Liveblogging the Blagojevich Endgame
[Ed. - this is a little ad hoc. I was just kind of jotting down notes as I watched, enthralled...]
Blagojevich takes the stage at 11:06.
11:07: Blago knows that the ladies of The View understand the intricacies of the impeachment process.
11:09: He calls the process, ‘an evisceration of the presumption of innocence.’
11:10: He doesn’t seem to be speaking with notes. He brought in a manila folder, but doesn’t seem to be using it or looking down at it.
He’s not under oath – because he’s acting as an attorney – so he can lie all he wants and it can’t be used against him in the criminal trial.
‘You can express things in a free country’
To the politicians, ‘You know what we have to do to go out and win elections.’
11:13: He’s pretty smart – he’s arguing that the impeachment case hangs on the presumption of guilt in the criminal case, but that no criminal allegations have been proven. Unfortunately, that’s only articles 1-8. There are five more just about abuse of power.
First up, healthcare for kids –
11:16: Um, now he’s just rambling about senators he’d met when he was a freshman congressman in Washington. He was super excited to meet senators, especially John Warner. He got John Warner coffee; he takes it black. Wtf?
I’ll put the rest after the jump, so it’s not taking over the page (I know, obviously, you want to read post after post after post)
The impeachable offense isn’t providing people’s healthcare, it was doing an end run around the Legislature. He’s basically arguing for the same thing as Bush, the executive branch can do what it wants and we’ll test it in the courts. He says he worked with lawyers to find the way forward.
11:21: Flu Vaccines – he’s a shining white knight, willing to take criticism on behalf of the people. Makes the point that the legal case (after the FDA shut it down) is still before the claims court.
11:25: Notes that the flu thing happened during his first term. ‘If this was an impeachable offense, then you should have impeached me before I got reelected.’
Prescription drugs from Canada.
11:26: Notes that Democrats and some Republicans campaigned around the state on ‘food or medicine’. Also notes that both Democrats and Republicans believe in free trade
If the prescription drugs issue is an impeachable offense, then the governors of Wisconsin, Kansas, Vermont should be impeached. And Senators McCain and Kennedy should be expelled for working with Blago on the issue. And Obama should fire Rahm Emmanuel because he gave Blago the idea.
He’s again arguing that the prescription drug thing also happened in the first term, so that’s when he should have been impeached.
Auditor General.
11:29: Talks about the things he’s done with Democrats and – gesturing to the Republicans – ‘sometimes with you.’
11:31: I don’t know much about this issue, but he’s arguing that the AG came and told them they couldn’t do it, so they didn’t. Also happened in the first term.
Report from the Inspector General – alleges that people that worked for him may have violated hiring rules. The report, according to Blago, doesn’t claim that Blago knew anything about it. Also happened in the first term.
11:33: His most compelling claim is the fact that, aside from the criminal complaint subheads, all of the issues for the impeachment happened during the first term, except for the healthcare for kids.
11:36: Okay, he sounds way less crazy here than on the media/presser circuit. I’m a little creeped out by how much I’m believing him. The first term thing is pretty compelling. They really should have split up the charges.
‘Legal means with moral ends’
‘I have been blessed to live the American dream.’ And the narrative of his father.
‘Not you, your colleagues, some of you, mostly in the other place [the House]’
He’s now telling a very long story about an average Latina woman – who may or may not exist – and he looks like he might cry a bit. Yeah, she’s not real – too many specifics. Jeremy says, ‘she is a rhetorical device’. Rheotica Devisico.
11:45: ‘There’s a certain sense that it’d be good if I wasn’t here’, that more could get done without him. But is that a reasonable reason for impeachment?
11:48: Ha, he says, even if you don’t want to acquit, just extend the process to try to get more evidence.
11:49: He’s pushed it a bit too far. He’s relating the story about being totally shocked when the Feds showed up – there’s no way that’s true. He’d had enough dealings with Rezko that he had to know they were turning up some day.
11:51: That was surprisingly… compelling. I know he’s lying, but a couple points he made are pretty good. The fact that many of the subcounts happened in the first term is vaguely compelling; if the people knew and reelected him, then who are the politicians to kick him out of office.
11:58: But the constitutional scholar is noting that they don’t have to prove a criminal case to convict him for impeachment.
2:33: They’re back in session and now the Senators get to crap on and on and on. Kirk Dillard is showing book after book, and the lady behind him is trying and failing to keep her eyes open. Oh my god, her head’s actually jerking. Dillard is moving office, and has brought every book he owns with him to the chamber today.
2:43: Senate President John Cullerton has worn a surprisingly cheerful tie for the somber proceedings today. Actually, it probably reflects his mood on getting to remove Blago today.
2:45: And some freshman Republican is using his five minutes as a bully pulpit to call out apparently all Democrats as also corrupt. And he wants a recall for every elected position in the state. Jesus.
2:47: Unfortunately, Cullterton (or ABC’s audio) is kind of mumbling the names. So I’m not sure who is talking. This nice man, however, is listing everyone he knows and loves. And he called his 34,000 constituents last night to bother them about how he should vote today. He’s now talking about Moses, Plato, Jesus, Aquinas, Kant.
Describing listening to the rather mundane FBI tapes the other day, ”If the room could cry, there would have been tears flowing down the aisle.’ And the fairness of cutting apples. Politicians should be asked not to use metaphors.
2:52: Delgado’s up now. He is also describing the legislative process. Between him and Blago, I feel like I’ve been watching Schoolhouse Rocks. Delgado is voting, ‘to make sure our communities are at the table, and not on the menu.’
2:57 - 3:30: Various other senators are talking. Some of the Republicans are calling for further investigation because Blago didn’t work alone.
3:51: Oh my god, they are still crapping on. How is this possible? I thought a couple people would sound off and then we’d vote. It’s 4pm people, get on with it.
4:30: Seriously. I heard some reporter say today that not all the Senators were going to speak. That reporter LIED. They are all going on and on. V.O.T.E.
4:35: Oh thank Christ, here we go. The only real question now is whether anyone will vote against this.
4:37: Two questions they’re voting on - removal from office and banning him from holding IL state office in the future.
4:38: DeLeo voted ‘yes’, but either didn’t wait for his mic or didn’t speak it out loud.
4:40: Jacobs found it necessary to give a thumbs down sign during his 3 seconds on camera.
4:40: Even Emil Jones had to vote against Blago. I would be shocked if anyone has the political capital to vote against impeachment.
4:44: Ha! Cullerton’s button is broken. Amazingly, for the next few moments, he is the only person not to vote for Blago’s impeachment.
4:44: Oh, but other than that though, we have a new governor. Or a lack of a governor for the moment.
4:50: Oh my god, nothing works right in Illinois. They have to redo the roll call.
4:54: Barring Blago from future office looks to go down the same way.
4:56: Meeks declares ‘absolutely‘ when asked if he wants to bar Blago from office. A simple ‘yes’ will suffice, Senator.
4:59: All seems to be in order, if you’re not former IL governor Rod Blagojevich. It’s time for Happy Hour. Seriously, how did they time that to happen right at 5pm?
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