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Excruciating and mostly pointless

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* A couple of months ago, I wrote this in my Sun-Times column about Rod Blagojevich and the upcoming 2010 campaign…

We’re in for an excruciating and mostly pointless 14 months.

Twenty-eight of the 59 Illinois state senators who voted early this year to remove Blagojevich as governor had gone to him with recommendations for state jobs, promotions, transfers or appointments to state boards, a database of patronage hires kept by Blagojevich aides shows.

In the House, 53 of the 114 state representatives who voted to impeach Blagojevich were listed as earlier having sought personnel moves from the governor.

Most of those who made hiring requests were Democrats, according to the records, which cover the period from 2003 to 2005.

It’s hardly breaking news that, after 26 years of Republican governors, Democrats would deluge a Democratic governor with hiring requests.

Look, this is very good ammo to have when some Democrats start claiming that they were always opposed to Rod Blagojevich. But, few people could’ve known in 2003 that Blagojevich would’ve been arrested early in his second term and then removed from office. Things were becoming more clear by 2005, but the guy did get reelected in 2006 by ten points, so it’s tough to say that everyone should’ve seen this coming.

* House GOP Leader Tom Cross is also on the Blagojevich hiring list…

Cross’s spokeswoman, Sara Wojcicki, said “many” of the recommendations on his list [of 46 people] “were for boards and commissions that require a certain number of Republicans and Democrats. Other ones were for people who had worked under the [George] Ryan administration, were fired by Blagojevich and had asked to be reinstated.”

That isn’t the greatest spin I’ve ever seen from Cross. Fired George Ryan cronies wanted their state jobs back?

But, as I said at the top, this has little to nothing to do with Blagojevich’s eventual legal troubles unless the job requests were tied to actual illegalities. Some may have been, since more than a few requests by legislators were for positions covered under civil service codes. That’s what bears a closer look, in my mind, at least.

* Cue excruciating…

Federal prosecutors on Monday are expected to raise concerns over Rod Blagojevich’s slotted appearance on Donald Trump’s reality show: “Celebrity Apprentice.”

At issue is the March airing of the show, which is just months before jury seating is to begin in the former governor’s criminal trial, sources said.

The corruption trial is set to begin in June. […]

“Celebrity Apprentice” doesn’t air until next spring, so prosecutors are likely complain there’s a possibility of tainting the jury pool, sources said. Blagojevich will reportedly join Cyndi Lauper and Sharon Osbourne, among others.

Oy.

* Related…

* Strip club clout?

* Taking names is essential to quid and quo

* State Sen. DeLeo shown sponsoring widow of mob associate

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 10:56 am

Comments

The stories were kind of breathless and there was no smoking gun, but the Sun-Times series served as a useful reminder to folks who aren’t politial junkies on the connections among the political class.

That Jay Hoffman sure wasn’t shy about raising his hand, was he?

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 11:12 am
Why is so much emphasis put on this strip club thing. Who cares?

Comment by nice kid Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 11:13 am
Rich, do you know if the Sun Times will investigate more into those non rutan exempt job requesters? If these are questionable, I want to know which legislators were knowingly trying to subvert hiring policies. I think that the requesters are just as culpable as those who did the hiring.

Comment by Anon Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 11:17 am
Man I wish the reality shows would just not allow Blago to be on their reality shows! As for the recent news stories about hiring I don’t know what to say other than interesting. I suppose you’re right, but for the uninitiated this sounds like trouble in the worst way.

Comment by Levois Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 11:32 am
They make a bid deal because it took them six years to figure out Blagoof hung with a bunch of kinks
BTW Capt Fax: let’s not pick on press personages, we all know StateWideTOm writes out his own answers in long hand, checks with Skip and issues his utterance. If he says it was all Ryan hacks then it must have been Ryan hacks.

Comment by CircularFiringSquad Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 11:35 am
To expound on wordslinger’s point, the average reader sees a name like Jimmy DeLeo linked with Blago, and it’s a connection that is easy to digest, while difficult for the subject to mount a defense against.

And the state senator’s name is one that largely escapes media coverage, save for the occasional rants of a certain Trib reporter.

Comment by The Doc Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 11:54 am
Can you imagine if Blago is on the Trump show? Uhg. How many times will he say things like, “This challenge is just like when I was fighting against the Madigans for more health care and jobs for working people.” Or “I had to fight for health care just like I have to fight the Donald” Im glad I dont watch that show.

