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* As noted below, the governor claimed today that he wasn’t under federal investigation and engaged in a contentious back and forth with reporters. Chicago Public Radio has the audio. You must listen to this. Here’s the station’s intro to the raw audio…
Illinois Governor Blagojevich’s press conference on gas pump inspections disintegrated into a contentious confrontation with reporters asking about the on-going federal investigation of state government. The governor denied being a target.
* The fun stuff begins at about the 16 minute mark. The first question out of the box was about how Speaker Madigan’s spokesman suggested the governor was a sociopath.
* It really gets fun at the 21 minute mark. “Your questions are ridiculous!” he said. He called the Tribune “dishonest.”
He was asked if he was a target at least a couple dozen times. “I’m probably a target of Mike Madigan’s desire to keep us from passing a jobs bill and having a budget that’s balanced that helps people. If I’m a target, that’s it.”
“I’m not going to reward dishonest reporters who ask dishonest questions.”
* The same governor who vetoed all CeaseFire funding out of the state budget last year said this to reporters today: “I’m a strong supporter of CeaseFire and I believe in CeaseFire.” Oy.
* The governor claimed that two House members with city jobs told him they were worried they would lose their jobs if they voted for the capital budget.
* Phil Rogers asked: Why is it dishonest to ask you if you have been told you are a target of this investigation?
Gov. Blagojevich: “The answer is I am not, and it’s a ridiculous question and you know it’s a ridiculous question because if you carefully look at the things that have happened and you’re not just interested in sensationalizing something so you can do your big news story you wouldn’t even bother asking a question like that.”
Carlos Hernandez Gomez pointed out right afterwards: “But governor, a subject is different, a subject is anybody that is not a target.”
* Afterwards, I’m told, the governor took a TV reporter aside and berated him for not reporting on the corruption allegations about Mayor Daley and Speaker Madigan. That’ll go over well.
The governor also reportedly poked the reporter’s chest quite often during the exchange. Dignified.
* Quote of the week: “Let me tell you something, I know the truth of things and I have nothing to fear but the truth, OK?” - Rod Blagojevich at the 22:09 mark. [Thanks to a commenter.]
* Chicago Public Radio now has a story up. Go check it out. ABC7 will have raw video on its site after 5 o’clock today. Watch for Ben Bradley’s story on that site as well. He was the one confronted and poked in the chest by Blagojevich after the press bang.
* Carlos Hernandez Gomez has a blog entry on the subject entitled “I’m not a crook.”
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 1:54 pm
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Pre-4th fireworks. Nice.
Comment by BandCamp Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 1:59 pm
And who made the comment on the QOTD about it being a slow news day or something? Too funny.
Comment by BandCamp Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 2:00 pm
And yet we are still discussing impeachment. Whatever sanity the gov may have had is gone. We are just lucky there were no small children around to serve as sields.
Comment by Ghost Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 2:04 pm
i cannot frickin’ believe he had the gull to say he supports cease fire! he vetoed cease fire funding just to spite the black house democrats who were supporting madigan in his yearly budget squabble.
Comment by bored now Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 2:13 pm
An unfettered Blago squabbling with the press. Could this reflect transition problems at the guv’s press office. It seems to me the recently departed press aides had more control and better spin. Better do
a status review.
Comment by Cassandra Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 2:21 pm
That will teach him to get out of his bunker. Good for the reporters for asking him the hard questions.
He deserves EVERYTHING that is thrown at him.
Comment by He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 2:25 pm
No worse site than reporter navel-gaving.
Comment by problem Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 2:25 pm
That’s the way it has been for a while, problem. Name the last story where the reporters actually covered the substance of the event.
They are getting too tangled up in their own conspiracy theories.
They all think they are gonna get Pulitzers. But they ain’t gonna get one if there ain’t no “there” there.
Comment by DumberThanULook Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 2:30 pm
Sounds like Rod is losing it. Solipsists don’t like it when people intrude with questions from the real world.
Comment by Watching the detectives Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 2:31 pm
Wow. And we voted this guy in twice.
Seriously — Blagojevich is a moron. I’m one of his “hardworking” folks — and I want to know if he’s a target of a federal Blagojevich.
I *do* care if my governor is breaking laws.
And I *do* want to know if the feds have their sites locked.
There’s absolutely nothing dishonest about asking *any* question as far as I’m concerned.
Blagojevich really needs to straighten himself out.
Comment by Macbeth Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 2:34 pm
I agree that this is caused by his loss of spin controllers. I was wondering how long it would take.
Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 2:37 pm
I know the truth, and I have nothing to fear but the truth. 22:12
Comment by Mr. Green Jeans Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 2:41 pm
Sorry you didn’t like my analogy to a former world leader, seemed very appropriate
Comment by Dan S, a voter and Cubs Fan Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 2:47 pm
Cease Fire may have gotten caught in the political crossfire, but it is also a really questionable program. It “works” sort of like our current strategy in Iran works - if you bribe all the bad guys, you have “peace”, as long as you continue the bribes. Cease Fire spreads a lot of money around the street among supposedly “reformed” bad guys, who then “talk” the unreformed bad guys into behaving. Its financial controls are VERY loose and God only knows where all the money has gone.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 2:48 pm
Did I hear correctly that one of the +’s Blago cited for naming Levine to a state board was that he was knighted by the King of Sweden?
Really, could that press conference have gone any worse for Blago?
Comment by ChiCountryGuy Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 2:48 pm
DTYL is right, the press neeeds to stop asking about the substance of newsworthy problems in government. The press should not worry about corruption and federal investigations into corruptuion in our govt, they should focus instead on only the topics chosen by the source of the corruption so as to avoid any real news. Dang them for not limiting themselves to the event. Just like those crazy reporters who took info from that deep throat cad; instead of focusing on the issues and events nixon had planned for them, they went off on some unrelated tangent about corruption. SIlly reporters, news is for pre-planned structure press ops, not investigative reporting.
Comment by Ghost Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 2:48 pm
Wow. Memo to press folks: When in doubt, grab him by the back of the collar and haul him into the elevator.
Back to the bunker.
Let’s see, Madigan, bad. Obama, Lisa, Quinn, W, all friends of Tony. Nothing new there.
But did he imply that Daley was going to fire reps who voted for the cap budget? And did he really drag the King of Sweden into all this?
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 2:50 pm
I knew it. He fears me. I could set him free, but I won’t.
Truth
Comment by Truth Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 2:51 pm
That would be the comment of the week, Truth.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 2:53 pm
Let the meltdown begin!!!
Comment by johnnyc Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 2:54 pm
cease fire may be questionable *if* you are looking at it from an accounting angle, but it serves a valuable purpose. kids who are dragged into the gang world really have no other choice. who’s going to hire them (especially in chicago)? their only real out is to serve their community. if you want to do the budgetary analysis, i’d suggest you compare how much you would spend on cease fire compared to how much you’d spend for the additional amount of police required to achieve the same purpose. then factor in the fact that these kids have cred in their communities, something that very, very, very few chicago police men and women have (sad to say).
now if you want to propose a straight street (gang) to cop program, i suspect i’d be all for that. at least they would bring the same kind of standing (and street smarts) to the force. which wouldn’t be bad…
Comment by bored now Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 3:12 pm
Like a non-swimmer clinging to a life preserver as his ship goes down, Blagojevich clings to his talking points as the sharks circle around him.
This didn’t have to be. During this recording, only one man is governor. As governor, Blagojevich is empowered to address press questions when he is fully prepared to do so. He can set the timing of these meetings with the press. Instead, Blagojevich has not given the public answers to many questions involving the corruption that has been uncovered in his administration.
So we have situations like this one where the Governor is forced to dance around reporter’s questions unable or unwilling to be honest and direct. Regardless of the situations he is facing today, the Governor needed to have avoided this fiasco by preventing it. He is the governor - he calls the shots - he got what he deserves by not doing his job properly.
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 3:22 pm
Rich, he didn’t veto ALL CeaseFire funding.
Comment by BannedForLife Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 3:26 pm
He sounded real bad on Don & Roma. But at his worst after lunch. Very shaky voice…Where are the SPINSISTERS!!!!
HELP!!!!!
Comment by DumberThanUThink Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 3:26 pm
I cannot believe his staff didn’t get him out of there right away. You cannot allow the boss to take shots like that and to misspeak, get excited and get in a debate with a bunch of journalist. It is inexcusable. PLUS this isn’t his first Rodeo, to borrow a phrase “What was he thinking?”
Comment by He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 3:28 pm
Rich you really need to toss the quote onto a t-shirt with the gov’s name and date; political collectors item.
Comment by Ghost Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 3:30 pm
Gamblers say that every poker player has a “tell”, a signal or sign that the cards are good or bad or that the player is about to bet a certain way. Blago’s “tell” is the use of the word “absurd”. Every time he’s pushed beyond his capacity (which is pretty low) he labels a question “absurd” or “ridiculous”. Then he makes unsupportable or flatly untrue statements like “all our kids have health care” or “I’m a strong supporter of Cease Fire”. He attacks the Trib reports when they call him on refusing to return to meet with the editorial board. He doesn’t deny that he’s refusing to appear, he says the Trib is dishonest and “absurd”.
Today’s performance shows why they don’t let him out of the house very often. What a joke.
