No doubt you’ve seen Illinois Gov Rod Blagojevich on television in recent days whining about not being allowed to call witnesses (like Pres. Obama’s chief of staff Rahm Emmanuel) for his defense in the impeachment trial that was ongoing in the state legislature. But he knew full well that this was not a criminal trial, during which all of the due process rights he was complaining about would have been guaranteed.
Instead, this impeachment trial was by definition a constitutional mandate for the state legislature to determine not whether Blago is a criminal but whether he is fit to continue serving as governor. And, given his documented attempts to peddle his good office (including his notorious effort to sell Obama’s senate seat) for personal gain, the verdict was indeed a foregone conclusion.
This is why plans were in place, including having his personal effects boxed and ready to ship out, to swear in the Lt. Governor Pat Quinn to replace Blago within minutes of the state senate rendering its stunning and historic vote of 59 to 0.
That said, even though Blago has been thrown out of office, it might be some time before “tomorrow” comes, when federal authorities finally throw him in jail.
In this respect, let me hasten to express my professional disagreement with celebrity lawyers like Geraldo Rivera who have condemned federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald for arresting Blago on criminal charges and lauded Blago for currying favor with the Chicago jury pool during his public relations blitz.
Because I am convinced that Fitzgerald not only had probable cause to arrest Blago (as delineated in the now infamous federal criminal complaint) but also has a very good chance of convicting him on corruption charges beyond all reasonable doubt. After all, the potential jurors Blago was trying to win over and influence are the same ones who have convicted and sent off to prison three of his predecessors on similar charges in recent years.
So stay tuned…
Related commentaries:
Feds arrest and indict Gov Blago
Blago fills Obama’s Senate seat
Legacy Note: With over 5,600 posts spanning 20 years, I am easily the most prolific blogger on the most eclectic array of topics on the web. That makes The iPINIONS Journal an unparalleled archive of informed political and cultural commentary. Visit the ARCHIVES section in the sidebar or search by topic. You won’t find a more consistent, independent voice on world affairs.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.