Burris Now Admits Blagojevich Asked for Money

Deceitful on his part. Burris ought to be tossed.

Chicago Trib:U.S. Sen. Roland Burris, who repeatedly denied anyone tied to disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich solicited him for cash in exchange for his seat, now acknowledges Blagojevich's brother asked him three times to help with fundraising.

In an affidavit Burris quietly filed nine days ago with the head of the House committee that recommended Blagojevich's impeachment, Illinois' new junior senator also said he spoke with three close associates of the governor about being appointed to the Senate. Prior, Burris only acknowledged having spoken to one such friend.

Burris said he refused the fundraising request for Blagojevich, who was removed from office after being charged Dec. 9 with corruption, including trying to sell the Senate seat Burris now holds.

The new affidavit--filed only after he was seated in Congress--is Burris' third account of what happened behind the scenes preceding Blagojevich's decision to pick him as President Barack Obama's replacement in the Senate.

Read the rest

Pamela Davis Kickstarted the Blago Investigation

Pamela Davis, mother of three and CEO of Edward Hospital, just wanted state approval to expand her Illinois hospital. But some business men tried to extort her -- If you don't use this contractor then you can't expand, they told her. Her call to the FBI (they laughed at her) eventually led to the wiretapping of Blago. This is a really interesting (and short and sweet) story because the New Yorker writer tells the story from the perspective of a working mom learning spy craft. She'll have a book coming out. 

That episode helped start United States Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald’s Operation Board Games. For the next seven months, Pamela Davis, hospital administrator, became Pamela Davis, secret agent, helping to expose a multimillion-dollar scam that at times resembled a spinoff of “The Sopranos,” guest-starring the back office from “Grey’s Anatomy.” Davis attended long lunches and boozy dinners with crooked businessmen, listening (and taping) as they talked of grafting off the hospital industry. She would slip the tapes to her F.B.I. handlers at Marshall Field’s makeup counters in malls around suburban Chicago.
Davis taped all sorts of incriminating conversations, but she never quite got used to spycraft. “The wire is a little tiny square thing I put inside my bra. I thought it would fall out all the time,” she said. “Oh, the logistics of getting this stuff done! One morning, I had to meet one of the F.B.I. guys in my office at 6 A.M. so he could hook up a wire to tap my phone. He was under my desk, on the floor. It looks kinky! My administrative assistant pops her head in, and there’s this man under my desk, and she says, ‘Oh, my goodness,’ and leaves. And I go, ‘What am I supposed to tell her?’ He says, ‘I don’t know. That never happened to me before.’ ” Read the whole thing.

A Very Funny Blago Cartoon

I don't want to rip it off and post it, so you'll have to go here.

Bobby Rush Is Nuts Too

The congressman made a spectacle of himself yesterday. Here he is again trying to argue for racial equality in the senate. 
Here's what he said on The Early Show:

"All these folks who are opposed to Governor Blagojevich, they need to take a chill pill."

Obama: Burris Good Blago Not

All of Illinois has to be embarrassed by now. See the wacky press conference here.

CNN: Senate Democratic leaders have said they will block the appointment and are urging the governor to step down after his arrest on corruption charges. It's a point that Obama agrees with.

"Roland Burris is a good man and a fine public servant, but the Senate Democrats made it clear weeks ago that they cannot accept an appointment made by a governor who is accused of selling this very Senate seat," Obama said in a statement. "I agree with their decision, and it is extremely disappointing that Gov. Blagojevich has chosen to ignore it."

FBI agents arrested Blagojevich on December 9 after federal prosecutors alleged, among other things, that he had tried to "sell" Obama's former Senate seat. Blagojevich denies any wrongdoing and has ignored calls to resign.

Burris defends himself. He raises questions in my mind -- why? Why would anyone want to jump into this craziness? Is Burris crazy too? Also, why did Blago choose Burris? What was Blago's motivation? What kind of discussions did they have? 

Blagojevich Appoints Roland Burris Video

Story from MSNBC. NYT's take. 

