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Yes, I am blistered like many concerning the corruption that surrounds the Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich as I suspect many Americans are since they despise their elected officials acting badly. Not to support the governor in any way shape or form, one would think he committed acts of treason with the wall-to-wall coverage of this corruption case.
In listening to the coverage of this “Sad and sobering” event as expressed by President-elect Barack Obama, I did hear that the Illinois state legislature may begin impeachment proceedings against him. They are allegedly doing so to wrest the power from Blagojevich so he cannot appoint someone to the senate seat recently vacated by President-elect Obama.
As the media covered this event and where impeachment was brought up, I did not hear any laughs or negative comments made of those state officials, as was done when others brought up any impeachment process directed at President Bush. Both Cynthia McKinney and Congressman Dennis Kucinich have been marginalized in calling for Bush’s impeachment. I guess everyone is on board when it comes to impeaching Blagojevich instead of Bush.
As I listened to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald and others express their outrage directed at this governor, you would have thought his acts of corruption caused the deaths of American soldiers and innocent Iraqi victims.
As Fitzgerald bleeped out the precise words coming from Blagojevich because it would offend a sensitive listener, one must ask: Why isn’t the media showing images of our dead soldiers and innocent Iraqis? They act as if foul language coming from an elected official is an assault upon us all instead of a war of lies that cost the lives of human beings.
Robert M. "Mike" Duncan, chairman of the Republican National Committee had this to say of President-elect Obama, "President-elect Barack Obama's comments on the matter are insufficient at best." One can fire back to this committee-chair that President Bush's statement to ABC's, Charlie Gibson where Bush said he "was unprepared for war" as being insufficient.
The corruption allegedly perpetrated by Blagojevich did not result in the loss of lives. I state allegedly since he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
With folks like Karl Rove and Karen Hughes engaged in white-washing the Bush legacy to form it in a positive light, it will be folks like them who will do everything possible to attach this corruption scandal to our incoming president, Barack Obama.
In hearing some pundits compare Rod Blagojevich to Richard Nixon yesterday, dare I say Bush is the likely one that they should be comparing to Nixon? Both escalated a war that did not have the backing of the American people and lied directly to all of us. Let us remember that Scott McClellan (former Bush press secretary) stated that Bush was the one that outed Valerie Plame a CIA operative because her husband Joe Wilson countered Bush’s assertion that there was an Iraq/Niger connection. In using that connection citing that Iraq was purchasing ‘yellow cake’ from Niger in his ‘State of the Union Address’, Bush directly lied to congress which is an impeachable offense. Yet, they allowed him to get away with it.
I do suspect that the GOP will use this corruption scandal against President-elect Barack Obama, but let us remember one thing, it was under their president’s watch where America suffered an economic meltdown not seen in many of our lifetimes.
As Senator Shelby and others speak out against the bailout of the Big-Three automakers, citing that tax payer dollars should not be used, our tax dollars went to support foreign automakers who have only prospered in his state.
This corruption scandal that now surrounds Blagojevich is small in comparison to the financial meltdown that happened under Bush’s watch. When 1.5 million Americans have lost their jobs, that is the true scandal. When millions of Americans have been foreclosed upon that as well is the true scandal. While Blagojevich allegedly tried to sell a senate seat, Bush sold America’s integrity to the highest bidders and many did profit such as Halliburton, Kellogg, Brown and Root and Bechtel. These corporations profited at the expense of our soldiers and innocent Iraqis. Let us never forget that.
If some are calling for Blagojevich’s impeachment, it was both Bush and Cheney who truly deserved it. If some feel that Blagojevich should go to prison if convicted, it is none-other than Bush and Cheney who deserve to be tried at The Hague and convicted for war crimes against humanity.
Author’s email address is, xmjmac@optonline.net
