NY Tabloids Love Blago!

Who doesn't love an embattled, corrupt governor? Especially when he was apparently trying to sell President-elect Obama's Senate seat? Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is on the cover of the NY Post and Daily News, which devote a serious amount of ink to the scandal. Of course, we're a little disappointed there's no board game imagery on the Post's front page—it was Operation Board Games and all.

The Post editorial reads, "Hey, Patrick Fitzgerald: When you fin ish cleaning up Crook - er, Cook - County, how about flying over to Albany and flipping over a few rocks? The Post will gladly pay the airfare." The Daily News, which lists Blago's various demands, notes that his "language would have made a Gotti blush."

As for a connection to NYC, the NY Times reports that Bradley Tusk, who is working on Mayor Bloomberg's 2009 re-election effort, "is a former top deputy and trusted adviser" to Blagojevich. However, "weeks ago, the adviser, Bradley Tusk, told aides to Mr. Bloomberg that he had not been involved in any improper behavior in Mr. Blagojevich’s administration, a person who was told of the conversations said." Mayor Bloomberg told reporters, in conversations, Tusk brought up his work with Blago, "Bradley is an honest, hard-working, competent guy" who “never had anything to do with parts of that administration."

And for some Blagojevich fun, Blago as Blego and he looks like a kid in this court room sketch.

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By Jen Chung in News on December 10, 2008 10:30 AM

Comments [rss]

Tower18

The typical corruption in Illinois is nothing like this. Typically, it's all backroom deals, patronage, and good ol' boys clubs. Blago is an idiot that apparently didn't even know the proper way to be corrupt. Jesus, you don't talk openly about soliciting bribes!! You insulate yourself with many layers! Kickbacks, not bribes, for Chrissakes.

For being from Chicago, Blago is an amateur. He only need look at Daley for an example of how to be ridiculously corrupt and not get caught.

1. Regardless of your corruption, make the government appear to work. What's the quote about bread and circuses?

2. Someone brought this up on Chicagoist, but there is a quote "you can have money or power, but not both." Daley is only interested in power, which is harder to trace. When you involve money, people's ears perk up. Lust for power is accepted in this country. Lust for money (gained illegally) is not.

Politburo

r1b2: The independent counsel law is no more, so a Whitewater for Obama is unlikely.

r1b2

Folks are going to try to associate this with Obama. It will be his Whitewater, wherein millions of taxpayer dollars will be spent on a witchhunt that finds nothing. He'll come out clean, but it will tarnish his reputation a bit.