Wow. Blago was truly corrupt.
He must resign immediately. (Hey Dana, Blago is an example of an embarrassment to liberalism, not me).
Here are some new details from Blago’s attempt to sell Obama’s Senate seat, and, to Dana’s and Burris’ chagrin, Obama is above reproach once again in this situation:
At various times, in exchange for the Senate appointment, Blagojevich allegedly discussed obtaining:
* A substantial salary for himself at a either a non-profit foundation or an organization affiliated with labor unions.
* Placing his wife on paid corporate boards where he speculated she might garner as much as $150,000 a year.
* Promises of campaign funds — including cash up front.
* A cabinet post or ambassadorship for himself.
…
Also during that call, Blagojevich agreed it was unlikely that Obama would name him Secretary of Health and Human Services or give him an ambassadorship because of all of the negative publicity surrounding him, according to the complaint.
In a conversation with Harris on Nov. 11, the charges state, Blagojevich said he knew Obama wanted Senate Candidate 1 for the open seat but “they’re not willing to give me anything except appreciation. [Expletive] them.”
….
On Dec. 4, Blagojevich allegedly told an advisor that he might “get some (money) up front, maybe” from Senate Candidate 5, if he named Senate Candidate 5 to the Senate seat, to insure that Senate Candidate 5 kept a promise about raising money for Blagojevich if he ran for re-election. In a recorded conversation on Oct. 31, Blagojevich claimed he was approached by an associate of Senate Candidate 5 as follows: “We were approached to `pay to play.’ That, you know, he’d raise 500 grand. An emissary came. Then the other guy would raise a million, if I made him (Senate Candidate 5) a Senator.”
It’s like I always said. It’s cash-and-carry in the neighborhood. Shhiiiiiittt.
Too bad about Barack Obama’s failed Presidency.
“He must resign immediately. (Hey Dana, Blago is an example of an embarrassment to liberalism, not me).”
LOL. This is called CYA. How transparent.
Right, Dana, because DD has to cover himself for all zero statements he made supporting Blago.
I am starting to think Dana is not all there. He thinks I am a partisan hack with no principles, and thus in his mind I thus have to defend all corrupt politicians everywhere.
He’s using you as a proxy for an argument he’s making in his head. His statements are in response to the ones he’s imagined you would make, as a symbol/proxy for a mindset he is fighting against. In the interest of fairness, everyone in the blogosphere, from left to right, does this occasionally.
I am starting to think Dana is not all there. He thinks I am a partisan hack with no principles,
DANA? DON’T CONFUSE DD WITH BURRIS!@
Gov. Alphabetsoup reminds El Somnambulo of Rep. Ozzie “Money Talks & Bullshit Walks” Myers of Abscam infamy. Only worse. And even dumber.
How soon ’til he’s headed to rehab followed by a reunion with ‘the Lord’?
“He thinks I am a partisan hack with [tenuous] principles”
Bingo.
“He’s using you as a proxy for an argument he’s making in his head. ”
Wow. A mind reader. LOL.
I responding to a well-earned reputation that Del Dem HAS. I’m also responding to the number of times I have to explain that now all liberals are like DelDem. Twice in 24 hours: last night and today. If that isn’t embarrassing to the writers of DE Lib, then I am sorry about it. I hate to see your blog get a bad reputation because of him. That’s where I’m coming from.
DelDem,
By your very own definition, I would call you a partisan hack. Not necessarily a bad thing, but at least admit it. You made a ridiculous, almost slanderous, statement against John Brady claiming that because he’s a Republican, he can’t possibly be for consumers. You voted for KWS before interviewing BOTH she and Brady. Had you met Brady, you’d realize that what he was going to do with the office was going to be about as close to a Denn replica as you could get. Brady is a Republican. He’s a Republican who holds very progressive values and ideas. When are you going to get past the goddamn party identifier and actually look at some of these good Republicans we have here in Delaware? I’m a bleeding-heart liberal who doesn’t feel the need to mollify his Democratic friends and simply pull that straight D tickets. I’m a liberal who realizes that when it comes to LOCAL politics, there are often very few differences between Ds and Rs.
So, yes, I think partisan hack is an appropriate term. Perhaps not “hack” because I’ve met you personally and you’re a cool guy, but “partisan [insert word here]” you are. I’m glad I’m not partisan. I’m glad I can objectively stand back, look at two candidates and decide who the true progressive candidate is. And that candidate wasn’t KWS.
Oh, how gracious of you.
