🚀 go-pugleaf

On Dec 9, 6:15 pm, bushlyed <bushl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Dec 9, 12:27 pm, Pops Mear <PopsM...@here.usa> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > If only Democrats had a Code of Omerta like the Nazi Republican
> > Mafias...unregulated Holy Capitalism is A Good Thing but ONLY if you
> > shout "Jesus"
>
> > Ill. Gov. arrested in Obama successor probe
>
> > By MIKE ROBINSON, Associated Press Writer Mike Robinson, Associated
> > Press Writer – 27 mins ago
>
> > CHICAGO – Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested on Tuesday on
> > charges that he brazenly conspired to sell or trade the U.S. Senate
> > seat left vacant by President-elect Barack Obama to the highest
> > bidder.
>
> > Blagojevich also was charged with illegally threatening to withhold
> > state assistance to Tribune Co., the owner of the Chicago Tribune, in
> > the sale of Wrigley Field, according to a federal criminal complaint.
> > In return for state assistance, Blagojevich allegedly wanted members
> > of the paper's editorial board who had been critical of him fired.
>
> > A 76-page FBI affidavit said the 51-year-old Democratic governor was
> > intercepted on court-authorized wiretaps over the last month
> > conspiring to sell or trade the vacant Senate seat for personal
> > benefits for himself and his wife, Patti.
>
> > Otherwise, Blagojevich considered appointing himself. The affidavit
> > said that as late as Nov. 3, he told his deputy governor that if
> > "they're not going to offer me anything of value I might as well take
> > it."
>
> > "I'm going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you
> > know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain," Blagojevich allegedly
> > said later that day, according to the affidavit, which also quoted him
> > as saying in a remark punctuated by profanity that the seat was "a
> > valuable thing — you just don't give it away for nothing."
>
> > The affidavit said Blagojevich also discussed getting a substantial
> > salary for himself at a nonprofit foundation or an organization
> > affiliated with labor unions.
>
> > It said Blagojevich also talked about getting his wife placed on
> > corporate boards where she might get $150,000 a year in director's
> > fees.
>
> > He also allegedly discussed getting campaign funds for himself or
> > possibly a post in the president's cabinet or an ambassadorship once
> > he left the governor's office. He noted becoming a U.S. senator might
> > remake his image for a possible presidential run in 2016, according to
> > the affidavit. And he allegedly said a Senate seat would also provide
> > him with corporate contacts if he needed a job and present an
> > opportunity for his wife to work as a lobbyist.
>
> > "I want to make money," the affidavit quotes him as saying in one
> > conversation.
>
> > The affidavit said Blagojevich expressed frustration at being "stuck"
> > as governor and that he would have access to greater resources if he
> > were indicted while in the U.S. Senate than while sitting as governor.
>
> > U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald said in a statement that "the
> > breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering."
>
> > "They allege that Blagojevich put a for sale sign on the naming of a
> > United States senator," Fitzgerald said."
>
> > Messages left for Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero and at the
> > governor's press office were not immediately returned Tuesday morning.
>
> > Among those being considered for the Senate post include U.S. Reps.
> > Danny Davis and Jesse Jackson Jr.
>
> > The affidavit outlined a Nov. 10 call between Blagojevich, his wife,
> > his chief of staff — John Harris, who also was arrested Tuesday — and
> > a group of advisers in which Harris allegedly suggested working out an
> > agreement with the Service Employees International Union.
>
> > Under the plan, Blagojevich would appoint a new senator who would be
> > helpful to the president-elect and in turn get a job as head of Change
> > to Win, a group formed by the union. The union would get an
> > unspecified favor from Obama later.
>
> > Nothing in the court papers suggested Obama had any part in the
> > discussion. In fact, Blagojevich allegedly said in the same
> > conversation that Obama most likely would not appoint him as secretary
> > of health and human services or to an ambassadorship because of the
> > negative publicity that has surrounded the governor for three years.
>
> > One day later, according to the affidavit, Blagojevich allegedly told
> > an associate he knew Obama wanted a specific Senate candidate but
> > "they're not going to give me anything except appreciation." He
> > finished the remark with an expletive.
>
> > Blagojevich also was charged with using his authority as governor in
> > an attempt to squeeze out campaign contributions.
>
> > Corruption in the Blagojevich administration has been the focus of a
> > federal investigation involving an alleged $7 million scheme aimed at
