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Friday, Aug 20, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I’m taking the Atlanta Rhythm Section’s advice. You should, too…

The rats keep winning the rat race
But I’m not gonna let it bother me tonight

* Check back tomorrow for a few fun State Fair videos. Until then, have a good one.

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*** UPDATED x1 - Comic Con? *** Jury voted 11-1 almost half the time - And is the Adam family out?

Friday, Aug 20, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

*** UPDATE *** I just have no words to describe how I feel about this press release…

Rod’s Appeal: Blagojevich To Appear At Chicago Comic Con!

Former Illinois Governor To Sign Autographs, Pose For Pictures, Meet Fans At Pop Culture Festival Saturday!

The verdict is in! Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich will appear at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con on Saturday at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. Blagojevich will sign autographs, pose for pictures and meet fans at the pop culture convention.

The photo session will begin at 10:30 a.m., with autographs to follow at 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

“I’m looking forward to meeting loyal supporters and other fans on Saturday,” said Blagojevich, whose many recent television appearances included a stint on “Celebrity Apprentice.”

“Wizard World Chicago Comic Con is all about pop culture, and Rod Blagojevich is as relevant to today’s news as it gets,” said Gareb Shamus, CEO of Wizard Entertainment. “We think the court of public opinion will show him to be a popular figure at the show.”

FRB.

[ *** End Of Update *** ]

* WTTW has charted the Rod and Robert jury vote counts on 52 separate acts contained in the 24 counts. They’ve found 23 instances of 11-1 votes.

Keep in mind, that some of these counts don’t match up with what others are reporting. For instance, NBC reported that a majority of jurors voted against convicting Blagojevich on the alleged Children’s Hospital shakedown. But WTTW’s count shows that a majority was in favor of convicting on one act and split down the middle on the two others…

[”Guilty” is red, “Not Guilty” is blue.]

And the Sun-Times reported that the jury voted 9-3 to acquit Robert Blagojevich. WTTW’s totals don’t reflect that at all…

…Adding… I forgot to post this one…

The father-son team of Sam Adam Jr. and Sam Adam Sr. will not represent Rod Blagojevich in a retrial, a defense attorney with knowledge of the situation told the Chicago News Cooperative.

According to the attorney, the duo has known for some time they would not stay on for another round. Speaking to reporters following Tuesday’s verdict, the lawyers refused to commit to continuing to represent Blagojevich. Although they were maligned by outside observers throughout the case, Adam Sr. and Adam Jr. will leave the former governor’s side having done better than many expected.

Blagojevich’s other main attorney, Sheldon Sorosky, has not indicated whether or not he will stay on for a retrial. Messages left with Adam Jr. and Sorosky seeking comment were not returned. A receptionist at Adam Jr.’s law office said that both attorney’s were out of town and could not be reached.

* And a roundup…

* Bill for Blago jury? $67,463.32

* Itasca juror’s birthday one to remember

* Juror: Blago could face new outcome in retrial

* Blagojevich: Senate Seat Talk Was ‘Horse Trading’

* Democrats weigh impact of Blagojevich trial

* For sale: ‘Governor had some nice stuff’

* Blagojevich’s Elvis statue has left the storage facility

* Blago Goes to Auction

* Blago TV tour starts up again today

* Blagojevich’s Media Redux

* Rod Blagojevich on The Daily Show Monday Night

* Even for GOP, Blagojevich proves popular state fair attraction

* Robert Blagojevich on Trial, Family and Stolen Mustard

* Robert Blagojevich: Retrial will be “a touchdown”

* Patti Blagojevich responds via Twitter

* Time For Federal Prosecutor To Move On?

* Kass: Wall Street Journal wrong to rip Patrick Fitzgerald over Blago

* Zorn: The Blago memos : Let’s make a deal

* Constable: Courtroom is ground zero for Blago woes, but ‘human fallout’ takes toll

* Hinz: Voters guilty of failing to end Blago-style government

* Jacobson: How To Really Prevent Corruption

* How Twitter and Rod Blagojevich Helped Converge Our Broadcast Newsroom

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GOP hoping voters issue their own “Blagojevich verdict”

Friday, Aug 20, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Tom Cross said something yesterday about the Blagojevich verdict that’s on many minds right now…

“I think maybe in their minds they can say, I’ll send my own guilty verdict so to speak and my own message by voting for Republicans in the fall,” said Illinois House Republican leader Tom Cross. “I don’t know that we need to say that. It’s not like Rod Blagojevich is going to be hiding in the back room over the next two months.”

