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BEYOND BLAGOJEVICH (who set the trap for rodent Rod?)
NY POST ^ | 12/10/08 | EDITORIAL

Posted on 12/10/2008 6:55:06 AM PST by Liz

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich sold his administration. You could buy practically anything - including Obama's vacant seat. FBI Agent Robert Grant: "Illinois might not be the most corrupt state in the union, but it's a helluva competitor." Blagojevich's corruption defies belief - an alleged attempt to extort personal favors from Obama's folks in exchange for choosing their replacement. Trying to force the Tribune Co. to fire editorial writers by threatening to withhold millions in state aid in a deal to sell Wrigley Field. Soliciting a $50,000 campaign contribution in exchange for $8 million in state funds for a children's hospital. .....has all but destroyed the public's faith in government service, a central pillar of our political system. Fitzgerald may have more news down the pike...."tracking various schemes" to see how far the corruption went.....there's Blagojevich's fund-raiser and "fixer" Tony Rezko, who struck a questionable real-estate deal with Obama that he has called a "boneheaded mistake." Americans are left to wonder about the audicity of their elected leaders and public servants.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Government
KEYWORDS: chicagopolitics; cultureofcorruption; democratscandals; obamasenateseat
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To: exit82
...she was working for the hospital for $ 300,000 ayear, a salary that was increased by a MULTIPLE of itself once Obama came through with $ 1,000,000 in Federal earmark money for the hospital she worked for

Spiderwoman's shakedown of the hospital stinks worse than Hillary's cattle futures 'investment' yet noone says 'boo' about it.

21 posted on 12/10/2008 7:24:23 AM PST by Paine in the Neck (Nepolean fries the idea powder)
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To: Liz
Blagojevich had presidential plans in the pipeline----shows how far we have stooped as a nation---that this filthy fraud and extortioner thought he could actually be a prez candidate.

Never mind that; it may have already happened.
Don't know about everyone else but, in view of the entrenched long-term corruption being revealed to the entire country, does anyone besides me wonder: in such a thoroughly corrupt environment, how does one get elected Senator from Illinois?

Sounds to me that the RICO laws are kicking in about 3 years too late...

22 posted on 12/10/2008 7:25:26 AM PST by Publius6961 (Change is not a plan; Hope is not a strategy.)
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To: Liz

Among other things, what’s really remarkable in all this is the lack of interest, up to now, of who would get the soon to be vacated Senate seat of Obama//Consider how much critical interest has been show in AK, MN, and GA/not that it could possibly be anyone other than a Dem.....interesting
to see who inherits the tainted seat.


23 posted on 12/10/2008 7:26:13 AM PST by supremedoctrine ("One was drawing funny faces, but his own was grave"--Richard Hughes, A High Wind in Jamaica)
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To: capt. norm
The main "trap" in this episode is what came out of Rod's own "trap" (big mouth) that did him in. I am reminded of Matthew 15:11 "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."

Amen.

24 posted on 12/10/2008 7:26:25 AM PST by Liz (The right to be left alone is the beginning of freedom. USSC Justice William O. Douglas)
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To: Liz
filthy fraud and extortioner

Thinking back to the 1950's when I first became interested in politics, Chicago was always at the top of the list of corrupt dens of scoundrels (along with New Jersey, Philadelphia, New Orleans, etc.). The only big surprise about this is that Blagojevich hadn't learned the top mob rule, "Don't do business over the telephone." Checking for wires is also standard.

Did this POS think he had someone in the FBI or prosecutor's office?

25 posted on 12/10/2008 7:27:40 AM PST by JimSEA
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To: Paine in the Neck

IIRC, Michelle Obama’s salary tripled to over $300,000
tripled in the blink of eye to that amount. It previously was in the nabe of $100,000. Doesn’t really matter, it was one of those “diversity outreach” positions which does nothing except make certain people feel good. And feel even better that they (and not “The Man”) finally get a chance to bilk the local taxpayers.


26 posted on 12/10/2008 7:30:16 AM PST by supremedoctrine ("One was drawing funny faces, but his own was grave"--Richard Hughes, A High Wind in Jamaica)
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To: Liz
Not a stretch at all...
..we've already had Bill Clinton & now Barack Obama...

..and John Kennedy---ALL the media knew about his womanizing & potential blackmail from that--

..to name a few.....if those aren't stretches....what is.

Actually, have we ever had an honest President, with the exception of Ronald Reagan?

27 posted on 12/10/2008 7:30:25 AM PST by Guenevere
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To: BenLurkin
Lincoln bedroom, right?

Who's doing the jumping?

28 posted on 12/10/2008 7:31:29 AM PST by Guenevere
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To: exit82

“I find it very interesting that Rod B. is most upset when he demands that his own wife be allowed to join the SAME SPOILS afforded to Obama’s wife, Michelle.”

This caught my attention, too. Michelle Obama is no great intellect( her piss-poor Princeton thesis proves it), and yet she has a meteoric rise among the Chicago elite. I have no doubt she got where she is, with a $300,000 salary, exactly the same way Mrs. Blag hoped to rise into the upper financial brackets.

I hope Blag takes all of them down with him.


29 posted on 12/10/2008 7:33:22 AM PST by Palladin (When will Bill Ayers start bombing buildings again?)
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To: Palladin

Maybe the Mediascum could finally start asking exactly how/why Michelle Obama’s salary with the U. of Chicago hospital TRIPLED from around $100K to well over $300K as her husband’s political career took him to the US Senate.... and he pushed for millions in earmarks for that hospital.... and Michelle’s “community relations” position sounds like the kind of b.s. make-work job that could be given to the spouse of a prominent politician.

