Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, have been arrested and charged with a multitude of crimes involving everything from a “pay-to-play” scheme for state contracts to his attempt to sell the open Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama in exchange for “financial considerations” for the governor and his wife.I know political corruption follows no particular partisan lines, but Illinois remains the last big "party machine" state in American politics, and Barack Obama launched his career in the maelstrom of Chicogo's corrupt ward politics. Gina Cobb touches on the Democratic nature of the scandal, and what to expect in the coming months and years:
It may be schadenfruede time, but more than that, it's "hang your head, America" time. How did we elect this man? How many more Gov. Blagojeviches and Elliot Spitzers have we put into office? How many more politicians and bureaucrats in state and local government are trading their power for money and favors right now? How many corruptocrats many are waiting in the wings to join the Obama administration?There's some speculation that top Obama confidant Valerie Jarrett was one of the possible candidates willing to pony up for the open Illinois Senate seat, AND some are suggesting that Jarrett's appointment as a "public liaison and senior aide to the president" was made just in time to avoid her being implicated in Governor Blagojevich's investigation.
Did President-Elect Obama know that his Senate seat was up for sale?
Don't doubt it folks. As I've said before, this man is the most secretive candidate we've seen in decades, and his administration's likely corruption will put Richard Nixon's in the shade.
See also, "GOP Ties Obama to Arrested Ill. Governor," and "US Atty: Not Alleging Obama Knew of Ill. Gov. Plan."
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