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“I’ve Got This Thing, and It’s F*king Golden. . .I’m just not giving it up for nothing,” said former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, speaking of his ability in 2008 to name the new owner of Barack Obama’s vacated US Senate seat. And now rumors are swirling Blago just might be getting out of jail much earlier than required by the 14 year sentence which he is serving in a mountain Gray Bar Inn, forced retreat in Colorado. Two Chicago Tribune reporters, John Chase and Jeff Coen, (who did not answer a CiR call to hear their side) are being lambasted...

How 'bout a little refresher re. Obama political Godfather  and actual (16-count!) convicted felon Tony Rezko...? The Syrian-born Rezko is an infamous Chicago slumlord, fast-food restauranteur, and sleazy political operator who played a key role in the Blagojevich case- as well as the unlikley ascension to power of Barrack Hussein Obama.Obama's longtime ally, friend, and top fundraiser was found guilty of 16/24 counts of felony influence peddling back in June 2008. Of course the story was mostly buried/detached from his bud Barry in the run-up to that year's most unfortunate (for us) presidential election whilst the jury convicted Rezko of wire...

Limited due to AP Rule "Mell also alleged that Blagojevich's chief fund-raiser traded government appointments for campaign contributions."

Today, 06:43 PM Johnf Presidential Member = >1000 Posts Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 3,401 Poster Rank: #28 November 1, 2008 "Obama Allies Under Investigation" November 1st, 2008 By: Michael van der Quote: Yet more allies of Sen. Barack Obama are under investigation: it seems that Chicago Mayor Daley may have been involved in a rather lucrative deal with Tony Rezko and Ald. Richard Mell. Mell’s son-in-law is Rod Blagojevich - a name that should sound familiar to those who know a bit about Obama’s connections. The Chicago Sun-Times explains: The mayor wouldn’t let Rezko, Dan Mahru and Ali Ata...

Ald. Richard Mell got a City Council committee to approve a change to a Chicago law on his behalf Wednesday, but argued it would benefit thousands of other city residents who, like him, simply failed to renew their gun licenses. "It was probably good I didn’t [renew], because there are an awful lot of other citizens" who had the same problem, Mell (33rd) said after the Police and Fire Committee approved an amendment to the gun registration ordinance. The change would allow those whose registration lapsed to renew at a slightly higher fee. Re-registration of the guns would have to...

Chicago Alderman Richard Mell has pushed a short-lived gun registration amnesty through the "Police Committee", allowing for certain lapsed registrations to be renewed for a 4-month window. The ordinance still faces a full city council vote, and would not apply to new registrations or banned weapons (Chicago has a ban list, and Cook County recently passed a sweeping "assault rifle" ban).

BELLEVUE, Wash., May 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Chicago Alderman Richard Mell ought to be prosecuted like any other negligent gun owner for failing to re-register his firearms under an ordinance he helped pass, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today. "I don't care if anti-gun Mayor Richard Daley supports giving Mell a break, and it doesn't matter that Mell is the father-in-law of Gov. Rod Blagojevich," said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. "For years, the draconian ordinance supported by Mell and enforced by Daley has terrorized Chicago gun owners. It's time for Mell to face his...

The family feud between Governor Blagojevich and his father-in-law, Alderman Dick Mell, could end up in court. The governor and his chief fundraiser are fighting back against allegations by Mell that state appointments were handed out in exchange for contributions to the governor's campaign. The governor is trying to keep a dark cloud of scandal and corruption from drenching his carefully-crafted reform image by putting the squeeze on his father-in-law even though it is likely to exacerbate a family feud that is already a 10 on the nasty scale. In the latest development, Blagojevich's chief fundraiser threatening to sue Mell...

January 13, 2005 — The Blagojevich family feud is still alive and today the governor is on the attack. He says allegations of impropriety -- made by his father-in-law -- Chicago Alderman Dick Mell -- are reckless and untrue. Several investigations are now underway as a result of the family feud that erupted last week when the governor closed a landfill run by relatives, including Mell. It escalated when Mell accused the governor's chief fundraiser of selling appointments for campaign cash. That sparked several investigations, which the governor says will give him a clean bill of health. He also says...

CHICAGO - Gov. Rod Blagojevich asked his inspector general Wednesday to investigate accusations by his father-in-law that the governor's administration traded appointments in exchange for campaign contributions. The father-in-law, influential Chicago Alderman Richard Mell, last week claimed an adviser to the governor had arranged for people to be appointed to state boards and commissions in exchange for $50,000 in contributions to the governor's campaign fund. In an interview with The Associated Press, the Democratic governor angrily denied Mell's accusations of misconduct and manipulation and called them "reckless and defamatory." He said his inspector general should look into the issue so...

Choking back tears, Ald. Richard Mell (33rd) today declared a public end to the messy feud with his son-in-law, Gov. Blagojevich, in hopes of repairing a first family torn apart. Mell insisted he had every right to take a stand against what he viewed as the governor's attempt to smear him and close a Will County landfill operated by Frank Schmidt, a distant relative of Mell and first lady Patti Blagojevich who was being advised by the alderman. But that doesn't mean the aldermen doesn't regret some of the bitter charges he made against the governor and the effect the...

January 7, 2005 — Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich shut down a landfill in Joliet run by a distant relative. The move ignited a family feud between the governor and his father-in-law, Chicago Alderman Dick Mell. The governor would not discuss the dispute, but Alderman Mell had plenty to say, calling the governor's decision a "political power play." Alderman Dick Mell is not only the governor's father-in-law, he is the architect of Rod Blagojevich's political career. The powerful democratic ward boss's money, manpower and muscle carried Blagojevich from City Hall to the state legislature to Congress and finally to the governor's...