Call It A Comeback
Damn.
Anyway, this throws open the Senate race. I’d imagine it helps Schakowsky, but we’ll have to see what Quinn is thinking.
And we can get this impeachment over with in a day or two if this is done right. Just get Blagojevich out. It should have been done months ago, but can we pull the trigger now?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QpWKu98h3I[/youtube]
The Discussion in the indictment is about Candidate 5 not holding up his word before with Blagojevich–that’s almost certainly Jackson Jr.
“[Senate Candidate 4]” in the Senate “before I just give fucking [Senate Candidate 1] a
fucking Senate seat and I don’t get anything.” (Senate Candidate 4 is a Deputy Governor of
the State of Illinois). ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated that he needs to find a way to take the
“financial stress” off of his family and that his wife is as qualified or more qualified than
another specifically named individual to sit on corporate boards. According to ROD
====104. On November 11, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH talked with JOHN HARRIS
about the Senate seat. ROD BLAGOJEVICH suggested starting a 501(c)(4) organization (a
non-profit organization that may engage in political activity and lobbying) and getting “his
(believed to be the President-elect’s) friend Warren Buffett or some of those guys to help us
on something like that.” HARRIS asked, “what, for you?” ROD BLAGOJEVICH replied,
“yeah.” Later in the conversation, ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated that if he appoints Senate
Candidate 4 to the Senate seat and, thereafter, it appears that ROD BLAGOJEVICH might
get impeached, he could “count on [Senate Candidate 4], if things got hot, to give [the Senate
seat] up and let me parachute over there.” HARRIS said, “you can count on [Senate
Candidate 4] to do that.” Later in the conversation, ROD BLAGOJEVICH said he knows
that the President-elect wants Senate Candidate 1 for the Senate seat but “they’re not willing
to give me anything except appreciation. Fuck them.”
Holy Shit:
82. On November 21, 2008, approximately five minutes after the previous
conversation with JOHN HARRIS, ROD BLAGOJEVICH spoke again with HARRIS. At
the end of this call, ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated that “the Tribune thing is important, if we
can get that.” HARRIS replied, “delicate, very delicate.” ROD BLAGOJEVICH said, “I
know, I know. Use your judgment, don’t push too hard. But you know what you got to do,
right.” HARRIS responded, “Alright, sir.”
83. After hearing that Tribune Financial Advisor had assured HARRIS that the
Tribune would be downsizing or making personnel changes affecting the editorial board,
ROD BLAGOJEVICH had a series of conversations with representatives of the Chicago
Cubs regarding efforts to provide state financing for Wrigley Field. On November 30, 2008,
ROD BLAGOJEVICH spoke with Sports Consultant, the president of a Chicago-area sports
consulting firm, whose remarks during the conversation indicated that he was working with
the Cubs on matters involving Wrigley Field. In that conversation, ROD BLAGOJEVICH
and Sports Consultant discussed the importance of getting the IFA transaction approved at
the IFA’s December 2008 or January 2009 meeting, because ROD BLAGOJEVICH was
contemplating leaving office in early January 2009 and ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s IFA
appointees would still be in place to approve the IFA deal. On December 3, 2008, ROD
BLAGOJEVICH spoke again with Sports Consultant and explained that ROD
BLAGOJEVICH had control over state funds designated for use in connection with science
and technology, and which could be used to pay for improvements at Wrigley Field. Later
that same day, ROD BLAGOJEVICH spoke with Cubs Chairman and said that he could
make state science and technology funds available to the Cubs without having to go through
the legislature, and suggested that the Cubs come up with proposals that would allow the use
of such funds.
84. On December 4, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH spoke with Spokesman. On
December 4, 2008, the Chicago Tribune announced it was reducing the size of its workforce
by 11 members. During the phone conversation, Spokesman informed ROD
BLAGOJEVICH that the Tribune had its “cuts” but that Spokesman did not think the “person
we mentioned” was cut. ROD BLAGOJEVICH asked “McCormick?” Spokesman
responded “right.” ROD BLAGOJEVICH instructed Spokesman to “go tell HARRIS that.”
Spokesman stated he had already informed HARRIS of the information.
85. On the morning December 5, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH spoke with JOHN
HARRIS. On the morning of December 5, 2008, the Chicago Tribune ran a front page news
story discussing an ongoing criminal investigation involving ROD BLAGOJEVICH. During
the phone conversation, ROD BLAGOJEVICH and HARRIS discussed information
contained in the newspaper article. ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated “what’s the deal? So, do
McCormick stays at the Tribune, huh?” HARRIS stated “we haven’t heard that he’s gone,
so.” ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated “I mean, those layoffs were minor (the December 4, 2008
Tribune layoffs).” HARRIS stated “well, I know they got a lot to do.” ROD
BLAGOJEVICH asked “there’s still more coming?” HARRIS responded “yeah, they got a
lot of cuts to make.” ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated “okay, at some point we should talk to
[Tribune Financial Advisor] again, right?” HARRIS confirmed they should talk to Tribune
Financial Advisor again.
