CHICAGO (CBS) ? District Judge James B. Zagel said NO to giving former Gov. Rod Blagojevich permission to travel to Costa Rica for TV show.
Blagojevich appeared in court at 11 a.m. Tuesday, asking for permission to travel to Costa Rica to appear on the NBC reality program “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here,” which will be filmed in June.
Blagojevich was ordered to surrender his passport when he was hit with federal corruption charges, so he asked U.S. District Judge James B. Zagel for permission in which he said no.
That said, Eric Zorn came up with the best arguments to let him go:
1. He’ll make money for his legal defense.
NBC won’t say how much, but every dollar he earns is one we won’t have to pay.
2. He’ll humiliate himself.
Assuming Your Honor did not see the first American version of this program when it aired in 2003 and that your law clerks have better things to do, I took the liberty of researching that sorry moment in broadcast history.
Contestants assembled in an Australian rain forest and had to perform various unpleasant stunts as part of the competition.
For example, Melissa Rivers had to place insects, worms and rats into her transparent clown pants.
Alana Stewart had to use only her teeth to remove tokens from tanks containing such creatures as cockroaches, spiders and an angry opossum.
Downtown Julie Brown had to sit in a tank of leeches, and “Stuttering John” Melendez had to wade through a swamp populated by snakes and eels. (See the entire rundown at What awaits Blago in the jungles of Costa Rica? )
Who wants to see Blagojevich engaged in such grotesque self-abasement? I believe I speak for the vast majority of Illinoisans when I say, we do.
3. He might not come back.
Yes, technically, the infinitesimal risk that he’d flee or try to fight extradition back to the United States is a reason not to let Blagojevich go to Costa Rica.
But come on. How great would it be if he never came back? We’d save millions not having to try and possibly imprison him. And his punishment—permanent exile—would fit his alleged crimes well enough for most of us.
Number 3 is growing on me.
I’d have let him go. I mean, how more surreal could you get?
I’d want to see him in a hair-off with Sanjaya.
Reports about money say $80,000 per person per episode.