30 Comments - anon - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 6:23 am: It is amazing how this guy can do nothing but repeat his script over & over again. After seeing this, it is blatantly obvious why the guy won’t agree to any debates not on his terms: he can’t address a single question without a scripted answer. Seeing his “deer in headlights” look after not being able to answer serious questions is priceless - LakeILGOP - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 6:39 am: I was wrong. Baghdad Bob was smoother than this guy. When BB said there were no tanks in Baghdad, he almost sounded convinced himself. This is the first time I’ve really seen Blago where you could see the wheels turning in his mind as he struggles to come up with a way to weasel out of the question. I hope there’s much more like this to come. - b-matt - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 7:07 am: I appreciate the use of raw video … the upside is it’s like a primary source document for informing voters … sure, there is the downside of the possibly lacking context. But overall, I like it. I don’t know much about the Stroger/Peraica race … but I did get an email from the Peraica campaign recently … I blogged about it (do you allow links?) here: http://benmatthews.wordpress.com/2006/09/10/this-week-in-the-inbox-2/ - OneMan - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 7:19 am: Here is some Friday Fun…. Every time he says ‘Like a Godfather’. Drink. OneMan - Gregor - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 7:25 am: Live by the camera, die by the camera. My guess is the press is going to enjoy cranking up the heat in this manner from now till November. And it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. - Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 7:25 am: What is that “Like a Godfather” stuff, anyway? Wouldn’t it be better if he said “like an uncle”? Strange, indeed. - DOWNSTATE - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 7:54 am: I like how all the state people I know were told to apply and take a test.So if you know the gov he says to hire you.UUMMMMM golly I guess his friends don’t have to play by the same rules as the rest of the workforce.A little unethical and bias aren’t we Governor. - KenoMan - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 7:58 am: Quote from Blago: “Look, the year of this birthday gift or christening gift or whatever it was, was the year our baby, Annie, was born. And it was probably the time when Annie was christened down in Springfield and my best friend and his wife [the Ascaridises], we’re like family, were at the christening,” Did he really have his daughter’s christening in Springfield? - HoosierDaddy - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 8:03 am: I dunno what the deal is, Rich. He sounded like he had cotton balls in his mouth or something… Godfather indeed… - Illinois Resident - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 8:14 am: Since the Governor’s not familiar with “gifts” to his daughter by his best friend, how can we possibly expect him to know about “gifts” to members of his administration? - Roy Slade - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 8:18 am: “Like a godfather”- what the heck is that? Either you are- or you aren’t. If you didn’t know better, you would almost think this was a scene from SNL. It was also evident that he wanted nothing to do with the question “has he ever given you anything before or since”? I AM the Godfather to my best friend’s son (whom I have known for only 32 years)- and he got a C-note for graduating from college. I would help him get a job, if I were able to. However, I know of no situation where he gets $1500 from me- until I die, and my will kicks in. (P.S.- Mike- you don’t get it unless I die of natural causes! Lol). - proud state copper - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 8:32 am: The answer lies in previous questions. Who was the check written to, who endorsed it, where was it deposited. I beleive his latest response was that it was deposited into a “mutual fund” for college. Is that a mutual fund in his and the Mrs name? He’s got a whole lotta shakin goin on…… - OneMan - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 8:41 am: Rich, I had the same thought this morning. When I hear like a Godfather, I see a guy behind a desk and that music. “You have come to me today on the day of either my child’s christening or my other childs birthday to ask me a favor” - Walking Wounded - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 8:58 am: Good grief…that was almost too painful for me to watch (and you all know I’m no Blago fan). Rod better hope to give his answers a lot smoother and clearer when he has that nice, sit down chat with Fitzgerald’s boys. - schroedk - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 9:23 am: What amazes me after seeing all the various accusations of misdeeds and downright law-breaking by the governor over the past couple of months is not that a LOT of people still don’t realize it, but that there are STILL defenders of this man. I would have expected people to start throwing Blago under the bus just like he has done to his “friends” and political associates in an attempt to save his own hide. It’s pathetic that people, both democrat and republican supporters, can be so stinkin’ blinded to the personal ethics of a politician and look only for the “D” or “R” after the name on the ballot. Regarding the video, it is simultaneously sad and extremely amusing. Sad that this man is the elected “leader” of this state, but it’s always amusing when politicians get caught up in their own lies. My prayer from now until election day is that the voters finally learn about Blago’s ethics lapses, even if it’s just the $1500 check and not the other much more serious accusations being investigated, and vote accordingly. - Squideshi - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 9:33 am: I’m wondering when the media is going to start calling Blagojevich on his attempts to dodge the debates. You would think that they will be interested in this type of media manipulation too. - Buck Flagojevich - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 9:45 am: Wow. Blago sure looks bad in the video. Stammering, stuttering, burping, puffing his cheeks and constantly looking for an opening to dash away from the reporters. I think the boy has finally melted down. He looked be fuddled. Do you think he has finally begun to realize that maybe the Fed’s have something on him? It sure seems that way. JBT should exploit that video and go for the throat right away. Blago is a mess right now and doesn’t look able to fight back. He currently seems to be having