http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/ ... PY20090112
Burris approved for Obama's old Senate seat
Mon Jan 12, 2009 5:14pm EST
By Thomas Ferraro
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate officials on Monday approved Roland Burris to fill the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama, which would give Democrats 58 of the Senate's 100 seats, their biggest majority since 1981.
Barring unanticipated objections from Senate Republicans, Burris, appointed to the seat by embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, could be sworn in within days.
The decision was a major about-face by the Democratic leadership, which initially vowed that the December appointment would not stand because Blagojevich had been arrested on charges of having earlier tried to sell the seat.
Obama had backed that decision. But he later agreed with Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid on the need to find "an amicable solution" to remove the matter as a possible distraction to a busy Democratic legislative agenda, a party aide said.
On Friday, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled the appointment of Burris was valid. But Democrats said they would not seat him until the appointment was certified by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.
While White refused to certify the appointment, he signed a statement after the court ruling certifying that the governor's appointment letter was legally filed with the state.
That appeared to satisfy the secretary of the Senate, who had last week rejected Burris' credentials as incomplete.
"The secretary of the Senate has determined that the new credentials presented today on behalf of Mr. Burris now satisfy Senate Rules and validate his appointment," Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid and Assistant Senate Democratic Leader Dick Durbin said in a joint statement.
With Obama set to be sworn in as the first black U.S. president on January 20, Burris would replace him as the only black senator.
There is still one U.S. Senate seat undecided in Minnesota.
Indictment: Illinois Governor tried to sell Obama Senate sea
Moderator: Super Moderators
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/ ... 3-07-39-22
Jan 13, 6:06 PM EST
Burris says he'll be sworn in to Senate seat Thurs
By JULIE HIRSHFELD DAVIS
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate appointee Roland Burris will be sworn into office Thursday, his office said, closing a painful and protracted certification process ensnared in the federal corruption investigation of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Senate Democrats have reversed course, grudgingly accepting the former Illinois attorney general into their exclusive club as the person who will replace the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.
"I really never doubted that I would be seated," Burris said in a nationally broadcast television interview Tuesday. "It was just a matter of going through the process and making sure that the Senate rules were abided by," he said.
Asked about any role that Obama might have played in softening the opposition to his seating by Senate Democratic leaders Harry Reid and Dick Durbin, Burris said, "I have no knowledge of what the president-elect did."
Reid, D-Nev., and Durbin, D-Ill., made the announcement of acceptance in a joint statement Monday, saying Burris "is now the senator-designate from Illinois and, as such, will be accorded all the rights and privileges of a senator-elect."
In a statement issued late Tuesday, Burris' office said Vice President Dick Cheney would administer the oath to Burris on the Senate floor Thursday afternoon.
Burris called himself honored and humbled to be the state's newest senator. "I'm thankful for the opportunity to serve," he said at a news conference Monday in Chicago. "I recognize that my appointment triggered a challenging time for many."
The development prevented the impasse that has plagued Democrats from dragging on into Obama's inauguration festivities, and it capped a gradual retreat by the Senate's top Democrats.
Durbin, who joked at a Tuesday morning news conference on Capitol Hill that he was for the moment both the junior and the senior senator from his state, said Burris would soon be out from under the cloud that has hung over his appointment.
"Roland Burris has a great reputation in Illinois as an elected official, over time, statewide, and I believe he will bring that record and his skills to this office and soon become his own man," Durbin said.
Of the flap surrounding Burris' naming, Durbin said, "Now we're beyond it. I think he's going to be a very good United States senator, and I look forward to serving with him."
The top Democrats had initially tried to dissuade Blagojevich, who faces criminal charges, from making an appointment and suggested that his pick would not be seated. Last week, Burris' credentials were rejected in a circus-like atmosphere that tarnished the opening day festivities of the new Congress.
But Reid and Durbin said they anticipated that Burris would be seated this week, barring objections from Republicans. They made the announcement after Burris lawyers delivered to the Capitol documents certifying his appointment to Obama's seat, and the secretary of the Senate determined that the paperwork met Senate requirements.
In an interview on MSNBC, Burris reiterated that he had made no deal with Reid not to run for a full Senate term in 2010 in exchange for being allowed to take his seat in the chamber now.
He said he would work in the Senate to win approval of Obama's economic stimulus package in the hope that the measure would help the economy and create jobs. "I would like to see thousands of jobs created in Illinois and millions of jobs created in the country," Burris said.
Reid and Durbin said they were satisfied both with the documents and with Burris' testimony before the Illinois House impeachment panel that he did nothing wrong.
Even though Burris does not stand accused of wrongdoing, Senate Democrats rejected Burris last week, only to quickly backpedal after Obama himself privately weighed in and senators fretted that the situation was diverting their focus at a critical time.
Asked on NBC's "Today" show if his service in the Senate could still carry a taint because of Blagojevich's legal problems, Burris said he didn't think so.
"They need to look at my record ... what I have done over the years as a citizen of our state," Burris said.
He also declined to join in calls for Blagojevich to resign, saying "my position is that you're innocent in this legal system until you're proven guilty."
He said any demand that he would make for Blagojevich to step down "would have no effect."
Jan 13, 6:06 PM EST
Burris says he'll be sworn in to Senate seat Thurs
By JULIE HIRSHFELD DAVIS
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate appointee Roland Burris will be sworn into office Thursday, his office said, closing a painful and protracted certification process ensnared in the federal corruption investigation of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Senate Democrats have reversed course, grudgingly accepting the former Illinois attorney general into their exclusive club as the person who will replace the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.
"I really never doubted that I would be seated," Burris said in a nationally broadcast television interview Tuesday. "It was just a matter of going through the process and making sure that the Senate rules were abided by," he said.
