December 30, 2008
Blagojevich named former Illinois Comptroller (1983-91) and former Attorney General (1991-95) Roland Burris [or as Lee Cowan says "Ronald" Burris] to replace barry. He was the first black man to hold state office and is a product of the Daley Machine like Emil Jones. He lost bids for mayor, US senator and governor (against blag) and comes from downstate - not Chicago. I haven't heard about him in years - not even in association to blagojevich. barry probably doesn't even know him personally. Probably a good thing for Burris or he'd be under a bus with all of the other black leaders barry's tossed aside. I wonder if Burris ponied up and gave blagojevich something. Maybe there's an old debt from when blagojevich transitioned into governor in 2002. Burris supposedly expressed interest in replacing barry but he wasn't on the general radar.
In fact Burris talked to Channel 2 about Att Gen Lisa Madigan's press conference on 12-13
BURRIS: I certainly applaud her actions. Illinois is too important to its 18 million citizens to have a chief executive who is now incapacitated. The evidence that's been presented is pretty appalling, should that come out to be the case of what our governor is attempting to do.
Burris's consulting firm donated $20K to blagojevich's last run. He was appointed as interim Charmain of the State Commission Pensions and his consulting firm was awarded a $150K state contract to advise disadvantaged businesses on how to win state contracts. Interesting job, isn't it?
Evidently Rep Danny Davis was approached about the job last week but he turned it down. He had previously been interviewed on camera saying he wasn't approached nor did he want it.
Chuckie T said the Senate won't seat anyone appointed by blagojevich. Problem being it is a proper legal appointment and Burris would be the third black senator from Illinois and that alone is going to meet with some form of opposition. Blagojevich is no dummy. There are still some old timers pist about what barry did to Rev Wright and Jackson without whom he would not be poised to enter the White House.
Just a reminder - blagojevich hasn't been found guilty on anything. Irritating to barry and barryfans everywhere, yes. But he is innocent until proven otherwise. I hope some day people will see this for what it is. A rush to judgment to get blagojevich out of the way. They've been trying to get rid of him for a couple of years. Nothing he has done is new or outlandish in Chicago politics. The idiocy was being caught on tape. And ask yourself why the tapes were released right away? Especially the ones including his wife?
Ask yourself why Fitzgerald, who has been investigating blagojevich for years, made the sudden decision to arrest blagojevich? There is only one conclusion. Blagojevich wasn't about to close a deal - barry's people were about to implicate themselves in an attempt and Fitzgerald no way wanted that. Why else wouldn't he wait until money changed hands to catch him in the act? Especially when the investigation has been going on so long and they had yet put together the smoking gun.
It defies logic, folks. As does barry saying he never talked to the governor. He would have been completely irresponsible not to. Just crazy as his trying to make us believe he never did. And just as crazy as trying to make us believe he "volunteered" to talk to Fitzgerald for the "sake of transparency". Fitzgerald was the one who put barry's name on the Rezko indictment.
What is it going to take?