What a crazy press conference. Congress Bobby Rush rushed the podium to talk about how it was absolutely necessary that a black man be in the senate. It just came off as Weird. 
How nutty is Blago? He says he's enjoyed the limelight in the past couple of weeks, and he really does seem to be enjoying the limelight. Burris praises Obama. Who is Burris? More from ABC on Burris. Think Progress has a video that speculates Blago is crazy like a fox. He's thinking of his trial. 

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Blago Wants Obama's People To Clear Him

2008 was the year of the Bad Guy.

Lawyers for embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich want two key aides to President-elect Barack Obama and U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. subpoenaed, according to Chicago media reports.

Blagojevich's legal team has asked the Illinois House panel that members of Obama's incoming administration testify before the House impeachment committee, including Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett, WBBM-TV and the Chicago Sun-Times reported late Wednesday.

Ed Genson, Blagojevich's chief lawyer, said testimony from the aides will prove the governor's insistence that he did nothing illegal to fill Obama's now vacant U.S. Senate seat.

The news comes days after Obama's team released an internal review that confirmed no "inappropriate" discussions had taken place in the Blagojevich probe.

Update 12-27: Fitzgerald says Obama's aides shouldn't be called into Blago's mess because it would interfere with the investigation.

Blago Will Fight Until His Last Breath Video

He says he's dying to show how innocent he is. Can't wait. He sets off my phony baloney alarm. Couldn't the people of Chicago see through this guy? He's too much the actor.

Jesse Jackson Jr. an Informant on Blago

Update: Jackson rejects the "informant" tag. 

Well, I guess we can cross Jesse Jackson Jr. off the guilt by association list.

CNN: Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. has served as an informant to the U.S. attorney's office in Illinois, two sources close to Jackson tell CNN.

Jackson has served as an informant for more than a decade and has relayed information relating to embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich since 2006, the sources said.

Video from Chicago's ABC affiliate
More from another source:

Edmonds wouldn't give details of those discussions Tuesday, but WLS-TV in Chicago reported unidentified sources as saying Jackson had told investigators Blagojevich wouldn't appoint Jackson's wife as state lottery director because the congressman wouldn't donate $25,000 to the governor's campaign fund.

Jackson has acknowledged being the "Senate Candidate 5" referenced in a federal complaint against Blagojevich that accuses the governor of trying to sell the Senate seat being vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

Republicans See Blago as an Obama Scandal

What a sorry lot. They need to focus on their sorry selves, who are sooooooooo out of touch with America. Obama obviously had nothing to do with any dealmaking. Guilt by association is a campaign ploy that ended with the campaign.
We aren't having any of it. Americans want problems fixed, not regurgitated garbage coming from a pack of sore losers. Get your act together before you start throwing rocks. Fools.

Politico: The Republican National Committee is launching a Web video tomorrow raising questions about past ties between Obama and Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.).

The two-minute video, titled “Questions Remain,” puts pressure on the president-elect to disclose the contacts his transition team has had with Blagojevich. Obama said this week that he will soon be releasing a full list of conversations that members of his staff had with Blagojevich – but he has not yet done so.

Rendell Slams Obama Again

Pennsylvania governor, Ed Rendell, said a lot of nasty stuff about Obama during the election. He supported Hillary.
He gave half hearted support after Obama won the democratic nomination and did a little whining along the way. 

Apparently, he didn't get a job he wanted with Obama's administration. He's going to continue being a thorn. Unfortunately, he seems to like to be on TV expressing his opinions. Politico says that criticizing his fellow democrats is just his style.

In this video, he has some praise for Blago and says Obama blew the Blago response because he's never been in an executive position. 

Rahm Emanuel Is Not A Target of Blago Probe

Ray Noland's Blago

Update 12-13: 

Chicago Tribune, 'Rahm Emanuel talked with governor's office about who should fill Obama's Senate seat: Chief of staff for Obama had list of names,' By Bob Secter: 'Rahm Emanuel, President-elect Barack Obama's pick to be White House chief of staff, had conversations with Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration about who would replace Obama in the U.S. Senate, the Tribune has learned. The revelation does not suggest Obama's new gatekeeper was involved in any talk of dealmaking involving the seat. But it does help fill in the gaps surrounding a question that Obama was unable or unwilling to answer this week: Did anyone on his staff have contact with Blagojevich about his choice for the Senate seat?

