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The Ledes

Friday, February 17, 2012.

New York Times: "The Maryland House narrowly passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage on Friday, delivering a major victory to Gov. Martin O’Malley, a Democrat, who had proposed it. But its implementation remained uncertain as its opponents promised to take it to voters in November.... The measure still faces a vote in the Senate, where it is expected to pass...." CW: actually, no; they passed a bill.

Washington Post: "The FBI and the U.S. Capitol Police arrested a Moroccan man Friday in downtown Washington after a lengthy investigation into an alleged plot to carry out a suicide attack on the Capitol. Amine el-Khalifi, 29, was picked up while carrying an inoperable gun and a fake suicide vest provided to him by undercover FBI agents posing as al-Qaeda associates, U.S. officials said. They said he entered the United States when he was 16 and was living as an illegal immigrant in Arlington, Va., having reportedly overstayed his visitor’s visa for years."

New York Times: "The need for revenue to partly cover the extension of the payroll tax cut and long-term unemployment benefits has pushed Congress to embrace a generational shift in the country’s media landscape: the auction of public airwaves now used for television broadcasts to create more wireless Internet systems. If a compromise bill completed Thursday by Congress is approved as expected by this weekend, the result will eventually be faster connections for smartphones, iPads and other data-hungry mobile devices. Their explosive popularity has overwhelmed the ability, particularly in big cities, for systems to quickly download maps, video games and movies." ...

... Update: "With members of both parties expressing distaste at some of the particulars, Congress on Friday voted to extend payroll tax cuts and unemployment benefits and sent the legislation to President Obama, ending a contentious political and policy fight. The vote in the House was 293 to 132 with Democrats, who are in the minority, carrying the proposal over the top with the acquiescence of almost as many Republicans. The Senate followed within minutes and approved the measure on a vote of 60 to 36."

New York Times: "Anthony Shadid, a gifted foreign correspondent whose graceful dispatches for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and The Associated Press covered nearly two decades of Middle East conflict and turmoil, died, apparently of an asthma attack, on Thursday while on a reporting assignment in Syria. Tyler Hicks, a Times photographer who was with Mr. Shadid, carried his body across the border to Turkey." The Times' obituary is here. Read this interview of Shadid by Adam Ross of Mother Jones, published just last month. Tributes from colleagues.

New York Times: "Next week, advisers to the Food and Drug Administration will recommend whether the agency should approve the first new prescription diet pill in 13 years. The F.D.A. rejected the drug under review, Qnexa, in 2010, amid safety concerns, and the drug’s manufacturer is now presenting additional data to argue its case. But thousands of people ... in central California, where Qnexa’s inventor ran a weight-loss clinic, and others across the country have not had to wait for the drug’s approval. Through a regulatory loophole of sorts, many obesity doctors prescribe two separate drugs that, when taken together, are essentially the same medicine."

New York Times: "President Obama raised a total of $29.1 million for his re-election campaign and for the Democratic National Committee in January, he told supporters over Twitter early Friday morning, with most contributions coming in checks of $250 or less." ...

ABC News: "Before a backdrop of the newest American-made Boeing passenger jets, President Obama Friday will announce a series of steps aimed at boosting U.S. manufacturers, while harnessing their momentum for political gain. Obama, on the final stop of his three-day swing through California and Washington, will tour a Boeing production facility and speak to a crowd of several hundred workers inside the final assembly building for the company's new 787 Dreamliner."

New York Times: "Germany’s beleaguered president, Christian Wulff, announced his resignation on Friday after prosecutors asked Parliament to strip him of his immunity from prosecution over accusations of improper ties to businessmen."

Los Angeles Times: "A confrontation between federal law enforcement agents erupted in gunfire Thursday evening in Long Beach, leaving one dead and another seriously injured.... The incident was sparked by an unspecified dispute between Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the Glenn M. Anderson Federal Building near the city's oceanfront, according to law enforcement authorities."

New York Times: "... Rupert Murdoch ... is scheduled to visit the London headquarters of his British newspaper arm, News International, where reporters and editors are said to be in a state of civil war against Mr. Murdoch and his executives." The Guardian is liveblogging the meeting and reactions. ...

