Eavesdropping on the Sun Times Chutzpa
Annabel Kent, Chicago Media Critic & Thomas Barton, Political Commentator
Recently, the chutzpa of the Chicago Sun Times was on full display in their reporting of events involving employees of Mayor Rahmbo’s City Hall recording their phone conversation with Chicago Tribune reporters.
The act of recording the reporters without their knowledge is a felony in Illinois. Recently, there have been high profile eavesdropping cases that are being scrutinized, or to Illinois’ shame, not being scrutinized.
One case in particular, that illustrates the hypocrisy of the current situation on so many different levels, was brought against Annabel Melongo who was jailed as a political prisoner in Crook County for over a year-and-a-half.
Crook County’s Political Prisoner
Here is what one of the Times’ investigative “Watch Dog” reporters, Carol Marin, wrote about how Mayor Rahmbo handled the Tribune eavesdropping episode:
So, is Carol Marin, now, finally, taking up the cause for Annabel Melongo who was wrongly-incarcerated for 20 months?
Or, did the Times, via Marin, just aim to send the Tribune, and anyone else who might consider making an issue of Rahmbo’s City Hall violating eavesdropping laws, a message that he/she will open the can of worms known as the Save-A-Life-Foundation Scandal if the scrutiny of City Hall does not cease immediately?
(Oh, BTW, the Illinois Attorney General is allegedly investigation the Save-A-Life Foundation’s questionable money reporting – “allegedly” is the operative word.)
We are guessing the latter – that Marin/Times sent a message to back off their guy Rahmbo.
Although, incurably optimistic, we do hope against hope that the Times is preparing to expose the all-too-common practice of imprisoning people for political reasons in "The Peoples Republic of Cook County”. Hey, we can dream.
P.S.: One of the Time’s “Watch Dogs” told a writer for Andrew Breitbart’s Big Journalism in 2010 that the Time’s editors told that reporter not to report on the Melongo case because “there wasn’t time to do the story justice”.
Rezko Update: Mystery man’s true identity revealed
Ernie Souchak, Editor-in-Chief
He's Dr. Ronald Michael, aka John Doe
And, it appears the Chicago Sun Times used the picture of Dr. Ronald Michael and George W. Bush that was taken at a 2003 Tony Rezko-sponsored fundraiser in Chicago in a full page article.
The Watchdogs.pdf
While this story unfolds ponder these questions:
(1) Why would the Sun Times eliminate President Bush from the picture?
(2) Why would Democrat Gov. Rod Blagojevich's right-hand man and convicted bagman sponsor a fundraiser for Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush?
(3) Why would Rezko co-sponsor a fundraiser for George W. Bush at the same time he is backing Barack Obama's political career? And, wait, wasn't the man that co-sponsored this event with Rezko a buddy of Karl Rove?
(4) Where was U.S Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald when all of this was going on right under his nose?
(5) What could Nadhmi Auchi's guy, Antoin "Tony" Rezko, tell us about all this?
Developing story.......
Update:The man pictured with President George W. Bush has been identified
Ernie Souchak, Editor-in-Chief
<<BREAKING NEWS>>
He's "John Doe"
And he filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Sun Times
John_Doe_vs_Chicago_Sun_Times_Inc.pdf
Just when you thought you have seen it all "John Doe" files a lawsuit for libel . "Only in Chicago"
Mystery man and President George W. Bush
We are waiting for a comment from the Chicago Sun Times and hope to bring you more details of this unusual situation shortly.
Developing story.....
Update:
DOC Banks on government cash
Open message for Rep. Darrell Issa, Re: John Chase of the Chicago Tribune
Ernie Souchak, Editor-in-Chief
When John Chase of the Chicago Tribune testifies about the part he played in derailing U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald's multi-year, multi-million dollar investigation of corruption in Illinois, don't forget to have him explain what he knows about the man pictured with President George W. Bush at the Bush/Cheney fundraiser held in Chicago in 2003 that Antoin "Tony" Rezko co-sponsored.
You can ask Fitz later.
Developing story....
Petraeus, a honey trap, and the Chicago Way
Hugo Floriani, Investigative Reporter
David Petraeus got caught in a classic “honey trap,” and then, rather than lie under oath before Congress, he sprang the trap on himself.
Events in Washington D.C. are seldom as they appear.
Likewise for Chicago, except when things appear corrupted the Chicago Way.
The recent resignation of CIA Director and former Army General David Petraeus reeks of the Chicago Way flavored with Vito Corleone’s advice to “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”.
The legacy media is promoting this version of the story: Petraeus had an affair with an attractive, younger woman. An FBI investigation found out about it and discovered that his email correspondence with the woman had been compromised. Recognizing the potential scandal he faced, Petraeus resigned, rather than cover it up. End of story.
Just your garden-variety sex scandal, right?
Who’s kidding who here? Or trying to.
Believing this version requires what one famous politician once called “the willing suspension of disbelief”. We’re supposed to believe:
that the FBI either (1) did not discover this indiscretion before Petraeus was appointed to the CIA, or, (2) knew of it then and didn’t considered it a disqualifier for the position;
that his resignation has nothing to do with him being scheduled to testify before Congress under oath concerning the death of the four Americans in Benghazi (he previously was not under oath when he addressed a Congressional committee about the episode - that’s important to remember); and,
that his marital indiscretion, though not publically known, was sufficient cause for him to pull the plug on his career.
To buy this account requires not only having fallen off a turnip truck, but then having been run over by a fleet of other turnip trucks.
