49 Comments - Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 9:04 am: Morons - You said it all Rich. Case closed. - Guy Fawkes - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 9:26 am: More misleading PROPAGANDA! What is their editor thinking? - Juice - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 9:37 am: While we’re talking about people who should be returning money, how about everybody who received money from Levine return it. We’ve heard about the Dems who have returned Rezko money (which they gave back quite quickly), what about the republicans who have taken Levine’s money? When will we hear about the following: House republican Campaign Committee — $115,000 Lee Daniels — $303,000 Illinois Republican Party — $50,000 Republican State Senate campaign Committee — $13,500 Jim Edgar — $6500 and lets not forget, Jim Ryan (not Ryan the convicted felon, not Ryan the “I want to give things to my beautiful wife in public until Judy Baar Topinka decides that this is unacceptable and replaces him with ALAN KEYES, but the republican candidate for governor in 2002) — $810,500! Thats an awful lot of cash taken by republicans from a CONVICTED FELON, Stuart Levine. How about some attention paid to those who have been on the take for some time. - Concerned - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 9:38 am: This guy could kick an old lady in the shin, claim he saw a spider and get praised for being a savior. Then turn around and accuse Topinka of sending the spider to steal the old lady’s purse. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 10:15 am: Juice, HRCC no longer exists, Daniels is retiring in disgrace, and Jim Ryan is out of politics for good. Other than that, you make a good point. - Garp - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 10:25 am: I am really scratching my head. How can Blago go up in the polls after his chief fundraiser gets indicted and JBT drop? - Juice - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 10:36 am: But Rich, seriously, the media has made such a big deal over Blago’s alleged association with these people, yet little has been said about what Levine’s donor history would have meant if Jim Ryan would have won in 2002. Ryan took over $800K from this crook! The money that Levine spread around to all of these Republicans and the organizations (whether they exist currently or not) leads me to believe that, while Blago haters love to say that corruption is the same or worse now than it was under GRyan, imagine what it would have been if Stu’s guy Jim would have won? You and the rest of the media make a living out of speculating about Blago’s involvement in all of this. How about a little speculating about what the republicans would have done had JRyan been elected and Daniels not left in disgrace? I’m so tired of the constant Blago bashing. By the way, while walking precincts for rod, I constantly hear people saying that they can’t stand Judy. The best thing is that it is her own words and personality that have driven people to this conclusion. She is a horrible candidate. Fortunately, she will have plenty of time to catch up on her beauty sleep on November 8th, when she will be sent to pasture with the rest of the has been republicans. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 10:55 am: Juice, I think we’re all a bit too busy to write “What if” stories on what would happen if Jim Ryan had been elected. He’s gone. Rod is governor. Top dog. Big cheese. Deal with it. - HoosierDaddy - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 11:00 am: I haven’t made the ‘apples to apples’ comparison, but I don’t think there is an instance in which Blago’s numbers actually went up after the indictment, when comparing the same pollsters’ numbers. - Tessa - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 11:01 am: I’m just wondering if the PSA from Tinley Park MHC, I believe that was his title, took this years ethics test. And if he got one of the letters saying he took it too fast, because apparently he didn’t read the material, or he didn’t understand it. Oh, wait, only us low level peons needed to understand what it meant, because you know, we’re the ones who routinely break the law for the Gov by doing things the wrong way, bending the rules for our “friends”. Right. The Surreal Life - Illinois State Government. Well, more like the Alternate Reality. And just when you think it can’t get any more unrealistic, something else happens. When an indictment happens to Blago, I hope Fitz has everything lined up in a neat little package. Then Blago can spit and sputter into a microphone and try to say he didn’t know anything, he didn’t do it, and it was everyone elses fault, over and over again. - VanillaMan - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 11:41 am: If there is no excuse for Republicans, then there is definately no excuse for a guy who promises reform, then backstabs us like this. As to his alleged associations, they are not