>:)

My speculation, based on my experience as a retired federal agent, is that Mrs Blagoyevich is being held as leverage. In other words, her legal predicament depends on her husband cooperating with the Government. If Rod cooperates fully and honestly about Illinois corruption, his wife can be left out of the indictment. If Rod chooses not to cooperate, then Mrs Blagoyevich may be charged as well-if the evidence is sufficient against her. Distasteful? perhaps, but it is legal, and it is done that way on occasion. In other words, in exchange for cooperation, breaks can be given.

But who would Rod give up in return for consideration being given to his wife-and himself? Well, a cardinal rule is that the Government needs to work its way up the ladder of the criminal organization-not down the ladder. To use an analogy, had Hitler been captured alive at the end of World War2, it would have been unconscionable to give him a break to testify against, say, Hermann Goering.

So it must be assumed that if Rod Blagoyevich has any cards to play either to help himself or protect his wife, he would have to give up someone bigger than himself. The problem for him is that there is no one in the Illinois State Government who is bigger than he is. That leaves him one card left, which I will leave to your imagination. Most observers who know anything about Rod Blagoyevich are certain he will try to make a deal for himself.

That takes me to my next point. Anything and everything that Rod Blagoyevich says to investigators and prosecutors will have to be completely corroborated. If Blag winds up being a Government witness, no jury will believe a word he says, nor should they. In fact, the presiding judge would instruct the jurors to be sceptical of his testimony and accept it only when accompanied by corroborating, independent evidence.

Settle in, folks. It’s going to be a long ride.

gary fouse
fousesquawk

There is no credit card fraud, again something or someone would have been chraged by now.

Your “reasoning” is staggeringly flawed. I doubt either campaign’s books are officially closed only a few weeks after the election, although I concede that, thus far, all indications are that McCain’s campaign’s books will be scrutinized more closely than Obama’s. And since when does the speed of an investigation indicate the legitimacy of the charges?

The willful sloppiness of Obama’s fundraising procedures and record-keeping alone are probably enough to bring someone in his campaign up on charges under Sarbanes-Oxley and related state statutes that govern fundraising.

But, go ahead, call anyone who raises legitimate concerns about Obama’s ethical practices a truther.

Welcome to Chicago’s culture of Democrat corruption. Governor Rod Blagojevich has just given people a little insight to the problems they have down there. From Chicago Breaking News (Hat tip: Hot Air):…

bullseye on December 10, 2008 at 9:58 AM

More Troother hope and dreams….if something was going to happen with Rezko it would have already happened.

There is no credit card fraud, again something or someone would have been chraged by now.

You guys are looking for gold in them thar IFs….

When is Obama going to get arrested?

SaintOlaf on December 9, 2008 at 7:40 PM

Arrested for what? LOL

AprilOrit on December 9, 2008 at 8:06 PM

1. A quid pro quo with Tony Rezko re the obmansion. Sale of the mansion was predicated on sale of the adjacent lot. Obama didn’t have the money so Rezko’s wife bought the lot and overpaid for it. Then sold obama a 10 foot strip rendering her lot unbuildable. Gee half a mill for an unbuildable lot. Later Obama used some influence to help rezko.. ergo quid pro quo.

2. IF..IF..IF.. obama is on tape or otherwise documented discussing pay for play for the senate seat and IF..IF..IF he didn’t go directly to the authorities, then oopsie..

3. The election credit card fraud (not tied to this issue)

However, there is a difference between putting your crony in office or a political celebrity (i.e. Caroline Kennedy)and actually selling the senate seat to the highest bidder. Blago is accused of doing the latter.

Illinidiva on December 10, 2008 at 8:55 AM

Exactly. I am a New Yorker and have no problem with Caroline Kennedy, she’s smart, she’s ethical, she’s capable and she is able. All the Kennedy girls have always been good decent proper young ladies. Caroline has headed the NYC Dept of Education and she currently does fund raising for our public schools, obtaining funds form the private sector.

NYC experience – working here in this city – is priceless.

I am not sure he was calling that to Obama’s face or calling Obama names to someone else.
I am assuming not to his face…not unusual.
Of all the scenerios I would say trying to negotiate with someone, being refused (or not getting what they want), and then calling them names to someone else would be fairly valid, in fact SOP.
What I was saying was Rahm may have stepped in and saved Obama’s hide…

right2bright on December 10, 2008 at 8:23 AM

As it has been reported – indirectly this happened because of the ethics bill the governor vetoed – which was overided and passed by the Illinois legislature due to Obama’s urging.

