Illinois Governor Tried to Sell Obama's Senate Seat.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

Does that excuse it, though? I mean, this is blatant and pretty disturbing. Politically, this is near the top of the "naughty" list (to stay in the spirit of the holiday season). The only thing that might save it is that it was so blatant that there was little chance he would get away with it.

Not at all, and I'd never say that it did.

Originally Posted by alphagamzetagam

I think people that live near his Chicago home should go put coal in his mailbox on Christmas. He lives on the North Side, right?

I'm sure I could get you the exact address, should you want it. I don't think "around the corner from Bill & Rhonda" would work.

[Kevlar281]

I just heard on the news while I was working out that three former Illinois governors have gone to prison in the past 25 years...that is one crazy stat.

[SWTXBelle]

http://www.slate.com/id/2206364/

[PM_Mama00]

Originally Posted by lillady85

Feel better? Just because our Gov is corrupt doesn't mean we as a people are corrupt. I know I certainly wasn't making fun of the issues in Detroit though I could. How does it feel? Pretty lousy, because now everyone assumes that we're all corrupt when we aren't.


ETA: AGDee, yes on Topinka! I voted for her (even though I am a Dem). I didn't agree with everything she had to say but even then it was obvious Blago would amount to no good.

As for generalizations, of course there are going to be those. I only mentioned Podunk, Iowa because I lived there for enough time to comment on it. I should have elaborated better that people always make generalizations on big cities. Even if they are unfairly deserved. What is annoying is when someone who has never lived (or even visited) cities like Detroit, Pittsburgh, Boston, etc, decides to make a comment to a citizen of that city that their hometown is "dangerous" just because it's bigger.

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I think all she meant was "Welcome to the Club" (or "I see you're still in the Club.") As KSigRC has said, what Chicagoans/Illinoisians (is that right?) are now experiencing is pretty much what Detroiters have been experiencing and, speaking more broadly than just corrupt politics, what GCers from every part of the country have experienced at one time or another. (Just for an example of what we Southerners get, check out the first picture in this post.)

Every part of the country gets a bad rap from time to time. Sometimes it's deserved, but often it's not. No need to take it personally. Somethings really aren't worth rallying against.

Thank you.

[ufpika]

What can you expect, they are trying to fill the Messiah's seat.

[agzg]

Originally Posted by ufpika

What can you expect, they are trying to fill the Messiah's seat.

OMG - you must hang out on digg too much.

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by lillady85

No, Chicago is not a Gomorrah. But people across the country assume that all our politics are corrupt. You even mention it yourself in your last comment about how our politics are "implicitly corrupt". True, we come from a background that is not the cleanest. But we've moved a long way from that ...

I mean . . .

[Sister Havana]

Originally Posted by AGDee

If only they'd elected Judy Barr Topinka instead ...She's a Republican, but she's an Alpha Gam, pro-choice and pro gay rights, so if I was in the area, I would probably have voted for her.

The only reason I didn't vote for her was because she picked the absolute worst running mate there is. I did not want Joe Birkett anywhere near the statehouse. Had she picked anyone else she would have gotten my vote. (I did vote for her for treasurer twice)

As for Blagojevich, what's most shocking to me is not that he's so sleazy, but how stupid he was about all this. (Hello, you've been under investigation since 2002 or so and yet you still pull this crap?) The honorable thing for him to do would be to step down, but he probably won't. (The legislature is coming back for an emergency session on Monday - methinks impeachment proceedings are in the works.)

DaemonSeid - there are loads of those ads on craigslist in Chicago. I like this one:

U S Senate seat - $9999999 (Washington D C)
Reply to: see below
Date: 2008-12-09, 1:32PM CST


For sale to the highest bidder: 1 United States Senate Seat, very lightly used for the last 4 years. Recently vacated by A President Elect. As Governor, I have the supreme right to appoint the successor & am willing to award the seat to the highest bidder. No Federal Investigators, please. Contact Rod B. at:
METROPOLITAN CORRECTIONAL CENTER
71 WEST VAN BUREN STREET
CHICAGO, IL 60605
312-322-0567

[piphiangel314]

I cannot stand Rod Blagojevich. I'm from Illinois and have met him on a few different occasions, and something about him has always rubbed me the wrong way. Not to mention he's a total creeper. One day he toured our facilities at work, and while we were all in there working at the computer, he came up behind my best friend and proceeded to give her a shoulder massage (we took pictures inconspiculously and hung them at her desk the next day). He then invited us all over to his mansion for a soiree that night. Just a tad creepy...

Back to politics. I know that this is going to sound like the typical whine-y Southern Illinoisan - but he forgot about us. I love Chicago - don't get me wrong. I'd love to live there one day. But honestly, anything further south than Springfield he completely ignored. So that has always bugged me about him.

Have ya'll read the affidavit/indictment document? It's quite interesting. He was pretty vulgar in a lot of the phone conversations. It's sickening.

[moe.ron]

[chitownxo]

[QUOTE=Sister Havana;1753359]The only reason I didn't vote for her was because she picked the absolute worst running mate there is. I did not want Joe Birkett anywhere near the statehouse. Had she picked anyone else she would have gotten my vote. (I did vote for her for treasurer twice)

Co-sign. Birkett's just nasty.

[Virtual Violet]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

All of us Detroiters reading this are saying.....

boooooo hooooooo How does it feel?

Ummm it feels like I'm still a proud product of Illinois....our corrupt politicians do not make the Land of Lincoln what it is...its the people and those who serve us who actually try to put the constituency first. Anyone in Illinois will tell you that Blagojevich (sp?) has been one of the least liked, uncompromising, and ineffective Illinois politicians for years...The only question most of us had was not IF but WHEN the indictment would come down.


IMHO...good riddance to him. The timing could not be better. This way the "Obama" Senate seat will not be tainted.

[PM_Mama00]

Originally Posted by Virtual Violet

Ummm it feels like I'm still a proud product of Illinois....our corrupt politicians do not make the Land of Lincoln what it is...its the people and those who serve us who actually try to put the constituency first. Anyone in Illinois will tell you that Blagojevich (sp?) has been one of the least liked, uncompromising, and ineffective Illinois politicians for years...The only question most of us had was not IF but WHEN the indictment would come down.


IMHO...good riddance to him. The timing could not be better. This way the "Obama" Senate seat will not be tainted.

Did you even read the thread?

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by moe.ron

Will that also include private jets from Alaska??

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

Will that also include private jets from Alaska??

I think private transportation of any reasonable sort is an accepted perk of political office. The selling of a political office, while probably more common than expected, is not.

Besides, what other type of transportation does one take from Alaska, a kayak? I can remember seeing more than one picture of a private jet used by a former senator from Illinois.