patrick.net

Nah, Blagojevich will be going to Club Fed. All that rape stuff only happens in state prison.

HousingWatcher says

Nah, Blagojevich will be going to Club Fed. All that rape stuff only happens in state prison.

Actually, club fed includes Levenworth and the Federal Prison in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, he'll probably enjoy the good locked-up life in a minimum security place where they can guarantee his safety.

I'd like to think prison would be the most lawful place around. Of course, it isn't and because it isn't there really isn't much hope for rehabilitation.

Not any deterrence either. Blago was trying to cut crooked deals while former Gov. George Ryan was getting clobbered in court for taking part in crooked deals. I picture Blago as a gazelle staring intently as a pack of lions devour another freshly killed gazelle, figuring he's safe -- for the moment.

It's typically Blago that he didn't actually get any returns for the schemes he was convicted on. Essentially, his talk convicted him.

Blago might fit in OK in prison. There are always deals to be made, if not for campaign contributions, at least for baloney sandwiches and smokes. If he learns anything in prison, it will be the immediate value of keeping his promises.

Now he can join the club of Illinois Governors who have enjoyed the hospitality of the correctional system in the past 41 years (in my lifetime):

Otto Kerner (D): Term as Governor: 1961-1968. Convicted in 1973 for on bribery, tax evasion, and other counts. Enjoyed the hospitality of the correctional system for just less than a year on a 3 year sentence just after his conviction.

Dan Walker (D): Term as Governor: 1973-1977. Plead guilty in 1987 to bank fraud, misapplication of funds, and perjury. The charges didn't have anything to do with his tenure as governor, so he's kind of special. Invited to enjoy the hospitality of the correctional system for 7 years but was out after only 1.5 years.

George Ryan (R) : Term as Governor: 1999-2003. Convicted in 2006 for corruption for steering state contracts and leases to political insiders and helping cover up bribes paid in return for truck drivers licenses while he was secretary of state and then governor. Invited to enjoy the hospitality of the corretional system for 6.5 years. Expected to be released 2013.

...and the newest member of the club is:

Rod Blagojevich (D): Term as Governor: 2003-2006. Just convicted on 17 of 20 counts with an extra 5 years of hospitality offered for his previous conviction of lying to the FBI. He is expected to be invited to enjoy the hospitality of the correctional system for 10 to 15 years.

Being born and raised in Illinois you learn that the state government is designed for corruption at its very base. You don't know any different until you leave the state to live in a state that actually has a goverment that attempts to follow the rule of law.

I lived in Iowa for a while and I was amazed at how clean and efficient that state government was. It was refreshing to deal with government agencies that were actually interested in doing the jobs that they were designed to do.

Now I've lived in California for the past 9 years and I have to say that this state is no better than Illinois in terms of corruption. The crooks in our state government are better at evading law enforcement and investigations.

However, I do have to say that Illinois does have an edge over California. The corruption in Illinois ensures that the state government is quite efficient. California, on the other hand, is not only corrupt but highly dysfunctional. Nothing gets done here, ever.

simchaland says

Being born and raised in Illinois you learn that the state government is designed for corruption at its very base.

That's true and the most disappointing corruption isn't the in the executive or legislative branches but in the judiciary. The Wikipedia article sums up Operation Greylord:

"The 3 1/2-year undercover operation took place in the 1980s. The first listening device ever placed in a judge's chambers occurred in the undercover phase, when the narcotics court chambers of Judge Wayne Olson were bugged. Ten years after the undercover case concluded, the historical investigations, prosecutions and trials concluded in 1994. The last conviction was that of Judge Thomas J. Maloney, who was convicted of fixing three murder cases for more than $100,000 in bribes"

While the Greylord cases were being heard, the Justice Department was collecting more evidence on actively corrupt judges, this time mobbed up judges.

simchaland says

The corruption in Illinois ensures that the state government is quite efficient. California, on the other hand, is not only corrupt but highly dysfunctional. Nothing gets done here, ever.

Can't agree with that. A generation ago, there was something like a two party system here, when Jim Thompson had to publicly fight for such schemes as the Sears deal and the Sox stadium deal. Then the Republicans became junior partners in the Illinois Republicrat party and their cronyism and their do nothing but business as usual plan made Illinois into what may be the most financially unsound State in the Union. Blago came along and went to war with the General Assembly.

Earlier this year, Indiana Gov. MItch Daniels compared it to living next door to The Simpsons.

I'm sure that there are many people in Illinois who are ashamed of their legislator's/judges/etc's records - and hope for change at each election.

Sucks that they don't have many options.

elliemae says

I’m sure that there are many people in Illinois who are ashamed of their legislator’s/judges/etc’s records - and hope for change at each election.

I know a guy who liked to drive fast. He got seven speeding tickets one summer around 1980. Seven tickets, no convictions. It cost him $50 for each ticket to make them go away. People took it as the way things really work.

I don't expect people to be ashamed of the shadow system they grew up with, but I am a bit surprised there isn't more outrage. There have been at least 40 years of federal investigations and media stories detailing the corruption and it should be obvious that the system is unsustainable.

People probably won't give up their willful ignorance until the failures start hitting them in their pocketbooks - hard. The Cook County Treasurer recently totaled up the debt of all of the 1500(!) taxing bodies in the county. That debt is over 100 BILLION dollars. That debt has increased over the last 10 years even though property taxes have gone up 120% and the sales tax for non-food items has been raised to about 11%. Let's hope interest rates never go up.

By the way, among those 1500 Cook County taxing districts are 150 suburban school boards -- typically with one or two schools each, a street light commission responsible for 40 streetlights and a library board without a library.

elliemae says

Sucks that they don’t have many options.

There are honest politicians here. Maybe most of 'em. But honest, effective politicians with a brain and a spine are rare. Most of the "reformers" end up being co-opted.

I'm usually in a dump the incumbent sort of mood.

I was sent this today. You gotta love it:

Awesome!

https://tuckercarlson.com/tucker-show-rod-blagojevich

Rod Blagojevich: Kamala’s Corruption, & the Real Cause of the Democrat Party’s Spiral Into Insanity

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, a lifelong Democrat, did eight years in federal prison. By the time he got out in 2020, his party had gone completely insane. He’s now all in for Donald Trump.

Blagojevich may have simply been set up.

Patrick says

Blagojevich may have simply been set up.

It was over Obama's Senate seat that he somehow miraculously got, same with Tammy Duckworth. I think Rod believed he was part of the club. IL politicians have been juggernauts over the last 40 years plus. Look at POTUS, House/Senate leadership and cabinet positions. It's been a shit load of people from IL.

I worry JB Pricker (yes I spell it wrong on purpose) will try to fill the void after Kamala loses. He'd have to lose copious amounts of weight though. Few women find fat men attractive and fit men will not vote for him. I really don't know what the Dems have in the bullpen the next 4 years.

I didn't like him at first, but the more JD talks, the more I like him. It seems like a home run VP pick compared to Walz. I think the people of Minnesota are now embarrassed by him. Kamala should have picked the Jew from PA but was too scared to. It might cost her PA and MN and the show is over at that point. Republicans have a lot more talent so to speak.