Asked about any role that Obama might have played in softening the opposition to his seating by Senate Democratic leaders Harry Reid and Dick Durbin, Burris said, "I have no knowledge of what the president-elect did."
Reid, D-Nev., and Durbin, D-Ill., made the announcement of acceptance in a joint statement Monday, saying Burris "is now the senator-designate from Illinois and, as such, will be accorded all the rights and privileges of a senator-elect."
In a statement issued late Tuesday, Burris' office said Vice President Dick Cheney would administer the oath to Burris on the Senate floor Thursday afternoon.
Burris called himself honored and humbled to be the state's newest senator. "I'm thankful for the opportunity to serve," he said at a news conference Monday in Chicago. "I recognize that my appointment triggered a challenging time for many."
The development prevented the impasse that has plagued Democrats from dragging on into Obama's inauguration festivities, and it capped a gradual retreat by the Senate's top Democrats.
Durbin, who joked at a Tuesday morning news conference on Capitol Hill that he was for the moment both the junior and the senior senator from his state, said Burris would soon be out from under the cloud that has hung over his appointment.
"Roland Burris has a great reputation in Illinois as an elected official, over time, statewide, and I believe he will bring that record and his skills to this office and soon become his own man," Durbin said.
Of the flap surrounding Burris' naming, Durbin said, "Now we're beyond it. I think he's going to be a very good United States senator, and I look forward to serving with him."
The top Democrats had initially tried to dissuade Blagojevich, who faces criminal charges, from making an appointment and suggested that his pick would not be seated. Last week, Burris' credentials were rejected in a circus-like atmosphere that tarnished the opening day festivities of the new Congress.
But Reid and Durbin said they anticipated that Burris would be seated this week, barring objections from Republicans. They made the announcement after Burris lawyers delivered to the Capitol documents certifying his appointment to Obama's seat, and the secretary of the Senate determined that the paperwork met Senate requirements.
In an interview on MSNBC, Burris reiterated that he had made no deal with Reid not to run for a full Senate term in 2010 in exchange for being allowed to take his seat in the chamber now.
He said he would work in the Senate to win approval of Obama's economic stimulus package in the hope that the measure would help the economy and create jobs. "I would like to see thousands of jobs created in Illinois and millions of jobs created in the country," Burris said.
Reid and Durbin said they were satisfied both with the documents and with Burris' testimony before the Illinois House impeachment panel that he did nothing wrong.
Even though Burris does not stand accused of wrongdoing, Senate Democrats rejected Burris last week, only to quickly backpedal after Obama himself privately weighed in and senators fretted that the situation was diverting their focus at a critical time.
Asked on NBC's "Today" show if his service in the Senate could still carry a taint because of Blagojevich's legal problems, Burris said he didn't think so.
"They need to look at my record ... what I have done over the years as a citizen of our state," Burris said.
He also declined to join in calls for Blagojevich to resign, saying "my position is that you're innocent in this legal system until you're proven guilty."
He said any demand that he would make for Blagojevich to step down "would have no effect."
racehorse
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009 ... mode=print
January 15, 2009, 2:26 pm
Burris Is Sworn In
By Carl Hulse
Ronald W. Burris is now Senator Burris, officially.
The former attorney general of the state of Illinois was sworn in to fill the vacancy left by President-elect Barack Obama just after 2 p.m., ending an embarrassing episode that was proving a distraction in the opening days of the new Congress. Mr. Burris was named to the post by Governor Rod R. Blagojevich, who is under investigation for trying to trade the seat for personal gain and Democrats sought to block his appointment.
Vice President Dick Cheney did the honors. After the hubbub over Mr. Burris’s credentials for his appointment, Mr. Cheney simply noted that the “certificate of credentials, the chair is advised, are in the form suggested by the Senate.”
Mr. Burris was escorted by Senator Richard J. Durbin, the senior senator from Illinois and the No. 2 Democrat. Most of the members of the House delegation from Illinois – some of whom have their eye on the seat that will be up for election in two years – stood in the back of the Senate to witness the event.
Mr. Burris is now the only African American in the Senate. He brings the Democratic majority to 58, with Al Franken of Minnesota waiting in the wings while a court fight over a recount goes on.
Ted Kaufman is to be sworn in Friday to replace Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, who gave his farewell speech earlier today. Mr. Kaufman is a former top aide to Mr. Biden,
Many senators missed the swearing-in, but Mr. Burris got a round of applause and proceeded to sign his name in the official journal. He was advised to keep the pen.
Senator Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada and the majority leader, led the fight against Mr. Burris’s appointment. After Mr. Burris was seated, Mr. Reid noted that while there are many paths to the Senate, it was fair to say that his new colleague’s was unique.
“On behalf of all senators, Democrats and Republicans, we welcome you as a colleague and a friend,” Mr. Reid said to Mr. Burris.
January 15, 2009, 2:26 pm
Burris Is Sworn In
By Carl Hulse
Ronald W. Burris is now Senator Burris, officially.
The former attorney general of the state of Illinois was sworn in to fill the vacancy left by President-elect Barack Obama just after 2 p.m., ending an embarrassing episode that was proving a distraction in the opening days of the new Congress. Mr. Burris was named to the post by Governor Rod R. Blagojevich, who is under investigation for trying to trade the seat for personal gain and Democrats sought to block his appointment.
Vice President Dick Cheney did the honors. After the hubbub over Mr. Burris’s credentials for his appointment, Mr. Cheney simply noted that the “certificate of credentials, the chair is advised, are in the form suggested by the Senate.”
Mr. Burris was escorted by Senator Richard J. Durbin, the senior senator from Illinois and the No. 2 Democrat. Most of the members of the House delegation from Illinois – some of whom have their eye on the seat that will be up for election in two years – stood in the back of the Senate to witness the event.
