[bigboydan]

Illinois Governor Blagojevich arrested

Illinois Gov. Blagojevich arrested

Posted: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 10:15 AM by Mark Murray

Filed Under: Courts, States, Democrats

From NBC's Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
The breaking news from the Chicago Tribune: "A source said today that Gov. Rod Blagojevich was taken into federal custody at his North Side home this morning." More: "U.S. attorney's office spokesman Randall Samborn said both Blagojevich and his chief of staff John Harris were arrested today."

Video: Federal officials say Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been arrested on corruption
charges.



The charge, per the AP: Federal authorities "accused him of attempting to benefit financially from his position to appoint Barack Obama's Senate replacement." Wow.

A few points here:
-- How does this impact the process to fill Obama's seat? If Blagojevich ends up making the appointment, this indictment probably guarantees it has to be a caretaker. How can a Dem accept the appointment after this corruption charge and then run as the guy/gal that Blago appointed?

-- If Blagojevich decides not to resign, the Illinois state legislature could decide to impeach him. That would work as follows, per Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan's press secretary Steve Brown: (1) It would require someone to file a resolution; (2) there would then be hearings in the House; (3) there would then be a vote in the House; and (4) if the House votes to impeach, then there would be a trial in the Senate.

-- What if something like this had happened in, say, October? How would that have impacted Obama's presidential candidacy? No doubt that the charges don't help the image of Chicago politics.

-- Now get this: If Blago goes to prison, and former Gov. George Ryan isn't commuted by President Bush, you'd have two Illinois governors in prison AT THE SAME TIME. What's more, by our count, Blagojevich would become the FOURTH Illinois governor to go to prison (following Ryan, Otto Kerner, and Dan Walker).

*** UPDATE *** Illiniois' lieutenant governor is Pat Quinn, a Democrat, who would replace Blagojevich if he's ousted from office.

[EBSB52]

Illinois Governor Blagojevich arrested

Illinois Gov. Blagojevich arrested

Posted: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 10:15 AM by Mark Murray

Filed Under: Courts, States, Democrats

From NBC's Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
The breaking news from the Chicago Tribune: "A source said today that Gov. Rod Blagojevich was taken into federal custody at his North Side home this morning." More: "U.S. attorney's office spokesman Randall Samborn said both Blagojevich and his chief of staff John Harris were arrested today."

Video: Federal officials say Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been arrested on corruption
charges.



The charge, per the AP: Federal authorities "accused him of attempting to benefit financially from his position to appoint Barack Obama's Senate replacement." Wow.

A few points here:
-- How does this impact the process to fill Obama's seat? If Blagojevich ends up making the appointment, this indictment probably guarantees it has to be a caretaker. How can a Dem accept the appointment after this corruption charge and then run as the guy/gal that Blago appointed?

-- If Blagojevich decides not to resign, the Illinois state legislature could decide to impeach him. That would work as follows, per Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan's press secretary Steve Brown: (1) It would require someone to file a resolution; (2) there would then be hearings in the House; (3) there would then be a vote in the House; and (4) if the House votes to impeach, then there would be a trial in the Senate.

-- What if something like this had happened in, say, October? How would that have impacted Obama's presidential candidacy? No doubt that the charges don't help the image of Chicago politics.

-- Now get this: If Blago goes to prison, and former Gov. George Ryan isn't commuted by President Bush, you'd have two Illinois governors in prison AT THE SAME TIME. What's more, by our count, Blagojevich would become the FOURTH Illinois governor to go to prison (following Ryan, Otto Kerner, and Dan Walker).

*** UPDATE *** Illiniois' lieutenant governor is Pat Quinn, a Democrat, who would replace Blagojevich if he's ousted from office.

How does this impact the process to fill Obama's seat? If Blagojevich ends up making the appointment, this indictment probably guarantees it has to be a caretaker. How can a Dem accept the appointment after this corruption charge and then run as the guy/gal that Blago appointed?

The rest of the senate has to seat him, they probably would not and only have 99 seats in the senate, an advantage of having 58 Dems seats, his is arbitrary.

