Goodness!  That did it for me.  Children and puppies.

I don’t care what he did, just give him a presidential pardon or something.

He goes to prison  -  while BushDrunk, Chaney & Rove walk free.  Something deeply wrong there.

Bush and Cheney lie us into a major war, Obama declares he has the right to murder Americans, and it’s Blagojevich doing fourteen friggin’ years in prison?  Really?

There’s something wrong with your thinking if you defend Blago.

They’re not defending him; can’t you read?

I was seriously going to make a joke about getting another dog and naming it Daddy, but then Blago had to go and say it himself.  … Not that he meant it the same way I do.

So, if this is allegedly worth 14 years, when are we going to get around to enforcing the rule of law in this country?  Because Bush and Cheney are still walking around as proud as if they were heroes after lying to us, starting a useless war, getting innocent soldiers and civilians killed, wasting our money, and ruining our reputation even more.  Not to mention crapping all over the Constitution and our civil liberties, along with the vast majority of our Congressmen and our current President.

The law is supposed to apply to everyone equally, so why are all of these men and women — who are genuine traitors to the few values almost all sane Americans can agree on — still in office?  Why are most of them not hiding in shame or in jail?

Blagojevich is a corrupt fool who deserves some jail times, but why are the worse criminals still in charge?  And what will it take to clean up this system?  I’m tired of living in a country where the worst of us gain political power then become more corrupt by the day.

Welcome to the decline of an evil empire, bro.

I wasn’t responding to some sense of injustice with Blagojevick or anyone else.

I think most people look at the facial expressions of Blagojevick’s children and devoutly wish that there was some way and somehow that it didn’t have to be this way for them.

Blago has been signed, sealed and delivered, on a long prison sentence, unlike other corrupt politicians like delay who haven’t served a day.  So he got a new homeless dog?  Now you’re going to crucify him for that?

The gross part is to put the kids on TV.  He will have a long time to sit in jail and think about what he has done to his kids and the people who believed in him.  What a piece of crap – the lowest form of used car salesman.

I agree there a lot people that need to go to prison like some of the Bankers and others who committed fraud.  This seems a little too drastic.  

If you think about it, when you are a corrupt governor, you can essentially defraud billions of dollars in taxpayer money.  Thus, while initially, I thought it was too long, political corruption leads to Corzine and Bernie Madoff type fraud where billions of dollars are involved.  Indirectly, that can lead to less money for programs to feed the poor, schools that don’t educate children (leading to a lifetime of missed opportunities.  A corrupt governor who gives government contracts and senate positions based on payback versus merit is incredibly destructive.  

So, 14 years fits his crime just ad the ‘lifetime’ sentence fit Madoff.  While not violent, the amount of destruction of lives is actually very wide and affects thousands of lives directly and much more indirectly.    

I think of the children that go to school systems like DC and Chicago that are expensive and think only corruption explains how so much money is spent, yet so many children can get a lousy education Meanwhile, the bureaucrats in the educational system live in massive houses.  Good teachers, meanwhile, have to buy kids their supplies.  Corruption explains why the system continues this way, and they matter just as much as Blago’s kids do.  

Blago was on tape to prove he was the master of crony capitalism.   If he had owned up to his crime, he wouldn’t have gotten the full term.    Don’t be sad, in Obama’s final days in office, Blago will either get pardoned or his sentence reduced significantly. I’ll be impressed if I’m wrong, but Chicago politics is pretty consistent.  Everyone owes someone a favor.  

The majority of the comments here are ridiculous.  Trust in government and abiding by the people’s will is the bedrock this nation was founded upon.  Blago’s violated one of the most sacred trusts in this country.

Agree. Why is he still putting himself, and worse, his children in the spotlight, again? This could have been done privately. He has no shame dragging his family out to try to win sympathy.

“The community of nations may see more and more of the very kind of threat Iraq poses now: a rogue state with weapons of mass destruction, ready to use them or provide them to terrorists. If we fail to respond today, Saddam and all those who would follow in his footsteps will be emboldened tomorrow.” — Bill Clinton in 1998

“Iraq does pose a serious threat to the stability of the Persian Gulf and we should organize an international coalition to eliminate his access to weapons of mass destruction. Iraq’s search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to completely deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power.” — Al Gore, 2002

“We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction.” — Ted Kennedy, September 27, 2002

“I will be voting to give the president of the United States the authority to use force – if necessary – to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security.” — John F. Kerry, Oct 2002

“We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandates of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them.” — Carl Levin, Sept 19, 2002

“As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I am keenly aware that the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons is an issue of grave importance to all nations. Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process.” — Nancy Pelosi, December 16, 1998

“Saddam’s goal … is to achieve the lifting of U.N. sanctions while retaining and enhancing Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction programs. We cannot, we must not and we will not let him succeed.” — Madeline Albright, 1998

“(Saddam) will rebuild his arsenal of weapons of mass destruction and some day, some way, I am certain he will use that arsenal again, as he has 10 times since 1983″ — National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, Feb 18, 1998

How about we pardon Twix?