Moreover Obama hasn’t been charged or implicated for anything. Patrick Fitzgerald make that very clear. However Truthers apparantly, am I am by no means including you in this bunch of coconuts, have the ability to read anythig into everything, nothing and vice versa. And if it isn’t there they will make it up and add it to the myth. It happened to Clinton, Bush and it will happen to this one as well.

And the f**k**s get away with it becuase we, the general public – enable and embolden them to do it.

Respect is earned, not given. Obama has not earned respect yet…the office has, but not the individual holding the office.
Someone brought up the NY senate seat, basically being handled the same way. Stating that Caroline can bring in the money…forget running the country, who can bring in the votes and the money.
That is what set Bush apart…he truly was trying to find what was best for the Nation, no what was best for the party, or how to bring in more dough.
The dems are showing exactly what they are about…money and power, forget running the Nation…

right2bright on December 10, 2008 at 8:28 AM

That may well be about the Democrats, however we have had our share of craziness on our side as well. Norm Coleman is currently under investigation and look at what has transpired over the past 2 years. So I am willing to give the man a chance, he hasn’t even taken office yet and again, he is my Presdient.

For me I have decided in times like these that I am will make the effort to see the glass half full than half empty. Although I am younger than many here – I think – so I may have a different outlook.

I also think God put me here for a reason – to really keep it green for me. I am a cancer survivor, too much bitterness and negativity is deadly, something not to become as time marches on. Some of these commenters here are so unhappy – that’s what’s really staggering. And after 8 years of having their candidate in the White House and they still act this unhinged.

It’s the same behavior we’ve gotten from the otherside – proof positive that they could care less about bringing the country together, it’s all about feeding that partisan fix.

While all this corrupt dealing is going on in Illinois, the media’s eyes (such cataracted contraptions as they now are) are not doing similar coverage as to how the vacancy in New York State is being handled by Gov Patterson. Anyone who believes that these seats are filled with the best and brightest with no consideration as to payback for the appointer from the appointee and/or his/her poltical friends must be living in cloud castles. Politics has never been clean and ideal at most it can be temporarily disinfected, but given our fallen state, that is best we can hope for. I also hope change comes to Illinois soon, but Emil Jones won’t bring it, he’s the one who adopted Obama’s idea to promote Obama as the new US Senator from Illinois in 2004.

eaglewingz08 on December 10, 2008 at 6:39 AM

However, there is a difference between putting your crony in office or a political celebrity (i.e. Caroline Kennedy)and actually selling the senate seat to the highest bidder. Blago is accused of doing the latter.

I believe the PresidentPresident Elect deserves the respect of our Nation regardless of whether I voted for him/her.

AprilOrit on December 10, 2008 at 1:41 AM

Respect is earned, not given. Obama has not earned respect yet…the office has, but not the individual holding the office.
Someone brought up the NY senate seat, basically being handled the same way. Stating that Caroline can bring in the money…forget running the country, who can bring in the votes and the money.
That is what set Bush apart…he truly was trying to find what was best for the Nation, no what was best for the party, or how to bring in more dough.
The dems are showing exactly what they are about…money and power, forget running the Nation…

More conjecture…jeez. If your scenerio is correct why did the Governor trash Obama snd call him names on the wire??

AprilOrit on December 9, 2008 at 7:06 PM

I am not sure he was calling that to Obama’s face or calling Obama names to someone else.
I am assuming not to his face…not unusual.
Of all the scenerios I would say trying to negotiate with someone, being refused (or not getting what they want), and then calling them names to someone else would be fairly valid, in fact SOP.
What I was saying was Rahm may have stepped in and saved Obama’s hide…

Will they let him bring his toupee?

Jim Treacher on December 9, 2008 at 2:28 PM

Dude, that’s really his hair!

Sorry you were in NJ. Hope your dreams to catch the big fish come true.

JiangxiDad on December 9, 2008 at 8:30 PM

I’m walking into a meeting at a Fortune 100 company, and my old boss calls and gives the news. He says “you’re the first guy I thought of!” Flatterer.

And what a statement on Illinois politics that I might not consider the Governor a “big fish” in the corruption sense.

Actually, I don’t consider myself to be afflicted with ODS, and I’m content to let the wheels of justice turn on their own. The galling thing to Republicans though is that Democratic miscreants are usually so unvetted, given such a free pass from media scrutiny that it’s enraging. I think that’s why so many Republicans (to their detriment, IMO) went after the Clinton scandals with such gusto.