Mr. Burris is now the only African American in the Senate. He brings the Democratic majority to 58, with Al Franken of Minnesota waiting in the wings while a court fight over a recount goes on.
Ted Kaufman is to be sworn in Friday to replace Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, who gave his farewell speech earlier today. Mr. Kaufman is a former top aide to Mr. Biden,
Many senators missed the swearing-in, but Mr. Burris got a round of applause and proceeded to sign his name in the official journal. He was advised to keep the pen.
Senator Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada and the majority leader, led the fight against Mr. Burris’s appointment. After Mr. Burris was seated, Mr. Reid noted that while there are many paths to the Senate, it was fair to say that his new colleague’s was unique.
“On behalf of all senators, Democrats and Republicans, we welcome you as a colleague and a friend,” Mr. Reid said to Mr. Burris.
racehorse
http://www.wlsam.com/Article.asp?id=1121371&spid=18042
The Big 89, WLS 890-AM offers Blagojevich a show
CHICAGO (AP) -- A Chicago radio station is offering embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich a new job.
During a show early Thursday, the program director at WLS-AM announced that if Blagojevich resigns, the station will offer him his own weekly radio program from noon to 2 p.m. on Sundays.
Program director Bob Shomper said the station is asking the governor to spare the state the embarrassment and expense of forcibly removing him from office.
Blagojevich has been impeached by the state House and faces an impeachment trial in the Senate starting Monday that could end with his removal.
Shomper says the station's offer reflects the will of the people, who he says want the governor gone.
Messages left for the governor's spokesman were not immediately returned Thursday.
The Big 89, WLS 890-AM offers Blagojevich a show
CHICAGO (AP) -- A Chicago radio station is offering embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich a new job.
During a show early Thursday, the program director at WLS-AM announced that if Blagojevich resigns, the station will offer him his own weekly radio program from noon to 2 p.m. on Sundays.
Program director Bob Shomper said the station is asking the governor to spare the state the embarrassment and expense of forcibly removing him from office.
Blagojevich has been impeached by the state House and faces an impeachment trial in the Senate starting Monday that could end with his removal.
Shomper says the station's offer reflects the will of the people, who he says want the governor gone.
Messages left for the governor's spokesman were not immediately returned Thursday.
racehorse
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/us/po ... nted=print
January 27, 2009
As Trial Starts, Blagojevich Mounts Defense on TV
By MONICA DAVEY
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — It is not easy to upstage one’s own impeachment trial, but Rod R. Blagojevich, the embattled governor of Illinois, appeared on Monday to be doing just that.
As state senators began gathering in this downstate capital city of 116,000 to hear accusations of wrongdoing, overstepping and deal-making in Illinois’ first impeachment trial of a governor, Mr. Blagojevich began a day of national television interviews, aimed at reaching millions, in his own defense.
Repeatedly, Mr. Blagojevich said he was innocent of federal criminal accusations against him — including claims he tried to sell President Obama’s former Senate seat for money, a high-paying job or a cabinet position — and denounced lawmakers’ impeachment trial against him as unfair.
“When the whole story comes out, you’ll see that the effort was to work to have a senator who can best represent Illinois and one that can help us create jobs and provide health care,” Mr. Blagojevich said of the Senate seat on “Good Morning America.” In addition to many others already known to be among those Mr. Blagojevich had considered for the job, he said for the first time on Monday that he had, at one point, pondered asking Oprah Winfrey to take the post.
“The fix is in,” Mr. Blagojevich said of the impeachment trial, explaining why he would be conducting interviews in New York rather than appearing in the Illinois Senate chambers here on Monday afternoon.
Legal and political analysts said Mr. Blagojevich’s decision to skip representation in the impeachment trial here and instead take to the airwaves suggested that he had given up on remaining in office and was now looking ahead to federal criminal charges — and potential jurors — he faces. In the impeachment hearing, removal seemed all but certain; but on television, these analysts said, Mr. Blagojevich could try to write his own narrative.
Here, meanwhile, lawmakers said they were pressing ahead, with or without the governor, in what they described as a swift but thorough impeachment trial. The trial had been expected to last a week and a half, perhaps longer. But with Mr. Blagojevich’s decision to skip the proceedings, some predicted it could end within a few days. If at least 40 of the state’s 59 senators vote to remove Mr. Blagojevich, he would be immediately replaced by Pat Quinn, the lieutenant governor.
Like Mr. Blagojevich, Mr. Quinn is a Democrat. So are most of this state’s constitutional officers and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Still, relations have been tense since Mr. Blagojevich took office six years ago. Many here have long complained that Mr. Blagojevich was isolated, secretive and unwilling to collaborate.
In Springfield, there has been passing talk of impeachment for months, but the efforts immediately turned urgent after Mr. Blagojevich was arrested by federal agents in Chicago on Dec. 9. He is accused of trying to sell the Senate seat (to which Mr. Blagojevich ultimately appointed Roland W. Burris, a longtime political figure here); trying to squeeze campaign contributions from a children’s hospital; trying to force the removal of an editorial writer from The Chicago Tribune; and raising as much campaign financing as possible from those with state contracts before an ethics law went into effect this year.
Mr. Blagojevich, who has denied wrongdoing and has yet to be formally indicted by federal prosecutors, has mocked the legislature’s impeachment process. He has suggested that lawmakers really wanted to remove him because he has sparred with them on matters of policy, and said they would, without him, now raise taxes.
He said the impeachment procedure (a “kangaroo court,” in the words of his lawyers) barred him from calling witnesses he would wish to bring in — like Rahm Emanuel, Mr. Obama’s chief of staff; Valerie Jarrett, the president’s adviser; Representative Jesse Jackson Jr., who was once considered as a replacement in the Senate for Mr. Obama; and a long list of senators and governors.
