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I’m amazed that he actually went through with it. And I’m not surprised at the reaction by the governor’s office. With a guy who has been knocked around by the press as much as Dominic Longo has, the most effective response is ridicule.
A convicted felon who worked on some of Governor Rod Blagojevich’s past campaigns says the governor is defaming him and trying to hide their friendship.Dominic Longo told reporters today that he wanted to defend a reputation he claims has been smeared by Blagojevich. He says he plans to sue the governor if he doesn’t get an apology within 30 days.
Blagojevich spokeswoman Cheryle Jackson released a statement today calling Longo’s claims “ludicrous, ridiculous and laughable.”
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 2, 05 @ 4:29 pm
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Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 2, 05 @ 5:18 pm
Blagojevich spokeswoman Cheryle Jackson released a statement today calling Longo’s claims “ludicrous, ridiculous and laughable.”
She has one thing right.
This is laughable, Ms. Jackson sure earns her money! How could you say this in public with-out breaking out laughing?
Comment by Craig Wednesday, Feb 2, 05 @ 5:50 pm
Reminds me of that scene in “Blue Velvet” where the naked beautiful hysterical woman shows up on the doorstep of the young male lover’s girlfriend’s doorsteps. He then brings her naked into the house while the neighborhood looks on, while the shocked girlfriend cries and while the girlfriend’s mother angrily gets a robe for the naked woman. All the while the young male lover has this priceless “please get me out of this somehow” look on his face and is desperately trying to get everyone to understand the entire convoluted relationship is not what it looks like it to be. Oh, and did I mention that the girlfriend’s daddy is the chief of police?
Anyone watching that movie during that scene has to say “what a mess!”
Longo right now is Blagojevich’s loud, hysterical attention grabbing naked lady. And more fuss Longo kicks up, the more people will stare and wonder what exactly went on between the two of them.
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Wednesday, Feb 2, 05 @ 6:01 pm
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Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 2, 05 @ 6:21 pm
Mike Flannery, the political reporter for channel 2 in Chicago did a great piece on this on the 6 pm news. The Governors press secretary said that the Governor was already on his way to the State Capitol in Springfield. Flannery stayed outside his house and found him home. When Flannery called back the press secretary she said that the Gov was too busy to respond. BUSTED !!!
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 2, 05 @ 6:49 pm
I thought I heard on NPR that Mr Longo was going to have a press conference in Springfield, Does anyone have the time and location on this. I guess he knows that all the media will be in Springfield tomorrow (Thursday) thanks
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 2, 05 @ 7:26 pm
Does anyone else find the “Coalition for Better Government” an absolute joke? Vote fraud? Hired Trucks? Sounds like good, forthright government for me.
And as for Frank Avila— what a tool. His all out vendetta against Blagojevich and other political leaders has nothing to do with cleaning up goverment. Its all about him. Probably because it’s sunk in that he’ll never be an elected leader. Its bitterness and envy that fuels his desire to bring down those who’ve made it to the top.
And don’t kid yourself, Avila is no different than Longo, and others in “The Coalition of Crooks and Criminals that Say They’re for Better Government.” He just hides it better.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 2, 05 @ 10:14 pm
The funny thing is, Dominic seems to be the credible one in this soap opera. Rod denies having a personal relationship with Dom and Dominic has all the proof and then some. This is entertaining!
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 2, 05 @ 11:23 pm
The funny thing is, Dominic seems to be the credible one in this soap opera. Rod denies having a personal relationship with Dom and Dominic has all the proof and then some. This is entertaining!
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 2, 05 @ 11:24 pm
This is a major embarrassment for the State of Illinois. The Governor and his staff had better take this seriously and deal with this professionally because this kind of circus spills over on our entire state.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 2, 05 @ 11:26 pm
Hey, if Governor Blagojevich is trying to distance himself from political figures of less-than-stellar ethical values then maybe we should applaud him a bit more. I mean, if the Governor hung out with these guys as State Rep or Congressman but now realizes he had better clean it up, then more power to him.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 12:15 am
A spokesman for the governor called Longo’s new conference “ludicrous, ridiculous and laughable.”
Hmmm, Let’s see Longo raised lots of money for Blago, Longo helped Rod in all his elections with his floating political army, Longo was a guest at the State Capitol after the Gov was elected. Longo has photos, Christmas cards, personal notes signed by the Governor. The Gov has publicly thanked Longo and his organization. I think we all know who the liar is in this dispute. Longo wants to take a lie detector test. I bet that this will never go to court because the Gov will never want to open this can of worms. I would love to see Blago get caught in open court telling lies.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 12:48 am
Does Dominic Longo have any dirt on the governor?
Who was that girl in the photo on Channel 2?
Will Longo reveal things about the Mayor?
It is clear that Rod is a liar
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 7:07 am
I hope Rod sticks to his guns.
Don’t raise taxes. Keep getting rid of Thompson/Edgar/Ryan hacks. Respond to what the majority of the public wants.
