Valentine's Day...
is fast approaching...
posted by Patrick J. Fitzgerald at 1/25/2008
Jan 25, 2008
About Me
- Name: Patrick J. Fitzgerald
- Location: U.S. Attorney On Assignment - WDC, Illinois, United States
Think Globally Prosecute Locally - I grew up in Flatbush, kept my nose clean, went to law school. Now that I am in Chicago and D.C. I have found that the rampant graft and corruption to be a travesty - a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham. ---Favorite quote --- "Conditional love is an oxymoron." - Yours truly
Previous Posts
- Happy New Year..!
- Happy Monday...
- ABA Award Winning Blog... <-----------
- Car Maf54 Where Are You...?
- I Never Unpack My Suitcase...
- Open Thread...
- Only 48 Days Until Christmas...
- The Costume Remains The Same...
- LIke Sands Through The Hourglass...
- What's All The Fuss About..?
636 Comments:
Fannie Mae reopened kitty-corner from the Dirksen. Perfect for buying that box o' chocolates.
So what...boo-hoo.
Unlike many of us, I'm sure you'll have a wonderful Valentine's Day.
If you loved us, you'd indict-the time is right!
I could have written bah humbug's post,too.
When are you going to indict the
not-so-hot-rod
blah-blah-blah...go
blubber-lipped
hair-club-for-men
knee-pad wearin'
genuflectin'
poet-pollutician
CA
Fitzgerald needs to look at Blago's contract with Seville Staffing. Temp employees are working full-time for the state of IL for years on end for $20k/year with no real benefits (they are "eligible" for worthless health insurance for which they have to pay and they are supposed to get a week off, but no one can qualify). Meanwhile, incompetent state employees, doing the same work, get full benefits and $60k/year.
Mukasey nixes special prosecutor in CIA Tape Destruction. Looks like he will not need Fitzgerald's expertise in cover-up.
And some of us are interested in the Ambrose file because Fitzgerald's "coversation" with Ambrose and not reading him his Miranda rights has dropped off the radar. Why?
Collection House Limited
joanne.davis@collectionhouse.com.au
02 9 221 0231
This comment has been removed by the author.
...hmm...this doesn't seem like Mion's style...I'll have to ask him...oh, and, this isn't Bob...it's Monica...
Joanne, I know Bob Elmore and you are no Bob Elmore...
Sheeees baaack...
Valentine's Day, um sure...if you wanna make my heart go pitter-patter
gimmee Bushco on a platter.
Happy Valentines Day. :) (early I know)
Anyhoo- I hope you are making good decisions Fitzgerald.
To 2:46's question
Answer: IT'S CLASSIFIED
How convenient, 4:46, if true. Fitzgerald gets to get his mistakes buried.
Whether or not Ambrose was properly Mirandized can't be classified. Frankly, I was surprised the courtroom was originally open to the public given the mob-connection aspect of the proceedings.
Certain aspects of Ambrose's work are certainly classified. But not this issue.
I do wonder, however, how a US Marshal can claim not to know his rights. If he truly did not think it was just "a conversation," he should have STFU or asked for an attorney.
Fitzgerald appears to be a good guy and a good lawyer. But I think he and Grant made some mistakes here as well.
U.S. Marshall not know his rights?
Then Ambrose could not have upheld anyone else's rights.
It was Ambrose's job to read others their Miranda rights, FROM JUMP STREET. Did he NEVER read others their Miranda rights? Did he violate civil rights in every case he ever handled?
Should each and every case that Ambrose handled be inspected, since U.S.Marshall Ambrose was not aware of the Miranda warning, there might be a whole lot of people whose cases might need to be reheard:)
IGNORANCE OF THE LAW IS NO EXCUSE. So how come the law, Ambrose, can be excused for being ignorant?
What EVIDENCE does Ambrose have that he was not-properly Mirandized?
His word?
What possible motive would a man like Ambrose have NOT to tell the truth?
Just thinking out loud.
CA
Jerry Lewis as Carmen Miranda singing 'I Want My Mama'from the movie 'Scared Stiff'
Trying to blame the victim here. Uh, Mr. Fitzgerald certainly ought to know a little about reading people their Miranda rights too. Fitzgerald characterized the meeting as a "conversation", couldn't remember how many people were in the room and other details. This from a man who is supposed to have a photographic memory! This little episode shows that the kind, compassionate, humble man has a bullying, ganging up, not so scrupulous side to his application of the law.
Actually, CA, Ambrose did have a witness, another marshall.
Happy Valentine's day, Fitz. The PJFlygirls send you flowers and lots of hugs for all your good deeds. You gave us hope, that there are still heroes out there.
To 10:09 Anonymous:
Fitzgerald testifies in mob leak case
Marshal admitted he 'screwed up,' U.S. attorney says
By Michael Higgins | Tribune staff reporter,
December 19, 2007-In a rare role reversal, U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald testified for two hours Tuesday in federal court, defending his interrogation last year of a deputy U.S. marshal charged with leaking secrets to the mob.
Fitzgerald said there was no reason to advise the deputy marshal, John Ambrose, of his rights during questioning at FBI headquarters in Chicago.
"I said [to Ambrose], 'You're not under arrest, but there is a possibility of prosecution and jail time,'" Fitzgerald recalled on the witness stand. "Because he was not under arrest, [the Miranda warning] was not required.'
Ambrose eventually incriminated himself during the September 2006 questioning, Fitzgerald testified, quoting him as saying at one point, "I screwed up. I shot my mouth off. But it's not what you think ... I would not sell my office."
click for the whole story
CA
It's a he said/he said case. And I'm siding with Fitz based on past history.
hmmm, Valentine's Day and the massacre in Chicago some years back..
May we have a repeat on the scum of the earth that somehow still prevails...
Hmmmmm...
Fitz you do make our hearts go pitterpat.
I still say, you would make a great POTUS -- FITZ 08...
United? Tonight?
Confirmed alliance.
Run and seek cover.
I get it...you thought that because you took your blog down and hottie cleared the book, your threats to come to my home and settle the scores of Bob's victims (your words) would disappear...like I wouldn't save them...like I don't have all of your threatening posts saved...I wonder if, before you ask to ride someone, in an email...if your employers would rather you do it from home?...
The Fitz Myth is much bigger and better than reality. He's a good guy but, left to his own devices, what he does is cliche and uninspired. Not what we will ever want or need for the POTUS, or even the AG. Peter Principle in action ... and that's fine.
Crisup, Jennifer, Specialist in Education, Campus Auxiliary Services - Children's Center (East), August 11, 2003 - August 15, 2004, at a rate of $30,000 a year.
I'm still not seeing the Investment Banking career angle.
...he does not ask for her c.v. and resume.
He requests to touch her, explore her sacred spaces, be entwined: heart-to-heart, Soul-to-Soul.
Jenni & Fitz, go into the woods
CA
Oh, don't fool yourself. This relationship is all about a c.v. and resume, of the Ovarian Kind.
She has the features of a child.
Yesterday, at the Aon, he looked like her father.
The Chicago Senate, with the recommendation of the College of Education, has approved a proposal to revise the Master of Education in Instructional Leadership: Early Childhood Education.
This program leads to State of Illinois Type 04 Teaching Certificate (for teaching children up to and including the age of eight years). The major impetus for revising the program emerges from policy shifts in the teacher certification accreditation process and structure in Illinois. Illinois universities will be accredited according to how well they prepare students to specific standards, and how well graduates of the program perform in their beginning years of teaching, as measured by standardized instruments of student achievement. The program was updated to reflect the current understanding about the information and skills teachers of young children need to be effective, and better prepares students for the contemporary realities of teaching young children.
What goes 'round, comes 'round.
