14 years for Blago, not the Chicago Way.

From the cesspool that is Illinois political corruption, emerges the lengthy sentence for Rod Blagojevich - 14 years in prison for trying to get the biggest possible bribe in finding a replacement for Barack Obama's vacated senate seat.  

No doubt the sentence will be appealed but this does serve as a timely reminder that seedy backroom politics are the norm not only as far as Blagojevich is concerned but that this is the environment president Obama emerged from , and that the Democratic party was not entirely above board on finding a replacement for the seat vacated by Obama to become president.

CHICAGO (CBS) – Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been sentenced to 14 years in prison. 

U.S. District Judge James Zagel handed down the sentence on Wednesday, shortly after Blagojevich made a plea for leniency, following his conviction on 18 corruption counts.

Remember how Obama's seat was filled by Blagojevich with senator Burris after Harry Reid had aid the Senate would not recognize Burris as legitimate, a day before they recognized Burris as legitimate.

Perhaps this will serve voters with a fresh reminder about the culture of corruption the country faces - an issue which has been overshadowed by the debt and jobs issues.

Blago Indicted

It had to happen sooner or later. Former-ish Illinois Governor Blagojevich has finally been indicted in a 75 page indictment that includes 16 felony counts.

No surprise there.  The question is, when does this go to trial and how much will this canary sing, and who does his tattle tale affect.  If anyone.  Expect him to name names, and expect another round of denials as creative and entertaining as his.

A lecture from Pravda on corruption

What do so many of the Hollywood elite think about us?



Celebrities are Serious Business
by remixamerica


They don't seem to like America much. I guess they'd rather live in a Soviet style system. But the love of Russia for Americans apparently wouldn't be returned. From Pravda in an article entitled "Sanctimonious hypocritical preaching by the imperials", the segment is so laughable I had to embed a large chunk of it.

It has become a rather common yearly and some times even monthly occurrence that the imperial elites of America gallop up on their white horses to read the riot act to the rest of the world, some times even to the EU, on how to be a republic.

This is of course rather humerus [sic] for as far as republics go, the US is definitely a failed one. Disregarding the fact that the US constitution is routinely ignored, the power politics of the past 130 years have done everything in their power to make sure there are enough stumbling blocks and hurdles that only their chosen candidates can muster the needed support to run for any high office.

Between extremely complicated election laws, requiring armies of lawyers, double standards for the major parties to the exclusion of third parties, dirty tricks, intimidation , and a media hell bent on serving the power politic and not the people, the system makes sure that reelection rates to the US Congress stay at or above a 95% rate. Most senators die or retire, the only way to clear them from their seats. But what a job, 4 months of actual work, high perks, the ability to be bribed at will (both branches of the One Party system feed from the hands of pretty much the same special interests), tax payer paid retirement and pensions after one stint, and many many other benefits. This on top of the right to vote in your own 10% yearly raise, while most of their constituents have not seen a raise above 3% in 20 years.

This only gets ever more accentuated in presidential races, where almost always its two versions of the same Marxist theme running. Ronald Reagan was the only exception since Nixon and that was 19 years ago.

But does this corruption stop the hypocrites from lecturing the world? Of course not. It is a pity for them that, at least in Europe and East Asia, the level of literacy is much higher than the US' 65% and the people there see that the Imperial preaching is nothing but hypocritical nonsense. However, at home, this plays into the self righteous ignorance of the masses.

The real irony here is that Pravda is saying American elections suffer from a Marxist theme. But in defence of the article it does make two good points about faults in the legislative process in Congress. While the anti-Americanism is over-the-top, driven by superpower envy and not backed up by facts, there are some facts about the Russia parliament - the Duma, that bear pointing out for consideration.

1. In the Duma in Russia, entire bills must be read aloud twice to a quorum of the Duma, from first word to last word. Consequently bills are short and to the point. Yes it probably slows down the number of bills that get debated on. As a conservative I applaud that as a solution to over regulation.

2. The system of attaching riders to bills to get unpopular, or even worse, stupid legislation passed on the back of a more sensible or popular piece of legislation in not allowed in the Duma.