In fact, Mr. Blagojevich could have presented witnesses, but the state Senate’s rules bar calling any witnesses who might create a problem for the federal criminal case. Some on the list, like Mr. Emanuel and Ms. Jarrett, were part, at least in passing, of the federal case. Their names have been mentioned in connection to intercepted phone calls from Mr. Blagojevich and his associates about Mr. Obama’s former Senate seat.
Lawmakers here have dismissed the governor’s criticisms. Though Illinois law gives little guidance on the matter, the impeachment trial rules were modeled largely after those used in the similar trial of former President Bill Clinton.
On an overwhelming vote, the state House earlier this month sent the matter to the Senate. The House lawmakers accused Mr. Blagojevich of trying to sell the Senate seat, but also of seeking campaign contributions in exchange for state contracts and grants, of pressing through health care provisions not approved by state lawmakers, and of other failings.
Though it will be presided over by the state’s Supreme Curt chief justice, by design, this trial will not look like an average criminal or civil trial. Hearsay will be allowed. The standard of proof shall be up to each senator. Members of the House are expected to testify about matters they learned about the governor in their investigation of him in recent weeks, when a committee held seven days of meetings before recommending the impeachment trial to the full House.
In the end, if the senators vote to remove Mr. Blagojevich, they may also take a second vote on whether he should be barred from holding public office in this state again.
With scheduled appearances on numerous television shows, including The View and Larry King on CNN, on Monday, much remained uncertain about what Mr. Blagojevich might offer next. For days, there have been suggestions that the governor’s lawyers might yet file legal action to try to block the impeachment trial, a notion that his aides did not rule out over the weekend.
It seemed clear, too, that though many hoped to separate themselves from whatever dealings they had with Mr. Blagojevich, he intended to go right on reminding people of those ties, noting in his interviews on Monday and in recent days his conversations with Mr. Obama’s associates, with other national leaders, and with members of the state legislature now weighing his fate.
For years, Mr. Blagojevich had national political aspirations, perhaps even as a presidential contender, those who have worked with him say. Some here doubted his chances at that level; he is all Chicago — the nasal accent, the hard-to-pronounce name from the Chicago neighborhoods where he grew up the son of immigrant, working-class parents, the Chicago alderman father-in-law with powerful political connections. But on Monday, Mr. Blagojevich (whose name everyone at last seems to know how to pronounce) was expected to get his chance on a national stage, albeit not for what he might once have hoped would put him there.
January 27, 2009
As Trial Starts, Blagojevich Mounts Defense on TV
By MONICA DAVEY
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — It is not easy to upstage one’s own impeachment trial, but Rod R. Blagojevich, the embattled governor of Illinois, appeared on Monday to be doing just that.
As state senators began gathering in this downstate capital city of 116,000 to hear accusations of wrongdoing, overstepping and deal-making in Illinois’ first impeachment trial of a governor, Mr. Blagojevich began a day of national television interviews, aimed at reaching millions, in his own defense.
Repeatedly, Mr. Blagojevich said he was innocent of federal criminal accusations against him — including claims he tried to sell President Obama’s former Senate seat for money, a high-paying job or a cabinet position — and denounced lawmakers’ impeachment trial against him as unfair.
“When the whole story comes out, you’ll see that the effort was to work to have a senator who can best represent Illinois and one that can help us create jobs and provide health care,” Mr. Blagojevich said of the Senate seat on “Good Morning America.” In addition to many others already known to be among those Mr. Blagojevich had considered for the job, he said for the first time on Monday that he had, at one point, pondered asking Oprah Winfrey to take the post.
“The fix is in,” Mr. Blagojevich said of the impeachment trial, explaining why he would be conducting interviews in New York rather than appearing in the Illinois Senate chambers here on Monday afternoon.
Legal and political analysts said Mr. Blagojevich’s decision to skip representation in the impeachment trial here and instead take to the airwaves suggested that he had given up on remaining in office and was now looking ahead to federal criminal charges — and potential jurors — he faces. In the impeachment hearing, removal seemed all but certain; but on television, these analysts said, Mr. Blagojevich could try to write his own narrative.
Here, meanwhile, lawmakers said they were pressing ahead, with or without the governor, in what they described as a swift but thorough impeachment trial. The trial had been expected to last a week and a half, perhaps longer. But with Mr. Blagojevich’s decision to skip the proceedings, some predicted it could end within a few days. If at least 40 of the state’s 59 senators vote to remove Mr. Blagojevich, he would be immediately replaced by Pat Quinn, the lieutenant governor.
Like Mr. Blagojevich, Mr. Quinn is a Democrat. So are most of this state’s constitutional officers and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Still, relations have been tense since Mr. Blagojevich took office six years ago. Many here have long complained that Mr. Blagojevich was isolated, secretive and unwilling to collaborate.
In Springfield, there has been passing talk of impeachment for months, but the efforts immediately turned urgent after Mr. Blagojevich was arrested by federal agents in Chicago on Dec. 9. He is accused of trying to sell the Senate seat (to which Mr. Blagojevich ultimately appointed Roland W. Burris, a longtime political figure here); trying to squeeze campaign contributions from a children’s hospital; trying to force the removal of an editorial writer from The Chicago Tribune; and raising as much campaign financing as possible from those with state contracts before an ethics law went into effect this year.
Mr. Blagojevich, who has denied wrongdoing and has yet to be formally indicted by federal prosecutors, has mocked the legislature’s impeachment process. He has suggested that lawmakers really wanted to remove him because he has sparred with them on matters of policy, and said they would, without him, now raise taxes.
He said the impeachment procedure (a “kangaroo court,” in the words of his lawyers) barred him from calling witnesses he would wish to bring in — like Rahm Emanuel, Mr. Obama’s chief of staff; Valerie Jarrett, the president’s adviser; Representative Jesse Jackson Jr., who was once considered as a replacement in the Senate for Mr. Obama; and a long list of senators and governors.
