Comments on: Fitzgerald may share tapes, transcripts with impeachment panel

By: Fitzgerald may share tapes, transcripts with impeachment panel « Top Daily Digest Reading

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 09:24:53 +0000

[...] Interesting? Proceed here. [...]

By: Blago-Rahma - Rahm Wanted It Both Ways? « Beltway Snark

Blago-Rahma - Rahm Wanted It Both Ways? « Beltway Snark — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 13:06:31 +0000

[...] – More bad news for Team Blago; Fitzgerald might share the wiretap tapes and transcripts with the Illinois House committee in charge of deciding whether [...]

By: Red State State of Mind

Red State State of Mind — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 01:53:47 +0000

I’m very uncomfortable with Federal indictments against a sitting state governor. The Separation of Powers in our Constitution extends to the States as well, but unfortunately there is little respect for the Tenth Amendment these days.

Fitzgerald should indeed share what he has, and let the Legislature deal with it. If Blago is removed, the Feds can step in after he’s no longer Governor.

oddball on December 23, 2008 at 2:41 PM

I don’t see it that way regarding the 10th Amendment. A politician, even a sitting State Governor, should still be held accountable to all applicable laws. Do you agree, or am I misunderstanding you?

By: RedSoxNation

RedSoxNation — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:55:35 +0000

RedSoxNation on December 23, 2008 at 1:52 PM
Uh, maybe it’s because the impeachment hearing is a STATE issue, whereas the charges against Blago are federal, hence the appointment of a U.S. Attorney.

RMCS_USN on December 23, 2008 at 2:15 PM

What is your point? I was asking a question.

The federal government is not immune from responding to a subpoena issued by a state court unless there is a legal ground to quash the subpoena. Sometimes the federal government has grounds to quash it, sometimes they don’t.

So, my question here is simple: does anyone know whether a STATE subpoena issued by the Illonois State Legislature (regarding an impeachment hearing) to a U.S. Attorney compel the U.S. Attorney to produce documents and information concerning a pending grand jury investigation?

By: kirkill

kirkill — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:44:20 +0000

back on the chain gang with you Blogo

By: DL13

DL13 — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:21:09 +0000

Play the tapes, just as if he were a Republican. What is fair for one should be fair for ALL!

By: Fitzgerald may share Blago tapes and transcripts with impeachment panel | Fire Andrea Mitchell!

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 21:39:53 +0000

[...] “an ongoing criminal investigation.” Fitzgerald did leave open the possibility that the 21-member House panel could get copies of secretly recorded tapes of Blagojevich from the governor’s campaign office and from his home telephone that were the basis of [...]

By: Steve Z

Steve Z — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 21:05:27 +0000

What if Fitz only gives them the tapes implicating Blagojevich, and holds back those implicating others, possibly including the Big O himself? Fitz might still have a few things up his sleeve…

Merry Fitzmas! Time to stand up and sing!
Time to give Bla-gone-evich Fitz!

By: Done That

Done That — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:07:40 +0000

Maybe the House wants the tapes because they’re worried about who else is caught on the tapes.

By: oddball

oddball — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:41:01 +0000

I’m very uncomfortable with Federal indictments against a sitting state governor. The Separation of Powers in our Constitution extends to the States as well, but unfortunately there is little respect for the Tenth Amendment these days.

Fitzgerald should indeed share what he has, and let the Legislature deal with it. If Blago is removed, the Feds can step in after he’s no longer Governor.

By: pedestrian

pedestrian — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:36:39 +0000

A witness is a f*****g valuable thing.

By: Vic

Vic — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:35:17 +0000

I think this was a wise call by Fitz; he doesn’t want to tip his hand any more than he already has. Besides, as Ed says, there are probably other fish about to be reeled in, and I don’t think he wants to let The Big One get away.

By: the_nile

the_nile — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:33:26 +0000

Maybe Blago just misspoke all along? Just let him clarify what he really meant.

By: grapeknutz

grapeknutz — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:28:41 +0000

This whole mess is starting to stink………..from both sides!

By: crosspatch

crosspatch — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:28:26 +0000

I think what they are really afraid of is Blagojevich spilling the beans on deals with Democrats in the state legislature. My guess is that any testimony taken from Blago is going to be in private deposition and not in public hearings.

By: grdred944

grdred944 — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:27:16 +0000

It doesn’t help Blago but at the end of the day I expect some sort of deal to be cut. I can’t imagine the Illinois Democrats on the impeachement committee will want their buddy Obama slammed as a result of their investigating the Gov.

I still expect Blago to be in office on January 20th but Emanuel to not move into the White House. We’ll get a hint at whether I am right when Obama releases his internal review — which will probably be worth a few yucks.

By: kelley in virginia

kelley in virginia — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:24:07 +0000

why, the obambi administration is not crooked. biden said so.

By: notagool

notagool — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:16:54 +0000

This Democrat Tool Prosecutor will do everything he can to protect the criminal Obama administration.

By: RMCS_USN

RMCS_USN — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:15:57 +0000

RedSoxNation on December 23, 2008 at 1:52 PM

Uh, maybe it’s because the impeachment hearing is a STATE issue, whereas the charges against Blago are federal, hence the appointment of a U.S. Attorney.

By: fogw

fogw — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:09:03 +0000

I’d like to hear Victoria Toensing’s take on this latest outlandish maneuver by Fitzy.

By: MarkTheGreat

MarkTheGreat — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:01:33 +0000

Taxpayers have paid for the tapes, we need to hear the tapes.

Firebird on December 23, 2008 at 1:56 PM

I’m willing to wait until the investigation is complete.
Especially if revealing the evidence now could compromise a continuing investigation.

By: Speakup

Speakup — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:00:59 +0000

I don’t think its necessary to add more fuel the fire, the issue is that no matter what anybody does (short of spiritual intervention) ol hot Rod has plenty of time to really muck things up for the Democrats unless the Dems are willing to grease Blago’s wheels on the way out.

By: RedSoxNation

RedSoxNation — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:00:07 +0000

Don’t be fooled: the Illinois State Legislature wants to stop Fitzgerald before he goes any further. And this fight over information and documents will be at the heart of this battle. The Illinois Legislature is desperate to find out what is going on behind Fitzgerald’s closed doors so they can get their stories straight and begin building a defense. At the very least, they want to stop the bleeding. So, while the procedural posturing over documents will look innocuous to the public, it will, in reality, constitute a major fight between federal and state power.

This has only just begun. It is not going away no matter how much the media want it to go away.

By: Firebird

Firebird — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:56:34 +0000

Taxpayers have paid for the tapes, we need to hear the tapes.

By: infidel2

infidel2 — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:56:26 +0000

Allowing his witnesses to speak would also subject them to questioning from people with political motives and would/could create a record that could be used by a defense attorney to question their credibility should they say something in a slightly different way.