Brainless Bravado vs. Calculated Fraud

The media has been waiting breathlessly for the moment when it can pierce the bubble of sanctimony that has enveloped President Elect Obama - a bubble created not by him but by the very media now eager to puncture it. And what better occasion than a lug-headed governor's oblivious grandstanding about being compensated for dealing Obama's Senate seat to sundry hungry politicians.

Endless opportunities finally to get down and dirty by excoriating traditional Illinois political corruption (about which not a word during the campaign!), give equal opportunity treatment to Democrats for corruption charges that only recently were reserved for Republicans, and - best of all! - taint Obama himself through innuendos about guilt by association by association by association. (Maybe an aide to an aide of Obama listened passively to an aide to an aide of Blagojevich making stealth overtures about what it would take for someone Obama favors to get the seat?)

But holiday fun aside -- and what better season than Christmas to expose raw venality in one blatant case even though it is to be found everywhere (but more subtly) in politics and finance throughout the year?! - the truth is that the Illinois Governor looks more dumb than corrupt. Which is probably why he keeps going back to work, trying to figure out what all the fuss is about.

Because all he was doing is political horse trading of a kind that is nearly universal in American politics: looking out for number one while taking care of constituents. "Political horse-trading" is the term of art, you know, a new fire house for District 5 because it made the difference in putting me over the top on Election Day. Or a job for loyalist Tim's wife, because Tim was a major contributor last year.

Trouble is big-mouth Blagojevich couldn't stop yapping about it on phones he had to know were tapped (he was the subject of an ongoing investigation).

Even U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald admitted he is not "trying to criminalize people making political horse trades on policies or that sort of thing." In other word horse-trading is what politicians do (it's called Senatorial courtesy or earmarks when Senators have their way in such matters) -- only quietly please, quietly.

We've just survived (or perhaps not) nearly three decades of narcissism, greed and self-interest posing as the public good. That's what got us into the sub-prime and credit crises. It's been business as usual for Wall Street, where just yesterday a former chairman of the stock exchange was arrested for massive, ongoing fraud.

None of this is to defend Governor Blagojevich, although even blowhards are innocent until proven guilty. But it is to say to the rapacious media, climb off your high horse and stop pretending you're shocked, shocked! Blagojevich is just doing publicly what the free market system has being doing privately for thirty years. If he goes to jail, while Wall Street speculators who bankrupted their firms and car company executives who destroyed what was once the world's most successful industry walk away with their taxpayer-funded million dollar bonuses, then justice will not have been done.

If, when it comes to greed, brainless bravado by a foolish politician deserves jail time, then calculated fraud by financial predators ought to be a capital crime.

Comments

[LHoney]

I can't believe we're still talking about this idiot while Frank and Jesse are robbing our country blind on the way out... There has been nothing but Blago-fever on all of the "news" stations for days now while a new Iraq reconstruction report shows massive fraud in the Billions and of course there's the multi trillion Bank Bailout. Please...

[Soulsurfer]

You would almost think the indictment came at the most opportune moment for the Bushies......still, to have the media make such a big deal out of this is beyond ironic. The system has been exposed for what it is, Blago was just clumsy and obvious. As you point out, the real story is how the rich are literally stealing the wealth of our country right out in the open, and no one is doing anything about it. They don't even have the subtlety to do through tax breaks or "investment vehicles".

[Overd0g]

How are the rich stealing the wealth of the country? I thought they already had the wealth, hence the designation "wealthy".

[Indedave]

Unless the vernacular has changed, horse-trading means, "OK, I'll hold my nose and vote for your bill if you hold your nose and vote for mine." Influence-peddling and bribery are, on the other hand, horses of an entirely different color.

[deke4]

Having no sympathy for the Governor of Illinois, I wonder at the man hours used in nailng a two bit hood? I wonder how many man hours are being tendered by the media and justice department investigators in chasing down and bringing to justice the billion dollar hoods? All the talk is about saving the economy and bailing out the very culprits who caused this financial downfall, I hear of very few investigations of those responsible and there is the possibility that the very dastardly individuals responsible for the declining economy may be further enriched by the bailout. Lady Justice is not blind, only the people who serve Lady justice are blind.... or on someone's payroll.

It seems a shame that the American people who will be paying for the bailout cannot get a list of the corporations and institutions receiving the bailout monies and in what amounts.

Paulson and Bernanke's caveat that it is a trade secret does not quite wash with me. It seems when these corporations and institutions were filing favorable assets when the opposite was true was also a trade secret to everyone but the insiders. In other words the Treasury and Federal Reserve have now become a tool of the very culprits they are supposed to protect us from.

