Claudia Rosett on Blagojevich's Quoting Kipling:
How could I have missed it? Here's the opening stanza of Rosett's version:
If …. Kipling Only Knew
If you can keep your job while all about you
Are fielding bribes and blaming it on you,
If you can duck the Feds while all men doubt you,
And bleep-ing show the charges are untrue,
If you can fight and not be tired by fighting,
Or, being wiretapped, profess surprise,
Or argue that there will be no indicting
Because it’s all a bleep-ing pack of lies....
Read the whole poem.
This is the Ballad of Blagojevich
He's one dumb sonofabitch
He likes to steal and he likes to swear
You can't trust a guy with that kind of hair
He was being bugged—this was known
Even the mob don't use their own phone
Now Illinois is the only state
Where the governor makes your license plate
Etc.
Can't help looking at the guy without thinking "what's with that hair?"
As an Illinoisan and a sometime Democrat, I am glad the legislature is finally doing the right thing (after unforgivably failing to act quickly enough to remove the governor's power to fill the Senate vacancy).
'Whence comest thou, Gehazi,
So reverend to behold,
In scarlet and in ermines
And chain of England's gold?'
'From following after Naaman
To tell him all is well,
Whereby my zeal hath made me
A Judge in Israel.'
...
Thou mirror of uprightness,
What ails thee at thy vows?
What means the risen whiteness
Of the skin between thy brows?
The boils that shine and burrow,
The sores that slough and bleed--
The leprosy of Naaman
On thee and all thy seed?
Stand up, stand up, Gehazi,
Draw close thy robe and go,
Gehazi, Judge in Israel,
A leper white as snow!
Read the whole thing here:
http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/8500/
A comprehensive study of the poem and its background is available here:
http://www.kipling.org.uk/rg_gehazi_moore.htm
IL Supreme Court has ruled that Secy of State does not need to sign off. They have affirmed the legitimacy of the appointment.
US Senate rules state that Secy of State must sign off. Isn't this a violation of what little federalism we have left?
How far can the US government, via Senate rules, dictate the internal workings and organization of a state govt? Must a state even have a Secy of State?
One talking head on FOX invoked the supremecy clause, but does that apply to Senate rules? Of course the US Constitution and likely the US Code has supremecy over state law.
If Reid does not bend, this will go to SCOTUS and I'm betting SCOTUS declares that the Senate rule violates the separation of powers between the US and the states.
On the topic of Blago's corruption - while he was caught on tape, I do not believe he is an exceptionally corrupt pol. This is the norm in much of the US (may be not his vulgar language, but the spirit of the quid pro quo).
Looking at the earmarks for campaign contributions, it is amazing people (lawyers) arguing that we have to prove the "intent" that the earmark is in return for a contribution! And then we sit on our highhorse and sneer at "3rd world corruption" ...
Blago has done us a favor (while that may not be his "intent":)
If people will pay extra for vanity plates, what would they pay for a license plate stamped out by an ex-governor?
Maybe Blago could getcha one of them plates.
Like I said: Maybe.
Whatcha willin' ta pay?
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