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January 30, 2009

Governors gone wild

Posted: 03:25 PM ET

NEW YORK–Like a Shakespearean tragedy, the Blagojevich debacle just keeps getting better and better. Narcissism.  Corruption. Colorful characters. And farce.  

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was convicted at his impeachment trial shortly after delivering closing argument

But it's not funny. Not really. Because whatever really went down in this case, something is rotten in the state of Denmark. And Denmark isn't the Prairie State. Rather, it’s a political state of mind in which entitlement and corruption have become the order of the day.

Blagojevich follows a long line of governors gone wild. Blagojevich's predecessor, George Ryan, is in prison. We lost Eliot Spitzer to his own devices here in New York and Jim McGreevey in New Jersey before that. But their wrongdoings pale in comparison to Bernie Madoff and the larger scandals of Wall Street.  

Add to that a Bush administration that has thus far escaped accountability for the lies it told: Scooter Libby, Dick Cheney, Alberto Gonzalez. The Bush notion of accountability?  “It is what it is.”  Our last president passed the buck for his failures - including all that bad intelligence about WMD. 

Now a new president is talking about a new accountability. But we won't get it if we just pat ourselves on the back about Blagojevich and call it a day. 

–Jami Floyd, In Session anchor 

Filed under: Uncategorized


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Susan B   January 30th, 2009 5:21 pm ET

What a completely pointless commentary.

Andre   January 30th, 2009 5:56 pm ET

I am an Africa America and I feel that the GOP party has made a big mistake by appointing Michael Steele for the GOP spoke person. This is a way the white majority has devised to shift attention form the president which I believe will divide the nation, failing to realize that this well not bring better relationship between democrat and republican. Even though the Democratic Party may not always be right this action will diminish the togetherness and hope that the President has brought to the America people, and when that happen that will not be good for America. It would have been better if they would have found a strong white person to speak in behave of the GOP party. It would have shown that the white GOP majority is still in there by showing resilience and integrity along with establishing a respectable relationship by standing up for their own, which is nothing wrong with that, instead of looking like cowards by putting a back man who they know never liked the President in the first place to represent the party. If there wasn’t a black President Michael Steele probably would never have been picked. This is bad politics and bad for America. I think that this was an unintelligent move. If they wanted a black person they should have made a better chose. Not some one known to dislike the President.

rlw3   January 31st, 2009 9:53 am ET

Does anyone know why there was a wireap on the Illnois Governor in the first place? What crimes was he suspected of 3 years ago when they started the wiretap? Why would the wiretap be continued so long if there as no evidence of the crime he was suspected of? In light of the disclosure that there was wiretap on the NYS Governor Elliot Spitzer that lead to the discovery that he hired escorts, is there a US Dept. of Justice policy of spying on all State Governors?

Tifney   January 31st, 2009 2:11 pm ET

This guy is an idiot...we all know he was wrong but the problem seems to be that he doesn't realize or think what he did was wrong. he thinks that he had a right to do what he did because of who he is...this is the first step of change I believe...show these guys that we are the ones in charge, the American people, not him....remember we pay his salary not the other way around.

terri   February 1st, 2009 5:16 am ET

Let's just hope that with our new president, Mr. Obama, that alot of this nonsense that plagued the whole government when Bush was in office will come to a halt. President Obama seems to be a very likeable, personable guy, but I also think that he is not going to take alot of b.s. from politicians who do nothing but cause scandels and cause trouble as a whole. Hopefully, he will clean up the ridiculous mess that Bush was so kind to leave him and get rid of the deadbeats who do not want to work toward bringing America back to what it once was if not better.

Miriam   February 3rd, 2009 2:20 pm ET

One thing that Obama is accomplishing is exposing the non tax paying politicians sitting in office. This needs to continue and maybe the recession would be over soon!!!!! Another nominee just removed her name due to some questionable tax troubles!!!!!! Whoo hooo go Obama go and these are democrates, yes????

Jane   February 4th, 2009 1:23 pm ET

Jamie...I like your commentary this time, but I could have sworn, from watching The Best Defense, that you thought EVERYONE should get off, their guilt notwithstanding. Are you now saying that a guilty person might actually be responsible for his/her actions?

kenichi   March 1st, 2009 1:44 pm ET

Although this concept has nothing to do with anything... an effective way to stop illegal immigrants is to have both sides (countries) of the border create a fense (the fense keeps out animals and other objects that might roam around the border.) Then create a motion sensor in between the fenses. (So there is a fense for both sides of the border and then there is a motion sensor in between both of the fenses. Thus, if anyone tries to get across the border they would have to get past the fense. Therefore, the motion sensor will catch the people because it has to be a person that got past the fense.)

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