All right. The spin of Letzkus was calculated. It was meant to make her sound like a female Jack Ryan, without the sex club scandal. But she could have done a simple version of Investment Banker becomes Teacher of Hard Up Kids. She had a simple business job post UIUC. She wasn't successful. She likes kids. She went to UIC. Now she works for Head Start.
End of story.
And, yes, Fitz looks like her father.
BTW, blog keep, stay away from V'Day references if you want to keep this blog work-focused.
Looks as if he could be her father or looks like her father, her real father? Are we talking Fred Thompson here or Freud?
Maybe he likes little girls.
Fred Thompson with a twist of teen yen. Men are hard-wired for blondes with little noses, although, of course, not all men succumb.
from Vanity Fair 2/06
But given Fitzgerald's clout, some of his lawyer critics in Chicago won't talk about him. "Another puff piece, eh?" one of them, Joseph Duffy, remarked when I asked him to discuss Fitzgerald. He then refused to elaborate and would not return phone calls.
***************
Joseph Duffy is now Rezko's bitter attorney. As the worm turns.
So what makes a person attractive? Don't bother looking in the mirror; just get out a measuring tape. Widespread studies, such as those conducted by Randy Thornhill (University of New Mexico) and Karl Grammer (University of Vienna), confirm that beauty is simply balance: The more symmetrical a face, the more appealing it appears. The concept applies to bodies, too. Physical symmetry is subconsciously perceived as a reflection of a person's youth, fertility, health and strength. And although bilateral (left-right) symmetry might not be a bona fide health certificate these days, it has been a marker of good health and genes throughout human evolution.
"Our sensitivity to beauty is hard-wired -- that is, governed by circuits in the brain shaped by natural selection," says Nancy Etcoff, author of "Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty". "We love to look at smooth skin, shiny hair, curved waists and symmetrical bodies because, over the course of evolution, people who noticed these signals and desired their possessors had more reproductive success. We're their descendants."
...from Pythagoras to 9:51PM-the golden mathematician...
Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man
I love this quip from Woody Allen.
"I failed my philosophy exam because the professor caught me cheating. I was looking into the soul of the person next to me."
CA
Speaking of hard-wiring ... http://www.facialbeauty.org/divineproportion.html
No thanks, I don't wanna marry MY daddy.
I like my friend because of the way he looks at me-that and respect go a long way with women...
You're projecting. "Hard-wiring" has nothing to do with Elektra. It does have to do with the Golden Ratio. Even babies respond.
The Chicagoland Envy Team is at it again.
Get beyond the externals and look at the internals.
According to Jungians it takes about 9.5 wks in a relationship to get beyond the masks we all wear. Jenni & Fitz are still together:)
CA
9.5 weeks is dependent upon actually getting to spend time on a variety of different developmental tasks. Some people marry, spend 10 years "together," yet never know one another.
Justice Department Accused of Blocking Gonzales Probe. I said it before, and I keep saying it: the only good USAs were the ones who were fired.
Funny how you are such an expert on "love", CA. I have been married for 43 years to the same guy, but I humbly bow to your knowledge. We are at the companion stage now which doesn't depend on bodies so much, but our marriage has lasted because we have so much in common, including more than 9.5 weeks of time to say the least. Of course, we married for life, and nowadays it appears it is not taken for granted, or maybe even it is assumed, that marriages are not permanent. All the talk here about "starter" marriages and "trading up" in the second marriage has the hubby and me splitting our guts.
Golden Mathematician, why is it then that we have such an obesity problem here and elsewhere in the developed world? Why do I keep having to avert my eyes from bad cases of acne, something that really grosses me out? It appears that just more than beauty survives, and we are the descendants.
AP--Agency claims Justice Dept. blocks probe of US Attorneys' Firing.
Beauty THRIVES. Everyone else just survives, like many long-term marriages.
Bad though they are, the alternatives are few and worse.
So, did Jenni get her abortion? Step up and into the money.
5:33, don't do that. On the off-chance that Fitzgerald or his friends frequent this site, there's no reason to be so nasty. It could hurt too many people.
I've been lurking for a while and the tone here has sunk to new lows. Fitzgerald is a good man. A decade ago, he was taking care of his terminally ill father. Now he has a chance to be very happy and to have a family. That's wonderful.
A decade ago, I, too, was taking care of a terminally ill father -- but my future is not nearly so bright. So it's nice to see it when someone who did the right thing gets something nice.
Best wishes to the happy couple for a long and loving live.
How do you know my marriage has just survived and not thrived? Beauty, physical beauty if you're talking about that, thrives and then declines, just like everything else.
live=life
I'm surprised that remark isn't deleted. I'm a critic of Fitzgerald here, but that sort of thing is beyond the pale.
Truth hurts, doesn't it?
In any event, the child wasn't even Fitz'. But he is one PROTECTIVE friend.
6:41, you are talking out of your ass.
5:33 p.m.
That's a pretty mean remark. How would you like such accusations made against you?
Everyone is entitled to happiness. Many may not have appreciated the Investment Banker statement, but I believe that most of us wish these two people a good life filled with lots of love and happiness. It's what we all want in our own lives.
Yeah, we all want happiness. But Jenni knows for sure whose car windows she had been "fogging". They were not her fiance's.
Sadly, some characters out there have more spin to their lives, than "investment banker". They can cheat, lie, steal and kill while posing as the "Irish priest Prosecutor".
This ain't Randall's spinning. But Randall will be "sacrificed" soon, just wait and see.
By the way, Fitz friends knew the bundle of joy was coming.
So how do you explain all the races Jenni ran in since November? After all, that's not something one would do if the person was expecting.
And just what kind of proof do you have? Are you one of Fitz's friends? Sounds more like an anti-friend.
Is Fitz still trustee on that poor woman estate?
Must be.
New apartment, new car, cashmere sweaters, and a bank card for personal use...
a cat too?
Fitz was told she had the stomach flu.
There is one born every minute!
Don't engage the deranged troll. We all know the posts are crap.
Deranged troll? Oh that hurts me...
but that what this blog is for, isn't it?...bwwaahhahaha
Mail time:
I have messages galore!
Fitz, if man enough, may want to actually SPEAK with me. The sooner the better. Did he really got hit by a bookcase on Sunday? My, I like big noses.
Pat, the cutie at the "firm", sweetheart I tried but could not find "bags of protection" to fit your size. I'm afraid you are on your own honey. Just be careful when following advice of others (in or out) in choosing your children's literature. Trust no one.
Pat, my almost new friend. Dear, the silhouettes in the mikado fan are just that, silhouttes. I was hoping for your believe in God to be so strong, you would volunteer to be His hands. If you did, SOON as in now, I may even get another 12 years. Can you make an effort? Too busy or too blind? Children like knights, you know, don't you?
Jimmy, little one..I could send you an email, but you are busy. I admire you, and this is no bs. You could see the fogging, but can not hear me scream. oh, sweetheart, you are not blind but, are you deaf? Give ME a call asap. I mean it.
Bob, you may not need to try so hard to find those children stories anymore. The kahuna has never been the paternal type, anyway.
So Jenni has a full tank no more?
So like Jenni. She has a knack for returning items.
Usually for cash. Fitz ignored the receipts.
So much trust.
Toad face will never know.
Has Fitzie reimbursed the estate, yet? Or covering it up?
Better watch out for those hungry relatives in the south.
Holly need to keep better company.
That girl!
She only finds rats and big rats!
Fitzgerald has been a US Attorney for more than 10-15 years. During the time as a US Attorney, that person is not allowed to do any type of private practice.
Anyone can be a trustee. It is not "practicing law" of any kind.
Duh!
Oh, but an old fart in love with a young gal can loose perspective...and trust the sweety little nose.
He'll be home fondling the cat, while she is out with the "girlfriends" getting pregnant.