Stay off the couch in the Speaker’s office.
Lose every downstate county and still crush Judy.
Longo can hold all the press conferences he wants . . .
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 7:18 am
GO ROD GO. Keep up the same approach on this. If you were not distancing yourself from Longo, the same guys bashing you over this would be saying “the gov. can’t bring himself to move away from known crooks”.
By the way, any kids die as a result of anything Rod has done or not done? I know some who did as a result of the Ryan/GOP machine.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 7:25 am
Rod has raised every fee and license in the state yet he has the audacity to pay lawyer word games and say that he is holding the line on taxes.
It is TWICE the amount for truckers $1500 to now $3000 for licenses for small guys trying to make a living.
Rod is destroying Illinois trucking and sending it to other states.
Business taxes are rising and manufacturing is continuing to die in Illinois.
The Toll Roads (which were already paid off) are super high under Rod.
Rod says he is not into Special Interests but he signed the SBC Ameritech deal to cozy up to Bill Daley, a deal that a Federal judge cut down and SBC is bad to consumers.
Rod says it is not business as usual, but he is just a lying publicity hack who is a little more polished than Mell or Longo. Rod traded up from Longo/Mell to Chris Kelly (degenerate gambler). Do you really think donors gave $20,000 because they want better government?
Rod is a big money publicity junkie who has no substance nor sincerity. He has no plan or vision for Illinois. He goes from press conference to press conference on drugs to arcade games–with no real results.
Dan Hynes is right, and 10,000 late contracts, a flu shot deal that loses us money for the sake of his political ambitions.
And if I were a gambling man like Chris Kelly, I would bet that Dominic Longo was telling the truth.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 7:35 am
Governor Blagojevich stood up to his own family to clean up the environment. That is why all of this is happening. The Governor should be congratulated for closing down an illegal dump and protecting the environment. Dominic Longo and his slick media attorney Frank Avila are only doing this because of Alderman Mell wanting to get revenge for closing down his dump. Avila is also the attorney for Dick Mell and dumps.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 7:38 am
Didn’t Governor “LIAR LIAR” Blagojevich change his mind on the airport and betray the suburban homeowners and his former friend Congressman Jesse Jackson?
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 7:40 am
The so called illegal dump was not illegal.
Mell has no financial interest in it.
It was a legal dump that the Governor heard about from Mell and the Governor to create a publicity stunt and to hurt Mell shut it down–something that is almost never done.
Usually there is just a fine.
A Judge said that the Governor could not do it and reopened the dump.
There was nothing dangerous or illegal just some old tires from the previous owner they had to remove.
The untold story in all this is
a) it was a legal “dump”
b) there was nothing in there that was dangerous
c) it was reopened
d) nothing like this ever happens only fines
e) it was not closed because of an investigation but because of Rod learning about it through Mell
f) the motivation may be speculation but Rod personally intervened and it seems likely that so he could say he stands up to his evil in laws
So the “illegal dump” was much ado about nothing and the cynical publicity hound backstabbing governor just lying again.
This guy is worse than Clinton and not as smart and charming.
Mell looks good on this because they found nothing.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 7:45 am
Where is the proof that Frank Avila is the lawyer for garbage dumps or Alderman Mell?
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 7:46 am
It seems that the timing of this is just coincidental to the landfill blow-up; both Mark Brown and the Illinois Leader reported that Avila and Longo were talking to them about this close to a year ago.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 8:08 am
Rod is using Mell to make him look like a reformer.
Do you think the the head of CDW gave 100,000 because he believes in good government or because he wanted computer contracts?
Blair Hull told friends of mine that he gave money to Rod so he could get elected to office.
Bob Clifford gave over $300,000–and the trial lawyers are killing the doctors and manufacturing.
Look at the Chirs Fusco article in the Chicago Sun Times, the Mell so called apology notwithstanding,
Chris Kelly seems to be the go to money guy
in it defies probability and statistics to say that he this high percentage of donors got appointments, contracts and jobs.
The SBC Ameritech deal is TERRIBLE for consumers.
The Panda Express, and gambling connections of Retzko and Kelly are disturbing.
Both have made a lot off of government.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 8:17 am
Whatever happened to that stupid Karl Rove and Frank Avila conspiracy theory?
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 8:19 am
Who is CapitalFax to question the Governor’s maturity?
Here’s mirroring YOUR vitriol:
Shilling for the guys in the Speaker’s office while they privately chuckle that they’re making the most of their relationship with (this/you) reporter is a sure sign of naiveté and/or immaturity.
Also, I am trying to get a grasp on what qualifies the Governor as mature. Obviously he must:
1) raise income or sales taxes
2) go along to get along
3) admit the economy is in the tank (no thanks to 30
years of mismanagment)–I think he’s already said
that.
4) suckup to the Blue Room guys
5) help out Watson’s pharmacists or smoke the peace
cigar with Pate
6) bend a knee to the Speaker
7) live in the mansion
8) lose the hairbrush
All very substantive issues.
