16 thoughts on “Let’s hear the Blago tapes, the Rod Blagojevich tapes have Rahm Emanuel calling 21 times. Trib tips off wire tap before any crime was committed

  1. Pingback: Let’s hear the Blago tapes, the Rod Blagojevich tapes

  2. Yes, let’s hear the Blago tapes, but could we wait just an eensy bit to let US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald use them in the prosecution?

    Premature release of the tapes could create all kinds of legal problems for the prosecution and potentially prevent them from putting Blago under the jail where he belongs. Once that task is accomplished, let’s have the tapes released, maybe in time for holiday season gift-giving next year. After all, nothing says Christmas like a CD full of F-words for all your loved ones.

    But tell me, Mick, did I miss Democrats sticking up for Blago or attacking Fitzgerald for making this case?

    Nobody has stuck up for Blago. Even in Chicago, where corruption has been elevated to an art form, people have shuddered to hear the details of the governor’s mendacity. It’s not that unusual to hear of bribery, extortion, sleazy trade-offs and the like, but Blago set a new high for lows. Threatening to withhold a grant for Children’s Hospital? Mayor Richard J. Daly must be sitting up in his grave, holding his nose. And holding Wrigley Field and the Cubs hostage for a few editorials? Throw the bum out.

    As for Fitzgerald, the guy is the Elliott Ness of prosecutors. The last time I saw folks attacking him was when he prosecuted Scooter Libby — and it wasn’t Democrats whining that time.

    So let’s let the dominos fall and see what comes of the case before we start making demands on the prosecutors to make their case public. Remember, fair trial first, then the hanging.

  3. Thank God, our long national nightmare is over.

    After nearly a week in which the fate of the free world appeared to hang delicately in the balance, President-Elect Barack Obama has finally come out of “lock down.”

    Not only has he released the name of the individual conducting the internal review of contacts with Gov. Rod “Paygo” Blago of Illinois (it’s transition legal adviser Greg Craig, if that is his real name), he says the report is ready to be released.

    But wait, it’s US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald who once again has intervened. It appears he actually wants to complete his investigation and determine the facts before people start divulging information publicly. Fitzgerald asked Obama to “lock down” for another whole week before releasing the report. It appears he wants time to finish the probe before people start talking about the details.

    But speaking of jumping the gun, what about George Bush’s victory tour through Iraq and Afghanistan over the weekend? The only thing it lacked was an actual victory, but perhaps he’s just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

    You know, I never thought he was much of a president but the next time I enter a shoe-dodging contest, I want that guy on my team. I have seen the video about 20 times now and I can actually see the wavy lines around him as he dodges the shoes like Neo dodged bullets in The Matrix. Even I have to admit he was awesome.

  4. Pingback: Let’s hear the Blago tapes, the Rod Blagojevich tapes. It’s ‘The … at Hillary Clinton On Best Political Blogs

  5. Pingback: Hilary Clinton On Best Political Blogs » Let’s hear the Blago tapes, the Rod Blagojevich tapes. It’s ‘The …

  6. Think about the reason why somebody would leak the details of the investigation to the Chicago Tribune. A Democrat who is close to the case observes that high-ranking fellow Democrats are on the cusp of being dragged into the case, and he tips the media off on the wires as a way of warning anybody else dealing with Blago.

    While all the witnesses against Blago were offered ple bargains, even Rezko, I bet you wont see a bargain offered to Blago in exchange for other names or higher-ups. They want Blago to get all the blame on this. They don’t want his coorperation. They don’t know that Blago is a little smarter than your average Democrat hack. He has his own tapes, maybe.

  7. There are a lot of reasons why someone may have leaked the investigation of Blago to the Tribune. Your speculation is certainly plausible but there are a lot of other plausible reasons as well.

    My experience in journalism is that people very frequently leak information just because they can. They want to show how smart they are, how knowledgable or for some personal advantage. I had a girl who used to leak me information out of the Governor’s Office in Tennessee because she wanted to go out with me. (Those were the days.)

    Some leakers have a personal axe to grind and leak information to discredit their enemies. Others do so for reasons of conscience because they want to stop something they believe to be wrong, illegal or both (Google Thomas Tamm). Dick Morris (yes, that Dick Morris) even let a hooker listen to his personal conversations with President Clinton to enhance his … ummmm … prospects with her.

