On 5/24/17 1:50 PM, analogdial wrote:
wrote:
On Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at 9:56:03 AM UTC-5, analogdial wrote:
Americans should have NO DOUBT about the possibility of corruption and
secret deals in Federal law enforcement. Trump should pardon Rod
Blagojevich and let him lead the FBI.
Don't know about leading the FBI but any fair minded person has to question whether Blagojevich received a fair trial. His sentence was also excessive.
Blago's sentence was harsh. But Blago's defense seemed to center on his
bizzare publicity tour, I suppose to humanize him to the jury. This is
a guy who once worked in the Cook County State's Attorney as a
prosecutor and should have a pretty good idea of what makes a solid
case.
As a politician, Blago was a tireless campaigner and told people what
they wanted to hear. But a little Blago goes a long way, and he never
seemed to understand that. He got on the Illinois General Assembly's
nerves and got impeached. I'm sure he got on the judge's nerves, too.
The reason stated for the harsh sentance was that they wanted
to make a public example of Blago. Corruption should no longer be
politics as usual in Illinois, etc, etc, etc. I think Blago got an
extra 7 years for being annoying.
What raised red flags for me was the government's refusal to
allow all their wire tapped tapes of him to be heard. Makes one wonder about the context of the conversations they based their prosecution of him upon.
Don't know. Just made me wonder.
Nothing on the tapes would have Blago unsaying what he said. I suspect
Blago wanted the jury to hear boring hours of Blago NOT being
a crook. Probably not the most brilliant defense.
Could be the Feds were keeping someone else from getting tangled up in
this, too.
The case snared more than one politician. JJ Jr being one. Which led to
investingations into his own activities, and subsequent arrest, trial
and conviction. But it was Blago's own phone calls that pointed to a
much larger target...he'd called the White House. There is no evidence
that he'd ever spoken to anyone of significance, at the White House, but
if government prosecutors were trying to prevent someone from getting
tangled up in Blago's mess, start there, and work your way back to
Madigan, who, more or less runs the state. Nothing happens within these
borders that he doesn't know about. And, the Illinois Democrats will do
anything to protect him.
Bear in mind, this is also Illinois. If someone in government wants you
out of the way, you're gotten out of the way. By any means necessary. If
they want your property, they take it. If someone wants your wife, they
take her.
And, we're talking about the governor. Once elected, governors in
Illinois are guaranteed two terms. One in office, and one in prison.
And, nobody is unconnected.