What an idiot Blago is. Not only does he do something incredibly stupid and outrageous, but he also brings everyone else down and has the gall to stay in office. He says he'll speak at the "appropriate time." He needs to resign. What a creep. He's in the way of progress for the entire country. He's derailed the conversation. He's taken away from Obama and other people's time.
Anyway, at CNN, they're reporting that Emanuel, Obama's chief of staff, is not a target of the investigation.
Illinois' Lisa Madigan, the attorney general, is asking the court to remove Blago.
Jesse Jackson Jr. needs to be considered for the senate seat. He doesn't appear to have any involvement and guilt by association has got to stop.
Jackson is not forcing it. He says it's important to let the investigation play itself out. After the process is over, he says he hopes he'll have his name back.

Daschle's Comments on His Appointment

Read about the new White House Office of Heathcare Reform.

45 million have no healthcare insurance. Here are Obama's comments at today's press conference:

Obama Answers Blagojevich Questions

Update: Video here.
After announcing Daschle and Lambrew, Obama was asked about Blago and for me, he answered all I need to know. I think Blagojevich is just a delusional whack-job who had irrational fantasies about people. Or maybe he went off his meds. Who knows, but there's something sort of mental about the guy.
Here is some of what Obama said. I typed fast so some of it may be direct quotes but much of it is paraphrased just to give you a gist. I'll post video when it's up. Here's the NYT take.

On what the governor should do:
I was appalled and disappointed by what we heard in those transcripts.
Some people view politics as a business. I got into politics because we have to reclaim politics as a public service. The public trust has been violated. The gov. can't effectively serve as the governor of Illinois.
In terms of our involvement, I had no contact with the governor's office. I didn't speak to him about these issues.
Obama said he wants to talk to all of his staff to see if anyone had contact and what was said. He'll share that over the next few days. But my office had no involvement in any kind of dealmaking. That I'm absolutely certain of.

I have not been contacted by any federal officials. I have not been interviewed by them. We weren't perceived as amenable to deal making. I won't quote back any of the things that were said about me.
Beyond that, I don't know the progression of the investigation.

How did the governor get the impression you weren't willing to play ball?
What's wrong with politics in Illinois? (USA Today says North Dakota is most corrupt) 
I can't presume to know what was in the mind of the governor. I can't even speculate on that. I can just read the transcript and shake my head.
In Illinois, there are two views of politics. Some go in for sacrifice and public service and you go in as a business -- what's in it for me?

You've got good guys -- Dick Durbin and many others who have upheld the highest ethics and standards. But you have habits and a culture that think of politics as a means of self aggrandizement.
If various allegations end up true, this is the far end of the spectrum. But there are subtle versions of bad politics that are legal but don't fulfill the spirit of service. There are times when people don't think about what's best for the public good. Our whole campaign was run on restoring politics for public good.
You can get elected by playing it straight.

Finally, a healthcare question, the only one. How do you plan to fund healthcare?
Central to my healthcare plan during the campaign was how to reduce costs so that we can put them into prevention. We wanted to make sure any plan we have starts with the premise that rising costs are unsustainable. It will bankrupt government, states.

We will have initiatives like health IT that will reduce costs. We will make cuts of programs that aren't working.
The Medicare Advantage program will likely get cut.
I haven't determined the rollback of Bush's taxcuts yet. Today we will begin to chart how this process moves forward. We will involve everyone, labor, doctors, republicans, democrats, business... Some of it will be on CSPAN. Tom is convening groups around the country.
We will move forward with an open mind to all kinds of ideas. I met too many families that are desperate because of healthcare. This has to be intimately woven into our economic recovery play. This can't be put off. This is part of the emergency.

