54 Comments - Shelbyville - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 10:14 am: Don’t forget the governor’s appearance on the Daily Show. Maybe he will go back there and answer the check questions. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 10:35 am: We don’t have to listen to journalists pretending to play non-partisan games anymore. We don’t have to read the New York Times’ version of a secret source’s opinion of a classified document and believe it. You Tube, like everything else on the internet lets you choose what you read and see, not some third party elitist with an agenda. Newpapers, television and radio is for entertainment, not news. I don’t have to depend on an AP on a situation in China. I can go to freakin China and read it myself. The internet lets me go to the source. You Tube is a new source for primary data. What impact will You Tube have on this election? Probably as much as flyers and newspaper endorsements. Why would anyone believe a candidate’s ads if they can see them online without third-party comment in the future? Literally, who needs talking heads reading telepromters anymore? We don’t have to passively sit like vegetables while TV entertainers play journalists between commercials for furniture, pizza or cars. With You Tube and the other thousands of internet resources, you can decide what is worthy of your time and news. The Reformation occurred when The Bible was available to anyone that can read Latin. Then folks demanded it be translated into their languages. No longer did people depend on priests to tell them what it said. They could read it themselves! As a result the power of The Church on life weakened dramatically. People formed their own churches and argued using the same source. We live in a new age with similar impact. You want to know what the governor said and how he said it? Go to You Tube and see it yourself. Thinking voters want to know! - Sound Reasoning - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 10:43 am: Every potential voter in this upcoming election should see that YouTube footage. This shows the governor as he really is not how some Madison Avenue Production Company tries to make him out to be for the public. - Yvette - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 10:47 am: What the YouTube video shows (IMHO) isn’t whether or not Blagojevich is telling the “truth” about the check. What it shows is that Blagojevich is an abysmal politician and a worse friend. He’s not a thinker — that’s pretty clear from the video — and he gets stuck on his uninspired talking points. (Repeating, for example, over and over about how close they are. Yeah, that’s nice. I’ve got close friends, too — but if one gives me an exhorbitantly large check — I’ll remember it, if for no other reason than to reinforce to my friend how much I appreciate the gift.) Blagojevich’s performance indicates not only that he doesn’t remember the check — but that he doesn’t particularly appreciate it either. What, this guy gets so many checks he can’t keep them straight? That’s not connected to any reality I know. If you are close with people, you remember what they do for you — and you’re genuinely happy to repeat what they’ve done if someone asks you point-blank. The issue here isn’t with the relentless press (as some posters would have it) — it’s with Blagojevich being a genuine, thoughtless nit. - DeepFriedOnAStick - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 11:09 am: You gotta love Sheila Nix, the Blago flack, saying “Oh, we’re always happy for people to see the complete footage of the governor’s public event.” Sure you are Sheila, sure you are. That’s why IIS, which used be considered a legitimate source of news content but which Blago converted into just another arm of his state-sponsored PR empire, distributes only clips that are favorable to Blago. Put your money where your smiling mouth is, Sheila (Blago). Maybe IIS could distribute all the video/audio they collect from Blago’s appearances and let the broadcast outlets use what they want. - JayByrd - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 11:10 am: Youtube is giving George Allen (good to see JACKS! old campaign manager dealing with another bad candidate) and Rick Santorum fits in their US Senate races as well. Which begs the question, who needs journalists if we can see the events unfold and come to our own conclusions? Imagine a world without Bill O’Reilly, Keith Olberman, Rush Limbaugh, Al Franken and Chris Matthews…now that is a sweet thought! - Bill - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 11:25 am: Hey Rich, Why don’t you put the governor’s picture on the blog once in a while? I guess this is what Judy means when she refers to “bang for her buck” with the free media. Is she going to declare this in kind contribution from Capfaxblog? - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 11:28 am: Bill, I just put up four “pictures” of the governor on this post. lol Besides, his spokesperson said the campaign encourages people to see raw footage of press conferences. Also, as I wrote somewhere today, the guv’s campaign hasn’t updated its website lately with new TV ads, so until they do or until they send me some ads, I can’t post them. I’d be more than happy to do