January 2, 2020

"Former Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, himself impeached and now serving a 14-year term in federal prison for corruption, said in a new op-ed that today's House Democrats would have impeached Abraham Lincoln."

Fox News reports.
"Lincoln didn't ask Congress for permission when he declared an end to nearly 250 years of slavery and offered freedom to millions of slaves in the American South," he said, referring to the Emancipation Proclamation, which went into effect on this day in 1863 and itself was a "unilateral" executive branch decision.

In addition, the 62-year-old former governor said Pelosi would likely charge that Lincoln had committed "Confederate Collusion" when he offered Virginia native Gen. Robert E. Lee command of the U.S. Army....

"Can't you see how a Speaker Pelosi and many of today's House Democrats would call for the appointment of a Special Counsel to investigate Lincoln for 'Confederate Collusion' and bring impeachment charges for abuse of power for offering the top military command to a guy who would go on to become the top military commander of the other side?" he asked in his column.

63 comments:

gilbar said...

OBVIOUSLY the democrats would have impeached Lincoln
IF THEY'D HELD THE HOUSE

Lincoln was (LITERALLY!) an existential threat to the slave owning demo's
BUT! Lincoln had the votes (in the House, and the Senate); so the demos gave up on demcracy

Hagar said...

I question that.
Lincoln was a minority president with, I think, about 34% of the vote. I have not checked, but I think he did not have a majority in Congress until the South seceded and left town.

tim maguire said...

Gilbar, he’s talking about today’s Democrats, who do hold the House. He even specifies Nancy Pelosi as speaker. She’s old, but not that old.

gilbar said...

Hager questions my math (correctly?), saying ...
I have not checked, but I think he did not have a majority in Congress until the South seceded and left town.


March 4, 1861: Republican pluralities are seated in Senate and House, becoming governing majorities in both Houses given vacancies among Southerners. Louisiana has 2 of 4 representatives remaining. Although represented in the Confederate Congress, Missouri and Kentucky remained with full delegations in the 37th Congress.

so, you're right; not a majority; a plurality. In House and Senate. So, MAYBE, they MIGHT HAVE been able to impeach, but No Way could they have removed

gilbar said...

Blogger tim maguire said... Gilbar, he’s talking about today’s Democrats

So was I! That's why i called them "Slave Owning Demo's"
Democrats Do NOT Change
DEMOCRATS DO NOT CHANGE

rehajm said...

Impeachment is now the political equivalent of a bratty fit on the floor of the grocery store.

Hagar said...

I suspect Pelosi leaving the articles of impeachment on her desk while going off for Christmas vacation is not due to any great plan for what to do on her return, but simply deadlock among her caucus "leadership," and tempers are growing hot in there.

readering said...

Angling for pardon.

Narayanan said...

Why no taunting of Pelosi by Republicans?

At least one tweet daily Daisy Chain!

Rs Need to rub Justice Roberts 👃 on social media criticism and Civics lessons.

rhhardin said...

It wasn't even clear that leaving the Union was unconstitutional until the war was fought. Turns out the US is like a roach motel.

wendybar said...

He's not wrong!!

Ralph L said...

he offered Virginia native Gen. Robert E. Lee

He was only a colonel at the time. /pedant

Hagar said...

The Supreme Court did decide that Lincoln's suspension of habeas corpus in Maryland was unconstitutional, but prudently waited until the war was over before handing down that decision.

Stephen Taylor said...

My wife and I agreed that Rod is angling for a pardon. Rod was never known as a scholar or a keen observer of the political scene, so a pardon it is. Haven't heard from Trump yet; perhaps he dropped his phone down the toilet.

Curious George said...

Shorter Blagojevich: Abraham Lincoln was a Republican.

daskol said...

I like to think of it more like the Hotel California, which seemed at least like it had ample distractions within.

William said...

Blago doesn't seem like such a bad guy. Sure, give him a pardon. It will help to balance out some of the other pardons Trump hands out after re-election. Maybe give Weiner a pardon too. Weiner definitely had the least harmful sex scandal of the last decade, and he did the nation a service by helping to defeat Hillary.

daskol said...

Governor of Illinois and Connecticut has been a dangerous gig over the last two decades, while similarly criminal leaders in, say, in Trenton and Albany have come out on top, with state-house leaders the ones who took the fall. The "stay out of jail" trick is an important illusion for those seeking top office to master.

daskol said...

Not only would Weiner have avoided jail, but he'd probably be mayor if he'd confined his sexting to those of legal age. It was all teenage boy sounding guys for mayor last decade in NYC.

h said...

