Chicagoist: Blagoje-Watch 2008: Day 7

thetwelfthstate

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:40:30 -0600

Why has it taken this long for somebody to start making the Daley/Blago connection?!?! Patronage in Illinois was perfected by the Daleys!

ophmarketing

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:18:01 -0600

It isn't illegal to speculate on what might happen if he sold the Senate seat Can't they nail him for conspiracy?

Ward Up

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:11:14 -0600

The FBI claims that the fact that the Trib's report about secret taping was NOT the reason that the FBI stopped the investigation. The Trib-blabbing would be a good excuse for the FBI to use, but they are not using it.

jennyblur

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:54:42 -0600

@ward/Ingrid: Gawker seems to suggest today that the investigation was stopped because the Trib broke the story...element of surprise was gone? I am sure the feds would have LOVED to get the sale of a Senate seat on tape. But, as of now, there is no evidence he actually did anything wrong. It isn't illegal to speculate on what might happen if he sold the Senate seat, and he hasn't been indicted. If I were him right now, I would hold on as well because every player in this story from Madigan to Quinn have something very tangible to gain if he leaves office. NO ONE IS CLEAN.

gerobobo

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:52:43 -0600

I already explained the most possible reason.

Ingrid

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:54:26 -0600

@Ward, Yes, I was wondering why they halted the investigation when they did. It doesn't make sense. What was the reason? I'm also surprised that there is nothing in the Illinois Constitution for impeachment of Governor procedure. If there is protocol to follow for presidential impeachment, why not for governor as well? Or is that just Illinois?

Albanyparkour

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:37:44 -0600

I'm restating, I sincerely fear, yes fear, that he'd take his own life. This isn't like Ryan, whose guilt wasn't confirmed by tape. Blago was blatant, gauche, even by Illinois standards. He's looking down the barrel of a long-prison term. A pardon? Ha! He's lucky if Rahm Emmanuael isn't trying to get him a LONGER sentence.

ophmarketing

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:46:11 -0600

Man, that hair's looking a little more mussed than usual. Might things be getting to him... finally? That's nothing. There's a photo of him on page 9 of today's Red Eye where it looks like he's desperately pleading with Patti for just one more hit of meth.

gerobobo

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:45:16 -0600

In the case of a murder-for-hire investigation, do you a) let the hit go through for the sake of arresting everyone involved for murder in the first degree b) make the arrest when enough evidence has been gathered for substantial conspiracy charges what the FBI did was akin to this scenario. They had enough evidence for conspiracy and extortion charges and by making the arrest when they did, they prevented a crime from taking place. Law enforcement should be in the business of preventing crimes, not allowing crimes to happen for political reasons.

Marcus Gilmer

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:40:06 -0600

Slaphappy - Blagojevich = first generation American son of Serbian immigrants unless I have my Blago Bio wrong.

gerobobo

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:39:20 -0600

They stopped because they have enough of a case to charge Blago without having him appoint anyone to the Senate and make the situation 1000x worse than it already is. backlash, racism, fear? where do you get this stuff?

Slaphappy

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:37:06 -0600

What the fuck do the Serbs have to do with this? What was the FBI afraid of? A backlash? An accusation of "racism?" Why didn't they let the deal go through? My guess is that it would have just been a total mess.

Ward Up

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:30:03 -0600

The FBI suggests that they stopped the investigation and arrested Blagojevich because they were afraid he was about to appoint the new Senator, presumably after making a deal. That makes no sense. It's like a police drug unit stopped someone from making a drug purchase. Heck, otherwise, they might have to throw more people in jail. The FBI should have ALLOWED Jesse Jackson, Jr. to purchase the Senate seat, and THEN arrested everyone. What was the FBI afraid of? A backlash? An accusation of "racism?" Why didn't they let the deal go through?

Albanyparkour

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:11:40 -0600

Nice to see him in his "Off to jail" sweats. Shameless bastard. The only upside is, after all the strum and drang, a night is fast approaching when Blago will be laying on a bunk, looking up a concrete ceiling and knowing that for all the power he once wielded, he's locked in for keeps.

BlueFairlane

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:05:03 -0600

Hmm ... I thought my "It'll never happen" vote in the Blago death pool was way off, but now I'm not so sure. Yeah, the guy got arrested, but I'm growing less and less confident that the legislature is going to figure out anything to do about it. I'm starting to wonder if he just might finish his term.

Stealth

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:02:26 -0600

Man, that hair's looking a little more mussed than usual. Might things be getting to him... finally?

Ward Committeeman

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:46:00 -0600

Here is some "Audacity of Hope" for you. Richie wearing an Orange Jump Suit shoveling snow in Terra Haute, IN next to George "16627-424" Ryan