[schatsie]

My understanding is that our tax payer dollars 80% of which are income tax dollars.... are going to dividends to the STOCKHOLDERS...who supported the Gamblers and the Board of Directors....

DAMN it, we pay these income taxes, and then the handout is taxed as a DIVIDEND another handout to the pampered and privileged ----from our Backs to your Pockets.... from the HAVE LESS TO THE HAVE MORES.....Thanks for 8 years of Bush and Rethugs.....

[Overd0g]

Yeah, it was all unicorns and rainbows back in the Clinton years.

[wmfor]

I doubt the investigation cost much more than nailing Tommy Chong for selling a water pipe.

[mec57]

In other words: so what if he said what he said, in your eyes...

Pay to play is against the law...PERIOD...END OF STORY.

[1dogs2]

Unfortunately, "pay-to-play" is NOT against the law unless a specific quid pro quo is promised and delivered, in which case you have a good old-fashioned bribe. But there is nothing illegal about making significant campaign contributions to political figures in the hope that in future, those figures will look kindly on the contributor's application for a government position or contracts. The way "pay-to-play" works is that without a significant contribution or other favor, the contributor can be sure he's not even in the running for whatever his future goal is; with a contribution, he can hope, and the larger the contribution, the likelier that hope is to be realized. It smells, but in many jurisdictions, it's not illegal. Unless and until campaign contributions are limited by law to insignificant amounts and the practice of "bundling" is outlawed, "pay-to-play" will continue to corrupt our politics and to cast a shadow over even those political figures who do not bestow appointments or other benefits on the basis of previous favors.

[wmfor]

There is also nothing illegal about a tacit understanding that an office holder, upon leaving office, will have a guaranteed high-pay job for life with no real work required. It isn't a bribe, because it is after the fact and is called a "salary".

[rainbowstate808]

I just don't think these things are going to stick on Obama. The republicans will try their darnest but in the end there is nothing there, just a lot of hot air.

[Libarchist]

Good article; I think the process in which the Obama cult is destroying Blago's career, is not the --change-- that people voted for. That is why I did not vote for McCain or Obama this election, but voted Democratic in the state/local races.

What we are witnessing is simply a mob mentality; a true liberal democratic progressive change, would advocate for incorporating restorative/transformative justice, in the judicial political process: rather then seeking Blago's resignation.

Obama should be wanting to keep him in office, and to have him discuss with the American people -- in open manner; what he knows about Chicago corruption.

Those politicians calling for Blagojevich’s head; are just a blue dog Democrats, looking to loot America.
______________________________

Restorative justice 
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restorative_justice

Transformative justice 
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformative_justice

[Lee323]

Excellent post regarding the hypocrisy of the "calculated fraud" actors.

I would like to see you write another post regarding the "calculated fraud" of a different sort....that of some of the press. You touch briefly on the media with a few adjectives, such as "rapacious," "on a high horse," "down and dirty" etc...However, I think the press has a more calculated role than breathless anticipation of a dirty story. Some of the press are calculating personal returns on their own careers by being "The One" to get "The Story" even if it means using the coin of gross speculative writing. The damage such unsubstantiated stories can do could be as significant in losses to the Pres.-Elect's reputation and ability to effect a smooth transistion/ early administration as the monetary losses have been in the financial sector. Both hurt the country at a critical time.....

[ObjectiveRealist]

Seconded.

[ObjectiveRealist]

After days of "announcement" and "commentary" of this story, I finally heard a few seconds of audio of the actual wiretap. Blagojevich is playing "auctioneer" and I have to tell you, it sounds a lot more believable as Blag-o joking, and perhaps taunting the FBI, than as Blag-o actually "auctioning" any kind of favor. I think this is all an enormous pile of corporatist, "mainstream media" horsepucky.

[mec57]

Taunting? Taunting will get your a-- some major jail time...

[jeanrenoir]

It's time to make examples of ALL these crooks, starting with Blago and Madoff. CHANGE needs to come to our whole ethical and legal culture, not just to politics in DC.

[mec57]

I agree...enough with lamebrain apologizing and excusing for this behavior from people like the author of this post...so what it it has happened before, especially in the incestuous cesspool of Chicago politics from which Obama is forever tied.

[buzzygirl]

The media is an intellectually dishonest bunch. They are complicit in the huge mess we find ourselves in today. You would think they would get all in arms about issues that truly impacts people's daily lives -- like the more than four thousand dead military men and women, as a result of a war that everyone is acutely aware was started on false pretenses.