Comment by Red Ranger Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 12:07 pm
Hilarious. Steve Brown the ultimate Blago critic and blowhard was at the trough begging his hairness for jobs and got a relative hired on the payroll.

Comment by empty suit Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 12:22 pm
Is there something wrong with asking the governor to give someone a job?

Comment by Bill Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 12:39 pm
Hey, you gotta problem wit dat? Sorry, I couldn’t resist…I’ve been reading too much Kass lately…

Comment by Anonymous45 Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 12:40 pm
Can someone point me in the direction of the lists. I’ve found Chris Kelly’s and one more (can’t remember whose it was) at the Sun Times site. I’m looking for the Saviano list. I’m thinking its not on line anywhere though.

Comment by Former State Employee 2 Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 1:04 pm
This may be a very minor point, but, is it really fair for the Sun-Times to headline these stories with the statement that these people were “begging” Blago for jobs?

To say they “begged” for jobs immediately makes one assume they got down on their knees and pleaded desperately with him to hire these people and promised to give him anything he asked in return. When in actuality, maybe all they did was write a polite letter of recommendation or make a phone call, which last I looked, was not illegal or unethical in most cases.

Comment by Secret Square Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 1:13 pm
It’s not the hiring of political friends that’s the problem. The problem is not firing the ones that turn out to be incompetent and their incompetence is costing taxpayers millions.

Comment by Louis Howe Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 2:06 pm
So, the Speaker pulled off 33 requests and then he decided that the folks that he went to bat for were hacks that needed to be fumigated. The hypocrisy is amazing……along with the inability of the lawmakers to remember the people that they helped out.

Comment by Bobby Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 2:35 pm
There is a huge difference between a simple letter or phone call to help a constituent compared to agreeing to do something in exchange for another action that has some type of value. Recommendation letters happen all the time and are usually important only to the people directly involved(forget the UofI stuff). I am sure ‘power players’ have a staff person who counts the letters sent to influential positions, compares the results, and creates an outcome report that is later used with the person in those positions. Most are simple letters.

Comment by zatoichi Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 2:35 pm
–Hey, you gotta problem wit dat? Sorry, I couldn’t resist…I’ve been reading too much Kass lately…–

You only have to read Kass for about a week, and you have his entire body of work. It’s the same three or four columns over and over again with a new top.

Ever wondered why he didn’t have a syndication deal or a collection of columns book?

Makes for some nice long lunches.

DeLeo, though, is an interesting sort. Drives a Bentley (?!), silk suits. Buying out Spilotros. Beat the federales. Didn’t really see him as a player back in the 80s. I was wrong. In his own mind, he’s done very well.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 2:57 pm
Nice Kid, the strip club is interesting because it’s mobbed up to the max. How — and why — does that happen in Daley’s Chicago?

There’s only about three in entire City of Chicago, and it’s the only one that can serve booze. Nice monopoly, don’t you think?

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 3:02 pm
They ought to be reporting about anybody who is mobbed up and has ties to Blago. But there is so much emphasis on the story that the guy owns a strip club, and it is clearly in there because sex sells. I think we could use more substance, and less fluff, from the Tribune (and other papers too).

Comment by nice kid Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 3:19 pm
If Blago was on Celbrity Apprentice, I don’t know who would have a harder time, Blago or Trump. Probably both would have a tough time resisting their impulses, which on Blago’s side would be to grandstand and get booted in the first episone, and on Trump’s side to succumb to temptation and 86 him muy rapido. That might make for interesting viewing, if both personalities weren’t so obnoxious. Regarding the mob connection, the more light that shines in that area, the better. Make them squirm!

Comment by ahem Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 3:42 pm
Nice kid, you’re certainly correct that it’s on the front page for the prurient interest.

I’ve been to this place a few times (nothing personal, strictly business). The ladies were very nice and chatty (if over-enhanced) once they discovered you weren’t a freak and didn’t have any money.

I found watching the “management” hovering around the place very interesting. There’s definitely some serious business going on there.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 3:47 pm
what it the statute of limitations for connecting a person to a person from whom they were divorced? absent a real reason for connection, that bit in the strip club article linking him to a woman he divorced decades ago is odd.

Comment by Amalia Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 5:20 pm
Isn’t this the same ‘clout list’ from a few years ago?
I could be wrong, but it looks like all CST did was see what the eventual resolution was on the list from 3 years ago…this isn’t ‘news’!?!

Comment by just askin' Monday, Oct 19, 09 @ 9:19 pm