Ooops!
I could almost feel sorry for him.
Not!
Trustees file reports, at least yearly, with the Probate Court which oversees the estate. Any beneficiaries have a right to challenge handling of any assets. All public record.
Sounds like you enjoy making things up. Perhaps you should examine your motives because your karma is sinking fast.
What if:
An old woman wanted to have her grandchildren inherit her estate, funds available to pay for college and healthcare, but the estate would be inherited when the grandchildren reach the age of 25.
The old woman did not die. Instead she had a bout with influenza that left her incapacitated, and a diagnosis of Alzheimer's/dementia.
Theoretically, I was to be the exectutor, but now, the daughter has custody over her mother. Albeit all under court-supervision.
What becomes of the will, the old woman's wish that the inheritance bypass her daughter and go directly to the grandchildren. And what about my status as executor?
CA
executor or executrix
I need an editor or spell-check
CA
MSNBC stinks tonight.
"Theoretically, I was to be the executor"
Theoretically? Either you were to be -- or not. The will would have stated her preference.
And, unless there has been a alterning codicil, her inheritance will still go to her heirs, assuming there is anything left after the expenses for long term care. If her custodian is mispending funds now, the court needs to be notified.
"Fitzgerald has been a US Attorney for more than 10-15 years. "
Fitz has been a US Atty since 2001. He was an AUSA from 1988 until his current post.
Does anyone know how the two met and how long they've been together? I can't understand how Ms. Letzkus managed to maintain her lifestyle on a HeadStart teacher's salary. Where I live they are usually part-time positions. If she graduated from college at age 22 and was only married 3 years, there are 9 or 10 years where she supposedly was on her own and by all reports not doing well. How did she end up in Lincoln Park? Sounds like she has found a meal ticket at last.
Poor Fitzgerald. I am one of the commenters here who sometimes praise him and sometimes criticize, but that is on the basis of his work. Socially he always struck me as being a big clumsy dork, and maybe he's been taken in, even set up. It seems to me that "Jenni" is the one he should have had a fling with and the slightly older woman judge the one he should have become engaged to. A woman in her early '40s can still bear children.
Would you like people discussing YOUR financial status on a website? If you are going to question how someone lives, perhaps you should lay out your finances first.
Meal ticket? Why the mean-spirited tone? Are you so jaded that you cannot accept two people being in love?
I doubt you would like the scrutiny on your personal life that these two people are receiving.
To 9:20AM,
Thanks
She asked me to be executor, I never saw anything in writing, and her physical health & mental health declined rapidly, within 30days.
Wouldn't the court notify me if I had my name attached to her will?
CA
Fitz is a power broker.
His background and deceitful personality helps him gain friends both sides of the aisle.
He knows how to extort the weak minded.
Mukasey swears by him and will cover up any impropieties in the handling of the old lady estate.
And yes, I like to live well and up to my beloved image.
I can be a tramp, but as log as I stand pretty by his side, he'll deny anything as ill conceived rumors.
Ill conceived? Strange words!
Let's face it: I'm too hot to be kept "private", Pat loves all the attention I get.
Men are sport. I'm Pat's athlete.
I had to have an abortion because it almost derailed our wedding and upward mobility plans.
August 9. 2008 at Old St. Patrick's Church.
Sorry, only family and friends..and whoever is my current main sqeeze can attend.
The old lady will be dead by then and I will be living in grand style.
Forget about Lincoln Park.
The old lady's money got us a home in Hyde Park. I've met the neighbors already. Pat spend a lot of time there already.
I am looking for some insignificant looking hispanic housekeeper. You know, the kind that look like small pond toads?
She could handle Patrick creepy taste for cats.
"Socially he always struck me as being a big clumsy dork, and maybe he's been taken in, even set up."
I think he's cute.
But I agree about Jenni maybe being a set-up. Something about Jenni does not ring true. I pray for Fitz's sake, Jenni is worthy of his love and devotion.
I didn't know about the Judge he once dated. But heck, what man wants to be 'judged' in bed? You need a cast-iron stomach to sleep with a female judge as portrayed on tv...I keep wondering who would want to sleep with Judge Judy. She might bring that gavel to bed and start cracking some nuts.
[Judge Judy to hubby, "ok, get off me now or do I have to call the bailiff?" With the Judge Judy stare-down and waving the gavel.]
Maybe Fitz never saw the Judge's "inner-child" and he wasn't comfortable becoming vulnerable to her.
CA
"Wouldn't the court notify me if I had my name attached to her will? "
You'll be notified if you are listed as executor or if you are an heir, after she dies.
Unsubstantiated rumors. Convenient for you to hide behind the mask of anonymity and make allegations. It exposes you as a fraud.
Bobs are designed to make a woman look more "mature." Just ask Katie Holmes.
For godsakes, people get married (and remarried) for all sorts of pathological reasons. It's the nature of the beast. Nothing unusual here.
Move along.
ROTFLMAO
'JENNI UNLOADED'
Yes, I guess that bran muffin & prune juice worked.
I'm wondering who squeezed your head this morning and got that waste out?
CA
So much talk about me.
I have to have my say. I'm tired of being portrayed as a dumb blonde.
I'm not. I think people who likes that many cats like Patrick, are creepy.
But I'm not dumb to tell him that.
When I buy something on his credit card, I buy 4 or 5 items and then return the most expensive and keep the cash.
But I'm not dumb to tell him that.
So I got pregnant by another guy. I said I had the stomach flu.
I was not dumb to tell him that.
I'm a very beatiful, healthy and smart 34 years old blonde. Think and say what you may... but I'm the one heading to the altar (Catholic yes, thanks to Patrick innumerable connections).
Patrick will do whatever I ask of him.
What's dumb about that?
11:59 a.m.
You really have a sad life, don't you, to make up such crap? You're the typical bully, and you should be exposed as such.
"You'll be notified if you are listed as executor or if you are an heir, after she dies."
Thanks, I know it's only a blog opinion, but it sounds reasonable for me not to stick my nose in it.
CA
Another thing, CA. The court has to know how to get in touch with you or, at the very least, make a good faith effort to notify you. Make sure you aren't "in hiding" if you want to be notified.
Debra Bonamici an invaluable friend to Patrick.
During the Libby trial she knew what items the jury would request long before they opened their mouths.
She knew what posting would be in the newspaper. Even who would NOT wear a valentine t-shirt while the rest of the jurors did.
You could say she is "psychic". And loyal to her boss.
Debra dear, it's nice you keep your
"premonitions" out of my uterus.
I'll be forever grateful to you for (perhaps knowing better)keeping your mouth shut.
Please don't identify my "boy toys".
I owe you one, dear.
And yes, you can come to my wedding. You look to die for in that red jacket.
"in hiding"
I'm in 'the book' as in the phone book.
No one has ever said that they can't find me.
Whether or not I'll talk depends on how I feel or if you have a court order;)
CA
"in hiding"
I'm in 'the book' as in the phone book.
No one has ever said that they can't find me.
Whether or not I'll talk depends on how I feel or if you have a court order;)
CA
"Who Bullies?"
"Both guys and girls can be bullies. Bullies may be outgoing and aggressive. Or a bully can appear reserved on the surface, but may try to manipulate people in subtle, deceptive ways, like anonymously starting a damaging rumor just to see what happens.
"Many bullies share some common characteristics. They like to dominate others and are generally focused on themselves. They often have poor social skills and poor social judgment. Sometimes they have no feelings of empathy or caring toward other people.
"Although most bullies think they're hot stuff and have the right to push people around, others are actually insecure. They put other people down to make themselves feel more interesting or powerful. And some bullies act the way they do because they've been hurt by bullies in the past — maybe even a bullying figure in their own family, like a parent or other adult.