    But again, from personal experience, a pending hammer about to fall on the governor of your state is just way too juicy to stay quiet. Somebody interviewed by US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald’s investigators may have mentioned it to a reporter.

    I honestly don’t know why it leaked but it did and your speculation is as good as any.

    But let’s speculate a little more. Blago has nothing to lose at this point. He’s going so far down that it will take a geologist to find him. If he can flip and implicate Rahm Emanuel or anyone else close to the president, do you think he will hesitate for a moment? Whether or not it’s true — and it’s clear he and Obama were never close from all media reports — Blago could make a real circus out of this by claiming presidential involvement.

    Ironically, the best defense for anyone innocent will be the Blago tapes. They should be released to hang the guilty and to exculpate the innocent.

  8. Ken, you tell very good stories.
    We are both waiting to read the 100 hours of tapes. But I predict we will never hear or read more than a few sound bites.

    The media is corrupt.

    At Fitzgerald’s request, the Trib had been holding back a story since October detailing how a confidante of Blago was cooperating with his office.

    Gerould Kern, the Tribune’s editor, said in a statement last week that these requests are granted in what he called isolated instances. “In each case, we strive to make the right decision as reporters and as citizens,” he said.

    But editors decided to publish the story on Friday, Dec. 5, ending the Tribune’s own cooperation deal with the prosecutor.

    So they could have published the story in October, but instead waited for “the call.”

  9. Found this on the net. reliable? I doubt it but it is humorous .
    The Absurd Report
    “The Absurd Report…chasing liberals like villagers after Frankenstein” ~Doug Giles

    The Chicago Way: WARNING!!! This Contains Very Foul Language

    The Bear on Jan 15 2009 — Culture of Corruption

    SideBear: The following is a transcript of a Nov 10, 2008 wiretapped conversation between Rahm Emmanuel (Obama’s Chief of Staff) and Illinois Gov. Rod Blogjevich was leaked to me from a very credible source and it is a doozey. I wouldn’t be surprised if the leaking of this transcript isn’t intentional.

    Transcript
    RAHM EMANUEL: This is Rahm.

    ROD BLAGOJEVICH: Hey Rahm, yeah it’s Rod.

    EMANUEL: Uh-huh. What’s going on governor, I’m busy.

    BLAGO: Well, it’s about that Senate appointment. ..

    EMANUEL: We already gave you the list of people we like.

    BLAGO: Yeah, I been looking the list over. Interesting names. Good people. How’s the transition going?

    EMANUEL: It’s going fine, governor. Are you calling to fucking tell me anything, or what, cause I-

    BLAGO: No no, I’m just wondering if you have all your picks already made. I heard something about Dashle for HHS–

    EMANUEL: I’m not gonna discuss ongoing deliberations, gov, you know that.

    BLAGO: Hey, come on Rahm, let’s not act like I’m a stranger here.

    EMANUEL: Did I call you a stranger? If I thought you were a stranger, you think I’d be interrupting my important fucking business to take this fucking phone call?

    BLAGO: Hey you don’t have to get curt with me, Rahm.

    EMANUEL: This isn’t me being curt, Gov, this is me being fucking busy. Now what did you call about?

    BLAGO: I’m just feeling you out, seeing if Valerie [Jarret] still wants that Senate seat, just wondering what kind of priority that is for the President-Elect.

    EMANUEL: Actually, it’s not a priority. Valerie’s had second thoughts about the job.

    BLAGO: What, she doesn’t want it anymore?

    EMANUEL: She’s having second thoughts. You want more details, you ask her.

    BLAGO: She won’t take my calls.

    EMANUEL: Big fucking surprise.

    BLAGO: What’s that supposed to mean?

    EMANUEL: Um, I don’t know, what’s it supposed to mean governor? A.) You’re a fucking crook. B.) You’re a fucking asshole. C.) All of the above.

    BLAGO: I’m clean Rahm, you know this. You think that fucking Fitzgerald would being twiddling his fucking thumbs if he had shit to go on?

    EMANUEL: I gotta go, Gov. You appoint who you want, we really don’t give a shit.

    BLAGO: What if I appoint Valerie, what if she takes it?