Take your pick.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 10:40 am
It’s not a question of maturity. It’s whether or not he’s capable of being a statesman in addition to a politician.
It’s gravitas. Blagojevich lacks it. He’s got a weird notion that, yes, state employees are expected to follow ethical guidelines (a good idea, of course) but sends a conflicting signal that says, well, if *I* follow the guidelines, I’m doing “business as usual.” Ergo, I need to break the rules.
Witness the current feud with “process-oriented” Hynes. (Blago’s people are ticked off at Hynes and lash out by chastising Hynes for “following process”.)
So, which is it? Follow the rules? Or break the rules?
Please, spend another 250,000 taxpayer dollars to create a new ethics test so employees can figure it out.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 10:47 am
Would Brad Tusk and Mike Noonan kindly stop posting under the pseudonym “Anonymous,” please?
Comment by Phocion Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 11:39 am
Gravitas?
What the hell does that mean in Your lexicon? Stature? Dignity? Or, in the case of your inference, “beyond politics?”
Thompson, Edgar and Ryan had “Gravitas”, were “Statesmen” because they did what?
Raised taxes?
Bought off legislators with pork?
Admitted they were rarely wrong?
Got their people jobs?
What exactly would the Governor need to do to display this cliched sort of “gravitas”?
Give the speaker’s folks contracts? Lick the ring? Ignore Emil? Rehire those “professionals” who didn’t know diddly about their jobs before they were gifted to them, but who became consummate professionals in a matter of months?
I figured it out now: just give in, get out of office and let the party who knew what they were doing for the past 30 years take over again.
Gotcha . . .
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 11:59 am
I think we’ve got too many egos under the Statehouse dome these days. Everyone has to show more maturity, and everyone has to start doing what’s right for Illinois — not what’s right for the Governor’s poll numbers, not what’s right for the Speaker’s allies, not what’s right for some staffers who think delusionally and think they run the world. There’s a big world outside of the debate going on in this site. Everyone needs to smoke a peace pipe and start doing what’s right for IL. Let’s start with an education funding swap to finally get Illinois moving in the right direction.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 12:40 pm
Agreed, there are too many egos involved.
But the definition of maturity changes depending on whose ox is getting gored. The fact is it would not matter one iota what this Governor did, proposed, sought to remedy or conceded.
Most of the folks, especially on these blog sites, just don’t like the guy–for whatever reason: the mansion, the hair, the quick wit, the youthful energy, the dumping of a bunch of political folks who deny they’re political folks.
He might as well move forward with his agenda. ‘Cause in the end, no one under the dome or on the “inside” will ever be happy.
I’m betting, however, on the general public to vote their approval.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 1:56 pm
I understand, that makes some sense. Here is an activity that could help matters along, and by “help” I mean help build trust, help improve relations, help enhance understanding among competing factions, etc.
Why not have the Governor start hosting small, informal sessions at the Mansion for legislative leaders & himself to help melt some of the ice that hangs on the Statehouse. Better communication is key for the Governor and for legislative leaders. I think real progress could be made.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 2:07 pm
I’ve heard Blagojevich folks expound on the theory that, in a deficit situation, you will never “insiders” happy. They conclude that because you won’t make everyone happy all the time, you can just ignore everyone who has a vested interest in government (i.e., “insiders) and cater to “the people.”
Two problems with this. Blagojevich got elected by pandering to the people he now derides as “insiders.” So, to say that Blagojevich should follow his own agenda is a bit disingenuous. In 2002, his agenda was to pander. In 2005, it seems like his agenda is to make headlines.
The second problem with this thinking is that ignoring the “insiders” presupposes that they have no influence on the general public. I’m not sure that’s a safe assumption. Remember, these are the people whose job is state government. They spend time figuring out how to influence politics and policy. Sure, on election day the vote of “insider” is the same as the vote of an “ordinary person.” But up until election day, the insider will be spending substantial time and resources influencing the election.
The election will turn on whether there’s a viable alternative to Blagojevich. A Republican who can attract the vote of social liberals stands a really good chance of putting together a winning coalition.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 6:01 pm
Is it fair to bash someone because of something that happened 20 years ago. I am tired of everyone making Dominic out to be the bad guy. I know him, and he is a great person. Don’t all political organizations do the same thing get people to help them and in return help to get them jobs if they need it? The govenor clearly used these people for his gain and then kicked them to the curb. Good luck in 06 he’s gonna need it!
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 3, 05 @ 10:50 pm
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Comment by Anonymous Friday, Feb 4, 05 @ 9:56 am
Why were the posts of the connections between Rod and Emmet Paloian and Danny Stefanski and Bobby Abbinate removed? Some of it is already in print and some of it is in internal files with the Teamsters and feds.
Stefanski and Rod are like the telephone company
CONNECTED
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Feb 4, 05 @ 5:31 pm