"Some bullies actually have personality disorders that don't allow them to understand normal social emotions like guilt, empathy, compassion, or remorse. These people need help from a mental health professional like a psychiatrist or psychologist."
From Dealing With Bullies
bonamici means"good friend'...in Italian.
Perhaps I have erred in dissmissing you...
Do tell, I'm all ears...
Or, shall we meet at my club, the East Bank Club, and chat with all the girls in locker room, over some fizzy-water or tea?
I thought I knew all the gossip-mongering wenches in town. You're news to me.
CA
To 1:32,
Hard to be around snakes without becoming one yourself.
I have to constantly check myself from snapping right back.
CA
1:37 p.m.
When good people stand by and let other good people get smeared with untruths, what do you become then?
"Every man has a right to his opinion, but no man has a right to be wrong in his facts."
Bernard Baruch, 1870-1965
That's precisely why is so good to be engaged to Patrick.
His mile long squeaky-clean reputation precedes him.. and now me.
I can do what I want and have you bloggers bending out of shape to dispel my actions as 'untrue".
I'm telling you I'm no dumb blonde.
1:52 p.m.
Twisted thinking. You can't escape that no one takes you seriously.
Fitzgerald is a good man who has given up making private sector $$ to work in the public sector.
And Letzkus takes care of at-risk kids. That much we know. And she may go on to develop wonderful child care theories, or to do something else wonderful.
Leave them alone.
Like "It Takes a Village".
I'm lining up all the plumbers.
I'm not only hot, but witty.
anon. at 11:25, struck a nerve, did I? My life could bear scrutiny but it would be too boring. With all the necessary means at his hands, you'd think Mr. Fitz could have done a little more careful vetting of his fiancee. Contrary to what many say, he has gotten used to being in the limelight, acquired the taste, so if he wants all that, he should be prepared for a little scrutiny himself. As CA says, something is just not right about "Jenni".
Comey once said that he knew "for a fact" that Fitzgerald wanted children.
It's time.
2:39 pm
No, but people seem to level accusations here that most people would resent if made about themselves. So why do you care how people live or what their finances are? Is it your business?
Maybe the "investment banker" meme was meant to make all of us believe that the "brilliant investment banker" Jenni had made her pile early in life so that she could retire early and teach underprivileged children and the same time deflecting questions about who was financing her.
Right on! And when the financing is coming from conversion of an poor old lady estate, both Fitz and his Jenni should be scrutinized.
Fitz and friends got rid of her relatives to cover it up!
Randall as usual knows more than he says.
He has been playing both sides of the fence for a long time.
"Fitz and friends got rid of her relatives to cover it up!"
That would be laughable if it weren't slanderous.
It's time...
"In the meantime, Fitzgerald has settled into his new community of Chicago, which marks an upgrade for him; he lives in a brownstone close enough for him to jog along Lake Michigan. Its furnishings show a woman's—or at least a designer's—touch, but not much else has changed, and he is apparently as single as ever. "When you meet him, you can see that he isn't going to cancel any plans to see you or make it to a party you've been invited to," says one woman who dated him for a time. "He keeps waiting for the next assignment to be over so he can see his family, get married, get a life, but he just never gets there."
Estates are not handled in a vacuum. Papers are filed with a court of law. Often the probate lawyer, bound by a code of ethics, who filed the case, oversees an estate until it is closed, including actions by a trustee, who not only reports to the court but to the heirs.
3:30 p.m. You seem to think that casting scurrilous innuendos here earns you some credibility. Hardly.
They both have blood in their hands.
Mukasey Won't Call Tactic (waterboarding) Illegal. Speaking of Mukasey reminds me, who are you all calling Toad Face here?
Toad face is my "brilliant financial investment".
The one clear thing is, whoever is posting this crap is jealous of a good man like Fitzgerald.
To 2:39PM the blogger who is slandering Jenni,
Stop misquoting me. It's right here, on the blog, EXACTLY what I said.
COPY and PASTE my comment, don't just 'interpret', 'alter', what I said.
Stop using my initials, CA, in your feeble attempt to try to make your scurrilous and maybe even FELONIOUS comments about Jenni credible.
I love Fitz. I'll learn to love Jenni, because I love Fitz.
If the comments about an abortion are true, you could be violating her civil rights, her right to privacy. An abortion is a moral choice, but it's also a MEDICAL PROCEDURE protected by HIPPAA, Federal medical privacy laws. How did you come to learn of this alleged abortion?
You can be traced, you can be found, even if you in Australia or the jungles ofTasmania.
Just because it's the internet, does not mean you can go around bullying, lying, deceiving people.
CA
CA, get a life!
"I love Fitz. I'll learn to love Jenni.."
Gee weez, CA.. you sound like a desperate groupie crying for attention.
Nobody is perfect. Not Fitz, not Jenni, not anyone here.
This constant slobbering about someone elses relationship, and the need for ass kissing of yours is really troublesome.
Dont you get any drama of your own in your life? Poor pathethic little thing.
You must be really lonely. The soap operas on tv are for people just like you.
Stop paying lip service for a realtionship that is not going anywhere.
I love Fitz.
Because it annoys you.
CA
Your brain seem to have taken too many tumbles in the dryer.
It's fried.
Kitty,
You still haven't called Dr. Phil?
I'm busy.
CA
If I were Fitz, I wouldn't even bother to stop by and read the comments about him on this blog. The women that are chasing after him on this blog sound like psycho women. I know that he is glad that he is off the market.
I would like to sleep once and awhile. Respect the dead today as it would had been my bro's birthday. Only Zappa knows for sure. I had a bad dream concerning my child last night so I will bitchy, like what else is new? Hi Kitty.
Davis? Isn't it someplace that they teach kids to make the donuts? I swear that I seen those nice paperboys in pictures, black and white photos, seaside.
Time to make the donuts, Joe?
Ironically, Cisco is the best place to work if you are interested in early childhood development, not the DOJ.
Iraq has million-woman social time-bomb | International | Reuters
Hey Iraqi planners, how about a nice to trip to Iraq now?
I just wanted someone to know that I seen the pictures. Go figure. After the carney goes...
Sorry to get back to you so late, CA, and my apologies for misquoting you so terribly.
Here's what you said at 11:47 yesterday: "Something about Jenni does not ring true".
Here's how I misquoted you at 2:39: "As CA says, something is just not right about 'Jenni'".
*shrug*
To take the discussion of Fitzerald's and Letkus's private life off the table, let's talk about the "good man" meme we see frequently here. What is it that some of you see in him that makes him so good? I see negatives as well as positives, and I'll list them and you can reply.
I see Fitzgerald as a consummate loyal Bushie USA. There was no consideration of firing him (yet he tried to play the martyr on other USAs real suffering).
He is a great supporter of the Patriot Act and has used Bushie shenanigans in trials like the Mohammed Salah of using Israeli agents as witnesses and trying to prejudice the jury by saying they should have been anonymous because Salah would have been a death threat to them. Used Judith Miller too, that reliable witness.
In the Salah trial as in the Conrad Black trial Fitzgerald tried (and failed) to get them convicted on RICO charges. Using the RICO law in as many cases as they can even though it is not applicable is another hallmark of the DOJ.
Then there is his "conversation" with Ambrose which we have discussed and has now been hidden somewhere.
Finally, like a good Bushie USA Fitzgerald loves to go after the maximum sentence all the time including the express to the death chamber. EXCEPT in the CIA Leak Case where he did not go after the perpetrators Bush, Cheney and Rove. Let them off the hook and made a token charge at Libby. When the parole board recommended a sentence for Libby, Fitzgerald up it, and oh, BTW, gave Bush an opportunity to commute Libby's prison time because it was too harsh. His performance with the CIA Leak Case was one of the greatest kabuki dances we have ever seen.
