Blagojevich Puts the "Pimp" Back into Politicking

Posted by Devona Walker, The Young Turks at 7:20 AM on December 11, 2008.

I have watched with amusement and disgust as everyone and their mother gets into the Obama merchandizing game: Commemorative plates, coins, sneakers, thongs, t-shirts.

I have coined it "politipimping." Mainstream media sells out its newspaper boxes, likely for the first time since the 2000 presidential election, then the copies sell for even more the next day on E-Bay. CNN attempts to dazzle us with their holograms. Then, they all leave us wondering what kind of dog will the Obama's choose to join them in the White House.

What's next? Illinois Rod Blagojevich answered that question Tuesday.

Here's a guy already under investigation, already being wire-tapped by the FBI, trying to sell the President-elect's U.S. Senate Seat to the highest bidder.

It was a little akin to one of those annoying episodes of America's Dumbest Criminals especially since it appears as if Obama loyalist Valerie Jarrett is the person who blew the whistle on the whole sharade, most likely after he tried to shake her down.

But even more so, it puts the world of politics back into a rightful perspective.

Blagojevich is a pimp. He tried pimping Obama's Senate Seat while he was already under investigation for trying to withhold state assistance to the Tribune Company in connection with the sale of Wrigley Field "to induce the firing of Chicago Tribune editorial board members sharply critical" of him.

Here's a list of just some of the things Blagojevich is alleged to have wanted in return for something that didn't belong to him (Much like a pimp brokers the sale of someone else's body).

• He wanted to trade the seat for an appointment to Obama's staff (e.g. the Secretary of Health and Human Services).
• He wanted to sell the Senate seat in exchange for his wife's placement on paid corporate boards or his placement at a private foundation with a substantial salary.
• He wanted to sell it in exchange for millions of dollars in funding for a non-profit organization that he would start and that would employ him at a substantial salary after he left the governorship.

On the day before the presidential election, Blagojevich reportedly said that "if . . . they're not going to offer anything of any value, then I might just take it."

Later on the same day, some Obama advisors expressed that the President-elect was interested in having one of his advisors (many believe this to be Jarrett) take the post. During the call, Blagojevich said "Unless I get something real good for [Senate Candidate 1], shit, I'll just send myself, you know what I'm saying," he said.  "I'm going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain. You hear what I'm saying. And if I don't get what I want and I'm not satisfied with it, then I'll just take the Senate seat myself."

And the wire tapes go on and on. This man's arrogance and stupidity goes on and on.

Within a few days, the Obama campaign announced Jarrett would remain in Washington. It looks as if they refused to play ball with the Blago "the pimp."

Good for them. Hell, that's GOOD for America.

But it does not change the course of history. Pay to play is apparently a rule of life for some politicians. It has a long history in many large cities. It has a broad reach across both aisles.

Obviously, Blago has been conducting business in this manner for a while. This might explain his 4% percent approval rating and the multiple federal investigations.

But, here's a message to the masses and to the "pimps" in Washington: we are just now, finally, ridding ourselves of the last eight years of politipimping, and there is zero tolerance for the same old game being played by a new set of characters.

Tagged as: corruption, senate, fbi, barack obama, illinois, governor, "rod, blagojevich"