The Atlantic - Latest Comments in About that Blago/Obama connect...

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

Professor — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:11:20 -0000

I thought Obama's payoff to Blago was the cushy job two years hence. Blago wanted money now, so he goes to Jackson. Jackson came up with a fund raising scheme to funnel money to Blago. Blago was sticking it to Obama.

These guys are all tied together with Rezco & a billionaire Iraqi who funded Obama millions to get into the Rezco house/land deal.

All concerned want Blago to disappear (resign), he knows too much. An impeachment trial may open up a can of worms.

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

ACS — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:08:49 -0000

Really, I think the best Wire analogy for Obama is Cedric Daniels: he came up through a sewer, so no one should be surprised if he's got shit on him, but he isn't the one shitting.

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

DB Cooper — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:25:15 -0000

Somebody should've told Blago about playing those away games.

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

rikyrah — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 01:54:46 -0000

I lived in Illinois for about 10 years. It gave me a different perspective on Biden's comment that Obama was remarkable as a "clean" and "articulate" politician.

Sharpton had great fun taking offense at Biden's comment, but the little dust-up concealed one of the remarkable elements to Obama's rise -- despite the Rezko connections, he did indeed stand out in Illinois politics.

This is perhaps one of the reasons his colleagues in Illinois were happy to pass him along for promotion.

Posted by Carrington Ward

I've tried writing to folks who just don't seem to get it:

Obama is no innocent, but considering that he's been involved in Chicago and Illinois politics - he's one of the cleanest to come from Illinois.

You'd have to understand Chicago and Illinois to understand how many bullets he dodged.

He was never an Alderman.

He was never a Committeeman.

He was never a Cook County Board Commissioner.

(ALL of these are roads filled with bribes, and a tape recording sometime in the future).

He WAS a State Senator, and not in the State House. In the State Senate, he found a Black man willing to mentor him politically.

In the State House, he would have been sent out into the field to toil for Massa Michael Madigan.

Even though he was a prolific State Senator, he wasn't part of Senate Leadership. (which had the hookups to the committees, and the appointment of contracts).

He LOST the Congressional race to Bobby Rush ( a stroke of luck that he would thank later.)

By the time Obama got SERIOUS power - as a U.S. Senator - he could be 'detached' from Illinois politics, and set up levels of barriers between him and the serious crooks.

That's why I LOL at folks who wanted him to run for Governor of Illinois. - HELL NO - wayyy too many opportunities to find people that can trip you up.

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

rikyrah — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 01:41:59 -0000

I swear the last year has been one big blaxploitation flick. Without the guns. And without the white girls...

This is HILARIOUS.

too funny for words.

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

T.G. — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:14:18 -0000

TNC,

That governor is corrupt -- but damn!, I will give his ass style points for cursing!

This is change that you can motherfuckin believe in!

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

Nathan — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:36:13 -0000

This guy is a disgrace. I hope them nail him hard. Blagjoveich makes Ted Stevens look like Abraham Lincoln. As a Democrat, I'm ashamed that this guy is in our party. I hope and know Obama feels the same way. He needs to call this guy's behavior out; Exhibit A as to why our country's gotten off track. This kind of failure in high office cannot be tolerated.

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

tallulahbankhead — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:19:36 -0000

I thought it was going to be Spitzer but I'm going to have to vote for Hot Rod for Dumbest Governor of 2008.

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

CParis — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:06:49 -0000

I love this Blago guy! He makes our New Jersey corrupticians look like a bunch of 3rd graders.

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

dwhite10701 — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:56:26 -0000

And this jay electronica joint was inspired by Obama's election, and I was pumping it steadily for weeks after the election.

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

JC — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:30:08 -0000

They both are great tracks. Both are pretty smooth, in my opinion. And that's great rap, btw.

Great, non-nonsense, smooth track, giving the freedom to the rapper/word stylist, to go in all kinds of directions.

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

dwhite10701 — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:15:17 -0000

I'm thinking of something like this for Obama's theme music. Or maybe the DJ Premier remix, though I think the smoother sound of the original suits Obama more. "Brothas can't believe how the skills have gotten..."

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

JC — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:38:38 -0000

If I may say - I swear, this year, more than any other year, on top of the last eight years, has made me embarrassed to be a white guy. Have we totally forgotten how to get sh*t done, cleanly?

Evidence:

1. Well, let's start with the Republican administration - masters of the epic fail. Bumbling, malevolent, idiot. With democrats, half as not, going along with the epic fail.