The Governor’s page is down too 😉
Lisa Madigan
On November 6, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH talked with Spokesman. ROD
BLAGOJEVICH told Spokesman to leak to a particular columnist for the Chicago Sun-
Times, that Senate Candidate 2 is in the running for the vacant Senate seat. According to
ROD BLAGOJEVICH, by doing this, he wanted “to send a message to the [President-elect’s]
people,” but did not want it known that the message was from ROD BLAGOJEVICH.
Thereafter, ROD BLAGOJEVICH and Spokesman discussed specific language that should
be used in the Sun Times column and arguments as to why Senate Candidate 2 made sense
for the vacant Senate seat. A review of this particular Sun Times column on November 7,
2008, indicates references to the specific language and arguments regarding Senate
Candidate 2 as a potential candidate for the Senate seat, as discussed by ROD
BLAGOJEVICH and Spokesman.
Sen. Madigan?
BYLINE: Michael Sneed, The Chicago Sun-Times
SECTION: NEWS; Michael Sneed; Pg. 5
LENGTH: 569 words
TIPSVILLE . . .
The latest from Blagoville: Is Gov. Rod Blagojevich toying with tossing Barack Obama‘s U.S. Senate seat to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who wants Blago’s job?
– It’s his pick . . . and it would get rid of a rival.
– It may endear him to powerful House Speaker Mike Madigan, Lisa’s dad, who is Blago’s political foe.
– It would enable Gov. Blago to choose a new Illinois attorney general.
– Hmmm: Even though this sounds like looneyville . . . stay tuned.
116. In addition, in the course of the conversations over the last month, ROD
BLAGOJEVICH has spent significant time weighing the option of appointing himself to the
open Senate seat, and has expressed a variety of reasons for doing so, including frustration
at being “stuck” as governor, a belief that he will be able to obtain greater resources if he is
indicted as a sitting Senator as opposed to a sitting governor, and a desire to remake his
image in consideration of a possible run for President in 2016, avoid impeachment by the
Illinois legislature, make corporate contacts that would be of value to him after leaving
public office, facilitate his wife’s employment as a lobbyist, and assist in generating speaking
fees should he decide to leave public office.
Avoid impeachment, run for President.
Used his home phone even though he knew he was under investigation:
b. On October 29, 2008, Chief Judge James Holderman entered an Order
authorizing the interception of wire communications to and from a landline telephone
subscribed to ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s home address and used by ROD BLAGOJEVICH and
others. The interception of wire communications to and from ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s home
phone began on the evening of October 29, 2008. On November 26, 2008, Acting Chief
Judge Matthew F. Kennelly signed an order authorizing the continued interception of wire
communications on ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s home phone for a second 30-day period.
Doesn’t he even watch TV? I mean, it’s not like he was busy being Governor.
He used his home phone. Thank God criminals are stupid:
87. By law, after the President-elect’s resignation of his position as a U.S. Senator,
which was effective on November 16, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH has sole authority to
appoint his replacement for the two years remaining of the President-elect’s Senate term. See
10 ILCS 5/25-8. During the course of this investigation, agents have intercepted a series of
communications regarding the efforts of ROD BLAGOJEVICH, JOHN HARRIS, and others
to misuse this power to obtain personal gain, including financial gain, for ROD
BLAGOJEVICH and his family. In particular, ROD BLAGOJEVICH has been intercepted
conspiring to trade the senate seat for particular positions that the President-elect has the
power to appoint (e.g. the Secretary of Health and Human Services). ROD BLAGOJEVICH
has also been intercepted conspiring to sell the Senate seat in exchange for his wife’s
placement on paid corporate boards or ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s placement at a private
foundation in a significant position with a substantial salary. ROD BLAGOJEVICH has also
been intercepted conspiring to sell the Senate seat in exchange for millions of dollars in
funding for a non-profit organization that he would start and that would employ him at a
substantial salary after he left the governorship.
92. On November 4, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH spoke with JOHN HARRIS
regarding the potential vacant Senate seat. ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated that the “trick . .
. is how do you conduct indirectly . . . a negotiation” for the Senate seat. Thereafter, ROD
BLAGOJEVICH analogized his situation to that of a sports agent shopping a potential free
agent to various teams, stating “how much are you offering, [President-elect]? What are you
offering, [Senate Candidate 2]? . . . Can always go to. . . [Senate Candidate 3].” Later ROD
BLAGOJEVICH stated that he will make a decision on the Senate seat “in good faith . . . but
it is not coming for free. . . .It’s got to be good stuff for the people of Illinois and good for
me.” ROD BLAGOJEVICH states “[President-elect], you want it? Fine. But, its got to be
good or I could always take [the Senate seat].”
It’s stunning. Go read the whole thing
Just shut your door at work because you’ll be laughing or crying. Or both.
ArchPundit