2009

Daily Dolt: Mark Kirk

ArchPundit April 16, 2009 No Comments

Really?

“I think that the decision to raise taxes by 50 percent in Illinois is political suicide,” Kirk said of Quinn’s proposal to raise the tax rate to 4.5 percent from 3 percent, coupled with an increase in the personal deduction. “I think the people of Illinois are ready to shoot anyone who is going to raise taxes by that degree.”

Rich:

Perhaps someone who hasn’t yet lost his or her mind in the Illinois GOP could advise this distinguished gentleman to turn it down a notch or two?

Seriously. What the heck? I mean, I’ve heard of dogwhistling the base, but that was like a foghorn in a library. I thought Kirk was supposed to be a moderate? He sounds a bit like Alan Keyes on meth. Or maybe Rod Blagojevich before he was hampered by federal bail restrictions.

People say stupid things. I do it. However, I apologize for it.   The kind of rhetoric is going way over the top right now and someone who is supposedly a moderate doesn’t say that people are ready to shoot somebody.  Why not? Because some loon might take you up on it.

Then again, he also seems to think McHenry and DuPage are downstate:

* Congressman Mark Kirk says he will make a decision about running for statewide office “by the end of next month.” He told NBC5 that he wants to read the Blagojevich indictment before making a final decision.

Asked if he’d made any downstate trips to learn more about the state, Kirk said he’s so far been to McHenry, DuPage and Champaign counties. [Hat tip: Team America]

As a person from downstate these drive me batty.

Something Familiar About the Story

ArchPundit April 15, 2009 No Comments

A fundraising scandal in a Governor’s office

Costa Rica

All we need now are $2 hookers and dope.

But it gets better–Nancy Kerrigan used to be represented by Lon Monk and was even at his wedding which Blagojevich was at also (and late as usual) so he probably has at least met her.

It’s all just too weird.

IL-Senate Fundraising

ArchPundit April 15, 2009 No Comments

So we have our first set of reports for the US Senate race in 2010:

Potentially One of the Worst Moments in Television

ArchPundit April 15, 2009 No Comments

Rod is trying to extend his 15 minutes for a reality show on NBC.

However, he’d have to get judicial approval and I doubt he can.  The United States has an extradition treaty with Costa Rica, where the show will take place, but Costa Rican extradition practices are often fairly protective of the subject.

One of the conditions for extradition is that the violation would be against the law in both places. The charges against Blagojevich are racketeering, conspiracy, wire fraud, and making false statements.

While in some form all of these are illegal in Costa Rica, the specific violations might not be–especially conspiracy charges.  Thus, there is some risk in letting him go to Costa Rica and taking flight.

One of Television’s Finest Moments

ArchPundit April 14, 2009 No Comments

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i-OWDjOQfI[/youtube]

Bears Agree to Terms with Orlando Pace

ArchPundit April 2, 2009 No Comments

Good news all around

Going After His House

ArchPundit April 2, 2009 No Comments

The forfeiture effort targets both his condo in DC and I believe personal residence though I have to double check the address.

Update:  It is the Ravenswood home.

Wife to Pollution Control Board

ArchPundit April 2, 2009 No Comments

Rod wanted to get her on the PCB because it had a salary and Harris told him she wasn’t qualified.  Rod tells Harris to get her a job so he goes out and they cook up a scheme to have her pass securities exams. Then he puts Harris on the trail of businesses that do securities work with the state.

Awesome.

Then he insisted two unhelpful institutions not get any more state business.

Full Indictment

ArchPundit April 2, 2009 No Comments

Here

Indictments are Up

ArchPundit April 2, 2009 No Comments

Right Here

Damn refresh button was wearing out.

16 counts on Blagojevich

Harris,Monk, Kelly, Cellini & Rob Blagojevich all indicted as well.

Among the new factual allegations are that:
<  beginning in 2002 and continuing after Blagojevich was first elected
governor,  Blagojevich and Monk, along with Kelly and previously convicted
co-schemer Antoin “Tony” Rezko, agreed that they would use the offices of
governor and chief of staff for financial gain, which would be divided among
them with the understanding that the money would be distributed after
Blagojevich left public office;
<  in 2003, Blagojevich, Monk, Kelly, Rezko and other co-schemers
implemented this agreement by directing lucrative state business relating to
the refinancing of billions of dollars in State of Illinois Pension Obligation
3
Bonds to a company whose lobbyist agreed to provide hundreds of thousands
of dollars to Rezko out of the fee the  lobbyist would collect, and Rezko in turn
agreed to split the money with Blagojevich, Monk and Kelly;
<      After it became public that Kelly and Rezko were under investigation and
ceased playing a significant role in raising campaign funds, Blagojevich
personally continued to trade his actions as governor for personal benefits,
including, for example, delaying a state grant to a publicly-supported school
while trying to leverage a U.S. Congressman, who supported the school, or the
Congressman’s brother, to hold a campaign fundraiser for Blagojevich; and
<      in an interview on March 16, 2005, Blagojevich lied to FBI agents when he
said that he maintains a separation, or firewall, between politics and state
business; and he does not track, or want to know, who contributes to him or
how much they are contributing to him.

With a quick reading, the biggest bombshell here is that Blagojevich and the others conspired to split up the money after he left office.  They were literally auctioning off state business.