Have you no shame, Rod Blagojevich and your enablers: Roland Burris, Speaker Mike Madigan, Mayor Daley and President-Elect Obama?
A useful addendum to understanding the conscience, or lack thereof, of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, as discussed more generally in my prior post, is an exchange Rod had with his Republican opponent, then Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan, in the 2002 gubernatorial campaign.
At a dramatic moment in a WTTW [Chicago Public TV) debate between Blago and Jim Ryan (they were seated within a foot of each other), Blago made a particularly sleazy attempt to tie Jim Ryan to one of the terrible, consequences of George Ryan's corruption, the death of the six Willis kids -- and
Jim Ryan turned and asked Blago, "Have you no shame." The correct answer, of course, was "No."
The llinois electorate, being who they are, proceeded to elect shameless Rod its Governor in 2002 and then re-elect shameless Rod in 2006.
Mayor Daley and Speaker Mike Madigan [also the Chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party and father, of course, of Illinois AG Lisa Madigan] proceeded to Co-Chair shameless Rod's 2006 re-election campaign, notwithstanding (1) the contempt they displayed for shameless Rod during his first term,(2) the fact that a reformer, Edwin Eisendrath, challenged shameless Rod in the 2006 Democratic Primary and (3) the fact that the Blago administration, by 2006, was the subject of numerous public corruption investigations by U. S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald (who has successfully indicted and convicted Gov. George Ryan and numerous Illinois, Chicago and Cook County public officials of public corruption charges).
Then Illinois U. S. Senator [and now President Elect] Barack Obama also endorsed shameless Rod in the 2006 election notwithstanding the existence of a Democratic reformer challenger Eisendrath in the Dem Primary. Obama referred to shameless Rod's ability "to deliver for the people of the State of Illinois." Indeed, in June, 2002, State Senator Obama gushed about "how hard he would work," to elect shameless Rod. [Watch Obama here] and read Obama here-- including more about the Obama-Chicago pol/Illinois Combine interlocking relationships.
Although this reporter defended Obama on O'Reilly re Obama's work to elect Rod in 2002, due to the fact that much less was known about Rod's brushes with corruption in 2002 than is currently the case, that argument is less strong re Obama's [and any other Dem official's] endorsement in 2006 of Blago.
It seems that the Illinois Democratic Party and its leaders have some "splaining to do," about their continued mis-judgments, in the face of plenty of negative information, about shameless Rod.
Indeed, at some point soon, the President-Elect should answer some questions at a presser about his mis-judgments about shameless Rod. After all, Obama ran, in both the primary and in the general election, on his superior judgment.
You can see why the Illinois Democratic Party and the National Democratic Party are a bit uncomfortable having Blago's appointee of his old friend, the relatively unaccomplished, old style pol, Roland Burris, serve in the U. S. Senate. It is not just the taint from shameless Rod, but clearly this is not "Change you can believe in."
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. **************************************************
"Public Affairs," is a weekly political interview show airing in Chicago on CANTV, in the Chicago metro area, Aurora and Rockford on Comcast and also often on the Illinois Channel. You can watch the shows, including archived shows going back to 2005, here.
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Recently posted shows on the Public Affairs YouTube page include a recent Bill O'Reilly segment w/Berkowitz on Obama, shows with newly minted State Rep. Mark Walker (D-Arlington Heights), essentially the first Dem to represent his district since the Civil War, on the connection between the mess in Springfield and in Cook County government, Chicago Alderman Manuel (Manny) Flores (D-1st Ward, Wicker Park) on impeachment of Rod, Chicago issues and a possible run to replace 5th CD Cong. Emanuel, Cook County Cmsr. Tony Peraica (R-Riverside) on the mess we call Illinois politics, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell, State Senator Bill Brady (R-Bloomington), State Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Westmont), Cook County Commissioner and possible 5th CD Dem. Primary candidate Mike Quigley (D-Lakeview), State Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) and Cook County Cmsr. and Obama Media Team Member Forrest Claypool and much more.
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At a dramatic moment in a WTTW [Chicago Public TV) debate between Blago and Jim Ryan (they were seated within a foot of each other), Blago made a particularly sleazy attempt to tie Jim Ryan to one of the terrible, consequences of George Ryan's corruption, the death of the six Willis kids -- and
Jim Ryan turned and asked Blago, "Have you no shame." The correct answer, of course, was "No."
The llinois electorate, being who they are, proceeded to elect shameless Rod its Governor in 2002 and then re-elect shameless Rod in 2006.
Mayor Daley and Speaker Mike Madigan [also the Chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party and father, of course, of Illinois AG Lisa Madigan] proceeded to Co-Chair shameless Rod's 2006 re-election campaign, notwithstanding (1) the contempt they displayed for shameless Rod during his first term,(2) the fact that a reformer, Edwin Eisendrath, challenged shameless Rod in the 2006 Democratic Primary and (3) the fact that the Blago administration, by 2006, was the subject of numerous public corruption investigations by U. S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald (who has successfully indicted and convicted Gov. George Ryan and numerous Illinois, Chicago and Cook County public officials of public corruption charges).
Then Illinois U. S. Senator [and now President Elect] Barack Obama also endorsed shameless Rod in the 2006 election notwithstanding the existence of a Democratic reformer challenger Eisendrath in the Dem Primary. Obama referred to shameless Rod's ability "to deliver for the people of the State of Illinois." Indeed, in June, 2002, State Senator Obama gushed about "how hard he would work," to elect shameless Rod. [Watch Obama here] and read Obama here-- including more about the Obama-Chicago pol/Illinois Combine interlocking relationships.
Although this reporter defended Obama on O'Reilly re Obama's work to elect Rod in 2002, due to the fact that much less was known about Rod's brushes with corruption in 2002 than is currently the case, that argument is less strong re Obama's [and any other Dem official's] endorsement in 2006 of Blago.
It seems that the Illinois Democratic Party and its leaders have some "splaining to do," about their continued mis-judgments, in the face of plenty of negative information, about shameless Rod.
Indeed, at some point soon, the President-Elect should answer some questions at a presser about his mis-judgments about shameless Rod. After all, Obama ran, in both the primary and in the general election, on his superior judgment.
You can see why the Illinois Democratic Party and the National Democratic Party are a bit uncomfortable having Blago's appointee of his old friend, the relatively unaccomplished, old style pol, Roland Burris, serve in the U. S. Senate. It is not just the taint from shameless Rod, but clearly this is not "Change you can believe in."
*************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. **************************************************
"Public Affairs," is a weekly political interview show airing in Chicago on CANTV, in the Chicago metro area, Aurora and Rockford on Comcast and also often on the Illinois Channel. You can watch the shows, including archived shows going back to 2005, here.
*********************************************
Recently posted shows on the Public Affairs YouTube page include a recent Bill O'Reilly segment w/Berkowitz on Obama, shows with newly minted State Rep. Mark Walker (D-Arlington Heights), essentially the first Dem to represent his district since the Civil War, on the connection between the mess in Springfield and in Cook County government, Chicago Alderman Manuel (Manny) Flores (D-1st Ward, Wicker Park) on impeachment of Rod, Chicago issues and a possible run to replace 5th CD Cong. Emanuel, Cook County Cmsr. Tony Peraica (R-Riverside) on the mess we call Illinois politics, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell, State Senator Bill Brady (R-Bloomington), State Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Westmont), Cook County Commissioner and possible 5th CD Dem. Primary candidate Mike Quigley (D-Lakeview), State Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) and Cook County Cmsr. and Obama Media Team Member Forrest Claypool and much more.
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