As for how can a Dem take the seat, are you saying that this schmuck represents all Dems? William Jefferson and this a-wipe are hardly the talking heads of the left.

If Blagojevich decides not to resign, the Illinois state legislature could decide to impeach him. That would work as follows, per Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan's press secretary Steve Brown: (1) It would require someone to file a resolution; (2) there would then be hearings in the House; (3) there would then be a vote in the House; and (4) if the House votes to impeach, then there would be a trial in the Senate.

Yes, and the Dems would show they have class, unlike the Repubs have done by covering for their criminals, by voting to oust this dick. Obama has already told him to step down. As well, the Dems in congress could easily impeach the criminal president with a simple majority in the house, but they are kicking ass for not being like the putrid republicans.

What if something like this had happened in, say, October? How would that have impacted Obama's presidential candidacy?

Wouldn't undo 20 years of Republican idiocy. The elction wasn't close, people have been deceived for too long, they're jst done with republicans for quite a while, it would take several huge scams to oust the Dems and it will happen, just not in the next decade.

Now get this: If Blago goes to prison, and former Gov. George Ryan isn't commuted by President Bush, you'd have two Illinois governors in prison AT THE SAME TIME. What's more, by our count, Blagojevich would become the FOURTH Illinois governor to go to prison (following Ryan, Otto Kerner, and Dan Walker).

Hey, I'm from AZ, I'm thinking, what corruption? We had Mecham and Symington as back-to-back Repub governors indicted of 6 and 23 felonies repsectively. Convicted of most as I recall. This is so old-hat that we've been there-done that. Of course being Republicans, Mecham, Symington, Steinbrenner, Libby and a bunch of others get a free ride, which is why a smart criminal becomes a Repub rather than a dem., and is why they seem to collect in that party.

[flyingillini]

I am proud to be from the great State of Illinois, but very happy I live in sunny weather all year round!

[AGENT99]

who cares dan.you ready to make some money tonight? look at them phnx suns dude

[yisman]

Chicago politics, baby.

[Republican Red]

UNBELIEVABLE !! These Chicago politicians are the most corrupted SOB's I've ever seen! They need a republican in there to clean up this state!

[Jesse Black]

Blago should appoint himself Senator at this point.

[Republican Red]

Blago should appoint himself Senator at this point.

IT SHOULD WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER THAN TRYING TO SELL OBAMA'S SEAT TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER.

HOW DO DEMOCRATS JUSTIFY SUCH CRIMINAL ACTIONS OF THIS KIND!

[ryanXL977]

how in particular was jesus republican? was it his love of wars or his hatred of the poor? i forgot, remind me

[Republican Red]

how in particular was jesus republican? was it his love of wars or his hatred of the poor? i forgot, remind me

IF AN IDIOT LIKE YOU CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT THEN ID BE WASTING MY TIME TRYING TO EXPLAIN IT! NOW BEAT IT YOU TROLL !!

[ryanXL977]

please explain to me again how jesus was a republican? trickle down jesus? pre emptive war jesus? debt jesus? let me know

[bigboydan]

Republican Red won't get the chance to explain things to you sir, because I just gave him a cool down infraction.

[BrentCrude]

I'm half bohunk ''name ending in an ich''on my mom's side.All bohunks aren't socialists but the vast majority of bohunks holding office are devout socialists.I come from a hardcore steelworking union hotbed where there are direct ties to Chicago and we have a friggin socialist bohunk mafia here.All cronies on the take squandering a vast tax base they shook down the mining companies of. Some of my relatives are soldiers in this socialist good ol boys club and I avoid them at all cost and feel uncomfortable being at family functions in the same room with them.


They are all devout Catholics for an hour a week and all the other hours in the week are supporting left wing causes and abortion.Their true religion is the democratic party-unions.The Sopranoviches.Jesus Christ could run for an elective office as a republican here and Hitler could run as the democrat opposing Christ and Hitler would win.

