The Freakshow that is Blago

Trainwreck. Crash.

The Illinois Senate just voted 59-0 to impeach him, removing him from office and also voted (again, 59-0) that he can never hold public office in Illinois in the future. Maybe he should try running in Alaska?

I've thoroughly enjoyed watching this douchebag babble on the news for the last few weeks. Very entertaining, even if it does make IL look like a bunch of idiots. Who elected this guy anyway? Oh yeah, me.

Instead of appearing at his impeachment trial, Dil-Rod decided to go on a media tour and take his appeal to the public. Even his lawyer (who resigned last Friday) thought this was political suicide. Now, he's hired a PR firm to replace his lawyer - and not just any PR firm, but the very same that is representing the egomaniacal slimeball Drew Peterson. Pea meet pod.

Repeating over and over his tag lines: "the fix is in", "what ever happened to the presumption of innocence?", "I want all the tapes heard, sooner rather than later", "they won't let me bring any witnesses", "due process"...blah, blah, blago. Gezundheit.

Part of the problem with all of his whining is that none of it matters to his case. They never said he couldn't bring witnesses - just not the high profile, political big dogs (Rahm, Jarret, etc) that he wanted. He chose to ignore the trial and not put up a defense. "The fix is in." That's funny coming from a guy that was "allegedly" caught on tape putting in multiple fixes to his campaign account. Impeachment trials are not criminal trials and have a different set of rules - -allotted by the IL Constitution which he vowed to uphold. So the rules are ok, except when they apply to him?

This is an excerpt from his interview with MSNBC & Air America's Rachel Maddow. By far the best interviewer he faced in his media blitz-o-thon this week (imho):

RACHEL MADDOW:
When-- when you-- again, this is from the wiretapped calls, and I realize you're not gonna testify to their veracity. But they are out there, and the transcripts are there, and some of them were played today in the senate. Speaking about Barack Obama's advisors, "They're not willing to give me anything but appreciation in exchange for the senate seat. Bleep them." What would you want other than appreciation? What-- what could be kosher to exchange for a senate seat?

BLAGOJEVICH:
Well, how about helping us pass healthcare and a jobs bill? And helping the people of Illinois. Don't just leave Illinois now. And--

RACHEL MADDOW:
I will appoint person X instead of person Y unless you do this (UNINTEL) favor for me?

BLAGOJEVICH:
No, no, the-- no, the one-- for the other is not-- that-- that's not what I'm saying. I'm simply saying-- I'm in a political business. When Barack Obama agrees to raise $10 million for Hillary Clinton to get out of the race that's the natural political sort of thing that happens in this business. It's appropriate. Nothing that you-- improper about it. Again, in the full context, discussions and the explorations of ideas and thoughts and whether you could or couldn't do something-- you-- you should be able to do that in a free country that guarantees the right of free speech. Especially when you're doing it in what you think is the sanctity of your home, and you want to do it out of your home phone, because you don't want any interconnection with the government's lines, so somebody thinks you're talking politics on a government phone. Again, when the whole story is-- is heard, and put in the proper context, I think you'll see a process that ultimately-- ultimately would-- would lead in the right place.
*emphasis mine.

So, his defense is that I did all my shady shit from my home, so you can't impeach me? Was he really that arrogant--I mean, stupid to think that since he was under federal investigation that they would tap his office, but not his home? Is that why he never went to the office, Springfield or Chicago? Again, douche.

After said media tour (every channel that would have him in 2 days), which I'm convinced he did, so that Fitzy couldn't possibly find a jury that hadn't seen him splattered everywhere, he finally decides -- on the 4th day of the trial -- to show up and defend himself. Whatev dude. For 47 minutes he talked about...himself. If you didn't catch it, watch it on YouTube - it was good.

The problem is he didn't address any of the articles of the impeachment. He just went on and on about all the good he did, how they (Senate) operated the same way he did (uh, maybe you shouldn't be slamming them right before they vote?), not fair, NOT FAIR! All they had to vote on is whether he abused his power and could effectively act as Gov.

As a final act of douchbaggery, he hopped on a state-funded plane before the vote, so we all had to pay for it. Thanks. I hope you find a good lawyer 'cuz Fitzy is comin' after you.