alleged. Rezko and Blagojevich have been practically married for 15 years. So cut the alleged crap. Finally, there should have never been the word “alleged” ever used with this governor. He was not supposed to be George Ryan Jr. He wasn’t elected so that we can listen to the same insulting excuses as to why he shouldn’t be considered corrupted. He set that bar himself, then he slithered under it. No one should be giving this guy even the benefit of a doubt. He wasn’t supposed to even be in this fix. OUT HE GOES! - steve schnorf - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 11:50 am: Uh, Rich, good points other than the fact the Levine isn’t “convicted”. - Bluefish - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 11:51 am: Hmmm. Khalil Shalabi gets fired and “Bill” has not been heard from since. Either they’re one in the same or Bill got the message to behave himself while on the state payroll. - Juice - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 12:35 pm: Seriously Rich, “deal with it?” You have your mind set on an what you want to say but it’s irrelevant to what I previously wrote. I’m “dealing with it” just fine. Are you? - Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 12:47 pm: I don’t recall that “Stu’s guy Jim” campaigned on being the great reformer, no more business as usual, end the corruption in the state, blah, blah, blah. It is also real hard to blame previous administrations for the Stu Levines when you reappointed them. I am so dizzy from all the spin, I believe I am going to have to go throw up. - DOWNSTATE - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 1:02 pm: There is a very big difference.Last election a lot of Repubs crossed over because of the corruption.All this bunch of Demos care about is having their own in office no matter what the cost is to our state.People this guy’s best sleep over buddy is in court today and he doesn’t know anything.17 investigations and you people still want to follow him. - Squideshi - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 1:45 pm: According to the most recent Zogby poll, Rich Whitney is now registering in the double digits! http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-elections06.html “Three-way matchup includes 11.3% for Rich Whitney (G)” 47.1% Blagojevich 33.2% Topinka 11.3% Whitney - Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 1:58 pm: Juice, Rich is right. Get a clue. You Blago people are all alike. You want to shove your crass, crafty,corrupt and point of view, whether it’s on a blog, stupid program, political hack hire, lousy money manager, bad legislation, unbalanced budget, whatever, big or small, straight down the throat of whoever happens to be on the receiving end-no input, comment, or certainly dissent required or allowed. You don’t care about Illinois and you make that clear. Too bad there are enough around of us that still do care that if we can’t take your boy Rod out at the County Courthouses on the 7th, we’ll take him out at the Federal Courthouse another day. You will be defeated. It’s just a matter of where and when. - Juice loses all credibility - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 2:03 pm: Juice, thanks for taking all of the credibility away from anything you say regarding this year’s Governor’s race “By the way, while walking precincts for rod” If you are working/volunteering for Rod’s campaign (hopefully not on state time if you are a state employee) then of course you will never admit any wrongdoing by Mr. Hairdo and report only bad things said about Topinka. - Bill - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 2:46 pm: AA “You don’t care about Illinois and you make that clear. Too bad there are enough around of us that still do care…”. Give us a break.I can’t believe the arrogance of you Rod haters. A few days ago it was “…anyone who doesn’t vote for Topinka is ignorant…”. Today its …”Anyone who volunteers for Rod has no credibility and doesn’t care about Illinois.” Then there is Bluefish, anyone who supports Rod must be a state employee illegally campaigning. It is quite consistent with the fundamentalist point of view that anyone who deosn’t have the same faith as them will go to hell. Oh wait, they are Republicans, too. “…we can’t take your boy Rod out at the County Courthouses on the 7th, we’ll take him out at the Federal Courthouse another day…” Who’s we? Are you a US attorney? Do you have evidence that the Governor has committed a crime?