[EBSB52]

IT SHOULD WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER THAN TRYING TO SELL OBAMA'S SEAT TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER.

HOW DO DEMOCRATS JUSTIFY SUCH CRIMINAL ACTIONS OF THIS KIND!

They don't, the lead Democrat in the nation is calling for his ouster; sound familiar? Oh wait, my bad, the Repubs cover for their scum, Larry Craig, Ollie North and Scooter Libby to name a few.

Wash your windows first.

[dle]

UNBELIEVABLE !! These Chicago politicians are the most corrupted SOB's I've ever seen! They need a republican in there to clean up this state!

Ever met a Texas Republican?

[dle]

IT SHOULD WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER THAN TRYING TO SELL OBAMA'S SEAT TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER.

HOW DO DEMOCRATS JUSTIFY SUCH CRIMINAL ACTIONS OF THIS KIND!

Who is justifying it?

[EBSB52]

Ever met a Texas Republican?

I've never met one I like

[yisman]

there is nothing in America more corrupt than Chicago politics. Not even New York comes close.

[EBSB52]

there is nothing in America more corrupt than Chicago politics. Not even New York comes close.

Tomato / tomahto..... Just like most things, corrupt comes in all kinds of flavors. I realize the RW wants to posture that Illinois politics are the worst since Obama is from there. We can establish that Detroit politics were bad in the days of Hoffa as well.

In AZ, until 5 years ago we had the lowest unemployment amount of ALL 50 STATES, which is pretty bad for an expensive, allegedly progressive state. Now we're probably bottom 10. There are virtually zero social svs here, yet would you like to hear how we built the AZ Diamondbacks stadium?

- County Bond before the people was voted down

- Mary Rose Wilcox, head of the County Board of Supervisors (CBS)and her idiots had a closed midnight session where they threw out the vote and then unanimously voted it in.

- Joe taxpayer waited for her to exit a meeting and tried to kill her, but some guy knocked his arm, shooting her in the big fat ass. BTW, she's still the head of the CBS. He got 15 years for attempted murder.

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4398524.html

http://www.superiorcourt.maricopa.go...=CR1997-009217

http://test.azcorrections.gov/isearc...rchType=Search



A similar thing happened with the Cardinals stadium deal after the FAA said we could not build in Tempe.

Maricopa COunty Supervisor Don Stapely is now indicted for not disclosing assets.

________________________________________ _____________



Now we have photo cameras all over the city and so many on the freeways. These are speed and red light. Public opposition is great, but there was never a vote. Now we're raising signatures to get them ousted, I'm part of that movement.

This is a private comnpany doing this contract for the state government. It is purely a corrupt fiscal measure.

________________________________________ ____________


Then we have Joe Arpaio, the alleged toughest sheriff in the world. He has been sued for so many inamte deaths where he lost. He revoked inmates right to access to legal books, has tent city where inmates are kept even in 120 degree summer heat, and brags his chain gang.

________________________________________ __________


So say what you want, but this is a very corrupt state.

[bigboydan]

What really gets me is the fact that the IL state budget is stretched enough the way it is and Blagojevich wasted tax payers money for frivolous stuff like this.

[Shortstop]

Yeah, what BBD said.

[5teamparlay]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-...ars-in-prison/


December 7, 2011 1:40 PM
Blagojevich gets 14 years in prison
Updated at 1:45 p.m. ET

Rod Blagojevich, the ousted Illinois governor whose three-year battle against criminal charges became a national spectacle, was sentenced to 14 years in prison Wednesday, one of the stiffest penalties imposed for corruption in a state with a history of crooked politics.

Blagojevich's 18 convictions included allegations of trying to leverage his power to appoint someone to President Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat to raise campaign cash or land a high-paying job.

The twice-elected Democrat is now the second former Illinois governor in a row to be sentenced to prison, and the fourth Illinois governor in the last four decades. His Republican predecessor, George Ryan, currently is serving a sentence of 6 1/2 years, also for corruption.

