SuperJerk 0 Report post Posted December 10, 2008 Those are reasonable at-first-glance concerns for Cantor to have about Obama's connection to the machine. Yes, perfectly reasonable for Cantor and Hunter to try to connect the newly-elected president to a scandal with no evidence. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Ol' Smitty 0 Report post Posted December 10, 2008 I bet Jesse Junior was one of them. Why Jesse Jr.? The guy seems to be pretty clean for a Chi-City pol. The worst thing I've ever heard about him was when he got pissed and tried to fight another state congressman--but John McCain almost became President! Is it because he has a dick father? In that case, I'm boned as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
snuffbox 0 Report post Posted December 10, 2008 I'm guessing the suspicion comes not from his dad being black, but from this being something that his dad would gladly partake in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Czecherbear Report post Posted December 10, 2008 Jesse's other sons were the benefactors of the "This Bud's a Dud" shakedown, in which Anheuser-Busch didn't have enough black-owned distributorships until Jesse's kids acquired them, so when I heard that a Chicago politician was trying to buy a public office, my first thought was Jesse. Was this unfair? Probably. Yes, perfectly reasonable for Cantor and Hunter to try to connect the newly-elected president to a scandal with no evidence It might be reasonable for outsiders to the situation, which I know Eric Cantor is, being from Virginia, to see all this shit go down involving the Chicago political machine, of which Obama is a part, and ask when Obama will speak up and say he has nothing to do with it. I don't know if I'd go on the record with my musings if I were him, but it's okay to at least wonder how Obama figures into this. As it turns out, he's no friend of Rod's lately, though I'm sure Obama campaigned for him in 2006 as he did for Todd Stroger, from whom he also distances himself. I don't know. This is a fascinating story about a lot of things: auctioning elected offices, extorting and censoring the press, withholding funds to sick children, and the usual patronage and contract-awarding sliminess of big city politics. We don't exactly need to flesh out the thread with half-assed Obama smears and half-assed reactions to the half-assed smears, do we? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SuperJerk 0 Report post Posted December 10, 2008 When you put it that way, I'm satisfied with your take on it. I've got nothing to add. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted December 10, 2008 ABC says that Jesse Jr. was the candidate willing to supply money in exchange for the seat. I'm not surprised by that. http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/ConductUnbec...1739&page=1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Ol' Smitty 0 Report post Posted December 10, 2008 Ha! Makes me look dumb really fast. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jwest27 0 Report post Posted December 10, 2008 Hahahaha. I don't even know that much about politics at all, and I still hated this guy. Probably because everyone I know does too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Ol' Smitty 0 Report post Posted December 12, 2008 FBI File #9536B Wiretap on line 312-XXX-XXXX November 10th, 2008 12:42 PM Eastern Time Rush transcript: RAHM EMANUEL: This is Rahm. ROD BLAGOJEVICH: Hey Rahm, yeah it's Rod. EMANUEL: Uh-huh. What's going on governor, I'm busy. BLAGO: Well, it's about that Senate appointment... EMANUEL: We already gave you the list of people we like. BLAGO: Yeah, I been looking the list over. Interesting names. Good people. How's the transition going? EMANUEL: It's going fine, governor. Are you calling to fucking tell me anything, or what, cause I-- BLAGO: No no, I'm just wondering if you have all your picks already made. I heard something about Dashle for HHS-- EMANUEL: I'm not gonna discuss ongoing deliberations, gov, you know that. BLAGO: Hey, come on Rahm, let's not act like I'm a stranger here. EMANUEL: Did I call you a stranger? If I thought you were a stranger, you think I'd be interrupting my important fucking business to take this goddam fucking phone call? BLAGO: Hey you don't have to get curt with me, Rahm. EMANUEL: This isn't me being curt, Gov, this is me being fucking busy. Now what did you call about? BLAGO: I'm just feeling you out, seeing if Valerie [Jarret] still wants that Senate seat, just wondering what kind of priority that is for the President-Elect. EMANUEL: Actually, it's not a priority. Valerie's had second thoughts about the job. BLAGO: What, she doesn't want it anymore? EMANUEL: She's having second thoughts. You want more details, you ask her. BLAGO: She won't take my calls. EMANUEL: Big fucking surprise. BLAGO: What's that supposed to mean? EMANUEL: Um, I don't know, what's it supposed to mean governor? A.) You're a fucking crook. B.) You're a fucking asshole. C.) All of the above. BLAGO: I'm clean Rahm, you know this. You think that fucking Fitzgerald would being twiddling his fucking thumbs if he had shit to go on? EMANUEL: I gotta go, Gov. You appoint who you want, we don't really give a shit. BLAGO: What if I appoint Valerie, what if she takes it? EMANUEL: What do you want me to say? We'd appreciate it, I'm not gonna fucking kiss your ring over it. BLAGO: "Appreciate it"? Come on, this is a senate seat we're talking about. It's worth a fuck of a lot more than appreciation. EMANUEL: You asked us for a list, we gave you a fucking list, you want to make your own list then make your own fucking list. [Raising voice] But if you're asking for anything else from me, or Barack, or Valerie, then you can fucking stop talking right now Rod. BLAGO: Wait a sec there Rahm. Wait just a fucking minute. Who are you to talk to me like that? I fucking made you. EMANUEL: You made me? You made me? Tell me you're fucking joking. BLAGO: No no no, you listen to me shit-face. You see this list I got, the names motherfucking Obama fucking wants for the Senate. I just ripped it in two. How you like that? Oops, Harris just dropped it in the shredder. Harris? HARRIS (muffled): Yes sir? BLAGO: Did you just drop that list in the shredder? [Whirring, shredder noise] HARRIS (muffled): I did. EMANUEL: Do you have me on fucking speakerphone? BLAGO: It's in the shredder, Rahm. The list is bye bye. EMANUEL: Hold on a sec -- you got me on fucking speakerphone? Who the fuck do you think I am? BLAGO: Who are you Rahm? Who are you? You're shit, you hear me? Don't come back to Chicago Rahm, it's not your town any more. EMANUEL: Pick up the phone Rod. BLAGO: I'll put someone in the senate who will fucking fuck you. I might