Illinois Governor Arrested

Who keeps leaving the zoo gate open?

Oh! I get it, zoo. That's a place where animals live!

You've used what is called a "metaphor," cj, congratulations. Now give your mind a little rest. Here are some crayons.

Great.

I agree with your assessment about this affair. The conflicting statements about whether Obama or his people had talked to the governor, I firmly believe he did, I think that is pretty logical, so I think Obama parsed his words, he lied or did not speak the entire truth, I can't be sure but I think that is a high possibility. I admit I am skewed by not having a high confidence in Obama as a Chicago politician, but as you point out, there is conflicting evidence they had talked, and I tend to believe the statements made when there was no political pressure to say one thing or the other, as you point out.

Now, whether Obama was actively entertaining or negotiating quid quo pro or payoffs, that is another question, but perhaps when the stakes became a little high, Obama and his people bailed out and that could be another reason why this came out when it did? I think Obama is capable of doing that kind of stuff, but I also think he is not dumb, so I tend to think he did not, but merely knowing about the demands, or the past activities of the governor and not reporting it is also another matter that deserves attention. And maybe somebody in the Obama camp did help report some of this?

Obama has not gotten where he is without hanging around the dregs of the political world of Illinois, that we know for sure. We already know he got a nice deal from Rezko on his property, so corruption would not be a surprise.

In regard to the governor and his behavior, perhaps he is on drugs of some kind, that is one possibility. Mere speculation to explain his brazen behavior, but who knows?

Lots of 'maybes' and 'could be-s' in there...

I guess it's pretty clear that you are suspicious of Obama, but not so clear that he, yaknow, did anything wrong at all.

Cycloptichorn

Maybe you need to read my post again? I think he lied or parsed his words pretty severely, cyclops, this not enough to throw the Obama express off the tracks, but it is enough to cast a cloud of suspicion on the man, which has been there since Day 1 as far as many of us are concerned, but if you have an ounce of honesty you would also be compelled to consider the cloud as well?

Do I think the web of corruption will ensnare Obama? Probably not. Do I think he is purer than the wind driven snow? Absolutely not, far far from it, and if you had any common sense you wouldn't either. My guess is you will continue to drink the Obama koolaid, because why, because he will bring everything wonderful to all downtrodden peoples of the world, peace, health care, prosperity, fairness, social and economic justice, blah blah blah, you are an open book, cyclops, as are most libs.

What evidence do you base this on, Okie? My guess is none at all. Just your suspicions. Hardly convincing.



Did I say that I thought he was as pure as the driven snow? Maybe you could link to that?



How is it you are so illiterate, then? You don't understand me or what motivates me at all, instead preferring to simplify me into a cariacature.

I wish you wouldn't do that, Okie. Yaknow when others tell me it's not worth discussing stuff with you, I ignore them, for I haven't found that to be the case. But when you go on and on about Obama and claim that I somehow worship the guy, it doesn't convince me that they are wrong, because it's nothing more than an attempt to insult on your part.

Cycloptichorn

I was thinking of this before Rush brought this up this morning, buy yes. the template now is the governor is a nut, off his rocker, etc., that is going to be the defense. How is this unlike the Reverend Wright? Wright, the unhinged nutcase that shouts obsenities, hates American, etc.. huh, nobody had any idea this guy was that out there, therefore Obama had nothing to do with it even though he was his personal mentor and spiritual advisor for 20 years. By the way, Wright is now saying December 7 is when we killed hundreds of thousands of innocent Japanese? Maybe Obama really did think there was 57 states?

So now since the governor is nuts, he must be the only corrupt politician in the state of Illinois!

I think its over, folks, this country could be over, I hope not, but it aint lookin good.

Apart from the whole depressing scene of politicians putting their powers up for sale, you know what chaps me the most about this whole thing? Whenever a Republican at any level of government gets caught in a scandal, the media leads every new news story with the word "REPUBLICAN" or "CONSERVATIVE" or "BAD FOR THE REPUBLICANS or MORE PROBLEMS FOR GEORGE BUSH" or something such as that.

But ever since this story broke you have to really hunt for the word DEMOCRAT or LIBERAL attached to Rod Blagojevich in the U.S. media. (The overseas media is being somewhat more honest about that.) For the most part, you don't find the immediate reference to 'trouble for the Democrats' or "trouble for President-elect Obama."

The media bias continues unabated.

It just makes me mad, but sorry for the rant, and I'll step off my soapbox now.

Carry on.

I hope the zookeepers show up soon. Garbagesmell's cage it getting pretty rank.

You should be very ashamed, Foxfyre, you are so "mean spirited?" Do you remember the defense of Clinton, lying was even good for the soul, and can't we all just get along, everybody is so "mean spirited," engaging in the politics of personal destruction, never mind the corruption. Just kidding. I agree with you totally, but perhaps the more the bias goes on, perhaps more and more people will get it?

One encouragement, newspapers and network news keeps losing readership, money, etc. AP is broken, thats for sure, just one of many examples.

And where are the good investigative reporters anymore?

Yup. I'm willing to give Obama the benefit of the doubt on this, but the coverage is suggestive. The bias is not in what is reported, but in what is considered to unimportant to mention.

It appears that you think ignorance and/or delusional thinking is somehow contagious. Someone has some slippery thinking here, but it ain't Obama.

That reminds me ... If a rhetorical tree falls in the forest, does it sound like one hand clapping?

Ragman,
I'm concerned because Jarrett is mentioned as one of the candidates considered and discarded by Blago as uncooperative. I give her credit if she learned of the "pay to play" requirement and quit because of it. However she quit in early Nov...more than a month ago. If she knew Blago was selling the seat a month ago, she should have blew the whistle herself, not waited until Fitz had tapes. The same argument can be made of any of the candidates that Blago was vetting.

Furthermore I'm intrigued by Obama's close parsing of his statement that he had no interaction with Blago about his Senate seat. He starts out something like "We....I had not contact..." His retraction of the work "We" and replacing with "I" would imply he is not sure if someone else on his staff spoke with Blago and I'm willing to bet that if so, that person is toast.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081211/us_nm/us_blagojevich

no, but it smells like bear ****.

There has been a guy out there, singing, talking, Tony Rezko, and as this has happened, Obama continues to sweat.

O, as a senator, would certainly know the governor fairly well. But I guess, for the right, it will be guilt by association.

What is the latest on Candidate 5 (Jesse, Jr.). He looked pretty strained during his speech on his innocence.

nah.

Tony Rezko is all over the Chicago political scene. His relationship with Obama has been thoroughly investigated. His relationship with others continues to come out.