Latest Post | Last 10 Posts | Archives
Previous Post: Cross is now for medical marijuana, but the overall climate is still quite harsh
Next Post: The fog of war
Posted in:
* Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s attorneys are attempting to keep some embarrassing revelations out of his second trial, including the $400,000+ he and his wife spent on clothing…
“There was no impropriety whatsoever surrounding these purchases,” the attorneys wrote in a motion filed Friday night. “The fact that Blagojevich did not spend his money wisely or frugally is of no consequence to the government’s allegations that he schemed to obtain campaign contributions.”
The attorneys also asked judge James Zagel to bar testimony about the former governor’s work habits; specifically, his penchant for staying away from his official offices in Springfield and Chicago.
“This conduct is not illegal, but it is highly inflammatory and prejudicial,” the lawyers write. As examples, they cited testimony of former deputy governor Bob Greenlee, that Blagojevich was at the office as little as six to eight hours a week, and that he once avoided meeting with his finance chief by hiding in a bathroom.
Through his lawyers, Blagojevich also asked the judge to limit testimony about his efforts to obtain a job for his wife Patti, and allegations that he sought the dismissal of members of the Chicago Tribune editorial board in exchange for state help in renovations at Wrigley Field.
But Blagojevich is attempting to use his record in office to his advantage…
In the run-up to his corruption retrial, Rod Blagojevich portrayed himself in a blitz of media appearances as the victim of entrenched interests out to derail his enlightened populist agenda.
“I am fighting for my life’s work,” Blagojevich declared in a recent live TV appearance, one of many such public comments that prompted prosecutors to complain the impeached former governor was improperly seeking to sway potential jurors with pleas for sympathy.
The other side of that coin…
“For six years I blocked that income tax increase,” Blagojevich told the Tribune in a recent interview. “And had they not arrested me, there wouldn’t be that income tax increase today.”
Ralph Martire, executive director of a Chicago-based fiscal think tank, once served on a Blagojevich budget reform panel but found himself in the governor’s doghouse after publicly floating the idea of a tax increase. Martire said Blagojevich shouted obscenities at him in the halls of the Capitol.
“The most disingenuous and damaging part of Rod’s fiscal legacy is that he reinforced the notion for voters that they could have public services and never pay for them,” said Martire, of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. “Some people are amoral, but he’s a-fiscal.”
There might not’ve been an income tax hike, but the fiscal problems would’ve been far worse. Imagine another two years of that hugely expensive war between Blagojevich and Madigan et al. We’ll be paying off the costs of their guerre politique for years. Decades, even.
* Anyway, jury selection continues today in Blagojevich’s retrial, and Judge James Zagel is keeping the pool pretty wide open so far…
[Zagel] refused defense requests to send home several people who seemed biased against Blagojevich, including a retired auto shop owner who wrote that, “Based on news accounts, my personal bias is - he is guilty.” Zagel said he accepted the man’s assurances in court that he could set aside his preconceptions and focus solely on the evidence.
Ouch.
* Meanwhile, Laura Washington thinks Blagojevich and Donald Trump are a lot alike…
Imagine Blago as a role model. In 2010, before his first corruption trial, Blagojevich hung out with “The Donald” as a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice. His performance was short-lived and ignominious and he washed out of the competition after four episodes.
Blago’s wacky TV “appearances” were thinly veiled ploys to win sympathy from the jury pool. Given how his first federal corruption trial worked out, it may have worked.
It worked for Trump. The “Apprentice” boss man seemed uncharacteristically wistful when he “fired” the former governor. Trump said he felt “sorry” for him, and that Blagojevich had “a lot of courage.”
Blagojevich and Trump are brothers in limelight, both accomplished at mugging, preening and dissembling for the cameras. Each has a deep affection for spending other people’s money — for Blago, it was custom Oxxford suits. The Donald favors casinos and opulent office towers. Both have never met a tall tale they couldn’t top.
* FYI, Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady thinks Trump is not a serious candidate…
“No I think he’s irrelevant, and I don’t think he’s serious. This is a guy whose whole life is around branding his name. I mean who else has a building named after him that he built. Who else has a big jet with his name on the side of it,” Brady said.
Doug Ibendahl had a funny rejoinder…
Gee Pat, you’ve never heard of the James R. Thompson Center? Big building in Chicago’s Loop? Looks like a giant greenhouse?
Heh.
* Chairman Brady also talked about Blagojevich the other day…
The head of the Republican Party in Illinois says Rod Blagojevich could still be a political issue in the next statewide elections in 2014… He said the same people who initially supported Blagojevich for governor are still in power, so it’s still a political issue.
“Hopefully, when we put our candidate up to run for governor, we can remind them that Pat Quinn served as his lieutenant governor and, more importantly, the policies that Pat Quinn has pursued in his first year in office,” Brady said.
Bill Brady used Rod Blagojevich in one late TV ad against Pat Quinn, then pulled it off the air after only a day or so. The issue just doesn’t poll well. Brady is merely blowing smoke in advance of the trial, but that doesn’t mean his statements should be bought hook, line and sinker by the media, either.
The Blagojevich “issue” appears to have worked against one Democrat last year - former state Rep. Jay Hoffman, who was Blagojevich’s House floor leader. Other than that, it was a total dud.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 8:08 am
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
Previous Post: Cross is now for medical marijuana, but the overall climate is still quite harsh
Next Post: The fog of war
WordPress Mobile Edition available at alexking.org.
powered by WordPress.