In fact, Mr. Blagojevich could have presented witnesses, but the state Senate’s rules bar calling any witnesses who might create a problem for the federal criminal case. Some on the list, like Mr. Emanuel and Ms. Jarrett, were part, at least in passing, of the federal case. Their names have been mentioned in connection to intercepted phone calls from Mr. Blagojevich and his associates about Mr. Obama’s former Senate seat.
Lawmakers here have dismissed the governor’s criticisms. Though Illinois law gives little guidance on the matter, the impeachment trial rules were modeled largely after those used in the similar trial of former President Bill Clinton.
On an overwhelming vote, the state House earlier this month sent the matter to the Senate. The House lawmakers accused Mr. Blagojevich of trying to sell the Senate seat, but also of seeking campaign contributions in exchange for state contracts and grants, of pressing through health care provisions not approved by state lawmakers, and of other failings.
Though it will be presided over by the state’s Supreme Curt chief justice, by design, this trial will not look like an average criminal or civil trial. Hearsay will be allowed. The standard of proof shall be up to each senator. Members of the House are expected to testify about matters they learned about the governor in their investigation of him in recent weeks, when a committee held seven days of meetings before recommending the impeachment trial to the full House.
In the end, if the senators vote to remove Mr. Blagojevich, they may also take a second vote on whether he should be barred from holding public office in this state again.
With scheduled appearances on numerous television shows, including The View and Larry King on CNN, on Monday, much remained uncertain about what Mr. Blagojevich might offer next. For days, there have been suggestions that the governor’s lawyers might yet file legal action to try to block the impeachment trial, a notion that his aides did not rule out over the weekend.
It seemed clear, too, that though many hoped to separate themselves from whatever dealings they had with Mr. Blagojevich, he intended to go right on reminding people of those ties, noting in his interviews on Monday and in recent days his conversations with Mr. Obama’s associates, with other national leaders, and with members of the state legislature now weighing his fate.
For years, Mr. Blagojevich had national political aspirations, perhaps even as a presidential contender, those who have worked with him say. Some here doubted his chances at that level; he is all Chicago — the nasal accent, the hard-to-pronounce name from the Chicago neighborhoods where he grew up the son of immigrant, working-class parents, the Chicago alderman father-in-law with powerful political connections. But on Monday, Mr. Blagojevich (whose name everyone at last seems to know how to pronounce) was expected to get his chance on a national stage, albeit not for what he might once have hoped would put him there.
racehorse
Not to be outdone by Governor David Paterson with Fran Drescher in New York, Governor Blagojevich says he considered Oprah Winfrey for the United States Senate vacancy in Illinois.
I would prefer Fran as a US Senator.
----
http://blogs.suntimes.com/oprah/2009/01 ... h_con.html
Scandal-plagued Blagojevich considered offering Oprah Winfrey vacated Obama senate seat
By
Mark Bieganski
on January 26, 2009 8:04 AM
BY KARA SPAK
Sun-Times Staff Reporter
Oprah Winfrey thinks she has the chops for the U.S. Senate but said today she has no interest in the seat she was apparently being considered for by Gov. Blagojevich.
Winfrey called into Gayle King's Sirius XM radio show to react to the news that the embattled governor considered Winfrey for the Senate seat, replacing President Obama, that Blagojevich is accused of trying to sell.
Blagojevich, speaking on ABC's "Good Morning America" this morning, said he considered offering Winfrey Illinois' once-vacant U.S. Senate seat, but that she "probably wouldn't take it."
"No, it came to me from a friend," Blagojevich said of Winfrey. "And then along the considerations we discussed whether or not it made any sense, she seemed to be someone who would help Barack Obama in a significant way become president. She was obviously someone with a much broader bully pulpit than other senators. She probably wouldn't take it. And then we talked about if you offered it to her, how would you do it in a way that it didn't look like it was some [unintelligible] to try to embarrass her."
Winfrey said she heard the news when King called her during a commercial break in King's show.
"I think that's amusing," Winfrey said. "So I guess you're under consideration, but nobody tells you you're under consideration."
"Yep," King said. "That's how it goes."
Winfrey said she was "absolutely not" interested, questioning how she could fit official government duties in with "my day job, my mid-day job, my night job, my radio job, my magazine job."
"I think I could be a senator," she said. "I'm just not interested. I think I could be a senator, too."
Winfrey said she was meditiating, "watching the sun take its place over the horizon, over the lake" when King called.
Had she instead been exercising on the treadmill, watching "Good Morning America," as is her typical morning routine, she said, "I probably would have fallen off the treadmill. I'm pretty amused by the whole thing."
Senate seat aside, Winfrey said she planned to spend part of today at an annual trip to the doctor's office. She said she considers her annual physical "a gift to myself" before her Jan. 29 birthday.
I would prefer Fran as a US Senator.
----
http://blogs.suntimes.com/oprah/2009/01 ... h_con.html
Scandal-plagued Blagojevich considered offering Oprah Winfrey vacated Obama senate seat
By
Mark Bieganski
on January 26, 2009 8:04 AM
BY KARA SPAK
Sun-Times Staff Reporter
Oprah Winfrey thinks she has the chops for the U.S. Senate but said today she has no interest in the seat she was apparently being considered for by Gov. Blagojevich.
Winfrey called into Gayle King's Sirius XM radio show to react to the news that the embattled governor considered Winfrey for the Senate seat, replacing President Obama, that Blagojevich is accused of trying to sell.
Blagojevich, speaking on ABC's "Good Morning America" this morning, said he considered offering Winfrey Illinois' once-vacant U.S. Senate seat, but that she "probably wouldn't take it."