…Or are you just a disgruntled staffer who just can’t bear to see the progressive agenda of Rod Blagojevich be affirmed. Oh yeah, its those damn baby killing, gun hating, tax and spend liberals who are ruining “your” state. Well, you better get used to it. We are in the majority now and we are not going anywhere.Maybe you should try Texas. - Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 3:17 pm: Bill, I’m defintely not a “disgruntled staffer.” Go figure. As you yourself write, the usual Blago poster tone on this blog is “quite consistent with the fundamentalist point of view that anyone who deosn’t (SP) have the same faith as them will go to hell.” If you think the majority of Illinoisans support the commission of Federal felonies by an incumbent Governor and his inner circle, than you really have hit the Kool-Aid a bit too hard. It’s too bad. This guy could have been something if he had only kept his promises. He didn’t and we all will suffer the consequenses, just as we did with Ryan. How do you feel now, Bill, about “Reform and Renewal” knowing it’s a joke? Nada mas. - Lovie's Leather - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 3:18 pm: Bill, Bill, Bill. It is not what “the damn baby killing, gun hatig, tax and spend liberals” believe. It is their way of never being ever to see the other side of an issue. It is always about them. 1. It is my life and my body and I can do what I want. 1.b. If you were an unborn child, you would probably want to live… but you would never think about that. 2. I could get shot with a gun. 2b. If you had a gun, you could prevent crime because you are a law abiding citizen. If it were against the law to have guns, you would give your gun up, but criminals wouldn’t. 3. You think the government should provide every single service in the world and not raise taxes. 3b. Fundamental accounting principle dictates that to spend money, you have to have money. You can’t spend a state into the ground and pretend like the budget is balanced. Democrats aren’t tax and spend. They are spend and spend!!! Thank God for reform and renewal!!! Where would we ever be without it!!! - Angie - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 3:19 pm: To answer this: “I am really scratching my head. How can Blago go up in the polls after his chief fundraiser gets indicted and JBT drop?” Because our voters are corrupt, too? I mean, someone is responsible for picking some of these crooks in the first place. Corrupt or cognitively challenged. Perhaps both. All you can think of (that still sounds reasonable and rational) is that some people have just given up and won’t vote, and so who is left? All of the blue state Dem voters who just really really cannot stand the thought of voting Republican, because they are still of that delusion that everyone is some Jerry Falwell style or rich, corporate type of Republican, and so no matter what, they’re pulling for Rod. Perhaps even hoping that it’ll put Quinn in if (I say WHEN, though) Rod is indicted. - Larry - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 3:20 pm: Bill, It appears the kitchen may be gettin hot! Your team must be quite concerned since your boy trending so poorly. AND so much time left! More corruption stories, a couple guilty verdicts with Public Offical A naming Rod B…I understand why you are beginning to get a little edgy. You rip on the commentors but fail to see your own weakness’ I have grown weary of the bagdad bob routine. Blago is in serious trouble. His people are in serious trouble. Politics aside, I am quite sick of it all. Illinois has been shamed AGAIN. If the numbers don’t change (I am sure they will) Illinois voters will elect BLAGO and then soon after, he will make national news ie. sitting GOV of Illinois INDICTED. Boy, then Illinois can be really proud once again!! Thanks to you Bill and the other bagdad bobs! - Bluefish - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 3:52 pm: Bill - I’m a lifelong Democrat. If you and I sat down over beers we’d probably agree on most social and other issues. When you tout social programs that Blago has created I fully agree with the goal of helping people who need the help. The problem is that these programs are poorly thought out, don’t work, are draining our state budget and are only good for press releases designed to divert attention from the corruption and influence peddling that is taking place by Team Blago. Sorry that you are too blinded by party loyalty to see this. I’m even sorrier that there are a lot of other Democrats who are also just as blinded. Sorry, but I cannot support him and feel it it a moral duty to convince as many of my fellow Democrats as possible to vote against him. - Bill - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 3:54 pm: I won’t bother with the usual refrain that the Governor has not even been accused of any wrong,let alone been tried and convicted, except by the partisans on this blog. Buchannan is right, there is a culture war taking place. I think we all know which side of the war we are each on…and there are wrong doers on both sides. That doesn’t mitigate the fact that the party that claims to be for small gov’t and for individual rights claims the moral high ground and asserts that they, because of their superior morality, have the right to dictate to the masses how they should live their lives. While Macomb may be such a bastion of civility that everyone can own assault weapons and no one gets hurt(I doubt it), there are parts of the state