The problem of Blago and Fitzgerald

[ChairmanAgnostic]

Whatever you might think of Blago, you have to admit that between the fascination his behavior creates (car rolling off a cliff, man holding lit stick of dynamite, whatever) is awesome. he is making Fitz's problems look more and more serious.

When Fitz took on the VP, Rove and others, his way too deliberate approach destroyed his case. By taking so much time, he lost the grand jury. All he got was scraps, a scooter libby and his lies. Whether he deliberately protected the big fish by being so methodical, so anal, and so inefficient, we may never know. But when you give Rove several chances to CHANGE TESTIMONY, that is not justice, that is not a cool, competent, professional prosecution, nor is it likely to succeed. Nope, Fitz blew it with Rove and Cheney.

When he prosecuted George Ryan, he used his trademark little fish giving him big fish technique. OK, so he got Ryan for what his underlings did in the Secretary of State's office. not exactly hard to do, given the corruption in Illinois. (think shooting fish in a barrel, using both barrels of a 12 gauge, with auto reload) Some legal scholars still think that Ryan was railroaded, and that the prosecution used argument and emotion, not fact, to get George. (I think George was a crook. but that's from personal experience)

That Blago news release that Fitz arranged sucked. Yes, it was exciting, it put Illinois (and Burris) into the spotlight. It made the late night comedy routines, but was it right? I think not. If Fitz has spent so many years wire-tapping Blago, what the hell is he doing about a prosecution? Or does he like the sensation of a thumb up his ass instead? No, I do NOT think that Blago is a good governor, nor do I think he is honest, but the way Fitz set up his impeachment with leaks and accusations, but no facts of wrongdoing, that is a crime of its own.

Fitz used to be both honored and attacked here. Given his total lack of success against Cheney et al, his screwing up Blago's case, and more, I think that attacks were on better foundation.

Blago may yet survive.

Did Fitz blow it with his premature ejaculation of allegations?

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. Before we go further,

let me correct your conclusion stated in the second paragraph of your post.

Fitzgerald didn't blow it. He was charged with enforcing a law so badly drafted as to be unenforceable. His hands were tied from the start. It's a horrid law, written - because this is a significant part of its legislative history - by Victoria Toensing, the ungodly distaff of Joe DeGenova. If that doesn't give you a hint, nothing will.

Fitzgerald was never going to nail anyone under that law unless someone like Karl Rove came out and confessed. The likelihood of that happening (pause for loud, extended laughter), well, you know.

So, while I think Fitzgerald has his arms wrapped around a beehive with Blago, who is, I think, laying down a spectacular foundation for an insanity defense, I also think he jumped the gun with that indictment because someone told him Blago was gonna sell Obama's Senate seat. He would have been better served by letting Blago do whatever he was going to do and then bring charges against everyone. He made a bad, but not irretrievable, strategic choice.