so. Pleased as punch, even. Filled with joy. - Bill - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 11:35 am: Rich, Thanks, I knew that you would be here for us. Seriously, I don’t think that the footage is as bad for Rod as most of your bloggers (and you) do. It shows him under attack by a relentless press corps and while he may look somewhat dismayed at times he seems to handle the onslaught as well as can be expected. At least he didn’t swear at them or smack one of them…not that they didn’t deserve it. - Cornelius - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 12:03 pm: Bill, Seriously? Really? As a former State employee (from this Administration) this was easily NOT one of the Governor’s better moments. I hope you can readily admit that. As far as being “under attack,” that hardly seems to be the case. The Governor isn’t answering the questions posed. Glad to see that you want to slap the press around, that whole First Amendment thing gets right in the way of your path to the Rod Kool-Aid stand. Personally, I prefer to live in a country where the press can do their job, and hold politician’s feet to the fire. You need to take a step back and really decide if you want your kids to grow up in a state that is in such dire circumstances. Wake up man, not saying JBT is great, but how about holding Rod accountable for the poor job performance to date? - Cornelius - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 12:04 pm: And now I feel horrible for the rest of the commmenters because I just enabled Bill… - Wumpus - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 12:26 pm: Bill is playing us all. - Guy Fawkes - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 12:28 pm: Bill, Are you just looking to get promoted in his next short-term? Since your so enamored with Rod how much of your own money have you contributed to Rod’s campaign coffers or for that matter his daughters? - Angie - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 1:22 pm: This is great! While there is something to be said for keeping your critical intellect in high gear when reading stuff on blogs (because the Web is both a fantastic source of information as well as a complete zoo), this really shows how good it is to keep the information field wide open. In the past, when there were only 3 networks and no internet, propagandists could cherry pick what they wanted to show on the news and omit anything that, you know, doesn’t “fit” with the agenda. To put a little spin on that line from the late OJ Simpson case attorney, if it doesn’t fit, then please omit! But ABC is watching and reporting on big news from the blogs and from online sources of news? Wow. The field is truly open. Another reason to keep the internet free of censorship. By the way, the Topinka campaign should get clips and just air them all through the weeks just before the election. I think we all need to see how Rod will handle it when something really really big threatens us all, like if there’s a huge security issue, or something. I mean, this guy is toast. - Roomie - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 1:28 pm: If anything this shows how rude and abrasive the press can be. I think that he did good under the circumstances. I’d like to see some of the people that post here do as good. Id like to see Topinka for that matter! She doesnt come across very well in a scripted event let alone a gang bang of press. - Angie - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 1:40 pm: Oh, and sorry for hogging two posts, here, but I just wanted to add that I find it rather interesting that Rod is trying to spin this like Judy may be taking money from “gambling” interests to try to throw the press off his trail. How about the money that Rod has taken from the Illinois Hospital Association in what really appears to many voters to be an attempt to influence the decision of the administrative law judge who is dealing with the appeal in the tax exemption revocation case related to Provena Covenant. Rod has gotten about a quarter of a million dollars from the Illinois Hospital Association! That is a lot of clams and then some. Why on Earth does he even need any other donors with high-paying pals like the IHA??? Gosh, but this guys’s whole political career just smacks of pay to play innuendo. Bravo to the press for doing their jobs right on this check issue. Bravo bravo. - Brian - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 1:55 pm: Roomie…I know I could do better, heck, I bet you could do better. But I love how Governor Press Conference suddenly is a victim of the press…priceless! - Bill - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 2:18 pm: Roomie, I think that the press is afraid of Judy’s assault rolling pin. I didn’t see too much coverage of that little press event on youtube or capfaxblog. Guy, I have, in fact, given the governor a gift… a copy of the Elvis at Sun Records CD. It is the King’s earliest and best work. I don’t know if he declared it or not. We better get Finke and Carol Marin to do an expose. - Bluefish - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 2:21 pm: Roomie - It would not be very hard to do as well or better. All you’d need to do is answer the simple questions being asked. Of course, a good number of the people here would never find themselves in the position of cashing a $1,500 check from a close friend right after you got his wife a cushy state job. - Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 2:22 pm: Cornelius, don’t worry about Bill. He runs the Kool-Aid stand. As for Blago, he better improve upon that performance in front of the Grand Jury. