Blagojevich: Links You’ve Gotta See
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My personal note: I’ve been in Governor Rod Blagojevich ‘s office in Springfield, Illinois . He wasn’t there of course. He’s never there. I was allowed in for a 30-second tour. 
No, I did not have permission. It’s probably best the Governor never knew I looked around. Inside, his desk was empty. There was not one piece of paper– not even a pen. You’d think this was a vacant office if not for one item. A giant statue of Elvis . It was probably over two feet high and was placed by a window. Anyone who knows a little bit about Blagojevich knows he likes Elvis. In fact, we journalists have joked that he thinks he IS Elvis. Apparently– and allegedly– Blagojevich just thought he was King.
The day after his arrest, the Chicago Tribune wrote this editorial . It is a unique story written as if the Governor was seeking help from a therapist. It’s also the paper’s plea for his resignation. Take a few minutes to read this. I don’t think you’ve ever read an editorial quite like this one . And here’s a picture of the main editorial , demanding his resignation.
US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald wouldn’t say how the FBI got bugs into Blagojevich’s offices. But there are some FBI agents who have explained, in general, how it works. Check out this story about how Blagojevich’s office may have been bugged.
Here’s an interesting perspective about Senate Candidate 5. That would be Jesse Jackson, Jr . The article is written by political analyst Howard Fineman .
This is the icing on the cake. It’s a video taken a few years back. In it, Blagojevich recalls a conversation with his mother about staying honest in office. He promises not to take bribes. You can tell it’s a story to make the audience laugh, so it’s unclear whether this conversation actually happened. Take a look .
And just in case you haven’t read it yet, here’s the link to the criminal charges . It’s 76 pages, but a fast read. After all, it’s very juicy.
Blagojevich’s arrest and the corruption charges highlight the need for change in laws and procedures to make sure this does not occur ever again. Does it sound strange that the previous Illinois governor also had issues with honesty and bribery? I don’t think this problem only exists in the state of Illinois, but the votes, the public needs more control and tougher watchdog to make sure this will never happen again. What’s even more disturbing is Blagos insistence that he has done nothing wrong and that he is completely innocent. Wonder what drug is this man using? The best for Mr. Blago would be to apologize to the voters and step aside.