mr_genius

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jan 29, 2009 -> 03:27 PM) I think it needs 60 votes (I'm not sure what's going on with the second MN seat or if that counts or makes it 59 needed instead). I think all of the 58 in the Dem caucus should vote for it, they need at least a couple Republicans to pass it which will probably happen, I don't think the opposition in the Senate is as hard as it is in the House from the Republicans. I'm sure Obama would rather it pass with 70 yeas than barely scraping by though, the question is whether it actually does pass comfortably. i don't think a filibuster is the right move here, so hopefully 60 votes will not be neccesary. i think the senate GOP will all vote no and a couple democrats will vote no. i still think it'll pass.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 29, 2009 -> 02:56 PM) Answer me this first...which vote are you counting...the cloture vote (The only one that really counts) or the up/down vote? I wouldn't be surprised to see a handful of people do the voting yes on cloture and voting no on the bill deal here in order to try to cover both sides. Balta, the cloture vote isn't the only one that counts, you know this. Yes, endless debate (filibuster) can stop a bill; but there still needs to be support on the ya or nay portion. Voting yes on cloture to stop debate and then 'no' on the bill seems like a reasonable thing to do. I would probably do that. I am trying to fish out some predictions on the ya or nay vote.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 29, 2009 -> 07:19 AM) If you vote against it, a future Dem rival will eat you alive because you chose to let the economy get worse, so that you could make a political point. not if it passes and does nothign to help the economy. being against this lousy bill will be political gold for any Republican.

any predictions for the Senate vote on the economic stimulus bill? I believe it will pass, I just wonder if any Republicans will actually vote for this thing or if any Democrats will vote against it.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 29, 2009 -> 07:19 AM) There is no winner. Its bad legislation It really is a complete disaster.

i didn't get an opportunity to hear blago's performance today. recap anyone? any hilarious highlights i should be aware of?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 29, 2009 -> 12:42 PM) From what I can tell, the requirement for impeachment in the Illinois Constitution is much more lenient than the requirements of a criminal court. There really doesn't seem to be a specific definition of what is required before a governor is impeached given to the Illinois Legislature by that document. It appears that the governor can be impeached because the Legislature wants him impeached, and there's very little that can be done about it. That's pretty much what I've gathered about the impeachment process. Blagojevich is getting impeached for sure.

QUOTE (The Critic @ Jan 29, 2009 -> 12:07 PM) "That airplane, it's a f***ing valuable thing, and I'm not gonna just give it back for nothing!" ^^^

Some lady was just on CNN saying that Obama translates to 'he is with us' in the muslim world. well thats a relief! world peace is just around the corner my friends, and all because of Obama.

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idU...=22&sp=true apologize I think this guy might have a future in the Dem caucus

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Jan 28, 2009 -> 12:06 PM) When I read the criminal complaint I thought this was going to be a tough conviction. The main reason is because they need the person on the other end to come forward and testify that they were actually going to buy the seat. If you only have tapes where Blago is saying "this seat is valuable", "I want something for this seat", it does not prove anything. Even if you have Blago on tape saying "I am going to sell this seat to the highest bidder", there is no way to prove that he was seriously considering it, as opposed to just "joking around." The prosecution needs one of the people who were contacted about "buying" the seat to come forward and confirm that the seat actually was being auctioned. Without some one coming forward it will almost be impossible to prove "beyond a reasonable doubt" that Blago actually was going to sell the seat. Fitzgerald in some respects did start the criminal process to early. The normal way it would have been done was after Blago did the misdeed, so that they could catch him red handed with money trails etc. The way that it is now, it is just a complete clusterf*** for the Prosecution. Blago didnt sell the seat. Blago's appointment was approved. So now all they have is "attempt" which is weak. Itd be like listening in on a drug deal, arresting the dealer before the sale goes down and when you arrest the dealer he has no drugs. How can you prove that he was going to attempt to sell it, when you have no one who is saying they were willing to buy it? If it really was more than just idle chatter, wouldnt there be some one who wanted to buy it and was going through the process of actually getting ready to buy it? That question will haunt the prosecution, unless they can get some one to testify against Blago. The question is, who will ruin their career just to convict Blago, because they will have to say that they were attempting to negotiate to buy the seat from Blago. There are no flipper witnesses for the Fed to rely on in this case, most people I talk to think that its at worst 50-50 Blago gets convicted, with many believing that its a much better chance for acquittal. The impeachment is not a trial, its a proceeding where the result has already been dictated (guilty) they just need to go through the motions to make it look fair. Madigans, Mells, does it really matter? They are all in it for themselves. Great post His move to appoint Burris was brilliant. Even after Reid explicitly stated that the Blago pick would never stick; the appointment is in the Senate.

QUOTE (Nixon @ Jan 28, 2009 -> 01:36 PM) They don't really have money to waste. Most member states are delinquent in their payments. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-04-09-dues_N.htm The US gives the UN over a billion a year. The problem is we are signed on to be fitting far to much of the bill. Still over a billion in payments.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 07:31 AM) Don't be surprised if, just before the criminal trial starts, we see Blago's defense move towards some sort of mental insufficiency defense. that would be fairly bogus. the guy isn't insane, he's just a corrupt politician. i've seen his media interviews and he's just as smooth a talker as ever. i wouldn't even be surprised if people in Illinois vote him into some elected office again. he has all the democrat lingo down to a perfected science.

still 4 years away, but Palin has little to no chance of getting the nomination from what i can tell.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 03:37 PM) It is different. Its already a lot different. But some people choose to believe that if Obama isn't completely, 100% transcendent, that must mean he is exactly the same as Bush. Reality is, he is and already has been different. But not in every way. And he certainly hasn't been keeping all his promises either. This new stimulus plan is a travesty. But I've given up, it's going to take a monetary collapse to stop the spending. Unfortunately, things have been put in high gear; annual deficits of 2 trillion are seen as nothing now.

QUOTE (Steff @ Jan 26, 2009 -> 07:12 PM) Maybe watch the entire thing then. He said that he felt like they must have felt being unjustly persecuted. Barbara "I should retire" Walters and him discussed this in great detail on The "horrible" View this morning. well he seemed to impy he was under similar circumstances, thus making a comparison between him and them. we (the leading Blagojevich experts on this board) have already decided this comparison is perfectly accurate.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jan 26, 2009 -> 06:06 PM) Spot-on comparisons IMO. agreed

I just saw an interview in which Blago compares himself to Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, and Gandhi.

QUOTE (knightni @ Jan 25, 2009 -> 10:34 PM) In some ways, I'm at war with myself. haha

YEs Blagojevich is going to be on Larry King Live monday

Rod Blagojevich

ipods

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 23, 2009 -> 08:48 PM) Where is Pakistan's oil field? those were practice bombings. bigger and better (blood for oil) things to come hopefully. it's what every Republican leaning poster wants/demands.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Jan 23, 2009 -> 06:49 PM) LMAO!!! Those last two posts... CLASSIC!! the guy in the blue shirt to the left of Robert Gibbs is hilarious. seems very angry. was probably expecting Obama.