Dean: ‘You Gotta Hand It to Blagojevich’
EmailABC News’ Teddy Davis reports:
Howard Dean thinks Rod Blagojevich is in hot soup.
But when the chairman of the Democratic National Committee was wearing his pundit hat during a Wednesday appearance on MSNBC’s "Hardball," he could not help but admire the embattled Illinois governor’s progress in pressuring Washington Democrats to seat former state Attorney General Roland Burris as Barack Obama’s replacement in the U.S. Senate.
"You gotta hand it to Blagojevich," said Dean. "What a maneuver! What a maneuver! When his back was against the wall he outsmarted a lot of people. . .
"He’ll probably end up in really bad trouble," Dean added, "but he’ll have something to tell his grandchildren."
Burris still faces hurdles before he can fill Obama’s seat, but the fact that top Senate Democrats now see a path for him to join "the world’s greatest deliberative body" was a remarkable reversal from last week when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid seemed determined to block Burris, the first African American elected to statewide office in Illinois, from joining the U.S. Senate.
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The world’s greatest deliberative body? They certainly didn’t deliberate much when they gave all that tarp money to the banks. They didn’t take into account excessive salaries, bonuses, pay cuts, etc. or anything else to make these banks more efficient. When will we be paid back our hard earned money? They couldn’t wait to give them all kinds of money with no strings attached whatsoever.
Posted by: ET | January 7, 2009, 8:53 pm 8:53 pm
I agree that Blago out smarted everyone. The democrats thought they could throw him under the bus. Blago exposed PAY TO PLAY politics. This practice is not limited to Chicago but is corruption of all our politicians. I expect a lot more will fall with Blago.In a way we need to thank him. Maybe this kind of corruption will end.Maybe..
Posted by: CW | January 7, 2009, 8:55 pm 8:55 pm
Dean is absolutely right on every point he made. Illinois Governor Blago is not quite as dumb as they thought. Now they really hate him – LOL. I’ll keep him in my prayers – he’ll need Devine help! Lord only knows what the other “related” crooked Illinois politicians are planning for Blago next.
Posted by: Jackie | January 7, 2009, 8:58 pm 8:58 pm
It’s a sad state of affairs when one crooked Chicago gangster can “outsmart” the entire Democratic congress. On the other hand . . . I’m really not thatsurprised.
Posted by: rplat | January 7, 2009, 9:07 pm 9:07 pm
A crooked democrat? Impossible!
Posted by: LongT | January 7, 2009, 9:18 pm 9:18 pm
rplat…You said….”It’s a sad state of affairs when one crooked Chicago gangster can “outsmart” the entire Democratic congress. On the other hand . . . I’m really not that surprised.”…I agree with you. It does remind me of another crooked Chicago politician who conned people into electing him President of USA.
Pretty sad indeed.
Posted by: CW | January 7, 2009, 9:22 pm 9:22 pm
Not too hard to outsmart reid and the gang
Posted by: bob | January 7, 2009, 9:24 pm 9:24 pm
It really doesn’t matter anymore. The reality is ALL politicians are corrupt, low life scum who delight in wasting other peoples money.
Posted by: John | January 7, 2009, 9:25 pm 9:25 pm
Blago has the last laugh, Harry Reid gets to eat crow and the Democrats look like fools.
Posted by: jim 234 | January 7, 2009, 9:33 pm 9:33 pm
Congress has done squat during the last 8 years. They are an irrelevant bunch of spineless crooks, most of them.
Posted by: John Kovacs | January 7, 2009, 9:42 pm 9:42 pm
Harry Reid ALWAYS gets to eat crow. The man talks big, then backs down. He has no spine, he should not be there.
Posted by: John Kovacs | January 7, 2009, 9:43 pm 9:43 pm
Blago will eventually talk as will Resko and the world will then know the extent of Obama’s corruption in the gangster political world of Chicago which Obama was a big part of!
Posted by: rockychance | January 7, 2009, 10:02 pm 10:02 pm
Take a serious look at the Idiots running Washington—they give bankers hundreds of billions to squirrel away in their vaults and pay their buddies and of course the whimp Bush bailed out the auto workers for he as always was afraid to stand up to the liberals. THE ANSWER is not blowing in the wind but give the banks one year to loan out at least have the zillions they got or pay it back to the taxpayers. Put the money in the people’s hands in the form of incentives to refinance high interest loans and buy cars or else it will all be squandered by the auto workers and the bankers will laugh all the way to the bank-wait they are already there gloating over stealing the people’s money from dopey Bush and Congress
Posted by: rockychance | January 7, 2009, 10:07 pm 10:07 pm
We’re still giving out holiday hand-outs to the financial institutions, with no accountability, unlike the auto industry, which Bush has specific demands that the auto industry must meet in exchange for the loan, or risk returning all the money. And don’t trust Republicans in sheep’s clothing. Not many are truly fiscal conservatives…they only give lip service, at best.
