Althouse: Blago ousted.

January 29, 2009

Blago ousted.

By unanimous vote.

51 comments:

garage mahal said...: And Instapundit found his voice.; 1/29/09, 5:39 PM
Eli Blake said...: He's OK with that, as long as they don't hold him down and give him a mohawk.

He walked out of there with his hair held high.; 1/29/09, 5:49 PM
JohnAnnArbor said...: Maybe they'll take a separate vote on his hair.; 1/29/09, 5:52 PM
Eli Blake said...: He'll come back, as a member of the Wig Party.; 1/29/09, 5:55 PM
Revenant said...: I'm surprised that the vote was unanimous. You'd think the man would have at least ONE friend in the legislature.; 1/29/09, 6:01 PM
JohnAnnArbor said...: His hair rated mention in the AP story: "The furor paralyzed state government and made Blagojevich and his helmet of lush, dark hair a punchline from coast to coast."; 1/29/09, 6:02 PM
Eli Blake said...: Revenant:

You mean you know a Governor who has friends in their legislature?; 1/29/09, 6:07 PM
Eli Blake said...: The real reason Blago didn't show up for his impeachment trial until the last day:

It takes him 96 hours to comb his hair just right.; 1/29/09, 6:08 PM
Godot said...: Justice. But a travesty.; 1/29/09, 6:13 PM
Chris Arabia said...: Apparently the votes on the House side were 117-1, so he evidently does have exactly one (1) friend in the legislature.

Is there a one (1) car accident in this man's future? Would his hair end up on the head of some hapless schlub in Springfield, leading to thirty (30) minutes of animated mayhem?; 1/29/09, 6:21 PM
Zachary Sire said...: Watching him live now outside his house. Brilliant. The reporter just told him he didn't get one single vote and wondered why?

Before he could answer, a small child in the crowd yelled "I'd vote for ya!" Blago responded, "Hey you're old enough to vote for me, this is Chicago!"; 1/29/09, 6:21 PM
Ron said...: More time for him to sit on the couch with Joy Behar!; 1/29/09, 6:25 PM
RHSwan said...: Wouldn't it be funny, at the end of all this, Blago is found innocent or Fitz doesn't even press charges?; 1/29/09, 6:26 PM
Anonymous said...: I don't think he'll be convicted. Fitzgerald pulled the plug early before a crime was committed.; 1/29/09, 6:45 PM
Michele said...: Stephen Snell -- That one vote in the house was Blago's sister-in-law.; 1/29/09, 6:49 PM
Fred4Pres said...: Not only that, he cannot hold elected office again. That is rubbing salt in the wounds.; 1/29/09, 6:51 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Fitzgerald pulled the plug early..

They got physical?; 1/29/09, 6:51 PM
JohnAnnArbor said...: Fitzgerald pulled the plug early before a crime was committed.

Because a Chicago newspaper threatened to publicize the investigation. Fitz was furious.

One wonders who the paper was trying to protect.; 1/29/09, 6:52 PM
Eli Blake said...: Oxbay:

I believe you are right about that. But Fitzgerald was in a very difficult position. It's no secret that sometimes the cops wait for drug dealers or other petty criminals to go ahead with their crimes so they have something to prove they did. But given the magnitude of what Blagojevich was about to try and pull off, selling a seat in the U.S. Senate I think Fitz felt he had to move to prevent it. If Blago had appointed someone then that person would be representing the fourteen million citizens of Illinois on one of the most powerful bodies in the world.

I give kudos to Fitzgerald, he would rather see a sleaze go free if it comes right down to it than get his trophy at the cost of damaging the integrity of the U.S. Government. And further, today constitutes punishment, even if Blago does beat the rap.; 1/29/09, 6:54 PM
John Burgess said...: While a governor may have been chased off the stage, a new star is born.

