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Oh boy
Illinois Governor in Corruption Scandal
Charged in Scheme to Sell Obama's Seat to Highest Bidder
New York Times, December 9, 1:34 PM ET
Irony: remember the blogosphere excitement in the past about a possible "Fitzmas"? Surprise, surprise. What a mess, everyone being considered by him now has a black mark.
Maybe "they" got sick of seeing New Yorkers whining about conspiracies on Paterson possibly appointing Caroline Kennedy, show 'em how the questionable politics game really is played.
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Pleasing to think that Blagojevitch is young and can therefore spend a lot of healthy life in jail. What a moral zero.
December 9, 2008 4:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
.
Yup . . .
The muppet takes a hit . . .
It's not like this is some kind of big surprise to anyone who keeps up with the news outside of the great state of New Yawk . . .
~OGD~
December 9, 2008 4:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry to disappoint, but I gained my skepticism about the holiness of the Democratic party as a twenty-something in my hometown of Milwaukee, where the Mayor Jane Byrne story was featured in our local news every day; the Chicago machine at the time was daily infotainment for Milwaukeeans.
Where my naivete came in was, upon moving to NYC in late 83, expecting not to find another monstrous Democratic machine. I remember my best friend from college visiting shortly after that, she was from a staunch Wisconsin Democratic political family, and she was just shocked by the Donald Manes suicide and everything involved with it. I got a taste up close and personal early on, going to the NYC Parking Violations Bureau, where I was told that I had to pay the fine again because my check, written out to and mailed to the NYC Parking Violations Bureau, and cashed, was not cashed by the Bureau itself but by "someone else." That's what the judge said, it was cashed by "someone else," and said it as if that wasn't their problem, but mine.
December 9, 2008 4:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
My hometown, natally speaking, is nearby Racine, but I missed out on the fun of having a ring-side seat to Chicago politics by moving, as a child, to squeaky clean Portland, where it's a major scandal when a public employee uses their work computer to buy stamps over the internet.
December 10, 2008 12:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
There's news outside this place?
December 10, 2008 12:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sounding so far, though, like he has exactly the kind of cojones to live long and prosper inside the prison system. I picture something along the lines of the prison dining scenes in "Goodfellas." :-)
December 9, 2008 4:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Chris Matthews opening line to his Hardball show tonight sort of gets at my own reaction: "Is the second city first in corruption?" Since Boss Tweed, it's often seemed to me there's been a contest for who gets the prize. :-)
December 9, 2008 5:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Uhhhhh . . .
First in corruption?
Never spent anytime in the swampland of Louisiana ... Eh?
They don't have to bury the bodies or sink 'em in cement boots down there.
And not much national press bothers with that neck of the woods.
Business as usual.
~OGD~
December 9, 2008 9:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is he trying to look like a Beatle? No, just a scumbag, I guess.
December 9, 2008 11:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am trying to catch up on this scandal.
So forgive me if my question sounds absurd.
The Governor may be a big scumbag, but what law did he really violate, except our trust?
Did he receive money? Did he take a bribe? Is it now, unlawful to have bad thoughts.
It may be, the inclination was there, but did it come to fruition?
Again, I'll admit I don't have all the facts, so please inform me, so I can share them with others. Legal facts not moral judgement.
December 10, 2008 11:59 AM | Reply | Permalink