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* I’ve set the ScribbleLive program to automatically follow Natasha Korecki (Sun-Times) and Stacy St. Clair (Tribune), who are in the Blagojevich courtroom, and I’ve added a few more Tweets as background. I’ll add others to the live feed while I write my Sun-Times column for tomorrow. As of 1:40, the court was still on break after Blagojevich choked up on the stand, but it’ll resume soon…
* Natasha Korecki’s web updates through the crying break…
* Blagojevich lawyers: Prosecution was barred from asking Jackson about Lottery
* Blagojevich takes the stand
* Blagojevich testimony: ‘I’m here today to tell you the truth‘
* Blagojevich compares himself to big-dreaming dad
* Blagojevich says he sounds like ‘an effin’ jerk‘ on tape
* Blagojevich: ‘I had a man-crush on Alexander Hamilton’: Rod Blagojevich’s testimony continues, bordering at times on the absurd.
* Blagojevich: I trusted law school roommate Lon Monk ‘infinitely’
* Blagojevich chokes up when he talks of meeting Patti; judge calls a lunch break
* Tribune live web coverage is here. Ward Room’s tweets are here. Susan Berger’s Tweets are here (my ScribbleLive package only allows me to follow two Tweeters at a time) , and her web coverage is here. Her morning wrapup…
We heard about his first job as a shoe shine boy. How it taught him “life lessons to get ahead and do good.” And how he flunked drafting.
It took 25 minutes of this for us just to get to 1974. Then we heard how his dad worked on the Alaskan Pipeline as janitor. And we heard an emotional Rod as he said his parents would do anything for him. He too went to Alaska in 1976 to make money for college. And he pointed out how years later - the week after his arrest he would meet Sarah Palin and talk about his experience in her neck of the woods. We heard too how Rod’s dad “was someone who lost everything”. How he fought the Nazis and was a prisoner of war.
We heard a choked up Rod say that his dad never lived to see him elected. And how his mother was ahead of her time suggesting he read books about powerful women like Claire Barton and Florence Nightingale.
We heard how he liked college. Was an A student. And the most significant day? August 16, 1977- the day Elvis died. We learned too about his Aunt Helen. That he really liked her. She was his mother’s sister. And also about Ms. Dibble - his teacher that taught Shakespeare. She died of breast cancer or uterine cancer. He was sad about that. And he said a prayer for her.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 1:44 pm
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Today is my birthday, and THIS is my present?
Comment by PaGo Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 1:48 pm
Interesting tactical choice by the prosecutors not to object. Perhaps they don’t want Blago to be able to say that he wasn’t able to tell the whole story. Perhaps they want to show the contrast between his style on direct and his style on cross. Perhaps they want to make sure that the cross-examination doesn’t start until after the holiday weekend.
Clearly, the prosecutors’ read of the jury is that Blago’s testimony so far isn’t hurting the prosecution, so they’re letting it go.
It must be hard for Judge Zagel to sit there, waiting for objections that aren’t coming (so far).
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 1:52 pm
“Rod Blagojevich’s testimony continues, bordering at times on the absurd.”
Bordering on? How about fully inhabiting, or completely congruent with?
Comment by 32nd Ward Roscoe Village Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 1:53 pm
It’s Clara Barton not Claire Barton.
And didn’t Blago tell everyone he was a C student in college at the unveiling of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum ceremony?
Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 1:54 pm
You should have found him guilty for subjecting Illinois to him
Comment by OneMan Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 1:55 pm
Blago on the stand today, as Navin Johnson from “The Jerk”:
“I was born a poor black child…”
Comment by Gregor Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 1:55 pm
Pretty brutal tweets, but fricking golden material for The Daily Show.
Comment by Newsclown Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 1:56 pm
He must be making his lawyers nervous. Who knows what’s coming out of his mouth next?
Comment by Cheryl44 Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 1:58 pm
- He was sad about that. And he said a prayer for her. -
Is it wrong that I cannot stop laughing at this?
Comment by Small Town Liberal Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:00 pm
Oh the inanity!