> > squeezing kickbacks out of companies seeking business from the state.
> > Federal prosecutors have acknowledged they're also investigating
> > "serious allegations of endemic hiring fraud" under Blagojevich, who
> > has a $177,412 salary, though it's unclear whether he accepts the
> > total.
>
> > Political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko who raised money for the
> > campaigns of both Blagojevich and Obama is awaiting sentencing after
> > being convicted of fraud and other charges. Blagojevich's chief
> > fundraiser, Christopher G. Kelly, is due to stand trial early next
> > year on charges of obstructing the Internal Revenue Service.
>
> > According to Tuesday's complaint, Blagojevich schemed with Rezko,
> > millionaire-fundraiser turned federal witness Stuart Levine and others
> > to get financial benefits for himself and his campaign committee.
>
> > Federal prosecutors said Blagojevich and the chairman of his campaign
> > committee have been speeding up corrupt fundraising activities in the
> > last month to get as much money as possible before the end of the year
> > when a new law would curtail his ability to raise contributions from
> > companies with state contracts worth more than $50,000.
>
> > According to the affidavit, agents learned Blagojevich was seeking
> > $2.5 million in campaign contributions by the end of the year, with a
> > large part allegedly to come from companies and individuals who have
> > gotten state contracts or appointments.
>
> > The affidavit also outlines Blagojevich conversations related to
> > Tribune Co., which has been hoping to sell Wrigley Field, the home of
> > the Chicago Cubs which the publishing giant also owns.
>
> > Blagojevich was quoted in court papers as telling Harris in a
> > profanity laced Nov. 4 conversation that his recommendation to Tribune
> > executives was to fire the editorial writers "and get us some
> > editorial support."
>
> > Harris is quoted as telling the governor Nov. 11 that an unnamed
> > Tribune Owner, presumably CEO Sam Zell, "got the message and is very
> > sensitive to the issue."
>
> > The affidavit said Harris quoted a Tribune financial adviser as saying
> > cuts were coming at the newspaper and "reading between the lines he's
> > going after that section," apparently meaning editorial writers.
> > Blagojevich is quoted as saying: "Oh, that's fantastic."
>
> > "Wow," Blagojevich allegedly replied. "Keep our fingers crossed.
> > You're the man. Good job, John."
>
> > Harris allegedly told Blagojevich in his conversation with the
> > financial adviser he had singled out deputy editorial page editor John
> > McCormick as "somebody who was the most biased and unfair."
>
> > After hearing that, Blagojevich allegedly stressed to the head of a
> > Chicago sports consulting firm that it was important to provide state
> > aid for a Wrigley Field sale.
>
> > Blagojevich took the chief executive's office in 2003 as a reformer
> > promising to clean up former Gov. George Ryan's mess.
>
> > Ryan, a Republican, is serving a 6-year prison sentence after being
> > convicted on racketeering and fraud charges. A decade-long
> > investigation began with the sale of driver's licenses for bribes and
> > led to the conviction of dozens of people who worked for Ryan when he
> > was secretary of state and governor.
>
> > FBI spokesman Frank Bochte said federal agents arrested the governor
> > and Harris simultaneously at their homes at 6:15 a.m. and took them to
> > the Chicago FBI headquarters.
>
> > He did not have any details about Blagojevich's arrest, only that he
> > was cooperative with federal agents.
>
> > "It was a very calm setting," he said.
>
> > The governor was to appear later Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge
> > Nan Nolan to answer the charges. The time was not immediately set.
>
> >http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081209/ap_on_re_us/blagojevich_corruptio...
>
> I am surprised you are not complaining about the political motivations
> of this prosecutor; after all, that what you complained about
> vehemently when he was going after Scooter Libby.
>
> By the way, if you would actually READ and UNDERSTAND the indictment,
> you will see that he was unhappy with Obama so there is nothing that
> touches Obama here so don't even try to go there.
>
> I trust Patrick Fitzgerald, the absolute best prosecutor in the United
> States.  He is thorough and relentless and totally ethical.  I hope he
> nails the guy.
>
> We Democrats got rid of Jefferson last week and now we are ridding
> ourselves of this guy.  Meanwhile, Scooter Libby was pardoned totally
> by Bush.

Here is the transcript from the conversation between the sleezbag
governor and the Obama campaign:

Sleezebag governor:  I have a senate seat that I am going to offer to
the highest bidder.  What will you give me for it?

Obama campaign:  In case you haven't heard governor, Obama is not
interested in the senate seat as he has accepted other employment.