Posted by: ConservativesForJustice | January 7, 2009, 10:26 pm 10:26 pm
I think maybe people should stop and ask themselves, “What would Nixon have said about Blagojevich”? I think you might realize that Howard Dean has it pretty much on the money, and it may explain why Dean is not going anywhere in the Obama administration.
He may well be a talented organizer, but a moral mediocrity.
Posted by: TimR | January 7, 2009, 11:13 pm 11:13 pm
THANK YOU ILLINOIS MACHINE POLITICS!
Sincerely, The National Republican Committee
Posted by: Kris in AL | January 7, 2009, 11:22 pm 11:22 pm
Blago,Blago,Blago…..somewhere there’s a group of AIG execs sitting in a richly appointed hunting lodge sipping on scotch at taxpayer’s expense and laughing at what a crook this guy is–ironic and absolutely true to the tune of $86,000
Posted by: dave | January 7, 2009, 11:26 pm 11:26 pm
No Howie – Blago outsmarted you and the dimwitted neanderthals that have risen to the top of the Democrat party like green algae on a stagnant lake.
There are bunches of us so called “folksy” people that could tell this was “coming from a country mile.”
I guess the gilded tower dwellers will have to tip their hats to the scrappy crooks from Chicago that have sociopathic manipulation imprinted on their DNA from the very first moment they bid for public office.
Of course, no hard feelings here…
Posted by: NPage | January 7, 2009, 11:51 pm 11:51 pm
Reid only embarresed himself and the Senate. Neither party is worth a darn!!
Posted by: yea right | January 8, 2009, 1:03 am 1:03 am
Blago was clearly a tremendously skillful politician and extremely shrewd. Too bad his talents have been squandered and he will go down for his corruption. Would have loved to hear the conversation between Burris and Harry Reid. One thing for sure, when Burris gets seated I’m sure Harry will always be able to count on his vote or anything else he needs.
Posted by: hopesprings52 | January 8, 2009, 1:06 am 1:06 am
What corruption?
The U.S. Attorney in Chicgao
is a two-bit worthless lawyer.
In his 76-page complaint
against Blago there’s not
a thing that Blago did which
can be described as unlawful.
The U.S. Attorney should be
sent to prison for at least
five years for defaming the
governor’s character.
Posted by: anon | January 8, 2009, 1:28 am 1:28 am
“Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid seemed determined to block Burris, the first African American elected to statewide office in Illinois, from joining the U.S. Senate”.
Burris wasn’t elected he was appointed and he would not be the first black Illinois Senator. MSM screws up the facts again.
Posted by: Guardian | January 8, 2009, 1:39 am 1:39 am
Let’s get rid of all the corrupt, spineless democrats in Washington and in Illinois. Look what they have achieved since taking power 3 years ago – nothing!
Posted by: Mihann | January 8, 2009, 2:20 am 2:20 am
Well Done Blago I like to see white people pull the race card and make it happen for them three cheers he has my full support
Posted by: Real republican | January 8, 2009, 4:37 am 4:37 am
a crook is a crook, they all end up in d.c.
Posted by: hemmett | January 8, 2009, 6:50 am 6:50 am
A typical Dean comment. To him it is not the end but the means. This myopia is what he suffered from when he was hell-bent on getting Hillary elected to the White House. He was so focused on that method that he could not see that the people wanted a party outsider, namely Obama. Mr. Dean, help the Democratic party and resign. Signed, a former conservative Democrat, now an Indedpendent.
Posted by: Brown | January 8, 2009, 6:52 am 6:52 am
Posted by: anon | Jan 8, 2009 1:28:05 AM
“Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid seemed determined to block Burris, the first African American elected to statewide office in Illinois, from joining the U.S. Senate”.
Burris wasn’t elected he was appointed and he would not be the first black Illinois Senator. MSM screws up the facts again.
Read it again. “STATEWIDE” office. Burris is the first AA elected to an Illinois STATE office. That’s an office in Springfield, Illinois…not Washington, DC. The Senate is a NATIONAL office. ABC did not screw it up. You did.
Posted by: creeper | January 8, 2009, 7:13 am 7:13 am
Hey,yea right, I agree and we must remember; Reid- white leader, Burris-now Senate house slave.
Posted by: hadenuff | January 8, 2009, 7:43 am 7:43 am