Blago was not a decent Democrat and Trump is not a decent Democrat pretending to be a Republican.
They're both crooks...but I guess Trump wanted to ensure that mercy might be shown to him someday. He's going to need it.
It's interesting how he downplays the charges against Blago as 'just a lot of bravado..'
It's interesting as our three little friends are going to try to agree with Trump (because Trump can do no wrong) and start saying that Blago got screwed.
A few years ago, he would have been a 'Typical Chicago Democrat'.... but now, Blago will probably be the victim and Trump the hero once again.
I said from the start if Trump even thought of commuting or pardoning Blago, I would sit out 2020 and I will.
Trump is only doing this as a way to show he is agaisnst "harsh" sentences. Blago is a crook. He tried to sell the Senate seat of Obama. He deserved the sentence he got and should have rotted in prison.
Shame on you Donald. You just blew it and you certainly weren't going to win Illinois anyway.Every member of the House and Senate are richer tonight because of the economy of Donald Trump. You're Welcome!
Obama knew all about that fiasco and wanted Valerie Jarrett to get that gig. Blago took the heat for all of them just like Bathon did years ago. He has already done more time than most of these other crooks who never spent a day in jail. Im no fan of Blago, but why should he be crucified when this state is crawling with crooked ass politicians at every level? He has paid for his crimes more than 99% of these other rats.
Did Rod Blagojevich do wrong? yes is he a crook? yes but I disagree with the punishment it was to long. and we all know other people did the same thing and got away with it.
I doubt that, but he may start talking a little bit about what went down that lead to his sentence. He may name names that the Democrats dont want named, and that may be part of Trumps reasoning for getting him out. Hes consistently supports shorter prison sentences for non violent crimes.
For some reason I am reminded of how 89 y/o Helen Hawkins was compelled to seek police protection due to being terrified to enter the Township building during working hours."Fight like Hell!"
I think Trump hurt himself with the pardons. As far as Blago, yes, it's not fair that he had to serve time when all the other crooks haven't, but that doesn't mean that he shouldn't serve time, it means all the others should.If you don't read the papers, you're uninformed. If you read the papers, you're misinformed. - Mark Twain
While I certainly share your frustration regarding this one thing said that is a "for sure" is' you certainly weren't going to win Illinois anyway."(Trump) you certainly weren't going to win Illinois anyway."
Im not a big fan if letting crooks out of jail, but isnt evry Illinois governor a crook? I think it is part of the job description. Blago took the hit for others because he got caught. Andy McCabe wont serve a day, so Blago getting an early release is ok with me. If he had let him sit I wouldnt have lost any sleep either I must admit. Lets not pretend that it even matters who he gives a get out of jail free card to, because it doesnt. He could have released a homeless old lady for stealing a loaf of bread and the lefties would have whined about it.
Blago in a lots of way is like Bill Clinton to me. As much as I despise Democrats I could never work up much hate for Bill. Hitlery yes, because shes evil, but Bill always seemed so happy go lucky. I sort of felt the same way with Blago when he got sent away. I didnt mind him going to prison at all, I just thought several others needed to be going with him.
It’s Been 11 Years and Deep State FBI STILL WON’T Turn Over Transcript and 302 of Barack Obama’s Blagojevich Interview …What Are They Hiding? I doubt if Trump pardoned Blago just out of the kindness of his heart. Nothing is ever really as it seems, evryone has an angle, including trump. Lets remember Valerie Jarrett was Obamas pal, and I cant wait for Blagos book to come out.
So much hypocrisy among the Trump defenders. If Obama or any Dem had pardoned Blago, your heads would have exploded. Instead, you put forth a lot of lame ass excuses so you can keep Trump on his pedestal. Blago wasn't only found guilty of trying to sell Obama's seat, he also tried to shake down a children's hospital. I know, you'll say, "well, lots of other politicians in Illinois have done worse and gotten away with it" Then you'll bitch about how corrupt Illinois politicians are.
From Forbes: But among the more shocking allegations against Blagojevich was that he wanted a $50,000 contribution from the CEO of the hospital, then known as Children’s Memorial, for backing millions of dollars in state funding for pediatric doctors to treat sick kids across the state of Illinois. The fundraising shakedown was among the criminal counts Blagojevich was found guilty on, reports and records in the case show.
Trump is repopulating the swamp, not draining it by any means.
I made a few comments when Obama pardoned Chelsea Manning, but it was hardly that big a deal to me. I knew he wasnt going to throw a life line to Blago, although that may have been a smart move.
Do you think that possibly Blagojevich could be trading some inside information fir his get out of jail card? There apparently is some Federal investigations going on in Chicago right now. It would make sense on a possible this for that sort of thing particularly if Madigan was fingered. It ain't over till the fat lady sings and as you say, "Nothing is ever really as it seems."
Re: Consider that Bagojevich may be trading secrets
Who knows? Trump probably knew he would be attacked for this since he gets attacked for everything he does. Who knows what his motivation was for bailing out a Democrat crooked politician, but he probably feels he can benefit from it in one way or another. If Blago gets targeted it wont be by Republicans it will be by Jittlery Democrats. To me this is all busy work, bogus news because they are working on the next Trumped up scandal they want to hang around his neck. This is convenient space filler, because the hacks are bored.
