Posted on 02/03/2009 5:16:26 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
Blago was the last person I expected to turn up on Today this morning. But there he was at the end of the first half-hour. And it seems like he might have broken some news.
He twice told Meredith Vieira that members of the Illinois state senate offered him a deal that would have allowed him to serve out his term as governor if he agreed to act as a “ghost” governor, and in particular would not appoint a replacement to Barack Obama’s US senate seat.
ROD BLAGOJEVICH: "I don’t see myself at all as being shamed or disgraced. I view myself frankly as being someone who fought for the people, and was removed from office because something happened.
"There was a political opportunity, and that was then in the threats and the offers by these legislators, like for example in December when I was offered a chance to stay on as an incapacitated governor. Keep my pay for two years, keep my security detail for two years, but don’t make the Senate pick. I rejected that; I wouldn’t let them buy me off. They warned that if I didn’t do that, that they would remove me from office, which was anticipated, expected, foreseeable, and they did it. But they did a disservice to the people of Illinois."
View video.
(Excerpt) Read more at finkelblog.com ...
View video? No thanks. “What a Jerk!”!
Blago: I was offered deal to stay on. Ping to Today show list.
Tell us WHO offered you the deal blahgo!
Time for this creep to sing, and sing on national TV.
Right! He did say it was “leading [state] senators,” but we need names!
Blago says, “...something happened...” LOL
I agree.
Agree. He’s an embarrassment to the Dems and for that reason a lone I’m for him but my reasoning tells me he didn’t get a fair shake. I would have liked to have heard ALL the tapes.
"For crying out loud Meredith! I'm a Democrat! How could what I did be wrong?"
Ditto. Name names or sthu.
“Blago: I was offered deal to stay on”
Offered a deal by a bunch of scamming liars.
Can’t imagine how things went so wrong for Blago.
: )
He’s way too refined to use the “I” word ;-)
I expect we will be hearing that phrase quite often, over the next 4-8 years.
I think Blago got screwed. Can’t comment on if it was some karma due to him or not, but probably so.
Although people should be SCREAMING about the fact that Obama had it put in the stimulus package that Illinois got NO FUNDS if Blago wasn’t removed.
That’s blackmail and using a financial crisis for a personal vendetta.
I cannot describe to you how much I despise Barack Obama. I knew I hated him in the primary, but since he has become President, it has grown leaps and bounds and it’s not even been a month.
Yep.
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