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The Spectacle Blog
The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff John Harris were arrested by the FBI this morning, and accused of "a wide-ranging criminal conspiracy that included Blagojevich conspiring to sell or trade the Senate seat left vacant by President-elect Barack Obama in exchange for financial benefits for the governor and his wife."
Keep in mind that Blagojevich was, in part, the political creation of Obama and his incoming chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, and a close ally. Here's how Ryan Lizza described it in the New Yorker:
That year, (Obama) gained his first high-level experience in a statewide campaign when he advised the victorious gubernatorial candidate Rod Blagojevich, another politician with a funny name and a message of reform. Rahm Emanuel, a congressman from Chicago and a friend of Obama’s, told me that he, Obama, David Wilhelm, who was Blagojevich’s campaign co-chair, and another Blagojevich aide were the top strategists of Blagojevich’s victory. He and Obama “participated in a small group that met weekly when Rod was running for governor,” Emanuel said. “We basically laid out the general election, Barack and I and these two.” A spokesman for Blagojevich confirmed Emanuel’s account, although David Wilhelm, who now works for Obama, said that Emanuel had overstated Obama’s role. “There was an advisory council that was inclusive of Rahm and Barack but not limited to them,” Wilhelm said, and he disputed the notion that Obama was “an architect or one of the principal strategists.”
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Quitman| 12.9.08 @ 11:45AM
Blago is the political creation of Richard Mell, his father-in-law and a long time Chicago alderman.
DaveChgo| 12.9.08 @ 11:57AM
That part of Lizza's story was denied by everyone. I'm in Illinois. I know all those involved including Rahm. Barack did not like Rod and had little to do with him. Rod worked behind the scenes to defeat Barack. Sorry to burst your bubble, but Barack did NOT make Rod. He's a crook all on his own.
Dee| 12.9.08 @ 2:28PM
So what you're saying now is that anything that happens in Illinois government from now on is automatically tied to Barack Obama because he's from Illinois? Is Dick Durbin involved too?
I can see it now, 2-3 years from now when some PTA Mom from Chicago is indicted for embezzling funds from the annual cookie sale, Obama will be tied to that too. You people need to get a life!
Josh| 12.9.08 @ 3:34PM
And the Governor was complaining during the recorded conversations that Obama was not corrupt.
jeepers| 12.9.08 @ 9:39PM
Let's deal with some more important issues... Monday's Press Conference.
"Should the state members of the Electoral College cast their votes for Mr. Obama in the face of such overwhelming evidence, and without verification of Mr. Obama's eligibility, they would be committing treason to the Constitution," said Schulz.
Payday Office| 12.13.08 @ 3:19AM
Greed is a revolting act that could get you into a lot of trouble down the line – I’m sure Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich would agree. Blagojevich was arrested early Tuesday, December 9th, on federal corruption charges related in part to the selection of President-elect Barack Obama's successor to the Senate. Shockingly, this is the second time in a row that an Illinois governor has been arrested on federal charges. Illinois' 39th governor, George Ryan, was also charged for political corruption and has served little more than a year of his 6 1/2-year sentence. Much like Ryan, Blagojevich saw an opportunity to use his power to leverage benefits for himself by attempting to sell the senate seat. According to the news, Blagojevich was hoping to get a significantly higher salary, a position on the board for his wife, a cabinet post and more in his senate replacement bargain. His greed caught up with him. The FBI has filed a seventy-six page indictment against both Blagojevich and Harris. Apparently his devious deed was caught on tape through a court ordered wire tap last month. The governor is declaring his innocence, professing that everything he said, both in public and in private, has always been lawful.
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Xingsha| 10.30.09 @ 4:41AM
Governor was complaining during the recorded conversations that Obama was not corrupt. Apparently his devious deed was caught on tape through a court ordered wire tap last month.But we can buy champions resources
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