The Blagojevich moment
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/POLITICS/12/10/illinois.governor/art.gov.gi.jpg caption="Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat, was arrested Tuesday on federal corruption charges."]
Katrina vanden Heuvel
The Nation
It is absolutely mind boggling to read of the pay-to-play corruptiongone wild in the indictment against Governor Rod Blagojevich - from withholding money for a children’s hospital unless given campaign contributions, to trying to sell a Senate seat to the highest bidder, to demanding editors be fired by the Tribune Company in exchange for help selling Wrigley Field, to speeding up all of these efforts before a new ethics law taking effect this January 1…. not to mention the egomaniacal profanity with which Blagojevich issued his demands.
But beyond the shock and sadness of this moment, what’s key is something that novelist Scott Turow zeroed in on in a New York Times editorial today. He writes, “I hope the governor’s arrest galvanizes public outrage and at last speeds reform.”
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Filed under: Katrina vanden Heuvel • Raw Politics • Rod Blagojevich |
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It seems to me that the people of Illinois would get tired of this mess. I mean to keep on having this type of corruption year after year and doing nothing about it seems crazy to me.
I hope that with the mess that Blagojevich has made for them that they will say enough is enough and get busy and get rid of all of the crooks in office and get things back in order.
Cindy...Ga.
I wonder what other Senator has done this. It really scares me to think about what WE don't know unless the news media tells us.
I hope he drops dime on the whole bunch... everyone involved over the last six years... Rezko wouldn't cause he had a Gov in his pocket... but those days are over... who will it be... Tony, Rod, his wife... someone will.
A 30 year sentence can bring a lot of truth out I'm betting...