Blagojevich: Guilty Scapegoat

Sure, Blagojevich deserved to be impeached. He was a rotten, corrupt politician based on the evidence presented. You don't have to trust me, the Illinois Congress and the FBI decided that. I think it's beyond doubt that he had nefarious intentions, not just with Obama's vacant Senate seat, but with other campaign functions as well.

However, I contend that Blagojevich is not unique, and that he is conveniently being used as a dumping ground by his own party. Perhaps, if they project on to him every conceivable vice and act of corruption, then they will look white as snow in comparison. Or, since he started to sink anyway, why not load him up and send him to the depths, neatly cutting all ties that we should believe never existed in the first place.

What Blagojevich did was despicable, but I think it is a window into a world that remains hidden, rather than some isolated incident which is unrelated to the other machinations of government.

Ask anyone who has ever tried to win a business contract in New Orleans or New York about all the pocket lining and padding that goes on behind the scenes. Or all the compliance with under-the-table union money that must be passed out before they can do anything in "their city." And Chicago has not been a stranger to these happenings. It has long been a place of rampant corruption.

Perhaps Blago's pitfall was that he was trying to cut deals without including other politicians, and they won't stand for that. More likely, it's that he was trying to sell a Senate seat that once belonged to Barack Obama, and in order to keep Obama clean, Blagojevich had to go.

David Axelrod (Obama aide and spokesperson) told the press, before the fecal matter hit the fan, that of course Obama was consulting with Blagojevich on who his replacement would be. That's what a caring guy Obama is! Then, two weeks later, Axelrod goes out and says that never, at any point, did Obama have any discussions with Blagojevich. Obama had an internal, closed door investigation of his staff to see if there was any wrong doing by any of his people. Amazingly, they declared themselves clear!

Barack helped structure Blagojevich's campaign for Governor. David Axelrod, now advisor to Obama, used to be an advisor to Blagojevich. Rahm Emanuel, Obama's new Chief of Staff, used to work for Blagojevich. Tony Rezko was a fundraiser for both men. There are all kinds of connections. And even if there weren't, are we supposed to believe that Obama never spoke to Blagojevich on the minor and completely inconsequential matter of who would inhereit his Senate seat? Right.

My point is not that Obama is up to his neck in this, though he may well be. The point is that Blagojevich is being crucified in the hope that he will absorb all the elements of corruption in the public's mind. Like a sponge, he will soak up all the bad stuff, and everyone else can go along their merry way. I don't buy it, and you shouldn't either.