Blago Watch!

AP Photo/Paul Beaty

A second trial is coming. This one may include additional drama by prosecutors calling more witnesses and, by the defense putting up Rod himself.

Rahm Emanuel and Tony Rezko were not originally called to the stand in the first trial. This is because, they are not terribly credible witnesses however, they are key witnesses within the case and, this next time around, the prosecutors may consider putting them on the stand. 


Another problem the prosecution had was the confusion of the trail. Many of the jurors were confused, and said it was difficult to follow. 


Blago appears to be tapped out, and may be unable to keep his team of lawyers. A second trial may require public defenders. 


During this first trial, it appears as though a lone juror was the one who had dug their heels in, refusing to see the obvious- that Blago is a corrupt politician. I had a feeling it would be just one juror and, it wouldn't surprise me if Blago, or someone from his team is behind this. That is how truly corrupt I believe this man to be. 


I am not surprised by the fact that most this jury found Blago guilty. The man is guilty. Let's hope they might even be able to show that he tampered with this one juror. That would be another charge for him.

Blago Watch!

Blago has been found guilty on only one count, lying to the FBI.

A federal jury found former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich guilty on Tuesday of one count of lying to federal agents, and the judge said he intends to declare a mistrial on the remaining counts.

Prosecutors said immediately after the verdict was read that they intend to retry the case against Blagojevich and his co-defendant brother as soon as possible. He had faced 24 counts in all. Judge James B. Zagel set a hearing for Aug. 26 to decide manner and timing of the retrial.

The count on which Blagojevich was found guilty included accusations that he lied to federal agents when he said he did not track campaign contributions and kept a "firewall" between political campaigns and government work. It carries a sentence of up to five years in prison.

Click title of this post for full article.

Blago Watch!

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

The jurors on the trial have stated that they have finally agreed on 2 counts. 2 counts out of 24, and 11 haven't even been touched in their deliberation.

The 11 counts the jury has yet to discuss involve wire fraud. Most of them deal with FBI wiretap recordings and the allegation that Blagojevich tried to sell or trade President Barack Obama's old Senate seat.

The jurors did not say which two of the 24 counts they had agreed on, nor what their decision was.

 Click title of post for full article.

Well, the fact that it's taking so long does seem to look good for the defense. How sad. The defense didn't even call any witnesses. I'm in shock.

Thoughts? Comments?

Blago Watch!

AP Photo/M. Spencer Green

11 days of deliberating have gone by and still nothing? What kind of morons are on this jury? This should have taken them 11 minutes.

Part of the difficulty is that the alleged corruption was not as straightforward as someone walking into Blagojevich's office and plopping bags of cash bribes on his desk.

Instead, the then-governor is heard on the FBI wiretaps - the core of the government's case - talking, sometimes circuitously, about using gubernatorial decisions for personal gain.

Sorry, I'm not buying this. I think Blago has some jury influence going on. There's something really suspicious going on. The government was taping him for a reason. They had enough information that showed something corrupt was going on. They have hours and hours of him taking about all sorts of different deals AND, referring to the power of appointing someone to the Senate seat as "f#cking golden," that he's not giving it up for "nothing." Give me a break. He's guilty.

Blago Watch!

Sam Adam Jr., Blago's defense attorney is saying that he will be naming witnesses that the prosecution didn't call forward, because it would be in favor of his client. He has been instructed not to name any of those witnesses otherwise, he will be held in content. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Niewoehner methodically laid out the government's allegations of how Blagojevich tried to "shake down" everyone from a racetrack owner to a children's hospital executive to Obama. He opened his remarks by repeating the most famous phrase of the seven-week trial, a quote that will be forever associated with Blagojevich.

"I've got this thing and it's (expletive) golden," he recalled Blagojevich saying on one of dozens of phone calls secretly recorded by the FBI. "I'm just not giving it up for (expletive) nothing."

So far, the Blagojevich defense has been weak. It seems as though they are just saying, "wasn't me."

Blago Watch!

In recent reports, the focus of Blagojevich has gone to his hatred of just about anyone near or around him. He doesn't seem to have a nice thing to say about anyone, including that delusional wife of his, Patti.