... AP Update: "News Corp. chief executive Rupert Murdoch on Friday told staff at his scandal-hit British tabloid The Sun that executives will continue to give police any evidence of wrongdoing and won't protect reporters found to have broken the law."

Flying High. CBS News/AP: "Two Air Force F-16 fighters intercepted a privately owned Cessna airplane that entered the same Los Angeles airspace as Marine One on Thursday as the helicopter was ferrying President Barack Obama. Police discovered about 40 pounds of marijuana inside the plane after it landed at Long Beach Airport, a law enforcement official said. The official was not authorized to comment publicly on the drug investigation and spoke under condition of anonymity. The Secret Service said the president was never in any danger."

The Ledes

Thursday, February 16, 2012.

Wall Street Journal: Both Houses of the New Jersey state legislature have passed a bill allowing for same-sex marriage, but Gov. Chris Christie (R) says he will veto it. The bill passed the state Senate 24-15 & the Assembly 42-33. "An override vote ... would require 27 votes in the Senate and 54 votes in the Assembly."

Washington Post: "The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Thursday sought to bring debt collectors and credit bureaus under its purview, marking the first time the often controversial industries would be subject to federal supervision.... It is the first attempt by the watchdog agency to define which businesses in the vast swath of nontraditional financial institutions will be subject to the same examination process as banks." CW: It isn't clear to me from the article whether or not the CFPB needs authorization from Congress and/or the administration to do this. CW: according to the New York Times story: "The proposal now enters a 60-day comment period. The bureau expects to finalize the rule by July, the two-year anniversary of the agency’s creation." So I guess the CFPB can do it.

AP: "The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell to the lowest point in almost four years last week, the latest signal that the job market is steadily improving. The Labor Department says weekly applications for unemployment benefits dropped 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 348,000. It was the fourth drop in five weeks and the fewest number of claims since March 2008." CW: Sorry, GOP!

New York Times: "Members of a House-Senate committee charged with writing a measure to extend a payroll tax reduction said Wednesday that their work was done, just shy of an hour before their deadline to get a bill ready for a Friday vote. After fighting until the very final hour over how to pay for parts of a $150 billion plan that would also extend unemployment benefits and prevent a pay cut for doctors who accept Medicare, leaders of both parties put together a bill that the majority of the committee could support." Washington Post story here.

AP: "General Motors earned its largest profit ever in 2011, two years after it nearly collapsed into financial ruin." CW: Sorry, Mitt!

New York Times: "President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan arrived in Pakistan on Thursday after saying he wanted to explore how Islamabad could help foster peace negotiations with his adversary, the Afghan Taliban. Mr. Karzai’s arrival came after he said Wednesday in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that his representatives had begun talks with the Taliban and the United States government, a potentially significant development suggesting that the Taliban were dropping longstanding objections to face-to-face discussions with his government."

Reuters: "A federal judge is set to decide on Thursday if the Nigerian man who pleaded guilty to trying to blow up a U.S. airliner bound for Detroit in 2009 will spend the rest of his life in prison. A bomb hidden in the underwear of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, now 25, caused a fire but failed to explode on a Delta Airlines flight carrying 289 people on December 25, 2009." ...

... Bloomberg News Update: "Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was sentenced to life in prison for attempting to bomb a Northwest Airlines plane on Christmas Day 2009 with explosives hidden in his underwear. The Nigerian-born defendant pleaded guilty in October to eight felony counts, including attempted murder and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds in Detroit today sentenced him to life in prison on five counts and 20 years on three counts."

New York Times: "The Japanese authorities arrested seven central figures in the huge accounting scandal at Olympus — including the camera maker’s former chairman and executive vice president — on Thursday as part of investigations into a decade-long cover-up that has prompted concern over what critics say is lax corporate governance at Japanese companies."

Glenn Greenwald: CNN's Erin Burnett is a warmonger's warmonger, the "worst of the worst," whose actual remarks outstrip any possible parody of warmongers. So, yay! Let's nuke Iran!