It seems the formerly communist and now undefinable nation, has learned a thing or two that Congress is not eager to accept or admit is an option that is long overdue in the United States. Is the system corrupt? It's corruptible. Al Franken comes to mind. Is it bad? No, in fact it is a great system but it has been perverted for the purposes of partisanship or incumbency or personal gain. Overall the system needs a bit of a "reset" but it works. What doesn't work and needs to be fixed are those who would abuse it and put their own interests ahead of those of the nation. Unfortunately, given the smattering of scandals since November (Richardson, Blagojevich, Burris, Panetta, Franken), America has clearly elected the wrong cast to fix that problem.

Note to RNC and GOP candidates - the Fix Washington meme that didn't work so well for McCain may develop some pretty sturdy legs as a campaign platform item. Surely if the unbiased folks over at Pravda can see the faults in the American governmental system, some of the uninformed masses here should be alerted to the problem rather urgently.

Burris gets a seat. Obama gets a pass.

Politics with a difference. Change. Hope. Don't worry Barack, the media will carry your water on this one too. Blagojevich's appointment of Burris to Obama's vacant Senate seat was supposed to be rejected by the Senate. At least they did the public the courtesy of saying no for a day before back-dooring the appointee.

And Al Franken has apparently won the Minnesota seat, because Chuck Schumer declares the race settled, despite what the Minnesota Board stated about not declaring a winner. Again, Harry Reid will go to bat and Obama's hands can stay clean.

Bill Richardson pulls his name out of the running for Commerce Secretary so Obama doesn't have to undergo the scrutiny that the nomination would apparently have caused both of them.

Leon Panetta, a weird choice for head of the CIA is questioned as a choice by Democrat Dianne Feinstein because of lack of intelligence experience. But no worries Barack, Lee Hamilton and the Brookings Institute will go to bat for your nominee. And Dianne has fallen into line.

More and more this guy is starting to remind me of a cross between Bill Clinton and Pontius Pilot. Slick and at the same time, washing his hands of everything because his proxies are going to handle the issues so he can stay clean.

New Year's Predictions

My prognostication skills, beyond being adequate for NFL football, are notoriously flawed. Even my ability to predict election winners in the past has now faltered. With that in mind below are a list of predictions for 2009 - some tongue-in-cheek, some hopefully optimistic and some completely dispassionate and serious. I'll leave it to you to ferret out which is which.

1. The recession will continue throughout the year - unemployment will rise to 8.8%.


2. The credit crisis will continue and as a result the economy (as measured by GDP) will continue to contract throughout the year by 0.3%.


3. The price of oil, despite production cuts by OPEC will remain low - around $35 per barrel.


4. Obama's approval rating will remain above 62% for the entire year, but will drop from the current levels.


5. The Big 3 bailout will proceed as if nobody cares or is paying attention.


6. Norm Coleman will retain his Senate seat.


7. The Back Street Boys will be #1 again.


8. Gov. Blagojevich will name some names and a couple of others will be indited. If the names are high enough up the food chain, a special election may be 'imposed' on Illinois voters.


9. Captain Jack Sparrow will be named as the next CEO of Fannie Mae.


10. The Steelers will make it to the Superbowl (gulp).

That's probably enough rope to hang myself 10 times over. Maybe I should throw out there a few crazier ones for the sake of interest. If you've got any, feel free to post them in the comments section, comments are always most welcome - provided they aren't crude or racist wtc.

Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!

Blagojevich one smart cookie!!

Today Illinois Governor Blagojevich appointed former State Attorney General Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate to fill President-elect Obama's vacant Senate seat. It's an interesting decision on many levels. He's appointing a black candidate who we're being told shouldn't be lynched. Odd.

He's being lambasted by Harry Reid who is saying he will refuse to seat the appointee. Obama has even finally called for Blagojevich to resign. Such indignation. Such moral certitude. But is Burris going to be in the Senate? Apparently. He won't caucus with Democrats. He will, on the surface at least be a pariah. So why accept the appointment if he can't caucus with his party and won't be an effective representative of his electors?

