Illinois Governor Arrested

Everything was going fairly well until the democrats took over the house and senate two years ago...

Well said Blueflame1 and let not forget the lost of privacy under Bush where everything from our readings to our location from minute to minute thank to the government turning our cell phones into beacons where the billions of phones pings are being save for a long time, so they can tell where you had been or at least your cell phone for months within 10s of meters.

I suggest that it might be nice if you Obama haters would at least allow the man to get into power and do things you do not care for instead of making up fears of what evil he might do in your worst dreams and hating him for that.

We all know what evil the Bush run government had done, and I don't remember the Bush hating getting off the ground until he did things that you
could indeed hate him for.

Remember Barney and Dodd, oh no, Fannie and Freddie are just fine, don't you dare try to tell us it needs more oversight?

I hope you realize how far out of a character blueflame is?

Winner, Ironic post of the thread

Cycloptichorn

The first person who can tell me what Bush-bashing has to do with the IL governor getting arrested wins a cigar!

Bush-bashing has to do with all the illegal stuff Bush did as a public servant; ditto for the IL gov. Did I win that cigar?

nope

"And George Bush got rid of one mass murderer." Yes Bushie hung a guy who was armed and funded by his Father. There were other ways Bushie could have handled Saddam but rushed into war before Blix proved Saddam had no WMD. He could have been a genuine hero instead of a war criminal. Maybe Obama will carry on and bomb bomb bomb Iran or maybe that died with McCain/Palin. It would be something if Obama made peace with Iran and Russia and achieved a two state solution between Israel and Palestine. That would be the all time vengeance for the Bushie years. If Obama paints the world green and creates a cleaner economy people might whistle as they work and Bushie will hang his head like Tom Dooley. Starting Jan. 20 we'll find out if Obama will stay the course or do a 180.

It has nothing, directly, to do with the subject.

The topic was raised because of one or more poster's insistence that any remotely negative comments about Obama constituted "Obama-Hating."

The irony in these claims is so richly ironic it makes my stomach hurt.

Certainly there are folks on A2K who might be defined as "Obama-Haters," but by rough count, nowhere near as many as the "Bush-Haters."

It doesn't really matter, however, how many of either ilk there are or, for that matter, how quickly the reliable "Bush-Haters" of the past 8 years have thinned their skins towards anything they perceive as "Obama-Hating." These silly tribalistic ways are bound to prevail over reason.

It also doesn't really matter whether or not fools have to rely on stock insults to bolster their positions: "I like Obama. You don't. You are a racist!"

Frankly, it is sometimes difficult not to rise to the bait, no matter that there isn't a skilled angler on the other end, but that's a failing of those of us that do (myself included) and no praise for the clowns tossing chum.

In any case, it bears stating that okie is neither an "Obama-Hater" in keeping with the behavior of "Bush-Haters," nor a racist.

Unless I get to pick the cigar, please keep the prize.

Thanks Finn. I don't think I hate anyone. Nor do most conservatives I know. Opposing someone's policies is not hate. Trust is also another issue, you can trust or distrust someone without hating them. In contrast, I have read some pretty vicious opinions about Bush, hoping he will die, wanting to hang him, prosecute him, whatever.

I wish no ill come to Obama, I wish him the best, personally and for his family, I have said more than once I am glad he beat the Clintons. Simply opposing someone and their policy has nothing to do with hate or love, it has to do with what is good for the country. I like lots of people that are in no way shape or form qualified to be president.

Now back to our regularly scheduled thread.

It really is incredible that this guy assumed he was going to get away with such gross corruption.

The day before he was arrested he was giving a speech declaring how "lawful" he was and how he welcomed wiretaps.

Reminds me of the joke with the punch line: "Oh...I though you said King Kong's balls."

Someone on TV described him as a sociopath and I think that's pretty apt.

There is so much that is disturbing about this situation:

1) He was elected to the chief executive position of the state of Illinois by a majority of voting Illinois citizens.

Is this why politics in Illinois is so corrupt; the voters are such gullible marks?

The guy has mad rhetorical skills (sound familiar?) that so utterly fooled so many voters? (Serbian Obama)

Someone on this thread has ventured that he was actually the better of the two candidates! What was the other guy? A convicted serial killer?

2) The reflexive first reaction of every politician is to deny, deny deny. That such a denial in part or whole constitutes lying is entirely immaterial.

Obama was, predictably, questioned and he denied ever being in contact with the Gov. post election.

Unfortunately his chief political strategist said on TV that he was. Of course Axelrod then corrected himself and pled to a misstatement, but what is the average citizen to believe?

You make a statement that has virtually no political consequence.

Later that statement proves embarrassing to your boss who has, publicly, contradicted it.

You confess to being wrong about your original statement.

Are we really to believe that Axlerod was mistaken? Perhaps he was, but is there any reason why an intelligent, rational human being should believe that over the alternative?

Now comes Jesse Jackson Jr telling us with all the sincerity he can muster that he did nothing wrong. Just as seemingly sincere as The Gov the day before he was arrested and just as seemingly sincere as Bill Clinton when he told America that he never had sexual relations with that woman...

Why should we believe anything any of them tell us?

