Blago Wanted Burris To Pay For Senate Seat - Is Anyone Shocked By This?

From 2-14-09 Sun Times Story:


Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's brother solicited U.S. Sen. Roland Burris for up to $10,000 in campaign cash before Blagojevich named Burris to the coveted post -- something Burris initially failed to disclose under oath before an Illinois House impeachment panel, records and interviews show.

Burris acknowledges being hit up for the money in a new affidavit he has sent to the head of the House committee that recommended Blagojevich be removed from office.

» Click to enlarge image Rod Blagojevich introduces Sen. Roland Burris as his choice to fill Barack Obama's then-vacant Senate seat in December 2008. Burris acknowledges that Blagojevich sought $10,000 in campaign contributions from Burris.
(Richard A. Chapman/Sun-Times)



The affidavit is dated Feb. 5 -- three weeks after Burris was sworn in to replace President Obama in the Senate.

Burris -- who did not give money to the Blagojevich campaign fund in response to the previously undisclosed solicitation -- provided a copy of the sworn statement to the Chicago Sun-Times Friday in response to questions about his contacts with the Blagojevich camp about fund-raising.

Burris acknowledged having three conversations with Robert Blagojevich, who headed the Friends of Blagojevich campaign fund -- and one of those was likely recorded by the FBI.

Burris' statement offers the third version of events he has given about his discussions concerning the Senate seat, to which Blagojevich appointed him in late December, after Blagojevich was hit with federal corruption charges that included an allegation he tried to sell the Senate appointment.

Burris said he sent the new statement to House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago) after he read the transcript of his testimony before the impeachment committee she headed and realized it was incomplete. "There were several facts that I was not given the opportunity to make during my testimony," Burris said. "I voluntarily submitted an affidavit so everything was transparent."

In October and again in November, Burris spoke with Robert Blagojevich, who initially asked him to host a fund-raiser. Burris said he'd get back to him after the election, sources with knowledge of the conversations said. The two later talked again, and Burris again was asked for campaign cash.

Burris said he refused to contribute and "made it unequivocally clear ... that it would be inappropriate and pose a major conflict because I was interested in the Senate vacancy."

A source with knowledge of the exchange said there was some discussion about Burris possibly getting others to give or raise money on his behalf. Not so, according to Burris: "I did not donate or help raise a single dollar for the governor from those conversations and would never consider making a donation through a third party."

In all, Burris expressed interest in the Senate seat to five people in Blagojevich's camp, documents obtained by the Sun-Times show. He disclosed just one of those contacts when asked Jan. 8 by state Rep. James Durkin (R-Western Springs) during the impeachment hearings to name any contact he had with Blagojevich's people about the seat.

"I'm very surprised he didn't make these disclosures," Durkin said. "I don't know if Mr. Burris was purposely being evasive during the committee or had selected memory issues."

In a sworn statement filed with the House panel Jan. 5, before he testified, Burris said he had no contact with Blagojevich's camp about the Senate seat aside from his appointment in late December. In testimony before the committee, he added that he spoke with Lon Monk, Blagojevich's former chief of staff. In his new affidavit, Burris confirms he also spoke of his interest in the Senate appointment with Blagojevich insiders John Harris, Doug Scofield and John Wyma.

The discussions with Robert Blagojevich about money came after Burris spoke with those people. Burris had told the House committee he was unaware of any quid pro quo dangled by Blagojevich's camp.

Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) said Burris' new statement regarding his contact with Blagojevich's emissaries represents a "fatal wound" to a potential 2010 Burris re-election bid. His new account contains "extraordinary detail" Burris should have disclosed to the impeachment panel when he testified and to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) before being seated, Radogno said.

"If it turns out this was some sort of attempt to avoid this coming out as part of the appointment process, then he doesn't deserve to be senator," Radogno said. "I think the whole thing stinks to high heaven."

Currie acknowledged receiving Burris' letter but said she was unfamiliar with its contents.

After being read Burris' account of his dealings with Robert Blagojevich, Currie said: "Very odd. I don't know there is anything actionable here, but I would like to check the record."

Scholarships for AA Females

Florida A & M University is providing an outstanding opportunity for Black women entering college in the fall of 2009. It is designed to address their absence in the field of computer technology. Dr. Jason Black is the Principal Investigator of a recently awarded $552,000 NSF Grant entitled African-American Women in Computer Science. The grant provides scholarships from $4000 to $10,000 per year for female African American students.