where this is certainly not the case. What are all you good ol boys going to hunt with an Uzi? If you belive that conception begins with a glint in the prospective fathers eye, fine, don’t use birth control…but you shouldn’t try to impose your out of the mainstream views on everybody else. It stikes me as funny that the anti-choice advocates are the same ones that are against increased funding for education and childrens health insurance programs. “We’ll force you to have them but we won’t help you take care of them.” I don’t agree with the Governor on the income and sales tax issue…but I don’t agree with the Roeser, Peraica, Oberwiess fanatics on anything. I think I’ll stick with the progressive agenda. My guess is that the majority of “ignorant, cognitively challenged,corrupt” Illinois voters agree with me. I guess we will all find out on November 7. Don’t even bother to try to bring it on. Now, back to the meat wagon. - Bill - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 4:06 pm: Larry, When an enlightened, in the know, political genius insider like your self thinks that the governor is trending down I guess that we should all just give up and go home. We will see who is trending where on election day. As far as Bagdad Bob is concerned, if you don’t like it don’t read it. We wouldn’t want you to be too weary to blog. Bluefish, Good luck working on those loyal dems. I just hope that they remember the three decades before Blagojevich and read the website of the national taxpayers union. I don’t think that they will have much trouble making up their mind. - Bluefish - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 4:09 pm: Bill - They’re not having much trouble at all. They know the stench of rotting garbage when they smell it. - Animous - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 4:13 pm: Bill, Man, you seem a little edgy. Did anything noteworthy happen today to make you that way? For the record, again, I did not say that voting for anyone but Topinka is ignorant. Not to go a a diatribe here, but what I implied was that voting FOR Blago, with all the indictments and further allegations setting just outside his door, is being ignorant (i.e., unaware or uninformed)of the facts, and not paying attention to the primary reason he was elected by said voters in the first place–to end corruption. Yes, he hasn’t been indicted, but neither was G Ryan when everyone started piling on him at the end of his term. Ryan wisely chose not to run with a big cloud hanging over his head and his administration. The difference in this situation is Rod has the hubris to run for re-election when he has 5 times as many clouds hanging over his administration. My guess is that you found Ryan “guilty” long before he was ever convicted, let alone indicted. I don’t think anyone’s trying to apply a double standard. Like I’ve said before: We’ve all seen this story before, we all know how it ends… - Mike Williams - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 4:26 pm: Bill, have a martini or take some xanax and chill out. Disgruntled staffers? who are they? I don’t see any of those here. The people that comment here are insiders from both sides who have years of experience in Illinois politics and are applying what they know. Or maybe you can’t see that because you have spent too long dealing with national issues? The east coast is not the paradigm of political expertise, you know. Or maybe you spent so much time in New York and Philadelphia to bother to learn anything about illinois? Yes, your boy Rod the Fraud will win. I’ll give you that. But watch the investigations begin in earnest after that. Depressing. - Bill - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 4:46 pm: Mike, my friend, if you don’t see any then you are not looking. You think that Illinois politics is so unique and so different (better) than anywhere else. Don’t kid yourself. These “insiders from both sides” with all of those years of experience surely must be aware that there is nothing unique about the allegations,the name calling, innuendo, slander and libel that takes place here, egged on by a biased and mostly inept media trying to sell stories that noone cares about. Thanks for the inside info that comes from all of that experience. When Rod is not indicted maybe you can find another US Attorney from New York or Philadelphia to tamper with Rod’s third term re-election camapign. If he is not in the White House by then. - Shallow Pharnyx - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 5:13 pm: I think Bradley pulled some strings with Esquire. He probably told them Judy was actually Jody. - Tessa - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 5:15 pm: I’ve read these last posts with interest and just had to comment, much as I tried not to respond. First time around I supported Blago, campaigned for him, the whole shabang. Gung-ho, I listened to what he said and believed in him. Then he got elected. Then he started messing with