Is there any evidence that Blagojevich was a worker's rights supporter before yesterday?

[yardwork]

DU is full of threads today telling us that the investigation and arrest of the Illinois governor is some kind of revenge from Bank of America and/or other corporations.

Is there any evidence that Governor Blagojevich did anything for workers before this past week, when he knew he was close to being arrested? What is his record on the issue of worker's rights and citizen's rights vs. corporations?

Thanks for any info.

[yardwork]

1. No evidence?

[amdezurik]

11. pssstttt

4 minutes is not very long ya know...

[yardwork]

12. I want attention, dammit!

:P

[RandomThoughts]

2. Great Question!

That would take his Bank of America comment off the table.

Although his first comment when called was he asked, "Is this a joke" indicating he may have been surprised.

[yardwork]

8. Even the world's most efficent government can't set up a wiretap and get evidence in less than a day

Yesterday's comment did not lead to today's arrest unless the evidence against the governor is blatantly trumped up and false, and so far it seems legit.

The feds started investigating him three years ago. Why? Because he was a threat to capitalism or because he was obviously corrupt? We all know that politics plays a role, but how much of one in this case?

[Robbien]

3. None. He is the most avid supporter of Chamber of Commerce types

Walmart is his friend. In fact Illinois has one of the highest concentrations of Wally's big box stores in the nation.

[yardwork]

4. Well, then, this hardly seems to be a case of Big Business shutting him down.

I'm willing to look at evidence. So far - nada.

[Robbien]

14. The Feds started looking at Blago's corruption in 2002

Federal authorities began investigating Blago’s fund-raisers and allies soon after his 2002 election, a probe they called “Operation Board Games,” that looked into alleged kickbacks from a state pension deal.

Blago has been a leech parasite on Illinois since day one.

The only way he got re-elected is that corrupt Judy Baar Topinka was the Dem who ran against him in the primaries.

[derby378]

7. "No Whammies! No Whammies!"

Uh-oh...

[AngryAmish]

5. He signed tort reform - He is for whoever pays him.

A crook's crook.

[yardwork]

9. Looks, smells, walks, and talks like a duck...

[Occam Bandage]

6. None at all. He was a fan of business above all, from tax policy

and big-box stores to things as mundane as renaming the State Street Marshall Fields to Macy's.

[yardwork]

10. Then it seems unlikely that bushco went after him to protect corporations.

[blondeatlast]

13. The renaming thing alone makes me despise him.Apparently he doesn't give a good

dogdamn about Illinois history.

[Marrah_G]

15. None

[question everything]

16. DU never ceases to amaze me

I have not seen these threads but it is amazing that DUers see conspiracy everywhere. Boogie was under investigation for a long time. When the Tony Rezko affair was in the news, my friend from Chicago commented that the governor could be next.

Why can't DUers accept the fact that there are really bad people in the world, yes, many of them Democrats, many from Illinois?

as for "supporting" the workers, did you see Jesse Jackson there, too? No politician does anything just because it is the right thing to do. They all are looking for some sort of a payback. Which is why it is so refreshing that Obama did not appoint all of his early supporters, but went in search of competency and experience.

[Critters2]

17. Blago is a friend of Blago, and no one else. nt

[rucky]

18. Can you get elected Governor of Illinois without supporting Labor?

[blondeatlast]

19. Voting for the lesser of two evils and actually being supported by a candidate are two very

different things.

[yardwork]

20. Yes. I'm asking for any evidence that Blago became the target of big business.

So far, there appears to be no evidence of this.

[blondeatlast]

21. But there's loads of speculation, so you are just nitpicking.

Admit it. ;)

[WildEyedLiberal]

23. You can if you run in the wake of the previous Repub governor being imprisoned

And your Republican opponent just happens to be said imprisoned governor's Attorney General who covered up for said imprisoned governor's misconduct.

Bozo the Clown could've run as a D in Illinois in 2002 and gotten elected. And, arguably, that's what happened.

[blondeatlast]

22. Anyone? Anyone? nt