Blagojevich

Okey dokey, so it looks like it's my job to post about Blagojevich getting charge. Here we go . . . .

On Tuesday, Blagojevich was arrested by the FBI. He is being charged with: 1) mail and wire fraud conspiracy, and 2) corruptly soliciting and demanding bribes. Though I'm not really sure if there's any non-corrupt way to solicit and demand bribes. (Also, apparently this violates Title 18 of the United States Code, Section 666!)

Apparently the bribes revolved around the Trib selling Wrigley with State assistance in exchange for them firing some people critical of Blago. Since this likely would've involved mail/phones that can cross state lines, the feds get involved. Going back to this document, check out paragraph 13, on page 7. That's a list of all the corrupt things he's being charged with:
a) Taking bribes for state commission appointments, state contracts, etc. The next two items are going to get more attention in the press, cause they involve Obama and the Cubs, but this is the bread and butter. This is what got the FBI's attention in the first place five or so years ago. Most of the complaint involves this shit (through page 43 of 78). Apparently, Blago kicked into overdrive for this because new State Ethic laws, effective January 1, severely limit the amount of campaign contributions an individual can receive.
b) Trib/Wrigley deal. Why he'd try to extort a newspaper that could, you know, report that shit? I don't know. A good line from the complaint, paragraph 73: "During the call [regarding the Trib's editorials], ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s wife can be heard in the
background telling ROD BLAGOJEVICH to tell Deputy Governor A “to hold up that
fucking Cubs shit. . . fuck them.”" Stay classy, Peggy B



c) Selling Obama's empty Senate seat for Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Obama Administration. (Could be an uh-oh for Obama, or at least someone close to him.) Apparently he was also willing to take a job working for a union which a bidder was willing to try to work about for Blago and a union favored by the bidder. (Interesting, hopefully I'll remember to look in to that)


So this shit is getting mad attention in the press, as it should. (2,500 news hits in the first day) So what can I say that hasn't already been said? Let's deal with what should happen to Blago.

Lisa Madigan wants the Supreme Court of Illinois to kick Blago out. I'm not 100% sure on how this'll work and I don't think anyone else is too sure about this one either. I think she was performing her due diligence on how she can help get the jerk out of office.

Here's an article from Slate that covers the rest. Yeah, I'm copping out, but I got finals and it's my lady's birthday today and I got shit to do. More on this later and, most importantly, my thoughts on the Slate article. Pop quiz tomorrow.