The Blago Trial

In a recording made on October 22, 2008, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich can be heard talking to road-building executive Gerry Krozel.  Apparently Blagojevich was offering a $6 billion public works project for Krozel’s industry in return for Krozel fundraising for him.  Blagojevich was rather insistent because a new Illinois ethics law would soon come into effect that would prevent him from raising money from companies that do business with the government.  And he was remarkably blasé about it:   “The good news for you guys,” said Blagojevich, “is we won’t be able to bully you guys.”

In another recording, Blagojevich entertained the idea of threatening to hinder the Chicago Tribune’s sale of the Cubs and Wrigley Field if they did not purge the paper’s editorial board, which was calling for his impeachment.  Does this Chicago style of bully politics sound familiar?

It certainly sounds like President Obama and Valerie Jarrett’s friend Tom Balanoff. Balanoff is the SEIU boss whom Pres. Obama called the night before the election to tell of Jarrett’s interest in the soon-to-be-open Illinois senate seat.  Balanoff said he “planned to tell Blagojevich that if he didn’t appoint Jarrett then the governor couldn’t expect future help from the union.” It is also reminiscent of President Obama’s firing of GM CEO Rick Wagoner, and the speedy bankruptcy of GM and Chrysler.  President Obama’s friends at the UAW came out much better off financially than many other creditors who had prior claim to the auto companies’ assets.

So, it seems that the Blagojevich trial is doing the country a great service:  reminding everyone of the way things are done in Chicago, the place where the president chose to build political career.