Illinois gov. Blagojevich tries to sell Obama's seat, gets arrested

[Tom Storer]

Rod Blagojevich was caught trying to clean up on his power to name Obama's Senate successor. But that was only part of it. The feds had him on a wiretap and, it is alleged, he demonstrated a healthy appetite for personal financial gain as a public servant. Read all about it here and here.

[MRS]

Two in a row for Illinois!

[groover]

What does it take to keep pols honest? Are they not getting paid enough?

[Uli]

"The breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering," U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said in a statement. "They allege that Blagojevich put a 'for sale' sign on the naming of a United States senator; "

that is staggering, indeed. They are talking 20 years.

[MRS]

look at those direct quotes, oh my god

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/b...120908.article

[Gordon B]

His Wiki entry is long enough to turn into a book length biography.

[GoodSpeak]

With all due respect to our resident Chicagoans, the state of Illinois has a long and storied history of political corruption dating clear back to the days of Al Capone and beyond. Just SOP, I guess.

It just pisses me off that this guy went into office as a "reformer" and was supposed to fix the problems of the previous administration.

[Uli]

Originally Posted by MRS

Two in a row for Illinois!

we are used to some of that in the region, but as they just sed on the local news, compared to blagojevich, Ryan acted like a small town sheriff.

[Uli]

Originally Posted by GoodSpeak

With all due respect to our resident Chicagoans, the state of Illinois has a long and storied history of political corruption dating clear back to the days of Al Capone and beyond. Just SOP, I guess..

yeah, but this seems to allege a new low, a corruption crime spree as the US attorney describes it.

[MRS]

I can't decide if this hurts or helps Ryan's hope for a pardon.

[Gordon B]

Originally Posted by Uli

we are used to some of that in the region, but as they just sed on the local news, compared to blagojevich, Ryan acted like a small town sheriff.

Shame on you, Uli. Blagojevich is as much your fault as Palin is Ron's.

[Scott Dolan]

Originally Posted by GoodSpeak

With all due respect to our resident Chicagoans, the state of Illinois has a long and storied history of political corruption dating clear back to the days of Al Capone and beyond. Just SOP, I guess.

Thank God our resident Chicagoans have you around.

The fact that they live there yet needed someone from California to tell them about the history of their town is just pitiful.

You all should be ashamed of yourselves. I'm ashamed to have even visited your town!

[Uli]

Originally Posted by Gordon B

Shame on you, Uli. Blagojevich is as much your fault as Palin is Ron's.

hey, i am just a resident alien.

[Dr Dave]

Is there a Darwin Award for politicians? Blago has to be a front-runner.

[Scott Dolan]

A doctor I once worked for said to me: find out what it is you like to do and figure out a way to make money at it.

[rollhead]

The problem is, is that they are ALL like this in one way or another. Just some or more brazen than others.

If some aren't illegally selling public assets for monetary gain, they are selling/bartering/stealing public assets to garner authority and power, which, for the most part, is totally legal and, in fact, encouraged.

Even a piss-ant town like Albany runs on log-rolling and influence peddling. Of course, most of these crooks are trained lawyers, so they know which lines they can and can't cross. And they make their livings tip-toeing right along the line.

What really surprises me here is not that Blagojevich is a crook, but that he was actually arrested for it and that there are still people in authority who are disapproving enough of his actions to arrest him.

If there was any justice in this world, the only thing Blagojevich will have to sell now is access to his asshole in prison. But I am guessing he won't have control of his ass there.

Meanwhile, here in New York, the New York State Senate, now run by the Democrats, just chose an out-and-out crook, Pedro Espada Jr., to be its majority leader.

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/...ing_to_al.html

[patricia]

The governor's close-set, beady eyes and low-sloping forhead should have been a sure sign of a devious, dishonest politician, not to mention the ongoing investigation necessitating a wiretap that stretches back years on this guy. Apparently he is known for his personal ambition and his vanity. Surely he must have known that eventually he would catch the Federal eye??
Is nothing NOT for sale by these bottom-feeders? Where exactly IS the line?

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by patricia

The governor's close-set, beady eyes and low-sloping forhead should have been a sure sign of a devious, dishonest politician,

WHOAAAAA... sounds just a tad politically incorrect to these tin ears, but hell, what do I know?

Among the first pseudo-scientific applications of anthropometry was a theory of ‘social pathology’ where members of the wealthy and middle classes disparagingly explained poverty, crime and vice as something arising from “the criminal classes,” so indicated by their physical features: low sloping foreheads, small (beady little) eyes set far apart, and so on.

[patricia]

Originally Posted by rollhead

WHOAAAAA... sounds just a tad politically incorrect to these tin ears, but hell, what do I know?