The case with Obama is the most blatant I’ve seen, though I’ve not been around all that long. You mean to tell me that the press corps was under the impression that a Chicago politician could come up through the ranks smelling like a rose? There seemed to be no “curiosity” (the usual word) about Obama’s background. They were too busy going through Sarah Palin’s trash cans.

ddrintn on December 10, 2008 at 12:36 AM

Here’s my problem – Bush was attacked daily for the last 8 years accused of everything and anythingm primarily absurd and ridiculous charges based on lies, garbage and conjecture. Not once did The Left give the man credit for keeping us safe for the last 7 years. Instead they accused him of attacking his own country. The worked against him at every juncture.

Now we have another election and Obama wins. The Right now assumes the position – I guess similar to the one they had with the Clintons, (who I can’t stand, so I will admit – I was guilty of CDS)and it starts up all over again.

The crazy PUMAs who are made up of many Truthers, the same freaks who hold Bush responsible for 9/11 – start up this crazy birth certificate deal. When the SCOTUS says no thanks, they go berserk. And being the Truthers that they are, no matter what evidence they get – just like the evidence from Popular Mechanics during 9/11 – they are not satified.

Now this corrupt and sleazy governor is busted and we find out that indirectly this happened because of the ethics bill the governor vetoed – which was overided and passed by the Illinois legislature due to Obama’s urging.

Like Bush, he’ll get no credit. The conspiracy theories have already started, the guilty until proven innocent air is circulating and they can’t even see that they are The Right’s answer to the same peole with BDS that we criticized.

Meanwhile the country suffers. I guess my problem is with this idea that if your candidate/your side doesn’t win, you are just not going to accept it. This happened on The Left with the looney Bush critics. Michael Moore accused him of stealing the election, they called him an illegimate President. How many bumper stickers did we see with variations of this theme?

I was on that crazy birth certificate thread the other day reading the posts from these people who were screaming bloody murder about the SCOTUS not following the Constitution. Meanwhile they aren’t either. They refuse to acknowledge a President who was democratically elected based on our Constitution.

I mean when does it end? When do we put down the partisanship and come together for the benefit of the Nation? Never? Or not ever – until our side wins again?

You would think we would be the ones who take the high road, especially after the way our candidate was treated for the past 8 years. I believe the PresidentPresident Elect deserves the respect of our Nation regardless of whether I voted for him/her.

Special Election Prediction:

This seat is Mike Ditka’s the moment he should announce.

jfshaughnessy on December 9, 2008 at 5:15 PM

Ditka doesn’t want to run. The Rs wanted him to run against Obama in 2004 and he declined to do so. However, Blago probably has handed the Rs the Senate seat. Most likely to one of the IL Republican Congressman (either Kirk or Roskam).

Now it’s The Right’s turn I suppose. That desire for the gotcha and that need to get even is like an addiction fueling the ODS.

And they will point to The Left’s bad behavior over the last 8 years to make it all seem acceptable and just.

It’s very common behavior on both sides.

AprilOrit on December 10, 2008 at 12:16 AM

Actually, I don’t consider myself to be afflicted with ODS, and I’m content to let the wheels of justice turn on their own. The galling thing to Republicans though is that Democratic miscreants are usually so unvetted, given such a free pass from media scrutiny that it’s enraging. I think that’s why so many Republicans (to their detriment, IMO) went after the Clinton scandals with such gusto.

The case with Obama is the most blatant I’ve seen, though I’ve not been around all that long. You mean to tell me that the press corps was under the impression that a Chicago politician could come up through the ranks smelling like a rose? There seemed to be no “curiosity” (the usual word) about Obama’s background. They were too busy going through Sarah Palin’s trash cans.

I wonder what the MSM would be saying if both Obama and Blagojevich were Republicans. Would there be linkage then?

Dasher on December 9, 2008 at 11:46 PM

Of course and probably more so. Kos, DU, Huff Po – the Drudge of The Left and Andrew Sullivan etc would be foaming at the mouth. I am sure Talk Radio will be chock full of conspiracy theories and linkage about Chicago tomorrow as well.

Point in check – these partisan hacks on both sides care little about America, it’s all about the addiction to the gotcha. Oh and burning America to the ground in the process.

The Left did this to Bush for 8 years, no matter what the man did they refused to bring this America together for the benefit of the country as a whole. It was disgusting – the BDS was appalling.

Now it’s The Right’s turn I suppose. That desire for the gotcha and that need to get even is like an addiction fueling the ODS.

And they will point to The Left’s bad behavior over the last 8 years to make it all seem acceptable and just.

It’s very common behavior on both sides.