"No, it came to me from a friend," Blagojevich said of Winfrey. "And then along the considerations we discussed whether or not it made any sense, she seemed to be someone who would help Barack Obama in a significant way become president. She was obviously someone with a much broader bully pulpit than other senators. She probably wouldn't take it. And then we talked about if you offered it to her, how would you do it in a way that it didn't look like it was some [unintelligible] to try to embarrass her."
Winfrey said she heard the news when King called her during a commercial break in King's show.
"I think that's amusing," Winfrey said. "So I guess you're under consideration, but nobody tells you you're under consideration."
"Yep," King said. "That's how it goes."
Winfrey said she was "absolutely not" interested, questioning how she could fit official government duties in with "my day job, my mid-day job, my night job, my radio job, my magazine job."
"I think I could be a senator," she said. "I'm just not interested. I think I could be a senator, too."
Winfrey said she was meditiating, "watching the sun take its place over the horizon, over the lake" when King called.
Had she instead been exercising on the treadmill, watching "Good Morning America," as is her typical morning routine, she said, "I probably would have fallen off the treadmill. I'm pretty amused by the whole thing."
Senate seat aside, Winfrey said she planned to spend part of today at an annual trip to the doctor's office. She said she considers her annual physical "a gift to myself" before her Jan. 29 birthday.
racehorse
Hi new PR firm sent him to NYC today for a "media blitz."
The last thing we want or need in NYC is Gov Blago. I've been boycotting the news all day.
PS: I think I could be a senator also. I wonder why Governor Patterson didn't consider me?
The last thing we want or need in NYC is Gov Blago. I've been boycotting the news all day.
PS: I think I could be a senator also. I wonder why Governor Patterson didn't consider me?
"We can't solve problems with the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." – Albert Einstein
Question: Is Gov. Blago. being treated fairly, legally speaking? I think impeachment trials are most difficult to follow, so, I don't really know. He keeps saying he is not able to mount his own defense. Is that accurate? Anyone?
"We can't solve problems with the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." – Albert Einstein
latimes.com
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... 4612.story
From the Los Angeles Times
Rod Blagojevich gets a book deal
The former Illinois governor will focus on the process of picking Barack Obama's Senate successor and expose the 'dark side of politics' that he witnessed, a news release says.
By Monique Garcia
3:10 PM PST, March 2, 2009
Reporting from Chicago — Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has landed a deal to write a book in which he will focus on "the discussions, the considerations and the factors involved in picking" a U.S. Senate successor to Barack Obama, according to a press release from Blagojevich's publicity agency.
Blagojevich's publicity agent, Glenn Selig, said the deal was with an independent publisher, Phoenix Books, and was worth six figures. The news release said Blagojevich will expose the "dark side of politics" that he witnessed as a former congressman and governor.
Blagojevich was arrested on Dec. 9 on federal corruption charges for, among other things, trying to sell the Senate seat in exchange for campaign donations or other favors. He was convicted by Illinois lawmakers and removed from office in an impeachment trial a little more than a month ago.
The book, with a working title of "The Governor," is scheduled for release in October.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... 4612.story
From the Los Angeles Times
Rod Blagojevich gets a book deal
The former Illinois governor will focus on the process of picking Barack Obama's Senate successor and expose the 'dark side of politics' that he witnessed, a news release says.
By Monique Garcia
3:10 PM PST, March 2, 2009
Reporting from Chicago — Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has landed a deal to write a book in which he will focus on "the discussions, the considerations and the factors involved in picking" a U.S. Senate successor to Barack Obama, according to a press release from Blagojevich's publicity agency.
Blagojevich's publicity agent, Glenn Selig, said the deal was with an independent publisher, Phoenix Books, and was worth six figures. The news release said Blagojevich will expose the "dark side of politics" that he witnessed as a former congressman and governor.
Blagojevich was arrested on Dec. 9 on federal corruption charges for, among other things, trying to sell the Senate seat in exchange for campaign donations or other favors. He was convicted by Illinois lawmakers and removed from office in an impeachment trial a little more than a month ago.
The book, with a working title of "The Governor," is scheduled for release in October.
racehorse
racehorse wrote: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/ConductUn ... 739&page=1
Sources Say Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is 'Senate Candidate #5
Feds Plan to Interview Chicago Congressman as Part of Blagojevich Probe
By BRIAN ROSS
December 10, 2008
Chicago Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) is the anonymous "Senate Candidate #5" whose emissaries Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich reportedly claimed offered up to a million dollars to name him to the U.S. Senate, federal law enforcement sources tell ABC News.
According to the FBI affidavit in the case, Blagojevich "stated he might be able to cut a deal with Senate Candidate 5 that provided ROD BLAGOJEVICH" with something "tangible up front."
Jackson Jr. said this morning he was contacted yesterday by federal prosecutors in Chicago who he said "asked me to come in and share with them my insights and thoughts about the selection process."
Jackson Jr. said "I don't know" when asked if he was Candidate #5, but said he was told "I am not a target of this investigation."
Jackson Jr. said he agreed to talk with federal investigators "as quickly as possible" after he consults with a lawyer.
http://tinyurl.com/cmseaf
Blagojevich Promised $5 Million If He Appointed Jackson
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's staff was told last year that Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) would raise up to $5 million in campaign cash for the ex-governor if he was appointed to the U.S. Senate, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
"Besides the $5 million to be raised by Jackson, the proposal also included another $1 million for Blagojevich's campaign fund that would come from Indian donors, sources say."
"This is the first revelation that a proposal for the Jackson appointment involved an alleged promise that he'd raise campaign cash for the ex-governor. Also, the amount of money allegedly offered to Blagojevich is significantly higher than what's been reported so far."
April 13, 2009
Last edited by racehorse on 04-13-2009 11:28 PM, edited 1 time in total.
racehorse
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/us/15 ... tml?ref=us
Blagojevich Pleads Not Guilty, With a Flourish
By MONICA DAVEY
Published: April 14, 2009
CHICAGO — Rod R. Blagojevich, this state’s ousted governor who had for months told anyone who would listen that he has done nothing corrupt, finally got to say as much to a judge.
