Illinois has a well-earned reputation for political corruption.
If it isn’t the most corrupt state in the United States, it’s certainly one hell of a competitor. (Robert Grant, Chicago FBI Special Agent in Charge, commenting at yesterday’s press conference on Blagojevich’s arrest)
For example, in 1996 the highest ranking member of its congressional delegation, Dan Rostenkowski, was sent to prison for 17 months for using his office to enrich himself. And in 2007 its most recent governor, George Ryan, was sent to prison for six years and six months on a battery of federal corruption convictions. In fact, since 1970, three governors from Illinois have been imprisoned for corruption.
Therefore, given this notorious and well-documented legacy, it speaks volumes about the brazen, pathological and pervasive nature of the “corruption crime spree” alleged against Illinois’s sitting governor, Rod Blagojevich, that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald felt moved to describe it as “staggering”.
No doubt Fitzgerald described it as such, in part, because the most egregious of his crimes were committed in recent weeks when Blagojevich knew full well he was under criminal investigation by the FBI.
In fact, in presenting the Justice Department’s 76-page complaint, Fitzgerald claimed that, because a clearly delusional and venal Governor Blagojevich was escalating his crime spree to such irreparable extremes, federal prosecutors felt compelled to arrest him yesterday to stop it.
Specifically, the complaint alleges that:
Blagojevich put a ‘for sale’ sign on the naming of a United States senator; involved himself personally in pay-to-play schemes with the urgency of a salesman meeting his annual sales target; and corruptly used his office in an effort to trample editorial voices of criticism.
And even though his pay-to-play scheme included threatening to withdraw funding for a children’s hospital unless an executive affiliated with the hospital forked over $50,000, the most sensational charge involves Blagojevich conspiring to sell or trade Obama’s seat in the U.S. Senate for, amongst other things:
A substantial salary for himself at either a non-profit foundation or an organization affiliated with labor unions; placing his wife on paid corporate boards where he speculated she might garner as much as $150,000 a year; promises of campaign funds – including cash up front; and a cabinet post or ambassadorship for himself.
Of course, President-elect Barack Obama went out of his way to make clear that he had no discussions with Blagojevich in this context and, moreover, that he had no clue that the governor was trying to sell his Senate seat to the highest bidder.
In fact, the FBI complaint quotes Blagojevich from FBI wiretaps cussing out members of Obama’s transition team for refusing pay-to-play in this respect and professing his determination to extort a king’s ransom for this seat as follows:
They are unwilling to give me anything but appreciation. F*** them! I’ve got this thing and it’s f***ing golden, and, uh, uh, I’m just not giving it up for f***in’ nothing. I’m not gonna do it. And I can always use it. I can parachute me there, motherf***er Obama… F*** him. For nothing? F*** him.
Frankly, nothing vindicates Obama’s political integrity quite like the fact that he rose through the ranks of corrupt political dogs like Blagojevich and did not catch any fleas. This is not to say, however, that his detractors will not try to impute guilt by association simply because they both hail from Chicago. After all, this is precisely what Republicans did with black-liberation preacher Rev Jeremiah Wright simply because Obama worshiped at his church, and with 60s radical William Ayers simply because Obama served on a charitable board with him.
On the other hand, conspicuously absent amongst the Chicago politicians rushing to publicly distance themselves from Blagojevich is Rep Jesse Jackson Jr., the one I endorsed to assume Obama’s coveted (and evidently expensive) seat in the U.S. Senate:
Jackson is easily the most celebrated and accomplished candidate (having secured over $600 million in federal appropriations for infrastructure projects, schools and healthcare facilities in his Chicago constituency during his 13 years as a congressman).
Not to mention that he’s also the only one being considered who can save the Senate from the ironic spectacle of having all-white members serving with a black president.
[Despite his father, Jesse Jackson Jr should be appointed to replace Obama…, The iPINIONS Journal, November 13, 2008]
Which begs the question: Where are you Jesse Jr ?! We’re waiting to hear you say that there’s no way the FBI could have caught you on wiretaps bartering with this wannabe-mafia don for that Senate seat….
Finally, it seems clear that even if Blagojevich exercises the right he retains to appoint Obama’s replacement, Senate leaders will exercise their right to reject his appointment. The more likely prospect is that he will cop a plea which calls on him to resign and allow Lt. Governor Pat Quinn – who is leading the chorus of those calling for his resignation – to make the appointment.
Besides, there’s now such widespread consensus in Illinois to get rid of Blagojevich that the state legislature might impeach him even before he has a chance to negotiate a plea.
Under the circumstances, however, the most prudent and equitable way to find Obama’s replacement is by holding a special election – no matter the cost to the state.
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