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 2:27 pm: Bill, you are once again obfuscating. The rolling pin remarks aren’t on videotape that I know of. If they were, I’m sure they’d already be in a TV ad. - Yvette - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 2:34 pm: Bill — you think the video doesn’t make the governor look bad? Then I extend my poker invitation to you, too. I’d love to have you and Rod come and play with us on Saturday night. We’d be happy to … er, have you. (To me, the videos make it clear that the governor is lying. I don’t know what he’s lying about — or why — but if you can’t read that in his face, his eyes, and the way his lips curl — then, yeah, please come to our poker night. Bring a couple bucks, if you know what I mean.) - Jaded - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 2:35 pm: C’mon Bill. OK, so I applaud you for being Tammy Wynette and standing by your man, but even you have to admit that his performance at this “press availability” was absolutely pathetic. You can’t really believe that this does him any good. Now, I don’t think it will do her much good either, because I am thoroughly convinced that she may have put together the worst campaign team since Michael Dukakis, but this video was a huge fumble by him and his normally crack campaign staff. The Blagojevich folks have handled this whole $1500 gift issue so poorly that they deserve to get dinged for it. Fortunately for you and the rest of the zombie Rod squad I don’t think it is really going to matter. - Jaded - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 2:43 pm: Yvette, give it up. The guy (Blogojevich) is always lying, so it will be impossible for you to get a read on him. - LACKING TESTICULAR VERILITY - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 2:47 pm: The problem for Rod at that press conference was that one, he was caught pretty much off guard and two his back bone Brad was not there so that he could pass the buck. - One Man Can Make A Difference - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 2:52 pm: Question, why does Sheila Nix cover both governmental and campaign issues for the Governor. She’s terrible when it comes to answering questions. She makes no sense. Yesterday, ABC 7 showed Andy Shaw asking her a question. I don’t know what that lady said or was trying to say but it was “rumble rumble, I know I don’t make sense”. In addition, she should only be answering questions for Rod Blagojevich’s campaign issues not for Governor Rod Blagojevich and governmental issues. They got it all intertwined!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Somebody let them know please- - Guy Fawkes - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 2:53 pm: Just in….. Blagojevich, Topinka set date for first debate Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich and GOP challenger Judy Baar Topinka will debate Monday evening at Millikin University, officials for both campaigns say. But question is, will it be a watered down debate, or will both candidates be required to answer difficult questions and not dance around? - Bill - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 3:33 pm: Bluefish, You have got it all wrong. The whole point is to NOT answer the questions asked. One, Sheila is one of the best in the business and she does a fine job under difficult conditions. Rich, What does obfuscate mean? - MIDSTATE - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 3:49 pm: Sheila’s “difficult conditions” are having to lie all the time. It would be a tough job for anyone. - OneMan - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 3:55 pm: Midstate Don’t forget she also has come up with new ways to say co-inc-i-dince. Since that is what everything is with this bunch, large donation and then a few weeks later you get appointed to some state board, co-inc-i-dence! - B Hicks - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 3:58 pm: Bill, you really get under their skin. Keep up the good work. 4 more years! - Buck Flagojevich - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 4:06 pm: Bill. As I tell my children. Look it up. It’s obvious that Hot Rod thought he had the press in his control, until… He walked out, burped out his prepared and scripted remarks (typical crud, try to throw mud back at JBT). When that didn’t work, because the press wanted answers, he got knocked off his script. Then it was all a big crash and burn. He kept feebly trying to get back to that script, but the big bad press corps wouldn’t let him. Awwww! With no script that boy is lost. Get him off the stage before he hurts himself. Wow. Not much going on upstairs there. But. Wasn’t it fun to watch. - Angelwings - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 4:06 pm: For Bill’s benefit: obfuscate - verb To make dim or indistinct: Synonyms: becloud, bedim, befog, blear, blur, cloud, dim, dull, eclipse, fog, gloom, mist, obscure, overcast, overshadow, shadow - Buck Flagojevich - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 4:07 pm: Bill. Have you checked inside the Gov’s head for dust bunnies? Just wondering. - Bluefish - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 4:10 pm: Bill - Of course the point is to NOT answer the questions. He wouldn’t want his statements to the press to contradict with those he gave to the Feds. - Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 4:42 pm: Speaking of answers to the press, anyone catch Tony Rezko’s comments to Carol Marin in today’s Sun-Times? He called her back while “traveling from London to the Middle East on..business.” Among the questions: When’s the last time he and Blagojevich spoke? “I don’t want to get into that,” he answered. Still friends? “I don’t want to get into that.” ————————————————– Bill, looks like the Blago bus may be emptying out, between those jumping off and those getting thrown under. Tony is smart enough to know which choice to make. PS: Rich I’ve heard, FWIW, that there is no video of the rolling pin incident. Agree that it would be out there already if Blago & co. had it. - Minion - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 5:02 pm: Blago looks terrible in these clips. After 26 years out of power, I expected us to have a little patronage, appointments to Boards and Commissions, etc. because frankly we deserved it and the Republicans did 10 times worse in terms of pay to play and jobs to Rutan covered spots. My problem with Blago: how stupid could you be? He is a good politician. If JBT or JRyan had accepted $1,500 from a man whose wife later went to work for the state, he’d be all over it. That kind of graft is unacceptable, childhood friends or not. Further, I thought he and his east coast advisors would be a little more subtle with the patronage and the boards. If they didn’t know how, they should have kept a few top Republicans around to show them the way. Heck, he probably kept Levine on board for that reason. Why couldn’t he do so within CMS and hiring? He showed he wanted to be bipartisan in the begining. I’m sure there would have been Republicans who could have shown them the way for the right position and salary. His actions have all been too cute by a half. In an attempt to look tough he fired those high level Republicans all at once to show there was a new sheriff in town. Why couldn’t he have fired them one at a time over a period of time? Same result-no controversy. Now by accepting this money he looks the same as Ryan. Dishonest graft just like George Ryan. And he got caught. Again, he thought he was too slick. Honest graft like board and commission appointments and patronage I don’t think many in this state have a problem with. $1,500 people have a big problem with. What’s worse, it’s easy to understand. Blago is screwing everything up for the Democratic Party. - DeepFriedOnAStick - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 5:03 pm: Did anybody else hear Bradley Tusk is leaving for Citicorps? Get off the boat before it sinks … - RealClear - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 5:18 pm: Hey, at least he’s not threatening to take anyone out by cutting them into little pieces with a weaponized rolling pin. - Calypso - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 5:21 pm: Rich Miller, I have already seen an ad for the “rolling pin” incident. It was early, I guess. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 5:24 pm: If you did, Calypso, nobody else did and it’s not posted anywhere on the Internet. I also assume someone would’ve written a story about it by now. So I just don’t think you saw it. - Juice - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 7:09 pm: I’m late into the convo… are you guys talking about the rolling pin as a lethal weapon commercial? - Character is who you are in the dark - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 7:33 pm: Rolling Pin was done as a radio spot, IIRC, using an indignant woman’s voice to scold with. I don’t recall them using an audio actuality of Topinka, but it is possible one of the press had their microrecorder going. The fact it doesn’t seem to stick with the crowd here may indicate it wasn’t all that strong, but then again, jedi mind tricks are usually effective only against the weak-minded. They won’t help Rod on Stormy Monday. Youtube may have to uncrate another whole server after that debate. - Gregor - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 7:39 pm: I’m bringing marshmallows. We should live blog it, round by round. - Look mom, it's Mayor Daley - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 7:45 pm: If the Tusk rumor is true, that’s an incredible blow to Team Blago. After Lon, No one else in his office ranks high enough to take the blame for the next screw-up, he’ll have to take the responsibility for it himself. Or bring in someone from out of state. What do you call a bus with no wheels? - state worker #1 - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 8:49 pm: WOW, how embarrassing is this video. I could barely stand to watch it, I was embarrassed for him. Question, Blagojevich kept repeating that MICHAEL ASCARIDIS was ‘like a godfather’ to his kids, if they are as