On Tuesday, Mr. Blagojevich pleaded not guilty to 16 federal criminal counts, including racketeering conspiracy, a broad scheme that prosecutors say included efforts by Mr. Blagojevich to receive money in exchange for an appointment to President Obama’s former Senate seat.
Mr. Blagojevich, a lawyer who has spent most of his career in politics, said little in court, but told a crush of reporters who greeted him outside that his legal strategy was, simply, “the truth.”
“Black care never catches a rider whose pace is fast enough,” Mr. Blagojevich said at one point, offering a slight permutation on something Theodore Roosevelt once said. “You got that?”
On Tuesday, Mr. Blagojevich, whose defense lawyer is asking federal prosecutors to allow him to spend some of his old campaign money to add more lawyers to his team, was clearly a man without the trappings — or the state police security — of the governor’s job. He and his lawyer seemed to wander around the lobby of the Dirksen Federal Building here, trying to figure out how to get out without meeting dozens of television cameras that awaited him. And once outside, he stood, smiling tightly amid the cameras, waiting for his car to drive up.
Though the corruption case against Mr. Blagojevich, a Democrat, may not go to trial for months, it has already left a mark on nearly every level of politics around here. It has spurred all sorts of legislation to clean up politics and limit campaign contributions, shifted the likely array of candidates next year for Mr. Obama’s old Senate seat and for governor, and has drawn unwanted attention to other public figures, like Representative Jesse L. Jackson Jr., whose connections to Mr. Blagojevich are now under scrutiny. Mr. Jackson, who says he has done nothing wrong, has not been charged with any crime.
Mr. Blagojevich, who was in his second term as governor when federal agents arrested him at his home last December, is accused of transforming nearly every element of his official work into a way to make money for himself, his family and his friends. Federal prosecutors say Mr. Blagojevich, who came to power portraying himself as a reformer, explicitly agreed with his allies to use his office for financial gain even before he became governor in 2003, and had an understanding that the money would be divided among them once he left office.
Prosecutors say Mr. Blagojevich carried out what they termed “the Blagojevich Enterprise” at seemingly every turn. They say he directed state business to companies that agreed to kickbacks. They say he tried unsuccessfully to press Rahm Emanuel, Mr. Obama’s chief of staff who was then a United States Representative, to have a relative hold a fundraiser for Mr. Blagojevich before the governor would release money for a school in Mr. Emanuel’s district. They say he sought a donation from a children’s hospital executive before he would release state money for the hospital. And prosecutors say he threatened to withhold state help to the Tribune Company in the sale of Wrigley Field, the Cubs’ baseball field, unless a particular editorial board member was fired.
After Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the United States attorney here, made the accusations against Mr. Blagojevich public, the governor was impeached and removed from office earlier this year. Since then, his publicist said, Mr. Blagojevich, who is a former state legislator and United States Representative, has been working on a book, a political memoir of sorts. Although Mr. Blagojevich’s wife, Patti, who is the daughter of a prominent and veteran Chicago alderman, is mentioned in the indictment, she has not been charged in the case.
Mr. Blagojevich’s brother, Robert, also appeared on Tuesday before James B. Zagel, a federal district court judge, in the downtown courtroom. Like Mr. Blagojevich, who has repeatedly pledged to fight the corruption case against him “every step of the way,” his brother pleaded not guilty on all counts.
Potentially more troublesome for Mr. Blagojevich, two of his former chiefs of staff, at least one of whom is cooperating with prosecutors, are expected to appear in the same courtroom on Thursday.
Blagojevich Pleads Not Guilty, With a Flourish
By MONICA DAVEY
Published: April 14, 2009
CHICAGO — Rod R. Blagojevich, this state’s ousted governor who had for months told anyone who would listen that he has done nothing corrupt, finally got to say as much to a judge.
On Tuesday, Mr. Blagojevich pleaded not guilty to 16 federal criminal counts, including racketeering conspiracy, a broad scheme that prosecutors say included efforts by Mr. Blagojevich to receive money in exchange for an appointment to President Obama’s former Senate seat.
Mr. Blagojevich, a lawyer who has spent most of his career in politics, said little in court, but told a crush of reporters who greeted him outside that his legal strategy was, simply, “the truth.”
“Black care never catches a rider whose pace is fast enough,” Mr. Blagojevich said at one point, offering a slight permutation on something Theodore Roosevelt once said. “You got that?”
On Tuesday, Mr. Blagojevich, whose defense lawyer is asking federal prosecutors to allow him to spend some of his old campaign money to add more lawyers to his team, was clearly a man without the trappings — or the state police security — of the governor’s job. He and his lawyer seemed to wander around the lobby of the Dirksen Federal Building here, trying to figure out how to get out without meeting dozens of television cameras that awaited him. And once outside, he stood, smiling tightly amid the cameras, waiting for his car to drive up.
Though the corruption case against Mr. Blagojevich, a Democrat, may not go to trial for months, it has already left a mark on nearly every level of politics around here. It has spurred all sorts of legislation to clean up politics and limit campaign contributions, shifted the likely array of candidates next year for Mr. Obama’s old Senate seat and for governor, and has drawn unwanted attention to other public figures, like Representative Jesse L. Jackson Jr., whose connections to Mr. Blagojevich are now under scrutiny. Mr. Jackson, who says he has done nothing wrong, has not been charged with any crime.
Mr. Blagojevich, who was in his second term as governor when federal agents arrested him at his home last December, is accused of transforming nearly every element of his official work into a way to make money for himself, his family and his friends. Federal prosecutors say Mr. Blagojevich, who came to power portraying himself as a reformer, explicitly agreed with his allies to use his office for financial gain even before he became governor in 2003, and had an understanding that the money would be divided among them once he left office.
