Blago isn't going anywhere

[mtnsnake]

I mean, seriously, what's he going to found guilty of, bragging on the phone that he's not going to give the Senate seat away for nothing? Lots of people talk facetiously about shit they never intend to follow up with, especially if they're talking about someone or something they don't like. Did they catch him red-handed making a deal with one person for a specific amount of money for the seat, including where and when the money would be dropped off? I don't think so. I'm not saying Blago is or isn't corrupt, I'm just saying I think that Fitzgerald jumped in too early.

The only thing Blago is guilty of is being an egocentric blowhard, and last I knew, you can't get prison time for that. Because of Fitzgerald's overzealous desire to put away a high-ranking Democrat, Governor Blago is going to end up being a millionaire many times over. Book deals, movie deals, endorsements, you name it.

Whatever Blago's long range intentions were at the time, whether he was in the early planning stages of selling the seat or whether he was just blowing off steam, I think Fitzgerald jumped the gun on this and went for the kill prematurely. They thought they could bluff him into resigning and/or admitting guilt. Wow, were they ever wrong!

After he's found innocent of all the charges, there are more than a few people who are going to be looking for the nearest rock to crawl under, starting with Patrick Fitzgerald.

[unblock]

1. but he CAN get impeached and removed for talking too much about taboo topics

politicians are NEVER supposed to imply that anything is done for anything else, at least not in such a flagrant fashion.

i agree that we haven't seen all the elements of a compelling criminal case, but that's not the topic du jour.

[jaxx]

2. Don't forget, there are other counts against him.

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/12/09/complaint.pdf

[mucifer]

3. The IL legislature can make up their own rules on how they impeach him.

He's out Quinn is in.

[jacksonian]

9. of course they can, but due process serves a purpose

to help prevent injustice from being done. When you waive all due process, shit happens.

Sure they can do what they want, but *why* do they want to do it this way?

[CreekDog]

20. I hope being qualified is not reduced to not being a convicted criminal

Due to process and trial by jury is to keep you out of jail, it's a necessarily high standard to take away one's freedom.

Such is not the standard for someone to hold a governorship.

[jacksonian]

27. but there are still standards that need to be respected

for any process of changing electoral outcomes. And a lot of these basic rights - to be confronted with the actual evidence in whole, to have the right to compel possible exculpatory witnesses to testify - really are more about what constitutes a fair proceeding than strict legal jeopardy.

I don't see any right for the accused in this system, at all. Period. Nada, forget it. Why?

[hlthe2b]

4. Have you seen evidence that Fitz has, that we haven't?

You seem so sure, I assume you surely must be on the inside. :eyes:

[mucifer]

5. No. I've been following this in the local Chicago media. These are 2 separate

cases. The impeachment is NOT the same as the Fitzgerald's investigation.

[hlthe2b]

11. Of course not... The impeachment process, though

depends a great deal on any evidence Fitz has been willing to share with them.... To imply Fitz' case is weak because of the little bit that has leaked out as to what he shared with the legislature (conducting the impeachment) is nuts to me. He is not about to jeopardize a complex corruption case that still appears to be quite active, by putting everything out there.

Many here point out that Fitz didn't deliver all we'd hoped in the Plame case, but I find it amazing he delivered as much as he did, given he was going up against the very corrupt heads of power, who used every tool at their disposal, including a compliant media to fight him. That doesn't mean he is incompetent... I think he is very methodical and will let things unfold as is appropriate to his case. Nonetheless, I'm amazed at those who seem to buy into Blago's rhetoric.....

[mtnsnake]

6. I can feel it in my bones

:smoke:

[tonycinla]

7. REALLY?

He is GONE!

[global1]

8. I'm Starting To Think Twice About Fitzgerald.......

yes - he did jump too soon on this Blago thing. Does anybody think he did it to possibly embarrass Obama?

He really didn't get the Libby thing to stick either nor go after Cheney or Rove in the Plame incident. Really - Who is he working for?

[mucifer]

10. yeah I've been thinking fitz is a republican hack. He screwed up the Plame case

and he's messed up the blago case.

[mtnsnake]

14. Same here. At the very least, Cheney should be in jail by now, not just Libby

Fitzgerald could have put some major Republicans away for a long time and all he did was make Libby a goat for a small time.

[camera obscura]

26. And you're a prosecuting attorney with a history of going after high-profile politicians, right?

I mean, if it was going to be so easy for you to take out the President's closest advisers, you must have some pretty serious credentials to put Fitzgerald to shame.

And how exactly does getting a Republican governor indicted (George Ryan) make one a "Republican hack"? Enquiring minds would like to know.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

12. That's crossed my mind many times as well. If he truly has something, he needs to come out with it.

If he doesn't, then all of this was a fiasco and the Democrats should be embarrassed. I like Blago because so far he is playing chess rather than checkers. And there is no evidence that he violated the Constitution, nor that he has done anything wrong except for run off at the mouth.

[global1]

13. That's Why They Want To Silence Blago ......

he's exposing the politicians and they don't like it.

It's likely that he will get impeached - but I don't think the criminal case will stick. If after that and he doesn't wind up in jail - I would look forward to hearing from him telling us what is going on behind the scenes in those once smoked filled rooms where the deals are being made. I think that would be a good role for him.

[cali]

23. he's not exposing anyone. he's fucking psychotic.

[camera obscura]

25. Oh, please. If he'd wanted to embarass Obama, he could have released information at a better time.

This investigation has been going on a LONG time. If it was his intention to embarrass the president, he could have released the information either before the election, when Blago was first discussing selling the seat, or right before or right after the inauguration. The info on Blago came out before Christmas, when most of the papers were going on holiday. There couldn't have been a better time if the Obama team had planned it themselves.

[WeDidIt]

15. Blago is going to prison

IT'll be a while after he's throw out of office, but he's going to jail.

What he's done makes George Ryan look like a choir boy.

Blago's going down hard. HE'll do ten years minimum, probably more, before he ever sees parole.

The case against Blago is huge. The selling of the Senate seat is minor in comparison to the other shit he's been puling since 2002.

[mucifer]

16. Is this why you changed your name from "I want any dem"?

:rofl:

[WeDidIt]

17. Blago isn't a Dem, he's a criminal

Do you live in Illinois?

The fucker is the biggest political criminal in Illinois history, and that says a lot. He took that title in 2007 after winning his second term

BTW, I voted for Blago...

twice.

In 2006, it was a tossup as to who was a bigger crook, Blago or Topinka, so I voted for the crook with a (D) after his name instead of the crook with an (R) after her name.

[mucifer]

18. yup I voted for him twice, too. He's a dem. Watch Daley go down, too.

We have some bad dems in this state. But, blago is batshit crazy. Look at the history of the Chicago democratic party. The term "democrat" is a very loose term. It's the only game in town.

[WeDidIt]

19. Daley might survive

Daley seems to be adept at keeping the corruption at arms length with no obvious direct attachment to him.

It depends upon how good Fitzgerald really is.

[PBS Poll-435]

21. Can we wait for a trial before we condemn Blago?

After Fitzmas(Fitzgerald) and the prosecution of Martha Stewart(Comey), my faith in Fitzgerald is less than 100%.

[cali]

22. wrong. blago will be out by the end of the week.

His psychotic break ensures it.

[DailyGrind51]

24. He can get impeached without having been convicted of anything.

Impeachment is a legislative not a justice department action.