This has been a bad spring and summer for SoetorObama supporters: first Tony Rezko was convicted and faces years and years in prison. Then, longtime SoetorObama supporter and close personal friend Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was indicted and plead guilty to various charges and is headed for jail himself.
Now, CBS news and other sources are reporting SoetorObama supporter Rod Blagojevich, Illinois governor, will be indicted soon too.
TheRealBarackObama has the scoop on this.
We want to add what we know personally, though, because it’s contrary to the posts above.
First, we know several people who have worked for the governor, and who work in a related field now: all three of them said to us just last week that Patrick Fitzgerald, the prosecutor, does not have enough evidence to convict the Governor. No one says the Governor didn’t do the things CBS alleges — it’s just that they don’t believe there’s enough evidence for an indictment, let alone a conviction. Fitzgerald is a VERY careful and methodical prosecutor. If the case is not air-tight, he does not proceed. We’ve been told Blagojevich covered his tracks very well and is not a dumb man — especially since his predecessor, George Ryan, is currently in prison. The first Democratic governor of Illinois in 30 years came into office knowing Governors do go to prison for graft and corruption in this state — so the argument is that even with Blagojevich’s hubris, he wouldn’t allow evidence to connect him to anything.
Remember, Blagojevich thought for the last 6 years or so that he would be the Democratic presidential nominee in 2008. He believed he was destined for greatness, and the original plan was to use the Daley machine and Chicago politics to push Blagojevich into the White House, not SoetorObama. When Blagojevich started to get pulled under by the Tony Rezko and corruption problems, SoetorObama benefitted immensely.
Blagojevich is so confident there’s no hard evidence able to carry an indictment that he spent his time in Denver at the convention telling anyone who would listen that he intends to run for re-election as Governor in 2010. NO ONE wanted to take pictures with him. NO ONE wanted to stand by him or sit at his table. A few weeks ago, a friend of ours said the Governor showed up at his apartment, unannounced, JUST TO HANG OUT. This friend is a political operative here in Chicago with a small apartment on the third floor here in Lakeview — and the Governor just came over to watch TV. Now, our friend painted that as “see, look what a regular guy he is. The Governor says he is just a simple politician, just an ordinary person.” That’s not how it came across: it seemed like no one wants Blagojevich around. He had nothing else to do that night, so he needed a friend to hang out with.
He may or may not be indicted, but he’s already a pariah.
We’ve been hoping Lisa Madigan runs for Governor in 2010, but were told again today that Bill Daley, brother of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, intends to run, and the Democraic nomination would be his. We also hear that the Republicans plan on running a solid candidate for Governor and it seems like after SoetorObama’s loss on November 4th that the Democratic party here in Illinois, which subjugated itself fully to SoetorObama, won’t be able to hang on to the governorship. Blagojevich and SoetorObama’s scandals cancel out the memory of George and Jack Ryan.
So, all of this is very interesting for a number of reasons. We’re still waiting to see what happens, but based on what we’ve personally heard in circles here, it just doesn’t seem like the prosecutor has enough to actually indict Blagojevich — yet.
UNLESS, of course, Tony Rezko is spilling dirt on Blagojevich…and possibly on SoetorObama too.
Never a dull moment in the most corrupt Democrat-controlled state in the union.
It really IS no suprise this was the place that launched SoetorObama.

September 26, 2008 at 11:05 am
Obama is just as tied to the corruption in IL as Blagojevich. Rezko financed Obama’s campaign and Obama sat in the IL senate providing the various favors to Rezko that he now will go to jail for (PREDICTION: watch for a Rezko pardon if Obama is pres.) Obama got a sweet deal from Rezko and his wife on his Chicago Hyde Park mansion that he now enjoys so much while others are in foreclosure. I think Blagojevich is sacrificed and will cover and take the fall for Obama who may end up in Washington and practice Chicago/mob style corruption politics for us there, just like he practiced in the recent primary. A leopard doesn’t change its spots.
September 26, 2008 at 11:16 am
Few outside of Illinois can understand the (often bipartisan) endemic corruption of the region. When there was the change from Big Bill Thompson to Cermak, there was only a change in mob ties.
For all his talk of change, Obama did get a political baptism in a Cook County cesspool. He has managed to bridge the gap between venality and radicalism. Yet what if Rezko is given a long stretch in some Federal pen and Blago faces the same? A President Obama would be as generous to crooked friends as Clinton was to fugitive swindler Marc Rich. Why should Tony talk now?
September 26, 2008 at 11:38 am
Does Blagojevich wear a hairpiece? Why isn’t he at home with his family watching T.V.? I’d like to see someone give up the Daley machine and Soetorobama.
Do you think soetorobama will go down for dual citizenship?
September 26, 2008 at 11:40 am
Does Blagojevich wear a hairpiece? Why isn’t he at home watching T.V. with his family?
September 26, 2008 at 12:52 pm
‘”We know several people who have worked for the governor….all three of them said…?!
December 9, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Ok. Seriously now. No matter how partisan anyone is out here (which is fine), if you do not understand that in order to get elected to an office above a county level you are at least a LITTLE bit of a prostitute, you should close your laptop and go fishing…it will save you a LOT of disappointment (and is good for the soul as well).
February 14, 2009 at 9:22 am
[...] — HillBuzz has more on the Blagojevich [...]