US News
Illinois governor arrested for trying to sell Obama's Senate seat
Dec 9, 2008, 15:18 GMT
A file photograph showing Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich during the Chicago Cubs rally in Chicago, Illinois, USA, 30 September 2008. Blagojevich was arrested at his Chicago home on 09 Decembere 2008 by federal authorities and has been charged with attempted bribery and mail fraud. EPA/KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI
Washington - Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff were arrested Tuesday on charges of trying to sell US president-elect Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat.
Court-appointed wiretaps last month intercepted Blagojevich conspiring to sell the Senate seat that Obama resigned on November 16, according to US Attorney Patrick J Fitzgerald. In return, as recorded in various conversations, he sought a cabinet post, an ambassadorship or a seat on a corporate board for his wife.
Democrat Blagojevich, 51, and his chief of staff John Harris, 46, who were to appear later Tuesday in a federal court in Chicago, are charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery.
'The breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering,' Fitzgerald said in a statement.
'They allege that Blagojevich put a 'for sale' sign on the naming of a United States Senator, involved himself personally in pay-to- play schemes with the urgency of a salesman meeting his annual sales target and corruptly used his office in an effort to trample editorial voices of criticism.'
They are also accused of sacking members of the Chicago Tribune editorial board who were critical of the governor, according to a Justice Department statement.
Blagojevich is in his second four-year term as Illinois governor, which ends in January 2011. Last month he said he was forming a panel to review candidates to fill Obama's Senate seat.
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Older Talkback
page: 1
Well, now the third paragraph does mention he is a democrat. Must have missed that.
What difference does it really make. They are all crooks, some just more blatent that others. The Republicans have abused their power as will the Democrats. It is our job to force them out of office when they believe they are above the law. That is happening 'with haste' in the Republican party and if the Democrats do not act better---force them out.
The only mistake this guy made was to [allegedly] sell it too directly. He needs to learn about payoffs:
The president gets $750 million to become elected and then some of the lucky payees become staff and other appointed officials. It is called: buying a job.
SP will be all over this, big time - probably composing one of his stupid scenarios as we speak and also manage to put all the blame on Obama. All the blame in the world will never make up for the crap we've had to endure for the last 8 years under Bush. As far as whether it's a donkey or elephant - they smell the same.
listen to sp4 he knows what he's talking about.
He just got caught. They all benefit from office. It pays good to 'serve' the public.
This is typical of Illinois politics. Illinois could give prime, high-class lessons to the rest of the world when it comes to dirty politics and corruption. I grew up in Illinois. Politics are extremely dirty there
The fact that Blago was trying to use his office to make money and get himself a cushy 'retirement package' is normal in Illinois. The people there let the politicians get away with it because Illinois is a big time entitlement state. Big welfare, generous unemployment and such keeps people dependent on the state government.
What did surprise me is the fact that ol' Blago, a Chicago Democrat, was stupid enough to try and shake down these outfits for dough over the telephone!!! No, no, Governor, you never do that over the phone!!! You do that in an officially unscheduled closed building or run down factory late at night and your people have ascertained there's no recording device anywhere near by.
Dun git me rong, cos ah is ohnly a poower hillbilly in da Rocky Mowntins.
Ah`s shoower ah red in daws deprayved newspapis uv yaws dat guys oo sell udder guys seets ar coled PIMPS.
Wal, ah am serprized dat yoo elektid a kweer as Preezidant, ya naw dat black guy coled Obanana. E`ll mayk a reel hit in da Wite Ows wid ole daws meelitary guys arownd, eshpeshully da saylers.
Ah dun suppoze Obanana wud liyk ta git inta tutch wid ma Lokal Meenister wud he ? Cos ma Meenister as olways bin interestid in udder guys seets, mossly in da Confeshunal Box in da eevenin.
Not sure about the last comment.
The hillbilly could be right.
Well, you can tell that is SP4 by this phrase: 'Confeshunal Box'.
Stop the Presses.
They caught the Governor.
The presidential candidate got away, remenber?
We've already told you about this.
You were not listening.
Makes Halliburton look like a lemonaide stand.
...Lance, try and impress us with that doctoral thesis on how Bush broke the Bank of England. We cannot wait.
Are now the party in power. This is who they are. Chuck Rangel just got caught kicking back $60,000 to his kid for Internet services.
SP4: You are just jealous. Your man spent trillions of dollars trying to buy off the world, or killing it, and in the end failed miserably all the while people like me foretelling the future: Mass murder of muslims, occupation using the jesus-bomb and deficit of moral and financial values.
You lost, Bush lost, most of the U.S. lost. You are losers.