Whatever Dana. You have proven today you are a hypocrite, condemning me for an intemperate statement when you yourself have done the same thing. At least in my case, I have the decency to apologize. You can now be classified as a troll.
This blog getting a bad rep b/c of DelDem? As opposed to El Burrito, Jr. and the Plumb Loco Sisters, Liz & Nancy? Ay yi yi!
Mike, I freely and proudly admit I am a partisan. But Dana’s point (if he has one) is that fact makes me automatically unprincipled in all things.
As for KWS and Brady, you know my position and I know yours. We disagree. The only thing I would add is that my opinion about Brady and his Republicanism is not slander. An opinion about a person’s politics is not slanderous. If I said he was corrupt while knowing it not to be true, that would be slanderous. Indeed, your statements towards KWS can more be considered slanderous than my opinions of Brady.
“You have proven today you are a hypocrite, condemning me for an intemperate statement when you yourself have done the same thing.”
Where have I ever explicitly advocated murdering people. Provide the proof. You can’t.
Now this:
“Here are some new details from Blago’s attempt to sell Obama’s Senate seat, and, to Dana’s and Burris’ chagrin, Obama is above reproach once again in this situation:”
Where have I said that Obama is implicated in this or that I want him to be? I voted for him and I supported him on DW. So where do you get off w/ this cheap smear?
It’s slander if it’s not true, DelDem. You claimed that because Brady is a Republican, he can’t be for consumers. What statements toward KWS have I made that could be considered slanderous? That based on prior behavior and prior discussions I’ve had with her that I don’t feel she will be an effective leader in the office? OK, whatever…
The idea that you’d feel that way is probably prompted by the recent Hildebrand post, although perhaps it’s not fair to make the leap from “critizing Obama” to being “anti-Obama”. If you’re miffed at DD painting you with a broad brush, you now know how your own medicine tastes.
Wow. This sandbox is small. I guess if you don’t get your comment in the first 3-4 slots, it’s off-topic-slap-fight-time.
Mike…
John Brady is a public official. For my comments about him to be slanderous, you would have to prove that I a) knew that he was true in his word that he was a consumer advocate and 2) I maliciously created the lie that he wasn’t a consumer advocate so as to harm him.
Is that what I did? No. I said I recognized that Brady claims to be a consumer advocate, but that I did not believe him since he was a Republican, and Republicans generally do not advocate for consumers, rather than advocate for big business and seek lesser regulation. That is my opinion. There is no slander there.
If you truly believe it was slanderous, tell Brady to sue me and I will see you both in court.
And if you really want to play this slander card, you better be damn sure all of your statements you have made on DWA and on DTR are above reproach.
Well, it should be pointed out here that Governor Blagojevich has not been convicted of anything. Does the Illinois state constitution allow a governor to take a leave of absence, with his responsibilities devolving on the lieutenant governor? What if Mt Blagojevich wants to stay in office and fight the charges; can the state legislature force a leave of absence?
Indictment or not, he is the governor of Illinois, and that means something. Unless Barack Obama decides to rescind his resignation, retain his Senate seat and let Joe Biden become president (from my keyboard to God’s ears! 🙂 ) the governor of Illinois gets to name his replacement for the remaining two years of his term; Governor Blagojevich still has that authority!
True, Mirror-Universe Dana.
He is innocent before proven guilty. But come on.
I have read the entire complaint and affidavit, and I have no doubt in my mind the accusations are true. But, you are right. Until he resigns, or is impeached and removed from office, Blago is Governor and he has the sole authority to appoint the Senator for a two year term until the 2010 Special Election.
Dick Durbin has already called for the Illinois legislature to immediately pass a law providing for a special election to fill Obama’s seat until 2012. Of course, Blago should veto that, but perhaps the Legislature could override it.
Cizzila makes the point, and I agree, that if Blago makes the appointment, the appointee has to be a caretaker now, since whomever is appointed is forever tainted. Indeed, who would want to be appointed by Blago now?
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/12/blagojevich_arrested_a_fundame.html?hpid=topnews
Either way, Obama is not rescinding his resignation, and he will, much to your chagrin, become President on January 20.
Nice try Dana.
Mike Matthews wrote: I’m glad I’m not partisan. I’m glad I can objectively stand back, look at two candidates and decide who the true progressive candidate is. And that candidate wasn’t KWS.
Thanks Mike, you made me puke all over my desk. How the hell do you get your holier-than-thou head through standard doorways is an incredible feat.
