Rod Blagojevich

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Burris Ties to Blago Include Donations, Job for Wife

Senate aspirant no stranger to pay-to-play politics

(Newser) - Senate Democrats are lauding Roland Burris as a faithful public servant who happens to owe his appointment to a crooked governor, but the Illinois politician has some pretty close—perhaps suspect—ties to Blagojevich, the Chicago Tribune reports. Burris and affiliates in his lobbying firm contributed $20,000 to Blagojevich...

Ill. House Panel: Impeach Blago
 Ill. House Panel: Impeach Blago 
Jan 8, 2009 11:41 AM CST

Ill. House Panel: Impeach Blago

Body documents numerous charges against governor

(Newser) - The Illinois House panel investigating Rod Blagojevich today released a report recommending his impeachment, the Chicago Tribune reports. The 69-page draft includes a laundry list of offenses, including misuse of state funds, refusing to release federal subpoenas to the public, and the much-publicized pay-to-play allegation. The committee said the governor’...

Obama Pushed Dems to Take Burris

Aides made calls to senior senators before today's decision

(Newser) - Barack Obama may have had something to do with the Senate’s apparent about-face on Roland Burris, a congressional aide tells the Huffington Post. Obama reps contacted senior Democrats before they began moving today towards accepting the Blagojevich appointee, despite the Illinois governor’s ongoing corruption case. After meeting with...

Reid Backs Off, Leaves Burris to Court

Has 'no problem with him personally'

(Newser) - A far cry from the political shunning of just days ago, Majority Leader Harry Reid ushered would-be senator Roland Burris into his office this afternoon, and emerged saying that an Illinois court decision could go a long way toward seating the Blagojevich appointee. “We don't have a problem with...

Democrats Scramble for Deal to Seat Burris

But don't rule it out

(Newser) - Deal or no deal? Democratic sources this morning told the AP that Senate leaders had reached a deal to seat Blagojevich appointee Roland Burris, who was turned away by the Senate secretary when he showed up, flanked by lawyers, yesterday. Two senior Democratic aides tell Politico that report is “...

Seat Burris, Says Rogue Sen. Feinstein

Calif. Dem's dissent follows on heels of Panetta CIA complaint

(Newser) - Dianne Feinstein is breaking Democratic ranks on the issue of of seating Roland Burris as the replacement for Barack Obama, reports the LA Times. “If you don't seat Mr. Burris, it has ramifications for gubernatorial appointments all over America,” the California senator warned yesterday. Majority Leader Harry Reid...

Blago's Impeachment Is a Go, Even Without Tapes

Panel says it has sufficient evidence

(Newser) - Members of Rod Blagojevich's impeachment panel say they will move forward despite the possibility that they might not get to hear federal wiretaps of the governor's conversations with aides and others. "These tapes are relevant evidence, we'd like to have them," said a lawyer for the impeachment panel,...

Burris Arrives at Senate, Not Allowed to Take Oath

Franken also not seated

(Newser) - Roland Burris strode briskly past the cameras through the rain into the Capitol today, demanding to be seated as Illinois’ Senator but was denied entry, CNN reports. The secretary of the Senate rejected his credentials, preventing him from taking the floor or the oath of office. It was "improperly...

Senate Clerk Rejects Burris Paperwork

But former AG says he's confident his appointment is legal

(Newser) - The secretary of the Senate blocked the appointment of Roland Burris to Barack Obama's former seat today on the grounds that Burris’ certificate of appointment lacked the signature of Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, CNN reports. White has refused to sign the certificate because of the controversy over Burris’...

Prosecution Gets 3 More Months to Indict Blago

(Newser) - A federal judge in Chicago today granted prosecutors an additional 3 months to present evidence and obtain an indictment in the corruption case against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Chief Judge James Holderman said the case against Blagojevich is too complex to expect prosecutors to obtain an indictment by a...

Burris Heads to Washington as Tensions Soar

Blago appointee to meet with Reid and Durbin Wednesday

(Newser) - Roland Burris heads to Washington today to claim Barack Obama’s old Senate seat, which he says is rightfully his, though he tells USA Today that he won't sully his reputation by making a "scene" if he meets opposition. Last night, the former Illinois AG spoke at a prayer...

