivation energizing any Democratic Party player in this affair is coming from the impeached former Governor of Illinois; even worse, the motivation is “stark, bloody-minded revenge.” Oh, Rod Blagojevich: why could you not have chosen to use your powers for good?

Crossposted to RedState.

Blagojevich stripped of office, any reason to keep his mouth shut.

They threw him out 59-0:

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been convicted at his impeachment trial and thrown out of office.

His removal comes nearly two months after his arrest on charges of trying to sell Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat. He becomes the first U.S. governor in more than 20 years to be removed by impeachment.

…and AoSHQ reports that they’re apparently setting it up so that he’ll never hold office in Illinois again.

In light of that: Blagojevich likes literary references. I’m making one under the fold. Continue reading Blagojevich stripped of office, any reason to keep his mouth shut.

It’s the biography of Churchill that makes this picture.

Ride that puppy all the way down, Rod.

Impeachment trial to proceed without Ill. governor

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Gov. Rod Blagojevich, taking his defense to television rather than his impeachment trial, lashed out at his accusers Monday and revealed he had considered naming Oprah Winfrey to the U.S. Senate.

The embattled governor told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that the idea of nominating the talk show host came to him as he explored potential candidates for the job that federal prosecutors allege he tried to sell to the highest bidder.

“She seemed to be someone who would help Barack Obama in a significant way become president,” he said. “She was obviously someone with a much broader bully pulpit than other senators.”

Continue reading It’s the biography of Churchill that makes this picture.

Go down swinging, Rod Blagojevich.

“And if it means I have to sacrifice myself to a higher cause, for the people of Illinois and for the principle of due process and the right to call witnesses, then so be it,”

For great justice.

CHICAGO — Illinois’ embattled but defiant governor, so fond of reciting poetry as he defends himself against federal corruption allegations, has turned instead to the history books to describe the emotional strain his arrest put on him and his family.

In an interview Thursday with The Associated Press, Gov. Rod Blagojevich compared his early morning December arrest by FBI agents to Japan’s 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

He says it was a “complete surprise” but he’ll prevail, just like America in World War II.

Continue reading Go down swinging, Rod Blagojevich.

Annnnnnd Reid messes up the Burris seating thing to the bitter end.

They seated Million Dollar Burris today:

WASHINGTON – Roland Burris took his place as Barack Obama’s successor in the Senate on Thursday, ending a standoff that embarrassed the president-elect and fellow Democrats who initially resisted the appointment by scandal-scarred Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

[snip]

More than a week after his colleagues were sworn in, Burris was seated without objection or a roll call vote, even though Majority Leader Harry Reid had said senators would have their voices heard on whether to accept his appointment.

[snip]

Senate Democrats wanted to move beyond the distracting controversy and its racial undertones.

Continue reading Annnnnnd Reid messes up the Burris seating thing to the bitter end.