11:58: The take away lesson, I think, is that the governor should have set some time aside to watch The Wire. Because everyone knows you don’t talk about your criminal conspiracy on the phone. Or in the car.
11:55: So that’s over. The upshot is that the feds investigated Blago for years. In the last month or so they got wiretaps, and it’s the taps and bugs that did Blago in.
11:54: OMG reporters. Can you stop asking hypothetical questions that his office can’t possibly answer? This last one was like, “Can anyone taking the senate seat not have a cloud of taint over them?” Because obviously Fitzgerald’s opinion on that is relevant.
11:51: This is Andy Shaw’s one billionth question. Let the other kids have a go, Andy.
11:51: Blago talked about how appointing himself Senator would help him if he was indicted.
11:50: They’re searching the Friends of Blagojevich office.
11:49: Blago was looking for a job with Change to Win (SEIU).
11:47: Journalists are bound and determined to get Obama’s name into this. (That being said, please to god don’t let there be any connections between Rahm’s office and this nonsense.)
11:45: Right now, only conspiracy is charged. Though it appears that Fitz thinks more charges will be forthcoming as they track out what actual behaviors, bills, etc. resulted from the conspiracy.
11:39: Uh ho, looks like the governor’s wife was around and offered opinions on the Tribune thing, too.
11:38: And we’re back to asking what Fitzy thinks the legislature should do. SHUT UP ANDY SHAW.
11:37: Before the taps were placed, the Tribune got wind of it. The feds asked the Tribune not to run the story, and the Tribune agreed (the story ran last Friday instead).
11:35: The feds turned up at 6am to avoid the media and waking the kids.
11:34: One journo asks if Fitz has any advice for anyone who might take the senate seat. Fitzy clearly wants to say something (some sparkle in his eyes), but refrains…
11:33: Fitz makes the distinction between political horsetrading (legal) and trading for personal enrichment (illegal!)
11:32: Okay, the journos don’t have any real questions. The last lady basically asked if we could change the law about the governor appointing the senator.
11:31: What does this say about Durbin and Ryan? God, journalists - ask questions he might have a prayer of answering.
11:30: And now we’re discussing whether or not the Tribune might have considered firing editors. Fitz is great. He doesn’t have a speculative bone in his body.
11:28: Reporters asking silly questions like if Fitz thinks Blago should resign.
11:27: Fitz didn’t want to wait to make the charges ‘tidy’ because he hoped to stop worse things from happening in the interim.
11:22: They have Blago on tape offering to sell the senate seat ‘like a sports agent’.
11:21: Grant: “If [Illinois] isn’t the most corrupt state in the United States, it’s certainly one hell of a competitor.”
11:19: Turing over to Rob Grant, the FBI Special Agent in charge of the investigation. Another ”new low for Illinois’ comment.
11:18: How did Blago not realize that he shouldn’t be talking about this stuff on the phone? He even apparently said it at one point, and then kept doing stuff on the phone… wtf?
11:17: ‘At the end of the day, the conduct we have before us is appalling.’
11:16: God, they have this bastard cold. Just the quotes that Fitz is reading out are enough to convict.
11:15: The governor appears to swear a LOT.
11:14: ‘The conduct would make Lincoln roll over in his grave.’
11:13: You know, we joke about Illinois corruption a lot - but this is actually really upsetting. Though the sadness is somewhat tempered by Fitzy’s deadpan delivery of the ‘bleeps’.
11:11: Feds tapped Blago’s phone, and caught him inquiring to see if he could get funding for Children’s Memorial Hospital back after money didn’t come in for him.
11:10: ‘”If they don’t perform, bleep em.” And bleep was not the word he used.’
11:09: The law was changing in 2009 to limit campaign contributions. Despite the obvious investigation, they ramped up the shakedowns.
11:08: “Governor Blagojevich has taken us to a very new low… a criminal corruption crime spree”
11:08: Fitzy!
11:07: Andy Shaw described the language in the complaint as ’salty’…
11:07: Chuck and Andy wrestle for the mic.
11:05: And the internal politics of what happens if Quinn becomes governor. Whether or not Madigan would move to impeach Blago, since Quinn getting a rush on 2010 would hurt Madigan’s daughter’s changes to be governor.
11:03: God, they appear to have him on tape saying, “I want to make money,” re: the Senate seat.
11:01: What I didn’t mention in the last post is that Blago also apparently tried to get the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune fired.
10:59: Feds didn’t go through a grand jury because Blago is alleged to have been trying to sell the Senate seat quite quickly - they believed it was imminent and had to move quickly.
10:58: Andy Shaw just managed to shove his face in the camera in front of Chuck Goudie.
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