Free Rod

The more days pass the more I start to think that Rod "[Beep]'em" Blagojevich is getting a bum rap in this "selling a Senate seat" scandal. This is not to say that he's probably not corrupt on any number of other fronts (although if he is, then they should indict him on that). But I'm skeptical that one can really "sell" a Senate seat.

This reminds me of a case from years ago. A Detroit mob case. There were these two ne'er-do-well nephews of this mob boss--the family kept them at arm's length, at least, all the time, because, well, they were bleeping morons. The feds wiretapped them (in their car, in their homes, too, I believe), and these guys talked themselves into any number of serious charges by running off at the mouth and talking "tough" (more like stupid). So there was this Arab shopkeeper (it was Detroit) who wouldn't pay them protection money, and they talked about killing him. Ooops. That's conspiracy to commit murder. They talked about "whacking" a lot of people. But in their whole crime spree, how many people did they kill? I believe that the number was zero.

Blago, too. He loved to talk (like a gangster no less). And they have him on tape. But what did he actually do? Not very clear. Is there fire, or was this guy just blowing smoke?

I think that it would be hard to argue that federal prosecutors never overreach. I know that my GOP friends, and Judith Miller, will agree that Fitzgerald has overreached in the past.

I'm not defending Blago. I know what I've heard, and he could be guilty (of lots of things). But if the feds are listening in and watching everything you do, well, there are a lot of federal crimes. And some of them are amorphous, to say the least.

Count me as a skeptic.