I'm no conspiracy theorist but...

So why would he appoint anyone, and why would anyone accept? Maybe I'm just being paranoid but doesn't this just play right into the Democrat narrative? Their narrative is that the Republicans are corrupt and they are pure as the wind driven snow. They represent real change. Then along comes the Blagojevich seat sale scandal and it punches a hole in that imagery. So what do the Democrats do? Political ju-jitsu. They turn the disadvantage to their advantage by doing the only thing they can do - try to appear clean and pure by condemning the immoral actions of an immoral man after he does something they've advised him not to do.

Except why did he do it? He had to know what the reaction would be. So maybe, just maybe (and I'm speculating here, I want to make that clear) he was advised to do something stupid in exchange for some type of leniency down the road. Perhaps a pardon is in the cards. By giving this opportunity for Democrats to foam at the mouth against one of their own and show their purity, the Democrats have the chance to look solid on ethics and government reform.

This is just pure speculation, but it just seems so oddly coincidental that a scandal within arms reach of the hope and change guy, suddenly is cast as Democrat outrage. And where are the Republicans on this? Nowhere. Why? They can be outraged but it comes off as political. Or they can come out in favor of the appointment, which would come off as insane. Or, they can shut up and let it play out. And if they do that, the Democrats control the narrative AGAIN, because they are the sole team in the game.

Somebody, somewhere, it is very possible, is pulling strings and laughing at us for our political naivete.

Liberal Captions

Below are some movie quotes that you could associate with various liberals. Please add your own in the comments section. I don't get too many comments, but any feedback is appreciated, especially when it pokes fun at Democrats.

Added bonus, I can't recall which website I read this on, but it might have been Protein Wisdom. [Sorry, let me know and I'll update the link]. "The Secret To Being A Liberal Hysteric? No secret: just treat adults like children, and treat children like adults."

My precious.

Say hello to my little friend. (Okay, little kid)

You don't understand! I coulda had class. I
coulda been a contender. I could've been
somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am.

You talking to me?

A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his
liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.

You can't handle the truth!

Mama always said life was like a box of
chocolates.

I'll be back.

I see dead people.

We rob banks.

I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse.

E.T. phone home.

"I just want to say one word to you - just one word.... 'plastics.'"

"Badges? We ain't got no badges! We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinking badges!" (That's just wrong)

"Surely you can't be serious."

"I am serious. And don't call me Shirley."

Show me the money!

What we've got here is failure to communicate.

The Newest Top 12 liberal idiots.

In my previous Top 10 liberal idiots list, I made a note in the comments section about how I thought the list would change on a regular basis. Unfortunately I typed 12 instead of 10. So being true to my word, here are the top 12 liberal idiots of the week.

12. Jon Stewart. Smug, smarmy, smirky. Yet refreshingly facile and predictably tilted left. Sorry, no pass for posing with sock puppets (no, not the Senate Democrats, these guys). Bonus marks for having a sense of humor though - keeps you out of 11th place.

11. Al Franken. The only repeat, no sense of humor present, moves to # 11 - just for sticking around this long. Go away Al. Just go away.

10. David Axelrod. How's life under that bus, Meathead? Lonely? Don't worry, you'll have company as soon as names start getting dropped in Chicago. Doesn't the picture look like some 1973 Sasquatch hunter in his headquarters?

9. Donna Brazile. Angry, idiotic. There's a combination just waiting to be another news byte. Give it time friends, give it time.

8. Al Gore. (See this for proof). Angry, idiotic, guilty, Nobel-prize winning con artist.

7. John McCain. Yep. Liberal. A Democrat sleeper cell in the GOP. Or at least a sleeper period. Dude, endorse Palin already or else look like an opportunistic dork forever. Your 'corpse is still warm'? I'm not so sure it ever warmed up Senator. Does loyalty only go one way John? For that matter, does compromise? Apparently in your world, both true.