I predict that he will be filling a Jerry Springesque role on TV before the end of the year. He'll have to train the potty mouth, or the show put on a time-delay, but he'll be there.; 1/29/09, 6:58 PM
David said...: Not a great moment in American justice or politics.

Blago was denied evidence and witnesses he wanted and needed to defend himself because the legislature would not let him use the information. They based this decision on the say-so of a prosecutor who has held a press conference but not brought an indictment.

Impeachment is a political process conducted in the guise of a judicial proceeding. The legislature can make any rules they want, and the rules they made here were fundamentally unfair to the Governor.

This is a reminder of why we are fortunate to have a constitution with a bill of rights. Who knows what procedures our legislators would come up with if turned loose on the court system.; 1/29/09, 6:59 PM
Palladian said...: "Before he could answer, a small child in the crowd yelled "I'd vote for ya!" Blago responded, "Hey you're old enough to vote for me, this is Chicago!""

You made that up! Didn't you?!; 1/29/09, 7:00 PM
Eli Blake said...: John Burgess:

THANK YOU!

I had predicted he'd have a career in TV, but I wasn't quite sure what kind of show. Now I know, you're right! Jerry Springer II!!; 1/29/09, 7:01 PM
Eli Blake said...: No, Palladian. I heard that too, someplace else.

But I wouldn't be surprised if Blago had arranged for it. John Burgess is right-- he may have been a poor Governor, but he's a master showman.; 1/29/09, 7:02 PM
traditionalguy said...: Maybe he will do a Count of Monte Cristo act and discover the secret Al Capone stash, and then reappear to buy his way into a Senate seat.New Jersey has low prices. Maybe NY or better yet, the Mayor of NYC. Money talks at the Democrat ranch, but for now Blago walks.; 1/29/09, 7:08 PM
al said...: Blago's friend in the Illinois house was his sister-in-law.

As a resident of Illinois I'm glad he's gone. But I'm pissed that the Trib(?) broke the story as I'm pretty sure it led to Rahm or Obama.; 1/29/09, 7:30 PM
Leland said...: If Blago had appointed someone then that person would be representing the fourteen million citizens of Illinois on one of the most powerful bodies in the world.

The US Senate has a remedy for that situation.; 1/29/09, 7:31 PM
Zachary Sire said...: You made that up! Didn't you?!

No! He said it. And then the kid asked Blago if he would play basketball with him, and Blago told him he could twirl a ball on his finger or something. Seriously.; 1/29/09, 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...: "He walked out of there with his hair held high."

The best line I heard all day.; 1/29/09, 7:34 PM
Palladian said...: "No! He said it. And then the kid asked Blago if he would play basketball with him, and Blago told him he could twirl a ball on his finger or something. Seriously."

Ha! He's almost as entertaining as Jim Traficant, though he can't beat old Jimmy in the hair department.; 1/29/09, 7:52 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/29/09, 8:24 PM
Anonymous said...: One has to wonder if the full brotherhood of corruption in Chicago didn’t just chew off its most exposed leg to keep the body hidden, healthy, and alive.; 1/29/09, 8:27 PM
The Dude said...: Traficant had hell toupee.; 1/29/09, 8:34 PM
JohnAnnArbor said...: It would have been funny if he'd said "My truth is that I am a gay American."; 1/29/09, 8:49 PM
MadisonMan said...: Eli wins the thread at 5:49.

But I'm pissed that the Trib(?) broke the story as I'm pretty sure it led to Rahm or Obama.

The released transcript between Emanuel and Blagojevich showed little love between the two, so I'm doubtful of your suspicion.; 1/29/09, 9:20 PM
TitusGoAskAlice said...: He should of been impeached for the hair alone.

I just pinched an evening loaf

I always confuse loaf with loave. Loaf is singular and loaves are plural is that correct?

But here is my dilemma. If I pinch one loaf, meaning sitting on the throne only once, but many loaves come out am I pinching a loaf or loaves? Can one loaf be defined as one stop on the lou but with many different loaves shooting out of my ass that is like a 14 year olds?

