Blagojevich: ‘I Want to Make Money’

[babylonsister]

http://washingtonindependent.com/21486/blagojevich-i-want-to-make-money

Blagojevich: ‘I Want to Make Money’
By Matthew DeLong 12/9/08 11:50 AM


Politico does the heavy lifting in digging through the 78-page federal criminal complaint (PDF) against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, and man, there’s some good stuff in there.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was captured on tape saying that unless he received “something real good” for the appointment of a top adviser to Barack Obama to fill the president-elect’s Senate seat he would appoint himself, according to a criminal complaint.

“Unless I get something real good {for Senate candidate 1}, s***, I’ll just send myself, you know what I’m saying?” Blagojevich was taped saying on November 3, the day before Election Day.

Blagojevich added that the Senate seat “is a f***ing valuable thing, you just don’t give it away for nothing.”

The complaint does not mention her name, but the description makes clear that Blagojevich is referring to Valerie Jarrett, a senior campaign adviser to Obama who has been tapped as a top White House aide.

“By this time, media reports indicated that Senate Candidate 1, an advisor to the President-elect, was interested in the Senate seat if it became vacant, and was likely to be supported by the President-elect,” the complaint states.

Blagojevich also was caught on federal wiretaps saying he was interested in the job as secretary of health and human services in an Obama administration, a well-paid position on a foundation board, or millions of dollars for a nonprofit organization that he would run after leaving office, according to a 78-page federal criminal complaint.

Blagojevich also schemed to shake down a union in exchange for appointing a senator who was favorable to the union, prosecutors allege.

As if that weren’t incriminating enough, the complaint asserts that Blagojevich stated his goals even more bluntly in the wiretapped conversations with Tony Rezko, a convicted real estate developer and longtime Obama fund-raiser.

“I want to make money,” the affidavit quotes the governor as saying.

According to Politico, U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald said in a statement that “the breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering,” and Blagojevich is accused of putting “a for sale sign on the naming of a U.S. senator.”

Obama canceled a schedule briefing with the FBI in Chicago, but it is unclear whether this is related to this morning’s events. According to this morning’s pool report, Obama’s meeting with former Vice President Al Gore remains on the slate.

A news conference on the arrests is expected shortly. We’ll continue to follow events as they develop.

[BurtWorm]

1. So join the Republican party, jackass!

:eyes:

[Robbien]

2. Not surprising one bit

Blago held the entire state hostage through his good buddy Emil Jones, president of the state senate. No Dem or GOPer could get anything through state legislature unless they played Blago's game. For years and years, mostly the politicians passed nothing while everyone stood around and screamed at each other.

[babylonsister]

5. Makes me wonder if Emil Jones will be dragged into this, too. nt

[Robbien]

7. There is this interesting bit about candidate #5

from atrios

Just last week, on December 4, Blagojevich allegedly told an advisor that he might “get some (money) up front, maybe” from Senate Candidate 5, if he named Senate Candidate 5 to the Senate seat, to insure that Senate Candidate 5 kept a promise about raising money for Blagojevich if he ran for re-election. In a recorded conversation on October 31, Blagojevich claimed he was approached by an associate of Senate Candidate 5 as follows: “We were approached ‘pay to play.’ That, you know, he’d raise 500 grand. An emissary came. Then the other guy would raise a million, if I made him (Senate Candidate 5) a Senator.”

hmmmm.

It is going to be interesting to find out who candidates 2 through 5 are. Some very corrupt Illinois Dems are scrambling for cover today.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. Must've been a tough choice. "Heads, Mafia. Tails, politics."

I guess he figured that he'd go after the Big Money.

[pacalo]

4. This jerk is such a money-worshipper, I just had to look him up.

Just from skimming the Wiki page:

He voted for Reagan.

As U.S. Representative, he was the only Democrat from Illinois to vote for invading Iraq.

Blagojevich has not gotten along with many state Democrats while in office, with House and Senate Republican leaders Frank Watson and Tom Cross often refereeing among the Democrats.<10> In 2008, Blagojevich even expressed fear that House Democrats would gain more seats and he would face more opposition.<25>

Blagojevich's lieutenant governor is Pat Quinn, with whom he has had a sour relationship since taking office. Quinn and Blagojevich have publicly argued, among many other subjects,<10> the latter's proposed "Gross Receipts Tax" to increase revenue for schools and other projects within Illinois.<26> Blagojevich has also feuded with Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Comptroller Dan Hynes, Secretary of State Jesse White, and state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias-- who are all Democrats.<10>

Blagojevich has been at odds with members of both parties in the state legislature who see him as "disengaged" and "dictatorial."<27> Democratic legislator Jack Franks has said that the reason Blagojevich has problems passing laws with the cooperation of the Legislature is that he does not spend enough time with the Legislature. "That’s a real reason he has such poor relations with the Legislature and can’t get any of his agenda passed, because he doesn’t talk to anybody."<28> When lawmakers working on a budget during a special session met at 10 a.m. rather than 2p.m., and Blagojevich's attorney threatened that the Governor was considering legal action against the involved representatives, Democratic Rep. Joe Lyons told reporters, "We have a madman. The man is insane."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Blagojevich

[Greyhound]

6. An accurate portrayal of Illinois politics in general. Anyone thinking of a business

there, don't forget to put an extra 20%, at least, into your planned budget for initial payoffs and add 10% to your annual operating budget for continued payments.

I think it may be a little cheaper than the mob.

[babylonsister]

8. . Yes, that was his bottom line. Maddow did a good job. nt

[lib2DaBone]

9. ..Reminds me of Tony Saprano negotiating for no-show union jobs

.. and garbage route kickbacks.

I'm sure Republican politicians don't do this type of thing.

Isn't Chicago where they are currently trying to privatize all the parking meters? I wonder how that's working out?