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:01 pm
His testimony does sort of resemble the crash of the Hindenburg, except this is happening in slow motion…and is more painful to watch.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:03 pm
So Rod is basically doing a personal rendition of the Checkers speech?
Comment by Dirt Digger Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:03 pm
blagojevich has been good for capitol fax business I am guessing, you will miss him when he goes away.
Comment by Shore Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:03 pm
I bought my wife’s engagement ring for $450 in 1991 from a place in Tinley Park, who gets an engagement ring from Marshall Field’s? Rod jewlers row is about a block a way, you could have gotten a much better deal from a bunch of guys.
Explains his financial stewardship of this state as well as his taste in clothes.
Comment by OneMan Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:05 pm
This is a defense?No wonder the prosecution doesn’t object Very sad
Comment by bob Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:21 pm
What is this? Notes from his unpublished autobiography? I think I’ll wait for the movie.
Comment by Spare Me Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:23 pm
As Shirley Temple once said in a movie, “I think I’m going to frow up.”
Comment by gathersno Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:23 pm
Oy. When does this get said?
“One other thing I probably should tell you because if we don’t they’ll probably be saying this about me too, we did get something-a gift-after the election. A man down in Texas heard Patti on the radio mention the fact that our two youngsters would like to have a dog. And, believe it or not, the day before we left on this campaign trip we got a message from Union Station in Baltimore saying they had a package for us. We went down to get it. You know what it was.
It was a little cocker spaniel dog in a crate that he’d sent all the way from Texas. Black and white spotted. And our little girl named it Checkers. And you know, the kids, like all kids, love the dog and I just want to say this right now, that regardless of what they say about it, we’re gonna keep it.”
Comment by Boone Logan Square Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:24 pm
**who gets an engagement ring from Marshall Field’s? Rod jewlers row is about a block a way, you could have gotten a much better deal from a bunch of guys. **
No kidding, he could just about fall out of the next El station and save a few hundred bucks. Did he get a package deal on a truckload of Frango mints with the rock?
Comment by Boone Logan Square Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:27 pm
I wonder if the $5,000 engagement ring is going to stick in this jury’s mind like the $400K clothing bill the LAST jury heard about….
Comment by Secret Square Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:31 pm
I had a man crush on John Jay. Then I moved on to Aaron Burr.
Comment by phocion Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:33 pm
Fight the system? As Governor, don’t you kind of run at least part of The System?
Comment by Cheryl44 Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:44 pm
Cheryl44
- Not in Illinois. The Speaker does.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:45 pm
Blagojevich said “God Bless You” when someone sneezed? How salacious! Tell me more…
Comment by chi Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:47 pm
What else can he do but cry, try to charm jury and hope they forget about the evidence? It might even work.
Comment by Jim Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:49 pm
I really think he should drop in a reference to Star Wars and the planet Endor.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:51 pm
Jim — what evidence?
Comment by Mankell Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:53 pm
Sammy Maudlin Show. Here come the waterworks.
$5,000 an engagement ring? Is that supposed to demonstrate some poor boy trying to do the best he can? Yikes. Geez, the federales can ask him where he got the 5K and pulls his tax returns, too.
I guess if he can eat up the whole day, there will be the long weekend before cross. But I don’t think this was a good idea for him.
Natasha, it’s Clara Barton, please.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:56 pm
Blagojevich said he once thought highly of Jackson:
“I saw him, frankly, as Barack Obama. I thought he had the skills, the personality.”
Don’t. Don’t do that, Rod.
Comment by Boone Logan Square Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:05 pm
===“I saw him, frankly, as Barack Obama. I thought he had the skills, the personality.”===
How is he going to answer a prosecution question to explain the tape of him bashing Jackson? Which will the jury believe? Rod or their lying ears?
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:07 pm
I kinda like this so far. If I’m a juror am I beginning to wonder if this guy could possibly have intent at all, much less criminal intent? Would he be capable of plotting and intending to do anything, much less commit crimes? He’s going to be a much more human person to the world and the jurors after this; imperfect, but as we all are.