Blacklisters Victorious! AP: "MSNBC dropped conservative commentator Pat Buchanan on Thursday, four months after suspending him following the publication of his latest book. The book 'Suicide of a Superpower' contained chapters titled 'The End of White America' and 'The Death of Christian America.' Critics called the book racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic, charges Buchanan denied. MSNBC President Phil Griffin said last month that he didn't think Buchanan's book 'should be part of the national dialogue, much less part of the dialogue on MSNBC.' ... Buchanan, in a column posted on Thursday, called the decision 'an undeniable victory for the blacklisters.'"

Frances Martel of Mediate: the Stephen Colbert show has been cancelled for two nights, Wednesday and Thursday, February 15 & 16, "due to unforseen circumstances," & the suspension of production could run longer. The cancellation came at the last minute, & the show's producers have not explained the reason for the cancellation. ...

... Wall Street Journal Update: "Stephen Colbert has suspended production of his satirical comedy show temporarily because of an emergency in Mr. Colbert's family, according to people familiar with the show. 'The Colbert Report' is expected to resume production soon, perhaps as early as next week, the people added."

The Los Angeles Times coverage of the Grammy Awards is here.

MIDASSTOUCH. Here's a post by Eric Konigsberg of the New Yorker for you New York Times crossword aficonados. BTW, the Times Cookie Monster columnist mentioned in the article is Charles Blow.

For the New York Times, Janet Maslin reviews Mimi Alford's book about her affair with President Kennedy, essentially writing that Alford was full of shit, though you have to understand the utility of Brussels sprouts to get that (she writing in the Times, after all, where discretion is the better part of publication). Amy Davidson of the New Yorker says Maslin is mean.

For you kids interested in a career in writing, or, specifically, writing popular opinion columns, Driftglass shares David Brooks' secret to success: "Once again giving writing by rote a bad name, Our Mr. Brooks pens a quick primer on one method of making a living by writing badly."

Politico has the Sunday talkshow lineup. ...

... New York Times Update: "The new White House chief of staff, Jacob J. Lew, made the rounds of the Sunday talk shows to discuss the budget that President Obama is to release on Monday, but instead he was forced repeatedly to defend the administration’s effort to guarantee that insurers cover birth control for women in the face of criticism from religious groups."

Carly Carioli of the Boston Phoenix: Despite Bill Keller's writing "two smug columns about copyright" in the New York Times, Times columnist Joe Nocera was not above poaching -- or "pirating," in Keller's parlance -- an article from a defunct paper the Phoenix now owns. Instead of linking to the Phoenix page, Nocera uploaded a Times PDF, which of course does not link back to the original article. And this isn't the first time Nocera has done that. So then, "Joe Nocera called me to read me the riot act. He’s pissed that my post caused the Times took down the Clark Booth articleper's article from our company’s archives."

... Click through for more. ...

... The Reliable Source at the Washington Post: "A new book shares explicit details about a 50-year-old presidential sex scandal between JFK and a White House intern." Historian Robert Dallek who "wrote the book on" Kennedy, says former intern & author Mimi Beardsley Alford is "entirely credible." The New Jersey Star-Ledger has a story here. Reliable Source story updated here, with more sordid details. ...

... Update: Matthew DeLuca of the Daily Beast recounts some of the details of Alford's book.

ABC News: Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain "marked her Diamond Jubilee anniversary with a message thanking the British people for their support, and pledging to continue her dedication to serving them and people around the world. The Guardian posts an interactive feature based on 60 years of photos of Elizabeth.

Politico has the Sunday talkshow lineup here.

If you can hardly wait for the Super Bowl, the Washington Post has the best part: many of the ads. Some are pretty awful, however.

Bill Carter of the New York Times on how the networks cheat the ratings system to give their shows better viewership ratings than they've actually earned.

The Los Angeles Times story on the SAG awards is here. For now, there's more stuff here, but it will move.

Politico reports the Sunday talkshow lineup. AND here's Politico's liveblog of the Sunday shows.

Mark Feldstein of the Washington Post on "pathographies," biographies that diminish their subjects, often on the thinnest of -- or no -- "evidence." The latest: a book that suggests President Richard Nixon was gay; evidence? -- somewhere around zero.

