(US) Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich Arrested on Corruption Charges

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http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSWAT01061220081209?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

Reuters said:
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested on corruption charges on Tuesday, including trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by fellow Democrat President-elect Barack Obama, federal prosecutors said.

While Obama has long distanced himself from the governor -- who has been under investigation on other issues for months -- Blagojevich's arrest was likely to be an embarrassment to the president-elect, who takes office on January 20

The case shines a light once again on old-style corruption in the Chicago political caldron from which Obama emerged.

"The breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering," U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, the federal prosecutor, said in a statement.

Blagojevich was also accused of threatening to withhold state assistance to the Tribune Company in connection with the sale of the Chicago Cubs' baseball home, Wrigley Field, in order "to induce the firing of Chicago Tribune editorial board members sharply critical" of him.

The 51-year-old Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, were charged in a federal complaint with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery. Both were taken into custody at their homes in Chicago.

In Illinois, the governor selects a successor when there is a mid-term vacancy in the U.S. Senate. Obama resigned from the Senate soon after winning the November 4 presidential election.

Color me shocked. Corruption in Chicago politics? Never... <_<
 
In Illinois?

I'm shocked! Shocked that there is gambling in this establishment!!
 
He was so mad at Barack Obama. He tried to bribe him ("put my wife on a committee and give me a cabinet job, and Val Jarrett can be senator"), but Obama shut him down ("STFU, N00b").
 
Finally.
 
Surely they will look into what else this guy may have done, and I'm sure a lot of people might be scared. Obama included. Even if Obama has nothing to hide, with Chicago in the spotlight and names like "Rezko" coming back...it's bad news for him.
 
We here in Illinois call it the "Crazy Uncle Lonnie" syndrome; Uncle Lonnie lives in Illinois's basement and only comes out to embarrass us, such as with Reverend Wright or in this case, The Bloggo.

It seems, with these charges, that he may be the country's most corrupt politician ever.
First Ryan, now Blagojevich. I think Illinoisans are fed up with this corruption on both sides. ENOUGH!!
 
He was so mad at Barack Obama. He tried to bribe him ("put my wife on a committee and give me a cabinet job, and Val Jarrett can be senator"), but Obama shut him down ("STFU, N00b").

Obama is far from clean. He was a senator in just about the most corrupt state and worked in one of the most corrupt cities. This corruption is not new, it has been known for decades. I doubt he is the clean angel you may want to make him out to be.
 
Obama is far from clean. He was a senator in just about the most corrupt state and worked in one of the most corrupt cities. This corruption is not new, it has been known for decades. I doubt he is the clean angel you may want to make him out to be.

It's not the time for being "clean", it's time to be good at his new job.
 
well it has been called a ''culture of corruption''

someone gets into power and uses this power to make money and gets carried away

its a classic story, maybe they will make a film about him a la scarface with quotes such as

''this town just like a great big pussy waitin to get fu@#$d''
or

''you know what capitalism is GET FU@#$D''
 
If convicted I believe that makes three Illinois governors in prison at the same time. Wow.

You all know that Obama won his party's Senate seat by having the other Democratic contenders disqualified for technicalites, right?
 
You all know that Obama won his party's Senate seat by having the other Democratic contenders disqualified for technicalites, right?
lol wut. [citation needed] :rolleyes:

There were seven people entered in the Democratic primary in Illinois in 2004.
 
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I love living in Chicago. It's my favorite city in the US. Illinois is a great place to live. However, I don't think anyone here is shocked or even surprised. The more common sentiment is "what took so long?" From local to county to state governments, I don't think there are too many states that can compete with IL for outright corruption.

The only thing that shocks me any more is how Daley is able to keep his nose clean. That guy is truly made of Teflon.
 
Obama is far from clean.
:rolleyes: Prove that he's any worse than any other politician who hasn't been convicted of corruption.

If convicted I believe that makes three Illinois governors in prison at the same time. Wow.
And I think the he's the 4th Illinois governor to be locked up ... in the last 40 years. I think that maybe it's time Illinois trimmed a little power from that office.
 
Today is Bloggo's birthday.

Happy birthday, asshole.
 
An op-ed piece by a conservative magazine writer who penned a book called "The Case Against Barack Obama" != a credible citation.

Try again please. Actually, don't, because :offtopic:

Hey, hide your head in the sand if you really want. There are plenty of other places its reported, but if it weren't true, I doubt the WSJ would print it, don't you think?

Same info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_Senate_career_of_Barack_Obama

My point was, politics in Illinois are nasty, and our new President hails from that arena.
 
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