Blago: Where do I sign?

#TCOT #diggcons

Oh the perks of being a corrupt, classless, Democratic governor!  For background on this pic see this article.

Reminds me of Mel Brooks’ “It’s good to be the King” line in History of the World.

More trouble in Obamatopia

#TCOT #diggcons

You might have read my post the other day outlining a few sore spots that were rearing their heads in Obama’s transition.

Well, it’s starting to look like every time the President-elect and his team douse one fire, two or more flare up in its place.  He managed to dodge, at least for the time being, the bullet with scandals involving Bill Richardson and his buddy Blago.  Since then though, it’s been anything but smooth sailing.

You might recall one of Obama’s oft repeated campaign promises was to close the terrorist detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (Gitmo).  I mean, it was just plain awful that bloodthirsty terrorists were locked up in a place so dismal!  Today, CNN reports Obama plans to issue the order to close the detention center as early as his first week in office.  We still don’t know what will happen to the current residents, but they’re not being treated as the President-elect believes Allah-fearing bloodthirsty killers should be so he’s going to close it down.

Not long after the Obama camp reiterated its intentions to close the facility, the Pentagon released a report showing at least 61 former residents (who seem to have the President-elect’s sympathy) have returned to terrorism since their release.

Not good news for The Smooth Talker from Chicago/Hawaii/Kenya/?????.  He may have pinned himself in a corner on this one.  He’ll infuriate his liberal supporters who feel sorry for murderous savages intent on our country’s destruction if he doesn’t close it, but if he does and one of them is released and straps a bomb to himself and kills a bunch of innocents everyone else will be madder than Hell.

That’s not the only trouble he has in the making.

His buddy Blago put him in another tight spot by defying Obama and other Democratic leader when he appointed Roland Burris to fill Illinois’ vacant Senate seat.  The President-elect came out against seating Burris, but later changed his mind when it looked like other alternatives might lead to the seat being filled by a Republican.  He then twisted the arm of other Dems who had stated early on that any appointment by Blago “would not stand.” 

Then today, it’s reported that Burris may have himself taken more than a million dollars in illegal campaign contributions in his 2002 gubernatorial campaign.  Putting his neck on the line (or trying to implement Chicago style politics in DC?) to keep this seat may prove to be a huge mistake if anything comes of this.

Not finished yet.  There’s still more trouble brewing in Obamatopia.

Now even Congressional Democrats aren’t so sure they trust Obama with the last $350 billion from TARP, the huge bailout passed by the Democratic Congress to help big banks, other financial companies, and the auto industry.  With bipartisan support to block the issuing of this gigantic bundle of money after the first $350 billion has done virtually nothing to turn the economy around, Obama’s first move as President may be to use his veto power against members of his own party (you remember, all those who honored him as if he were a God the last couple of months.)

That should set a great tone for this Democratic President to work with both houses of Congress in the hands of his own party.

Surely that’s all the troubles he has, right?  Not quite.

It was also reported today that Obama’s pick to lead the Treasury Department, Timothy Geithner, thought he could get away without paying self-employment taxes for a few years.  Of course the Obama team and Geithner explain it as a misunderstanding, but that’s just as bad.  Do we really want someone who doesn’t know if he has to pay self-employment tax running the Treasury Department?  That wasn’t Geithner’s only lapse, though.  Apparently he also employed a housekeeper who was here illegally for a few months.  (Wait a minute, isn’t that what forced Linda Chavez and Zoe Baird to withdraw their names from consideration for a Cabinet post?)

Remember all the talk about a smooth transition a while back?

Right.  Perhaps putting a Chicago politician in the White House wasn’t such a grea idea after all.

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Related Posts

Obama’s Treasury Secretary: Tax rules for thee, but not for me–Michelle Malkin

Spineless Dems to seat “tainted” Burris

#TCOT #diggcons

Following corrupt Illinois’ Democratic Governor Rod “The Senate Seat Salesman” Blagojevich’s appointment of Roland Burris to fill President-elect Obama’s vacated Senate seat, Democrats in the US Senate publicly took a principled stand, vowing not to seat Roland Burris.

From UPI, 1-4-09

“Blagojevich obviously is a corrupt individual. I think that’s pretty clear,” Reid said. “And the reason that he’s done what he’s done is to divert attention from the arrest that was just made of him and the indictment which will be coming in a few days, according to the U.S. attorney in Illinois. That’s why President-elect Obama agreed with us that Mr. Burris is tainted.”

From FoxNews:  Statement by Senate Democratic Leadership on Burris’ appointment 12-30-08

It is truly regrettable that despite requests from all 50 Democratic Senators and public officials throughout Illinois, Gov. Blagojevich would take the imprudent step of appointing someone to the United States Senate who would serve under a shadow and be plagued by questions of impropriety. We say this without prejudice toward Roland Burris’s ability, and we respect his years of public service. But this is not about Mr. Burris; it is about the integrity of a governor accused of attempting to sell this United States Senate seat. Under these circumstances, anyone appointed by Gov. Blagojevich cannot be an effective representative of the people of Illinois and, as we have said, will not be seated by the Democratic Caucus. Next week we will start one of the most important debates of the year — outlining an economic recovery plan to create jobs and invest in America. And in the coming weeks, we will be working to protect homeowners and consumers, make America more energy independent, strengthen our national security, and improve health care and educational opportunities. There is much work to do and a lot at stake. It is thus critical that Illinois and every other state have two seated Senators without delay. We again urge Gov. Blagojevich to not make this appointment. It is unfair to Mr. Burris, it is unfair to the people of Illinois and it will ultimately not stand. The governor must put the interests of the people of Illinois and all Americans first by stepping aside now and letting his successor appoint someone who we will seat.