Re: Consider that Bagojevich may be trading secrets
That's what I am getting at. Trump knows he will never win Illinois' Electoral votes and he doesn't do anything without himself getting something out of the deal. So, with that in mind, what else could it be he would want from Blog? To me, at the moment, this speculation makes sense. I think his wife is one of the Alderman's daughters too and so there is no telling what they might know these days. Just fun speculation here...but it is fun to do.
I keep thinking of the Valerie Jarrett, Barry Hussein connection. Maybe its none of these things, he does things on the fly quite often. If He winds up pardoning the Clintons buddy, Harvey Weinstein, then i will join in on the crucifying.
River, that's an interesting theory. I hope it goes somewhere. We knew at the time that President Obama had to have some input on who Blago used to fill his seat. Might be worth hearing what Blago had to say about those phone calls. I mean we like to investigate phone calls these days.Every member of the House and Senate are richer tonight because of the economy of Donald Trump. You're Welcome!
He would be on all the others if only it wasnt Trump who bailed him out. My guess is the Democrats coordinated assault on Bloomberg tonight will be the big story for the next 48 hours.
Speaker Madigan, top allies named in new federal subpoena
Interesting how this happens among others at the same time as the pardon...
The feds are looking for records involving a former ComEd lobbyist, Mike Madigan and Ald. Marty Quinn, among others. Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan and several of his closest political allies are named in a new federal subpoena seeking records on a former ComEd lobbyist and his consulting work for a tiny southwestern suburb, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
A significant focus of the subpoena is Raymond T. Nice – a longtime campaign worker for Madigan’s Southwest Side Democratic organization who became an “independent contractor” for the village of Merrionette Park in 2015, according to records and interviews.
Delivered by an IRS agent and dated Friday, the subpoena asks Merrionette Park officials for copies of contracts with Nice, as well as invoices “and payment records, including but not limited to records that explain the purpose(s) and work product for which payment was made, records of wire transfers, copies of checks (front and back) and/or records of cash payments.”
The subpoena also asks that, by March 4, village officials turn over all “correspondence with, or other communications (such as internal email messages) documenting communications with, Michael Madigan, Michael McClain, Timothy Mapes, Kevin Quinn and/or Marty Quinn.”
The records are still being gathered and have yet to be turned over to federal authorities, according to village attorney Burt Odelson, who said it doesn’t appear at this point that anyone at the village did anything wrong. “If there’s anything there, it’s on Ray Nice’s part.”
McClain is one of Madigan’s longest, closest advisors who’s also served as a lobbyist for ComEd and recently told WBEZ that federal agents asked him to cooperate in their investigation delving into ComEd and its relationship with political power brokers. In the interview, McClain suggested he wasn’t cooperating.
That investigation is focusing, at least in part, on whether Madigan put the arm on the utility giant – which the Legislature helps regulate – to hire certain lobbyists who then did little or no work.
Mapes was Madigan’s legislative chief of staff until he was ousted in 2018 amid complaints about bullying, harassing behavior toward state workers.
Kevin Quinn was also forced from his role as a political operative for Madigan after he was accused of repeatedly sexually harassing staffer Alaina Hampton.
Quinn’s brother, Ald. Marty Quinn, represents Madigan’s 13th Ward in the City Council.
“This is a surprise to him, and he has never been contacted by anyone,” a spokeswoman for Marty Quinn said. A Madigan spokesman couldn’t be reached for comment.
Reached Wednesday by a reporter, Nice said, “Thank you for the call, but I don’t want to comment. Thank you.”
Nice has been on the payroll for Madigan-run political organizations since 2006, according to Illinois State Board of Elections records, which show he was paid more than $4,500 since then.
Starting in 2015, he worked as an “independent contractor” for Merrionette Park, a suburb on the edge of the Far Southwest Side with a population of just under 2,000.
The recently retired mayor of the suburb, Dennis Magee, said Nice was hired as a consultant to help him with “business development,” among other tasks.
Asked what the feds are looking for, he said over the phone, “I have no idea, I have no idea what’s going on with Ray Nice.”
But Magee insisted that neither Madigan nor his people muscled him into hiring Nice, and that Nice completed whatever work he was hired to do. “He did, yeah, so far as I know,” Magee said.
How did Magee come to hire Nice, who used to work at the Cook County recorder of deeds office?
“I used to golf with him,” according to Magee, who served as the suburb’s mayor for more than 20 years.
Magee’s replacement, Mayor Jose Nevarez, said Nice ended his work for the village in December, while Magee retired at the end of January and Nevarez took over Feb. 1.
Referring to the subpoena, Nevarez said, “We got it and we’re complying.”
After leaving his county job, Nice became a ComEd lobbyist, reporting to City Club of Chicago leader Jay Doherty, who was also a ComEd lobbyist, as WBEZ reported in December. Nice halted that lobbying work after federal agents visited City Club offices, the radio station reported.
Doherty was close friends with Ald. Edward Burke (14th), who was charged in 2019 with trying to extort a Burger King franchise owner into hiring his private law firm. It’s unclear whether that case is related to the one involving Nice, but both appear to involve the same grand jury, as well as at least one prosecutor.
River, there's always so much more below the surface than we ever find out.Every member of the House and Senate are richer tonight because of the economy of Donald Trump. You're Welcome!
on February 18, 2020, 1:15 pm:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66340441/Illinois_House_Speaker_Secret_Recording.0.jpg)