Comment by DuPage Dave Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 3:32 pm
Now we know why he has all those spokescritters…. he obviously can’t speak for himself!
Comment by Vote Quimby! Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 3:33 pm
Rich, I agree with Ghost. Shirts, bumper stickers, buttons. That will be a classic.
I am thinking about changing my Nickname to:
I know the truth of things and I have nothing to fear but the truth,
Comment by He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 3:35 pm
Who knew that the King of Sweden had such pull with the Governor?
Comment by ChampaignDweller Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 3:48 pm
Rich, you could raise a lot of $ for flood relief with a 2008 Special Session In Hell t-shirt that says “I Have Nothing To Fear But The Truth.”
Comment by A naughty moose Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 3:50 pm
I wish Sheila was here.
Comment by Bill Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 3:56 pm
Just ask Jacobs, he knows all about abuse from Rod.
Comment by Sheryl Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 3:56 pm
Blago’s quote is most troubling.
I wonder why nobody in the press has asked Blago about Ali Ata and Tony Rezko carrying $25,000 wrapped in a plastic bag to his Chicago mansion to stave off a building lean??
Comment by MouthofBabes.. Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 3:57 pm
those were just birthday gifts for his daughter… he is just not sure which daughter, or which birthday… But his employees typically give him cash for x-mas collected by his secretary…. oh wait wrong gov…. his friends typically give him cash for B’day gifst for his children.
Comment by Ghost Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 3:59 pm
- Bill -
I am sorry for your loss, my sincere condolences. Maybe tomorrow will be an up day.
Comment by A Citizen Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 3:59 pm
Blagojevich pal “DumberThanULook,” do that again and you’re banned. Plus, change your screen name. It’s too close to another one. Until you do, you’re done here.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 4:12 pm
Wow. After listening to the presser I am at a loss for words. Rod is in big trouble when it comes to the thought process.
And…
I’ll say that 10,000 times.
Comment by Big Mama T Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 4:19 pm
Who says Rod misspoke. I think we should take what he says at face value. All he has to fear is the truth.
Comment by Disgusted Downstate Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 4:55 pm
Sounds like the nerves are beginning to crumble. Oh he sounds so guilty…..dumb answers picked out of the air to try to defend his lies. Subject A….give me a break,,,,better yet give us all a break and come clean.
Comment by downhereforyears Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 4:55 pm
The Governor seems very angry and out of control. He needs better advisors and he should not have done this interview. He needs to stay away from the Press.
Comment by emmejo Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 6:53 pm
I find it strange that Il Dept of Agr is in City of Chicago checking pumps during a dog and pony show by Blago. Truth be known the City of Chicago Weights and Mearsures does all gas pumps in Chicago and Dept of Agr does all others in the state. If 1 insp can do as many as 90 pumps a day, how then can 18 insp complete checks on each pump once a year, do the math, doesn’t add up.
Comment by Soon to Retire Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 6:56 pm
anuff already! the guy says he is not a target, so he is not a target. Let’s talk to some of the other leaders in this state and find out what they think we should do. we all know where Rod stands and what he wants. I would like to know what Madigan wants. is Lisa running? Will there be a state wide tax increase? Seriously, can’t we find other people and issues to talk to beside Rod. is the press so lazy that they can’t move off the guy.
Comment by anuff already Thursday, Jul 3, 08 @ 9:41 pm
Happy 4th to everyone, have fun be safe.
Comment by Dan S, a voter and Cubs Fan Friday, Jul 4, 08 @ 8:31 am
Its easy for everybody here to be critical of how the gov performs when surrounded with a throng of blood thirsty reporters, but I guarantee that each poster would forget the name of his/her own mother when surrounded by cameras in your face and reporters screaming questions at you. They stalk the gov and it is frankly kind of embarassing. Its like our own political papparazzi. The Illinois political TMZ. A constant press hit squad that never runs out of bullets.
I’m tired of it. I wish the gov would just leave when his press guy says last questions. Noting satisfies these people.
Comment by Anon Saturday, Jul 5, 08 @ 9:40 am
Changing my screen name to “King of Sweden”
Comment by Speaking at Will Saturday, Jul 5, 08 @ 2:21 pm
The Gov talking about someone else sensationalizing something is like the kettle calling the pot black. Hiz egoness puts his name on anything and everything he can - to the point of paying several network gurus overtime on a Sunday afternoon, just to get a press release out that there was a new Subway opening on one of the tollway oasis’s. Talk about important news! He announces this “SWAT Team” BS for gasoline purchases - which is what the Dept. of Ag’s people has been doing for years. To read the state’s web site, you’d think that Rod is the only one working in the state. His office announces everything under the sun like he’s the one doing it all - what a farce!!!!
Comment by Sahims2 Sunday, Jul 6, 08 @ 5:21 pm