Don't forget, he has said many times that he serves at the pleasure of the President (and Ashcroft, and Gonzales, and now Mukasey). He is a "good" Bushie USA.
Fitz went for the max sentence on Libby.
Ambrose is re-scheduled for March 3.
Fitz is considered one of the greatest DOJ prosecutors which is why he wasn't in the firing line.
I have to leave now. Back lagter.
You missed my point about Libby or ignored it. First of all, as John Dean wrote in his book Broken Government, Fitzgerald was "remarkably restrained" and should have gone after Cheney himself, not Libby. My point about Libby's sentencing is that if Fitzgerald had accepted the parole board's sentencing recommendation, Bush would not have had an excuse to commute the sentence on the grounds of it being too harsh. Hello! I said that the whole CIA thing was a kabuki dance.
As for Ambrose: is that a continuation of the hearing on Fitzgerald's behavior or something else? That's what I'm interested in. Mr. Fitzgerald's appearance on the stand was interrupted and was to continue after the Christmas holidays, but that scheduled appearance was vacated.
Fitzgerald being considered one of the greatest prosecutors is just as unproven a blanket term as his being a "good" man. He was not on the firing line because he is a faithful Bushie USA, a company man, a member of the A Team.
If you want the Fitz/Jenni issue off the table, and don't want to hear the truth about their personal characters, then stop those stupid comments about the relationship.
It makes this blog look like a cheap hollywood tabloid.
If you're talking about the anonymous who posted the last two comments on Fitzgerald's actions as USA, I have to tell you that I am not the one who started and kept the ball rolling on the personal stuff. In fact, I'm the one who said that I was surprised that the first comment was not deleted, and if you notice, I am trying hard not to reference what it was.
It seems to me those postings are to be "character rehabilitation" of the allegations made about Fitz.
As for Jenni's postings, no one who knows her personally would be surprised.
Really.
The blog was literally screaming for it.
Ask Bonamici, Randall and Bob.
12:47 p.m.
Fitzgerald is not a loyal Bushie, he's a prosecutor sworn to uphold the law, and doing a darned good job. Would a loyal Bushie ever say there is a cloud over the Vice-President? You think that went over well with Dick and his pals? Ask Joe Wilson.
Did you not see the vitriolic articles on the web and in newspapers written by neocons across the country accusing Fitzgerald of everything under the sun? Those attacks continue to this day. Few people would ever opt for such brutal treatment, and if he were a loyal Bushie, the attack dogs would have been called off or asked to be more easygoing. Only an honest person grounded in his principles and beliefs could take such a vicious onslaught.
We only know the “news” accounts of the Ambrose case. Except for the parties involved, none of us really know its details. Maybe more will emerge as the case proceeds, but the public rarely hears everything on criminal cases. Conferences in chambers and at the bench often limit what the public/jury hears, based on the law and negotiation. Cases move at their own speed and are more legally intricate than most people know.
Fitzgerald's official term was up in September 2005, appointed for four years, like most USAs. He can be replaced at any time as the USA for Chicago by the President. Sampson mentioned firing Fitzgerald in talking with Miers and another advisor and they quickly recognized the political firestorm that would be set off by the Democrats and dismissed the idea. Your perception that he played a “martyr” during the firings of the USAs is yours alone.
As far as Fitzgerald's reputation as one of the best prosecutors, tell us who you would have had prosecute George Ryan, or going after the Hired Truck and all the other Chicago scandals? Who had the courage and the fortitude to stay the course and not succumb to the political machinery pressure to look the other way? Have you ever personally felt political pressure? If not, you have no idea of the caliber of person that is needed to stay the course. So name your man or woman that you think could have done a better job than Fitzgerald.
No comments should be deleted.
Those who exercise free speech to write about someone elses relationship, should accept everyone else has the same right to express their own (ugly?) opinions.
Let's talk about what matters to us readers.
What's up with the Ambrose case? I read the last hearing was dragged on so much it irritatetd the judge, and that's why it had to be continued.
Who played the delay card? Anyone knows?
Also, why was Mr. Fitzgerald interrogating Ambrose? I'm no legal expert, but it seems to me that his presence there was kind of questionable. It doesn't seem to befit his position.
Your free speech ends when you slander someone. Check the law.
Anon 2:00
Have a little respect for all other hard working US Attorneys around the nation.
They worked their tails off too, but are not getting as much publicity as Mr. Fitzgerald.
The State of Illinois provides quite an unique opportunity for Mr. Fitzgerald to demonstrate his talents. I agree he has done a remarkable job and should be commended for it.
However, to force the public to compare other devoted public servants whose work get no publicity to Mr. Fitzgerald's accomplishments, smacks me of haughtiness and arrogance of your part.
Let's all hope that Mr. Fitzgerald remains as humble as he has been represented to be, in spite of his notorious accomplishments.
Does it have to be false to be slander? I better ask Patrick.
To 12:03PM,
Thank you for answering 11:51.
To 11:51AM,
You said: "Don't forget, he has said many times that he serves at the pleasure of the President (and Ashcroft, and Gonzales, and now Mukasey). He is a "good" Bushie USA."
I never thought that Fitz was anything other than like the man who brought him here to Illinois.
Former Illinois [R] Senator Peter Fitzgerald (no relation) brought
Patrick J. Fitzgerald, Jr. here.
With Fitz & Jenni, I felt Samson had met his Delilah.
Feelings are often wrong.
CA
2:14 p.m.
I know people who are and have been USAs and I have a great deal of admiration for them. So your perception of arrogance is misdirected. These people are not only hard-working, but they receive threats of harm on a regular basis. Their cases are not the high profile ones that generate substantial news coverage but they are unsung heroes.
Clearly, many of the fired USAs were doing very important work to root out corruption, and the public had heard of only a few. USAs don't seek out publicity; they handle their cases without fanfare. The media latched onto Fitzgerald because of his high-profile cases; hence, he generates a lot of discussion, which has in many cases been politically motivated.
2:38
Well said.
CA
To: Anon 2:38
I partially agree with you.
I share the news with friends and relatives from several other states. While is true other USA's work on high profile cases without fanfare, they do get publicity and recognition at the local level.
Several of the fired USA's were involved in cases who had political ramifications, as you may remember. And their names surfaced in the national media only after their undeserved firing.
The point is Mr. Fitzgerald is not and has never been the only USA subject to political motivated attacks. He is the only one we hear about at the national level.
Anon. 2:14 brought an interesting point to the table, IMHO. As it may relate to this blog in particular, giving recogniton to other USA's work, for example, would help to raise the level of dialogue in this blog.
Perhaps the degeneration could be stopped in anyone made an effort to raise real issues, even if they do not personally pertain to Mr. Fitzgerald. His personal life (pro or con) is not one them.
It has become the pink and defunct PJFlygirls, with one heavy and petulant coat of pseudo-intellectualism. CA seem to have relocated from there, bringing all their adolescent emotional romantic immaturity that only invites other wingnuts into the fray. "Samson met his Delilah" has no place in this blog, unless we are willing to also accept the less gracious comments.
This kind of chutzpa flourishes here because the narcissistic tone of this blog makes the ground fertile.
"heavy and petulant coat.." OMG, am I wearing too much makeup?
I better ask Patrick.
"Ma, He's Making Eyes At Me" the 'youtube' exclusive; Fitz meets Jenni
If ya'll gonna get serious on me, and start doin what Anon 3:20PM suggests:
"giving recogniton to other USA's work, for example, would help to raise the level of dialogue in this blog."
I'm goin t'leave with my pink feather boa and spikey heels.
CA
Slingblade, I will miss you!
