r / June 27, 2011 2:41 PM

He's going to keep appealing this until the apocalypse. I have to say this, though--several of his programs that he created as governor were and are successes--Blago wasn't all that bad. Obv. he's guilty, but when will Mike Madigan get his, too? He's the worst.

Mike / June 27, 2011 3:16 PM

You bumped the Rahm Fuel question for this piece of garbage?

Andrew Huff / June 27, 2011 3:25 PM

Mike, we'll probably go back to Rahm after this passes.

PMan / June 28, 2011 12:12 AM

r -- I don't know what programs you are talking about, but Blago did almost no work as governor, so his programs were either in the pipeline (open road tolling); ill-conceived (free rides for seniors) or bumbled in the execution (Kid Care).

Whatever relation there are between Madigan and Blago, it's not personal. They hate each other. Madigan has never been quoted or accused of the type of blatant corruption on those tapes, and in the whole Blago way.

Good job Feddies!

r / June 28, 2011 9:21 AM

Here's some examples:
- Illinois Healthy Women (provides cancer and family planning care to underinsured/uninsured women in IL)

- Making AllKids (the IL SCHIP program) more comprehensive

- Environmental reform (set standard on lower mercury emissions)

- Provided significant funding for Stem cell research

People are sick of him (we all are!) and quick to dismiss Rod's time in office, and he deserves what he gets in prison, but try to separate the good from the bad. He wasn't down in Springfield playing scrabble all those years...

Spook / June 28, 2011 9:44 AM

I was sooooo hoping he'd moon walk out that court room like Michael Jackson. Hellfire, the only reason why they busted him( and spent all our money on a retrial is because he wouldn't play ball with Madigan and Daley. Blago is the only Illinois Politician that ever put poor children first. In terms of guilt, he's the least guilty of all our diseased apples. He just refused to play ball, and tried to circumvent the crooks and go straight to the people, what!

PMan / June 28, 2011 9:48 AM

r -- you are right he wasn't in Springfield. He was at home in Chicago jogging, lifting weights or scheming to get money for himself and his campaigns. His own staff has testified and written extensively about how hard it was to get him to do his job. The healthcare expansions weren't funded, his management of state government was atrocious. This myth that he cared about the people or 'worked hard' to do good things is just that, a myth.

vise77 / June 28, 2011 9:56 AM

r-agree with you on M. Madigan,except he's apparently smart enough to get power and corruption right, unlike Blago. And I agree in general that some of those programs hit the right mark, except for one big thing--many of his programs were ill-funded, at least for the long term, leading to less meat that meets the eye. That's because Blago was good at press releases but extremely bad at governing.

In any case, I hope against hope that the judge finds a way to through the book at him, though I suspect Blago will get off with a mere decade behind bars. Good riddance.

Spook / June 28, 2011 11:47 AM

"The healthcare expansions weren't funded"

No they were not funded, because the Legislature refused to do it. Why? because they( and their familes) have -public option- healthcare insurance. So again not a priority, except to Blago. Sure in a more intelligent state the people might have risen up stormed the statehouse and demandws the Legislature follow the ( then) Gov.'s lead, but I guess there was a cubs or a Da Bears game to attend to, Chumps. And because Madigan is seen as "smart" is why yall are such Chumps.

Yea boy, exactly right the Sucker Citizens in Illinois demand a higher class of Crooks to pilfer this state behind closed doors, just dividing up the spoils.

Huzza!

Tim Bearden / June 28, 2011 11:54 AM

While I won't deny Blago did do some good while in office, I also have to ask how the good got done. If it got done by the way of extortion and kick backs, was it done for the good of the people or his pockets? Does it somehow tarnish the programs or create a stigma around them? It just raises more questions than answers.

Cheryl / June 28, 2011 12:15 PM

Fund the programs with what money?

vise77 / June 28, 2011 12:33 PM

"No they were not funded, because the Legislature refused to do it."

And that was because Blago was more interested in press releases than doing the hard work to perhaps win the funding. Remember, he typically hid out in his home and seemed to not care about the mundane parts of the governing--this has all been well documented, and suggests more his own failings that some counter-attack by THE MAN in the statehouse. Spook, you believe Blago's own propaganda way too much.

Spook / June 28, 2011 2:55 PM

Nahhh ked,( Vise beer)

I'm just say'n "no thanks" to the wolf tickets WBEZ/The Suntimes be sling'n while gleefully sneered at Blago so they aint gotta wake up, talking about
the real back room Gangstas who now with out Blago have Illinois on complete lock down like them brothas doing long bids inside Tamms, right now!

p.s. too bad he's no longer part of "The Organization" cause
he would have gotten a loving sentencing judge to gift him a ridiculously
light sentence so he could emerged from Club Fed with a fat Mayoral contract and a book deal to champion The Lake Front Liberal/ Lula cause. Just like what ya girl, U.S. Cong. Jan Schakowsky's hubby Robert "Bob" Creamer did when got out the joint for looting his own National non profit organization!

Hellzz, when Blago gets sprung they gonna put his as$ on a non stop plane back to Serbia, or if they feeling generous, allow him to relocate to Harlem and spray paint murals of Biggie Smalls