Ace of Spades (H/T, by the way) has kindly given me permission to use the Flaming Blagojevich Skull for this, so I shall:
Sun-Times exclusive: Burris promised Blago campaign a check by mid-December
In a November conversation caught on an FBI wiretap, Roland Burris promised Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s brother that he’d write the governor a campaign check by mid-December, Burris’ lawyer said today.
That was about a month before Rod Blagojevich appointed Burris to the U.S. Senate.
But lawyer Timothy Wright told the Chicago Sun-Times today that his client never sent the check because he believed it wasn’t a good idea given Burris’ interest in the U.S. Senate seat appointment. Wright said Burris’ decision not to send the check had nothing to do with Blagojevich’s Dec. 9 arrest.
Why, no, this planned contribution was not mentioned in any previous narrative about what was going on about Burris’ Senate appointment. It got completely overlooked, in fact. But that’s actually a distraction from the real question, here, which is: what in God’s name was Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid thinking when he seated this guy?
Heck, does Senator Reid think?
OK, that’s two questions. Sue me.
Moe Lane
PS: If you’re wondering why Illinois Democrats haven’t picked a successor for Burris yet, it’s almost certainly because they have to wait to see who’s getting indicted in the next six months.
Crossposted to Moe Lane.
Timothy Wright's a Lawyer
farstar99 Tuesday, May 26th at 6:53PM EDT (link)That’s the Democrat pronunciation for LIAR.
Remember that, people, when he claims the check was going to be for a said amount, or when he attributes motives to actions months after the fact.
Bottom Line:
The truth was not disclosed under oath.
Burris lied.
Wright is lying.
We don’t know what the amount was going to be, only what Wright is saying the amount was going to be.
Don’t be fooled or misdirected.
We shouldn't harp on this too much now.
jeffreywturner Tuesday, May 26th at 7:36PM EDT (link)We should wait until the day after the Democratic primary for this seat next year.
“Life is too short, can’t we all just eat pork and kill some terrorists?”
I can't imagine the Democrats would be *that* dumb.
Moe Lane Tuesday, May 26th at 8:07PM EDT (link)They’ll get rid of this guy somehow.
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Primary run-off maybe
naraht Tuesday, May 26th at 10:39PM EDT (link)If the Senate doesn’t manage to throw him out in the next year, the Democrats have a couple of options to make sure he doesn’t end up as the Democratic Nominee for Senator. The *only* way that Burris becomes the nominee is if a) he can play the race card (thus getting the *entire* black community behind him) *and* b) if there are at *least* 4 other serious candidates who have been in congress or who have held statewide office.
To stop a) from happening, Jesse Jackson III* will get a great deal of pressure to support one of the other candidates. To stop b), either President Obama will pressure enough to get out to get it down to 3 or 4 candidates or the State Legislatures will allow for Primary Run-offs.
*Assuming JJIII doesn’t get dragged into the court case…
If JJ gets dragged into court in the Blago affair, that would be...
6eorge Jetson Tuesday, May 26th at 11:27PM EDT (link)DY-NO-MITE!!!
Ummm…Who Threw Stuff Out?
Reid had little choice...
Fred Maidment Tuesday, May 26th at 8:49PM EDT (link)…as Blago had yet to be impeached when he made the appointment. As such, Blago had every right to make the appointment and Reid had a responsibility to seat Burris.
Now, if the GOP would just put up a reasonable, capable candidate, they could really attack the Democratic majority in Illinois.
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- - Thomas Jefferson, to Archibald Stuart, 1791
Which doesn't explain the letter Reid had his caucus write...
Moe Lane Tuesday, May 26th at 8:53PM EDT (link)…telling Blago that none of his choices were going to be acceptable to the Senate. The one that Blago more or less shoved down Reid’s throat in response.
I repeat: *does* Harry Reid think?
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Doubt it...
Fred Maidment Tuesday, May 26th at 8:55PM EDT (link)Harry Reid has proved on multiple occasions that the Rule of Law means little to him. Seems to prefer Mob Rule: Whatever is popular, that is where we stand.
He is a caricature of a politician. Everything a pol is but exaggerated in all its features…
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“I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.”
- - Thomas Jefferson, to Archibald Stuart, 1791
yet to be convicted, I think...
naraht Tuesday, May 26th at 10:55PM EDT (link)I think even if Blago had waited until after his impeachment, he still doesn’t lose that right until he’s convicted…
My guess is that Rep Kirk will try for Statewide office soon, the question is Senate or Governor.
I think that Burris (presuming he makes it to the General) would want to face Jim Oberweis…
Oberweis?
Justin_Case Tuesday, May 26th at 11:19PM EDT (link)Didn’t he just get beat again? I’m pretty sure he lost Hastert’s district.
Burress versus Oberweis: Clash of the titans.
Yup.
naraht Tuesday, May 26th at 11:39PM EDT (link)Which took work. And you figure the Illinois Republican Party decided that they were better off with importing Keyes from Maryland than letting Oberweis take on Obama back in 2004 after the Republican Nominee dropped out.
