A couple of new developments...first of all, ABC news and other sources were claiming that Rep.Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-payola) was 'senate candidate #5', who was prepared to pay Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevitch between $500,000 and $1 million in cold cash for Obama's senate seat...and not only did Jackson not deny it but his attorney just confirmed it.
Jackson admitted that he was contacted yesterday by federal prosecutors in Chicago whom he said "asked me to come in and share with them my insights and thoughts about the selection process."
If that was all it was, one wonders why Jackson agreed to talk to the feds only after he consulted with his lawyer!
Jesse Jr., like his father is very closely connected with the Obamas. Michelle Obama actually used to babysit for Jesse Sr.
Now, here's the thing...Patrick Fitzgerald claims he dropped the bomb on Blago 'to prevent a crime spree.'
Why not let Blagojevitch actually make a deal to sell the seat and then round up the offeror and offeree for bribery? Why end the investigation here?
As it is, so far Blago is guilty, at most, of soliciting a bribe..something that carries a lot less of a penalty than actually going through with it. As for Jesse Jr., at most he's guilty of an `ethical lapse' since no money was actually paid. And that will hardly hurt him in Chicago or in the House any more than blatant tax cheating has hurt Charley Rangel.
Was Fitzgerald wary of the implications of taking down the son of a so-called civil rights icon and a prominent member of the Congressional Black Caucus?
Jackson admitted that he was contacted yesterday by federal prosecutors in Chicago whom he said "asked me to come in and share with them my insights and thoughts about the selection process."
If that was all it was, one wonders why Jackson agreed to talk to the feds only after he consulted with his lawyer!
Jesse Jr., like his father is very closely connected with the Obamas. Michelle Obama actually used to babysit for Jesse Sr.
Now, here's the thing...Patrick Fitzgerald claims he dropped the bomb on Blago 'to prevent a crime spree.'
Why not let Blagojevitch actually make a deal to sell the seat and then round up the offeror and offeree for bribery? Why end the investigation here?
As it is, so far Blago is guilty, at most, of soliciting a bribe..something that carries a lot less of a penalty than actually going through with it. As for Jesse Jr., at most he's guilty of an `ethical lapse' since no money was actually paid. And that will hardly hurt him in Chicago or in the House any more than blatant tax cheating has hurt Charley Rangel.
Was Fitzgerald wary of the implications of taking down the son of a so-called civil rights icon and a prominent member of the Congressional Black Caucus?
You write: "Was Fitzgerald wary of the implications of taking down the son of a so-called civil rights icon and a prominent member of the Congressional Black Caucus?"
ReplyDeleteSuch an allegation would have to be proven of course but I think it is a real possibility. It is one thing to prosecute members of a Presidential Administration who is hugely unpopular and almost univerisally despised by the media, such as in the case of prosecuting Scooter Libby.
In this case Mr. Fitzgerald gets almost celebrity status much like a rock star or super star professional athlete might get. This resulted in almost universal praise by the news media. In other words, Mr. Fitzgerald is a jolly good fellow in the eyes of news media for having the "courage" to go after the "evil" Bush Administration and since Bush is unpopular prosecuting members of his Administration costs him nothing in the eyes of the American people and even results in a net benefit to him.
Also, when prosecuting Scooter Libby Mr. Fitzgerald knew he could count on the media to come to his defense should someone raise any questions about what he is doing or why. The person who would question the prosecution of Mr. Libby or any other member of the Bush Administration would be instantly be viciously attacked by the news media.
When investigating the actions of someone like Jesse Jackson Jr., Mr. Fitzgerald or any other prosecutor could not count on support by the media and support from the American public would be problematic at best. Any attempt to investigate and or prosecute Jesse Jackson Jr. or any other member of the Congressional Black Caucus would result in vicious attacks on the prosecutor from the news media. In depth investigations into every thing the prosecutor has ever done would be launched by the media. Is there any thing in the prosecutors past or the past of his family that he might not want revealed? Have his children been caught doing something they should not? did his wife utteer something in public that she should not have? What about that wild bachlor party he had in his youth? What about that questionable business deal he engaged in years ago? The attacks and the investigations would be relentless. Never mind the fact
These are things the prosecutor would have to think about. So, yes I think it is possible that Mr. Fitzgerald would be wary about conducting an investigation that might implicate the son of Jesse Jackson or Barack Obama.
None of this is menat to imply in any way shape or form that I'm defending the Bush Administration or Scooter Libby. I've said here and elsewhere that my sincere belief is that President Bush should have been impeached long ago. The point is prosecuting members of the Administration of an unpopular President who is almost universially despised by the news media is much easier and far less risky than an investigation into the actions of Jesse Jackson Jr. or Barack Obama
No, Fitzgerald was not 'wary of the implications of taking down the son of a so-called civil rights icon'. Fitzgerald is a non-partisan attack dog : he goes after left & right, Democrats & Republicans, terrorists, mobsters, ... everything. His record in New York ( where I 1st followed his activities ), & in Chicago are very impressive. He had to end the covert portion of his investigation quickly for 2 reasons : --1) The wiretapping became public knowledge on last Friday, thereby ruining the future value thereof. ( The Chicago Tribune had learnt about the application for the legal wiretaps in early October, before they had even been installed. Fitzgerald pled for a voluntary publication-delay so that the wiretapping would not come to naught. The Tribune agreed. On 21 Oct, a judge granted Fitzgerald's petition for the wiretap. Notwithstanding the Trib's voluntary suppression of the story, rumours swirled round nonethless. That finally persuaded the paper to publish the delayed article on last Friday, the 5th December. Blago's behaviour changed dramatically. The day before, he had been trying to send an emissary to one of the potential Senators to see if a quid pro quo could be arranged. After the publicising of the wiretaps, he hurriedly phoned the same person & ordered that same confidant to 'undo' the 'you know'. In short, this quarry of evidence had been depleted.) --2) Blago was in the midst of what was accurately described by Fitgerald as 'an on-going crime spree'. Blago was blackmailing & strong-arming people & hospitals & institutions ( including non-profits ) & companies left-&-right ). He was delaying legislated hospital-payments , trying to extort bribes from a children's hospital exec, deliberately & illegally obstructing a state deal for the state to receive a sport stadium in Chicago, thereby allowing the parent company of the Trib to sell the baseball team, the Chicago Cubs, to outsiders & thereby almost certainly allowing the Trib's parent company to avoid the bankruptcy which, instead, they had to file for the very day before Blago's arrest. ( This was the attempt to get several editorial writers at the Trib fired. ) -- In short, he had to be stopped then & there. The wiretaps were no longer of any use ( so you weren't going to catch any FUTURE wrong-doers that way anyway ) . Besides, Blago was racing against the imposition of a new ethics law which commenced on 1 Jan. There was no telling how many more crimes he would commit by then. Blago was a rabid individual ; he had to be stopped immediately. Fitzgerald made the right decision & call. Best Regards.
ReplyDeleteTo bposter : I can assure you that Democrats & Republicans in New York, Chicago, the sorry state of Ill-inois, & Washington, DC, equally hate him : he goes after everyone. He went after the former governor of Ill, Ryan, a Republican, now in federal prison. He is going after Blagojevich, a Dem. He went after Scooter Libby, a Republican. He went after the Dem machine in Chicago. The 'Combine' (Republicans & Democrats) hate him with a special passion. Fitzgerald literally couldn't care less re popularity.
ReplyDelete