# Governor Blagojevich taken into custody this morning **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 9, 2008, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386 "2008-12-09T14:09:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386/1 "2008-12-09T14:09:50Z")
Breaking news on WGN right now… Federal authorities have taken G-Rod into custody. No info yet on why though he’s been under investigation for various corruption issues. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386/2 "2008-12-09T14:57:50Z")
Man, you just can’t beat Chicago/Illinois politics! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386/3 "2008-12-09T15:01:48Z")
“Attempting to benefit financially from his position to appoint Barack Obama’s Senate replacement,” [according to this story](http://www.wtop.com/?nid=104&sid=1543022). And also pushing the Tribune Co. to fire someone on its editorial board for criticizing him. The charges include conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386/4 "2008-12-09T15:08:02Z")
What a freakin’ idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386/5 "2008-12-09T15:08:27Z")
He’s had a “corruption stink cloud” over his head for a while. CNN is talking about how odd it is that they went to his home to take him into custody rather than letting him turn himself in, as most stinky Chicago/Illinois politicians do. Interesting…I hope he likes George Ryan’s cell decorating taste. Maybe they can install a revolving door! ---
**Author:** ![Convict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Convict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Convict)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386/6 "2008-12-09T15:12:31Z")
It’s about damn time. Like **Kalhoun** said, he’s had that stink about him for a while. Topinka tried using it during the last gubernatorial election and still lost. Maybe now the people of Illinois will wake up and see the slimebag they elected twice (not me–in Michigan the first election, voted Pub the last). ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386/7 "2008-12-09T15:14:14Z")
_YEEESSSS!_ My wish is coming true! For so long I’ve yearned, nay, positively ached, to see that corrupt, arrogant asshole hauled into prison. Okay, he’s not been convicted yet. But I have faith. He _will_ be, I just know it, because he leaves a slime trail wherever he goes. And just in time for Christams! ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386/8 "2008-12-09T15:14:33Z")
> [@Convict](#): > > It’s about damn time. Like **Kalhoun** said, he’s had that stink about him for a while. Topinka tried using it during the last gubernatorial election and still lost. Maybe now the people of Illinois will wake up and see the slimebag they elected twice (not me–in Michigan the first election, voted Pub the last). I take sole responsibility for this one ;). My first “bad pick I’ll regret forever” in my voting history. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386/9 "2008-12-09T15:15:55Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Interesting…I hope he likes George Ryan’s cell decorating taste. Maybe they can install a revolving door! Illinois has a very impressive state house-to-prison pipeline. Come to think of it, it’s also rather impressive that in the five weeks since the election, Blago already managed to do something crooked with his position and already got caught. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386/10 "2008-12-09T15:16:58Z")
> [@Convict](#): > > It’s about damn time. Like **Kalhoun** said, he’s had that stink about him for a while. Topinka tried using it during the last gubernatorial election and still lost. Maybe now the people of Illinois will wake up and see the slimebag they elected twice (not me–in Michigan the first election, voted Pub the last). I seriously would have voted for Topinka, but she picked Birkett as her Lt. Governor choice, and I just cannot stomach him. About the only worse one she could have gone with (for my POV) might have been Oberweis. With a heavy heart, I voted for Blagojevich. Of course, the worst of the slimyness about him came out later on - if half of that had been out at the time of the election, I would have held my nose and voted for Topinka. So, when does Quinn get to take over? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386/11 "2008-12-09T15:17:06Z")
I don’t know about the other Chicago area Dopers, but we’ve so much of this type of thing over the years that I’ve sort of become “unoutrageable” when a local politician fucks up. It’s almost like they’ve got it penciled into their daytimers! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386/12 "2008-12-09T15:19:43Z")
So – what now, for Illinois? Does [Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Quinn_(politician)) take over (and choose Obama’s Senate replacement)? And would that be an improvement? ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386/13 "2008-12-09T15:25:03Z")