The "conviction" in the Illinois senate took about a day if memory serves <font color="OldLace">--nt--</font>
6eorge Jetson Tuesday, May 26th at 11:31PM EDT (link)Ummm…Who Threw Stuff Out?
Not much longer than that...
naraht Tuesday, May 26th at 11:41PM EDT (link)But it was a few days between the Decision in the House and coming up in the Senate. The bizarre thing is that the Illinois Constitution doesn’t put any limitations on what he could be impeached on. They could have impeached and convicted him for a hideous toupee.
I would think this is why the FBI stepped in?
smitty Tuesday, May 26th at 9:02PM EDT (link)They said they were concerned Blago was about to sell the seat but then he eventually gave the seat to the guy who was going to buy it anyway. I don’t get it. At least there is something entertaining to watch now that shows are in re-runs
If a Republican won...
dsfiscool Tuesday, May 26th at 9:31PM EDT (link)“Now, if the GOP would just put up a reasonable, capable candidate, they could really attack the Democratic majority in Illinois.”
If a Republican won in Illinois, ie. Chicago, the next morning’s headlines would read: “Dead Voters Decided To Stay Home.”
Fingers crossed
molybdanthan Tuesday, May 26th at 9:32PM EDT (link)That this mess goes all through the IL Dem ranks. Not nearly enough heads have rolled thus far.
Factions...
naraht Tuesday, May 26th at 10:47PM EDT (link)The Illinois Democratic party has some significant factions. A good number of them were quite happy to see him impeached on general principles including his former Lt. Gov. (They just flat didn’t like each other, according to one source they had gone more than a year without exchanging more than a few pleasantries).
As long as this scandal remains in Blago’s extended political family and Burris’s extended political family, both the new Governor and DailyKos will be happy to compare popcorn brands with Redstate. OTOH, if Jesse Jackson III or Rahm Emanuel are pulled in, things change significantly.
Emanuel is probably safe; Jackson... maybe not.
Moe Lane Tuesday, May 26th at 11:01PM EDT (link)Even if both are, there’s some hope for a nice cascade of indictments anyway.
Moe Lane
PS: As to popcorn brands, I can live with dKos enjoying watching corrupt Dems go to jail. But they had better circle the wagons around Quigley; that guy’s going to get hammered by the Illinois Combine next year.
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Possibly
naraht Tuesday, May 26th at 11:57PM EDT (link)But I think that Quinn and Madigan disliked him enough that they wouldn’t have gone in on a lot of underhanded stuff with Blago for personal reasons. While there may have been things, its less likely they were connected.
I agree that there is a better than even chance that Quigley will get primaried in IL-5 next year, but Quigley’s no shrinking violet.
And of course by 2011, you’ve got redistricting as well. Unless the Republicans can take the Governor’s chair, its not going to be pretty.
What I'm wondering about...
Moe Lane Wednesday, May 27th at 12:25AM EDT (link)…is not the connections between Quinn, Madigan, and Blagojevich: it’s the connections between their people and everybody else’s people. If it’s as bad as it looks from outside the state, at some point the magic word “RICO” gets intoned and everybody goes to jail.
Bear in mind that I expect it to happen to both parties. Illinois politics seem… cozy.
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it would be about time....
JLenardDetroit Wednesday, May 27th at 12:31AM EDT (link)or the other Chicago way…. send them to prison for Tax evasion….. oh wait… with the Obama “Tax evasion exemptions” for everyone in the cabinet, it would be hard to do that….
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
lol Thing is that it might be funny if not so true.
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+ I want “O” to FAIL (here, here, & whole Diary (Ofail) here, is why)
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Pardons aplenty
molybdanthan Wednesday, May 27th at 3:14AM EDT (link)Anyone who falls on their sword will have that to look forward to.
Clinton pardoned Susan McDougal, and her silence helped Hillery become Senator and Secretary of State. Maybe kept Bill in office during the impeachment. She accomplished this prossibly because they couldn’t water board her. Think of the ‘dirty bombs’ she knows about.
Some brave President of the future should do away with the pardon system, or at least prevent them from invoking executive privilege in conjunction.
Investigators are using shovels to sift through this Illinois sludge. It goes deep. They need heavy equipment.
supreme?
smitch61 Tuesday, May 26th at 10:37PM EDT (link)does this in anyway affect the makeup of the senate should he have to step down?
Nope.
naraht Tuesday, May 26th at 10:42PM EDT (link)The new Governor of Illinois, who was Blago’s Lt. Governor isn’t touched by the scandal at all (Illinois has separate primaries for Gov & Lt. Gov who *then* run as a ticket) and they just flat didn’t like each other.
If Burris were to step down tomorrow, the Dem Governor would appoint a replacement, probably within the week and he’d be sworn in by the middle of June. Harry Reid would love that, because it would make the headache go away…