The big question is, is The New York Times publishing the story to protect a Democrat (a label they failed to assign to Blogojevich anywhere in the story), or, just simply a story with no political calculation? Kinda hard to know with the MSM anymore. Legal Hurdle in Blagojevich Case: A Crime, or Just Talk?
When Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the United States attorney in Chicago, announced the arrest of the Illinois governor, Rod R. Blagojevich, Mr. Fitzgerald said he had acted to halt a political crime spree that included what he called an “appalling†effort to sell off the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.
But now some lawyers are beginning to suggest that the juiciest part of the case against Mr. Blagojevich, the part involving the Senate seat, may be less than airtight. There is no evidence, at least none that has been disclosed, that the governor actually received anything of value — and the Senate appointment has yet to be made.
Ever since the country’s founding, prosecutors, defense lawyers and juries have been trying to define the difference between criminality and political deal-making. They have never established a clear-cut line between the offensive and the illegal, and the hours of wiretapped conversations involving Mr. Blagojevich, filled with crass, profane talk about benefiting from the Senate vacancy, may fall into a legal gray area.
It really is an interesting point. Regarding the Senate seat (there are plenty of other charges against Blogo), all he did was talk about doing a little pay for play. No actions were taken. Is it a crime? I guess that is something that the lawyers will have to define, but, Father Fitzmas sure thinks a crime was committed, no matter what sources the Times dug up to defend the position that Blogo did zippo wrongo.
Of course, we can thank the Chicago Tribune for making sure the case was exposed well before anything else other then talk happened.
And you KNOW that if Blagojevich was a Republican, not only would that word have been all over the article, but, the Times would have come to the conclusion that he was a very bad boy and did very wrong, and should resign and be tried, regardless of what the law might say.