We need your help to get the word out about this great opportunity to build back up the enrollment of women in the CIS Department. Pass this information along to high school or community college students, their parents, and to guidance counselors you may know. The full text of the press release can be found at the link below:


http://www.famu.edu/index.cfm?a=headlines&p=display&news=602&archive

And Also Pay Attention to Blago

There is an old saying, "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned". That saying can now be updated to include "hell hath no fury like a politician impeached".

Blago has been going around telling some secrets. Like that some are "drunken politicians" and others who "cheat on their wifes".

Cam we get him to talk about daley and what he may be up to?

It's going to get very, very interestting!

PAY ATTENTION CHICAGO! PAY ATTENTION!

If you have never before in your life paid attention to what is going on in this city, now is the time more than ever. Why? Because not only is our economy in the tank but we have some double standards going on in our city. Last Thursday, Chicago police raided a condo on the southwest side. Inside, they found drugs and weapons. They arrested Casey Crawford, 28, who lives at the condo with a young woman. Guess who owns the condo? Asst. Supt. Beatrice Cuello, the No. 3 top cop in the Chicago Police Department and mother of the young woman living in the condo with guns and drugs.

How come this high-ranking police official and her daughter are now being given a pass for the guns and drugs found at the condo? Any other person in this city will see their property seized, their lives ruined and their jobs lost - but not if you help run the CPD. In less than 12 hours, the department allowed the daughter to go free and declared her innocent, having nothing to do with the drugs and guns in her condominium. We're not talking about some place with a basement or attic. We're talking about an apartment.

Did you pay attention to the City Council Police and Fire Committee hearing last Friday with Police Supt. Jody Weiss? They were questioning our very highly-compensated superintendent about how the department was scammed by a 14-year-old kid impersonating a police officer. Some of the aldermen's questions to Weiss were absolutely worthless. Ald. Sharon Dixon (24th), who was arrested a few weeks ago for intoxication, kept throwing out innuendos about good cops (the ones who work with her) and bad cops (the ones who arrested her). Adding nothing else to the questioning were Aldermen Ed Smith (28th) and Walter Burnett (27TH). But I must give kudos to Ald. Isaac Carothers (29th), who chairs the committee. He did an excellent job of ferreting out the facts. It went something like this:

How did the 14-year-old get in the building? Answer: through the back door. Does the door have a lock? Answer: yes. Was the lock broke? - no. So if the door has a lock and the lock wasn't broke, how did he get in? - the back door was open. Why was the door open? Answer: it was propped open to allow the police officers easy access (As well as the 14-year-old who came in through it.)

Supt. Weiss also attempted to place the blame for no one noticing he wasn't in full uniform on the officer who was assigned to work with the kid. Ald. Carothers made a very salient point. If the department is a paramilitary organization, then only a higher-level officer can question another officer about their uniform standards. In other words, a sergeant can question an officer; a lieutenant can question both the sergeant and officer. But police officers can't question one another about their dress. Weiss had to admit that was the truth.

We also got to learn that there has been a burglary at the 35th and Michigan headquarters of a laptop and possibly a desktop computer. Supt. Weiss works on the fifth floor, the same floor where the computers came up stolen. So, hopefully when the Secret Service comes in to check security at individual police stations, they will also take a look at Jody's own backyard to make sure things don't continue to come up missing from right under his nose.

A lot has been said about the officer who rode with the 14 year old in the police car. But let me be the first to say that many an officer will tell you that they ride with other officers all the time and never speak more than one or two words between them. The officer who rode with the kid is now suing the city, claiming that her life was endangered by being assigned to a car with a kid. We need to support that officer because just like at most jobs, you don't get to pick and choose your coworkers.

Lastly, by now you should have gotten the first installment of your 2008 property tax bill. As many of us struggle to pay the higher bill based on now incorrect assessments-as most neighborhoods houses have lost value-make sure to count the boarded up houses on your blocks or surrounding your home. I drive through the Marquette Park neighborhood several times a week. Every block has two to three boarded up homes and at least two vacant homes where the front porch covered in snow hasn't seen a footprint. All the while, your mayor sits around talking about an Olympic bid-which won't benefit black Chicago, mind you-as if we can afford such a luxury.

