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* UPDATED x1 * The alibi is gone

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Blagojevich Trial

*** UPDATE - 2:50 pm *** Rod Blagojevich idolized Richard Nixon for most of his life. The supreme irony of both men being brought down by “the tapes” has not been lost on many of us. Now, we get this…

Rod Blagojevich refers to demons and Richard Nixon in brief comments on wiretap recordings played at the former governor’s corruption trial. […]

But he suddenly becomes introspective, comparing himself to former President Richard Nixon and saying they share a tendency to become depressed after winning elections.

Blagojevich also says fundraiser Chris Kelly appeals “to the demons in me.” Without offering details, Blagojevich says there are things he shouldn’t have done.

Creepy, man.

[ *** End of Update *** ]

* As I’ve been saying for months now, Rod Blagojevich’s story about how he “really” wanted to appoint Lisa Madigan to the US Senate is merely a false alibi to cover for the criminal allegations against him regarding that alleged seat sale. From the Tribune…

[Blagojevich and chief of staff John Harris] talked about the idea of boosting their position by floating a false story that Blagojevich might want to appoint Illinois Senate President Emil Jones, a political ally, or even Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, the daughter of Blagojevich’s nemesis, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Hamilton spent time with Harris chopping away at the Madigan proposal, which Blagojevich has claimed was his intention all along. Following his arrest, Blagojevich said he wasn’t trying to sell the Senate seat but rather was seeking to name Madigan to the post in a political deal to get her father to stop impeding his legislative agenda in Springfield.

Harris, however, testified that it was clear to him that Lisa Madigan’s name was being dangled as a “stalking horse” to make Obama think he might not land the Senate post for Jarrett unless he offered an enticement to Blagojevich.

“(Madigan) would be the person that’s in the race but not necessarily the person we want to win the race,” Harris told the prosecutor. “I believed at the time that she wouldn’t be interested. It was kind of a high-risk strategy.”

From the tapes…

BLAGOJEVICH We, you know, then we gotta figure out the Madigan play if there is one, right?

HARRIS Right. […]

BLAGOJEVICH Negotiating with Madigan and suggesting his daughter, and then can’t make a deal with him that I’m gonna be satisfied with, right?

HARRIS Right.

BLAGOJEVICH Then I end up using my ace in the hole and I send myself. Right?

HARRIS Right.

BLAGOJEVICH Among the reasons I ended up having to fall back on this position was I couldn’t get the Democratic speaker and party chairman to agree that if I sent his daughter to the U.S. Senate all he had to do in exchange for that was to provide health care, pass a health care plan that Obama supports, a job’s plan that Obama supports and balance the budget without raising taxes on people which is what Obama was elected on. Right?

HARRIS Right.

This was actually just another goofy Blagojevich scheme to attack Speaker Madigan. But when he learned he was being bugged by the feds, he switched to the idea of appointing the attorney general so he could declare that he was just an innocent actor.

He’s an actor, allright, but he ain’t innocent.

* Carol Marin is one of my favorites, but I’m surprised that she’s surprised about this fact…

Tim Novak, ace Sun-Times reporter who favors Hawaiian shirts and psychedelic Jerry Garcia ties, stuck his head in my office Tuesday.

“I have a question,” he said, pausing to pop a handful of M&Ms in his mouth. “Has anything surprised you so far in this Blagojevich trial?”

Good question.

My first answer was no.

But I’ve been thinking about Tim’s question ever since.[…]

But on reflection, I am surprised about one thing. I’m amazed at the sheer, unmitigated, mind-boggling incompetence of this man.

His incompetence was there for all to see for six years.

* And his delusions of grandeur are also no surprise. He talked several times with Harris and with his wife about possibly using the Senate appointment to leverage an ambassadorship to India. Yes, India…

In an exchange with his wife, Patti Blagojevich begins doing what appears to be Internet research on the current Indian ambassador — a “white guy right now, David C. Mulford” — and on the ambassador’s residence in New Delhi.

“How are the running routes around there?” Rod Blagojevich is heard asking.

“Congested, I’m sure,” Patti says.

Harris testified he had to explain to Blagojevich that India was a pipedream.

“I just didn’t think a governor from Illinois would be the right person for that,” Harris said. Though he said it was realistic that Obama would “sideline” Blagojevich to some remote country with an ambassadorship position.

