Blago the Spin Master!

[ChiefReason]

Anyone been following the "jobs for political donations" scandal?
Didn't Lisa Madigan launch the investigation?
Because Blago is now saying that it is his "inspector general" that is uncovering the illegalities. And he is also saying that it's a "good thing" and what he said he was going to do during his last campaign.
I almost spit my water when I read that Blago is claiming that this investigation was his idea.
And where is Judy Baar? She should be all over this.
??????
CR

[MIKEYLIKESIT]

Why isnt she all over it? Because she is running a crappy campaign....

[jaybird210]

Why isnt she all over it? Because she is running a crappy campaign....

That's for damn sure. How many months now has Blago been running attack ads and she hasn't said "boo." I wonder....

[ChiefReason]

I have to wonder if Blago's inspector general is getting in the way of the FBI?
So, if I have the chronology right, Blago's inspector general told Lisa Madigan that there were hiring irregularities in Hot Rod's administration?
Madigan, so as not to appear to have a conflict of interest, turns it over to Fitzgerald for an impartial inquiry? To facilitate, he brings in the FBI?
But the Gov won't turn over the records because they contain "confidential personnel information"?
But this was all Hot Rod's and his inspector general's idea from the start?
Then I guess he doesn't want to get re-elected very badly.
CR

[MIKEYLIKESIT]

Ahh the outrage... Tell me wise Trustee CR. How many units of government DON'T do any political hiring ?... Fire Protection Districts excluded.

[ChiefReason]

Ahh the outrage... Tell me wise Trustee CR. How many units of government DON'T do any political hiring ?... Fire Protection Districts excluded.
Political hiring is one thing, but RIGGING/SLANTING the political hiring is an entirely different matter.
The "outrage" is that this is the guy who was going to "clean up" Illinois' dirty politics.
I don't see it. If anything, he should have his day in court, just like Gorgeous George Ryan did.
The "song remains the same".
If the voters in Illinois want to believe that it's "business as usual", then we can expect a second term of the same dirty politics.
CR

[ChiefReason]

Oh and for those who aren't keeping count, there have been THREE
state fire marshals under Governor Blago. Vina, Somer and now Foreman.
Yeah; things are pretty stable under Hot Rod.
CR

[MIKEYLIKESIT]

"Illinois aint ready for reform". But seriously, there is so much institutionalized corruption at every level of government here that I fear "reform" will result in chaos. I listened to the Presidents news conference yesterday in Chicago. When asked about Mayor Daleys recent corruption troubles within his administration, President Bush told reporters that a federal jury's verdict that city hiring and promotions were fixed to put politics before performance did not change his favorable view of Mayor Daley, saying he is proud to call the Democrat a friend.

"I still think he's a great mayor," Bush said. "This is a well-run city. And he gets a lot of credit for it. He doesn't get the sole credit, but he gets a lot of credit. He's a leader."

[ChiefReason]

Anyone else tired of the "plausible denial" defense?
When you look at cities like Chicago, people generally view it as a big city with big problems. Too big for ONE MAN to clean up. So, if most people believe that Mayor Daley can't clean it up, then they accept the way things are. I mean, hiring practices, ghosts on payrolls, corruption, bribes, organized crime influences, bidding, contracts...and on and on.
Hey; I think I just described Blago's term in office!
My solution is to buy out everyone with more than 10 years(stepped amounts, of course), hire temps until everyone else can re-apply, but only after a THOROUGH background check and an evaluation of their previous work for the city can be done. But don't stop there. The first person-the very first person-caught involved in any type of illegal behavior is given swift and severe punishment that includes losing their job.
The only reason we are in the state we are in is that we enable it by accepting it as a part of the picture.
Hogwash.
CR

[MIKEYLIKESIT]

Do you honestly think Judy Barr (who is a hell of a nice lady) is any different? Be honest. I will stick with my claim that along with all the ugliness that comes with political hiring/ insider deals the real fact remains that it makes things run very smoothly.

[ChiefReason]

Do you honestly think Judy Barr (who is a hell of a nice lady) is any different? Be honest. I will stick with my claim that along with all the ugliness that comes with political hiring/ insider deals the real fact remains that it makes things run very smoothly.
I think any of us who are familiar with politics knows that large contributions comes with "strings attached". When you see politicians pressing flesh, they are actually exchanging phone numbers. Campaigns would have to hire all full time workers to run their campaigns if the volunteers thought for a minute that their work wouldn't be rewarded. Part of the reason, reformists push for caps on contributions is so that contributors can't buy jobs or contracts.
But, in order for any candidates to get traction in their campaigns, the carrot on a stick has to be out there, so they can get as much for their campaign dollars as they can.
Savvy politicians are very astute to the way the system works. Unfortunately, there are people in the private sector who are very creative when it comes to elbowing their way into state jobs or contracts.
Even the smart ones can be duped.
Judy Baar is no different. But I believe that she is serious when she says she wants to clean up corruption. Blago says that with a wink and a grin.
You're not pushing my buttons. I like discussions such as this.
Where are the rest of the political analysts?
CR

[MIKEYLIKESIT]

The GOP in this state reminds me of the Democratic National Committee. No plan, no unity and no teeth. Maybe this election will be different, but the far right and the centrists need to play a little nicer together. Art, you know me well enough that I feel comfortable discussing the finer points of Illinois politics with you...Even when we disagree.