    EMANUEL: What do you want me to say? We’d appreciate it, I’m not gonna fucking kiss your ring over it.

    BLAGO: “Appreciate it”? Come on, this is a senate seat we’re talking about. It’s worth a fuck of a lot more than appreciation.

    EMANUEL: You asked us for a list, we gave you a fucking list, you want to make your own list then make your own fucking list. [Raising voice] But if you’re asking for anything else from me, or Barack, or Valerie, then you can fucking stop talking right now Rod.

    BLAGO: Wait a sec there Rahm. Wait just a fucking minute. Who are you to talk to me like that? I fucking made you.

    EMANUEL: You made me? You made me? Tell me you’re fucking joking.

    BLAGO: No no no, you listen to me shit-face. You see this list I got, the names motherfucking Obama fucking wants for the Senate. I just ripped it in two. How you like that? Oops, Harris just dropped it in the shredder. Harris?

    HARRIS (muffled): Yes sir?

    BLAGO: Did you just drop that list in the shredder?

    [Whirring, shredder noise]

    HARRIS (muffled): I did.

    EMANUEL: Do you have me on fucking speakerphone?

    BLAGO: It’s in the shredder, Rahm. The list is bye bye.

    EMANUEL: Hold on a sec — you got me on fucking speakerphone? Who the fuck do you think I am?

    BLAGO: Who are you Rahm? Who are you? You’re shit, you hear me? Don’t come back to Chicago Rahm, it’s not your town any more.

    EMANUEL: Pick up the phone Rod.

    BLAGO: I’ll put someone in the senate who will fucking fuck you. I might even put myself in there, how you like that Rahm? How you gonna explain that to fucking Barack, every time he’s gotta call me up for my fucking vote. He’d have to take my calls then, wouldn’t he?

    EMANUEL: [Screaming] I said pick up the FUCKING phone!

    BLAGO: [Picks up phone, speakerphone off] I got your attention now, didn’t I?

    EMANUEL: Shut the fuck up and listen to me for one second Rod. And I want you to listen carefully, because this is the last time I’m ever going to talk to you. You are fucking dead to me. You been fucking dead to Barack since ‘06, now you’re dead to me. Know what that means? That means you’re dead to my people in Chicago, Daley on down, and all these friends you think you have aren’t gonna touch you with a ten foot fucking pole.

    BLAGO: Oh now you’re the fucking Godfather? Fuck you.

    EMANUEL: No fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you.

    BLAGO: Fuck you!

    EMANUEL: Listen up asshole. The shit’s gonna hit the fan, maybe tomorrow, maybe next month, and when Fitz finally brings down the hammer it’s gonna be my name that’s going through your head. You won’t know the hows or the fucking whys, but it’s gonna have my fucking fingerprints all over it. Have a great life fatso.

    BLAGO: Hey fuck–

    EMANUEL: [Click.]

    End of conversation

    End transcript.

    The Bottom Line – Word count 819…. 36 F- bombs
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    Tags: The Chicago Way

    One Response to “The Chicago Way: WARNING!!! This Contains Very Foul Language”

    1.
    on 15 Jan 2009 at 7:01 pm 1Demosthenes

    Wow. This is disturbing on so many levels. The disgusting language is bad enough, but to hear these two ego maniacs go at each other like that is downright frightening. Yeah, Blogo is a weasel, but Emmanuel comes through loud and clear as a power hungry, ego maniac. How’d you like to be on his staff and put up with that for 4 or 8 years? Not enough money in the world–even if I was aligned with them politically.

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  10. So, from the transcripts, I take it that Blago and Rahm are not close friends.

    I think the ALL the tapes should be brought out.

    Great BLOG…thanks for speaking the TRUTH, as opposed to those in the “man crush” media, like Chris Matthews.

  11. I predict that Fitzgerald will drop charges against Blago now. The Chicago Democrat machine can’t afford a messy trial with the chance a judge will let Blago have all the tapes played… that could potentially connect Obama and Emanuel.
    Damage Control, the Chicago way.

  12. i am professional illustrator, any chance you’d like to show some of my pictures? i think it would be awesome for your articles 🙂
    totally enjoy your page! send me a e-mail please in case you want to see my photos

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