In 1863, Lincoln's administration convinced the British government to impound two ships built for the Confederate Navy in British shipyards. This action helped Lincoln tip the balance of the war effort against the Confederacy, and thereby made Lincoln more popular and helped him get re-elected in 1864. This is so clearly an example of asking for foreign governments to take action that would help a President politically, that the arguments for Trump's impeachment could be used word for word to justify impeaching Lincoln (and Truman and probably every President).

M Jordan said...

Darn! I’ve been screaming for this man to get pardoned for three years now and now he pens this making it too obvious even for Trump (I think). At any rate he was one of the out-of-control FBI’s big fish they boastfully caught. Meanwhile bombers in Boston blow up people despite a tip from Russia. And hey, didja hear? The FBI caught a bunch of college entrance cheaters! And Richard Jewel!!

Pardon Blagojevich, Mr. President. Do it just to stick a finger in the FBI’s eye.

Michael K said...


Blogger readering said...

Angling for pardon.


Yup. After the election a lot of stuff will be settled.

Lincoln's re-election was determined by the fall of Atlanta.

madAsHell said...

“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.”

I’m guessing the Op-Ed required a ghost writer.

Mattman26 said...

The flattery “too obvious even for Trump?”

Ha.

But I favor a commutation. His biggest crime was being too much of a moron to conceal doing what most any politician would do.

Tommy Duncan said...

Its good to see Rod taking a break from making license plates to offer his thoughts.

rcocean said...

So what is the point? Nothing really, just the MSM trying to couple Trump with the crooked Blag.

rcocean said...

Illinois has a problem with electing stupid crooks as Governor. They need to take lessons from California on how to graft and take bribes in a legal fashion.

David Blaska said...

Mainstream news media would print an op ed from Jeffrey Epstein (ghost written, of course) if it attacked Trump.

rcocean said...

Illinois is a disaster area. Corrupt "Chicagoland" which votes 65-35 D, no matter what, and the rest of the state which is barely Republican. Result: An endless string of RINO's and D's as Governor and Senator.

Howard said...

No Humans Involved

gilbar said...

way, Way, WAY before the US Constitution; At the VERY FORMING of the United States,
It was Explicitly Stated that it was like a hotel/motel

ALL the States (and i mean ALL the States) agreed, by ratifying the
Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union
IF they had wanted to leave; they shouldn't have checked in

Gahrie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
gilbar said...

rcocean said...
Illinois is a disaster area... Result: An endless string of RINO's and D's as Governor and Senator


My brother in law (Naperville) is convinced that ALL politicians are crooks; and that the only difference between Democrats and Republicans is that Democrats are better crooks.
Since his experience with "republicans" is Illinois Republicans", it's hard to argue with him

They say; that All Illinois Governors serve two terms; first in Springfield, second in prison

Gahrie said...

Impeachment is now the political equivalent of a bratty fit on the floor of the grocery store.

Two important things to note:

1) No president had ever been impeached, or had an impeachment effort launched against him when Lincoln was elected.

2) The first president to be impeached was Lincoln's successor, and he was impeached because the Radical Republicans in Congress were mad at him because he didn't want to punish the South harshly and they did.

Inga said...

“So what is the point? Nothing really, just the MSM trying to couple Trump with the crooked Blag.”

So true and Trumpists here jump on it like Blago is John The Baptist.

Rusty said...

"But I favor a commutation. His biggest crime was being too much of a moron to conceal doing what most any politician would do."
In Chicago, Cook County and Springfield graft is an open secret among it's adherents. Things agreed to between aldermen and county commissioners are common knowledge in the group. Blaggo never graduated from small time city hustler to the big stage of governor. But he's had a lot of company in that.
If you want to understand Illinois corruption in a microcosm read up on "Operation Greylord" .
That is how things get done in the whole state.

traditionalguy said...

Blago is sending Trump a message like Hillary did at the Al Smith Dinner when she bumped into Trump ...” pardon me Donald.”

Skeptical Voter said...

I'll agree with Rusty that Blaggo is a moron. But then he's smarter than most of the Dems in the Pelosi caucus.

Ken B said...

Holy shit. This is really pointed.

Quaestor said...

Gahrie writes: The first president to be impeached was Lincoln's successor, and he was impeached because the Radical Republicans in Congress were mad at him because he didn't want to punish the South harshly and they did.