* Roundup…

* Andy Shaw: Noon, June 23, 2010. As I was sitting in the courtroom this morning, listening to the audio tapes of Rod Blagojevich brain-storming (and I use the term very loosely) with his chief of staff John Harris in the fall of 2008 about what to ask for from soon-to-be President-elect Barack Obama in exchange for the appointment of Obama’s friend and advisor Valerie Jarrettt to the soon-to-be-vacant U.S. Senate seat, I was struck by the fact that our ex-governor, the star defendant in this massive corruption case, was living in a fantasy world. One of his top lieutenants, fixer Tony Rezko was awaiting sentencing on his corruption conviction. Another key advisor and fundraiser, Chris Kelly, had been indicted a year earlier on charges of tax fraud. Democratic fundraiser Joe Cari, another pay-to-play partner, was cooperating with the feds after copping his plea on corruption charges. And one of Rezko’s partners in crime, Stuart Levine, entered a guilty plea in his corruption case and was also cooperating with the feds.

* Darrow Abrams On honest services fraud, June 23, 2010. There’s a lot of talk at the Dirksen federal courthouse these days about when the Supreme Court will issue its ruling on the validity of honest services fraud. Given that the Supreme Court is expected to decide the issue by the end of this month, a ruling should be handed down imminently. So what is honest services fraud, and why does it matter in this case? Honest services fraud refers to a theory of fraud liability under the mail and wire fraud statutes. Basically, a government official owes the public a duty of honest services. If this official (a) knowingly participates in a scheme to deprive the public of their “intangible right of honest services,” (b) does so knowingly and with the intent to defraud and (c) uses either the US mail or electronic communications (e.g., phones, cell phones, faxes, e-mails, etc.) to carry out the scheme, then the public official has committed honest services fraud.

* Judge denies defense request for mistrial

* Blagojevich trial focus shifts to alleged Senate seat sale attempt

* Tapes show Blago excited by value of Senate seat

* “What Can I Get for This Senate Seat?”

* Union leader to Blagojevich on night of presidential election: Obama wants Valerie Jarrett

* Rahm Pushed Obama’s Preference for Appointing Jarrett, Says Former Deputy Gov

* Brown: Blagojevich really wanted out of gov job

* ‘I’d like to get the (expletive) out of here’

* Blagojevich: Desperate and Fumbling to Get Out of Illinois?

* Blagojevich on Senate seat: “The objective is to get a good gig over there.”

* Rod Blagojevich. Ambassador to India.

* UN ambassador on Blago’s ‘pecking order’: witness

* Which is more important — commerce secretary or ambassador to India?

* Rod and Patti discuss Indian ambassadorship

* Trying to oust the Tribune editorial board

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 1:03 pm

Comments

Honest services fraud refers to a theory of fraud liability under the mail and wire fraud statutes.

If Blagojevich was stupid enough to use Western Union, then he ought to have been hung by a posse sometime around 1904.

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 1:12 pm
Many of these recorded conversations remind me of the delusional “innocence” exhibited in the Wayne’s world basement public access television sketches.

Comment by Responsa Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 1:14 pm
Kind of like Nixon at the end in terms of being out of touch with reality — and no less criminal.

By the way, is Judge Zagel so tough that the Adams team can’t bring a wookie into the courtroom?

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 1:16 pm
Now that the facts are clear on the “alibi”, I’ll be interested to hear the tapes from the days immediately before the arrest. I’m still not convinced the prosecutor’s motives were pure.

Comment by Scooby Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 1:18 pm
It slays me when Harris asks Rahm “Dave who?” and then as Harris is relaying the conversation, Rod asks, “Dave who?”

Comment by Way Way Down Here Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 1:19 pm
I’m still amazed that the Obama folks had anything to do with Blago. Not too smart.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 1:20 pm
Patti and Rod were made for each other. They both feed off the other’s insanity. Are you guys now seeing she is as crazy as he is.
She’s not trying to bring him back down to earth. But whipping up more insanity. They should both be in a padded cell.

Comment by Windy City Mama Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 1:20 pm
The Blago Blog is really rocking it. My personal favorite quote so far:

“I’m the governor of a $58 billion corporation, why can’t I be ambassador to India?”