This current "class" of USAs are the most politicized ever. Here in Oregon, Fitzgerald's counterpart, Karin Immergut was angling for an appointment to the federal bench but a small newspaper called Willamette Week and a blog I post on called BlueOregon were somewhat influential in getting her derailed.
There is a 6 member committee who makes 3 nominations to the DOJ, and the committee is under our two senators. I think you must have the same set up. Republican Senator Gordon Smith, himself an endangered species, wanted the committee to nominate Immergut as his favorite choice. He controlled 4 of the votes and Democrat Ron Wyden 2 but Wyden led opposition to her.
USA Immergut was a Democrat who worked either in Multnomah Co. or for the state. She was hired as an assistant to Kenneth Star in the Clinton impeachment and after that, became a Republican so Bush would appoint her USA for Oregon. You may not remember the name Brandon Mayfield, but he was the highly respected Portland lawyer who was wrongly accused of the Al Qaeda bombings in Spain through false identification of fingerprints, an accusation which the FBI and Ms. Immergut ruthlessly prosecuted. Now he has been cleared and is receiving millions in compensation. Ms. Immergut hired six Monica Goodling Regent University types as prosecutors who had not had any experience on the federal level. Ms. Immergut made pursuing a handful of "eco-terrorists" her centerpiece and like all Bush appointees gave the drug problem short shrift. It just happens to be our most critical problem in Oregon.
These types of action or non-action are characteristic of the Bush DOJ all across the system, and I named a few that Fitzgerald has done which I don't see anyone actually rebutting. The only good USAs were the ones who were fired, who became non-political once they assumed their offices.
3:40 p.m.
Agreed on many points. Those fired USAs deserved their jobs back. If anything, their firings clearly told the American people that the rule of law will be bent for political reasons.
I don't watch the presidential candidate debates regularly, but I wonder if anyone has asked them how they intend to clean up the corruption that has been rampant in the US House and Senate. I would like them to answer how they are going to return the Department of Justice to a non-political entity.
WARNING: Ignore this post, it's sure to offend your lofty intellect.
"Ma, He's Making Eyes At Me" the 'youtube' exclusive; Fitz meets Jenni
If ya'll gonna get serious on me, and start doin what Anon 3:40PM suggests:
"giving recogniton to other USA's work, for example, would help to raise the level of dialogue in this blog."
I'm goin' t' hav' t' leave with my pink feather boa and spikey heels.
CA
Slingblade, I'm gonna miss ya!
CA, can I have your spikey heels?
Patrick is going through my "returned item" receipts and I wont get new shoes for a while.
I sure can use them..to kiss my tall hunk...and I'm no longer contemplating to wearing flats!
I forgot to mention that the USA for New Jersey, Christopher Christie, gave a NO BID contract to former AG John Ashcroft to manage an out of court settlement. I think the stipend was in the range of c. $29 to $51 million. If you read the news, especially on the blogs, you see this sort of thing happening. How many of you were aware of this story?
More and more of this stuff needs to be exposed, but the question remains, how do you get the Congress to change this kind of give-away? The news media just wants to focus on the tiffs between the candidates. How do we get the major reforms that put our American ideals and sense of fair play back on track?
What power any congressman's constituency really have to be heard on these issues?
Blogs express mostly personal opinions, with all the twists, turns and spins to the satisfaction of anyone heart's desires. For any change to occur, the problems must be addressed by our congressmen.
But, do they care?
It seems "the people" of this nation no longer have a voice. There lies the problem.
How do we get the major reforms that put our American ideals and sense of fair play back on track?
5:02 PM
The vote.
You have to vote them ALL out.
dailykos.com
targets a bunch of entrenched crooks and liars
We still have the vote. Maybe, not for long.
CA
spikey heels are yours
CA
The abundance of information provided by the media outlets is not leading to any actual and meaningful political dialogue.
It seems everybody is content with expressing their personal opinion, get 5 minutes of notoriety for doing so and then it's time move on and seek the next opportunity to hear the sound of our own voices.
We are living the politics of the meme. Nothing changes because we are not seeking change.
LOL, CA! The DailyKos has become soooooooo out of touch. Markos Moulitsas has been hungry to become part of the establishment, and he's finally got his wish, working in tandem with Karl Rove in Newsweek magazine. All the other bloggers are bashing Kos. A blog should always be an alternative form of media, somewhere that is not censored (like here: I stand corrected by the person that challenged me on the deletion). Are you aware of the Sibel Edmonds story several of us have been posting about here? It is a story that is going around the world but is blacked out in the US, only available on some of the blogs. You should start reading The Brad Blog instead of DailyKos. Poof!
Anon 4:42
Are the actions of the New Jersey USA a single, isolated and unprecedented event that would merit the scrutiny you seek? Perhaps in a wider context his actions would not look reproachable. Out of professional respect, I'd prefer not to engage in speculation.
Your point also begs this question:
what level of scrutiny any USA's actions receive from their superiors at the DOJ?
Anyone knows?
No, it's not an isolated event.
It seems that the largesse and practice of these no-bid monitoring agreements to loyal bushies grew in an unprecedented manner under Gonzo's DOJ.
Surprise!
I think that people don't believe their voice is heard on many levels (not all) of government, so they don't make any efforts. Everyone is stressed with jobs (which require more time and dedication to keep), family and their activities, and living. That leaves little time to get involved politically.
The political parties also have a stranglehold on elected officials. First of all, mavericks are not welcomed. A former state house representative once said to me that when she voted a different way than what the party wanted, they brought her in. If she wanted good committee assignments and her bills to move forward, she would toe the party line.
So you can vote all the new people in that you want, but who is going to stand up to the political machinery? I admit to being pessimistic, and at this point I don’t believe any of these final four candidates and their message of change.
The system is bursting at the seams.
It is a pessimistic view indeed, having to acknowledge the shortage of true leaders for our nation. Change is needed at many levels, and all paths do not necessarily lead to the White House.
The DOJ is a good example, and perhaps Mukasey could give the first steps in what is going to be a long haul. But someone got to start somewhere.
We need a third party of independents to break the deadlock.
Anon at 5:52, I don't what else lies in New Jersey, but I forgot to mention the USA in Alabama, a woman named Leura Garrett Canary, who indicted the former Democratic governor on crimes which were also committed by Republican politicians but they were not indicted. I think the Ala US Senator Sessions for one. There was something to do with nepotism there too, but I can't remember the details. Then there was Tim Griffin in Arkansas. We know that Monica Goodling hired lots of mediocre lawyers for the DOJ, but I don't know where they are all placed.
We need to clean house in the DOJ next year badly. I don't think Mukasey is going to do the same egregious misdeeds as Gonzales, but neither is he going to prosecute any of it either.
What was Sibel going to testify about 9/11? What did she know?
CA
Sibel Edmonds - Wiki
ciao
CA
Dear Mr Fitzgerald, can you please look at this case, because it seems to me to be far bigger than conrad black ever did, by about a thousand to one:
-original investigation from:
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/1/17/at_times_romneys_bain_capital_profited
Jay Carciero Says:
January 31, 2008 at 5:00 pm
"Romney’s corporate affiliates have committed unacceptable crimes, massive discrimination, pervasive tax sheltering, and have trounced on the rights of the voiceless. This is not the GOP I know. His behavior is not representative of Abraham Lincoln or Ronald Reagan principles....Romney is as much of a fraud as many of his companies he represented.
(the main story is all the leveraged buyouts, tax-evasion, cayman islands -see link - & then he finishes with this:)
"What is the deal with selling 3 Com technology that is capable of hacking our Pentagon to the communist Chinese? I thought that was considered treason? Or is that a good investment like Iran oil?"
http://blogs4mccain.com/2008/01/31/romneys-bain-capital-profited-by-laying-off-workers/
Sgt., the "real" Fitzgerald has nothing to do with this blog. Just so you know.
