O.K. I'm back - But don't get used to it
I guess I couldn't stay away long. I was not going to post anything for a bit but then I read this article while having lunch. It's a heartwarming story about how Karl Rove at the request of soon to be indicted and imprisoned then-Governor George Ryan tried to get Ryan's own defense lawyer appointed as the U.S. Attorney who would try to prosecute Ryan. At has a nice Ripley's Believe It or Not feel to it.
The Chicago Tribune explains it this way, that former Republican U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald wanted to really have a fair and non-political U.S. Attorney to go after elected officials, Republicans and Democrats, in Illinois. Small problem though. Fitzgerald, like Diogenes searching with a lantern for an honest man in the streets of Athens, couldn't find a lawyer in the entire state of Illinois to do a fair and impartial job. Apparently, then-Gov. Ryan tried to influence the selection of the U.S attorney going so far as trying to get one of his defense attorneys selected as top federal prosecutor in northern Illinois. Ryan was later indicted and comvicted on corruption charges and was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison.
"There was an effort that I perceived [that] they were trying to influence the selection actually with one of George Ryan's legal defense team members," Fitzgerald said in remarks to the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. "But I worked very hard to make sure that wouldn't happen." Ryan's lawyer, Edward McNally, later served as interim U.S. attorney for southern Illinois, and tried to protect Ryan when questioned by federal prosecutors.
"[Sen.] Fitzgerald said he picked New Yorker Patrick Fitzgerald (no relation) as U.S. attorney for Chicago in 2001 despite a warning by Karl Rove, President George Bush's top political strategist, not to go outside Illinois for a candidate. Fitzgerald said that prior to that warning, he had expressed concern to Rove that House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Ryan might try to undercut what he considered to be among his most important responsibilities. Despite the warning by Rove, Fitzgerald said he chose from outside Illinois because he contended at the time that he couldn't find any qualified Chicago attorneys without political connections. " Apparently, "Karl Rove called back and said if you will not appoint anyone [from] out of state, we'll let you pick anybody you want, as long as that person is from Chicago," he said, as laughter broke out at the lunch for the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. Yes, hilarious. I guess if you can't laugh at overt threats being made from the White House to U.S. Senators you would cry. To his credit, Republican Sen. Fitzgerald didn't cave in to the threats and went out and got an Untouchable who has done an amazing job here tossing corrupt politicians and their staffs in prison. (In his spare time he tried to indict Rove and did indict Cheney's chief of staff Scooter Libby over the CIA outing case.) And what did Sen. Fitzgerald get for his effort? Zero support from his party and he didn't run for re-election.
So I tried to to not blog anymore but it reminds me of a fable. A scorpion asked a frog at a river's edge to carry him across. The frog said "no, you'll sting me on the river and I'll die." The scorpion said, "No I won't. I can't swim and if I did that we would both drown." That made sense to the frog and agreed and the scorpion climbed on the frog's back. Halfway across the river the scorpion stung the frog and they started to sink into the water. The frog asked the scorpion, "Why did you do that? Now we'll both die. " The scorpion answered, "It's just my nature."
It's Rove's nature to be evil and it's my nature to blog.
The Chicago Tribune explains it this way, that former Republican U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald wanted to really have a fair and non-political U.S. Attorney to go after elected officials, Republicans and Democrats, in Illinois. Small problem though. Fitzgerald, like Diogenes searching with a lantern for an honest man in the streets of Athens, couldn't find a lawyer in the entire state of Illinois to do a fair and impartial job. Apparently, then-Gov. Ryan tried to influence the selection of the U.S attorney going so far as trying to get one of his defense attorneys selected as top federal prosecutor in northern Illinois. Ryan was later indicted and comvicted on corruption charges and was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison.
"There was an effort that I perceived [that] they were trying to influence the selection actually with one of George Ryan's legal defense team members," Fitzgerald said in remarks to the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. "But I worked very hard to make sure that wouldn't happen." Ryan's lawyer, Edward McNally, later served as interim U.S. attorney for southern Illinois, and tried to protect Ryan when questioned by federal prosecutors.
"[Sen.] Fitzgerald said he picked New Yorker Patrick Fitzgerald (no relation) as U.S. attorney for Chicago in 2001 despite a warning by Karl Rove, President George Bush's top political strategist, not to go outside Illinois for a candidate. Fitzgerald said that prior to that warning, he had expressed concern to Rove that House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Ryan might try to undercut what he considered to be among his most important responsibilities. Despite the warning by Rove, Fitzgerald said he chose from outside Illinois because he contended at the time that he couldn't find any qualified Chicago attorneys without political connections. " Apparently, "Karl Rove called back and said if you will not appoint anyone [from] out of state, we'll let you pick anybody you want, as long as that person is from Chicago," he said, as laughter broke out at the lunch for the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. Yes, hilarious. I guess if you can't laugh at overt threats being made from the White House to U.S. Senators you would cry. To his credit, Republican Sen. Fitzgerald didn't cave in to the threats and went out and got an Untouchable who has done an amazing job here tossing corrupt politicians and their staffs in prison. (In his spare time he tried to indict Rove and did indict Cheney's chief of staff Scooter Libby over the CIA outing case.) And what did Sen. Fitzgerald get for his effort? Zero support from his party and he didn't run for re-election.
So I tried to to not blog anymore but it reminds me of a fable. A scorpion asked a frog at a river's edge to carry him across. The frog said "no, you'll sting me on the river and I'll die." The scorpion said, "No I won't. I can't swim and if I did that we would both drown." That made sense to the frog and agreed and the scorpion climbed on the frog's back. Halfway across the river the scorpion stung the frog and they started to sink into the water. The frog asked the scorpion, "Why did you do that? Now we'll both die. " The scorpion answered, "It's just my nature."
It's Rove's nature to be evil and it's my nature to blog.
posted by Crankyboy at 4:45 PM
7 Comments:
So I guess this means you won't be taking out the trash? Just kidding honey. I'm glad you have decided to continue sharing your brilliant political mind with the world.
Honey, the trash was taken out on election night.
I knew it was your nature to blog, grasshopper - just as it's the nature of Illinois to be corrupt. If it doesn't lead the list of incarcerated former governors, it has to be close.
There's a lot more trash to be taken out though - and your front porch needs painting.
Well, I'll jump in the family fun and say I'm glad that you're not gone. :-)
Many of us are not truly happy unless we have something to complain about :)
Cranky = Happy???
The election is but a single significant battle won, but the guard cannot be lowered.
We must maintain even more vigilance, since the corrupt are plotting their return to power and influence. Plus their ability to spin a yarn is unexcelled. The populace will not remain angry for long.
You'd have been sorely missed. In spite of the seriousness of your subject matter, you always seem to make me laugh at something - sarcasm perhaps - but I'd have missed it. This is one of four blogs I read every day, even when I'm pressed for time. dK
P.S. When I was in the Army, we used to say a complaining (i.e. cranky) soldier was a contented soldier. Mr. Sleep's comment reminded me of that. Though today, I imagine a complaining soldier is an unhappy, scared, and rightfully angry one. The same, I venture, goes for you. Times have changed. dK
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