His targets? Obama, he can't seem to stand because of jealousy, calling him, a "(expletive) demigod." Jesse Jackson, Jr. is "...really bad."  "I hate her, I hate her," he says of Carol Marin, from the Chicago Sun Times. He is heard on tape insulting, Dick Durbin (who can blame him there?), Cheryle Jackson (his former spokeswoman), Reid, Rahm Emanuel, his own wife, ect. It seems like the list goes on and on.


My favorite insult is towards the people of Illinois, the voters, the people he works for:

"(I gave) your grandmother a free (expletive) ride on a bus. And what do I get for that? Only 13 percent of you all out there think I'm doing a good job." He adds, "So (expletive) all of you!"

Isn't he nice? 

The defense is expected to start on Monday. I thought it would start this week but, I guess the prosecution is still wrapping up and doing their closing arguments.

One thing is for sure, this man has a absolute gutter mouth, and is filled with hatred. There is nothing endearing about this man whatsoever. How on earth did Illinois fall for this man? I can't wait to find out what his sentence will be. 

Blago Watch!

Prosecutors are planning to rest their case on Tuesday. As The Alternative Conservative as already reported, the state has produced a mountain of evidence against Blagojevich. They have tapes of Blagojevich himself claiming he wants something for the Senate appointment, numerous witnesses that have testified of Blago's corruption, as well as a motive - his ever increasing debt, which a lot of the money he and his wife spent were on frivolous things like designer clothing.

"I've got this thing and it's (expletive) golden - I'm just not giving it up for (expletive) nothing," Blagojevich plainly says on one of the most-quoted tapes.

"So she now knows that she could be a senator if I get health and human services," Blagojevich is heard saying on one tape.

Click title of post for full story.

Now, things should take an interesting turn this week, the defense will begin. It is being speculated that Blago will actually take the stand himself. I hope he does. He'll just bury his own grave doing so. Every time that man speaks, it's just one lie after the next.

Blago Watch!

In recordings we discover that Lucio Guerrero, who is Blago's spokesman, made a call to Blagojevich, telling him that Blago is being secretly recorded. It is being reported that Blagojevich was audible shaken up.

"Recordings — of me?" he finally says quietly, audibly shaken.

Now, why on earth would an innocent man be shaken up? Seems to me, he would have nothing to hide. Especially, since he has been proclaiming his innocence this whole time. What a joke! 


You can click the title of this post for the full story. More to come...


In another story, the trial has revealed more embarrassing information concerning how others thought of Blagojevich. The Obama camp did not want Blagojevich to attend a rally at Grant Park. They told Robert Greenlee, the former deputy governor, that Blago to save face and say he was invited. Blago ultimately ended up going to the rally but, was heard complaining that he wasn't really welcomed by the Obama camp.


After discovering his 13 percent approval rating:

"I f------ busted my a-- and pissed people off and gave your grandmother a free f------ ride on a bus. OK? I gave your f------ baby a chance to have health care," Blagojevich is heard saying on tape. "And what do I get for that? Only 13 percent of you all out there think I'm doing a good job. So f--- all of you."

This man has a matching vocabulary with his wife Patti. She is also heard on tape, complaining about the editorial board at the Chicago Tribune.

"Tell them to hold up that f------ Cubs s---," she said. "F--- them. F--- them. What kind of bulls--- is that?"
Later in the tape, Patti Blagojevich is heard going on about the editorial board:
"Just fire them . . . what would William Randolph Hearst do?"

I still say that by the time this trial is over, they will have enough information to go after Patti. She was clearly in the know of everything her husband did. She was a willing participant in all of his corruption.  

Blago Watch!

The former corrupt governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, seems to show no shame in the fact that he and his equally corrupt wife, Patti, were discovered during the trial, to have spent over $400,000 on designer clothing.

Asking the people outside the court, "How's the suit?" it's clear he shows no shame.

Click title of post for full story. The saga shall continue...

Blago Watch!

Robert Blagojevich, who is Rod's brother, will testify in the trial. Robert is also being charged in the corruption of trading Obama's Senate seat, in order for Rod to obtain a position with Obama's administration. 


The brother's relationship has been strained since Rod's arrest. 


The FBI tapes do not include much of Robert but, plenty of Rod, who always seems to be cursing. 


Click title of post for full story. 


So, the trial continues and, it is going quite fast. Everyone is expecting this to wrap up a lot sooner than originally thought. Rod, I'm sure, will have his legal team bring as many people down with him as he can, including his own brother. 