close as he says they are, why isn’t Ascaridis the kids godfather? BTW, I totally agree with your article in the September 26, 2006 – Daily Southtown: Voters should know how many federal criminal investigations a governor is hiding before they cast their ballot. I find it odd that Madigan is opposing Alexi Giannoulias, but threw his support behind the Governor considering the number of known federal investigations (not to mention the unknown ones that the Governor refuses to admit to). - Bill - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 9:05 pm: Bobby, About 42 more days and then its FOUR MORE YEARS! …and as far as monday is concerned, Bring it on Judy! Rolling pin and all! Rod will be ready! - Walking Wounded - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 9:32 pm: Bill, You’re correct….four more years of investigations, indictments and convictions. All for the candidate who offered “no more business as usual”. Again, another proud moment for the Illinois voter. - Little Egypt - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 11:21 pm: Bill, you have really hurt my feelings. I know how you despise your All American Idol being referred to as GoverNOT Hairdo or Elvis. But come on man, you went and bought “a copy of the Elvis at Sun Records CD” and gave it to Hot Rod? You are a sell out - and a cheap one at that. Now if you really wanted to make brownie points with your boy, you should have bought The Best of Sesame Street CD and tucked in a check for $1,500. - Angie - Wednesday, Sep 27, 06 @ 11:53 pm: Yvette made comments about Rod’s body language and the perception that he’s lying. Just to remind everyone here, there are some people who are extremely skilled at lying (we tend to call them sociopaths), so don’t mistake the LACK of those twitching actions that Rod demonstrated for honesty when looking at other pols that get into trouble. They could very well be guilty as all you-know-what. It is just that Rod appears to be either a. horribly bad at pulling it off, or b. just plain nerve-wracked when put on the spot by the press. Judy just always seems like a feisty, up-for-whatever’s coming her way personality type. And on top of it, she’s clearly doing more with less money and working smarter instead of harder. But I commend Rod on blowing any gains he may have had as a result of his millions spent on negative attack ads only to see if all go kaput after being put in the hot seat by the press. Hey, if you can’t handle the press, how can you handle another term? And for a real test of his face-his-press mettle, by the way, someone should fly Helen Thomas in here. Where is Helen when you need her to do some serious heckling? - a friend - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 1:30 am: this is old news. let’s move on. - outsider - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 7:06 am: How can a sitting Governor stand there, after all this scrutiny about the $1500 check, and say he’s not sure if it was a christening or birthday gift? LLPOF. See if anyone can figure out the acronym - Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 7:30 am: Liar Liar Pants on Fire! ARod, POA, Elvis, GoverNOT Hairdo may have another new handle! - Truthful James - Thursday, Sep 28, 06 @ 8:09 am: Rich – You made some prescient remarks regarding the effect of YouTube on TV coverage and its probable future. But there are deeper questions which need to be raised about this new media. First, the postings will have no semblance of ‘fair and balanced’ One picture is woeth a thousand words, but which thousand? Most viewers will look at what confirms their own beliefs and flash over the rest. It is better for reinforcement of one’s own beliefs than it is for examination of issues. That said, there is already too much emphasis on incidents as opposed to issues. Second, the glib will win over the earnest. The rate of communication is limited to 125-130 words per minute — radio speed — but amplified by the sight of physical mannerisms. In terms of the printed word, this is eighth grade level. Few media supply the full written word of a speech as they used to do fifty five years ago when I was a puppy. Remember Jim Stockdale, the retired Rear Admiral who was the Veep nominee on the Perot Party ticket? He was an highly intelligent gentleman and an excellent manager who was made to look like a fool by the hot medium staged ‘debate.’ Third, we will be focusing on ‘Masters of the Media’ rather than the value of their ideas. Ideas are comnplicated things which used to lengthen political debate. Our generation has seen them honed down into policy statements and now briefings and finally sound bites. I think that the underlying thinking on the part of candidate has been foreshortened as well, leaving him or her, as they say, at wits’s end. Candidates pick up scripts from handlers. Worse, what we have now is ear candy appealing to specific electoral groups. The ‘general good’ is no longer in focus. That is a big difference. Politicians no longer are able to conjoin their own interests and political well being with the good of the State. — It is not good that we are XXX billion in debt, but I need taxpayer money to get reelected. – Now back to candidate bashing… Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.