"I see Fitzgerald as a consummate loyal Bushie USA. There was no consideration of firing him"
LOL Apparently somebody missed the memo with 'Fitzgerald for fire' on it...my, my the vicious slander on this blog regarding a Head Start teacher. What makes you the moral authority anon? Give us YOUR "credentials" -being nasty doesn't count as one...
Why didn't Fitzgerald "step up" last weekend?
Oprah is doing an episode about why powerful women wind up staying single. And she's right.
You are wrong about that one, Prissy. Fitzgerald was never on a firing list, and Bush at least a couple of times during and after the Libby trial made comments that Fitzgerald was doing a good job. The burden of proof lies with you on your statement too. I refer you to Christian Slater of the BradBlog who called the WaPo on this one.
I hope the real Fitzgerald is smart enough to realize what is going on, before he pisses too many people off anymore.
You stupid people and your talk about Jenny. You really don't know shit, do you? People can marry who they want as long as it is not a child (and not my mine at the moment).
If Fitzgerald wants to marry a Jenny, that's his business but I need my damn picture book. I need people to shut up at times.
Play me a fiddle for all that whining I hear. And it better be engraved with a honk-eye, honk-eye smart Grandpa. That son of mine can be such a ditz at times.
WW not all look-alikes. haha, lucky for me.
Here's hoping Fitz takes his position on the Attorney General's Advisory Committee and makes changes with regard to the death penalty. His soul can't hide behind "the rule of law" and consensus-building forever.
9:24 a.m.
Maybe this is what you are referring to:
Sampson Suggested Removing Fitzgerald
By Paul Kiel - March 29, 2007, 3:30PM
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002915.php
"Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) asks if Fitzgerald was ever considered for removal?
Sampson says:
"On one occasion in 2006, in discussing the removal of U.S. attorneys... that I was speaking with Harriet Miers and Bill Kelley and I raised Pat Fitzgerald, and immediately after I did it, I regretted it. I thought, I knew it was the wrong thing to do, I knew it was inappropriate. And I remember at the time that Harriet Miers and Bill Kelley just looked at me.... I said, "Patrick Fitzgerald could be added to this list."... They just looked at me."
Durbin asks why he suggested that. And Sampson says he doesn't know why, that maybe it was just to "get a reaction out of them.""
Even the DOJ types who don't agree with Fitz, all have acknowledged his talent and record.
Sgt., the "real" Fitzgerald has nothing to do with this blog. Just so you know.
Oh yes he does!
John McCain is too old to be President!!
Just say no!
Anon at 2:16. That's it. That's the only reference to possibly firing Fitzgerald. There is no paper proof that he was ever on a list.
He's getting groomed and ready to run for office. Question is, which one?
Presidency in 2012, 2016 possibly?
At 3:35 p.m. It shows that Sampson, the list maker, thought about firing Fitzgerald, not something you would do to a loyal Bushie.
At 4:56 p.m. Fitzgerald is not a politician. By 2012 and 2016, there will be a whole new crop, and younger, presidential "wanna bes."
3:35 yes, that's right no proof...just like 911- no proof left-all just went up in smoke, aye?
You say I'm wrong, yet you show me no proof? LOL
Sorry, Prissy, I agree with you totally about 9/11, but I am sorry that you feel I can't disagree with you on anything else. There is a lot of proof out there about 9/11 only a media and governmental blackout, just like about Sibel Edmonds. I have given Fitzgerald credit where credit is due, but I don't think he is a fucking hero one bit and cannot be criticized ever. And for the second time, I AM NOT THE PERSON WHO STARTED THE PERSONAL STUFF OR KEPT IT ROLLING.
http://www.swnewsherald.com/online_content/2008/02/020108ov_zan_romney.php
Would Romney Fire Patrick Fitzgerald?
By DANIEL T. ZANOZA
Whoever you may support for the Republican or Democratic presidential nomination this year, there’s one thing that is absolutely certain. Your head would explode, if you tried to keep track of all the subplots and political intrigue, which is taking place in both parties.
For the first time in 80 years, neither the president or the sitting vice president is seeking their party’s nomination. That means we are seeing political races in both parties like never before. History is literally unfolding before our very eyes. However, one of the more seedy subplots involves the candidacy of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and his relationship to Republican power brokers, which primarily developed after the campaign of Sen. Fred Thompson never left the ground.
Romney is the obvious favorite of the GOP elite in Washington, D.C. now that Thompson and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani have bowed out of the race. It is also apparent Romney may be currying favor with remnants of the Illinois Combine, the state power brokers who were in their heyday during the gubernatorial administrations of Jim Thompson, Jim Edgar and George Ryan.
But how could one do such a thing, pray tell. Here’s an idea. Attack an individual who supposedly did wrong to both factions of the GOP — the Washington, D.C. movers and shakers, and those who run the show or, at least, want to keep running the show in Illinois.
Someone in the Romney campaign must have thought it was a lightening bolt from the political gods that gave them the idea to go after the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Patrick Fitzgerald. You see, Fitzgerald — through no choice of his own — was appointed to investigate the outing of so-called covert CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson. The case was bogus, involving who told which reporter what and when about a secret agent who wasn’t so secret.
But Fitzgerald had to do his job and Scooter Libby, an aide to Vice-president Dick Cheney, was convicted of perjury and a big to do about nothing was over. From the beginning, the Valerie Plame Wilson case was solely media-generated, in an attempt to discredit George W. Bush’s administration and had nothing to do with outing CIA agents or jeopardizing America’s security. Fitzgerald was stuck with a bogus investigation and most of those involved would agree with this assessment.
However, there are those connected with the White House and Vice-president Dick Cheney who thought Fitzgerald should have rolled over and fallen on the sword himself. In Illinois, the story is completely different. Fitzgerald has been a virtual pariah to those connected with the Illinois Combine and they look at him as Darth Vader incarnate.
The only problem is most Illinois residents think Patrick Fitzgerald has done an excellent job as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. I guess, that is, everyone except people like former Illinois Governor George Ryan, who is sitting in a Wisconsin federal prison at this moment. And there are other big fish in Fitzgerald's frying pan of justice who are just about ready to be served up for prosecution. Romney, however, took the bait of Fitzgerald’s detractors and has intimated he would fire the well-respected prosecutor--if he were elected president.
On June 15, 2007 Romney told political reporter Andy Shaw of WLS-TV (ABC 7 Chicago), “They proceeded with the investigation knowing that there was no crime to pursue, and I think that abuse of prosecutorial discretion justifies a very careful look at a possible change.”
Even earlier in the campaign, Romney made Fitzgerald a target of his wrath. During a Republican debate held on May 3 of last year, Romney went into a virtual tirade about the prosecutor who went after Libby. While not mentioning Fitzgerald by name, it was clear who Romney was talking about and in post-debate analysis, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews did enlighten the viewing audience by saying Fitzgerald was the target of Romney’s outrage.
Besides trying to please the powers that be, Romney’s position on Fitzgerald is in contrast to those held by one of his challengers for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, Sen. John McCain. During an interview with the Chicago Tribune’s editorial board, McCain said of Fitzgerald, “I’d keep him. I’d keep him. Because I think he has a record of pursuing criminals, and he has done so, with efficiency and skill and with dedication. I think he has done a good job, and I think the American people are crying out for having this corruption cleaned up.”
Now those who read my columns regularly know I have some strong differences with John McCain over many issues. But McCain hit the nail right on the head with his assessment of Fitzgerald. The question is: Did Romney start his attacks on the federal prosecutor because he thinks Fitzgerald wasted tax-payer dollars or is he simply ignorant of the work Fitzgerald has done here in Illinois?