Politico: "John Tyler became the 10th president of the United States in 1841 — and today - incredibly - he still has two living grandchildren." CW: I've been aware of the grandkids still be around for years, but it is one of those Amazing But True stories.

Paper Trail

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Blagosphere

For stories about the corruption trial of former Gov. Blagojevich, which began in early June, go the page Blago -- The Trial, which also is linked on the navigation bar above under The Soaps!

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July 26, 2010

"It's Now or Never, the Stuff Can't Wait." Chicago Tribune: "Paul Lombardo, CEO of Boyer-Rosene Moving & Storage in Arlington Heights, said [Rod] Blagojevich is more than a year past due and is accruing penalty charges on seven wooden storage units he has rented starting in 2002." Lombardo sells he'll sell Blago's stuff at auction if the former governor doesn't settle his debt."

May 13-14, 2010

Politico: "Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) has been subpoenaed by the defense in former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s corruption trial, adding the onetime Senate hopeful to a long list of federal officials Blagojevich’s team wants to put on the witness stand."

Lynn Sweet: "Lawyers for ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich have subpoenaed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to testify at Blagojevich's federal corruption trial, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned."

April 22-23, 2010

ABC Chicago: "U.S. Senator Dick Durbin said Friday he received a subpoena several weeks ago to testify in the corruption case against former governor Rod Blagojevich."

Chicago Tribune: "Lawyers for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich today asked a federal judge for permission to subpoena President Barack Obama to testify at Blagojevich's upcoming trial."

April 14, 2010

Chicago Tribune: "a new evidentiary proffer laying out the path federal prosecutors plan to take at Blagojevich's scheduled June trial on corruption charges...accuses Blagojevich of running the state as a criminal racket almost from the start of his first term in 2003.

March 2, 2010:

Chicago Tribune: Blago gives a lecture on ethics at Northwestern & gets a lot of laughs -- at his expense.

February 27, 2010:

Blago advises New York Gov. David Paterson not to quit; talks about his upcoming trial:

February 10, 2010:

Chicago Tribune: deposed Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich pled not guilty to corruption charges today. And he wants the tapes of his phone conversations played.

January 10, 2010:

Elvis says he's sorry:

"I'm blacker than Barack Obama." Scott Raab of Esquire interviews former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

In response to Blago's assertion that David Axelrod encouraged him to run for President, Axelrod e-mailed Ben Smith of Politico:

Total and complete fabrication. I told Blagojevich in 2001 that I could not work for him for governor because I didn't believe he should run. I hardly would then recommend that he run for President....

December 13, 2009:

Chicago Sun Times: "Rod Blagojevich's lawyers want the FBI to give up details of interviews conducted last year of President Obama, his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, White House adviser Valerie Jarrett and others as part of the investigation into the former governor." CW: I'm hearing executive privilege bells ringing again.

November 20, 2009:

Friday Afternoon News Dump. Chicago Tribune: the Senate Ethics Committee rebuked Sen. Roland Burris with a "public letter of qualified admonition" for his actions in connection with his appointment by disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Here's the letter.

October 20, 21, 2009:

It Was Always about the Money. Jeff Coen & John Chase of the Chicago Tribune: "Even before he was elected governor in 2002, Rod Blagojevich and three of his closest friends schemed about ways to enrich themselves by controlling state government, the former governor's former chief of staff alleged as part of a plea agreement...."

Chicago Tribune: Alonzo "Lon" Monk, one of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's closest friends and advisers, pleaded guilty today & agreed to help prosecutors convict the former governor. The plea agreement is here.

September 13, 2009:

Chicago Tribune: former Blagojevich fundraiser & top advisor Christopher Kelly, "who was to report to federal prison officials this week to start serving an 8-year sentence, died Saturday...in what authorities said was a possible suicide from an over-the-counter medication." His death is being investigated as a homocide.

September 6, 2009:

Monica Davey of the New York Times: Blago does a book tour.

August 31, 2009:

AP: In his book to be published next week, Rod Blagojevich says Rahm Emanuel asked for his help in appointng a place-holder for his Congressional seat so Emanuel could return to the House in two years & run for speaker. The ex-governor also said he appointed Roland Burris to President Obama's Senate seat because Burris was the only one with a big enough ego to accept & fight for the post.