Comment by steve schnorf Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:07 pm
===Blagojevich said he once thought highly of Jackson:
==“I saw him, frankly, as Barack Obama. I thought he had the skills, the personality.”
==Don’t. Don’t do that, Rod.
So this black kid asked me if I was Mayor Daley.
Comment by ArchPundit Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:07 pm
===He’s going to be a much more human person to the world and the jurors after this; imperfect, but as we all are.
Or a long winded gasbag politician who loves the sound of his own voice.
Comment by ArchPundit Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:09 pm
=I really think he should drop in a reference to Star Wars and the planet Endor.=
As in “When I was a little Ewok growing up in a tiny little treehouse…”, Anon 2:51? Might work!
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:10 pm
I think Schnorf is exactly right. Blago is crazy like a fox. Instead of just saying he was too inept to scheme as in his last trial, he is showing his ineptitude on the stand.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:10 pm
Anon 3:10:
Not bad, but I meant it as in “Chewbacca is a Wookiee from the planet Kashyyyk. But Chewbacca lives on the planet Endor. Now think about it; that does not make sense!”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chewbacca_defense
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:12 pm
Clearly he is laying the groundwork for the mentally defective plea? Remember even the defectives can and do commit crimes.
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:13 pm
Rod on Jackson (to Fred Yang):
“He’s a bad guy. He’s really not the guy I hoped or thought he was. He’s really bad.”
Granted, that might be how Rod viewed Obama, but it doesn’t wash with Rod’s testimony. It’s going to be hard for the jury to look past the tapes.
The secret to character is how you behave when no one is watching (or listening).
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:13 pm
I can’t believe he hasn’t mentioned Bill yet.
Comment by Leave a light on George Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:20 pm
Why do I keep humming songs from “Chicago”??
Comment by D.P. Gumby Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:21 pm
This is the “see given the chance he just talks and talks and talks” defense.
Comment by Way Way Down Here Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:22 pm
Better than “Dancing Queen”. (Woops! Sorry, Rich. Didn’t mean to pass that one back to you. lol)
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:22 pm
What worries me is that if Blagojevich is acquitted or remains at liberty pending an appeal that WLS or some such major market radio outlet is going to give him his own radio program to host.
Oh, shoot! That’s already happened.
Comment by Esquire Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:27 pm
It’s really too bad SNL just finnished their season, would have loved to see Blago spoof as an opener.
Comment by frustrated GOP Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:41 pm
Now that it here and he is making an even bigger fool of himself I feel no gratification, only pity for those in the wake. Steve S. may be right. They might feel sorry for him. Even I sometimes think of him almost as having something wrong with him like a disease.
Comment by nino brown Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:52 pm
I’ve been waiting for this since April 2004. When I, a state employee at the time tried to blow this whistle on Rod and his administration of goons. My complaints fell on deaf ears.
All I got from the State of Illinois was no help and a lost job!
Comment by Eng.Tech. Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:56 pm
I assume all this song and dance from Blago is for the benefit of ONE juror who can deadlock the verdict and keep him out of jail?
Comment by Hunterdon Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 4:08 pm
Gonna see a guy about a horse.
Comment by Boone Logan Square Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 4:25 pm
Interesting that Blago has a “Man crush on Alexander Hamilton.” Hamilton was a federalist bordering on monarchist. His chief nemesis was Jefferson, the fountainhead of the early Democratic Party. Hamilton and his friends made a fortune when the federal government assumed the state and continental debt at par value, after they had bought most of it up for pennies. Then Hamilton arranged for the debt repayment by imposing excise taxes including a Whiskey tax. Perhaps that explains Rod’s regal ways and his willingness to profit from his public office.
Comment by Louis Howe Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 4:29 pm
So will the prosecution do cross-examination tomorrow morning, or will the defense need 2 1/2 hours to wrap up his testimony?
Comment by Boone Logan Square Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 4:31 pm
I’m with Gumby–
“Give’em the old razzle dazzle. Razzle dazzle ‘em. How can they see with sequins in their eyes?”