Life is very complex.; 1/29/09, 9:27 PM
TitusGoAskAlice said...: My 25 year old asshole neighbor has finally come home from his 6 week Christmas "holiday".

I hate him. He just traveled all over the world and he doesn't work. Must be nice having parents pay for everything.

Did I mention he is a total bitch?; 1/29/09, 9:29 PM
Simon said...: JohnAnnArbor said...
"Because a Chicago newspaper threatened to publicize the investigation. Fitz was furious."

I had thought that it was worse than that - they had the story, they'd been holding it back at Fitz' request, but then went to print with it on thursday or friday of the week before the feds arrested Blago, thereby precipitating said arrests because once the story was out, the jig was up.; 1/29/09, 9:34 PM
Roberto said...: Hair today...gone tomorrow.; 1/29/09, 9:35 PM
Roberto said...: TitusGoAskAlice said..."My 25 year old asshole neighbor has finally come home from his 6 week Christmas "holiday"."

And if anybody knew about peering directly into assholes.; 1/29/09, 9:36 PM
Roberto said...: Quayle: Where are you?

No corruption??; 1/29/09, 9:37 PM
Roberto said...: Al - "As a resident of Illinois I'm glad he's gone. But I'm pissed that the Trib(?) broke the story as I'm pretty sure it led to Rahm or Obama."

Yeah, but I guess, with no real evidence...

Duh.; 1/29/09, 9:39 PM
Roberto said...: David said..."Not a great moment in American justice or politics. Blago was denied evidence and witnesses he wanted and needed to defend himself because the legislature would not let him use the information."

That total bullshit you idiot.

That's what Blago says.

Back it up with ANY kind of objective, verifiable evidence.; 1/29/09, 9:42 PM
SteveR said...: Scores of similarly corrupt Illinois politicians are poised to fill in the gap.; 1/29/09, 9:48 PM
TitusGoAskAlice said...: Ted Haggard is heterosexual but has homosexual feelings. Oh and he has been sucking dick since he was 16 but he is still heterosexual.; 1/29/09, 9:52 PM
Spread Eagle said...: The released transcript between Emanuel and Blagojevich showed little love between the two, so I'm doubtful of your suspicion.

Perhaps Emanuel and/or the transition team was tipped by someone (either in Fitz's office or by someone from the Trib) that it was a trap, that Blago's phone was tapped, looking for pay to play players. Maybe that is why Emanuel and Obama suddenly and otherwise inexplicably distanced themselves from their good old buddy Blago. Maybe that was when they affixed the halos and put the angelic expressions on their faces. Maybe absent that tip this all would've gone down a very different road.; 1/29/09, 10:04 PM
Wince said...: Althouse coins a term:

Blagousted!; 1/29/09, 10:31 PM
Revenant said...: Maybe absent that tip this all would've gone down a very different road.

Maybe. But it's a definite that people will think we're a bunch of fruitcakes if we promote that story with nothing but supposition to go on.; 1/29/09, 11:33 PM
Roberto said...: BlagOusted: To Pick Up Office Belongings Later, Has No Friends

"So yeah, I'm just going to go ahead and get out of here, there is a back door, right?...Yeah, Terry, just put all that stuff in one of those paper crates and ship 'em to the Misses." - Rod the Retahd Blagojevich

Posted by Zack Stovall at 3:42 PM Labels: blagoblogo, brevity speaks volumes, this is not long, who let this picture get out; 1/29/09, 11:52 PM
al said...: Michael said...

Yeah, but I guess, with no real evidence...

Hard to gather evidence when the media interferes in your investigation. We'll never know who they were covering for. Given the history of the Chicago media covering for Obama it's not hard to wonder who it might be.

Duh.

Such an intelligent comment. Wow.; 1/30/09, 6:55 AM
Anonymous said...: "And Instapundit found his voice."

I don't get it.; 1/30/09, 8:30 AM