How about it, Mediascum? Ready to take a critical look at the rise of the Obamanation and the favors that have been done for them?

I’m sure Blago. was sitting there looking at the Obamas and saying to himself, “hey, I just want a taste of what THEY are getting.....”


30 posted on 12/10/2008 7:39:13 AM PST by Enchante (Obama, time to throw your good pal Gov. Blago under that bus!!)
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To: Enchante
AP's Emotive Language for Gov Rod Blagojevich
31 posted on 12/10/2008 7:49:28 AM PST by Jay777 (My personal blog: www.stoptheaclu.com)
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To: RC2

As long as we have huge government, the primary function of which is the selective redistribution of huge sums of money confiscated from the taxpayers, we’ll have an overwhelmingly corrupt group of elected officials.


32 posted on 12/10/2008 7:57:40 AM PST by GovernmentShrinker
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To: weegee
At least as far back as when Democrat bosses Mike "Hinky-Dink" Kenna and "Bathhouse" John Coughlin ran the city wirh then syndicate Don "Big Jim" Colosimo.....years before Capone, mind you.


33 posted on 12/10/2008 7:59:25 AM PST by Emperor Palpatine ("I love democracy. I love Free Republic")
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To: Liz
Rare is the politician that doesn't give “favors” to those that contributed gobs of money or influence to get him/her elected.

Virtually all politicians have a “for sale” sign on them in one way or another.

Just look at the multimillion dollar contracts awarded all across the country to those that contribute to political campaigns.

A hundred grand or so will reap millions.

Not to mention the appointments.

34 posted on 12/10/2008 8:08:28 AM PST by Syncro (tagline)
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To: Publius6961

“does anyone besides me wonder: in such a thoroughly corrupt environment, how does one get elected Senator from Illinois?

To all appearances, Obama “worked hard and played by the rules” to get where he is today. The problem is, he was playing by rules known as “The Chicago Way.”

If Obama were clean as a whistle, why would Blago risk his entire career by even making a “pay for play” proposal to Obama or his staff? The fact that Blago made the offer and got so furious about being stiffed are 2 strong clues Obama was well familiar with how the game worked and had played this game nicely with Blago in the past. The fact that Obama flat-out lied about even having a conversation on the topic is essentially strike three. It remains to be seen how long it takes for this to play out, but I think it’s a safe bet that Obama is toast.


35 posted on 12/10/2008 8:09:06 AM PST by DrC
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To: Guenevere
I think that is Linda Thomason and Bill Clinton's ex-girlfriend Barbara Streisand.
36 posted on 12/10/2008 8:11:25 AM PST by Syncro (tagline)
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To: Liz

Before yesterday afternoon was over, I was betting on Rahm telling Fizty to take Blag down.

It appears that I wasn’t the only one thinking that way.

To: STARWISE; Ernest_at_the_Beach; BIGLOOK; george76; PhilDragoo; Enchante
~~Making like Rahm’s the hero PING!

Yesterday, I put this same theory out after reading Fitzy’s bs that Obama was not involved.

Good investigators don’t pull the plug on undercover work until the really big fish are caught red handed with their pants down doing the crime.

Obama was tipped off about this. Rahm went to Fitzy and said, “End this now!”

How long did Fitzy allow the CIA Plame bs case to run after he knew that Armitage was the leaker. Years!

Fitzy ended this investigation before Obama/Rahm were caught in the net.

This was a good career move for Fitzy with his friend the Zer0 as president elect.
Before this is over, the Zer0 and Rahm will touted by the MSM as heroes in burying Blag.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/backroom/2145959/posts?page=49#49

49 posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 6:11:32 AM by Grampa Dave (Does Zer0 have any friends, who are not foriegn or domestic terrorists, or criminals


37 posted on 12/10/2008 8:20:15 AM PST by Grampa Dave (Does Zer0 have any friends, who are not foriegn or domestic terrorists or criminals?)
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To: Guenevere

Friends of the Clintons.

The price: $50,000 a night.


38 posted on 12/10/2008 8:22:23 AM PST by BenLurkin
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To: weegee
You pose an excellent question:

Wiretaps of governors in a sting operation are good whereas wiretaps of Islamic terrorists in a sting is “bad”.

39 posted on 12/10/2008 8:22:30 AM PST by Grampa Dave (Does Zer0 have any friends, who are not foriegn or domestic terrorists or criminals?)
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To: Liz
Doesn't anyone here find it ODD that thios investigation was 'pulled' so early. Yes, I know they've been investigating him for sometime, but here was Fitzgerald, conducting a Scooter Libby/Valerie Plame invesitgation for two and a half years with only one stinking process crime.

Why not allow Blago to continue and SEE WHERE THE TRAIL OF CORRUPTION LEADS! Who the hell is buying the "We needed to ended it now before his level of corruption became even deeper??????????????????"

Rush intimated it yesterday, but I'll say it. First, there is NO way Obama wasn't involved and informed re: his own Senate seat. Second, Blago was the ONLY one who could appoint someone and we know they SPOKE. Third, it's obvious that when Fitzgerald realized that Obama MIGHT suddenly turn up on a phone tap he pulled the investigation..........either he did it to save his own career when Zero takes the White House, or Zero TOLD him to stop it before it got out of hand.

This is Chicago (my birthplace!) politics. Obama (street thug), Daley (political corruption headquarters), Rezko (bag man and felon), Blago (crooked pol from Chicago married to daughter of crooked pol from Chicago).

But magically, Obama KNOWS NOTHING!

40 posted on 12/10/2008 8:26:18 AM PST by Doc Savage ("Are you saying Jesus can't hit a curve ball? - Harris to Cerrano - Major League)
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