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Tuesday, December 9, 2008

2008 Is This the Chicago-style Politics That We Heard So Much About During the Campaign?

Posted by on Tue, Dec 9, 2008 at 8:40 AM

Good morning. Here's a crazy, juicy, developing scandal to go with your coffee...

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was captured on tape saying that unless he received “something real good” for the appointment of a top adviser to Barack Obama to fill the president-elect’s Senate seat he would appoint himself, according to a criminal complaint.

“Unless I get something real good [for Senate candidate 1], s***, I’ll just send myself, you know what I’m saying?” Blagojevich was taped saying on November 3, the day before Election Day.

The Illinois governor has reportedly been arrested this morning over all of this. The charging affidavit is here. (And, as Benjamin Sarlin of The Daily Beast has noted, it reads like an episode of The Wire.) Obama is staying out of sight but doesn't seem to be implicated in any wrongdoing in any way—though lots of other big names (Jarrett, Jackson, etc.) are entangled.

Also at issue: in a separate matter, the governor allegedly demanded The Chicago Tribune fire members of its editorial board before he would offer state assistance to the struggling paper, whose holding company has now declared bankruptcy.

 

Comments (5) RSS

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1
from the criminal complaint:
"In regards to the Senate seat, ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated “I’ve got this thing and it’s fucking
golden, and, uh, uh, I’m just not giving it up for fuckin’ nothing. I’m not gonna do it. And,
and I can always use it. I can parachute me there.”"

Importantly, the document strongly suggests that Obama wasn't interested in giving Blago anything for the choice. At one point, Blago refers to Obama as "this motherfucker", which makes the mccain "that guy" thing seem pretty tame.

Goodbye, Blagojevich.
Posted by william on December 9, 2008 at 8:45 AM
2
Obama's temporary offices have been in the federal building in downtown Chicago. It is so fun to imagine leaks getting to him and Jarrett from the different offices down there. He must be just tickled that Blago's going down.
Posted by tomasyalba on December 9, 2008 at 8:49 AM
3
There are many of us here that are just tickled that he's going down... That guy is a worthless piece of shite.
Posted by Julie in Chicago on December 9, 2008 at 8:56 AM
4
Damn. This story is n-v-t-s NUTS. Why's this guy have to be a Democrat? Ugh.
Posted by leek on December 9, 2008 at 9:27 AM
5
If they have a special election for Obama's seat do Republicans get to run? If s the governor needs to be hung.
Posted by elswinger on December 9, 2008 at 11:20 AM

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