Governor Blagojevich's gift
I am taking time off tonight from my series to comment about a political situation in Illinois.
For those who don’t follow Illinois politics, here is the deal. Our previous governor just got convicted for criminal acts while governor of the State. Our present governor—Blagojevich—is running for re-election. It seems a close friend of his recently gave the family $1,500 soon after the friend’s wife received a state government job. The money was originally claimed to be a birthday present for the governor’s daughter.
The Peoria Journal Star’s reporter, Doug Finke, wrote the following on October 1, 2006 page B1, “First Blagojevich launches into an explanation of his relationship with >>>>>>>>> to show that the check was just a generous gift to one of his children. They’re best friends. (Wasn’t that the ploy in one of the “Jack Ryan” films?—my addition) They were childhood friends. They’ve known each other since they were 8 years old. They’ve had a 40-year relationship.”
“>>>>>>>>> is like a godparent to Blagojevich’s children.
And then he repeats it. And repeats it. Throughout the questioning of the reporters, Blagojevich kept falling back on the same stock lines. Life-long friend. Forty-year relationship. Godparent to children.” (page B3)
“This get-together with reporters was also the time Blagojevich changed his story about the check. Remember initially he said it was a birthday gift to his daughter >>>. However, during the questioning, Blagojevich said it might have been a christening gift for his other daughter, >>>>>, who was born a few months earlier.” (page B3)
Anyone who reads this blog knows that I am a strong believer that a person is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. At this point, the Governor has not been proven guilty of anything! However, some people obviously have questions about the gift. Therefore, I would propose this solution which, I think, goes far in answering the problem presented.
If he is a life long friend, best friend, godfather to the children; his gifting pattern should be approximately the same over the years with appropriate increases for increased income. Go back ten years and then forward. If he gave the governor similar gifts during those ten years, then I think it would be fair to say that the gift was not for the special privilege of getting a state job. If the gifts dramatically increased over the last four years after the governor was elected, then he may have been saying thank you for letting me help you get elected and the benefits I received because you were governor. If the gift this year was significantly larger than all the other gifts over the last nine years, I would say the Governor has a problem. It may well have been a pay-off for a job for his wife.
What do you say, Governor? Are you willing to open the “books” and show that this gift is no different than other gifts received from him over the last ten years?
I am taking time off tonight from my series to comment about a political situation in Illinois.
For those who don’t follow Illinois politics, here is the deal. Our previous governor just got convicted for criminal acts while governor of the State. Our present governor—Blagojevich—is running for re-election. It seems a close friend of his recently gave the family $1,500 soon after the friend’s wife received a state government job. The money was originally claimed to be a birthday present for the governor’s daughter.
The Peoria Journal Star’s reporter, Doug Finke, wrote the following on October 1, 2006 page B1, “First Blagojevich launches into an explanation of his relationship with >>>>>>>>> to show that the check was just a generous gift to one of his children. They’re best friends. (Wasn’t that the ploy in one of the “Jack Ryan” films?—my addition) They were childhood friends. They’ve known each other since they were 8 years old. They’ve had a 40-year relationship.”
“>>>>>>>>> is like a godparent to Blagojevich’s children.
And then he repeats it. And repeats it. Throughout the questioning of the reporters, Blagojevich kept falling back on the same stock lines. Life-long friend. Forty-year relationship. Godparent to children.” (page B3)
“This get-together with reporters was also the time Blagojevich changed his story about the check. Remember initially he said it was a birthday gift to his daughter >>>. However, during the questioning, Blagojevich said it might have been a christening gift for his other daughter, >>>>>, who was born a few months earlier.” (page B3)
Anyone who reads this blog knows that I am a strong believer that a person is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. At this point, the Governor has not been proven guilty of anything! However, some people obviously have questions about the gift. Therefore, I would propose this solution which, I think, goes far in answering the problem presented.
If he is a life long friend, best friend, godfather to the children; his gifting pattern should be approximately the same over the years with appropriate increases for increased income. Go back ten years and then forward. If he gave the governor similar gifts during those ten years, then I think it would be fair to say that the gift was not for the special privilege of getting a state job. If the gifts dramatically increased over the last four years after the governor was elected, then he may have been saying thank you for letting me help you get elected and the benefits I received because you were governor. If the gift this year was significantly larger than all the other gifts over the last nine years, I would say the Governor has a problem. It may well have been a pay-off for a job for his wife.
What do you say, Governor? Are you willing to open the “books” and show that this gift is no different than other gifts received from him over the last ten years?
posted by Christian Gunslinger at 10:31 PM
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