Comment by Responsa Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 4:36 pm
I think he’s just getting warmed up. He’ll ramble through adjournment tomorrow so he can wrap it up Tuesday or Wednesday. Then the prosecution can begin its cross examination. I think Rod is giving them plenty of opportunities to play more tapes and call rebuttal witnesses.
I’d sure like to see Tony Rezko take the stand to rebut Rod’s testimony.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 4:36 pm
47th Ward — “I’d sure like to see Tony Rezko take the stand to rebut Rod’s testimony.”
— How credible of a rebuttal would that be?
Comment by Mankell Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 4:37 pm
I don’t know Mankell, but it could be devastating to the defense with little risk for the prosecution. Especially if Rezko corroborates Monk’s testimony about meetings with Rod and money.
But you haven’t seen any evidence against Rod yet, so I’m sure you’ll disagree.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 4:43 pm
Maybe I am just a cynic, but I will never for the life of me understand why people thought this guy had good political skills in the first place. To me, it always seemed rambling, corny and stupid.
Comment by Meanderthal Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 4:44 pm
Committing perjury: Does that carry a heavier sentence?
Comment by Eng.Tech. Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 4:56 pm
I wonder if the jury is starting to wish they could consider the death penalty on this one, for themselves.
Comment by Wensicia Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 4:58 pm
Cancer survivors, war veterans, history buffs, dog owners. Who hasn’t Blago tried to seduce?
Comment by SgtSchultz Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 4:59 pm
How many famous people has Blago mentioned? Surely each juror finds one of these famous entities they admire so will deadlock the jury. The jurors would be downright unAmerican, unChirstian and ignorant not to love Blago since he can mention all of these … MLK, Washington, Lincoln, JFK, Bobby Kennedy, Clinton, Reagon, Larry David (Seinfeld), Barton, Roosevelt, God, Nazi’s, Palin, Obama, Elvis, Daley, Hamilton, Ben Franklin, Churchill Ghandi, Farah Fawcett, Olivia Newton John, the Brady Bunch, Keith Hernandez, Ryna Sandburg, his BFF - JJ Jr.
Craziness.
Anxious to hear how the prosecution handles him. He is already contradicting himself with his own lawyers the more he talks.
Comment by sidepocket Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 5:03 pm
“He addresses Lon Monk’s contention that he, Blagojevich, Chris Kelly and Tony Rezko met to discuss how to make money off of state deals.
“I never had a conversation in California, where I talked about I might make money off of state action with those guys, never ever,” Blagojevich said.
Is this a strong enough denial for the feds to bring in Rezko to rebut?
Comment by Leave a light on George Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 5:04 pm
You forgot Harry Truman sidepocket.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 5:06 pm
Hey 47th, Thanks for the correction. Sorry for omission and for my typos but I’ll surely have another LONG list to include after his next day on the stand. I also left out the MANY Illinois politico’s Blago mentioned with either fondness or assertiveness but perhaps not known as well at the national level.
Comment by sidepocket Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 5:19 pm
Here’s a guy who marries Richard Mell’s daughter, and with Mell’s clout and precinct captians, gets
elected 1st as a state rep,then a U.S. Rep, and finaly Governor of Illinois. What were we the people thinking. Electing this B.S.er to three offices. We must have sleep walked thru our civics
class.The man is incompentent,and if convicted,
a theif. We voters,including the press are all culpable, then to add insult to injury, we vote in Quinn. We are getting the government we diserve.
Comment by mokenavince Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 5:31 pm
Rod always bragged that he was a C student. Can the prosecutors bring in his college transcripts to rebut? (Yes, I am joking. But geez — he’s always been Mr. “The World is Run by C Students Like Me.” So either he has been lying about his grades for years and was a secret brainiac, or he’s lying on the stand now.
Comment by soccermom Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 5:38 pm
Are any of you beginning to feel like that unfortunate airline passenger seated next to Robert Hayes in the movie “Airplane” yet?