In the next election cycle, using Blago to tag Quinn will be as ridiculous as Obama’s constant blaming of Bush. The election will be about the state of the Illinois economy. If good, Quinn wins, if bad, he doesn’t.
Comment by Cincinnatus Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 8:32 am
===The election will be about the state of the Illinois economy. If good, Quinn wins, if bad, he doesn’t. ===
Then how do you explain the last election?
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 8:48 am
…In other words, campaigns are never that simple.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 8:48 am
Is there a double standard at play here?
Comment by Quinn T. Srntial Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 9:05 am
Plus it’s a big assumption that Quinn will even be the D nominee in 2014.
Just as likely that’s when Lisa Madigan decides to start ruling for most of the rest of our lives.
IL GOP is totally unprepared for that.
Comment by just sayin' Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 9:06 am
Quinn really did not have full responsibility in the last cycle, you have to admit that the last cycle was muddled at best.
However, Quinn’s signature initiative is the tax increase and I think he will also be hit for the deficit. 2014 will be different, that’s for sure, and nobody can predict precisely what issues will take the front page. But I’m willing to bet I am righter than Brady.
Comment by Cincinnatus Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 9:06 am
“[Zagel] refused defense requests to send home several people who seemed biased against Blagojevich, including a retired auto shop owner who wrote that, “Based on news accounts, my personal bias is - he is guilty.” Zagel said he accepted the man’s assurances in court that he could set aside his preconceptions and focus solely on the evidence.”
Oh. My. Goodness. This is an outrage! Even those of you out there who hate Rod with the deepest passion have to see how this kind of thing is unacceptable and simply wrong. I am very upset after reading this. The man deserves a fair trial. If he gets convicted after that, well, so be it. But my goodness this is just terrible. This judge should be ashamed - and removed from the case.
Comment by Terrible Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 9:39 am
==The Blagojevich “issue” appears to have worked against one Democrat last year - former state Rep. Jay Hoffman, who was Blagojevich’s House floor leader. Other than that, it was a total dud. ==
A testament to the Yellow Dog syndrome. In any state other than this one, change would have come, here by the rivers gently flowing we hired the same team all over again. Every time I think about how little of an effect the Blagojevich scandal had on the election results it makes me ashamed to be from Illinois.
Comment by John A Logan Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 9:51 am
== Then how do you explain the last election? ==
Extremist Brady.
like in 2006 it was explained by Extremist Topinka.
And in 2014 it will be explained by Extremist Murphy or Extremist Dillard or Extremist Radogno or whatever other extremist they put on the ballot…
Comment by Leroy Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 10:11 am
You can’t run for president these days without showing some tax returns. No way Trump would ever do that.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 11:03 am
The Thompson Center was not its original name. It was dedicated to him years later honoring his edifice complex. What about Kennedy Expressway, Eisenhower, Dan Ryan,etc.
Comment by WhyMe Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 11:04 am
Terrible,
The judge’s decision wasn’t to empanel that juror, it was simply not to dismiss him. The defense still retains challenges, and if they feel strongly, they can remove him. Calm down.
Did anyone else catch the interview with Rod’s new dog Skittles? I couldn’t help but think Checkers might have been more appropriate.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 11:11 am
Sorry, the interview was with Rod, not with Skittles. Although an interview with the dog would have been more interesting.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 11:12 am
Zagel is in on the railroad. He shouldn’t even be the judge on this case. He is a result of a sleight of hand manuever by the overreaching prosecutors. The fix is in. Rod is cooked. You can’t beat Uncle Sam.
Comment by Bill Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 11:22 am
Bill - Re: Comment on Apr 25, 11 @ 11:22 am:
It’s a good thing you’re not making any of the decisions.
Nobody’s railroading anyone…..
You appear to be as goofy as Rod at times.
Comment by Rubicon Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 11:36 am
I knew my WUmpus sense was tingling for a great reason. Is Doug Ibendull backing Trump? I am not, for good reason apparently.
Comment by Wumpus Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 12:18 pm
A person isn’t excluded from a jury “for cause” unless the judge concludes that he/she can’t be fair or won’t make a decision solely on the evidence. Nothing wrong with having an opionion if you can set it aside and base your verdict solely on the evidence. And, as has been noted, that doesn’t mean the defense won’t use a peremptory challenge on him. But still it would make a defendant a bit nervous - assuming the defendant operated in reality.
Comment by girlawyer Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 12:40 pm
So, Rod wants all the evidence that goes to proving his and Patti’s character removed, only non-incriminating tapes should be played, the jury should all be made up of former Blagojevich employees or family… did I leave anything else out, like, replacing the judge with his kids?
We’ll get right on that list, Rod.
Not.
Comment by Newsclown Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 1:06 pm
Rod’s desperation grows palpable. The roar of the waterfall is in his ears already, the current, becoming swifter now. The river took over six years to wind around to this, but here we are.
Comment by Gregor Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 1:09 pm
Re: Doug Ibendahl’s rejoinder. The best line I ever heard about that mess of a structure was the one Roger Simon used in one of his columns, “. . . in the State of Illinois Building — you know, the building that looks like the box Jim Thompson came in.”
Comment by A Box by Any Other Name . . . Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 2:45 pm
Re: Ibendahl’s comment. The difference, and to Pat Brady’s point, is that Big Jim didn’t name his own building. It was named after him under Gov. Edgar, and by the General Assembly. Trump’s ego is the issue . . .
Comment by Political Architect Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 5:24 pm
===Big Jim didn’t name his own building.===
Yeah. He had nothing to do with it.
lol
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 5:31 pm
*punkin head
Comment by vote quimby! Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 10:48 pm