July 9, 2009:

Bad News for Blago. Chicago Tribune: former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's chief of staff John Harris pled guilty to a single count of wire fraud & has formally agreed to testify against Blagojevich.

June 19, 2009:

Sen. Roland Burris won't face perjury charges. Here's the Chicago Tribune story. And here's Prosecutor John Schmidt's 4-page letter to Illinois State Speaker Michael Madigan explaining his decision.

May 27, 2009:

In a wiretapped phone conversation, Roland Burris ponders how he can bribe Gov. Rod Blagojevich to make him Senator Roland. Brother Rob Blagojevich's expletives bleeped:

Chicago Tribune: a federal wiretap catches Roland Burris talking to Robert Burris a month before Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed him to the Senate. Burris discussed how he could raise cash for the governor without appearing to be buying the Senate seat. Burris mentioned hiding his donation by having his attorney make it. Article links to related content, including this full transcript of the taped conversation. CQ story here.

April 13 & 14, 2009:

Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich & his brother Robert both pled not guilty to federal charges; both are out on bond. With videos.

Chicago Sun-Times: two members of an Indian community told Gov. Rod Blagojevich's fundraising team that Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. would raise $5 million for Blagojevich in exchange forappointment to the U.S. Senate seat Barack Obama vacated.

April 8 & 9, 2009:

Chicago Sun-Times: a Congressional ethics panel is conducting a "preliminary review" of Jesse Jackson, Jr.'s conduct in his bid to be appointed to President Obama's vacated Senate seat. Meanwhile, Gov. Rod Blagojevich & associates wil Tuesday on charges they tried to sell the Senate seat & do other corrupt stuff.

l be arraigned

April 2 & 3, 2009:

The Chicago Tribune story on the indictments of Rod Blagojevich & Associates comes with links to several related stories & a hilarious video of Blagojevich & Associates in Orlando.

Rogues' gallery of Ron Blagojevich's alleged co-conspirators: Ron Blagojevich, Chris Kelly, Alonzo Monk, William Cellini & John Harris. Chicago Tribune & AP photos.Former governor Rod Blagojevich has been indicted on 19 counts, 16 of which are felonies. AP story here. Blagojevich is at Disneyworld. Chicago Tribune story here. Also indicted: Blagojevich's brotherRon, top aides John Harris & Lon Monk, & Blagojevich backers Chris Kelly & William Cellini. Chicago Sun-Times story here. You can read the indictment here (pdf 75 pp.).

March 6, 2009:

Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times: the very day Gov. Rod Blagojevich named Roland Burris to the vacant Illinois senate seat, Burris' right-hand man Fred Lebed told an associate, "We're going to have to do some things for the governor."Phone records of the conversation conflict with Burris' latest sworn pack o' lies.

AP: an Illinois Senate subcommittee voted along party lines against holding a special election to fill the Senate Seat Barack Obama vacated; Democrats, who voted against the measured cited costs of the election.

A source tells the AP that the county prosecutor investigating possible perjury charges against Roland Burris has asked federal officials for FBI tapes of conversations between Burris & Rod Blagojevich's brother.

March 2, 3:

Chicago Tribune: Dick Durbin admits race was a factor in seating Roland Burris. New York Times: Roland Burris goes about his duties as if oblivious to the machinations to unseat him sooner rather than later.

Chicago Sun-Times: Blago lands a book deal.

February 25, 26:

Chicago Sun-Times: the Burris scandal mushrooms -- the Blagojevich administration hired Burris' son as a housing counsel in September 2008, about six weeks after the IRS filed a $34,163 lien against the son for three years of unpaid taxes & three weeks after a mortgage company foreclosed on his house. Chicago Tribune Update: Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has asked his staff to investigate how Roland Burris II got his job. Update: Gov. Quinn's investigation found hiring ofRoland Burris II was lawful. No link.

Washington Post: Senator Dick Durbin advised Senator Roland Burris to resign yesterday; Burris said he would not take Durbin's advice. New York Times story here. Chicago Tribune story here. And here's a link to a YouTube video of a portion of Durbin's press conference following his meeting with Burris, courtesy of Firedoglake.

