It’s rare that I post something mainly for the enjoyment of RonF, but this was too good to pass up.
Blagojevich Claims Behavior Was Just Elaborate Plan To Surprise Patrick Fitzgerald With Senate Nomination On His Birthday
Courtesy America’s Finest News Source, naturally.
His behavior has been so outlandish I was only a little surprised before finding out that it’s fake.
Thank you so much Myca! And I have to echo Doorshut; if this appeared on the front page of the Chicago Tribune it would actually look LESS weird than some of the stuff he’s actually been saying and doing. The man is completely out of control.
I mean, two weeks ago the headline “Blago stiffs his own trial and quotes Nixon to Barbara Walters on the View while his lawyer quits” could only have appeared in the Onion – now it’s on the front page of the Sun-Times and the Trib.
I can’t stop laughing!
Those interviews on the View and such actually have had some interesting moments. For one thing, his erratic behavior masks his reason why he’s not at his own impeachment trial. His references to not being able to call witnesses stem from the fact that he’s been banned from calling certain witnesses because Fitzpatrick wants to call them in Blago’s criminal trial and doesn’t want their testimony and thus his prosecution strategy given away prior to that trial. So, then, why should Blago not return the favor – if Blago testified before the Illinois Senate, then Fitzpatrick would be given a free look at his legal strategy. Since the outcome of the impeachment trial is a foregone conclusion it would do him no good and some harm.
Also, during these interviews Blago has referenced shady deals and particular people in a fashion that are clear signals to his fellow Illinois politicians that he’s going to name names places, amounts, favors, etc. during his criminal trial. I am surprising myself in saying this, but the needle on the “Chance that Blago’s going to get whacked” meter is starting to flicker a bit off of 0. I wouldn’t say that the Illinois General Assembly or the Chicago City Council is all mobbed up, but there’s a few connections here and there. For a long time Chicago’s 1st Ward Alderman was known as the Mob’s Alderman.
Those guys at The Onion are geniuses. But, you know, I seem to recall somebody already making the joke that Blago would try to get out of trouble by using the Senate seat to bribe people involved in his prosecution.
Blago is on TV right now testifying in front of the Illinois Senate. So far we’ve heard his life story and that of his parents. Now he’s basically saying that he’s done nothing but try to help the citizens of Illinois – he just said “I didn’t do anything wrong” – and the eeeeeeeevil Senators are doing this to get rid of him so they can screw over the citizens of Illinois.
Not that the Illinois Senate isn’t going to screw over the citizens of Illinois, mind you – he’s right about that. But he’s way off in trying to paint himself as a victim. He’s done plenty wrong.
He’s just ended. No, he didn’t resign. The prosecution is getting 30 minutes to rebut and then they’ll vote.
Blago’s out, 59 – 0 (he has no in-laws in the Illinois Senate). His successor is Patrick Quinn. Gov. Quinn (he’s already taken the oath) had been a long-time and quite effective populist activist before he became Lt. Gov. He apparently has continued to be an advocate; the milblogs are touting his hard work on the behalf of veterans both on an individual and group basis, and you won’t often see praise for Democrats on the milblogs.
But he has no political base of allies in the party structures. Right now the betting is against him being the Democratic candidate for Governor in 2010. But in 2 years who knows? I will say this; he has the reputation of being squeaky clean, and given his years of activism it’s my supposition that if there was any dirt on him someone would have smeared him with it, because he’s pissed off some powerful people.