Prosecutors say Mr. Blagojevich carried out what they termed “the Blagojevich Enterprise” at seemingly every turn. They say he directed state business to companies that agreed to kickbacks. They say he tried unsuccessfully to press Rahm Emanuel, Mr. Obama’s chief of staff who was then a United States Representative, to have a relative hold a fundraiser for Mr. Blagojevich before the governor would release money for a school in Mr. Emanuel’s district. They say he sought a donation from a children’s hospital executive before he would release state money for the hospital. And prosecutors say he threatened to withhold state help to the Tribune Company in the sale of Wrigley Field, the Cubs’ baseball field, unless a particular editorial board member was fired.
After Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the United States attorney here, made the accusations against Mr. Blagojevich public, the governor was impeached and removed from office earlier this year. Since then, his publicist said, Mr. Blagojevich, who is a former state legislator and United States Representative, has been working on a book, a political memoir of sorts. Although Mr. Blagojevich’s wife, Patti, who is the daughter of a prominent and veteran Chicago alderman, is mentioned in the indictment, she has not been charged in the case.
Mr. Blagojevich’s brother, Robert, also appeared on Tuesday before James B. Zagel, a federal district court judge, in the downtown courtroom. Like Mr. Blagojevich, who has repeatedly pledged to fight the corruption case against him “every step of the way,” his brother pleaded not guilty on all counts.
Potentially more troublesome for Mr. Blagojevich, two of his former chiefs of staff, at least one of whom is cooperating with prosecutors, are expected to appear in the same courtroom on Thursday.
racehorse
Well I hope this isnt true but this Blago saga, is going to get very interesting.racehorse wrote: http://tinyurl.com/cmseaf
Blagojevich Promised Million If He Appointed Jackson
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's staff was told last year that Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) would raise up to million in campaign cash for the ex-governor if he was appointed to the U.S. Senate, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
"Besides the million to be raised by Jackson, the proposal also included anothermillion for Blagojevich's campaign fund that would come from Indian donors, sources say."Originally posted by racehorse
http://tinyurl.com/cmseaf
Blagojevich Promised $5 Million If He Appointed Jackson
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's staff was told last year that Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) would raise up to $5 million in campaign cash for the ex-governor if he was appointed to the U.S. Senate, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
"Besides the $5 million to be raised by Jackson, the proposal also included another $1 million for Blagojevich's campaign fund that would come from Indian donors, sources say."
"This is the first revelation that a proposal for the Jackson appointment involved an alleged promise that he'd raise campaign cash for the ex-governor. Also, the amount of money allegedly offered to Blagojevich is significantly higher than what's been reported so far."
April 13, 2009
"This is the first revelation that a proposal for the Jackson appointment involved an alleged promise that he'd raise campaign cash for the ex-governor. Also, the amount of money allegedly offered to Blagojevich is significantly higher than what's been reported so far."
April 13, 2009
http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/04/blagojev ... rity-.html
April 14, 2009
NBC recruits Blagojevich for 'Celebrity'
Rod Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich has made a deal to star in NBC's upcoming summer reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here, the network confirms.
"Rod Blagojevich will be a participant on the show pending the court's approval," said NBC in a statement.
NBC has been looking for household names for its version of the U.K. hit, which launches June 1. With NBC taking the unusually intensive step of airing the show four nights a week at 8 p.m. for nearly a month, a successful launch could help fuel the network's entire summer schedule.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Blagojevich's attorney told a federal judge Tuesday that he will file a request to loosen his client's travel restrictions to participate in the show, which will be shot in Costa Rica. Blago was indicted April 1 on 16 counts -- 11 counts of wire fraud, three of extortion, one of racketeering and one of lying to federal investigators. He has plead not guilty.
Given Blagojevich's notoriety following his arrest on federal corruption charges, he's bound to garner some curiosity tune-in for the network. Celebrity is produced by Granada, which signed Blagojevich for the show (provided the court rules the ex-governor facing multiple federal counts isn't a flight risk and permits him to leave the country to participate in a reality show).
Official Celebrity description: "Ten celebrities of various backgrounds will be dropped into the heart of the Costa Rican jungle to face challenges designed to test their skills in adapting to the wilderness and to raise money for their favorite charities."
--------
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Former Governor Rod Blagojevich (Democrat-Illinois)
April 14, 2009
NBC recruits Blagojevich for 'Celebrity'
Rod Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich has made a deal to star in NBC's upcoming summer reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here, the network confirms.
"Rod Blagojevich will be a participant on the show pending the court's approval," said NBC in a statement.
NBC has been looking for household names for its version of the U.K. hit, which launches June 1. With NBC taking the unusually intensive step of airing the show four nights a week at 8 p.m. for nearly a month, a successful launch could help fuel the network's entire summer schedule.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Blagojevich's attorney told a federal judge Tuesday that he will file a request to loosen his client's travel restrictions to participate in the show, which will be shot in Costa Rica. Blago was indicted April 1 on 16 counts -- 11 counts of wire fraud, three of extortion, one of racketeering and one of lying to federal investigators. He has plead not guilty.
Given Blagojevich's notoriety following his arrest on federal corruption charges, he's bound to garner some curiosity tune-in for the network. Celebrity is produced by Granada, which signed Blagojevich for the show (provided the court rules the ex-governor facing multiple federal counts isn't a flight risk and permits him to leave the country to participate in a reality show).
Official Celebrity description: "Ten celebrities of various backgrounds will be dropped into the heart of the Costa Rican jungle to face challenges designed to test their skills in adapting to the wilderness and to raise money for their favorite charities."
--------
---
Former Governor Rod Blagojevich (Democrat-Illinois)
racehorse