February 20, 21 & 22:

Chicago Tribune: federal agents interviewed Roland Burris for several hours yesterday in connection with the case against Gov. Rod Blagojevich & his efforts to sell Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat; Mayor Richard Daley declined to call for Burris' ouster. Chicago Sun-Times story here.

Washington Post: Roland Burris spokesman says Burris won't quit Senate despite increasing calls for him to do so, including a suggestion from the White House that he ponder his future.

Manu Raju of Politico: Robert Gibbs says President Obama supports an investigation of Roland Burris and urges Burris to "think about what lays [sic.] in his future." Also, Burris chief-of-staff, on loan from Harry Reid, quits the Burris gig.

Chicago Tribune: Illinois Gov. Patrick Quinn says Roland Burris should resign his Senate seat; Quinn asks the state legislature to give him the power to appoint a temporary replacement until a special election is held. Illinois State Comptroller Dan Hynes, a Democrat, writes a letter to the editor of the Chicago Tribune urging Roland Burris to resign.

Chicago Tribune: John Filan, a former top Blagojevich official, said Roland Burris paid him a "courtesy call" last fall to let Filan know of his interest in the Senate opening. After Blago's arrest, Burris asked Filan to put in a good word for him with Lt. Gov. Quinn.

February 18, 19:

Chicago Sun-Times: Feds target Patti Blagojevich, ex-governor's wife; serve her with wide-ranging subpoena.

Chicago Tribune on Burris: Durbin: "At this point his future in the Senate is in question." Reid: "His story seems to be changing day-by-day."

Chicago Tribune: Roland Burris speaks out against "a rush to judgment."

Chicago Sun-Times: State's Attorney John Schmidt is reviewing documents as part of a possible perjury investigation of Illinois Senator Roland Burris.

February 16, 17:

In a press conference this afternoon Sen. Roland Burris said he "welcomes any and all investigations" of his conduct. Chicago Tribune story here. Chicago Tribune: Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, a Democrat & the father of state AG Lisa Madigan, turned over documents related to Roland Burris' testimony to a state's attorney. Link to documents. Chicago Tribune: in Peoria, Roland Burris, contradicting his latest sworn affidavit, admits to reporters he attempted to fundraise for Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Links to transcript of the exchange with reporters. Chicago Tribune: Democratic Illinois AG Lisa Madigan, calls for investigation into Roland Burris' about-face (or in his estimation, no-change) affidavit. CW: Madigan is a likely Senate candidate.

Chicago Sun-Times:lllinois Roland Burris defends himself -- again. With video. Chicago Tribune: Burris on defense. Includes videos, links to transcripts, statements, audio. Chicago Sun-Times: meanwhile, Gov. Quinn is ridding his administration of Blagojevich hold-overs.

February 14, 15:

Chicago Tribune: state Republican leaders, in response to Roland Burris' latest story about events leading up to his Senate appointment, will request an investigation into possible perjury in his testimony before the House panel. Links to Burris' latest affidavit & to a transcript of his House testimony.

Chicago Tribune now reports,

Burris attorney Timothy Wright acknowledged Burris may be on a covert recording in the Blagojevich investigation but declined to explain the senator's comment about meeting with federal agents, saying 'the FBI has not come to us and they're not asking us for anything.'

Chicago Sun-Times: in his third sworn version of events, Illinois Senator Roland Burris admits Robert Blagojevich, Gov. Rod Blagojevich's brother, asked him (Burris) to donate to and/or host fundraisers for the "campaign" of the then-governor. New affidavit contradicts Burris' written affidavit and sworn testimony to the Blago impeachment panel. New York Times story here. Senate Democrats conditioned Burris' legitimacy on his satisfactory testimony to the Illinois House panel.

January 29:

The Illinois Senate has voted unanimously to remove Gov. Rod Blagojevich from office. They have also voted to ban him from holding any future public office in Illnois. Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn has now been sworn in as governor. Tribune story here, with video. Trib liveblog here.