[mfdff2]

I Would Like To Be The First To Nominate Cr For Gov.

[MIKEYLIKESIT]

No second from me..... Art isn't shifty enough to be a politician :p

[jaybird210]

Governor's office hired by name well into 2004

By John O'connor
the Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Rod Blagojevich's office was approving candidates by name for state jobs as late as autumn 2004, nearly 18 months after aides said a "blind" hiring system was created, documents show.

Well into Blagojevich's second year in office, his chief of staff and personnel director continued to sign off on names of candidates for such jobs as secretary, auto mechanic and film office intern, nearly 300 employment forms obtained by The Associated Press reveal.

At least one-quarter of the forms relate to positions covered by laws and court rulings that prohibit hiring decisions based on political clout and give priority to veterans and minorities.

Politics played no role in the hiring decisions, Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said. She noted that it's not illegal for the governor's office to know names of people considered for nonpolitical jobs.

But tracking candidates by name raises the possibility that Blagojevich aides could have influenced hiring decisions, and it contradicts the governor's statements that he instituted safeguards early in his tenure to eliminate that possibility.

Blagojevich's hiring practices are the subject of an investigation by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who says he has found credible witnesses to "very serious allegations of endemic hiring fraud." Blagojevich, a first-term Democrat, has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

Blagojevich has long said he set up a "blind" hiring process after taking office in January 2003. He responded to a budget crisis with a hiring freeze and said his staff had to review every job to determine whether filling it was affordable, but that aides didn't consider the names of job applicants in making those decisions.

The newly obtained hiring documents indicate then-chief of staff Lon Monk, who now runs Blagojevich's re-election campaign, approved hiring scores of people by name for jobs over which the governor by law has no say. The latest of the documents initialed by Monk was from Sept. 21, 2004.

Originally, Blagojevich's aides suggested he had implemented a blind hiring system just after taking office. Then they said it was done by late spring of 2003, aside from the occasional form where a name was accidentally included. Now they say the process was phased in.

She pointed out that some of the forms required the officials making hiring decisions to check one of two spaces — either declaring that the job is exempt from hiring laws or that clout was not a factor.

But three-fifths of the forms did not require the checks.

[ChiefReason]

Governor's office hired by name well into 2004

By John O'connor
the Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Rod Blagojevich's office was approving candidates by name for state jobs as late as autumn 2004, nearly 18 months after aides said a "blind" hiring system was created, documents show.

Well into Blagojevich's second year in office, his chief of staff and personnel director continued to sign off on names of candidates for such jobs as secretary, auto mechanic and film office intern, nearly 300 employment forms obtained by The Associated Press reveal.

At least one-quarter of the forms relate to positions covered by laws and court rulings that prohibit hiring decisions based on political clout and give priority to veterans and minorities.

Politics played no role in the hiring decisions, Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said. She noted that it's not illegal for the governor's office to know names of people considered for nonpolitical jobs.

But tracking candidates by name raises the possibility that Blagojevich aides could have influenced hiring decisions, and it contradicts the governor's statements that he instituted safeguards early in his tenure to eliminate that possibility.

Blagojevich's hiring practices are the subject of an investigation by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who says he has found credible witnesses to "very serious allegations of endemic hiring fraud." Blagojevich, a first-term Democrat, has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

Blagojevich has long said he set up a "blind" hiring process after taking office in January 2003. He responded to a budget crisis with a hiring freeze and said his staff had to review every job to determine whether filling it was affordable, but that aides didn't consider the names of job applicants in making those decisions.

The newly obtained hiring documents indicate then-chief of staff Lon Monk, who now runs Blagojevich's re-election campaign, approved hiring scores of people by name for jobs over which the governor by law has no say. The latest of the documents initialed by Monk was from Sept. 21, 2004.

Originally, Blagojevich's aides suggested he had implemented a blind hiring system just after taking office. Then they said it was done by late spring of 2003, aside from the occasional form where a name was accidentally included. Now they say the process was phased in.

She pointed out that some of the forms required the officials making hiring decisions to check one of two spaces — either declaring that the job is exempt from hiring laws or that clout was not a factor.

But three-fifths of the forms did not require the checks.
Well, I think that Patrick Fitzgerald needs to start the prosecutorial process on Governor Blago.
If it's good enough for George Ryan, then it's good enough for Blago.
What hypocrisy!
But he looks good on camera.
There have been no less than three spins put on this since it was first reported.
Nothing lately from Blago. Now, the underlings are in the litterbox trying to cover up the "bombs".
CR