Blago is Guilty?

From the Chicago Tribune:

Saying he was "stunned," Rod Blagojevich was uncharacteristically tight-lipped today after a jury convicted him on 17 of 20 counts of corruption against him.

 Holding his wife’s hand, Blagojevich spoke in a somber tone to a crush of reporters in the federal courthouse. "Patti and I obviously are very disappointed in the outcome. I, frankly, am stunned. There's not much left to say other than we want to get home to our little girls and talk to them and explain things to them and try to sort things out. And I'm sure we'll be seeing you.”

The two then walked to a waiting car as some in the crowd booed.

The federal jury found that the former governor brazenly abused the powers of his office in a series of attempted shakedowns captured on undercover government recordings.

Blago is an astonishingly corrupt politician. He tried to sell Obama's senate seat even when he had every reason to know he was being wiretapped.  His entire career, it seems, is one bribe/backdoor deal after another.  On my JESS 'John Edwards Slimebag Scale',  he's a 0.9. (only Edwards- silky pony himself- is a perfect 1.0).

The term 'corrupt Chicago politician' may not evoke more than a yawn, but keep in mind how many times the foreheadless Illinois voters elected this guy:

House of Representatives

See also: Illinois' 5th congressional district

1996

• Rod Blagojevich, Democrat: 64%

• Michael Flanagan (inc.), Republican: 36%

1998

• Rod Blagojevich (inc.), Democrat: 74%

• Alan Spitz, Republican: 24%

2000

• Rod Blagojevich (inc.), Democrat: 87%

• Matt Beauchamp, Libertarian: 13%

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Gubernatorial elections

2002 gubernatorial election, Illinois

• Rod Blagojevich, Democrat: 1,818,823, 52.0%

• Jim Ryan, Republican: 1,582,604, 45.2%

• Cal Skinner, Libertarian: 73,404, 2.1%

• Marisellis Brown, Independent: 22,803, 0.7%

2006 gubernatorial election, Illinois

• Rod Blagojevich (inc.), Democrat: 1,736,219, 49.8%

• Judy Baar Topinka: Republican: 1,368,682, 39.3%

• Rich Whitney, Green: 361,163, 10.4%

• Randy Stufflebeam (Write-in), Constitution: 19,020, 0.5%

• Other Write-ins: 1,587, 0.0%

One characteristic of Blagojevich that won't make the headlines is that he is the archetype of the big city Democrat politician. In city after city, state after state, slime-bag politicos with a "D" after their name have ripped off the public for generations. Think Chicago, New Orleans, Detroit, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Newark, Boston. Think California, Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, Massachusetts...

Republicans can be crooks, but Democrats are the pros. 

I hope he serves the time appropriate for a man who, while in a position of public trust,  literally tried to sell a U.S. Senate seat- the people's seat- to the highest bidder.  

Here's what won't be in the headlines: "D" anywhere near Blagovevich's name. The "D" key will get... sticky at NBC and ABC and CBS and the NYT and...  The MSM will expunge his party affiliation quicker than Blago could solicit a bribe.

Don't believe me about media bias? Here's a count of google hits:

"Trump Republican"       18,500,000

"Blagojevich Democrat"   1,430,000

A ditzy flash-in-the pan Republican candidate for president is identified with his party 12 times as often as the felony-convicted Democratic governor of Illinois is identified with his party.

Here's another, comparing a felonious Chicago pol with a never-convicted nor credibly charged half-term governor of Alaska:

"Blagojevich corrupt"    728,000 

"Palin corrupt"           8,670,000

Hmmm...