Then there is the little matter of real people who are losing their homes, health care and jobs. But one thing we can trust the media to do when it comes to hot air, they are adept at floating it around. They love the Britney Spears' story, Paris Hilton, and a scandal, which involves an egotistical governor. But that is not sufficient, to act like they are doing their jobs, they must also try to sully the incoming president, the one person, who has genuinely tried to clean up corruption in politics.

This is the same person, who refused to give out walking around money during the elections. This is the same person, who helped to pass ethics laws on capitol hill. This is the same person, who wants our government to be transparent.

But none of that matters to the pseudo journalists with their inflated egos. Yep, they are dishonest and disingenuous, and shameless.

[45245]

not all things are bad with the housing blip..........many great things have happened.......a few negative

[MilwaukeeDan]

Mr. Barber, buzzygirl, I 100% agree and have been saying this since Blago's bust. If Fitzgerald is such a tough guy, why not go after the biggest fish, no, he gets Scooter and Blago. And Lisa Madigan, IAG/House speaker Michael's daughter, should just shut the hell up. How do you think you got that job? Like anyone can just throw their hat in the ring and get elected, especially in Illinois.

[lafrance]

excellent. Couldn't have said it better.
Front page of the NYTimes today had a story about 100 billion in fraud and waste in Iraq with the 'rebuilding' and not one word by the high and mighty press.
A dumb governor gets arrested for some corruption and the press has obsessed for a week and wants desperately to make it out that Obama is involved. Regardless of what Fitz or the evidence say. They want Obama to be guilty and therefore they will do so out of thin air.
They also are whining about this internal investigation report. obama said on Thursday he would be doing that. Friday the press is complaining that he is taking sooooooo long. Then we have a weekend so, tomorrow they will be talking about this taking so long and what is he hiding garbage.

[45245]

bo will be involved.....i love it

[ObjectiveRealist]

President Obama will get to the bottom of it, if it turns out to be anything at all.

[Edzero]

We cannot afford politics as usual in today's situation.

The previously disinterested US citizens, had better wake up
and closely monitor their House and Senate representative's
positions and voting behavior.

A quick reading of Studs Terkel's Hard Times or T.H. Watkins
The Hungry Years: A Narrative History of the Great Depression
in America will give you a sense of what it is like when jobs
cannot be found, and savings are long gone.

The right wing politicians may wish to continue living
in an Alice in Wonderland Ideological fantasyland, but
reality is soon to rear it's ugly head ala Putin over
Alaska.

Citizens, it is time to take responsibility for the course your
government is taking. Look what being passively on
the sidelines has produced. If you don't like what is
happening, get into the game as an active player.

[45245]

wow that's change

[ChicagoMolly]

Chicago's folk legend Win Stracke had a story about 43d Ward alderman Matthias "Paddy" Bauler, who was no more Irish than a sauerbraten, but he owned a pub and had a nose like a strawberry so they called him Paddy. Back in the day, a reform-minded politician couldn't get on the Democratic ballot even if he wanted to, so he'd end up running as a Republican. Win was an old-line lefty and always voted for reformers, so when one of these poor guys ran one year Win voted for him as a matter of course. A few days later he crossed paths with Paddy, who glowered at him and yelled, "Win! Why the hell are you votin' for Republicans?" Win wanted to know how Paddy knew which man he'd voted for. Turned out that Paddy put each polling place in his ward in the local firehouse, with the voting booths clustered around the bottom of the fire pole. And clustered around the top of the pole were the precinct captains, with clipboards and binoculars. Win was furious. "Haven't you heard of the secret ballot? You want the results thrown out? What the hell's wrong with you?" Paddy was genuinely shocked by Win's outburst. "I ain't doin' nothin' wrong! This is about good government! I got a lotta jobs and contracts in this ward. Ya think I'm gonna do a favor for some guy who's gonna turn around and vote for a goddam Republican?"

[DivergentMary]

Bravo to the many people who have written comments to this article. Hilarious! I've never enjoyed reading pages of comments as much as I have enjoyed the ones here. YOU FOLKS ROCK!

[DivergentMary]

Sorry. This comment magically appeared under the wrong article. It was meant for the article about the Iraqi guy who threw his shoes at Bush. The comments by readers under that article are hilarious!

[Poboy]

If the horsetrading you are referring to is to trade for your vote for a project or bill for my constituents for my vote for yours, then I am with you.

But if by horsetrading you are referring to my vote for a project or bill for money or gain for me and my family, then I am not with you, because this is bribery punishable by law.

[ObjectiveRealist]

Is the former really plausible without the latter?

[mec57]

Yeah, it is...

Just saw "Milk", and in that, you see him trading off on bills to pass with other people in SFO's government...but there weren't bribes.