things. And people started getting screwed. And he started going back on his promises. Things I believed in, things he promised to me and his other constituents, fell away as he went on his merry little way. The system, bad as it was 4 years ago, became even worse. There’s no way I could support him again. Not for the people who I serve, who have been thrown by the wayside, because he could care less about them. Oh wait, he used to care about them, but not anymore. The poor, the aged, the disabled. They don’t count. Services for them have gone by the wayside as he touts bigger and better things for Illinoisans. Programs and services are better….NOT. I live it. I work it. Don’t believe the hype. Education funding and tax reform needs to happen, but he’s not willing to go there. A+ Illinois has ideas, he’s not willing to look at. I’m a lifelong democrat, pro-choice, pretty darned liberal person. However, seeing what I see on a regular basis, there’s no way I could support Blago for a 2nd term. If it looks guilty, can’t speak without having a script, and hangs with unscrupulous types, I’d think twice about saying he’s not guilty of anything. I truly believe he’ll be indicted, just like Ryan. - Huh? - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 5:21 pm: Bill - As a disgruntled staffer from IDOT, I have tried to read what you have written with an open mind. Given the news reports the “pay to play on steriods”, “rampant hired fraud” etc. How can you not see that there is something wrong in the elvis administration? Did puffery know about it? Did he do anything to stop it once it started to hit the papers? Why have the stories persisted for so long? When a person makes a campaign statement and then claims in a law suit that it was “classic campaign puffery” i.e. a lie, then can the man be trusted? When the members of his own party require him to sign memoranda of agreement in order to pass a budget, isn’t something wrong? When a man says that he lied to the legislature that there wasn’t stem cell money in order to get the money into the budget can the man be trusted? I was struck by a little article a few days ago, Public Offical A get a bill passed for a medal to honor those servicemen and women who have served in the current wars. That was a noble thing to do. But the article went on to say that no money has been allocated to buy the medals! I can’t remember how much money it was, but it was a pitance compared to other sums that he has thrown around. So Bill and other blogo supporters, isn’t something wrong? - Mike Williams - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 5:39 pm: Tessa: I couldn’t have said it better myself. I feel the exact same way. Was a Blago supporter, walked precincts for him, even wrote him a check or two. Now he’ll be lucky if I even vote for him. - anonymous - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 5:42 pm: Tessa, could you elaborate as to how services to the infirm or the elderly of our state have been thrown to the wayside under the Governor’s administration? Because I just don’t see that. Hasn’t the senior citizens property tax freeze eligibility been expanded to include more seniors so they don’t lose their homes? Have social service programs been slashed? Because excuse me but I thought that was popular with the Republicans, to bash the poor because they’re just lazy. Or to ignore a whole city that needed a few arks sent in a bad way. Lifelong democrat huh? I have to ask you as well as some other democrats posting on here to think about it as to why you declare yourself that way, why you became one in the first place. Then evaluate the Governor’s record, I’ll send you a brochure if you wish and see if some of the things he’s been “messing with” aren’t why you make the choice to call yourself a democrat. - In the Sticks - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 6:05 pm: The condition of the physical facilities used to provide residential care for Illinoisians in need (mental health, developmentally disabled, educational programs) has deteriorated over the last four years. There has been very little money spent on maintenance at any state-owned facilities that aren’t in the district of a powerful legislator or provide a good photo-op. Roofs need to be repaired and replaced, tuckpointing done, fire alarm systems replaced and on and on and on. That is one way that I see how the infirm and those in need of care in Illinois have been thrown to the wayside. If the Governor can give out millions to a stadium in the southern part of the state to a political contributor - why can’t he find as much money to fix the leaking roofs of state-owned facilities? However - there is $100 million in capital improvements at Governor’s State University, including an expensive facility named for the Senate President. - state worker - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 6:37 pm: Tessa, your post at 5:15 hit the nail on the head. As a 23 year professional at IDOT, I