The more that Blagojevich talks, the more that I feel like striking a match and spilling this can of gasoline that I am holding over my head simultaneously.
Comment by Esquire Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 5:39 pm
My thoughts exactly soccermom.
And either Blago is lying now about being an A student, or Sam Adam Jr. lied to the jurors in the last trial presenting him as a C student to the jury.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/us/politics/09blago.html
Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 6:35 pm
Is the Girl Scout cookie umbrella because the Trefoils are f’in Golden?
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 6:48 pm
“We are getting the government we diserve.”
I don’t recall drowning any puppies..
Comment by Happy Returns Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 7:05 pm
=Cancer survivors, war veterans, history buffs, dog owners. Who hasn’t Blago tried to seduce?=
Ah, but with decorated tennis shoes (as I believe Responsa had suggested) might score one for him!
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 7:22 pm
I keep saying he’s going for an insanity plea.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 7:34 pm
Beware the Jabberwocky!
Comment by Hawkeye Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 9:21 pm
To SS: Come on man snap out of it. This guy inflicted significant heartache on many people once he became Guv, not to mention the fact that he dissed all over one of your former bosses Ryan even in front of him at the Inauguration. He’ll be crying for sure when Schar gets to him next week. Blago has always thought that not getting caught in a lie was the same as telling the truth. The wheels of justice grind slowly, but they do grind.
Comment by Macoupin Observer Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 9:28 pm
Rezko can’t be called.
When he was on trial, he wrote a letter to Zagel saying he was being railroaded to lie about both Blago and Obama.
So the prosecution won’t call him. The defense won’t call him because he’s a loose cannon.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 9:45 pm
I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep this weekend waiting for cross.
If I were asking the questions —
You began by saying, “I was your governor and I’m here to tell the truth”
You sure didn’t seem like my governor when you said, ‘only 13% of you approve of the job I’m doing, **** you all’, right?
You have already been found guilty of lying to the FBI, correct?
Comment by Quizzical Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 9:45 pm
Not once in all his taped calls does this sleazebag show the slightest interest in the public welfare. That more than any crimes he may or may not have committed is the true measure of the man. He may talk about his hard working immigrant parents but they obviously failed to provide him with a moral upbringing.
Comment by wishbone Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 9:59 pm
Well said wishbone, I hope the feds can make this clear on cross too.
Comment by Quizzical Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 10:10 pm
“He may talk about his hard working immigrant parents but they obviously failed to provide him with a moral upbringing.”
I dunno about that. Robert Blagojevich was raised by the same parents and he seems to have turned out OK — served in the military, respected businessman, etc. — aside from getting in over his head working for his brother. He also, unlike Rod, seems to have learned from his mistakes. Plus, you can’t always blame parents for the choices ADULT children make of their own free will.
Comment by Secret Square Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 11:05 pm
Hey Word, I found this clip of the “real” Sammy Maudlin Show and just couldn’t pass it up….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrvkGYmoiTQ
“AAAAHHHHH!! Don’t touch the hair!! You don’t touch the hair!!”
Comment by Secret Square Friday, May 27, 11 @ 12:05 am
–Big story starting to unfold.
Washington Examiner “Where’s Tony Rezko ” by Barbara Hollingsworth–
What’s the big story starting to unfold? There’s nothing but conspiratorial hyperventilation in the linked story, no new “news” or facts.
There was a previous Blago trial, remember? He wasn’t called then, either.
Zagel made a comment at the first trial Rezko would be a disaster to both prosecution and defense.
Presumably, a disaster to the prosecution, because during Rezko’s own trial, he wrote a letter to Zagel claiming the U.S. Attorney was trying to railroad him because he refused to make up lies incriminating both Blago and Obama.
So Rezko was claiming at the time that Fitz was trying to nail Obama, not protect him.
If Rezko testifies, that letter can be admitted into evidence.
Presumably, a disaster to Blago, because he could probably sink him a dozen ways nobody knows about.
Rezko testifying would be perversely entertaining though.
Comment by wordslinger Sunday, May 29, 11 @ 7:12 pm