Of course, Clinton was blameless:

 ”One
way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to
develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them.
That is our bottom line.” President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998.

“If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear.
We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq’s weapons of
mass destruction program.” President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998.

Moron, none of those people said we should invade and occupy a country. Think about what you’re saying. Try to realize that you’ve been trained to be a stupid person.

Democrats consider all wars useless — even the ones which free people.

http://fewmets.org/media/common/UncleSmrgol/18640903.nashcartoon.jpg

Moron, Iraq WAS denied the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. Try to think.

It’s amazing you can see in others what you cannot see in yourself.  You claim a “lie” in which I clearly shot down, by pointing out how a few (but certainly not all) of the democrats who long knew of Saddam’s WMD before Bush was even elected.

Not to mention Obama has carried on the same “wars.”Ron White is correct. “You can’t fix stupid.”

When you murderous, bigoted morons invaded Iraq, we had inspectors on the ground, spy planes overhead, helicopters dropping in at will, records in hand, defectors doing interviews. We were literally inside of the presidential palaces. There were no WMD. But you murderers didn’t care about the truth. You wanted to kill.

Please try to understand that you are a Republican, and all Republicans are systematically trained to believe precisely the opposite of the truth.  They know how stupid you are, so they know they can make you believe ANYTHING, no matter how ridiculous it is.

snicker(s)…

Facts always confuse liberals. 

“In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members…. It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.” 
       Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct. 10, 2002.

“Fateful decisions will be made in the days and weeks ahead. At issue is nothing less than the fundamental question of whether or not we can keep the most lethal weapons known to mankind out of the hands of an unreconstructed tyrant and aggressor who is in the same league as the most brutal dictators of this century.” 
       Sen. Joe Biden (D, DE), Feb. 12, 1998

“We urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq’s refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs.” 
       Letter to President Clinton, signed by Sens. Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others Oct. 9, 1998.

“We know that he has stored away secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country.” 
       Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002.

“Iraq’s search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power.” 
       Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002.

“My position is very clear: The time has come for decisive action to eliminate the threat posed by Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction. I’m a co-sponsor of the bipartisan resolution that’s presently under consideration in the Senate. Saddam Hussein’s regime is a grave threat to America and our allies…” 
       John Edwards (D, NC), Oct. 7, 2002

“He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do.” 
       Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002.

 I won’t stand in the way of a person who is trying to convince me of how dumb they are.  Carry on, Trevor.

Do you see anywhere in there somebody calling for us to invade and occupy a country? Only a fascist madman would do something like that.

The weapons inspectors were on the ground in 2003, and were assuring that there were no WMD. They found none. Nobody found any. That is a fact, and it will never change.

Please try to understand that you are a stupid person. You literally don’t have the option of thinking.

“Bush and Cheney lie us into a major war”

To make that assertion, Trevor, you have to acknowledge the quotes I’ve posted.  Which is precisely why you tried (but I won’t let you) to change the criteria to:

“Do you see anywhere in there somebody calling for us to invade and occupy a country?”

Again, I won’t stand in the way of a person, whether American or Korean (South, presumably?  Perhaps the Tongduchon area?  Been there, done that.) who wants to convince me how dumb they are.

Excep Bush, Cheney and Rove never committed any cromes, dork.

My pooch is a Paws girl… Best shelter in the city in MHO.

Look, you’re really going to have to try to understand that you’re a stupid person.

Your arguments are just as ridiculous as the arguments about Barney Frank being responsible for neglecting Freddie Mac at a time when Republicans were in control of the House, the Senate, and the White House. Just because Barney Frank said something, doesn’t mean he’s somehow responsible for all of the Republican failures. And the same applies to Iraq.

Think about how badly you’ve been fooled. Your masters have tricked you into thinking that saying stuff is the same as doing stuff. They know how stupid you are, so they know you will believe ANYTHING.

I’ not calling you names; I’m just letting you know. Try to think for yourself sometime. Really, when you were a child you had the ability to think for yourself. Then you let somebody think for you. Try to go back. Try to be intelligent again.

I don’t start every one of my comments with a putative comparison of my intelligence to the individual to whom I am responding.  I think that makes me — if not more intelligent — at least a better debater.

That said — what prevented Iraq from having the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction (I’m assuming you don’t consider mustard gas or the aircraft used to deliver it upon civilians to be an instance of both the development and deployment of a weapon of mass destruction)?