I hope Rod goes to jail for a long time. I'd like to see them go after Patti, his wife, too. She knew everything that was going on. You would think they could charge her with being a co-conspirator. 


I did peruse the internet and found that while she has not been charged...

According to Professor Leonard Cavise, DePaul College of Law:

"If she takes the stand she is fair game, she is fair game not only to whether she took commissions in real estate for nothing for Rezko but she's also fair game on any conversation that took place in her presence."

Patti Blagojevich - Her Sob Story

I remember watching this show and almost feeling some pity for Patti Blagojevich. I knew, in the back of my head, that something was wrong and, that I should wait until the trial. Sure enough, it's becoming more and more evident how much she was involved directly with what her husband did. She knew exactly what he was doing.

Blago Watch!

Click title of post for full story.

The corruption trial carries on. We continue to learn more about how Blagojevich was a man with delusions of grandeur.

The following is a conversation between Blagojevich and Former Deputy Governor Doug Scofield.

BLAGO: "But you know what about Patti on some, you know corporate boards? Paid Corporate boards right now. Can they help us that way?"
SCOFIELD: "I think they could."
BLAGO: "Yeah. so..."
SCOFIELD: "The, the President-elect, they think he can do most anything he sets his mind to if he wants."
BLAGO: "Yeah."

Also included on the tapes, a conversation between Blago and political consultant Bill Knapp.

Some spoke their mind. In one call, political consultant Bill Knapp advises Blagojevich not to name himself to the Senate:

KNAPP: "Because I think it's a--it makes you a national joke."

Later in the call Blagojevich lets loose:

BLAGO:: "I mean, you guys are telling me I just gotta suck it up for two years and do nothing. Give this (expletive) his Senator. (Expletive) him! For nothing? (Expletive) him. I'll put Louanner there before I do that."
KNAPP: "You'd do what?"
BLAGO: "I'll put Louanner in the Senate before I just give (expletive) Valerie Jarrett a (expletive) Senate seat, and I don't get anything from some (expletive) chicken (expletive)...Oh, don't get me started."

So, it's clear the defense is going to be blaming the people and advisers around Blagojevich. It is their defense that no one corrected him but, too bad for the defense that ignorance is NO excuse of the law. Especially when the defendant is someone who should KNOW the law. Not to mention, just common sense should have told him what he was trying to do was WRONG.

If I get pulled over for speeding and my excuse is that I didn't know the speed limit, that isn't an excuse. I will still get a ticket. That applies to any law.

This case is open and shut. Blago is an utter fraud. The more this trial carries on, the more I am absolutely convinced of his guilt.

Blago Watch!

On Thursday, during the trial, prosecutors presented a motive for Blagojevich trying to obtain a higher level seat within the Obama administration.

Blagojevich, and his wife Patti, were spending money like crazy. Receipts from their shopping showed a fondness for designer clothing.

They were in a mountain of debt and, the tapes clearly showed that the former governor was indeed stressed about his money concerns. He can even be heard saying that he could not afford college for his daughter.

Click title of post for full details.

The most disturbing charge, I thought was Patti's, that was $3,800 for furs. Who the hell wears fur these days? It's just cruel to do so.

Blago Watch!

Click title of post for full story.

In today's news concerning the Blagojevich trial, we learn just exactly what most of us already know - he's clearly bipolar and unstable.

Tapes reveal his emotions and instability.

"I get nothing out of Valerie Jarrett," he complains. "The arrogance of these (expletive) people."

Other times, Blagojevich takes a lack of response as potentially a good sign.

"They didn't say it was ludicrous. They didn't say no way," he says hopefully.

HE can't believe the arrogance? Look in the mirror Rod. It's amazing how this man was able to reach such levels in our government but, then again, it was in the state of Illinois.

It's hard to believe how arrogant some people can be and, Blagojevich is one of the most arrogant politicians I have ever read about, other than Obama.

Blago Watch!

Tom Balanoff, of the Service Employees International Union, testified that Blagojevich was interested in becoming secretary of health and human services in Obama's Cabinet. He would appoint Valerie Jarrett in exchange for that position.

Click title of post for full story.

Also heard on the tapes, Blagojevich was heard saying:

"I've got this thing and it's (expletive) golden," the former Illinois governor can be heard saying about the new U.S. senator he has the power to appoint now that Barack Obama is White House-bound. "And I'm not just giving it up for (expletive) nothing."

