Things aren't always what they seem, and like most people, I might have somewhat jumped the gun over the recent Blagojevich scandal. Note I said a little bit. I have no doubt this guy is as corrupt as-well, as nearly any other governor with the sudden ability to exercise the power to appoint a replacement to the US Senate. That's just the point. This guy probably hasn't done anything any other governor has not or would not do.
Realistically speaking, what governor would not appoint the person he thought would most likely help him in his own political or other career? Granted, this might not always come down to bribery, pay-off, appointments of self and/or spouse to high paying positions, etc. On the other hand, is even all of that really that unusual?
Something has been bothering me about this whole thing, and it's been a nagging pain in the back of my mind. I think I can sum it up in two words-Patrick Fitzgerald.
This is the guy that insisted on crucifying Scooter Libby over the "Plamegate" affair, and went about the job of wrecking this guy's career, weeks and even months after he knew full well Libby was not the originator of the leak of the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame. The true original leaker was actually Assistant Secretary of State Richard Armitage, who was never charged, nor even, so far as is known, questioned or investigated. Granted, Libby and some others might have shared some degree of guilt, but his role at least was minor in comparison to that of Armitage, who played the whole thing off like it was a slip of the tongue on his part that others merely took advantage of.
Now, US Attorney Fitzgerald has his sights set on yet another target, the beleaguered Illinois Governor. Yet, the question remains, who exactly did Blagojevich attempt to bribe? It would appear that he spoke to some length with Jesse Jackson Jr., who is rumored to be Fitzgerald's source in all this. However, is there anything to back up this assertion, other than loose talk and some Nixonesque gutter language? Were candidates one through four offered the current and soon-to-be vacated Senate seat of President-elect Obama in exchange for-what?
I smell a rat. I smell a lot of them. Depending on the degree of involvement of Rahm Emmanuel, Obama's pick for Chief-of-Staff, this could get ugly, but maybe not if Fitzgerald manages to finagle some kind of appointment, albeit somewhere down the road-you know, just to make it look good. FBI Director Fitzgerald. Has an ominous ring to it, does it not? For that matter, has Obama already picked his Attorney General? Well, things can change.
As for Blagojevich, he and Obama, at least according to current political gossip, have not been especially close, although I'm not sure exactly what the problems or areas of disagreements are, if any. At any rate, this might in fact be the true extent of Obama's involvement. Get rid of a prickly thorn in his side in the person of Blagojevich, set up his chosen replacement in the Illinois Governor's mansion who would then appoint Obama's annointed successor in the US Senate. Fitzgerald gets his payoff somewhere down the road, in the form of a cushy promotion.
Unfortunately, the feisty Blagojevich isn't playing by the game book. This could actually turn out to be cause for much merriment, as more developments unfold.
2 comments:
The governor has some things he can use in his defense.
Why was he under surveillance? Was it hearsay?
That's another thing I wonder about, why did this all come up to begin with? Granted, Blagojevich has been careless talking so openly over the telephone, but still. He is on tape, so it's unclear just how much is based on his recorded utterances, and what part is based on hearsay, presumably from the mouth of Jesse Jackson Jr., who if you ask me is pissed that he seems to be left out of consideration for the seat by both sides, Obama and Blagojevich.
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