"There is a line between routine politics, horse trading and campaign politics... I thought they were permissible and I was mistaken."He's sorry he misunderstood where the line was. Unbelievably sorry.
December 7, 2011
Blagojevich gets 14 years.
Even though he's saying he's "unbelievably sorry."
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Yeah, I too find it hard to believe that he is sorry.
His sorrow is just unbelievable.
This makes what, 4 of 6 former IL governors in the pokey?
What's up with that?
John Henry
He certainly chose the right adverb.
He's unbelievably sorry he got caught, I get that.
How much time really (with good behavior and such).
Honestly...how many years do you think he'll end up doing?
When I was stationed at Eglin AFB in Florida, we had a minimum security prison on base. I was told it was for embezzelers, fraud, etc. I assume Rod The Bod would count for minimum security so I suppose he may end up there. If so, it's not really my idea of prison...not at all like the one in Pacific MO or Mt Vernon IL that I've seen from the highway, at any rate.
There was only the hint of a perimeter fence. The inmates were used for "weeds and seeds", thankfully, so we enlisted didn't have to do it, but other than that, they pursued all manner of activities including school, shops of various types, and sports, sports, sports, sports.
In the intramurals, we always hated playing the prisoners because they damned guys did nothing but practice all day every day.
"This makes what, 4 of 6 former IL governors in the pokey?"
Incredible. I'm sure there's no connection with this fact and the fact that Illinois' fiscal situation is worse than virtually any other state.
And let's not forget:
Last month, Rezko was sentenced to 10 1/2 years in prison for his 2008 corruption conviction, after orchestrating a multi-million dollar scheme while serving as adviser and fundraiser to former Governor Rod Blagojevich.
Mr. Rezko may have raised as much as $250,000 for Mr. Obama’s first three political races.
Blago had a point. How would a ChiTown Pol know that selling political power is wrong. Politics has never been done any other way there.
My bride, an expert on Federal Sentencing Guidelines, predicted 14 years. I think the US Attorney wanted 15. Maybe the "really" sorry got him a 1 year reduction. Hopefully he'll end up in Oxford, Wi., we can all get on his visiting list.
Blago said:
"There is a line between routine politics, horse trading and campaign politics... I thought they were permissible and I was mistaken."
reminds me of the time George had sex on his desk with the maid.
"Was that wrong? Should I not have done that? I tell you, I gotta plead ignorance on this thing"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RvNS7JfcMM
Costanza and Blago. Who knew they were separated at birth.
John Henry
Well Traditionalguy, former Guv George Ryan being in prison might have been a fucking clue!!
I was just thinking what one death penalty for a corrupt politician might be enough.
Maybe it's being used as a "deterrent" for the wrong crimes!
Under federal sentencing, Blago will have to serve 85% of his sentence, so more than 12 years.
Of course, the federal government will be bankrupt within 3 years and will be able, at most, to hold only the most violent criminals.
So Blago will be home for Christmas in 2014.
Drudge has a good headline:
Picture of Blago and Obama heads together in an intense huddle.
Headline:
"Off to jail you go, Blago!"
John Henry
Why shouldn't he have gotten a good price for Obama's senate seat? I mean, it was hardly used at all.
Call me cynical but buying political favors seems pretty norm to me. Sandusky will get less time than Blagovich.
I only saw Blago as a smaller version of a Clinton or an Obama
@John Henry: Hmmm, maybe Blago needs to watch his back in prison.
Sorry for what he did or sorry he got caught?
Which makes me wonder who Obama will pardon at the end of his presidency.
I'm sure he's sorry...that he got 14 years!
The straight line it too easy.
Unduly severe sentence.
A bit of bunko, and they hand the boy over to the ahem black robe Chosen
The number of aldermen and governors in Illinois that have ended up in the pokey in the last 20 years or so is indicative of the political sewer that exists there.
Horse trading indeed.
Don't Tread, We lived there for a few years. They take a perverse pride in their corruption. Not just the pols, the citizens do also. We lived there during the Byrne/Harold Washington primary. Our precinct captain visited us 4-5times a week, bottles of wine[shitty] tins of cookies, fruit baskets, it was like Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino. The precinct captain was a Byrne guy. We voted for Harold.
