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Blagojevich hasn’t prepared himself for a guilty verdict

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Illinois
Blagojevich Trial

* Rod Blagojevich’s attorney Sam Adam, Jr. told reporters today that the former governor hasn’t prepared himself for a guilty verdict…

“You can’t prepare for a guilty verdict,” he said.

He’d better try.

* Blagojevich’s attorney Sam Adam, Sr. told reporters today that Rod and Patti Blagojevich are trying hard to keep news of the trial away from their two daughters…

“Their biggest problem is not letting this get to their children,” said Sam Adam. “Little Annie who’s eight years old, they’ve got to keep all the news away from her, and it’s very difficult.

“She’s scared she’s going to lose her daddy.”

The concern about trial news is odd because they brought the kids to the trial. Adam addressed that topic too, saying Blagojevich’s older daughter demanded to go, and then the younger daughter said she wanted to go as well…

“I know the news media all said this was a play for sympathy, not at all.”

Asked if the parents had any regrets about bringing the kids to the trial, Adam said “Not at all.”

Video…

* Robert Blagojevich’s attorney said he has some regrets, however. He wanted Congressman Jackson to be called to the stand, but he wouldn’t say why…

“I don’t know if I can at this point go into it. But it would have shown, you know, you’ve got the Jesse Jr. alleged bribery extortion. You’ve seen one side of it that I believe the evidence shows really didn’t occur. I believe the jury would have seen the other side of Jesse and the Indians if Jesse would have testified,” Ettinger said.

“What was the other side?” reporters asked.

“That’s what I can’t get into,” Ettinger said.

Curious, no?

* Roundup…

* Blago Jury, What’s Keeping Them?

* Waiting Game Taking A Toll On Blago’s Defense Team

* Edgar Just Wants Blagojevich Trial To End

* Ninth day passes without verdict on Blago case

* Blagojevich trial: Onto day 10

* Blagojevich is in the building … No, wait, who’s this guy?

* Blagojevich Look-a-Like Haunts Dirksen

* Blago Look-Alike Steals Show As Jury Deliberates

* Roeper: Impersonating Blagojevich not quite an acting plum

* Media is hard up for any Blago news - doppelgangers beware

* You might have to help Blagojevich pay legal bills

* Blagojevich case: Putting fact and fiction in a blender

* Luciano: Conviction may be ticket to Blago’s dirt

* Law Students Study Blagojevich Case; Jury Still Out

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 1:34 pm

Comments

All this sounds like “Major Squirming” by the Rod & Patti show.

Comment by Wacker Drive Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 1:42 pm
I cannot understand why Jr. wasn’t subpoened and testified as to his knowledge/involvement in the shakedown. It certainly would have a damaging effect to the defense’s case.
Even though no money was transacted, hearing the details from a taker of the Blago bait would only have strengthened the Fed’s case. The average juror IMO would likely have been more inclined to convict if another complicit in this case took the stand and sang. I don’t care if Daddy thinks Jr. is innocent, let’s hear it fronm the Congressman’s mouth….

Comment by Loop Lady Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 1:42 pm
Looks and sounds like a group of people who are discussing someone in hospice.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 1:43 pm
jesse jackson is the only house illinois appropriator after november 2 if congressman kirk wins the special and he’ll be the only one period in the next session of congress. In a congressional delegation lacking clout in the house and with all the needs of the state I would think there’d be no interest in seeing him torched.

Comment by shore Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 1:49 pm
The defense has been second guessing itself since Day 1, why should it be any different. today. Poor Poor Sam Adam, Sr & Jr., Ettinger, Rod & Patti and the girls.
Let’s not lose sight of all the VICTIMS during Rod & Rob’s rampage through Illinois.

Comment by White Coats Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 1:51 pm
Fair point shore, although with Obama in the White House and Durbin’s position in the Senate, if we are to jettison an appropriator, now would be the time.