Blago Crisis Grinds Illinois Gov't to a Halt

Scandal pushes 'dysfunctional state' into 'total paralysis'

(Newser) - The Rod Blagojevich crisis hasn’t just tarnished the Illinois governor’s reputation—it’s frozen the whole state government, the Chicago Tribune reports. Social programs aren’t getting funding, health care and education changes are on the shelf, and Blagojevich himself is isolated and mistrusted. "Absolutely, we're in...

Senate Sends Mixed Messages on Burris
Senate Sends Mixed Messages on Burris
Talk Show Roundup
Jan 4, 2009 12:06 PM CST

Senate Sends Mixed Messages on Burris

Durbin says no, Reid open to talking, and Burris a no-show

(Newser) - Roland Burris dominated the Sunday morning tongue-wagging, though the would-be senator himself was a no-show, reports the Hill. Elsewhere, mixed messages on whether to seat him:
  • Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin said on This Week that the Senate has no plans to seat Roland Burris. Burris was scheduled to appear alongside
...

Reid Pressured Blago on Senate Pick

(Newser) - Harry Reid called Rod Blagojevich after the election, but before the governor’s arrest, to discourage him from appointing unelectable candidates to Barack Obama’s Senate seat, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The Senate majority leader sought to put the kibosh on Reps. Jesse Jackson Jr. and Danny Davis, along with...

Ill. Puts Blago Impeachment on Fast Track

Gov's access to Homeland Security info yanked

(Newser) - The Illinois House speaker is calling lawmakers back to session early for a possible impeachment vote on Rod Blagojevich next week, the Chicago Tribune reports. The move could help Democrats block Blago nominee Roland Burris from taking Barack Obama's Senate seat, reports the New York Times. Illinois House officials say...

Bizarre Political Moments of '08

Weird doings with Hillary, Huck and a chucked shoe

(Newser) - Oh-eight was a banner year for politics, and half the time it was a really strange banner. Politico looks back on the weirdest moments in a topsy-turvy year.
  • Mike Huckabee holds a news conference to announce he won’t run a negative ad, then plays the ad for everyone.
  • Desperate
...

Blago's the 'Gift That Keeps On Giving'
Blago's the 'Gift That
Keeps On Giving'
OPINION
Jan 2, 2009 3:50 PM CST

Blago's the 'Gift That Keeps On Giving'

No end to antics for Governor Dead Meat

(Newser) - Covering Rod Blagojevich—aka “Gov. Dead Meat”—has been so much fun for Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass that in today’s mailbag column, a reader asks how much he’s paying Blago for the “gift that keeps on giving.” Kass’ reply: “As our esteemed...

Dems May Ask Cops to Keep Burris Off Senate Floor

(Newser) - The inauguration ceremony for new senators is generally not a must-see affair, but then Rod Blagojevich never played a role before. Democratic aides tell CNN they will block the Illinois governor's appointment, Roland Burris, from entering the Senate chamber Tuesday, even if it means calling in the Capitol police. Burris...

A State of Shameless Opportunism
 A State of 
 Shameless 
 Opportunism 
OPINION
Jan 1, 2009 12:55 PM CST

A State of Shameless Opportunism

Like all of its shameless politicos

(Newser) - Illinois politicians are swiftly revealing themselves as a pack of opportunists. Rod Blagojevich saw Obama’s seat as an opportunity to make a buck, Illinois Dems see an opportunity to oust their hated governor, and Roland Burris sees an opportunity to vault himself into the Senate—“no matter what...

Well Played, Blago
 Well Played, Blago 
opinion
Dec 31, 2008 7:25 PM CST

Well Played, Blago

'Skin pigment trumps ideas' among Dems: Kass

(Newser) - Roland Burris says this is his media moment, but Illinois' "circus of the politically bizarre" still belongs to Rod Blagojevich, John Kass writes in the Chicago Tribune. No hapless jester, the brazenly calculated governor has dumped Democrats back into the racial politics Obama was supposed to transcend.

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