Blagojevich had told the judge that he made "terrible mistakes" and acknowledged that he broke the law when he tried to sell an appointment to the Senate seat.

Blagojevich's attorneys admitted for the first time Tuesday that he is guilty of corruption and accepts the verdicts against him, but said the sentence of 15 to 20 years prosecutors wanted was too harsh. The defense also presented heartfelt appeals from Blagojevich's family, including letters from his wife Patti and one of his two daughters that pleaded for mercy.

But the judge made it clear early in the hearing that he believed that Blagojevich had lied on the witness stand when he tried to explain his scheming for the Senate seat, and he did not believe defense suggestions that the former governor was duped by his advisers.

It is highly unlikely the 54-year-old will be taken immediately into custody. In white-collar cases, convicted felons are usually given at least a few weeks to report to prison while federal authorities select a suitable facility. Blagojevich is expected to appeal his conviction, but it is unlikely to affect when he reports to prison.

Going into the sentencing, many legal experts said the governor

who became a national punch line while doing several reality TV appearances while his legal case unfolded was likely to get around 10 years. A former Blagojevich fundraiser, Tony Rezko, recently was sentenced to 10 1/2 years, minus time served, and many were confident the governor would get more.

Prosecutors have said Blagojevich misused the power of his office "from the very moment he became governor." He was initially elected in 2002 on a platform of cleaning up Illinois politics in the midst of federal investigations that led to the prosecution and conviction of Ryan.

"Blagojevich engaged in extensive criminal conduct with and without Rezko, provided no cooperation, perjured himself for seven days on the witness stand, and has accepted no responsibility for his criminal conduct," prosecutors said. And they said Blagojevich, who campaigned as a reformer, was "acutely aware of the damage" Ryan had created.

Defense attorneys have said he has already paid a price in public ridicule and financial ruin, and propose a term of just a few years.

Blagojevich's sentencing came just days before his 55th birthday on Saturday, and nearly three years to the day of his arrest at dawn on Dec. 9, 2008, when the startled governor asked one federal agent, "Is this a joke?" In a state where corruption has been commonplace, images of Blagojevich being led away in handcuffs still came as a shock.

It took two trials for prosecutors to snare Blagojevich on sweeping corruption charges. His first ended deadlocked with jurors agreeing on just one of 24 counts that Blagojevich lied to the FBI. Jurors at his retrial convicted him on 17 of 20 counts, including bribery and attempted extortion.

FBI wiretap evidence proved decisive. In the most notorious recording, Blagojevich is heard crowing that his chance to name someone to Obama's seat was "f---ing golden" and he wouldn't let it go "for f---ing nothing."

Blagojevich clearly dreaded the idea of prison time. Asked in an interview before his retrial about whether he dwelled on that prospect, he answered: "No. I don't let myself go there."

In the same interview, Blagojevich also explained that the family dog Skittles was bought after his arrest in to help his school-age daughters, Amy and Annie, cope with the stress of his legal troubles. He said he joked with them that, "If the worst happens (and I go to prison), you can get another dog and call him `daddy."'

While Blagojevich will likely end up at a minimal security prison, he'll be largely cut off from the outside world. Visits by family are strictly limited, Blagojevich will have to share a cell with other inmates and he must work an eight-hour-a-day menial job

possibly scrubbing toilets or mopping floors at just 12 cents an hour.

Most of the prisons where Blagojevich could end up are outside Illinois. One is in Terre Haute, Ind., where Ryan is serving his own sentence.


© 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[Brock Landers]

14 years and has to serve 85% at a minimum!

[ttwarrior1]

such a shame
He didn't murder anyone or embezzle any money. If they are going to sentence him, then they need to go after the rest of Congress and the House.

[ttwarrior1]

maybe he should of murdered someone and he would of been innocent

Wasting so much money on these stupid trials

I bet the prosecution is out partying now or something

[Waterstpub87]

please explain to me again how jesus was a republican? trickle down jesus? pre emptive war jesus? debt jesus? let me know

I wouldn't consider Jesus part of any political party.

John 18:16 "Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.""