major brain cramps. It’s been two weeks since the story broke. Why is it that Blago tells a different story than what his own office is telling? - Blagosucks - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 10:02 am: Wowwie, stumbling and bumbling through answers. Rod, What are YOU thinking. I felt the news conference was very John Kerry-esque “Well it was for my one daughters birthday, well no wait it was for the younger ones christening”, I feel sorry for the girls, especially if their own dad cant remember their birthdays. My question is if Mike Ascaridis is the “Godfather” who else is part of Blago’s Mob? - Animous - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 10:13 am: I agree with BF, I think he’s finally starting to realize that running for re-election is not nearly as important as trying to stay out of the governor’s federal retirement home. Did you notice the “hollowness” of his answers when trying to redirect the problem to Topinka? He certainly has bigger things on his mind… Pingback Media v. Blagojevich at The TPS Report - by Kiyoshi Martinez - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 10:17 am: […] Via Capitol Fax, YouTube has two videos of Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the media going back and forth on the topic of a $1,500 check written to his daughter from a family friend, whose wife also happened to get a state job. Rich Miller said the videos were uploaded by the Topinka campaign. […] - Animous - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 10:43 am: It’s nice he keeps repeating that he’s “fully complied” with the disclosure, the parts he seems to omit are: 1.) Two years after he was required by law to do so, and 2.) Only after being prompted by the FBI during an ongoing investigation. I don’t know about you, but if I received a $1,500 gift from a friend within the last three years I could certainly remember what it was for! His complacent attitude about receiving $1,500 from a friend makes you wonder how many other gifts he’s received just under the $500 reporting threshold. His waffling answer to the question “Have you ever given a gift that large to your nephew” shows he’s too tight to write that kind of check (on his family’s reported 355K for that year) and only expects to be a recipient. - Bluefish - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 10:43 am: 2 questions - This story broke more than 10 days ago. During that time, doesn’t Blago have enough sense to at least get a handle on the timeline and get some of his story straight? I can understand his deer in headlights look and stumbling through non-answers if the story broke 2 hours ago, but not with 2 weeks to prepare. Where’s Bill? I’ve been waiting to hear him defend this disaster of a performance. And Bill, don’t try to say Blago’s been too busy working for the people of this state to prepare answers…that won’t wash here. - Chicken a la Rod - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 10:46 am: It is incredible how poorly Milorad performed in this exchange. And that sound you just heard was his thousand little toadies simultaneously blowing their own brains out. Which might explain why Wndycty and Bill and the other flacks haven’t popped up in this thread yet. - Jaded - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 11:08 am: My computer is not the greatest, and sometimes when I am watching clips it freezes (I think it is a buffering thing whatever the hell that means), but I could have swore that the Topinka campaign put the freezes in this video. Some of the freeze frames were him making some of the most uncomfortable facial expressions I have seen in a long time. He looked like he was passing a kidney stone for about half of the tape. They definitely have a commercial in the can from this press conference (of course they will probably screw it up, but that is another post!) Hey Rod, next time tell your friends to go with Savings Bonds. They always make a nice christening/birthday/newborn/whatever the heck it was gift, especially from a like a godfather kinda best friend since birth sorta guy. - taxmandan - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 11:55 am: I hope for the sake of Cook County Todd Stroger is not really as inexperienced as he clearly appeared to be in that debate. - Hee Hee - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 12:19 pm: One Man, now that is a great idea for a commercial. - desperate - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 12:40 pm: What a joke this guy is! He can’t even abide by his own ethics test/laws. What is even harder to believe is how far ahead he allegedly still is in the polls. I spoke to some people last summer in the Lasalle-Peru and Galena areas (who must have their heads in the sand) who had no clue of the shenanigans that this administration is pulling in Springfield. The morale among state employees is as bad as it has ever been thanks to this jerk. Now get this stuff on TV pronto Judy before its too late! ANYBODY would be better than this born liar. - Tireless Worker For The People - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 1:53 pm: It is terrible that these reporters were alowed to hound our Governor that way. He has been so busy getting the state’s fiscal house in order that he did not have time to prepare himself for these obviously mean-spirited questions. He has complied with all applicable laws unlike his opponent that has neglected to file her’s on time. Blagojevich is way to busy keeping the ship of state upright and sailing towards better days then to put up with this junk. After all he’s worked tirelessly to govern the last four years and hasn’t had to raise taxes one red cent. Keep up the good work governor you deserve four more years….just kidding all, I actually think he deserves more than four years….in a federal pen. - Squideshi - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 2:28 pm: Blagojevich may not have raised taxes, but he’s robbing us in the back pocket by raising fees and cheating on healthcare and pensions! Maybe he could convince someone to give a $1500 check to the state. - Martha Mitchell - Friday, Sep 22, 06 @ 9:04 pm: Despite his many, many “bordering on illegal” escapades, I think there a only a couple of things that the feds will get him on. 1. Using taxpayer revenue to finance his re-election campaign. 2. Thumbing his nose at federal laws involving I SaveRx. 3. Accepting campaign donations in return for state contracts and/or jobs. 4. Misuse of federal matching funds by merging KidCare into All Kids without federal approval. 5. Manipulating state hiring rules to shut qualified and protected candidates out of state employment. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.