I can't decide whether Rod Blagojevich is incredibly stupid, supremely arrogant, totally nuts or all of the above. Maybe that mop of hair has somehow put too much pressure on his brain and he's just flipped out. But you have to admit, the Illinois Governor has been highly entertaining these past few months, since he was busted trying to sell Obama's vacant senate seat. He's run the gamut from denial to defiance to paranoia to outright lunacy.
He's been in denial since day one, and continues to be so. In a recent interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC'S Good Morning America, Sawyer asked Blago if he had done anything wrong. His response,
Does he truly think he will be exonerated when FBI wire taps have him saying things like
And, he claims the Illinois house is out to get him because he helped the people of Illinois.
Huh? What delusional, paranoiac world is this man living in? But I guess he might as well chalk it up to some kind of conspiracy theory since he has no other leg to stand on.
His latest bizarro act is claiming he had considered offering the seat to Oprah Winfrey. How wacky is that?!
And it's not just trying to auction off the senate seat the man is guilty of. The Chicago Sun Times compiled the following list of transgressions:
1. Gov. Blagojevich plotted to auction off President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat for personal benefit.
2. Blagojevich tried to get members of the Chicago Tribune editorial board fired.
3. The governor signed a bill in exchange for a campaign contribution from the horse racing industry.
4. Blagojevich awarded a Tollway contract in exchange for campaign contributions.
5. The governor threatened to withhold reimbursements to hospitals and doctors in Illinois in exchange for campaign contributions.
6. The governor engaged in pay-to-play in making appointments, and plotted to award a state job to Ali Ata with the Illinois Finance Authority in exchange for campaign contributions.
7. The governor tried to award state contracts to Joseph Cari for campaign contributions.
8. Blagojevich attempted to exchange state permits for campaign cash.
9. The governor failed to abide by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and unlawfully expanded the FamilyCare program.
10. Blagojevich purchased additional flu vaccines without proper approval, making the sale illegal.
11. The governor attempted to import prescription drugs from Canada without consent of the Food and Drug Administration.
12. Blagojevich did not follow the appropriations process when he allocated money for the Agency Efficiency Initiative.
13. The governor violated both state and federal laws in the firing and hiring of various state employees.
That's some list of accomplishments!
As entertaining as this whole saga has been, I find the man incredibly distasteful. He looks like a a 2-bit thug, and you have to wonder how on earth did he manage to get elected Governor of Illinois not once, but twice!
If he had any shred of dignity he would have stepped down ages ago. And had he been a Republican, this prolonged circus act would have ended long ago.
He's been in denial since day one, and continues to be so. In a recent interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC'S Good Morning America, Sawyer asked Blago if he had done anything wrong. His response,
"Absolutely not and I'll have a chance in a criminal case to show evidence and bring witnesses. And this impeachment trial actually gives me an opportunity, if it was fair, if it allowed me to actually bring witnesses, to prove that the allegations are not true."
Does he truly think he will be exonerated when FBI wire taps have him saying things like
"I got this thing and it's bleepin' golden. I'm just not giving it up for bleepin' nothing.".
And, he claims the Illinois house is out to get him because he helped the people of Illinois.
"The causes of the impeachment are because I've done things to fight for families."
Huh? What delusional, paranoiac world is this man living in? But I guess he might as well chalk it up to some kind of conspiracy theory since he has no other leg to stand on.
His latest bizarro act is claiming he had considered offering the seat to Oprah Winfrey. How wacky is that?!
And it's not just trying to auction off the senate seat the man is guilty of. The Chicago Sun Times compiled the following list of transgressions:
1. Gov. Blagojevich plotted to auction off President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat for personal benefit.
2. Blagojevich tried to get members of the Chicago Tribune editorial board fired.
3. The governor signed a bill in exchange for a campaign contribution from the horse racing industry.
4. Blagojevich awarded a Tollway contract in exchange for campaign contributions.
5. The governor threatened to withhold reimbursements to hospitals and doctors in Illinois in exchange for campaign contributions.
6. The governor engaged in pay-to-play in making appointments, and plotted to award a state job to Ali Ata with the Illinois Finance Authority in exchange for campaign contributions.
7. The governor tried to award state contracts to Joseph Cari for campaign contributions.
8. Blagojevich attempted to exchange state permits for campaign cash.
9. The governor failed to abide by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and unlawfully expanded the FamilyCare program.
10. Blagojevich purchased additional flu vaccines without proper approval, making the sale illegal.
11. The governor attempted to import prescription drugs from Canada without consent of the Food and Drug Administration.
12. Blagojevich did not follow the appropriations process when he allocated money for the Agency Efficiency Initiative.
13. The governor violated both state and federal laws in the firing and hiring of various state employees.
That's some list of accomplishments!
As entertaining as this whole saga has been, I find the man incredibly distasteful. He looks like a a 2-bit thug, and you have to wonder how on earth did he manage to get elected Governor of Illinois not once, but twice!
If he had any shred of dignity he would have stepped down ages ago. And had he been a Republican, this prolonged circus act would have ended long ago.
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