The Atlantic - Latest Comments in Gubernatorial Fail

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

Thomas R — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 08:03:00 -0000

His predecessor, a Republican, is currently in the big house or a halfway house or something. Anyway I think that'll make two governors in a row to go to prison for Illinois.

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

Agatha — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:52:17 -0000

For any who are inclined to be depressed by this thing (and I don't see a lot of handwringing here), the really depressing part would be if he were not apprehended. Being promptly apprehended (at least after the selling the senate seat business) is actually rather encouraging. No doubt its discouraging for the people of Illinois to have yet another governor headed for prison, but I'm sure if they keep trying they can find another. And its possible that a few potential candidates will have effectively taken themselves out of the running by forthcoming announcements. How about Peter Fitzgerald? I bet he could do a decent and uncorrupt job.

Frankly, Interstellar Fail (I love this term--and chuckled softly into my computer over it for near half a minute) is a gift. There will be no question that a dramatic response is required.

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

Dave — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:45:00 -0000

And to think that Fitzgerald was on that famous list of prosecutors forwarded to the White House by the DoJ ranking him as 'not having distinguished himself'.

From the Washington Post:

The ranking placed Fitzgerald below "strong U.S. Attorneys . . . who exhibited loyalty" to the administration but above "weak U.S. Attorneys who . . . chafed against Administration initiatives, etc.," according to Justice documents.

What next for the prosecutor?

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

JoanF — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:21:20 -0000

Can't see anything wrong here. Normal political horse-trading. I do a favor for you, you do a favor for me. He didn't ask for money! Please, stop behaving like a bunch of starry-eyed high school kids. Bill Clinton and his pardons were a much bigger story.

Support for Blago!

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

Paul Wartenberg — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:29:00 -0000

They haven't even invented a machine that can calculate the Fail Factor here. I do believe we have gone to Interstellar Fail. Intergalactic, perhaps.

Time to unleash my inner Spaceball. Let's call it LUDICROUS FAIL! And Darth Blago goes zipping off at the speed of Plaid...

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

Monstertron — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:09:04 -0000

Correction, by way of spouse. Epic fail to this point is a fail of the worst kind. Moving beyond epic fail is legendary fail. (Unique fail requires Diablo 3, which won't be out in my lifetime.)

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

Ben Thelen — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:29:47 -0000

More than interstellar, or even intergalactic, failure. This failure will be felt throughout the Multiverse.

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

Tel — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:06:35 -0000

Intergalactic? Not strong enough. This almost rises to the George W Bush level of fail.

Almost.

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

Guest — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:00:22 -0000

Well, in a way he did parlay himself into a position as the ambassador of FAIL.

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

Simon — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:59:10 -0000

This is FAIL of ludicrous speed proportions.

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

zacksback — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:57:04 -0000

Is it just me, or does the Governor have Lego-man hair?

At least 60% of white politicians have this hair. The other 40% suffer from male-pattern baldness arising from eating too many cucumber sandwiches.

And just because I can't believe no one's posted this reaction to such a political clusterf**ck:

SHHHEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIT!!!

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

Catherine — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:44:59 -0000

Deborah, I'm a little disappointed that our Boston politicians aren't thinking bigger. Go big or go home, I say.

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

tomc — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:44:01 -0000

I really hope when they arrested him that he went out crying and squealing in his Fruit of the Looms trying to crawl out the bathroom window like William H Macy at the end of Fargo. I try to paint a mental picture with my comments. I hope you all appreciate that.

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

James F. Elliott — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:37:26 -0000

Gov. Blagojevich lives at the intersection of Hubris and Chutzpah.

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

Deborah — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:08:37 -0000

I'm with Emily that this is more The Audacity of Delusional Thinking. That he thought anything more optimistic than some minor Chicago job after resigning under indictment but without jail time was in any way possible is amazing.

We have wacky crooks in Boston. Turner is still spinning that the $1000 he was photographed taking from an FBI informant could just have been a gift (illegal) or campaign donation (illegal) rather than a bribe (illegal)--who knows what he, the third person Turner, might have been doing? And the rest of the Boston pols have caved rather than censure him. (Though they wore slight frowns.) But I don't think it occurred to him, or Wilkerson, that they might parlay this into Secretary of Health and Human Services, followed by Kennedy's senate seat. They just tried to stay on the City Council. Chicago does things on a bigger scale.

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

rts — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:07:08 -0000

Makes perfect sense that Rahm would tip off Fitz. Blago tries the pay-to-play scheme, which Rahm and Co. know to be bad news. There is a strong likelihood it is illegal and thus Rahm has justification (if not a duty) to inform Fitz of the potential criminal activity. Even if Rahm does not have a duty to disclose these conversations to Fitz he knows this matter is under investigation and will come out sooner or later. So in order to put the President-Elect in the best posture he speaks with Fitz and lets him in on what is happening. Fitz, who already has a wiretap in place, recognizes the wiretap information corroborates Rahm's account. Thus, Obama comes across as above reproach, gets revenge for Blago spiking Valerie Jarrett's Senate appointment chances and gets to press reset on the Gubernatorial seat in Illinois.

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

TH — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:56:37 -0000

The Audacity of Fail.

Chicago radio is reporting that Rahm Emmanuel tipped off the Feds to take the Gov down.

Dick Durbin is calling for a special election to fill Obama's seat.

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

Ta-Nehisi Coates — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:54:42 -0000

"Now that Fail has gone intergalactic, can we give the phrase a rest please?"

No we can't.

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

Marinate Retard — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:53:51 -0000

@gaucho:

Damn it, looks like 1,000,000 other people with a similar idea beat me to the punch!

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

sgwhiteinfla — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:51:28 -0000

A couple of things. First of all of course the RNC has already tried to use this to smear Obama. But you know its bad with the bastion of wingnuttery the Washington Times gives them sh!t about their press release.

Second of all the word is Rahm Emmanuel turned him in to the prosecutor because he wouldn't give Valerie Jarrett the seat for free. I guess he didn't realize what they meant when they called him "Rahmbo"

Here is a part of the back and forth on a wiretap that might be Rahm arguing with the Governer

ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated that he is "struggling" financially and does "not want to be Governor for the next two years." ROD BLAGOJEVICH said that the consultants (Advisor B and another consultant are believed to be on the call at that time) are telling him that he has to "suck it up" for two years and do nothing and give this "motherfucker [the President-elect] his senator. Fuck him. For nothing? Fuck him."

Apocalyptic Fail

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

gaucho — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:48:58 -0000

@Marinate Retard

Some one already tried to do that, but it was taken down by eBay.

See here.

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

CitizenE — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:41:14 -0000

After the past 8 years, it's time for Democrats to get ready--politicians! is it a wonder, as future trillions seem to be going down the tubes these days, no one trusts a one of them. Show me the money! The man has dirty drawers, not much else to say. Forget space a Yugo on the bathetic bridge to nowhere. Where's a closet gay or whore monger when you really need 'em?

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

Awesom0 — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:39:41 -0000

Is it just me, or does the Governor have Lego-man hair?

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

Marinate Retard — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:36:44 -0000

I'm half-tempted to create a fake eBay account for the Gov and put the Senate seat up for auction.

Re: Gubernatorial Fail

Bruce — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:36:14 -0000

Anyone care to speculate how long it will take for people to try to pin this on PE 'Bama? I'm going with 3 days...first in line...probably Hannity...

also...it's Epicly Audacious Fail