2. Then we get to this year - Hillary Clinton's "expert" team didn't even effing figure out, how the primaries worked - even though they helped write the rules. Totally pantsed by Obama and co.

3. Then Bill goes and sticks his foot into his mouth, a few times. And he was the previous "smooth operater", politically.

4. All through the hard dem primary, Obama and co. keep their cool, and pull it out.

4. Then - we get the epic fail known as McCain - new political strategy every 2 1/2 days. Obama and co. run smooth, throughout, making each right move.

5. Obama and co. outraise funds over both the "unbeatable" Hillary early, and then of course the "unbeatable" RNC. Not by a little, but by a lot.

6. Obama and co. run a legendary ground game, that stuffs the Rovian surge of 2004, making it look like a needlepoint gathering.

7. Obama nimbly positions himself correctly on the cratering of the economy, riding this to the election.

And, hopefully, post-election - Obama easily avoids this nearly obvious grounds of entrapment, by the illustrious governor.

There USED to be cool white dudes, you know? Cool Hand Luke guys, who played 10 moves ahead. But boy, smooth no drama Obama (and company) is basically showing up ALL our politicians as chumps.

TNC - real request here - we've GOTTA have a thread, on the hero's (Obama's) theme music. After all - "Every good hero should have his own theme music", right?

Can always go with a classic

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

macartney — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:24:48 -0000

Karl,

I'm de-lurking to note eerie coincidence: I'm way late to the wire and just tonight received disc five of second season from netflix. i'm watching the second to last episode and hit pause to check mail and see if anything new hit on blago, only to see your frank sabotka quote, literally minutes after i watched that scene. hot damn!

Also, hold onto your hats kids (if anyone still wears them), this blago thing is about to get crazier.

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

B-Rob — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:19:43 -0000

Blago thought he could roll this guy?

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/web-exclusive-rahm-emanuel/848721/

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

eltoro — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:19:51 -0000

Carrington Ward,

Moreover, Obama is not the 1st clean and articulate politician from Hyde Park to become a US Senator. Paul Douglas, who was a member of Chicago's City Council before being elected to the US Senate, shares that distinction also.

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

Carrington Ward — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:41:26 -0000

I lived in Illinois for about 10 years. It gave me a different perspective on Biden's comment that Obama was remarkable as a "clean" and "articulate" politician.

This is perhaps one of the reasons his colleagues in Illinois were happy to pass him along for promotion.

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

Brianz — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:33:57 -0000

According to reports, Blago asked, "Is this a joke?" when he was told that the feds were coming to arrest him. I don't believe it. We know what he said:

"Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-it."

The Serb Clay Davis.

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

alkali — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:23:35 -0000

I swear the last year has been one big blaxploitation flick. Without the guns. And without the white girls...

Hey! What am I, chopped liver?

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

Incertus (Brian) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:16:39 -0000

The naughty Republican Party gets a present from Santa--the transparent and g-rated chutzpah of old fashioned Democratic graft.

How in the world is this a present for the Republican party? Blago's been under investigation for forever now it seems, and Obama's administration basically told him to take a long walk off a short pier. If anything, the Democrats as a whole look better as a result of this, especially if Emanuel was the guy who flipped the switch on Blago.

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

CitizenE — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:11:51 -0000

Blogosphere blagomania. The naughty Republican Party gets a present from Santa--the transparent and g-rated chutzpah of old fashioned Democratic graft. And the comics thinking the next 4 years were going to be boring breathe a sigh of relief after thinking that all political commentary would devolve into Campbell Brown's middle school principal smarm.

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

sgwhiteinfla — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:07:32 -0000

Oh and in case people hadn't heard, supposedly Jesse Jackson Jr might be caught up in all this as the unnamed "candidate 5" who maybe offered to raise 500k to a mil for the Senate seat. Straight cash homie.

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

Pesto — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:06:58 -0000

Blago really comes off as a 3rd-rate Swearengen in these excerpts.

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

sgwhiteinfla — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:01:12 -0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPlWht42enQ&eurl=http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/12/9/13126/0244/125/671113&feature=player_embedded

Oops I forgot the link.

Re: About that Blago/Obama connect...

sgwhiteinfla — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:52:47 -0000

Here is video from the chicago Fox news station speculating that Rahm Emmanuel might have snitched him out. If he did I say good for Rahm.