even put myself in there, how you like that Rahm? How you gonna explain that to fucking Barack, every time he's gotta call me up for my fucking vote. He'd have to take my calls then, wouldn't he? EMANUEL: [screaming] I said pick up the FUCKING phone! BLAGO: [Picks up phone, speakerphone off] I got your attention now, didn't I? EMANUEL: Shut the fuck up and listen to me for one second Rod. And I want you to listen carefully, because this is the last time I'm ever going to talk to you. You are fucking dead to me. You been fucking dead to Barack since '06, now you're dead to me. Know what that means? That means you're dead to my people in Chicago, Daley on down, and all these friends you think you have aren't gonna touch you with a ten foot fucking pole. BLAGO: Oh now you're the fucking Godfather? Fuck you. EMANUEL: No fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you. BLAGO: Fuck you! EMANUEL: Listen up asshole. The shit's gonna hit the fan, maybe tomorrow, maybe next month, and when Fitz finally brings down the hammer it's gonna be my name that's going through your head. You won't know the hows or the fucking whys, but it's gonna have my fucking fingerprints all over it. Have a great life fatso. BLAGO: Hey fuck-- EMANUEL: [Click.] End of conversation Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DMann2003 0 Report post Posted December 13, 2008 That was GOLD Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Czecherbear Report post Posted December 13, 2008 I should've known better when I saw Daschle misspelled. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0 Report post Posted December 13, 2008 I think we might have the beginning of a good movie or something. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Czecherbear Report post Posted December 16, 2008 Attorney General Lisa Madigan: would you? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vitamin X Report post Posted December 16, 2008 God no. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Czecherbear Report post Posted December 16, 2008 Kinda mousy. Janeane Garofalo can play her in the TV movie, which prob isn't a compliment. Rod's wife and accomplice? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Edwin MacPhisto 0 Report post Posted December 16, 2008 Slightly cracked-out Alyssa Milano vibe. I'll take it, if only to be able to say "I got a blago job." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Ol' Smitty 0 Report post Posted December 19, 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU993Dihlm8 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CheesalaIsGood 0 Report post Posted December 19, 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU993Dihlm8 Fucking sweet. Thanks for that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Ol' Smitty 0 Report post Posted December 19, 2008 I aims to please. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
snuffbox 0 Report post Posted December 19, 2008 I don't think he did himself any favors with this afternoon's statement. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SuperJerk 0 Report post Posted December 20, 2008 When is a press conference not a press conference? CNN might wanna rethink the whole twitter thing. Or expand on it for extra hillarity. Whatever. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Ol' Smitty 0 Report post Posted December 20, 2008 http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=39537804365 Join the revolution. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Edwin MacPhisto 0 Report post Posted December 20, 2008 I watched that while I was listening to some New Order, and the fusaion actually made for a catchy little insta-remix. I think there's potential for a Blagomeback in Europe, at least. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Celtic Guardian 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2008 The problem is that despite everything, Blagojevich still has the power to pick Obama's successor. Whether anyone would actually want to accept such a tainted appointment is another matter, of course. The senate would simply refuse to seat whoever he appoints (if he actually decides to be a petulant dumbass and make an appointment out of spite). Well, score one vote for petulant dumbass. Blagojevich to appoint former state AG Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate as Obama's successor, universal condemnation be damned. http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/30/illinois.senate/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
snuffbox 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2008 Did the state legislature just not have enough time to get a special election going? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Czecherbear Report post Posted December 31, 2008 I don't know if they could, though. It's only up to the governor, isn't it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Danville_Wrestling 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2008 Blagojevich's political ship is going down and it looks like he's looking to take the national party with him. Harry Reid, who has already gone on record as saying the Senate wouldn't accept whoever Blagojevich placed into Obama's seat, now might have the tough call of trying to oust who would be the only African-American member of the U.S. Senate. Of course, if Reid and the Democrats allow this to go through, it gives the GOP some firepower for the 2010 midterms (albeit not a policy position but hey, its not like we've seen many of those lately either). This could especially hurt Reid since he's up for re-election in Nevada, with some polls demonstrating high disapproval ratings. It was funny to watch the press conference, though. Quite the mess when the governor chooses not to accept questions and instead of reporters inquiring about Burris they keep wanting to direct questions to the governor. I felt bad for Burris, but some of that goodwill went away when Bobby Rush got up there and made race the focal point of the entire argument for Burris. I thought his use of the term "lynch" was also uncalled for in such a setting. My bet...the Senate lets Burris in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
snuffbox 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2008 I don't know if they could, though. It's only up to the governor, isn't it? You may be right. I am not very knowledgable on the Illinois legislature. I'm still trying to wrap my head around Wisconsin's in light of my own upcoming bid for a seat there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SuperJerk 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2008 The Illinios Secretary of State can refuse to certify it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