Obama Calls on Blago To Resign and So Much More

With my foolish Internet down today -- you'd think Internet networks wouldn't go on the blink as much as they do -- here is a rundown of some of the stuff I'm catching up on:
Chicago Tribune calls on Blago-- the potty mouthed birthday boy-- to resign.
Can Blago plead insanity? It certainly appears that he's insane.
Obama calls on Blago to resign.
Memo to media: Obama is clean. He better be. I would quit blogging tomorrow with a broken heart and a deep disappointment if Obama had anything to do with Blago. My question is: Was Obama bribed? If he was, did he say anything?
An explainer.

Rahm Emanuel was NOT the whistle blower. 
Jesse Jackson Jr., a supporter of Obama, and vice versa, is supposedly senate candidate No. 5 in the famed criminal complaint.
Jackson denies any wrongdoing, vehemently.

Obama played a role in Blago's fall:

Mr. Obama placed the call to his political mentor, Emil Jones Jr., president of the Illinois Senate. Mr. Jones was a critic of the legislation, which sought to curb the influence of money in politics, as was Mr. Blagojevich, who had vetoed it. But after the call from Mr. Obama, the Senate overrode the veto, prompting the governor to press state contractors for campaign contributions before the law’s restrictions could take effect on Jan. 1, prosecutors say.

Tipped off to Mr. Blagojevich’s efforts, federal agents obtained wiretaps for his phones and eventually overheard what they say was scheming by the governor to profit from his appointment of a successor to the United States Senate seat being vacated by President-elect Obama. One official whose name has long been mentioned in Chicago political circles as a potential successor is Mr. Jones, a machine politician who was viewed as a roadblock to ethics reform but is friendly with Mr. Obama.

The miserable day in 100 seconds:

It appears that the insanity of one person is tainting innocent people. Jackson responds: full transcript.

Obama's Reaction to Blagojevich Scandal and Climate Change

Scandal. Climate change. Poor Al.

Blago fallout for Obama

The right is going to go after Obama. Here we go. Just when I thought we were actually on our way to solving problems. David Axelrod says he misspoke about Obama talking to Blago. Here's Axelrod misspeaking. Ugh.

Dick Durbin Calls For Special Election

See full video coverage of Blago scandal by Chicago CBS.

What's up With Illinois?

As if Obama doesn't already have enough on his plate. This is sure to test him. I'm expecting a press conference tomorrow. 
Blagojevich didn't like Obama but may drag him into his web:

AP: And Blagojevich himself, in taped conversations cited by prosecutors, suggested that Obama wouldn't be helpful to him. Even if the governor was to appoint a candidate favored by the Obama team, Blagojevich said, "they're not willing to give me anything except appreciation."

The two Illinois politicians have never been especially close and have largely operated in different Democratic Party camps in the state. Blagojevich's disdain for Obama was clear in court documents; he is quoted as calling the president-elect a vulgar term in one phone conversation recorded by the FBI.

Still, at the very least, the episode amounts to a distraction for Obama at an inopportune time just six weeks before he's sworn into office. It also raises the specter of notorious Chicago politics, an image Obama has tried to distance himself from during his career.

There were signs the continuing investigation could still involve him. read more.

What's up with Illinois, the land of Oprah? Now I understand why it was so easy for the wingnuts to lump Obama in with Chicago corruption. Politico discusses Illinois politics:

Politico: So just what is the problem with Illinois?

It certainly seems like Illinois has a particular sweet spot for corruption: Blagojevich’s own predecessor as governor, George Ryan, went to jail in 2007 in a 6-1/2 year sentence for corruption of his own.

And two other Illinois governors have faced legal trouble in modern times: Governor Otto Kerner, Jr., who was mocked locally as “Blotto Otto,” and former governor Daniel Walker, who was charged in a savings and loan scheme involving fraudulent loans for repairs on his yacht, which was called The Governor’s Lady.

Fitzgerald, who is known as a crusading prosecutor for his role in the Valerie Plame CIA leak case, seemed to throw up his hands in despair, saying: “We’re not going to end corruption in Illinois by arrests and indictments alone.” He stressed that rooting out corruption would depend on the willingness of the people of Illinois to solve the problem.

In that, Fitzgerald may be on to something. It turns out that a state’s culture is at least as important to its degree of corruption as the aggressiveness of its law enforcement officers. Read more