Sun editorial:

A corruption ‘crime spree’

Illinois governor accused of trying to sell an appointment to a U.S. Senate seat

Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008 | 2:07 a.m.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday morning on charges of political corruption, accused in a series of pay-for-play schemes, including shopping around the appointment to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said the Democratic governor and his chief of staff were arrested in the middle of a “political corruption crime spree” to prevent any more harm.

Obama said he had no contact with Blagojevich or his office. Fitzgerald said the complaint “makes no allegations about the president-elect whatsoever.”

The criminal complaint, relying on wiretaps, lays out a pattern of shocking and arrogant behavior by Blagojevich. For example:

• Blagojevich, according to the complaint, called the Senate appointment “a (expletive) valuable thing, you just don’t give it away for nothing.” He allegedly tried to leverage the appointment in exchange for a job on a corporate board for his wife or a Cabinet post, ambassadorship or lucrative job for himself.

• Prosecutors say Blagojevich expected a $50,000 campaign contribution from the chief executive of a children’s hospital after the state committed $8 million to the facility. The contribution wasn’t made and the wiretap caught the governor exploring ways to pull the $8 million, which the hospital has yet to receive.

• Blagojevich allegedly threatened to hold up state aid for Wrigley Field, which the Tribune Co. owns, unless the Chicago Tribune fired members of the newspaper’s editorial board who were critical of him. The newspaper’s editor said he had never been contacted about that and said no one was fired.

Blagojevich’s arrest not only further stains Illinois politics but it also reopens old wounds — Blagojevich’s predecessor, Republican George Ryan, is in prison, having been convicted of corruption. Although Blagojevich is presumed innocent, it’s clear that he should resign immediately.

His arrest adds to the erosion of public confidence in politicians, not just in Illinois, but across the nation. Southern Nevadans have seen their share of political corruption, including the recent federal case that landed three Clark County commissioners in prison.

Fitzgerald called the allegations against Blagojevich “a truly new low.” In the annals of political corruption, this may be an overstatement, but that doesn’t make the charges any less appalling.

Discussion: 11 comments so far…

By LVGlads

12/10/08 at 6:53 a.m.

Suggest removal

Rod Blagojevich, a man who has truly earned the right to be called a Liberal Democrat. Well done!
By Future2012

12/10/08 at 8:17 a.m.

Suggest removal

This is the result you get when you have one party Democrat rule and the Democrats are owned by the Unions. Classic South side Chicago politics.

It is interesting how U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald provide a detailed 76 page document to convey his case.

Compare that to DEMOCRAT Lead Prosecutor Conrad Hafen vaguely says Brian Krolicki actions violate basic precepts of government transparency and accountability and had to make this a felony case.

Compare that to DEMOCRAT Catherine Cortez Masto claims she could not exercise selective prosecutorial discretion based on the flimsiness of the charges, and had to make this a felony case.
By DouglasDemocrat

12/10/08 at 8:46 a.m.

Suggest removal

"It is interesting how U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald provide a detailed 76 page document to convey his case."

Fitzgerald and the DOJ have been investigating Blagojevich for the last 6 years, and most of the evidence in the document is transcripts and summaries of wiretaps they had on his phone.

There is NO comparison - stop making false equivalencies and stick to the facts of THIS case.
By jfnance32

12/10/08 at 9:36 a.m.

Suggest removal

""a truly new low." In the annals of political corruption, this may be an overstatement"

This is a lame attempt to low-ball what happened by a crooked Democrat governor.

If the Sun can point to something that is worst than selling a senate seat or trying to get a change to an editorial board or forcing a children hospital to make a campaign donation before it can it funds due to then they should step up and point it out.
By boftx

12/10/08 at 1:27 p.m.

Suggest removal

Of more interest is the question of whether or not to believe Obama's claim of ignorance (yet again) when he is surrounded by questionable activity.

It was hard to swallow his claim that he didn't know Wright's feelings about America. Now he wants us to believe that he has no idea that this kind of corruption was going on, even though he is deeply rooted in Chicago politics as an ornagizer and an elected polictician.

Obama is setting a fast pace for being more un-informed (or a bigger liar) than Bush at this rate.
By redferret

12/10/08 at 3:15 p.m.

Suggest removal

So you just assume that Obama was in on the scam to sell his office? This guy sounds like a thug criminal, and more than likely had no interaction with Obama. Also if he was involved, I think the 6 YEAR investigation would have turned something up.
By boftx

12/10/08 at 3:37 p.m.

Suggest removal

No, I don't assume, or imply, any such thing. I just have a hard time believing him being unaware of shady deals going on around him. He doesn't have to be involved to know that such things happen. Remember, he also said he was unaware of any wrong-doing by Rezko(sp?).

For a guy who came up thru the Chicago machine Obama seems pretty naive.
By jfnance32

12/10/08 at 3:48 p.m.

Suggest removal

botfx.....You are right.

Obama hears no evil, sees no evil and especially speaks no evil.

His core fundraiser for years and friend is one of the biggest crooks in south Chicago. The crook even helped Obama buy a house.

Obama has yet to see one crook in Chicago.

Gotta love the guy.

Here is a good story.

Obama's mentor in the state senate was the guy who ran the state senate. So this state senator chief in his last year got this ethics bill passed. On the last day after the 2nd reading to the bill, he made Obama the chief sponsor of the bill even though Obama had not work one inch on the bill. The result of the bill was that state senator got to transfer to his personal checking account hundreds of thousand of dollars in unused campaign funds.

Obama never listed this "legislative achievement" on his Presidential website or boasted of it ever.

I wonder why.............
By ksand99

12/10/08 at 4:33 p.m.

Suggest removal

You continue to cling to arguments that failed to sway voters, jfnance32? LOL!

I have a question for you, jfnance32, why hasn't Obama been indicted or arrested?

What has Obama done wrong?

I guess, since you seem to think Obama has bad judgement, that you disagree with Obama's call for Blagojevich's resignation.

I guess you weren't aware at the expletives Blagojevich screamed about the Obama administration and how they wouldn't play ball with him.

I guess you aren't aware of the rumors that this sting was setup after Rahm Emanuel went to Patrick Fitzgerald.

I guess you aren't aware that the ethics bill you are talking about will be a key factor in the upcoming case against Blagojevich.

That's ok, your deranged hatred of Obama is hilarious.
By jfnance32

12/10/08 at 5:01 p.m.

Suggest removal

Obama has never ever seen a crooked Chicago politican and he was there for decades.

Two thumbs up for Obama....he has very keen eyes.
By DouglasDemocrat

12/10/08 at 8:42 p.m.

Suggest removal

Oh, come off it - he was a community organizer, and anyone who has had any experience with politics will tell you that "machine men" and organizers are about as chummy as evangelicals and infidels. Machine politics works when the citizens are apathetic and under the sway of higher-ups in the chain. Organizers disrupt the machine by getting the base organized and mobilized.

And if you actually READ the indictment, Blago is quite dismissive of Obama. He calls him quite a few names that are not printable here, and indicates that if Obama won't play ball and give Blago something for the seat, then Blago will put someone Obama doesn't like up.

Blago has been on the outs with the Illinois Democratic Party for years - hell, even straight-ticket Dems there are wishing for the days when George Ryan (a Republican and crook doing time) were in charge because stuff actually got done.