That's right, Blagojevich is totally innocent. I am finding it completely impossible for this man to continue to claim innocence. It is so clear to me that anyone with dendrites and axons properly functioning to come to any other conclusion.

I know, I know, every man has his day in court, so I will wait to hear the defense but, so far, I am NOT convinced.

Blago Watch!

In the Blago Watch Section, it is being reported that the defense is working hard to show that Blagojevich is a man who always had the best interest in mind for the state of Illinois, even though he is someone who is known for being a hothead.

The former chief of staff for Blagojevich, John Harris is now being cross-examined by the defense. He has made it clear that Blagojevich was definitely out to use his power in order to obtain a position with the Obama administration.

"You were just talking ... throwing out ideas, speaking out loud, right?" Adam asked Harris about his discussions with Blagojevich about a private foundation job for Blagojevich. The judge sustained a prosecutor's objection before Harris could answer.

Sam Adam Sr. is the defense attorney for Blagojevich.

Click title of post for full story.

It was also brought to light, by the FBI tapes, that Blagojevich was considering appointing Oprah Winfrey for the Senate seat.

Oprah Winfrey? This trial is becoming more and more interesting. I'll keep you posted.

Blago Watch!

Today's testimony and tapes revealed that Obama had given a list of 4 names to John Harris. The names were people that Obama supported for fulling his Senate seat.

In the call, Blagojevich's chief of staff, John Harris, tells his boss that Rahm Emanuel, Obama's soon-to-be top aide, had called him to give him a list of four people that Obama would find acceptable as his successor in the Senate. They were Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.; injured Iraq War vet Tammy Duckworth; U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Illinois State Comptroller Dan Hynes.

Blagojevich considered the list to be a fraud, calling it a, "...B.S. list."

Click title of post for full story.

In another story,  it is being reported that the tapes clearly show Blagojevich was trying to make a deal with the Obama administration. He was trying to get a position with the administration. The tapes reveal that Patti Blagojevich, the ex-governor's wife, indicated that ambassador to India was the best position.

Wow. That Patti is quite the liar. I remember watching her on that reality show, "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!" A show filled with mostly half-witted, B and C celebrities, with the exception of a few, who were asked to spend their time surviving in a jungle. The winner would receive a high donation in their name to a charity of their choice.

I specifically remember Patti proclaiming her husband's innocence and, describing him as a man of integrity. Pfft! Turns out, she knew first hand what he was doing. How could she possible think that was legal or, ethical?

Blago Watch!

Now, in more revealing news concerning Blagojevich's character...

His trial continues and more tape is being played. This time, the tapes show Blagojevich as someone who is not exactly female friendly.

Eventually the talk got around to a suggestion that they try a different route to convey the swap idea to the president: through soon-to-be first lady Michelle Obama.

“He’s a lot more hen-pecked than me,” Blagojevich said. “He listens to Michelle.”

Blago Watch!

John Harris, who was Blagojevich's former chief of staff, testified at the trial. He stated that Blagojevich ...

...plotted to parlay the biggest bargaining chip he'd ever had - the authority to name President Barack Obama's replacement to the U.S. Senate - into a new life.

Harris further testified that Blagojevich had the intention of making a trade - Valerie Jarrett, to fill the seat, for a position with the administration.

Recordings expose Blagojevich as saying, "The objective is to get a good gig over there (in Washington, D.C.)." 

"I'm the governor of a $58 billion corporation," Blagojevich tells Harris on one recording, cursing. "Why can't I be ... ambassador to India?"

 Also...

Blagojevich can be heard on one recording saying he'll make a good-faith effort to fill the open seat but hastens to add sternly that, "it's not coming for free."

"It's gotta be good for the people of Illinois - and for me," he says.

Is this guy for real? He actually believes he's innocent? I can't wait for his defense. I really hope this guy goes to jail for a long time. He's part of the major problem this country has with politicians. He has no moral compass.

Click title of this post for full article.

 

Blago Watch!

I just have to do a Blagojevich update. You can click title for a quick post I found on the web.

It just says more testimony occurred yesterday by Alonzo Monk. The tapes from the FBI were played in court. They revealed Blagojevich demanding more donations. Yet, remember, he's totally innocent.

Monk will be on the stand again today, and he's now being cross-examined. You know this is eventually going to turn into a circus. I'm loving it already!