Published: December 07, 2011
Op-Ed Contributor
Blagojevich Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison
By Robert Paul Reyes
"Rod R. Blagojevich, the former governor of Illinois, apologized to residents of his state, to the judge in his case and to his family on Wednesday as he spoke in court during his sentencing hearing.
"I have nobody to blame but myself for my stupidity and actions, words, things that I did, that I thought I could do," he said. -The New York Times
Blago spoke these words of contrition and remorse before the judge who will decide his fate for 18 felony convictions. Technically Blago could have been sentenced to hundreds of years in prison, but federal prosecutors were seeking a sentence of 15 to 20 years behind bars, and the ex-governor's lawyers were seeking five years or less.
Rod Blagojevich
Photo: U.S. Congress |
If it were up to the citizens of Chicago, Blago would have gotten away with a slap on the wrist. In the Windy City, Blago's corrupt ways are par for the course.
Even if the fate of Blago had been in the hands of the American public, we have let him off easy. Blago is as corrupt as they come, but he charming in a roguish way.
But unfortunately Blago's fate was in the hands of a federal judge and he sentenced the corrupt but loveable politician to 14 years in prison.
Blago, a big fan of Elvis Presley, can spend his time behind bars singing "Jailhouse Rock."
Follow Robert Paul Reyes on Twitter: http://twitter.com/robertpaulreyes
Robert Paul Reyes is a NewsBlaze writer on Politics, Pop Culture and Pointless Pontificating. Contact him by writing to NewsBlaze.
The U.S. Congress website, says this of Rod Blagojevich:
BLAGOJEVICH, Rod R., a Representative from Illinois; born in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., December 10, 1956; attended Foreman High School, Chicago, Ill.; B.A., Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill., 1979; J.D., Pepperdine University, Malibu, Calif., 1983; attorney, private practice; Assistant State’s Attorney, Cook County, Ill., 1986-1988; member of the Illinois state house of representatives, 1993-1996; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Fifth and to the two succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1997-January 3, 2003); not a candidate for reelection to the One Hundred Eighth Congress in 2002.; Governor of Illinois, 2003-2009; impeached on January 9, 2009, by the Illinois house of representatives and subsequently removed from office by the decision of the Illinois state senate on January 29, 2009.
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