[I got my timeline mixed up when I said that Rahm Emmanuel had a role as President Barack Obama’s Chief of Staff in assigning Patrick Fitzgerald the prosecution of Scooter Libby.
[I have moved the incorrect assertion to the bottom of the article so my critics can still point to it.]
Yesterday when Zach Fardon was finally sworn in as Fitzgerald’s replacement, what did Emmanuel do?
Rahm Emmanuel wants new U.S. Attorney Zach Fardon to make gun control his top priority, rather than political corruption.
He called for the U.S. Attorney’s Office to spend more time on getting guns off the streets of Chicago.
I’m surprised he didn’t come right out and ask for half of the FBI Agents working on the two political corruption task forces to be re-assigned to the project.
In any event, it is important to try to figure out the real goals of politicians when they announce something newsworthy.
In Emmanuel’s case yesterday, some might argue that all he was trying to do was draw attention from the increased taxes and fees in his budget roll out.
My suspicious mind, however, thinks grabbing the front page of the Chicago Tribune in an attempt to intimidate the new U.S. Attorney, who made his reputation chasing political crooks, has more depth.
Emmanuel and other Democrats don’t want the Feds poking into the deals going down in city, suburban and state government.
= = = = =
The original top of this article, which was incorrect:
In a reprise from the days when Rahm Emmanuel was President Barack Obama’s Chief of Staff, the now-Chicago Mayor is trying to divert the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’ Office from fighting political corruption.
While Patrick Fitzgerald was U.S. Attorney, the diversion came in the form of appointing Fitzgerald to prosecute Scooter Libby in the Valerie Plame affair.
That, of course, might have diverted his attention from corruption in northern Illinois.
There was also the report that the Chicago office of the U.S. Attorney was assigned to work on a treaty concerning Antarctica.
Get assistant U.S. Attorneys working on something else and there’s less manpower to prosecute political crooks.
It was not Emmanuel who tried to divert Fitzgerald from fighting political corruption in Illinois.
I assert it was the other half of John Kass’ “political combine.”
It was Illinois Establishment Republicans.
I only got through the first sentence of your post.
Please explain to me how Rahm’s decision to go forward with this are a “reprisal” of his tenure in the White House.
You support it with the statement: “While Patrick Fitzgerald was U.S. Attorney, the diversion came in the form of appointing Fitzgerald to prosecute Scooter Libby in the Valerie Plame affair. That, of course, MIGHT have diverted his attention from corruption in northern Illinois.”
Have any evidence to support this claim because basically what you are saying is, “Because Rahm asked Fitzgerald to take a case, that means that he was intentionally diverting the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s office to prosecute corruption in Illinois.”
Pants on fire, CAl. Pants on FIRE.
Nothing would give me greater pleasure, than to hear about the former College Dance Major and serial opportunist.
Someday giving his best imitation Josephine Baker ‘Banana Dance’ performance, to fellow inmates, at a Medium Security Fed Prison.
In music, “a reprise” 1] is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition…
Guess you haven’t lived in Illinois long enough to believe conspiracies exist.
I have.
And, as my father used to say, “If it sounds logical then it probably happened.”
Perhaps you should re-read what this blog is about:
I have expressed my opinion in this post.
Fair Play may be on to something.
My first political memory, is of $800 K found stuffed in shoeboxes, in Powell’s Springfield hotel room after he died in the 70’s.
Judging by the outcome of elections every cycle since than to now. Illinois Voters and Fair Play need a larger sample size of corruption, before they figure it out.
@Cal – I didn’t ask you to clarify what a reprisal is and am well capable to use Google, but thank you for that clarification.
I was asking you to clarify if there were any facts to back up your opinion in the first line of your post that Rahm pulling Fitzgerald off the beat in Northern Illinois for the Valerie Plane case led to MORE corruption in Illinois.
Since you provided no facts, I’ll assume your opinion is a bunch of ox dung – which you are entitled to based on the first amendment. But it is a big disservice to readers of the blog if they are looking for opinions based in fact and not just opinions pulled out of the air because it suits your snarky blog post.
P.S.: One may consider the quote from your father an anecdote and anecdotal evidence, in law or politics, is normally considered as reliable as Ted Cruz showing up for a Greenpeace meeting.
@D.J. Traeger – Don’t put words in my mouth and doing so in such a sarcastic manner just shows the limited ability for your to create a well reasoned argument as you fall back on namecalling. There IS corruption, but it’s everywhere. If you think our state is any worse off, you are sorely mistaken. We are just as bad as everywhere else in the country. Your naivete to the state of other states corrupt politics leads me to believe maybe you shouldn’t have an opinion. Do some research on New Jersey then get back to me. But, most likely, you won’t see this because Cal hates when people come at him with annoying things like journalistic integrity. He has quite the history of censorship on this site.
Geez Fair Play, just tell us the time, not how to build the clock. I don’t see where I called you any names and for that I apologize.
But in case you haven’t noticed, this is Cal’s Ballpark and Cal sets the ground rules. You can set up your own blog anytime. Good luck with that.
Cal — can you explain, how, exactly, Rahm chose Fitzgerald to investigate the Plame scandal, when that investigation ended before Obama (and in turn Rahm) even took office?
But hey — lets not let facts get in the way of clearly biased story.
**crickets**
Come on, Cal. Your entire post is based on the premise that Rahm is doing what he did previously and distracting the US Attorney from taking on corruption.
Yet the one example you give absolutely did not happen.
And you’re not even going to respond?
They Lie and we ask why ?
Decade after Decade we bend over mumbling
Thank you may I have another.