Blago's March on Washington!

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Blago's March on Washington!

Posted Dec 30th 2008 6:40PM by Mo Rocca

Say this for Blago: he's got moxie. How could he even fit behind the podium at today's press conference with those cojones?!

Say this, too: he's a civil rights leader!

From the moment he patiently explained to us that Illinois would not be shortchanged in the Senate (unlike those sissy Minnesotans), he forged ahead with galling - and perversely thrilling - swagger. His holiday greetings were jocular. His sober remarks about his appointee's "unquestioned integrity" were delivered totally unironically. Even his hair had extra volume. (Sorry, but the 'do is kind of growing on me.) Not a hint of shame.

But it was the racial jujitsu, with the appointment of black state Rep. Roland Burris to the vacant senate seat, that had my head spinning. This guy's good. (Okay, I was kind of hoping he'd appoint Oprah or Caroline Kennedy. But the Burris choice is otherwise unbeatable.)

The entrance of black Rep. Bobby Rush sealed the brilliance of Blago's move. Suddenly this was a watershed moment in America's racial saga -- Blago's appointment of Burris an important step forward. The Nation of Islam hails Governor Louis Blagojekhan.

I used to think that former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey's overnight morph to a gay civil rights leader, to avoid ethics charges, was impressive. But McGreevey was already gay. Blago really had to stretch for this role -- and may have bagged an Oscar (or at least an NAACP image award).

Is Tom Wolfe writing this all down?!

Now come on, admit it, aren't you a little bit impressed?

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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)

1. I am truly overwhelmed. This man has swagger beyond anything I've seen.

I live in NYC, but take my hat off and totally admit Illinois politicians make the New York politicos look like amateurs.

Le Wilhelm at 6:25PM on Dec 30th 2008

2. Love Ya Mo! Totally agree - the CHUTZPAH is remarkable in it's completeness. He is tainting Obama's presidency before it even starts. The ego of him is astounding. What is wrong with Illinois - where is the Impeachemnt - the sanctions? Oh yea, Blago wouldn't care - he'd just keep on keeping on with his hubris. Lordy make him disappear!

Celiene at 9:08PM on Dec 30th 2008

3. My lily WHITE mother was sympathetic toward communism -- and hated Christianity..........

My birth father is a Muslim from Kenya............

My step-dad is a Muslim..............

My grandparents are atheist................

I attended a church for 20 years with a racist pastor that screamed "GOD DAMN (USA of KKK) AMERICA" in front of my young daughters..............

While I was anything but, I had to claim Christianity to be President.............

I started my political career in the living room of an domestic terrorist............

I won my first election by getting all of my opponents kicked off the ballot.........

WHO AM I?

Red at 8:02PM on Jan 1st 2009

4. Because no one in America "buys" a Senate seat.

Mo, you said it yourself: in New York, (I paraphrase) the two leading candidates (Caroline and J.Lo) are both in the $100 million+ club.

So, Blago wants a piece of the action and the next thing you know, he's Al Capone.

Why not give the New York seat to Wes Clark? He actually lived there for four years and he only has $62,000.00 in his 401K.

Of course, Blago isn't quite the genius we are giving him credit for. He actually wanted to cut a deal with Plaxico Burress, but his staff screwed up.

I say, let's move past the impeachment and get this guy and his wife a talk show. Of course, you'll need an auctioneer to monitor the "bleep" button.

Trivia: Who was born in January and worked as a bouncer at "Harvard?"

HNY:)

Edgar (Ned) Pepper, A.P. at 1:34PM on Dec 31st 2008

5. Ya gotta love the Blago! Harry Reid and 49 other white Democratic Senators will not allow a qualified Black Man to join their club. What's worse, Blago trying and failing to sell the seat or Reid savaging a qualified person because Blago exercised his lawful authority and picked him? If not Mr. Burris ,who? If not a Blago appointment, how?
The Democratics govern using the 3 I rule. Incompetent, Inept, Idiotic. Keep up the good work!

mcaccitolo at 1:45PM on Dec 31st 2008

6. Sorry folks,

I can't hang out down here;
there too much going on upstairs with Streisand and Jones!

The Trivia answer is...

Al Capone!

Actually, he worked as a bouncer at the "Harvard Inn."

Gotcha!

Ned Pepper at 2:16PM on Dec 31st 2008

7. WHO AM I?

Red at 8:02PM on Jan 1st 2009

xx

Mark David Chapman.

...and you've been into Hannity's hope chest again.

Sorry, Mark, Jodie Foster isn't going to be impressed with any of that crap either.

Clif Kuplen at 10:11PM on Jan 1st 2009

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Mo Rocca appears on a bunch of shows, including CBS News Sunday Morning (with the indescribably wonderful Charles Osgood), The Tonight Show on NBC, and NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He's a sometime judge on Iron Chef and was featured on Telemundo's Amore Descarado. Last year he starred on Broadway in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. His expose "All the President's Pets" was published by Crown in 2004.