6. Warren Buffett. Complaining that you don't pay enough taxes makes me wonder how you ever got rich. Yes, I know the history, but it doesn't merit the level of adulation or success achieved. Not that I'm jealous, it just doesn't add up. Besides, being a market wizard doesn't make you a political one.

5. George Bush. I'm only now fully convinced he's a Democrat double agent. Yeah, maybe a man of honour and he stuck to his convictions. But kudos for the damage done to the GOP. Obama himself could not have done more damage to Republican reputation. Then again, maybe he'll return the favor.

4. George Soros / Moveon.org. A double feature. Soros is to politics as Ozzy Osborne is to coherence. Living proof that intelligence in area does not translate into intelligence in another. And Moveon.org is to patriotism as Chairman Mao was to genocide.

3. Markos Zuniga. Daily Kos is like a ray of sunshine in a skin cancer ward.

2. Bill Maher. Making fun of religion in your latest movie. Is it that hard to find work Bill? Stir up controversy to sell your film. Clever. I mean that, sarcastically.

1. Rod Blagojevich. This is a no-brainer. I mean him. But thanks for the PR boost for the GOP Ron. (Is it just me or does this look like Sam from LOTR cross-bred with someone from the Sopranos?)

Democrats drunk with power

Caroline Kennedy wants to be a Senator. That's her Christmas wish I guess the Democrats will deliver. No special election for Obama's vacant Senate seat seems likely. President-elect Obama is Man of the Year. Media bias is in high gear. What else could go wrong for conservatives? Plenty. President Bush has abandon any pretense of capitalism. Conservatives both moderate and real conservatives are eating their own. There's potential for a declaration of an Al Franken victory in Minnesota. There's going to be a Democratic Senator from Alaska (yes, Steven's could have let it stay Republican, had he stayed clean). A massive infrastructure spending is being proposed. Abortion legislation is going to be changed. New SCOTUS appointees are likely in the next few years, at least maintaining the status quo there, but possibly also pushing it left. And reporters are apparently being instructed on what to not ask of Mr. Obama;



The newly elected Executive and Legislative victors have not even been sworn in yet. How are things going to look in 2 months time? Or 12 months time. Different I expect. But how different is the real question. The fact that Obama has selected a good number of Clintonistas, and appears to be headed to the middle of the road, is no comfort. The Democrats have solid majorities in both the House and the Senate. They will want to push their own far left agendas. Obama will likely fall in line with them more often than not. Just like the Illinois go-along-to-get-along approach that served him so well in the past. And Obama himself is still has all of those radical associations in his closet.

Democrats are not likely to look for bi-partisanship now. They have no need to build bridges to conservatives. nor are they so inclined. Democrats are now where they were for a good portion of the 20th century - in power in at least 2 (in this case 3) of the 3 non-judicial pillars of government. In solid control in both legislative houses, and complete control of the executive. What do conservatives have to oppose them? The filibuster. Well you can't break that out on every single issue. It can't be part of every debate. We've got to pick and choose where to resist.

And in doing so I'd argue that where it is most needed are things that alter the playing field for time lines beyond 2010 and 2012. For example the Fairness Doctrine has far-reaching implications to Republicans. And the public probably doesn't care too much about it. It needs to be stopped if put forward. Illegal immigration and paths to citizenship - illegal immigrants are more likely to support Democrats than legal immigrants. That's another game changer. And that could be a positive one if framed right by the GOP and then the reasons for the position disseminated quickly, broadly and effectively.

As for the Democrats, they are likely to become more drunk with power over the next 12-16 months. What we can try to do to stop them, or hold them at bay, is not going to influence their decision to plow forward with every radical legislative idea they think they can get away with. The GOP has to draw a line in the sand somewhere, and be resolute in defending that line in any legal way possible. The battles are coming, we'd better be prepared with our resolve and get some tactics in place to support the strategic battles we need to fight.

We're on defence - it's not a pretty picture, but it needs to sink in that it's a siege and we have to hold the fort until the cavalry starts to arrive in 2010. Then again, we'd better get the cavalry suited up and armed PDQ as well.