Chicago Tribune Blagojevich's defense in the Senate impeachment trial. With video. Transcript of his "closing argument."

Rod Blagojevich appeared at his impeachment trial today to make his case. Chicago Sun-Times: BUT Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn is waiting in the wings, & state employees have already boxed up Gov. Blagojevich's belongings. Hmm. Hang him after we give him a fair trial?

January 26, 27 & 28:

Chicago Tribune reports on Day 2 of the Rod Blagojevich impeachment trial.

Chicago Tribune: split screen -- the impeach-ment trial of Gov. Rod Blagojevich goes on in Illinois as the governor makes the rounds of TV talk shows in New York.

ABC TV, Chicago Tribune photos.

From the Chicago Sun Times: Illinois Senators listen to brief phone conversations that are supposed to be part of a shakedown of a campaign contributor. Four embedded video .Here are those snippets with transcripts, courtesy of WGN, a Tribune-owned station which, incidentally, has offered the Blagojeviches a regular on-air gig.

New York Times Blagojevich upstages his own impeachment trial with TV blitz. From NBC, more on the Blagojevich offense or defense or whatever. With video. Gov. Rod Blagojevich tells ABC's "Good Morning America" he considered naming Oprah Winfrey to Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat. With video. Well, why not?

January 22, 23 & 24:

Time: Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's chief defense attorney quits, evidently because -- here's a surprise -- Blago won't listen to him.

AP: Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced in a news conference he would skip his "unfair" Senate trial. With video. (CW: he has a point.) Chicago Trbune: in Illinois, Rod Blagojevich calls the impeachment trial a sham, fails to meet deadline for filings. Meanwhile, a charitable organization fires his wife Patti from a $100K/ year job as a fundraiser.

January 14, 15 & 16:

Chicago Tribune: calling the Illinois Senate trial rules "fundamentally unfair," Blagojevich's legal team quits.

Dick Cheney swears in Roland Burris.

Chicago Tribune: after Governor Rod Blagojevich swore in the new Illinois Senate, they voted unanimously to adopt rules for con-ducting his impeachment trial. The new House, also sworn in today, voted again to impeach Blagojevich, 117-1.

January 12, 13:

Politico: Dick Durbin is changing his story on Roland Burris appointment again.

Monica Davey of the New York Times: the strange landscape of Illinois government in limbo; it was dysfunctional under Rod Blagojevich, the state treasurer says, "Now it's paralyzed."

January 10, 11:

Chicago Public Radio: so now Dick Durbin has changed his tune again and says whatever it was Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White signed Friday might permit the Senate to seat Roland Burris, even though the document wasn't the certification Durbin said the U.S. Senate had to have.

January 9:

He Might Be Crazy. The very best part of one of the most remarkable political performances you will ever see. Savor it.

Chicago Tribune: Illinois House impeaches Governor Rod Blagojevich on grounds of abuse of power; first gubernatorial impeachment in Illinois history; vote was 114-1; Senate will try him perhaps within next few weeks. AP: Blago says the impeachment vote represented the House's retaliating against him for trying to help the citizens; recites Tennyson. Includes video excerpt (minus the poetry reading nowposted in the top right column -- a classic).

Chicago Sun-Times: Roland Burris' House testimony re: his appointment differed from his sworn affidavit.

January 8:

Chicago NBC News: Roland Burris testified before the Illinois House impeachment panel there was no quid pro quo involved in his Senate appointment. A legislator asked Burris about a campaign contribution he received in 2002 from a Telephone USA, a Blagojevich backer. Burris claimed the contribution, which was the largest in Illinois history, was only a loan. He hasn't repaid it, and says he hasn't the means to do so.

Chicago Tribune: Roland Burris called a Blagojevich aide last fall to try to get his nephew a state job.

Chicago Tribune: President-Elect Obama pressured Senate leaders to reverse themselves and seat Burris.

January 6:

Roland Burris: he came, he saw, he left (with 100 reporters). AP story here with video and photos. Writers at the Swamp blog Burris.

January 5:

Chicago Tribune: Rod Blagojevich's acting chief of staff (the former COS resigned after being arrested, along with Blago) will fly to Washington, D.C. today to hand-deliver Blago's certificate of appointment of Roland Burris to the Senate.