Maybe one day the silent minority of sane people will rise and their voice will be heard, but until then we get hecklers like you. Part of the price one pays for being sane in a turbulent sea of idiots like you.
mass murder of muslims. The muslims can do that all by themselves (and do), thank you very much.
...I just never realized how honest Bush really was, until the democrats got back into power. Hell, Obama isn't even President yet and the dems are already producing Clinton-class corruption on a vast scale. I mean, go figure, some sneator takes some gifts and he's the devil. The GOVERNOR of ILLINOIS sells a US SENATE SEAT!
Positively Inspiring! Can you imagine what is next??? The Louisiana Purchase???
Haliburton:
hahahahahahahahahahaha!
'you came here to discuss global warming Al'
'no, I don't want to hold brief cases Al, that's Hillary's..er..job...oh heck Al...YOU know...YOU worked for them for chrissakes!'
'Al...babe...it's my old senate seat....I've moved on....I don't care...$750,000 grand?...damn...that's real money Al...how come so much?'
'Really? an Ambassadorship too?...I gotta get Hillary on the line...if she'll even talk to me....'
Yes, the democrats are just as filthy as the republicans. Big deal.
More of the same for 4 years and probably longer.
....and remembered the article. Two words kept coming back to me. (no, I did not see the word 'democrat' either) They were:
'Cabinet Post'
'Ambassadorship'
Now, kids, who holds the keys to a Federal cabinet post???????
Who, kids, holds the keys to a U.S. Ambassadorship???????
Who would this mobster be discussing either of these with who was within line authority to discuss, or grant, such things???
Who is designated head of the Diplomatic Service?????
Who is HER boss????(a very good question!)
In other words, who was on the other end of the phone in the wiretaps????
I am wondering if anyone here can connect the dots?
Oh god. Read the indictment. It's on Fox(of course).
Guess who comes up??????????????
Yep, Tony rexko
'The President-Elect'
This is exactly what you (should) think it is.
It involves Obama.
oh god.
SP would go completely out of his mind instead of almost, if he didn't have this site to spew out his constant crap. You could almost feel sorry for his apparent meager life. The political world will always have someone or something that isn't on the up and up, be it Democrat, Republican, Independent, caught or not caught - so what else's new?
who are you calling kids you ignorant prick?
..who call me ignorant prick, of course. That would be you. Now, go try and inform yourself and read the 70 pages, then come back and you can talk to the adults!
..is exactly what I expect: Corruption is OK if it is a democrat, but it is a sin if it is a republican. The comments just prove this is the lopsided scale justice in the mind of the liberal. The 'oh gee, it's everywhere' is a stark reminder of the foaming-at-the-mouth over the likes of a Larry Craig or the prosecution of a Louis Libby, while the highest legislative postion in the land is auctioned off as we speak.
One only has to ask if Caroline Kennedy is cutting deals now to get her position? It's a pretty easy bet.
The next scene will be to curtail the investigation, once it gets too close to any of Obama's operatives, a move ongoing right now as we sit here. There is no way they are going to let this guy spill the beans on everyone. This is what the Clintonites do best.
Congratulations: No one has ever had a scandal BEFORE they took office.
the US presidency was sold to Obama for $750 million.
I bet Blago will pull down Obama with him now and we will have McCain as President...it is possible.
'Corruption is OK if it is a democrat, but it is a sin if it is a republican. The comments just prove this is the lopsided scale justice in the mind of the liberal.' why don’t you actually take your own advice and take a look at you Christian conservative right wing? No, you can’t do that now can you? Then you might not be able to handle the fact that the people you are defending are just as bad, if not worse. The Dems want to take your money, the Republicans (we should just call you what you are...Christians) want to take you freedom. I guess the only real difference between the two is that the Democrats are nice about it, and use Vaseline when screwing the American people.
America is just too corrupt for me. That's why I prefer to live in Canada.
..I just don't see the 'Christian Right' either under indictment or under arrest, for selling the highest legislative office in the land to the highest bidder. Perhaps you can expound on your thesis for us?
Would love to blame Obama for this one buts its a nonstarter. Just some idiot who didn't think it through, jails are full of them.
It will be interesting to see where all of this goes.
I'm 'ok' with Obama, but I never fully resolved the 'Rezko helps buy Obama his house' scandal.
Wasn't that pretty cut and dry corruption and how did Obama get through it without a scratch?
page: 1
ShaneDec 9th, 2008 - 15:55:01
How come the article didn't mention he was a democrat? How come he didn't have the little (D) next to his name? I notice any article about a republican has the (R) next to it. Hmm.
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