Comment by Sacks Romana Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 1:25 pm
Ambassador to India or South Africa? I guess ambassador to Serbia was already taken

Comment by Secret Square Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 1:25 pm
I guess I’m too jaded and cynical. But I’ve heard little so far that strikes me as too dissimilar from private conversations that I suspect take place multiple times every week among other politicians in this state. Not saying that excuses the ones who get caught of course.

I am starting to wonder if the Feds jumped the gun on arresting Blago over the senate seat deal. And I didn’t think that initially. Of course there is a lot more to go.

Comment by just sayin' Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 1:26 pm
=I’m still not convinced the prosecutor’s motives were pure.=

What does the pureness of the prosecutor’s motives have to do with Blago being an idiot and a crook?

He was all about what was in it for him, and definitely conspired to get all he could. He simply was incompentent, even in trying to get all he could.

Still doesn’t mean his is not a crook and he committed a felony just by trying to get all he could.

Comment by Crystal Clear Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 1:31 pm
Honest services fraud is a faux crime in and of itself. Supreme Court has struck it down once in the 1970’s when it was a theory before Congress made it an incomprehensible statute. Basically, it criminalizes anything the Fed’s want it to criminalize–just like “obstruction of justice”. Blago is wacko, but let’s convict him of a real crime instead of just because he’s wacko and his mama dresses him funny.

Comment by D.P. Gumby Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 1:42 pm
I know its always tough to make sense out of nonsense, but why India? Of all of the similar posts around the world, how did they come up with India?

Comment by Downstate weed chewing hick Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 1:42 pm
===how did they come up with India? ===

RRB was a pioneer in prying bigtime campaign money out of Chicagoland’s Indo-Pakistani community.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 1:48 pm
So far I think the government has had a near perfect case. Their witness’ are profressional and very believable. And they have just begun. They have not only nailed the coffin shut. Now they are lowering it into the ground.
Rod’s attorney’s have been clowns and are in way over their heads. Poor Shely.

Comment by Windy City Mama Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 1:49 pm
- Downstate weed chewing hick - Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 1:42 pm:

I know its always tough to make sense out of nonsense, but why India? Of all of the similar posts around the world, how did they come up with India?

Good, healthy food?

Comment by Cincinnatus Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 1:52 pm
Sacks - Hands down the best thing on the Blago Blog today is that Rod mulled over the prospect of heading the Salvation Army but then thought better of it because he’d have to wear a uniform! A seriously disturbing image.

Comment by And I Approved This Message Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 1:56 pm
So Rod and Patti refused to consider moving to Springfield because they didn’t want to uproot their children, but six years later, they have no qualms about moving them to a Third World country?

Comment by Secret Square Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 2:02 pm
@Crystal Clear, the two are not connected. Blagojevich can be a crook and the prosecutor can be well intentioned. Also, Blagojevich can be a crook and the prosecutor could not have the best intentions. I never implied the two issues were a zero sum game so your comments make no sense to me.

Comment by Scooby Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 2:23 pm
With that mop, Blago in a Salvation Army uniform would have change his name to Sgt Pepper. If he really did get that gig and with Patty running CCIL, they would have collapsed the homeless market.

Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 2:25 pm
“Rod mulled over the prospect of heading the Salvation Army”

Apparently, he wasn’t aware that The Salvation Army is an evangelical Christian church — not simply a private charity — whose officers are ordained clergy and whose uniform is their clerical garb.

Comment by Secret Square Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 2:29 pm
He didn’t like the Salvation Army uniforms? Wait until he sees the Federal Bureau of Prisons uniforms…

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 2:32 pm
Demons, huh? I’m sensing the formation of a Flip
Wilson defense: The Devil made me do it.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 3:03 pm
Honest services fraud is what Big Jim Thompson made up to railroad Otto Kerner.It bought him about 50 years as governor.

Comment by Bill Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 3:34 pm
=It bought him about 50 years as governor.=

And the state hasn’t been the same since.

Comment by dupage dan Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 3:42 pm
Blago was thinking about becoming the Ambassador to India, or the head of Salvation Army (based on his command of the IL National Guard, I guess), as well as head of HHS…

Further unaired federal tapes show he also gave serious considerations to positions of cowboy, astronaut, ballerina and fireman…..

I think Sam should be leading with an insanity plea. The feds make his case for him on that.

Comment by Gregor Wednesday, Jun 23, 10 @ 8:51 pm