Ill. Gov. arrested in Obama successor probe

CHICAGO (AP) - Federal authorities arrested Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich Tuesday on charges that he brazenly conspired to sell or trade the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by President-elect Barack Obama to the highest bidder.

Blagojevich also was charged with illegally threatening to withhold state assistance to Tribune Co., the owner of the Chicago Tribune, in the sale of Wrigley Field, according to a federal criminal complaint. In return for state assistance, Blagojevich allegedly wanted members of the paper’s editorial board who had been critical of him fired.

A 76-page FBI affidavit said the 51-year-old Democratic governor was intercepted on court-authorized wiretaps over the last month conspiring to sell or trade the vacant Senate seat for personal benefits for himself and his wife, Patti.

Otherwise, Blagojevich considered appointing himself. The affidavit said that as late as Nov. 3, he told his deputy governor that if “they’re not going to offer me anything of value I might as well take it.”

“I’m going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain,” Blagojevich allegedly said later that day, according to the affidavit, which also quoted him as saying in a remark punctuated by profanity that the seat was “a valuable thing - you just don’t give it away for nothing.”

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Ill. Gov. arrested in Obama successor probe

Anyone that reads my blogs knows, I LOVE a feel good story, and THIS is a feel good story if ever there was one!

I don’t care WHAT political party they belong to, Dem, Repub, Libertarian, Indy, makes NO difference to me, I HATE crooked politicos! There is nothing that makes me ANY happier than to see a crooked official get arrested. I am elated when they have their feet held to the fire. And if we’re so lucky as to see them actually go to prison, well, that is a great day for American government!

Blagojevich also was charged with using his authority as governor in an attempt to squeeze out campaign contributions.

His chief of staff, John Harris, also was arrested.

When an elected official breaks the public trust there is almost always a co-conspirator! These guys don’t come up with their scams and so forth on their own, they are NOT criminal geniuses. All they are is greedy and corrupt politicians! And hopefully this won’t be the last one to go down!

Vitter, *Cold Cash* Jefferson, DeLay, Edwin Edwards, the list is long and regardless the party, if you can ferret them out, great, take them to the woodshed. BUT, if you can’t prove the accusations, if you can’t obtain a conviction in a court of law, then leave the guy alone and let him go on with his life.

Cross Posted at The American Conservative