"Blagojevich: taken down like a Gambino--with all due respect to the Gambinos." -- Rick Sanchez, CNN anchor, Tuesday afternoon.
That summed up the ugliness of this situation pretty well.
Sanchez had the always-insightful legal analyst Jeff Toobin on, who said that as a former fed prosecutor, the most astounding aspect was the manner that they arrested the Illinois governor. White collar criminals are nearly always taken in via an arranged surrender, he said--you call the lawyer and arrange for the indictee to surrender at the courthouse the next day at 2 p.m., or whatever.
Instead, federal agents surprised him at his home at 6 a.m. like a mafioso. Toobin said they were apparently afraid he would appoint the Senate seat or sign a bill involving himself today if they didn't strike first.
(And legally he could still do it, but it is much harder for him if the story against him breaks first.)
Sounds smart to me. God, imagine if he'd actually filled that Senate appointment today. The big question now: can he be ousted in time. More on that below.
This is so repulsive. I don't think Fed Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald was exagerating when he said Blagojevich had “taken us to a truly new low.” He also described it as a “political corruption crime spree.” That also sounds accurate, based on the appalling 78-page complaint.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/national/10illinois_complaint.pdfSelling the Senate seat is only the latest and most horrible. This list is incredible--you have to read it to believe it. Chris Cillizza does a nice quickie summary here. (Highlights below.)
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/national/10illinois_complaint.pdfAnd as Gary Baumgarten pointed out, Blagojevich did this with the full knowledge that the feds were investigating him, watching his every move. This is what he did when he knew they were probably tapping his phone? Imagine what he did on the downlo. (Which also raised the question of self-sabatoge. It's like polical suicide-by-cop.)
It sickens me when Dems, especially act this way. Thank God, the Obama team was apparently smart enough to spur all his advances. NYT said this:
[Fitzgerald ] added that the complaint “makes no allegations about the president-elect whatsoever.” In one passage of the complaint, Mr. Blagojevich is quoted cursing Mr. Obama in apparent frustration that “they’re not willing to give me anything except appreciation.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/us/politics/10Illinois.html?_r=1&hpHere's the W Post's summary of the complaint's take on that (link above):
Blagojevich was convinced that President-elect Barack Obama wanted senior adviser Valerie Jarrett appointed to the Senate seat and, time and again in the indictment, is quoted laying out a variety of scenarios by which he could benefit from such a move. The two most mentioned: 1) Trade a Jarrett appointment for a spot as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services in an Obama Cabinet 2) Name Jarrett to the Senate in exchange for Obama helping him to get a job as the head of Change to Win, a labor coalition.
It's refreshing to see that Blagojevich apparently hounded the Obama people to play ball and they flatly refused. I loved his grumbling that they would only give him "appreciation." God. What an asshole.
Obama statement, live on CNN:
Obama just had a pre-scheduled mini press confererence (mainly photo op) for his meeting with Al Gore (and Joe Biden). He was asked if he knew anything about what was about to happen, and here's my quickie transcription of his reply:
"I had no contact whatsoever with the governor or his office, so I was not aware of what had happened. It's a sad day for Illinois. Beyond that, I don't think it's appropriate to comment."
Probably not, I guess. I was hoping to see him slam the bastard, but everyone deserves their day in court, so it's probably best for the new prez not to pass judgment.
It sure as hell is appropriate for the state legislature to pass judgement, though. That's their job in extraordinary situations. Let's hope they can oust him in time.
What happens next:
NY Times is up fast with an excellent piece answering the burning question, "Who Can Name Obama’s Successor?"
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/who-can-name-obamas-successor/?hpIt says:
According to the Illinois state constitution, Mr. Blagojevich would have to be deemed incapacitated — by death, conviction or impeachment, for example — for that power to shift to new hands. There is no clause stating that an indictment restricts his powers.
And he is notorious for standing and fighting. He was still vowing to run for re-election, despite the scandal and an approval rating in the teens. (Hence the 6 a.m. raid.)
But other possibilities. Again from same NYT link (I added the numbering):
1) It is also possible that the Senate, which controls its membership, might refuse to seat any successor named by Mr. Blagojevich.
2) John Jackson, a professor of political science at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Mr. Jackson said the state legislature could begin proceedings almost immediately and remove the governor as early as January, in which case the Lieutenant Governor, Pat Quinn, would step in and replace him.
“My guess is the governor will dig in his heels and fight, and the general assembly will start impeachment hearings,” he said.
John Jackson, a professor of political science at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Mr. Jackson said the state legislature could begin proceedings almost immediately and remove the governor as early as January, in which case the Lieutenant Governor, Pat Quinn, would step in and replace him.
“My guess is the governor will dig in his heels and fight, and the general assembly will start impeachment hearings,” he said.
That seems most likely to me, having followed this dickwad for awhile. (I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and most of my family and college friends are still there. I still follow Chicago politics.)
In a separate piece, Cilizza wrote this on the W Post blog this morning:
According to conversations with several Chicago political sharps, the thinking now is that if Blagojevich makes the appointment, the only possible pick is a caretaker with an unimpeachable record on ethics who will hold the seat for two years and then step aside in 2010.
It's nearly impossible to imagine that anyone Blagojevich picks at this point would be able to run for a full term 2010 as they would immediately be labeled as the hand-picked choice of a scandal-tarred governor.
That was posted at 9 a.m., and I think represented really early thinking. Perhaps a bit too early. I don't see a caretaker nom going through now. It will be very strongly in the interest of both parties in Illinois to rid the state of this slimeball as fast as humanly possible. (Actually it might be in the interest of the Rs to slow it, but also in their interest to condemn his as harshly as possible, which will work at cross purposes. It will be very hard for them to delay without looking awful.)
I wouldn't put it past Blagojevich for one minute to nominate someone from jail, but if he does, I predict they will refuse, and the new gov will appoint someone knew within a few months.
I honestly have to say that part of my reaction to the news today was relief. It was quite obvious that the guy was a criminal, and the worst thing for the state and the party was to have a criminal continuing to lead one of our largest states. It was sort of like watching a person die a slow agonizing death, suddenly seized by a heart attack. Put them out of their misery quickly. Or perhaps the metaphor I'm searching for is him blowing his own brains out. I don't care. I'm just glad he's putting himself out of our misery.
Thank you, Mr. Governor.
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Highlights of the complaint, by Cillizza:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/12/blajovich_indictment_the_best.html- Blagojevich seriously -- and repeatedly -- considered naming himself to the Senate. "Unless I get something real good for [Senate Candidate 1], [expletive deleted], I'll just send myself, you know what I'm saying," Blagojevich said at one point. "I'm going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain," he said later. He was -- inexplicably -- convinced that serving in the Senate might be a way to rehabilitate himself for a possible run for president in 2016. And, no, we are not kidding; it's on page 74 of the indictment.
- Blagojevich floats the idea that wealthy donors could be convinced to fund, to the tune of $10-$15 million, a non-profit -- 501(c)(4) -- focused on health care. He cites billionaire investor Warren Buffett as a friend of Obama who could help finance such an endeavor. He also makes mention of "Senate candidate 6" (referenced in the indictment as "believed to be a wealthy person from Illinois") as someone who might be able to make a major donation to such an organization in exchange for being nominated to the Senate.
- An "emissary" from "Senate candidate 5" allegedly approached Blagojevich about the possibility of a "pay to play" deal for the appointment. "We were approached 'pay to play,'" said Blagojevich, recounting a past conversation with an associate of "Senate candidate 5." "That, you know, he'd raise me 500 grand. An emissary came. Then the other guy would raise a million, if I made him (Senate Candidate 5)