Blago got railroaded for doing what every Illinois politician does; pay to play. Even Obama and Emmanuel. Wouldn't it be interesting to hear the rest of the taped the judge said were "irrelevant"?
TCB, He is going to prison for breaking the law. Case closed. Just like the former guv.
Blago never got any of the cash Jackson's peeps promised either.
Railroaded.
I was a Honky For Harold!!!! Anyway, Chicagah ain't ready for reform, so said Paddy Bauler. He was right then and right today.
Free Blago!!! Free Mumia!!!!
I would have given him 14 years just for that hair. Seriously.
Unbelievably sorry is unambiguous.
Blago is using unbelievably as an intensifier, which is the only way it can be taken.
I hadn't heard of Blago before he ran afoul of the law. After I saw him on TV a few times, my biggest question was how could anyone vote for this clown? He made used car salesman and drug dealers seem downright honorable by comparison.
Sorry for himself.
I hope this is an emerging trend to jail more and more of our corrupt lying elected officials.
Blago is a political prisoner - make no mistaking about this.
He did what they all do.
He also did this with the wink and nod from the Chicago machine that still operates this way all the way to the White House.
I wish for one minute folks would really ask the media to explain this Chicago way. It would answer so many questions.
It's a tragedy that Blago should be in jail for 14 years when day after day - in the Choc ago area only - we hear of murderers released after 2 or 3 years who murder again.
The haves and have nots thing does not work here and frankly - Americans should be above this kind of public flogging and shaming and persecuting for show.
Isn't that why so many of us old world folks came to America in the first place?
A horrible sentence from a horrible prosecutor who only did what he had to do to save the three or four week old presidency of Barrack Obama.
There is no question that Blago did what they all do - all the time - and he is the "moral lesson of the day" to pretend that the Chicago machine is reformed.
Free Blago! A politically correct prisoner but really - not guilty at all of doing anything that he was never trained to do.
Sandusky misunderstood the line, too. But didn't we already erase that line?
I thought Foucault erased that line? Oh, you mean it was only in theory??
Why aren't Obama and Rahm implicated in this... they were both involved and got off ... total BS.
ya' know...if we put too many of these bastards in jail, then we would have term limits!!
BWAHAHAHAHAH!
A travesty of justice, pure and simple.
But what ain't these days?
Kathy -- your paean to the merits of jumping off a bridge because someone else does is noted. Good work.
Remember when the so-called Supercommittee had lobbyists flocking to it? "We got this thing here and it's gold..."
What's the substantive difference?
For those who are counting, 4 Illinois Governors have gone to prison in the last 50 or so years - Walker, Kerner, Ryan and Blago. That's one R and 3 Ds, for those keeping score.
As my husband (lifelong Chicagoan) is wont to say, "Take THAT, Louisiana!"
His problem is that the distinction he missed wasn't between routine politics, horse trading and campaign politics. It's between politics and corruption, fraud and theft.
This has been a part of the defense offered lately by numerous Illinois politicians in court. "It's politics as usual." "Everyone does it." "That's how the system works." The Chicago Tribune keeps saying that no, that's not business or politics as usual. But they're wrong. It is politics as usual in the State of Illinois. That doesn't make it legal - or even right. The politicians may be confused, but it's interesting that it's generally pretty clear to the juries, which are rarely made up of lawyers or politicians.
For those of you keeping score, that's 4 of our last 8 governors who have ended up doing time on felony convictions.
Scott M:
He got 14 years. Presuming he doesn't stick a shank into anyone he'll do 12. Because it's > 10 years, he is at least initially ineligible for a minimum security facility (according to the local NBC affiliate's news program).
Understand, folks - Blago really doesn't think he did anything wrong. It's not just "Everyone else is doing it, why pick on me?" He truly figures that this is the game, these are the rules and this is how it's played - and there's nothing wrong (or at least illegal) about all that. He just figures that the rest of us don't understand and are seeing things that aren't there.
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