I don’t know if he’s right, but I do know that this “voter verdict” should be one of the Democrats’ biggest fears. It’s certainly one of the Republican’s greatest hopes. But they can’t actually come out and say it. But they can’t stay away from the topic, either.

My intern Barton Lorimor asked state party chairman Pat Brady yesterday about his statement the other day on WBEZ that he wouldn’t make political hay out of the verdict. Brady said he had changed his mind and blamed it on the Democrats. Watch…

Chairman Brady also talked about Blagojevich to the AP…

A federal jury’s failure to reach a verdict on most of the charges and the government’s intention to retry him means Blagojevich will be in the news for months to come.

“That was probably the worst day for the Democrats since this race started,” said Illinois GOP chairman Pat Brady. “It’s going to keep this issue alive.” […]

Democrats argue they deserve credit for removing Blagojevich from office after he was arrested. Republicans scoffed at that, saying Democrats knew years earlier that Blagojevich was behaving unethically, if not criminally.

“Those guys sat on their hands until the U.S. attorney’s office came and yanked the guy out of his house,” said Pat Brady, who is not related to GOP nominee Bill Brady.

* The Post Dispatch’s take is pretty good…

Illinois Republicans say they don’t intend to spend the next 10 weeks hitting voters over the head with reminders of Rod Blagojevich.

But they have no intention of letting them forget, either.

That was the mixed message emerging Thursday as GOP organizers from across Illinois, gathering in Springfield for their annual “Republican Day,” pondered how to get the most out of the political gift that dropped into their lap this week — without appearing to relish the state’s ongoing trauma.

Details…

“They ran arm in arm with Rod Blagojevich for his re-election. Just as there’s accountability in the courtroom, there ought to be accountability at the polling booth,” said U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria. Schock represents parts of Springfield in Congress.

While he talked mostly about the need to create jobs, Bill Brady stopped short of pledging not to use Blagojevich in campaign advertising.

“I have no idea what our experts are going to run,” Bill Brady told reporters at the morning event. “Make no mistake, this election is about winning. … But we’re going to do it honestly. And we’re going to give them something to believe in.”

From ABC7…

“This is going to keep the issue on the front burner. People will be asking Pat Quinn, ‘where were you when all this was going on,” said Pat Brady, the Illinois Republican chairman. “The Democrats haven’t had any accomplishments other than making us one of the worst financially-run states in the country.”

Thoughts?

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Friday, Aug 20, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Morning Blagojevich videos

Friday, Aug 20, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Rod Blagojevich on the Today Show…

In a pugnacious, triumphal interview on NBC’s Today, Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted on charges of lying to the FBI but escaped conviction on 23 corruption charges, vowed never to cop a plea in his upcoming retrial, saying he was guilty only of “political horse trading.” Blagojevich compared himself to the Biblical King David, and suggested U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald should charge himself with hypocrisy for making deals with convicted felons in exchange for testimony. […]

Asked if he would accept a plea deal, given that jurors voted 11-1 to convict him of trying to sell Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat, Blagojevich said, “I’m absolutely determined to continue to seek full vindication. I have done absolutely nothing wrong. This is a persecution by a prosecutor who for six years has targeted me. He has spent tens of millions of dollars trying to get me.” […]

“Why are they wasting taxpayer money?” the ex-governor asked. “Chicago is now the crime capital of the world. Children are being gunned down. Police officers are being shot in front of their homes where they were playing. They’re spending millions of dollars to prosecute me when they should instead be using that money to address the real crime problems in places like Chicago.”

You did a good job on Celebrity Apprentice,” Vieira teased Blagojevich at the end of the interview. “Will we see you in another reality show? Are you going to be with Snooki?”

Oy.

Video, Part 1…

Part 2...

* The Daily Show’s take…

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