Rangel, Waters, Jackson. This is an outcome of gerrymandering safe districts under the Voting Rights Act. There is simply no competiton in these districts and the result is that these members feel they can’t be touched.

Jackson is next on the House Ethics Committee list, right after the trial is over. He probably won’t be expelled, but it won’t be pretty either.

As for Rod and the Adam team: boo-freaking-hoo. I have no sympathy for any of them.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 1:57 pm
The entire state of Illinois and all it’s inhabitants have been victimized Rod, Patti & Rob.
Now there looking for “golden free pass”, forgetaboutit.

Comment by Carlos Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 1:58 pm
Rod is as prepared for a guilty verdict as he was to govern.

Comment by Leave a Light on George Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 2:05 pm
===Blagojevich’s attorney Sam Adam, Sr. told reporters today that Rod and Patti Blagojevich are trying hard to keep news of the trial away from their two daughters…===

This is what, two weeks after they took them into Federal Court to witness the trial first hand??????

This whole bunch seems to respond only to that days news cycle, unmindful that today’s response NORMALLY would coincide with last weeks response.

To borrow from yesterdays QOTD. Illinois might suck some now, but it will suck a whole lot less when Blago is in an orange jump suit and the rest of these Bozos are no longer news.

Comment by Irish Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 2:10 pm
ditto Irish 2:10

I’m getting tired of the press’s blathering while waiting though….

Comment by Plutocrat03 Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 2:23 pm
Rich said,

“He’d better try.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3hn6fFTxeo

Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 2:33 pm
Didn’t Ettinger have the power to subpoena Jesse Jr.? If so, why didn’t he do it?

Comment by Boone Logan Square Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 2:40 pm
So, Annie understands he may go to prison and Rod doesn’t? Why doesn’t that surprise me at all?

Comment by Downstate weed chewing hick Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 2:53 pm
Sam, after your recent interviews, I was just starting to like you. Don’t start lying to us about why the kids were brought to court. And drop the ‘we woulda coulda’ on no defense case. We all know you had nothin’.

Comment by Park Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 2:59 pm
Boone Logan Square: From Natasha Korecki’s article it would seem he didn’t subpoena JJJ because Rod had and he assumed Rod was going to put on a case.

“”We were counting on Jesse Jr. being called,” Ettinger said. “Depending on what he said, I would have called Nayak.”

Ettinger said the ex-governor’s decision not to testify and to call no witnesses took him by surprise.”

Comment by Edison Parker Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 3:02 pm
@47th Ward,

=Rangel, Waters, Jackson. This is an outcome of gerrymandering safe districts under the Voting Rights Act. There is simply no competiton in these districts and the result is that these members feel they can’t be touched.=

Powerful statement. The question remains - what to put in its’ place in Illinois? People have suggested the model used in Iowa but others have warned that Iowa is to homogenous in ethinicity and population distribution to say their redistricting program could be applied in Illinois. OK, so, what do we do here?

Comment by dupage dan Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 3:20 pm
Too off-topic to get into today Dan. But stick around, I’m sure Rich will have plenty of posts on redistricting in the next year or two.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 3:23 pm
Yeah, you’re right. I just wanna know what will work cause I want something to go right.

Comment by dupage dan Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 4:02 pm
regarding Amy Blagojevich “demanding” that she gets to go to court. When I was her age and I demanded to go somewhere, my parents said “no” if they didn’t want me to go - and that was end of discussion.

Comment by Baltimoron Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 4:22 pm
Ican’t say enough good stuff about Pat Fitzgerald. He has done a lot of good around Chicago, although I still wonder how Daley didnt get hit. Anyway, I don’t get how pat can say POTUS and especially Rhanm did nothing wrong when they decide if he keeps a very important job. I dont mean to question his cred, I just don’t get it or why no one has at least raised it in the media.

Comment by FedED Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 6:06 pm
What the heck is Ettinger talking about? He could have called Trips. Is he giving Rob a reason to appeal for incompetent counsel?

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Aug 10, 10 @ 8:46 pm