For the vast majority of them, their first reaction is to deny. If this means lying, so be it. They all seem to figure the best course is to try and lie their way out of messes and if that doesn't work, lie some more. If finally caught red-handed they opt to blame others (a la Edwards - My adoring supporters mad me cheat on my cancer stricken wife).

3) People will believe the liar as he blatantly lies to them because they want their "side" to win. Or, and this is worse, they will applaud and reward the miscreant because he "stuck it to" the Man, the Establishment, the Enemy.

Witness, Marion Barry, William Jefferson, Ted Stevens, et al.

I realize that the beauty of our system of government is that it contemplates base instincts and has found a way to force them, ultimately, to serve us but it is ever frustrating and disturbing.

I certainly don't know if Obama is connected in any way to this mess, nor do I believe he is, but are we to base our opinions of his innocence on his verbal protestations? Why should we believe him anymore than any other politician?

If it turns out that this scandal leads to an exposure of illicit ties between Obama and Rezko, I, for one, will not be shocked. I don't expect it to happen, in part, because the Establishment (of all stripes) doesn't want a constitutional crisis, but I will not be shocked.

How might this happen? The Gov cops a plea with the Feds in return for all the info he can spill on any and all other Chicago politicians. **** comes out about Obama and Rezko. (If you think I am some lone right-wing fantasist, you should check in with Juan Williams of PRB and FOX).

Chicago politics (which is to say Illinois politics) is nasty and corrupt. Will anyone argue that it is not?

Now we have a president-elect who came up from the ranks of this cesspool, and we are being asked to believe that he made it without capitulation or outright malfeasance.

Maybe he did.

People believe that Mary gave birth as a virgin, that Big Foot roams the Seattle wilderness, and that Jews and Bush conspired to produce 9/11.

Anything is possible.

But if Obama tells us he had absolutely nothing to do with the nasty **** in Illinois, why should we believe him?

I tend to, but he would not be the last silver tongue liar.

The problem is not Obama or the The Gov., it is the extent to which we accept that government should determine what we can and cannot do.

Liberals are all for a strong government guiding us to a presumed prosperity, but The Gov., Barry, Jefferson, Stevens, Rangel, Craig, DeLay, et al are The Government.

It doesn't matter what party you feel affinity towards, none of them are better suited to tell you what to do with your life than you, and some (perhaps most) want to rob you.

We don't serve our Government, it serves us!

Who the f*ck is Harry Reid to complain about the BO of the American people who come to DC to visit their heritage?!

Why do any of you Big Government proponents believe that Big Government will solve our problems?

What is the track record? Who are the players?

Of course you don't, anymore than you hated McCain when we went back and forth on him. (You being displeased with him).

Without a doubt there are idiots who participate in this forum and lay claim to a conservative position.

I have no intention of scolding these idiots as I might scold the idiots of the Left.

Heaven forbid! I am not objective.

They are, never-the-less, idiots, and the Left should not require my help in proving them so. When the Left on A2K polices their idiots I will consider engaging in the attempt to police our own.

Clearly, you are not one of these right-wing miscreants, and I trust you couldn't care less what the left-wing jackasses post about you.

We are, along with a few others, Strangers in A Strange Land here on A2K.

Unfortunately, this forum is going down hill and the way of Abuzz.

When I find the forum that rational A2Kers have fled to, I will let you know.

I don't think that much of this scandal will stick to Obama, but it certainly should take some of the luster off his crown....it's just too hard to believe that Obama could keep his clothes entirely clean while swimming in the cesspool of Chicago politics.

On the other hand, this scandal could lead to the early sacrifice of one of his newly selected staff, maybe even Rahm Emanuael (Obama certainly seems to be deflecting questions about E's involvement). Whoever takes the fall, the fatal sin will be one of ommission rather than commission. There seems to be no evidence that the Obama emerging administration raised the flag about Blago's illegal activities, yet folks like Valerie Jarrett inexpliably removed themselves from consideration and Blago himself complained that they wouldn't play. Only two conclusions can be drawn from that. Either 1) someone knew and did nothing, in which case Obama will need to ask for his/her resignation to keep his own image clean or 2) general acknowledgement that this is routine Chicago politics of which Obama is part and parcel. Based on Obama's past history of throwing old friends under the bus whenever necessary, I submit we'll see the former rather than the latter.

I hate Obama. I must be a racist. At least that's what they tell me at A2K.

You realize there are tapes to prove it one way or another, if Obama had been involved, trust me, the proof would be all over the blogs by now.

Anybody have any sort of a number or website for HR at the Ill. state government office? I've always halfway wanted to try my hand at governor for one of the states and I underestand they have an opening at present.

why should this have any effect on Obama? Why is there this debate? He has stated repeatedly knew nothing of this and apparently his staff didn't either. What's so hard about this? Why do people want to drag him into something that someone tthat Obama and his staff AVOIDED like the plague?

That's a rhetorical question right?

This is going to be the trend. Okie, H2O, the usual suspects, will try to connect Obama to any mildly scandalous news tidbit released in the next four years.

"What? Paula Adbul's stalker killed herself just outside Paula's home? Where was Barack at the time? You can't really rule him out as a suspect; after all, he was an Illinois politician. And an "idol" to boot--Paula is a judge on American Idol. Coincidence, hmmmmmmmm?