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Fitzgerald ranked as “not distinguished” by Justice Department chief
Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller I’ve avoided this topic like the plague because I try to stay away from national issues. But now that Patrick Fitzgerald has been brought into the subject, it’s time we had a go at it…
The guy convicts a former governor, dozens of political cronies, has the entire state’s political system in deep panic, but the chief of staff says he hasn’t distinguished himself? Apparently, those people had other, more “important,” priorities on their minds. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I said at a forum last year that Bush might try to remove Fitzgerald and was shouted down by some of the other panelists. I want to make it very clear that I have no reason whatsoever to doubt that Fitzgerald was just doing his job, but since it’s now come out that political pressure was exerted on other US Attorneys to indict Democrats before the 2006 election, somebody ought to at least ask Fitzgerald whether he received any communications from the White House or other sources about the timing of last fall’s Tony Rezko indictment. Rezko, of course, was a close intimate of Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The Rezko indictment seems valid to me, but it did happen just a few weeks before the 2006 election. Meanwhile, President Bush’s pal Mayor Daley had no such trouble in his own electoral run-up this spring. Fitzgerald has been practically sainted here by the chattering class, but the questions wouldn’t be completely out of order.
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- PatC - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 6:23 am:
And should we be surprised? Why shouldn’t an administration make sure that it’s employees follow the game plan?
When the court system becomes used for political ends, we can’t be “shocked, just shocked” to see that the other side will start to play the game.
“Prosecutorial discretion” covers a wide range of sins.
The real story is the criteria that caused one to be ranked “loyal or not”.
As for 2 people who got that ranking being fired, that really means nothing. If 35 got it and only 2 were fired, then one can say the ranking didn’t mean anything.
If 2/3 got it were fired, that is something else.
And, as a final shot, why is Bush getting dumped on for MAYBE getting rid of someone who cleaned up IL, while the US Atty during the previous Pres seems to have missed all that???
- The Blogger Formerly Known As Anonymous - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 6:26 am:
Rich, Fitz didn’t do the work you credit him with doing. It was Collins, who has left.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 6:34 am:
TBFKAA, Collins may have done much of the work, but Fitzgerald was in charge.
- nrthsdr - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 7:44 am:
Don’t want to open a can of worms, and I recognize that he plead guilty but… The charges brought against Congresswoman Shakowsky’s husband, were about very old issues. They were brought right after she started showing up on CNN saying that “the emporer is wearing no clothes”, “they aren’t going to find any WMD in Iraq”, and etc.
- nrthsdr - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 7:46 am:
Is Rezko a crook? Maybe. There sure is plenty of smoke there.
Is he nearly as a big a crook as the scamsters who have made millions in slimy war contracts? No way! No idictments or investigation there at all.
- If It Walks Like a Duck... - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 7:58 am:
Justice (Dept.) is blind. Heck, I’m nominating Fitzgerald for sainthood after he nails Gov. Blag-obfuscate-avich.
- Justice - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 8:09 am:
Fitzgerald will continue to manage through this with some very, very good investigators. These folks are methodical and very detailed. When they finally issue indictments, and they will, you can bet their homework will be done and it will be air tight. Good leadership and a dedicated staff will result in justice being served, regardless of the Bush hack’s characterization of Fitzgerald. And yes, it is Fitzgerald’s leadership that has led to the successes of his office as well as the dedication and professionalism of his staff.
- From my cold dead hands - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 8:17 am:
Does anyone really think that the Dept. of Justice would put a middle of the road performer in charge of drawing up the indictment of Osam bin Ladin? Our man Fitz was the indictment’s author as reported by the the Tribune.
- The Bigger Picture - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 9:05 am:
Has anyone ever thought that what Fitzgerald uncovers not only will indict and send Blagojevich and many of his goons to jail, but also be a huge embarrassment to the Bush Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
- Anon - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 10:20 am:
for everyone who’s high on fitzgerald because they think/hope he’s going to bring blago down, may i suggest you run over to your nearest book store and pick up ‘Triple Cross’ by Peter Lance…a compelling and insightful look at how everyone’s boy, patrick fitzgerald DROPPED THE BALL when it came to stopping Ali Mohamed - one of the REAL masterminds behind 9/11 and other terrorist attacks throughout the world. the Chicago media hasn’t reported on this at all..someone needs to. fitzgerald ignored and mishandled key intelligence picked up by his own unit that COULD HAVE PREVENTED 9/11. some enterprising reporter in chicago should pick this up and run with it.
- Levois - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 10:30 am:
In conservative circles they counter what the Bush administration did with what Clinton did in his first year in office. They fired all US Attorneys.
- Right? - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 11:10 am:
And that is what is doen at the beginning of every presdiency
Just like if a Dem wins the white house in 08 they will clear house but if a GOPer squeaks by, they will also most likely replace many too
- Pat Hickey - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 11:11 am:
Too Hard-hitting for timid Chicago Journalists - that is why ‘Some enterprising young reporter’ will not pick up on this story, nor will the Peter Lance book - fascinating and a great read - be featured in Controversy or Perspective because the two sinking flagship newspapers are too busy picking at scabs and calling that journalism.
Our comfortable news hounds like their news served up to them, or trip over a story coming out of Gene & Georgetti’s!
- Bzzzzzz! - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 11:11 am:
To: Anon - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 10:20 am
Let’s concentrate on the State of Illinois, some enterprising reporter(s) should start asking so tough questions of this administration and demanding truthful answers.