also supported this Governor because I believed in what I thought he stood for and I was sick of the corruption going on under Ryan. Boy, did I get smacked on the head. As a professional, I was hired at IDOT based on my experience and knowledge – I am also a lifelong Democrat that was hired under a Republican administration. However, this administration has really screwed up – the saying is that ‘logic no longer lives at state agencies’. It is a total mess. - I’m disappointed – not appointed - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 6:37 pm: Tessa, your post at 5:15 hit the nail on the head. As a 23 year professional at IDOT, I also supported this Governor because I believed in what I thought he stood for and I was sick of the corruption going on under Ryan. Boy, did I get smacked on the head. As a professional, I was hired at IDOT based on my experience and knowledge – I am also a lifelong Democrat that was hired under a Republican administration. However, this administration has really screwed up – the saying is that ‘logic no longer lives at state agencies’. It is a total mess. - Mike Williams - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 7:05 pm: whatever, Bill. Your post confirmed what I already suspected. You Blago people have such ego and arrogence that you fail to see the dangers lurking within your own administration. You were (and apparently are) so busy trying to make sure Rod gets to be President that you forgot to govern the state. I suppose “disgruntled staffers” and the big bad media made up the Rezko story? Or that they were responsible for the endemic illegal hiring that occured that Rod the Fraud and your people tried to put on two mid level staffers? Or all the incompetent consultants that have been brought in? Mell was right. The only question now is how much and for how many? I guess you will be happy going back to New York when it is all over for Fraudojevich. Maybe Schumer will take you back? - (618) Democrat - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 7:20 pm: Didn’t the Marlboro Woman, Judy, Jody or whatever, call her primary opponents morons? Now the editors of a very prominent womans magazine are called morons on this blog. Where is the civility? It seems that Republicans don’t handle pressure well. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 7:42 pm: LOL, 618. One flaw in your argument. Esquire is a men’s mag. - Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 8:21 pm: Now that’s funny! - How you all doin??? - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 8:39 pm: Sorry Bill, but Barack isn’t even going to let your boy Blago be a bathroom attendant in the White House. - Bill - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 8:40 pm: Naw, I kinda like it here! - Bill - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 8:42 pm: Barack who? - Tessa - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 8:56 pm: In The Sticks - thanks for your assistance there. Same goes for community placements though. Staff get paid little to do hard work. It’s not easy to care for the aged, the disabled or for children, yet these are some of the lowest paying jobs in the state. Staff in community agencies have to fight to get COLA’s year to year because the state doesn’t think there’s a need to provide adequate funding for them. I don’t see why it’s more important to pay someone more to run a machine than it is to care for my parents or my disabled family member. I work for the state doing this. I used to work in the community doing this. I’m committed to both sides of this issue. Blago has done nothing to help. Nothing. These people can’t help him, so he doesn’t help them. Seen it first hand - he’s never been to one of these “facilities”. I’ll continue the fight after the elections over. In Springfield, in the paper, wherever I have to, to get help for the people who can’t speak up for themselves. Blago needs to go. As for myself. I understand what it is to be a democrat, and you have no right to question what I am or what I believe. And don’t bother sending me a brochure. I’ve seen far too many that say “Gov. Rod Blagojevich” on them. He’s been running for re-election while in office for 4 years, not finding the money appropriately to fund everything he’s done, but making a big to do about every program. Show me real reform, like he promised, show me “no more business as usual” and maybe I would have voted for him. But he burned me bad. - Tessa - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 8:58 pm: Sorry “In The Sticks”, that last paragraph was for “anonymous 5:42 p.m.”, who questioned my democrat being. I meant to indicate that. - Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Oct 19, 06 @ 10:38 pm: Here’s a quote for you and “Juice” to contemplate, Bill. From court today. “Mr. Rezko has no idea what is in store for him,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Niewoehner said. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.