This is true. However, Johnson was not the author of the policy. It was Lincoln's, and his policy of reconciliation was made quite plain in 1864 when Lincoln chose his running mate from the ranks loyal Southern Democrats as a symbol of his intent, which was made explicit in a number of his letters and in conversations with Cabinet members and journalists. Finally, Lincoln's post-war reconciliation plan was revealed to the nation at large in his Second Inaugural Address.

Documentary evidence strongly suggests that many powerful figures were outraged by the President's announced intent to welcome the defeated South back into the Union as if they had never left, particularly the Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton. His rancor against Lincoln has opened the door to a number of half-baked theories regarding the origin of the Booth conspiracy.

Quaestor said...

Ralph L. writes [Lee] was only a colonel at the time.

Nevertheless, Lt. General Winfield Scott, the Army's highest-ranking soldier in 1961 unhesitatingly recommended Col. Lee for the supreme command.

Drago said...

Admiral Inga: "So true and Trumpists here jump on it like Blago is John The Baptist."

Inga still believes Hillary did nothing wrong and that Carter Page is a russian spy.

Literally.

Discuss.

TJM said...

true

Drago,

Inga is the moron's moron

Mark said...

Don't need to go to Blagojevich's examples, just look at what the Dems did in real history -- they sought to destroy the Union.

Slavery and secession are all Democrat pursuits.

TJM said...

Hey Inga,

How are you dealing with the Anti-Benghazi? Are you sad that American lives were not lost? That the US was not humiliated like they were when Obozo the Magnificent was in charge of Benghazi?

Gospace said...

Well, if they were to follow historical precedent, today's Democrats would attempt to secede as the Democrats of 1860 did. Why impeach when you can secede?

It does seem they're trying to incite civil war, but without the clearly defined geographic boundaries of the last one. Which would make it messier and bloodier.

Gospace said...

gilbar said...
way, Way, WAY before the US Constitution; At the VERY FORMING of the United States,
It was Explicitly Stated that it was like a hotel/motel


That's a point I make that seems to be ignored by many. The Constitution is not our founding document, the Articles of Confederation is.

Which is why the Constitution says how to add states, how to divide or merge states, how to dispose of minor properties (think outlying islands) that aren't states, but provides no way for a state to leave, withdraw, or be expelled. Because the United States was founded as a perpetual union. George Clymer, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris, George Read, Roger Sherman, and James Wilson have their John Hancocks on both.

Michael K said...

Documentary evidence strongly suggests that many powerful figures were outraged by the President's announced intent to welcome the defeated South back into the Union as if they had never left, particularly the Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton. His rancor against Lincoln has opened the door to a number of half-baked theories regarding the origin of the Booth conspiracy.

Yes, Stanton went after Sherman for meeting with Johnston and Breckenridge but Sherman was following Lincoln's advice of a week before. Stanton even went to the newspapers accusing Sherman. At the Grand Review, Sherman refused to shake Stanton's hand. He knew that politicians were crooks. His brother was a Senator and later a candidate for president.

Clyde said...

When you’ve lost Blago...

Earnest Prole said...

A corrupt Democrat from the most corrupt state in the country was convicted on corruption charges, and now we'll have to watch the corrupt spectacle of Trump supporters rationalizing his pardon? So much winning.

narciso said...

The state where obama managed to run to run unopposed the first time, and virtually unopposed in 2008, somehow rezkos plea didnt touch him or the higher ranks of the daley administration.

narciso said...

Just like fitz doted on radler, protected armitage and did the opposite for conrad black and libby.

Milwaukie guy said...

GoSpace: It does seem they're trying to incite civil war, but without the clearly defined geographic boundaries of the last one. Which would make it messier and bloodier.

In what has been called America's first civil war, the Royalists were able to take and hold cities, like Boston, Newport, New York, Philadelphia and Charleston. They were eventually surrounded by the revolutionary army in the countryside.

Where is the blue army going to come from? We'll take the university counties first.

We've got the blue counties surrounded in most of the states. We've got most of the guns, gasoline and food.

The Vault Dweller said...

So given that this is Rod Blagojevich, I think you can pretty much read anything he writes as him trying to persuade Donald Trump to pardon him, or commute his sentence. As a citizen of Illinois I wouldn't exactly describe Mr. Blagojevich as a man of principle. Though he does seem to be a quintessential Chicago politician, even though he wasn't exactly part of the Chicago machine.

Seeing Red said...

Former Gov. Blow-Dry...even a stopped clock.

Doesn’t mean he should receive a Get Out of Jail Free card.

