Re: [Marxism] Free Governor Blagojevich!

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I find the view that Blagojevich was targeted because of his actions to
present himself as in solidarity with the Republic workers which took place
24 to 72 hours ago. First of all, there it is no indication that he will
change this policy in response to the prosecution. Had all indirect efforts
to pressure him failed in this brief interim.

Prosecutions of this kind cannot be launched within 24 hours, and Bank of
America would need at least that much time to contact all its friends in
high places to get them going. The whole thing is a complicated business. 

The assumption seems to be that crushing this little strike, which has an
uphill battle under the best circumstances (we should not kid ourselves in
circumstances when ever more thousands are being laid off), is top priority
for the Justice Department, the US government as a whole, or even Bank of
America. They refuse to grant the workers' demands because they can, and it
is very hard to force them to do so. They do not have to overthrow either
the Illinois or US governments to do this. 

The Illinois governor was viewed as an embarrassment for Obama because of
corruption charges during the campaign. The Nation suggests and obviously
hopes that Obama's aides and Jesse Jackson Jr. may have collaborated with
the Justice Department because of the governor's insistence on being
directly, crudely, crassly bought on the Senatorial replacement. Good old
Huey Long could do this kind of thing this openly, but this punk just
doesn't have the chops. 

Of course they had an ongoing investigation. This guy deserved an ongoing
investigation. 

Finally, a point on J Edgar Hoover. In all the exposures of Hoover during
the long -- indeed eternal -- fall of his reputation, I don't think any
evidence was ever brought forward of his direct blackmailing of a politician
based on his sex life. Apparently, just the fact that he was collecting the
files or was known to be collecting the files was enough for all concerned
to vote up his appropriations, especially because of the official popularity
of the FBI at the time. And the appropriations seem to have been all he was
concerned about.

Frankly, I suspect Hoover used the files primarily for masturbation. Little
evidence of a massive, direct blackmail operation taking place. I could be
wrong. I once expected evidence of this to appear, but now hardly anyone who
might have been victimized is still alive.
Fred Feldman


Jim Farmelant submitted:
On Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:36:01 -0500 Jon Flanders <jonflanders@xxxxxxxxx>
writes:
> Well, I think it is quite curious that Blagojevich got nailed the 
> day
> after he threatened Bank of America's ties with the state of 
> Illinois
> over their role in the Republic Windows and Doors dispute.
> 
> The economic hitmen haven't gone away, it seems.

Isn't that what happened with Spitzer too?

Year ago, J. Edgar Hoover kept very extensive
files in which the peccadillos sexual and otherwise,
of leading politicians and other public figures
were detailed, for that very purpose.

Jim F.

>


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