Rod Blagojevich

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Blago Can't Hit Costa Rica for Reality Show

NBC wanted ex-guv in Costa Rica for celeb program

(Newser) - A federal judge has barred Rod Blagojevich’s bid to leave the country to join a reality-show cast, the Chicago Tribune reports. The ex-governor’s lawyers hoped he’d get permission in court today to travel to Costa Rica for NBC’s I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of ...

Cubs Manager Shrugged Off Blago's Lineup Advice

(Newser) - Rod Blagojevich sought to extend his influence beyond politics and media during his tenure as Illinois governor, the Chicago Tribune reports, sending Cubs manager Lou Piniella lineup suggestions in 2007. “I’ve talked to him, baseball-wise,” Piniella said of a note from Blagojevich during a rough patch. “...

Reality TV Show Seeks to Dump Blago in Jungle

Ex-gov offered space on NBC show if judge gives the OK

(Newser) - NBC wants to pluck Rod Blagojevich from the political wilderness and dump him in the Costa Rican jungle, the Chicago Tribune reports. The ex-Illinois governor, who pleaded not guilty to corruption charges yesterday, has been offered a spot on a new season of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of ...

Blago Pleads Not Guilty in Criminal Case

Brother also pleads not guilty to corruption charges

(Newser) - Rod Blagojevich and his brother pleaded not guilty to corruption charges today in a 10-minute US district court hearing, the Chicago Tribune reports. The former Illinois governor’s lawyer spoke for him as he faced several questions from the judge, including one on his education. “Mr Rod Blagojevich would...

Jackson Jr. Says He's Clean of Blago's Dirt

Congressman cooperating with House ethics probe

(Newser) - Jesse Jackson Jr. said today he is fully cooperating with a probe by a House ethics panel into his relationship with Rod Blagojevich, the Hill reports. "As I said when the Blagojevich scandal first broke back in December, I have done nothing wrong and reject pay-to-play politics," the...

House Ethics Watchdog Investigating Jackson Jr.

(Newser) - A House ethics panel has launched a “preliminary review” of Illinois Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr's bid for President Obama’s vacant Senate seat, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The Office of Congressional Ethics, formed last year as an “investigative entity” of private citizens, will look at communications between Jackson’...

Blago, Top Aides Indicted; 'I'm Innocent,' He Says

(Newser) - A federal grand jury today indicted Rod Blagojevich on corruption charges, the Chicago Tribune reports. Indicted along with the impeached Illinois governor were his brother, two former chiefs of staff, and two businessmen. Blagojevich, accused among other things of trying to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat, issued a statement saying...

Feds Set to Indict Blago —and He's at Disney World

Former governor on vacation in Florida

(Newser) - A federal grand-jury indictment against former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich could come today, but if it is, he’ll have to wait to see it. That’s because Blago took his family to Disney World, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. A coincidence? Probably not. But there’s no reason he needs...

Blago Singled Out Senate Contenders for Cash

List shows he targeted 4 would-be senators

(Newser) - In his race to build a $2.3 million campaign war chest last year, Rod Blagojevich listed four possible candidates for President Obama's vacated Senate seat as prospective donors, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. A list of 150 names in all shows that Rep. Luis Gutierrez, billionaire J.B. Pritzker, and...

Blago 'A Natural' in Radio Gig
 Blago 'A Natural' 
 in Radio Gig
ANALYSIS
Mar 25, 2009 10:35 AM CDT

Blago 'A Natural' in Radio Gig

Ex-gov bashes his trial, his successor; jokes about hair and lack of progress on book

(Newser) - Morning drive-time radio could be the future for Rod Blagojevich, if the impeached Illinois’ governor’s fill-in stint today on Chicago’s WLS-AM is anything to go by, Jimmy Orr writes in live-blogging the show for the Christian Science Monitor. Amid Elvis theme music and complaints about his successor’s...

Blago Gave Illinois Transit Bosses Last-Minute Raises

(Newser) - Even as Illinois budget deficit soared, a dozen Department of Transportation officials got raises in the waning days of Rod Blagojevich’s administration, the AP reports. The raises, which averaged about $6,000 a year, came on top of standard cost-of-living increases, and without any change in the officials’ titles....

Blago's New Gig: Talk Radio

Disgraced governor to host local Chicago broadcast

(Newser) - Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has a new temp job—as a radio talk show host. WLS-AM program director Bob Shomper says Blagojevich will be on the air on the Chicago station tomorrow morning, taking calls from listeners, telling stories, and talking with guests. Shomper says it's a one-time deal...

Lawmakers Sour on Governors Filling Senate Vacancies

Post-Blago, some push special elections

(Newser) - Soured by the taint of the Rod Blagojevich scandal on a US Senate seat, members of congressional judiciary subcommittees considered a Constitutional amendment that would fill interim vacancies in the body by election, rather than by gubernatorial appointment, the Washington Post reports. The selection by governors is “not only...

Blago Fails to Boot Federal Prosecutor

(Newser) - Rod Blagojevich has failed to get Chicago's top federal prosecutor kicked off of his case, the Chicago Tribune reports. A judge ruled today that comments made by Patrick Fitzgerald—which Blagojevich called inflammatory—did not warrant removing him from the corruption case. Nor did Fitzgerald's release of wiretap transcripts that...

Winning Blago Book Name: Rod and the Giant Impeach

(Newser) - The people of Illinois have voted in a Chicago Tribune contest to name Rod Blagojevich’s upcoming memoir, and the winner is: Rod and the Giant Impeach. “I thought of the impeachment of the governor, and about my childhood,” the winner said of his inspiration, which scored him...

Burris Figured 'To Do Some Things' for Blago: Ex-Ally

(Newser) - John Ruff, a former associate of Roland Burris and his staff, is claiming Burris planned all along to make a trade with then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich for the Senate seat he now holds. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Ruff, then a participant in the effort to get the seat for Burris,...

Blago's Book Bad News for Emanuel
Blago's Book Bad News for Emanuel
OPINION
Mar 4, 2009 10:39 AM CST

Blago's Book Bad News for Emanuel

Ex-gov likely went with small publisher so he could bash Rahmbo

(Newser) - Why is Rod Blagojevich’s tell-all book coming from such a small publisher? The press release says it’s so everyone’s favorite ex-governor can share his story “without restriction over content,” but Cindy Adams of the New York Post thinks she knows the real reason. Blago’s...

Burris Camp Returns to Race Card
 Burris Camp 
 Returns to 
 Race Card 
ANALYSIS
Mar 3, 2009 10:26 AM CST

Burris Camp Returns to Race Card

Ill. senator hopes to box in white Dems for 2010 campaign

(Newser) - Roland Burris doesn’t have much support in Washington or money in his war chest for a reelection bid, but he retains one reliable weapon, Politico reports: the race card. As controversy over his appointment has reemerged, Burris hasn’t hesitated to chalk it up to racial politics. A Burris...

Blago Inks 6-Figure Book Deal

(Newser) - A publicist for Rod Blagojevich says the former Illinois governor plans to write a book "exposing the dark side of politics," the AP reports. Glenn Selig says Blagojevich signed a six-figure deal today. The book, to be released on October, also will detail how Blagojevich selected President...

Race to Replace Burris Already Under Way

Illinois gov threatens special election before senator can run in 2010

(Newser) - The jockeying has begun to replace Roland Burris in the Senate, the New York Times reports, though nobody’s certain when an election will be. Burris seems set on serving the remaining 2 years of Barack Obama’s term, but pressure is building for special elections. “The landscape on...

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