Narr said...

No, Bvt. Lt. Gen. Old Fuss & Feathers was not the ranking general in 1961. (I kid, just a typo. Once an editor . . .)

But a good point was made about 1864. Lincoln and Johnson ran on the National Union ticket; unimaginable today.

Also correct as to the perpetual nature of the original Confederation, to become more perfect later. Sometimes much later.

Civil war talk is way overdone IMO. Things are too scrambled (as pointed out) and will have to get a whole lot worse. Not saying it won't; not saying don't prep in whatever way you see fit (while it's still a more-or-less free country).

Narr
Widespread civil and social anarchy? Sure, but that's not civil war

TheOne Who Is Not Obeyed said...

Just a bit of Inga and Chuck bait by the fake news media to fill up the chatterboxes on a slow news day (Jan 2 is almost always a day for filler "news" stories).

Rosalyn C. said...

"... Trumpists here jump on it like Blago is John The Baptist." IOW, she is not refuting Blago's statement, she is attacking the messenger and Trump supporters, the people she considers her enemies, and does her utmost to ignore Lincoln's message entirely by aggressively instigating an attack back. An odd expression of appreciation, grudging in fact, but that's Inga's way of saying that Blago has said something truthful and worthy of our consideration.

The union, the union, the union. The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, Washington's Farewell Address, Lincoln's presidency were all about the importance of seeing the country as a union, despite all the differences. Washington said, "The name of american, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations. With slight shades of difference, you have the same religion, manners, habits, and political principles. You have in a common cause fought and triumphed together; the Independence and Liberty you possess are the work of joint counsels, and joint efforts, of common dangers, sufferings, and successes."

I'll add one more section of Washington's Fairwell Address: "The unity of Government, which constitutes you one people, is also now dear to you. It is justly so; for it is a main pillar in the edifice of your real independence, the support of your tranquillity at home, your peace abroad; of your safety; of your prosperity; of that very Liberty, which you so highly prize. But as it is easy to foresee, that, from different causes and from different quarters, much pains will be taken, many artifices employed, to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth; as this is the point in your political fortress against which the batteries of internal and external enemies will be most constantly and actively (though often covertly and insidiously) directed, it is of infinite moment, that you should properly estimate the immense value of your national Union to your collective and individual happiness; that you should cherish a cordial, habitual, and immovable attachment to it; accustoming yourselves to think and speak of it as of the Palladium of your political safety and prosperity; watching for its preservation with jealous anxiety; discountenancing whatever may suggest even a suspicion, that it can in any event be abandoned; and indignantly frowning upon the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest, or to enfeeble the sacred ties which now link together the various parts."

Drago said...

Earnest Prole: "A corrupt Democrat from the most corrupt state in the country was convicted on corruption charges, and now we'll have to watch the corrupt spectacle of Trump supporters rationalizing his pardon? So much winning."

Shorter Prole: Trump supporters are very very guilty of things they havent said yet regarding events that have not occurred.

Michael K said...

Everybody knew Blago was corrupt but nobody talks about Obama's role in selling his Senate seat,. Do you think he didn't know ?

14 years is a bit much considering the standards of Chicago and Illinois.

Earnest Prole said...

Shorter Prole: Trump supporters are very very guilty of things they havent said yet regarding events that have not occurred.

Call it a hunch.

Josephbleau said...


“Documentary evidence strongly suggests that many powerful figures were outraged by the President's announced intent to welcome the defeated South back into the Union as if they had never left, particularly the Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton. His rancor against Lincoln has opened the door to a number of half-baked theories regarding the origin of the Booth conspiracy.”

Yes, Powell almost killed Seward and Atzerodt was supposed to kill VP Johnson. In a cui bono judgement Staunton had some motive to employ Booth. I think Booth was obviously too much of a southern drama queen to make this believable, but Staunton could have been proto- deep state. He took control of the pursuit of the conspirators and killed them all rather quickly.

daskol said...

Stanton took control of everything around him, pissing off both Grant and Sherman. He was a micromanaging control freak. Grant, a forgiving man who overcame his resentment and focused on Stanton's better qualities, went so far as to appoint him to the Supreme Court shortly before Stanton died. Grant was way too nice a guy. Sherman gave Stanton the treatment he deserved, both at the review just after the war in Washington, and in his memoirs. Stanton's use of the media to try to destroy Sherman, and previously Grant, seemed more about his careerism and feeling threatened by the popular generals, than about opposing Lincoln's Reconstruction.