Rod Blagojevich (D)

[Aliantha]

Well the CBS broadcast didn't. In fact they alluded to lots of communication between he and Obama even, along with his secretary of state. They clearly demonstrated the fact that he was a dem.

What news were you watching UG?

[Urbane Guerrilla]

New York Times is reported to have mentioned it subfusc, fourth paragraph. NBC News is reported not to have mentioned it at all.

Fox News keeps tabs on this kind of action by other news outlets, and, well, mentions it when and if. They note that a similar grudging revelation would not be the case when it's a Republican. It would instead be enthusiastically ballyhooed.

But to the wise man, the media's case for Republicans being mean ole repressoids just isn't proven, which is why all the Republican = Stupid unquestioned assuming in the Cellar suggests brains are not at work.

Between the findings of the Media Research Center and of Fox News, the case for American media bias is damning. The bias should be expected, and taken into account.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Your bias should be expected, and taken into account.

[Flint]

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

blah blah blah

. . . You're an idiot.

[classicman]

Thats why I love reading Flints posts! #what funniest cellarite?

[Shawnee123]

I love Flint's post too...er, posts, I meant posts.

[lookout123]

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

This reticence likely would not be the case were he a Republican, as previous scandals show. ...

I'll agree with UG *grabs heart* on this. If he were an R, then the news stories would have read, Republican Govenor Blowfish arrested on corruption... I think they're all crooks regardless of party but on this one detail UG is correct.

****
and then I read his post on the second page.

Because I haven't lived in Illinois (also known as outer Chicago) for a number of years I didn't remember whether he was R or D. The day the news story hit I was curious and I didn't find the answer until the fourth article I read on the issue. That, rather than Fox News, is where I got my impression of the situation.

[DanaC]

Yeah. But then, I'm pretty sure Fox will be emphasising his party and were he a republican they'd be playing it down.

[lookout123]

My point isn't a Fox = good, everyone else = bad. My observation was that i had to read four articles before finding information that should have been included in all articles regardless of source. When speaking of politians it is normal to see: (D) Senator Obama of Illinois... or (R) Senator McCain of Arizona. That's just the norm. These articles specifically ommitted any reference to party which is just stupid IMO.

Fox, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, ATDGAFGFEALMOP, have all become pretty faces focused on pushing their agendas at the expense of unbiased reporting of facts. It's a shame really.

[Pico and ME]

Originally Posted by DanaC

Yeah. But then, I'm pretty sure Fox will be emphasising his party and were he a republican they'd be playing it down.

For a while there, when there was Republican scandal after Republican scandal, a couple of times Fox put Democrat (instead of Republican) next to their names on the bottom of the screen blurbs. I think they did it with Foley mostly.

[glatt]

The first article I read on the subject listed him as a D. Maybe you guys should be reading the washington post.

[DanaC]

Originally Posted by Pico and ME

For a while there, when there was Republican scandal after Republican scandal, a couple of times Fox put Democrat (instead of Republican) next to their names on the bottom of the screen blurbs. I think they did it with Foley mostly.

*laughs* I remember seeing that on the Daily Show.

[lookout123]

Maybe. Most of the news I get during the day just pops up on the generic feeds I hit when logging out of sites, etc.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by lookout123

These articles specifically ommitted any reference to party which is just stupid IMO.

Fox, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, ATDGAFGFEALMOP, have all become pretty faces focused on pushing their agendas at the expense of unbiased reporting of facts. It's a shame really.

Not just stupid, more than likely intentional.

[classicman]

DON'T FIRE FITZ

WHEN Bill Clinton took office in January 1993, he was hearing the foot steps of Little Rock US Attorney Charles Banks, who was hot on his heels as he probed charges of corruption that swirled around the Watergate land deal. President Clinton decided, in one of his first acts, to fire all 93 US Attorneys - claiming he wanted a clean slate.

Many insiders suspected that the other 92 bodies were a cover for firing Banks and replacing him with Paula Casey, a Clinton ally.

US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald's indictment of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich raises a similar question as President-elect Barack Obama prepares to take office. Will the new president fire Fitzgerald?

In view of the often-close relationship between Blagojevich, Obama and other key members of the incoming administration, it would be a travesty were Fitzgerald's head to roll now. Consider:

* Fitzgerald has already indicted and convicted Antoin Rezko, Obama's friend and key financial backer who may have arranged for the then-state-senator to acquire his home and adjoining property on advantageous terms.

* Obama and incoming Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel were among an intimate circle of Blagojevich advisers when Blago first ran for governor in 2002. Emanuel says that he, Obama and others "participated in a small group that met weekly when Rod was running for governor. We basically laid out the general election, Barack and I and these two."

* Obama adviser and media guru David Axelrod worked for Blagojevich in his races for Congress before he ran for governor, although Axelrod (a consultant of uncommon integrity) refused to work for Blagojevich when he ran for governor.

* Even though Fitzgerald had already made clear that he was investigating the governor, following up "very serious allegations of endemic hiring fraud" and noted that he had "a number of credible witnesses," Obama vigorously backed Blagojevich for re-election in 2006. At the Illinois State Fair that August, ABC's Jake Tapper reported that Obama told the crowd, "We've got a governor in Rod Blagojevich who has delivered consistently on behalf of the people of Illinois."

This is a great opportunity for Obama if he is truly free of any of this, and I certainly hope he is, to be the leader and be as forthright as he claimed he would be during the election.