To tell you the truth, I suspected that Rod Blagojovich, former governor of Illinois, would be found "not guilty" in his second trial for what? bribery, extortion, trying to sell the Comrade's senate seat to the highest bidder, etc. etc.
He was "not guilty" on all but one charge in the first trial, and would have had to serve a maximum of five years for that.
Today, after his second trial, and after testifying -- something he didn't do first time around -- and yammering on and on in his own charming style for days and days, the jury decided he was guilty and lied about almost everything. Out of 21 charges, he was found guilty on 18, not guilty on one, and on two, the jury was deadlocked. Blago could serve something like 300 years. But I doubt he will.
Interesting that Blago's defense has ALWAYS been, "That's the way you do politics in Illinois." Especially in Chicago. For example, as governor, Blago never spent much time in the state capitol, Springfield. He had an office in Chicago and/or did business out of his home -- in a neighborhood not far from where I lived for about five years. But see, Blago knew where the action was: Chicago, not Springfield.
He was pretty well hooked up with the old dem machine, too. His wife is the daughter of Dick Mell, who I believe was an alderman or something at one time, among other things. The Mell family is kinda like the Daleys in terms of being one of the little political dynasties in Chicago. They're all pretty much a bunch of crooks, but they also make the laws and run the courts, so they usually don't get prosecuted.
It took a federal investigation to arrest and prosecute Blago -- done by people from "outside" more or less.
And I have absolutely no doubt that Blago was only behaving the way he'd learned to behave from his mentors in the dem political machine. He seemed to favor "pay-to-play," which means, "Give me a big enough bribe, and I'll let you make a bid for that project." Or, in regards to the Comrade's senate seat, "This is f**king golden!" The chance of a lifetime to request some monumental pay-off -- either in money or political favors.
He made the comment while, apparently, drunk with power and basking in the glory of having a whole U.S. Senate seat under his tiny thumb.
Blago really isn't that bright. He's clever. He's a good talker. He has the charm of a mischievous kid. His whole demeanor being, "You don't want to hold me accountable. I'm just too damn cute."
The "charm" didn't work this time. He blabbered on and on and on in this second trial, and probably hung himself. That's the way we do it in Chicago.
I can picture all these white-faced and trembling appartchiks at some bar downtown, under the shadow of the rusting Picasso, sipping whiskey and wondering how the hell it happened that the jury wasn't properly bought. Someone may lose their job at Streets & Sanitation for that slip-up. Or maybe they were just as tired of Blago's tell-all bullshit as everyone else is. It makes the city look bad. (That, of course, is a joke.)
I have no doubt that all of Blago's diatribes and efforts at exposing the "culture of corruption" in Illinois and Chicago -- all of his contentions and machinations, lies and distortions -- every word is strangely true. You grab, push, bribe, extort, lie, cheat, stab your friends in the back -- that's the Chicago Way.
We see it in operation every day in the White House. Just interesting that a jury in Chicago didn't like it.
Save the Republic.
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