Sorry, 9/11 is no one particular person’s fault, let’s not try to deflect what the real problems are in our state.
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 11:36 am:
I’m not here to debate national politics. However, one has to wonder (if even to question for just a second) if Bush regrets the Fitz appointment every second of every day. Bush has to be sweating this out on a regular basis, and the implications of a Rove or Kyle Sampson indictment are more of a reality than ever before. And the Bush Administration can’t just send him back to Illinois and take him out of his role as a special prosecutor; the Dems won’t allow the USDOJ to do that. Bush and Cheney are in a cath-22.
I could see Fitz coming back to Chicago and going after Blago. He is ripe for the picking and I don’t think Hizzoner will be a target. If Casey and DeFraties win their case, the tops in Blago’s Administration need to be very concerned and should start watching over their collective shoulder.
Fitz is a great asset to our state and country. Yes, I’m sure he’s a Type A guy who rides his staff hard and relied on people like Mr. Collins to push his overall docket, but he is what we need right now.
- Pat Hickey - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 11:50 am:
I hope Fitz comes back to Chicago via Michigan - at St. Joseph and the Tribune and the Times can send out perch boats packed with hard-hitting scribblers as he strides over the waves to Navy Pier! Won’t that be a Time! NPR can do a live remote from the McDonald’s Ferris Wheel ( built on graft and the spoils of boodlers) - ‘I can see him now! He’s emptying His shoes on the sand bar two miles east of the Crib - He’s waving to us even now! Tory - he IS wearing the Nicaraguan cotton blend suit made with co-opt labor and he IS holding aloft a Starbucks Venti Latte. For just pennies a day, you too can ‘kill this home grown instrument of hate’ the Combine; make a two hundred dollar donation to NPR or WTTW and we will send you a replica of Fitz’s Fizz Latte made from pure Nicaraguan co-opt beans and this memorial CD - of Pete Seegar tunes - Act now! and the Antique Roadshow Wrestle-Mania Video is yours! He’s tap dancing on the waters Ira! Oh, Happy Day!’
- truth - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 11:54 am:
I must correct FALSE INFORMATION spread on this blog. No other President in our history has removed every US Attorney after taking office!
- Confused - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 12:24 pm:
What did Pat Hickey just write? It made no sense.
- Anon - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 12:24 pm:
no one is trying to deflect what the real problems are in our state, BZZZZZ (i, too hope blago and whoever else gets what they deserve). however, i’m just tired of all of the gushy (see third para of Team Sleep’s entry for an example) baseless feel-good fluff written about fitz…esp. when he botched ali mohamed, et. all. and no one (chicago media or chicago-area members of congress) seems to care.
- Anon - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 12:35 pm:
Ranking was correct. He has not distinguished himself.
1. Couldn’t get anybody for outing her, but gets a conviction against somebody for not having properly answered questions during his inquiry.
2. Gets a friendly judge, who is probably looking for a promotion from the next Dem Pres, to railroad Ryan at least as far as the jury was concerned. The jury is still out. We haven’t heard from the A Court.
3. Where are all the indictments and convictions for people who were extorting money from money managers to handle part of the public employees pensions. It’s not like they haven’t said so on the record. Just what does it take to charge somebody and take it to trial?
- Pat Hickey - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 12:36 pm:
Confused -
It is merely a thread and a thread is patterned from a previous post ‘hoping for the return of U.S. Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald.’ The Best G -Man since Elliot Ness told whoppers!
- Punley Dieter Finn - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 1:03 pm:
Confused, Hickey’s lyrics leave lillipostians at a loss but for the literate leaven the leitmotif.
- Bill - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 1:11 pm:
Pat is probnably drunk again.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 1:14 pm:
“probnably”? Bill, have you been hitting the sauce today?
- Judgement Day Is On The Way - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 5:44 pm:
“The charges brought against Congresswoman Shakowsky’s husband, were about very old issues.”
From experience, the case of Mr. Creamer being brought to trial had little, if anything to do with politics. He basically was running a full blown check kiting scheme, and the Chicago financial institutions work very, very closely with the Fed’s to go after anybody running these types of schemes. Financial fraud (even through it’s normally either charged as “wire fraud”, “mail fraud”, or “money laundering” through structuring seems to be fairly high on the list, at least for the Northern District of Illinois.
- Pat Hickey - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 6:05 pm:
Bill,
I have only been druk twice in my life 1969-1987; 1987 to Present. Sheesh.
- Pat Hickey - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 6:06 pm:
Bill,
I have only been drunk twice in my life 1969-1987; 1987 to Present. Sheesh.
- Pat Hickey - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 6:08 pm:
Bill, Seein’ double? Double. . . double; Alright one more and then I really must drive home this fork-lift.
- Truthful James - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 6:46 pm:
Will somebody tell me when — before PatFitz — we have had an energetic a U.S. Attorney, who staffed his office with young tigers. You can get your Bush that the AG was after his hide, but did not have the gall to follow through. Blago succeeded Ryan as Gov. You clean the old pot first while a second starts to boil. You can bet that a lot of friendly persuasion is going on, and he may not be the next in line, but a chair at the Defense table is being kept warm for the incumbent.
Parallel with that, on the other side of the political fence, we have the two Bobs hanging in the wind. Such great fun.
- Disgusted - Tuesday, Mar 20, 07 @ 10:10 pm:
Bill is the drunk one - drunk on “wuv” for the guv. Wonder what it will get him in the end?