Bleep them!

You'll read a lot more elsewhere, just wanted to make a few comments here as the Blagojevich "Senate Seat Sale" story unfolds:

On Obama:

I found it interesting he said he had no knowledge of this, then later said he couldn't comment on the ongoing investigation.

Politico is making some hay with Axelrod's new denial, which might suggest Obama is on tape somewhere, but Fitz has already said he's not involved.

It's hard to imagine a smart guy like the One putting himself in jeopardy by getting too close to this guy but it's also hard to imagine him playing the game without getting his uniform dirty. Maybe he's clean, maybe somebody else paid his toll. I'm still intrigued as to what actually transpired during his Senate battle with Jack Ryan in 2004, but one would think that ground was thoroughly plowed by now--by Hillary if nobody else.

On Jesse, Jr:

His comments Monday were certainly awkward and ill-timed in retrospect. Wonder whose junk pop Jackson wants to snip this time?

On Blago:

Is there one more deal in his future? Can he get away with turning states' evidence? BTW, his campaign slogan was

..a reformer promising to clean up former Gov. George Ryan's mess.

Change he can believe in!

On Paddy Fitz:

I tried hard not to bash him too hard during the Plamegate affair because of his previous work with Andy McCarthy in the Southern District of NY going after terrorists. I think it's clear he's a prosecutor in the vein of Elliott Ness, and really really doesn't like corruption. Now-- can Obama afford to fire him along with the rest of the US Attorneys next year?

On this type of corruption in general:

Fitz should come down to Memphis some time.


MORE 12/09/08

Wonder how today's events will affect his order for Illinois to stop doing business with Bank of America over the Republic Windows and Doors shutdown? In hindsight it looks like he could have been grandstanding the story to gain some political cover/absolute moral authority hoping the story would grow as a push-back on Fitz. Wonder if it had any impact on Fitz's decision to pull out the cuffs when he did?

THAT WAS FAST 12/09/08

Bank of America caved, but only to provide funding to allow the exit payments owed the workers on their way out the door. Nevertheless, a victory for the new international workers 'movement' mentioned by Jan Schakowsky, oddly enough herself one of the listed possibilities for Obama's old job.

Speaking of Ms. Schakowsky, here's a little history about her and husband Robert Creamer, including this:

Creamer taught at “Camp Obama,” a week-long summer camp last month held at the presidential candidate’s office in Chicago for campaign interns and volunteers–just a few blocks away from the federal court where on August 31, 2005 he pleaded guilty to charges of bank fraud and failure to pay federal taxes…on charges brought by U. S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.

Small world.