Pay attention Chicagoans and then get mad. Get angry and remember that those who sit at the head of these tables are elected and not permanently entitled to those jobs. If our country can change presidents every four to eight years, surely we can change one mayor and a bunch of aldermen too.

Is it Really That Easy To Spot A 14-Yr-Old?

Years ago I knew a young man who always acted as if he were the security person at Lafollette Park. He would in the summer wear fatigues, t-shirt and carry around his waist a belt that looked like he had some sort of pepper spray weapon. The point is that he was 14-yr-old but his mannerism always gave off the illusion that he was much older. At least 20-yrs-old.

Vicent Richardson fooled a lot of people because no one was looking for him to be other than what he appeared to be. If JFed and now the aldermen are going to go ballistic on what Vicent pulled off, we the citizens of Chicago need to make sure that those at the top, who are compensated the most are the first to take the blame.

Plus, just because two people sit in a car together, that doesn't mean they have to talk to each other. I wonder how many of our aldermen never speak to each other?

Nadya Suleman and Her 8 babies - Sell the naming rights

I watched her interview or what they've shown of it so far. All I can say is that the woman is a nut case. The "I will go to school in the fall" is already sounding like someone who has lost their reality.

California law says for newborn, the ratio of chldren to caretakers is 4:1. Nadya is already in violation of that law for a babysitter.

Since her children are currently named A thru H, she should sell the "naming rights" to the kids to take in money.

Where Is The Outrage Over This Child's Treatment?

Vincent Richardson is the 14 year old who two weeks ago walked into a police station on the South Side dressed in a real Chicago Police Department uniform and reported for duty.

Now anyone reading this column should be outraged right now. Why? Because as a 14-year-old child, the news outlets should have used their common sense and not have allowed his name to be made public.

But even more than his name, which I understand his mother released to the press (still doesn't mean that the press should have gone ahead and used it), but there is a photo of him taken while he sat in the lockup at the police department.

That photo was featured on the front page of the Chicago Sun-Times and is making the rounds over the Internet. Now that is a complete violation of a juvenile's right to privacy.

So I'm going to start of by asking several questions. Our activist ministers always seem to find the time to go pray with the politicians whose adult behavior has gotten themselves in trouble. Where are they now that a child - obviously one who has some problems - has had his face and name plastered all over while a Chicago police officer can commit any crime against a citizen, and we never even learn the officer's gender?

What about our politicians who staged a boycott and protest for more money for the Chicago Public Schools? Where are their voices in outrage when one of those students is being exploited?

If you want to know why young people see the older generation as hypocrites, one needs look no further than the case of Vincent Richardson. And I only use his name because it is already out there.

I don't condone what he did. He put himself in danger. He exposed a huge security flaw in the practices or lack thereof at the CPD. He put the life of the officer he was assigned to patrol with at risk.

There can be no sicker feeling for any on-duty officer than to find out that for five hours the person who was assigned to work with you and have your back was a kid with newspaper stuffed in a pretend bullet proof vest and an empty holster for a gun.

But to see the headlines in the newspapers is to believe that Vincent is on the same page with some of the teenage kids who go and shoot up a school. The outrage from JFed, the nickname given to Jody Weis, our ex-FBI, $300,000-a-year-plus police superintendent, who never patrolled a city street in his entire life, was predictable.

He declared that heads would roll. Our mayor? As usual he puts the blame on others to deflect from any of us having a Kodak moment and remembering that he put Jody Weis in as head of the police department.

But whose fault is it really? Right now the finger pointing is starting from the bottom. The officer who rode with Vincent should have noticed he was a kid. The commander who allowed him on the street should have done something. And on and on. But what of our highly compensated police superintendent as well as the mayor? Shouldn't the buck stop at the top?

After reading the latest news that Vincent is currently being held in a juvenile detention center, I couldn't help juxtaposing his situation with another story in the paper that day of someone else who is "locked up" as well.

That is Flor Crisostomo, the illegal alien who is currently avoiding a deportation order by refusing to leave Adalberto United Methodist Church on West Division.

When you look at their situations side-by-side, both of them just wanted to work. Both of them were doing a job most of us don't want to do. Both of them lied about their legal ability to work. Both of them don't have driver's licenses. Both of them are guilty of pretending to be something other than what they really are - one a CPD officer the other a U.S. citizen.

So why is one in custody and the other not? I thought Chicago is a sanctuary city - right?