Talk Talk Talk Talk Talk Myself to Death: Taken Into Custody

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Taken Into Custody

We woke up this morning to the news that Governor Rob Blagojevich had, as the header says, been "taken into custody." The reporters weren't exactly sure about what the story was, but they knew that the Feds had been out to Blago's house and left with him. I won't go into the details here--this story has been all over the news, and the blogs, and the rest of the Internet, and everything that hot stories tend to be all over--but this is pretty unbelievable to me. It's not unbelievable that the governor was arrested, because pretty much everybody I talk to has believed him to be corrupt for ages, and it was hardly a secret that Patrick Fitzgerald was investigating him. But for him to be so blatant in trying to sell Barack Obama's senate seat is just staggering to me. The pure arrogance that he believed he could do such a thing with impunity. I'm not sure that he so much believed he wouldn't get caught as that it wouldn't make any difference if he did. I guess now's our chance to find out.

It appears to me that, posting bail aside, Blago is ready to go full-speed ahead in finding a replacement for Obama. It's his pick--and his pick alone--until he's no longer in office. Although resignation seems to be the responsible move to make, I think we can assume that responsibility is essentially irrelevant to Blago and take that option off the table. He's still apparently waiting for the right price (an empty senate seat is "golden," after all). Will the Illinois legislature rise to the occasion of getting him out of the way before he names a name, or will state legislators consider this business as usual themselves? They've got to appear as if they're concerned, but they may not really be. What they likely will be, though, is afraid that Fitz might turn his X-ray vision on them next, so we may discover that appearances are everything. In the meantime, test your skill and see how easy it is to tell Blago from Tony Soprano (here's a hint--Tony Soprano's quotes are better written).

8 Comments:

At 7:11 AM, December 10, 2008, Blogger Jason said...

I'm not too concerned about the Senate seat. Not because I don't think Blago won't try to appoint someone, but because whoever he might try to appoint would be toxic if they accepted the appointment. I just can't see Jesse Jackson Jr. or Tammy Duckworth accepting that appointment under these circumstances. Which means the only option he has is to appoint himself, and if he does that the Senate will certainly refuse to seat him.

The amazing thing about this is that Governor Blagojevich would have to be the stupidest person in the history of the universe not to think he was being investigated and most likely being taped. How do you have these conversations if you think there is even an outside chance you are being taped, let alone the near certainty of his situation?

 
At 7:31 AM, December 10, 2008, Blogger cubby said...

How do you have these conversations if you think there is even an outside chance you are being taped, let alone the near certainty of his situation?

Well, just remember, this is the same man who thought that by appointing himself to the seat, he could easily jumpstart his own run for the presidency in 2016. (According to the complaint)

This whole mess does make me proud that I voted for Paul Vallas in 2002.*

*I did vote for Governor Pottymouth in the general that year, but that was the only time, and that was only because I wouldn't support the Republican candidate. Take that, Jim Ryan.

 
At 10:17 AM, December 10, 2008, Blogger Mike Chary said...

It sounds to me like Illinois is in some sort of bizarre contest with Alaska...

 
At 11:39 AM, December 10, 2008, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Josh Marshall has already been talking about such a contest between Illinois, Alaska, and Louisiana. A reader argued that Rhode Island should be entered, but Marshall's not sold on the idea yet.

 
At 2:03 PM, December 10, 2008, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Blago is pathological, he denies reality. There's no other explanation.

 
At 4:38 PM, December 10, 2008, Blogger Stuart Shea said...

Recall that Chicago magazine profile that labeled him a "sociopath."

 
At 5:02 PM, December 10, 2008, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I missed that at the time, Stu, but here's a link to the February 2008 article, "Mr. Un-Popularity." The sociopath label appears on page 7 and is attributed to "a few people who know the governor."

 
At 5:43 PM, December 10, 2008, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I know I'm bringing this up a little after the fact, but a couple weeks ago, when Sen. Durbin first floated the idea of a pardon for ex-Gov. Ryan, my first thought was that he was setting a precedent for a later pardon of Gov. Rod. I have to think that the events of the past few days may have cooled down the Ryan pardon train.
-Chuck G.

 

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