Chicago Sun-Times: the secretary of the Senate acknowledged receipt of the certificate, but did not "accept" it because it lacked the Illinois Secretary of State's signature.

January 4:

Washington Wire: Reid & Durbin reassert the Senate's right "to decide whether Mr. Burris was chosen in a proper manner."

Jonathan Martin & Martin Kady of Politico do a good summary of the Senate's Burris problem. They add Reid's complaint about Blagojevich's "regrettable and reprehensible" leak of their conversation about Senate candidates.

January 3:

Lynn Sweet: "We are the Senator." -- Roland Burris. Chicago Tribune: Homeland Security cuts Gov. Rod Blagojevich's access to classified security information.

Chicago Sun-Times: days before the Blago scandal broke, Harry Reid pressured Blagojevich not to appoint Jesse Jackson, Jr. or other black candidates to the Senate seat. Oh, and he's probably caught on tape.

January 1, 2,2009:

Mike Allen of Politico: the Senate's Blago-Burris 90-day delay play.

Harry, bar the door. Chicago Tribune: armed police officers will be ready to bar Roland Burris from the Senate floor; meanwhile, Burris begins court battle.

Chicago Sun Times: Senate Democrats will deny Roland Burris floor access, paycheck, office.

December 29, 30, 31, 2008:

AP: Barack Obama says Rod Blagojevich appointee Roland Burris should not be seated. Text of Obama statement here.

Chicago Tribune: Blagojevich appoints Burris. Link to MSNBC video of news conference.

Governor Rod Blagojevichwill name former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to Senate seat. Chicago Tribune story here. Lynn Sweet on Senate resistance to Burris appointment. Ben Smith of Politico: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says Burris is "unacceptable."

From the Blagosphere: (1) federal prosecutors were interested in Rod Blagojevich's hiring practices even before he took office. (2) prosecutors have filed a motion allowing them to release some audio tapes to the Illinois House impeachment panel. (3) Feds have more on tape than previously disclosed. (4) Blagojevich attorney makes "impassioned plea" before the House impeachment panel.

December 22, 23:

The Obama transition team, led by Greg Craig, released an internal report outlining contacts (or not) Barack Obama and staff had with Governor Rod Blagojevich and his staff. Here's the link to the pdf file of the report. AP report here. New York Times story here. Wall Street Journal story here. Washington Post story here.

The Chicago Sun-Times tries to clarify Jesse Jackson, Jr.'s contacts with Blago and the Feds.

December 18 & 19:

Chicago Sun-Times: Rod Blagojevich's wife Patti and his brother Robert are lawyering up as federal investigators appear to take interest in their taped conversations.

AP: update on Blagojevich matters. His attorney says Blago won't attempt to appoint a Senator.

December 15, 16, 17:

CNN: Jesse Jackson, Jr. has been informing on Rod Blagojevich for at least a decade. Chicago Tribune: cement company cooperating in Blagojevich investigation. (C.W.: a perfect big-city political corruption story.)

Bloomberg: Illinois Democrats save Senate seat for Dems; decide not to strip governor of power to name Senator. (CW: January 2009 -- didn't that work out well?)

Chicago Tribune: lllinois House votes 113-0 to begin impeachment proceedings against Governor Rod Blagojevich.

December 11, 12:

Chicago Tribune: Gov. Blagojevich's chief of staff John Harris, who was arrested along with Blagojevich, resigned this morning.

Chicago Tribune: as Jesse Jackson, Jr. was pressing Gov. Rod Blagojevich to appoint him to Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat, Jackson backers discussed raising $1 million for Blagoas a way of inducing the governor to appoint Jackson.

December 9, 10:

**A PDF of the criminal complaint, provided by the New York Times. Sharon Otterman of the New York Times has "a reader's guide to the complaint."

U. S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald on the criminal complaint against Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich:

**The release from the U.S. Attorney's office.

The first major story: Chicago Tribune: Feds take Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich into custody. His chief of staff John Harris also arrested. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald: "They...put a 'For Sale' sign on the naming of a United States Senator."

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