Among the first pseudo-scientific applications of anthropometry was a theory of ‘social pathology’ where members of the wealthy and middle classes disparagingly explained poverty, crime and vice as something arising from “the criminal classes,” so indicated by their physical features: low sloping foreheads, small (beady little) eyes set far apart, and so on.

No offence intended.
Far apart beady eyes are odd, but common, even desirable.
But the close-set beady kind, coupled with the low hairline/forhead AND the knuckles that drag on the ground...

[Mike Schwartz]

It's ironic that this is the guy who came to office following someone who was sent away on the promise that he would clean things up

[Jazz Purist]

This sort of thing is done all the time by politicians. The only difference between Blagojevich and other politicians is that Blagojevich was dumb enough to get caught.

Sounds cynical, but it's the truth.

[Monte Smith]

What are the odds that the next Illinois governor is also a crook? Prepare your indictments ahead of time.

It would be interesting if the media should ration some of it's rare scrutiny upon the Senator appointment processes in New York and Delaware. Any shenanigans at work in the replacement of Clinton and Biden as there has been with the Obama seat? If I was a cynic, I'd think there might be.

[Ron Thorne]

Holy, Moly! The stupidity and brazen approach is truly extraordinary.

Whatever you do, Blago, stay the hell away from Alaska! We're in no mood for more shenanigans, and have more guns than people totin' em, so be forewarned.

[Paul B]

Originally Posted by Ron Thorne

Whatever you do, Blago, stay the hell away from Alaska! We're in no mood for more shenanigans, and have more guns than people totin' em, so be forewarned.

You betcha!

[hornplayer]

Originally Posted by groover

What does it take to keep pols honest? Are they not getting paid enough?

somebody once said something about power corrupting????

he's well known as a first rate scumbag, but this tops all!

[Tom Storer]

Originally Posted by rollhead

The problem is, is that they are ALL like this in one way or another. Just some or more brazen than others.

If some aren't illegally selling public assets for monetary gain, they are selling/bartering/stealing public assets to garner authority and power, which, for the most part, is totally legal and, in fact, encouraged.

So basically, politicians are corrupt scum by definition? Only by holding one's nose is it possible to ever cast a vote for any of them? Nothing they do in office can wipe out the stain of their guilty ambition, their de facto theft of public assets, etc.?

[hornplayer]

Originally Posted by rollhead

The problem is, is that they are ALL like this in one way or another. Just some or more brazen than others.

The sad thing is your statement is not true. It's the dishonest ones that get all the press.

[Tom Storer]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

It would be interesting if the media should ration some of it's rare scrutiny upon the Senator appointment processes in New York and Delaware. Any shenanigans at work in the replacement of Clinton and Biden as there has been with the Obama seat? If I was a cynic, I'd think there might be.

There are certainly negotiations going on. No politician is going to transfer power without getting something in return, even if the higher interests of the electorate are respected in making the decision. But there's a big difference between a winked and nodded understanding that I'll expect you to vote with me on this or that, owe me a favor, help out my protégés, support my re-election, etc., and an explicit request for cash.

That said, if no-show jobs were being coincidentally offered here and there I wouldn't be surprised.

[Brian Olewnick]

Originally Posted by Tom Storer

There are certainly negotiations going on. No politician is going to transfer power without getting something in return, even if the higher interests of the electorate are respected in making the decision.

Why not? If my assistant leaves, I don't hire someone based on what I'm going to personally (or, to use the term loosely, professionally) get in return. Why should a politician be different?

.....unless at least a minimal level of corruption is inherent in someone who takes a job that involves wielding power over other people. Could it be.....?

[Tom Storer]

But when you pick an assistant you might well pick one you find more congenial even if another candidate is slightly more qualified, thereby favoring your own comfort over the legitimate demands of the job. Or if some colleague who has gone out of his or her way to help you in the past suggests a candidate who will do the job OK, you might pick that candidate over another who is more qualified in order to honor a perceived personal debt, again choosing your own concerns over the demands of the job. And that's on the level of jobs where no one could expect much in the way of a quid pro quo anyway. Higher up the ladder, stakes are higher, ambitions are sharper, politicking is more obvious.

Anyone who takes any job with any degree of oversight of others--someone who hires an assistant, for example--"wields power over other people." And that includes an enormous amount of people wielding some degree of power. It's true that power corrupts, in the sense that power provides opportunities for corruption and also opportunities for perceived corruption. If you're in a position where any decision you make will favor one person or group over another, the party that doesn't benefit from your decision will be apt to accuse you at the very least of favoritism, whether or not it's true. Complete impartiality is probably impossible for people to achieve, therefore any exercise of authority affecting others might in fact be corrupt, despite best intentions. But taking responsibility and exercising it is a vital role in most human enterprises. It's a good thing someone does it, even if almost nothing they do is above suspicion.