El Somnambulo wants to know, didn’t it leak out that the Blagovator was appointing some 71-year-old legislative leader, Emil Jones, to the post?
If Emil Jones ‘paid to play’, would that nomination still stand, or (more likely) wouldn’t he withdraw? And get indicted either way?
If Blago resigns, does the Lt. Governor then make the appointment? Won’t there be pressure, maybe even some plea bargain offer, to make sure that Blago doesn’t nominate someone who is terminally tainted?
Who IS the Lt. Governor of Illinois?
Does Illinois even have a Lt. Governor?
El Somnambulo thinks this will get real complicated.
Pat Quinn is the Democratic Lt. Governor. He seems to be not involved in all of Blago’s corruption and not implicated in the three year investigation. Blago seems to be so deluded and so full of himself that I doubt he will resign willingly.
What I would love to see happen is Blago attempt to appoint someone, and have each and every appointee refuse. In the meantime, I want the IL Legislature to impeach and remove.
Senors et Senoras, more on Pat “The Mighty” Quinn, courtesy of Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Quinn_(politician)
Oops, they gave El Somnambulo the bleeping hockey coach. El Somnambulo has never HEARD of hockey.
Here’s some political propaganda instead:
http://www.votequinn.com/about.shtml
Impeach Blago, choose Obama’s successor by special election – sounds like a plan.
El S,
Someone was willing to “pay to play” according to the statement released today. Someone promised to raise $0.5M for his reelection, plus another $1M for something else. We don’t who it is, but it was Senator candidate #5. I would think that all Senator candidates 1-5 would want to remove their name from contention at this time.
How the hell do you get your holier-than-thou head through standard doorways is an incredible feat.
He uses his incredible feet?
“although perhaps it’s not fair to make the leap from “critizing Obama” to being “anti-Obama”
Bingo.
It’s now being reported that “Senate candidate 5,” who was willing to raise $0.5M for Blagojevich’s reelection fund and have a supporter raise $1M was Jesse Jackson, Jr.
Link
LOL! You know, the affect of all of this is Obama will now own the State of Illinois (figuratively, of course). All his intra-party competition in the state is being brought down by this. And thankfully, Obama and his team have acted above reproach.
For those intrigued by these inept political criminals, El Somnambulo highly recommends any of William Kennedy’s Albany novels. No one captures gleeful political corruption quite like Kennedy.
“Thanks Mike, you made me puke all over my desk. How the hell do you get your holier-than-thou head through standard doorways is an incredible feat.”
Simple, I don’t put everything through my “Democratic litmus test” like so many of the commenters do here. I meet candidates on both side of the aisle and come to my own conclusions. Which is why I supported Ferris Wharton in 2006 and John Brady in 2008. The offices of Att. Gen. and Ins. Comm. are NOT political offices. We need people who KNOW the law and KNOW the parameters of the office running said offices. It was my belief that Wharton was the MORE experienced and better-equipped candidate for that office and it was through my discussions with both KWS and John Brady that I decided John Brady was the better candidate of the two to lead the Ins. Commissioner’s office on a progressive path.
Nemski, spew all the puke you want. FYI: I was a huge fan of your blog when you were solo, but you seem to be drinking a whole lot of Kool-Aid since you’ve joined the ranks over here.
Let me sum up by saying this: I’m a liberal who (at this time) happens to be a Democrat. Many of the commenters and contributors here seem to be Democrats who happen to have liberal proclivities. When it comes down to it, political parties are mere identifiers with not much in way of substance behind them. The words “liberal” and “conservative,” though, are actual descriptors that offer a glimpse (albeit a small glimpse) into the ideological thoughts and motives behind individuals. The problem in Delaware isn’t conservatives or liberals. The problem is the Democrats and Republicans. IN particular, the Democrats own this state and they’re fucking up real bad. There is some voracious group think among Democrats in this state, particularly in our Senate. So much so that they feel it’s acceptable to put in charge people like Thurman Adams, who is the most undemocratic politician in this state. Again, the problem isn’t so much the party, it’s the sheeple standing behind Adams and representing the party who are allowing him to get away with this.
This is why as a liberal, as a progressive, I can’t bring myself to hold on to my Democratic registration. It’s a party that, though it is definitely closer to my general philosophies than Republicans, is bordering on the dangerous in allowing such tyrants to represent them at the highest levels of government.
Thankfully we’ve got guys like Markell and Denn now leading the state. If only they were abnle to muscle some weight behind getting Adams out of leadership. Alas, some miracles just aren’t meant to be…