> [@Convict](#): > > It’s about damn time. Like **Kalhoun** said, he’s had that stink about him for a while. Unfortunately so has the Justice Department. The fact that it and the FBI is overloaded with political hack hitmen makes me hesitate to break out the party favors. I’ll just have to wait to see how this plays out. I wish we had a government where my first thought was glad the guilty got caught not I wonder if this is a put up job. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386/14 "2008-12-09T15:27:10Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > Unfortunately so has the Justice Department. The fact that it and the FBI is overloaded with political hack hitmen makes me hesitate to break out the party favors. Well, the Justice Department is coming under new management shortly. Which raises the obvious question: Does Obama have any dog in this fight? Is he pro- or anti-Blagojevich? Does he owe any favors to anyone who owes favors to Blagojevich? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386/15 "2008-12-09T15:32:25Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > So – what now, for Illinois? Does [Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Quinn_(politician)) take over (and choose Obama’s Senate replacement)? And would that be an improvement? IIRC, Quinn’s been all but openly hostile to Blagojevich for quite a while; I think he even championed the Constitutional Convention idea as a means to insert the option for a recall election against Illinois elected officials. Namely, our current governor. What this means regarding any dirty laundry on Quinn’s part or his corruptibility, I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386/16 "2008-12-09T15:33:23Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Well, the Justice Department is coming under new management shortly. Which raises the obvious question: Does Obama have any dog in this fight? Is he pro- or anti-Blagojevich? Does he owe any favors to anyone who owes favors to Blagojevich? Obama has his work cut out for him. At this point if US Attorney or an FBI Agent told me it was raining I would look out the window to make sure. We are firmly in the"Don’t Trust AND Verify" era when it comes to the government. Maybe Obama will change things but this investigation was carried out by his predecessor and HIS appointees. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386/17 "2008-12-09T15:41:38Z")
With Bush running amok at the federal level, I felt I had to hold my nose and vote Dem every opportunity locally. And I agree, I could never vote for a ticket that included tht slimeball Birkett. Trib site has the 78-page :eek: complaint up. Fitz has a pretty fine record of getting convictions once he elects to press charges. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386/18 "2008-12-09T15:42:20Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Well, the Justice Department is coming under new management shortly. Which raises the obvious question: Does Obama have any dog in this fight? Is he pro- or anti-Blagojevich? Does he owe any favors to anyone who owes favors to Blagojevich? I’m not aware of Obama being a Blagojevich supporter, but regardless, do you really imagine that he is stupid enough to try to block a corruption investigation? What would the benefit for Obama be? Particularly since the charge is that Blago tried to sell Obama’s own Senate seat! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386/19 "2008-12-09T15:47:58Z")
OMFG, this is huge! Hope Blagojevich is soon out of office, but would Quinn be any improvement? Anyone on tape offering the governor some inducement to be appointed to Obama’s U.S. Senate seat would pretty much automatically now be out of the running, I presume. ---
**Author:** ![Convict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Convict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Convict)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386/20 "2008-12-09T15:48:25Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > Obama has his work cut out for him. At this point if US Attorney or an FBI Agent told me it was raining I would look out the window to make sure. We are firmly in the"Don’t Trust AND Verify" era when it comes to the government. Maybe Obama will change things but this investigation was carried out by his predecessor and HIS appointees. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald led this investigation. He’s the one who caught George Ryan and as I understand it has been a thorn in the side of both political parties in regards to investigating corruption in Illinois. From most accounts he is a stand-up guy with no agenda except to uncover corruption regardless of party affiliation. If there was one person I would trust in this situation it would be Fitzgerald. The full indictment can be read at [http://media.nbcchicago.com/documents/rrb+-jh+FINAL+complaint+cover+and+aff.pdf](http://media.nbcchicago.com/documents/rrb+-jh+FINAL+complaint+cover+and+aff.pdf) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-blagojevich-taken-into-custody-this-morning/476386.md?page=2)