President-elect Obama concurred with Senate Dems and reiterated his previous call for his old buddy, old pal, old friend Blagojevich to step aside and allow “a lawful and appropriate succession to take place.”

Apparently, its principles be damned for Democrats though–if there’s a chance it could mean losing a Senate seat to an untarnished Republican.

Obama vacillated, on January 7, stating he’d be willing to work with him if he was seated and pressured Reid to sweep the “tainted” (remember, that’s what Reid called him) appointee into his seat.  You see, with so much focus on Blago’s troubles, the idea of Obamatopia was quickly fading as the fingers of the scandal reached closer to the President-elect.

Reid, as does a cowardly dog, tucked his tail and scurried from his previous principled position.  Today, he announced that Senate Democrats will seat the “tainted” Burris, throwing principles to the wind and further undermining Democratic claims of honesty and transparency.

In the final analysis, it all boils down to Democrats’ unwillingness to stand on principle if it might mean losing a seat in their near filibuster proof majority.  Principle is valueless if it might cost them anything.

Blago Impeached!

Illinois’ state representatives voted overwhelmingly to impeach Governor Rod “The Senate Seat Salesman” Blagojevich.  Blago is the first governor in the history of Abe Lincoln’s homestate to earn this (dis)honor.

One dissenter, Chicago Democratic Rep. Milton Patterson voted “present” and replied that he was just doing his job when questioned about the vote.

Other Democratic representatives were quick to claim the curse visited upon them by Blago’s corruption has been lifted.  I don’t think we can go that far in a state where corruption and politics have gone hand in hand for as long as anyone can remember.  But, they’re probably hoping they can pull the wool over enough eyes to maintain their Democratic domination of state politics when the next elections roll around.

Something tells me the good people of Illinois won’t be so easily fooled and will still be looking for a real “change” when they next get the opportunity to oust the ruling party that has made Illinois the butt of lots of jokes after the Blago corruption came to light.

Playing the Race Card in Burris Case

#TCOT #diggcons

Well it’s finally happened. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. has openly stated that racism is playing a part in the Senate’s unwillingness to seat the appointee of disgraced Democratic Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich, Roland Burris after he was turned away today and not allowed to take the seat vacated by President-elect Barack Hussein Obama.

“There is a strong constitutional and legal case for his seating,” he said. “The longer this process takes the more racialized this seat becomes and the more difficult it becomes for Democrats to hold it in 2010.”–Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL)

So, the seat is becoming racialized.

Michelle Malkin recognized this brewing beneath the surface here and here.

So the same nation that just elected an African-American to the highest office in the land is now refusing to let a poor little black man become a Senator because we’re a bunch of racists.  The saddest part is that too many people will buy this line of crap.

Blago the Belligerent

  

Update:  Obama calls again for Blago resignation, says Senate can’t accept appointment

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Well, President-elect Barack Hussein Obama’s old friend, old buddy, old pal Democratic Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich is certainly doing his best to disrupt what was looking to be a smooooth transition to the new administration.

Caught this month with his hand in the cookie jar on the FBI wiretaps swearing like a sailor and seeking to line his pockets soliciting prospects for the President-elect’s vacated Senate seat, today he’s crowing about his duty and responsibility to the people of Illinois in a press conference to appoint another old friend, old buddy, old pal, former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris.

Too bad for him he wasn’t thinking about his duties and responsibilities when the FBI had his phones tapped.  Of course he claims he did nothing wrong as his attorney is seeking to have the evidence collected in the surveillance thrown out on a technicality.  Blago insists a political lynch mob is trying to force him from his job and he’ll fight them “until I take my last breath.”

This lynch mob he references includes the President-elect, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and virtually every other politician who’s made a statement on Blago’s predicament.  Obama has called on the Democratic governor to resign.  Reid says the Senate won’t seat any appointee of Blagojevich.  But the corrupt Democratic governor charged forward in defiance of them and so many others.

Blago stated in his news conference that this could have been appointed had the Illinois legislature called for a special election to fill the seat earlier this month.  But, the Democratic controlled legislature feared the Democratic governor’s criminal activity might have so angered the good people of the Land of Lincoln they would vote for a Republican to fill the seat of Blago’s old buddy, old friend, old pal Obama.

State law requires Blago to set a date for a special election to fill Rahm Emanuel’s vacated House seat.  Why not vote to fill Obama’s seat at the same time?  Rhetorical question.  We all know the answer.  God forbid an honest Republican might be afforded the opportunity to represent the state of Illinois in the Senate!

Maybe, just maybe…if Reid stands tall (which is a big if) and refuses to seat Burris, the Democrats in the Illinois state legislature will decide to do the right thing and give the good people who hail from the home state of Honest Abe the right to fill Obama’s Senate seat in an honest and upfront manner by calling for a special election.

  

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Related Posts

Blago surprise: Here comes his Senate replacement–Michelle Malkin

Blagojevich Appoints A Senator–The Violence Worker