I'm just saying.

"I am not a crook"

It's interesting that the Blagojevich scandal hit at roughly the same time as the release of the Frost/Nixon movie. I'm not suggesting that there's some conspiracy, because frankly, who cares that much about Hollywood?

But it creates an interesting parallel and an opportunity to stream the discussion in a way that suits Republicans. Nixon, implicated in the Watergate break-ins is of course going to be pilloried in the movie. He did something wrong (or at the very least C.R.E.E.P. did and he was complicit in the cover-up), and his political career and his legacy were unalterably affected. Rightly so.

The parallel with Blagojevich right now is confined only to the governor himself. And perhaps that's as far as the investigation will lead. But the parallel doesn't end there. Conservatives were tainted by the scandal so badly that it allowed a peanut farmer from Georgia to become President in 1976. To this day, I'm sure there are people whose votes were forever changed.

Sadly, people probably expect corruption from politicians. And in Chicago politics it appears to be an acceptable norm. But even that expectation and acceptance has its limits. Seat sales are something meant to be left to the airline industry. And when the vacated seat is still warm from the heat of the president-elect, even liberal media pundits have to repudiate one of their own.

Republican Alaska was able to vote out Senator Stevens as a result of the gift scandal. Is it impossible to expect that Illinois voters would do the right thing and vote Republican in a special election? Well, it's probably unlikely. But with the liberal media dressing down Blagojevich and voter distaste for him quite high even before the scandal, the opportunity exists.

Thee broader picture is that it presents an opening for Republicans to get the scandal meme into play. They could leverage the Frost/Nixon movie to do it. An act of contrition may be the perfect lead in for the subsequent attack. Something along the lines of yes, we grew fat and bloated in Washington, yes we got away from our principles. Yes, some of us were corrupted. But we have learned from the Nixon mistakes. Blagojevich is the latest in a series of Democratic malfeasance from Fannie Mae, to Dodd to the Illinois governor, serial corruption does exist. The arrogance of Blagojevich is demonstrative of the Democrats expectation of their right to be in power. He is not alone except in that he's been discovered. We cannot let complacency in Washington continue and sending the wrong message that this is acceptable (by replacing a Democrat with a Democrat) will ensure the same results down the road.

From their you can draw comparisons to the Big 3 bailout. You can compare it to the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac problems. Not learning from these mistakes ensures that they will happen again. What is required is not more money, what is required is shock therapy. In each of these situations, the same logic applies. I forget who said it but the definition of insanity has been described as doing the same thing repeatedly, expecting to get a different outcome.

Best thing since November 4th?

I'm curious, so please leave comments. What's the best news for conservatives/GOP since Obama's win?

Saxby Chambliss wins his runoff?
Anh “Joseph” Cao beats "Cold Cash" Jefferson?
Robert Gates stays on at Defense?
Blagojevich proves what we all knew anyway?
Something else?

What do you think?

For Sale - Senate Seat

Barely used by previous owner. We're starting the bidding at...




Run for cover Obama.

That's the Chicago Way

Everyone inclined to read my blog has probably already beaten this one to death already. But it bears repeating. The Chicago political machine is corrupt, hypocritical ,

(Governor Blagojevich Meets with Laid-off Workers Protesting at Republic Windows & Doors CHICAGO – Showing solidarity and stressing the importance of protecting workers’ rights, Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today met with laid-off employees at the shuttered Republic Windows & Doors in Chicago. Governor Blagojevich told workers, who have been peacefully protesting at the plant since it closed on Friday, that the State would suspend business with Republic Windows & Doors and Bank of America, its lender, and the Illinois Department of
Labor would file a complaint if negotiations are not quickly concluded. ) ,

embarrassing, and Byzantine in it's twisted complexity.

How blind are people?

Not your usual Disclaimer -- Blagovich needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Any contact with anyone associated with President Elect should also be prosecuted as well. This is a horrible black eye for America. How can you expect to request that Pakistan straighten up it's act on corruption, if the President of the United States is half a step away from this type of sickening garbage?