National: Rod Blagojevich

Roland Burris insists that he wasn't "trying to slip something by anybody" last month, even though that's precisely what he did.  

In early January, Mr. Burris appeared before the Illinois state legislative committee that was looking into impeaching then-Governor Rod Blagojevich. It was a critical moment in his suddenly revived political career. Despite initial resistance, Democratic leaders in the U.S. Senate - spurred by surprising public support for Mr. Burris - were on the verge of consenting to his appointment, although they attached one big condition: that Mr. Burris emerge unscathed from a grilling by the impeachment panel.

At the hearing, one legislator asked Mr.  read more »

CHICAGO, Feb. 14 -- Sen. Roland W. Burris (D-Ill.), appointed to fill President Obama's former seat in the U.S. Senate, has informed Illinois lawmakers that he did not tell them the complete story about his contacts with close associates of former governor Rod Blagojevich (D) before he got the job.

It's not every day that I find myself agreeing with Geraldo Rivera, Rod Blagojevich and basically no one else. But on the basic question of the fairness of the Illinois governor's impeachment trial, they're right. It's not fair.

Don't read this as an effort to exonerate Blagojevich. He oozes sleaze and it's hard to believe he's not guilty of serious corruption. But his impeachment and near-certain conviction by the Illinois legislature - possibly as early as Thursday - is premature and sets a terrible precedent for how to go about removing a governor accused of abusing his office.

Right now, Blagojevich hasn't even been indicted, much less convicted of any crimes.  read more »

Watching the news suggests that everyones’ legs are tingling. Everyone is praising Barack Obama’s smooth transition. That seems odd considering what a miserable ethical disaster it has been. Consider this list:

Obama’s governor, Rod Blagojevich, was arrested for trying to sell his US Senate seat. He tried to involve the SEIU, one of Obama’s key supporters.

Obama appointed a Secretary of Commerce, Bill Richardson, who had to withdraw his name after it turns out that he gave state contracts to donors.

Obama’s nomination for Secretary of the Treasury, Timother Geitner, appears to have defrauded his employer, requesting money from the IMF as “gross-ups” for self-employment taxes he said he had paid but never did.