Of course, there’s one more scenario, which goes something like this. Romney is full aware of Fitzgerald's dogged prosecution of corruption in Illinois and that's just the problem. Perhaps the reason why the Republican elite is so enamored with Romney of late is because there will be a pay-off at the end of the presidential rainbow. If Romney were elected president, Patrick Fitzgerald would be gone and some big problems facing former and current members of the Illinois Combine might go away with him.
As someone used to say, “what a revoltin’ development.” If you were an individual waiting to receive relief from the GOP’s nomination of Mitt Romney for president, because he might take care of some of those pesky lawyer bills, McCain’s victory in Florida certainly puts Mr. Romney in a bind and even his pockets may not be deep enough to buy himself out of it. It seems no matter how hard they try, the movers and the shakers in the GOP just can’t get it right.
And after all their maneuvering, the Republican elite may just end up with its worst nightmare... John McCain in the White House. And keep this very quiet because some might get upset by hearing it... Patrick Fitzgerald would remain the prosecutor for the Northern District of Illinois.
Alka Seltzer, anyone?
Plop plop fizz fizz...
6:16 PM I do critique him regularly, that's why I still post.
"Patriot Act" he sure made the wrong call there...oh I have counted the ways over the years, right Fitz? Apparently he didn't learn everything in the universe there is to know.
Yes we agree on 911, media suppression for sure. What's the cure?
Its the Rudy and John Show - The Caucus - Politics - New York Times Blog
Some people never learn, it is insulting.
James Risen the NYT reporter who broke the NSA wiretapping story has been subpoenaed. That's why we need a federal shield law. Your "good" old boy Pat opposes one, along with Bush and a few senators. Yes, indeed, he truly serves at the pleasure of the president, loyal Bushie. He's not all about fighting crime in Chicago. First Amendment out the window.
I didn't vote for Bush either time, and in my lifetime, I believe him to be the worst president to hold office. But I supported the Afgan war and I think he has it right on many immigration issues. So I guess in your eyes, I would be a loyal Bushie, too.
I support a federal shield law for whistleblowers, but not for outing CIA spies.
Information on the Risen subpoena:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/02/nyt-reporter-that-broke-nsa-wiretapping-scandal-subpoenaed/
"The subpoena James Risen received from a federal grand jury last week did not concern his 2005 reporting on the NSA domestic spying program. Instead, the Justice Department wants Risen to divulge his sources for a chapter on Iran’s nuclear program in his 2006 book, State of War. In it, Risen describes CIAs unsuccessful efforts during the Clinton and Bush administrations to infiltrate the Iranian nuclear program. …"
Your little excerpt from C & L might lead people to think that Risen is not being targeted for the NSA leak while if people read the whole post, and thank you for linking it, they will see that it is C & L's opinion that behind the questioning on the book, the ultimate goal is either to get Risen on the NSA leak ultimately or coincidentally because the FISA vote is coming up.
Anon. at 1:43, I too would not like to see someone like Judith Miller, who was involved in covering up a crime, using a shield law. A woman commenting on FDL one time said she hoped that the Bush administration wasn't running Fitzgerald as a rabbit in the Judith Miller instance. I wasn't sure what she meant but maybe that Miller was a decoy to use in fighting a federal shield law? I think Fitzgerald argued that it wasn't a case of freedom of the press so I think that could argued again in the future. If we don't get a federal shield law, though, future Deep Throats, Daniel Elsbergs, James Risens, Sibel Edmondses and all the other brave whistleblowers who have come forward will be silenced.
11:50, my understanding about Fitzgerald's opinion about a shield law is based on his April speech at Harvard. He's not averse to a shield law but he said it shouldn't be a blanket law -- e.g. if a reporter is party to a crime, as Judith Miller was, a shield law should not apply.
That seems reasonable.
5:42 and 7:06 p.m.
To me, the problem is that Congress has let the American people down big time, even this so-called Democratic Congress. They are supposed to exercise the oversight to protect our rights and the Constitution, and IMO, they haven't.
Fitzgerald may have a particular stance on a law, but he enforces the law as made by Congress. If anybody deserves criticism, it is the elected representatives that prefer to get along rather do the hard work to make sure that we are protected without infringing unnecessarily on our liberties.
The 11:30 comment only referenced the NSA wiretapping, which was not what Risen was being subpoenaed for, hence the link to show the big picture.
You can look up Fitzgerald's op-ed on a federal shield law right here on Faux Fitz's archives. He had dueling op-eds with Ted Olsen in the WaPo, and you can click on both right here. Ted Olsen's view is the view of most of Congress and the WaPo; Fitzgerald's view, that we didn't need a change, things were all right as they now are, is Bush's view and the view of a few obstructionist senators. The WaPo also sided with Olsen and said that Fitzgerald's scenarios were too far-fetched. As I said, all this is on the site you're currently on. He may have backtracked at Harvard.
What about the law made by Bush's presidential signing statements and the law made by activist judges? Does he enforce those too? I'm glad you've found a knight on a white horse.
Backtracked, or evolved. And here's hoping he also evolves with regard to his stance on the death penalty.
Meanwhile, former AUSA Kendall is becoming an activist judge. And it's a good thing.
Just as Pat L. hits her 43rd birthday, he 40-year old husband (no annulment) marries his pregnant girlfriend and seven months later has Rachel. That marks you.
And, yes, Jenni was a low-level "investment" banker -- but she was born to work with kids. And she's not a competitive runner. Randall was trying to spin it all to sound bigger than it is. She's just a nice girl. And that is more than enough.
To all you accomplished women who were pining for Fitz, you never had a chance. He's a midwestern boy at heart who wants a simple life.
11:26 a.m.
So Congress has no role in making sure that its laws aren't sidestepped by Bush? Please, lay the blame where it belongs.
There's no white knight, everyone has a responsibility to keep democracy alive and well.
I feel for Rachel (and don't mean to sound like Clinton). If this stuff is making the rounds of her high school, it's got to be hard for her. Maybe if they had really been circumspect about the engagement and not gone after publicity, none of this dirty linen would have been aired.
Oh I agree with you about Congress. I am especially disappointed in the Democrats with their lack of oversight. Sounds like I don't like anyone, and that's probably true.
anon said "To all you accomplished women who were pining for Fitz, you never had a chance. He's a midwestern boy at heart who wants a simple life."
LOL That was funny...one question...What's your definition of accomplished?
1:08 I agree, I jus don't like none of 'em anymore...they refuse to do their jobs.
"He's a midwestern boy at heart who wants a simple life."
lol
You silly thing.. Fitz is from Flatbush, NY not the midwest. Someone needs a map. No one on this blog knows what Patrick Fitzgerald wants. And do you mean about "accomplished" women??
Actually there are some people or a person posting here who is in the know. You aren't one of them, 4:37.
And I agree with the midwestern boy comment. One of his colleagues said that a few years ago, too. I know Brooklyn. I'm from Midwood where Fitz's gradeschool is. Fitz behaves like he was raised in Peoria and that's a good thing.
Right on, 1:05. If they hadn't try to spin Letzkus like Jack Ryan without the sex scandal (clearing throat now), her "friends" would not be setting the record straight.
And when I think about accomplished women in Fitz's social sphere, I see someone like Julie Ruder.
What exactly is a "midwestern boy at heart", or a midwestern girl for that matter? And what makes life "simple"? And yes, what is an accomplished woman in your eyes? What are your conclusions based on and define your terms please? And why is the person who keeps posting this nonsense here anymore "in the know" than anyone else?
"Fitz behaves like he was raised in Peoria and that's a good thing." I don't mean to insult all you Illinoisans, but if that's how Fitz behaves after having had the best education available (Regis, Amherst and Harvard Law School), I would say that those institutions threw good money after bad.
I recognize another one when I see one. Fitzgerald is not a simple person.
Post a Comment
<< Home