There’s a more believable version of this matter being played out inside the Beltway by those who know Petraeus. Here’s how that version runs:
Petraeus got caught in a classic “honey trap”;
his oath as an Army Officer was to protect and defend the Constitution – marital fidelity isn’t mentioned. If it was, in wartime particularly, there’s be courts martial of field and general grade officers on a daily basis;
he toed the administration’s party line when he testified before congress about Benghaziwhile not under oath;
testifying under oath is an altogether more serious happening; and,
rather than lie under oath about the Benghazi fiasco, Petraeus sprang the honey trap on himself, taking away the leverage that was being used against him by those who sought to force his compliance by threatening to release what they knew about his affair with the honey, Paula Broadwell.
His marital infidelity was the wrong thing to do. In the end, though, he did a right thing by not violating both his oath as an officer in the United States Army, and the similarly serious oath to tell the truth before Congress, once he is sworn-in.
If you accept this version as at least as viable as the popular storyline – maybe more so – ask yourself this question:
Who could have set the honey trap so as to have it available for use as leverage against Petraeus in the event that he found himself facing personal difficulty in complying with an order that compromised his oath as an Army officer – an oath with no shelf live?
“Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer” – and have something on them in case you need to make a request they can’t refuse, unless they fall on their sword.
Note: The photo before the article is of Anna Chapman – a Russian spy who was arrested in New York in 2010 for allegedly getting close to luring a “Cabinet member” into her honey trap. Read about her here, and here.
Why are Blagojevich’s attorney’s silent?
Ernie Souchak, Editor-in-Cheif, Illinois PayToPlay & Hugo Floriani, Investigative Reporter
Why are Blago’s attorneys silent in the face of the Tribune’s claim that there’s absolutely nothing, nada, zilch, on the Blago tapes to support their assertion of Blago’s innocence?
How come Blago’s attorneys are not standing outside the U.S. Attorney's Ofiice screaming about how access to the tapes and transcripts was given exclusively to the two Trib reporters?
The two reporters-authors of Golden claim there is nothing on the fed’s wiretaps of Blago’s phone conversations to suggest that Blago is innocent.
Recall that Sam Adam, Jr. was the lead attorney for Blago back in 2009 when Blago’s legal defense team agreed to the protective order dealing with the government’s evidence.
Throughout that episode, we were led to believe that Judge James Zagel restricted Blago and his attorneys from discussing the content of Blago’s phone calls recorded by the feds.
But now we know that wasn’t true and that there was, and still is, absolutely nothing, nada, zilch, preventing Blago and/or his brother, Robert Blagojevich, from talking about the recorded conversations.
On Dec 8, 2011, Sam Adam, Jr. went on the record saying,“I’ve said this from day one, having listened to them – not just talking, having listened to them – I honestly believe in my gut, there is no doubt that this trial would have been different. I honestly believe there is no doubt that this case would have been different, and if I’m wrong, why can’t we hear them now?”
Well, that’s a crystal clear statement. But wait…
The Trib reporters-authors, John chase and Jeff Coen, who’ve now listened to the tapes, have stated, for the record, that there is nothing on them supporting claims of Blago’s innocence.
So, how come Adam isn’t standing outside the Federal Building, wearing a sandwich board reading “Free Blago,” and screaming, "Why the hell can't we hear the tapes - Now?"
And, what’s more, why didn’t Adam call John Chase to testify in Blago’s trial? What’s up with that?
Oh, and by the way, Sam Adam, Jr. has been named as a possible candidate to replace Jesse Jackson, Jr. as part of a pending Jackson plea agreement. But, of course, that would have nothing to do with all this Blago stuff, would it?
Nothing to see here, folks. Move along.
Rod Blagojevich made a deal
Ernie Souchak, Editor-in-Chief
Illinoispaytoplay.com has learned that Blagojevich’s attorneys’decision to not call John Chase to testify in their client’s trial was part of a backroom negotiation to insure that Blago spent little time behind bars.
We’ve also been told to expect Blago to be released from prison…soon.
You’ll remember that Chase is the Chicago Tribune reporter who informed Blago that John Wyma was co-operating with the U.S. Attorney, and that the feds were recording Blago.
Chase recently revealed, in the book entitled Golden, that the U.S. Attorney's Office leaked information about their investigation of Blago to the Trib.
Additionally, Chase revealed that he and co-author Jeff Coen, another Trib reporter, were given exclusive access to the federal government’s tapes and transcripts of the Blago wiretaps.
While this story unfolds, ponder these questions:
(1) Why would Blagojevich’s attorneys not call the one witness who represents a serious problem for the prosecution (After all, Patrick Fitzgerald had established a precedent in cases involving leaks to the press)?
(2) Why would the Feds give Chase exclusive access to the tapes and transcripts of government wiretaps after he derailed their investigation by revealing the existence of said wiretaps?
(3) If what Chase and Coen assert in their book is true, that there’s nothing on the Blago tapes worth reporting, why do the feds refuse to make the tapes/transcripts public? And why were they sealed in the first place?
(4) Why are Blago's attorneys so silent?
(5) Is it a coincidence that former U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is now Greg Craig's* business partner?
* Greg Craig was Obama's White House Counsel.
The Tribune and Sun Times: Enemies of Chicago’s People
Editorial Board
Former pollster for Jimmy Carter, and long-time Democrat Pat Caddell, is not a conservative Republican, is not a Tea Party person, and has never been a Republican. He recently called the American media an “enemy of the American people”.
He delivered that accusation before the Accuracy in Media organization here, and, more briefly,recently on the FOX network.
We share Caddell’s characterization of the media. And, we think it’s time to bring that criticism home to Chicago.
Chicago’s two largest daily newspapers, the Tribune and the Sun Times, are, and have long been, enemies of Chicago’s people – all of its people.
Their owners and publishers, their editors, their reporters – their entire staffs – are complicit in the level of corruption in this city that has warranted Cook County the reputation as being one of the most corrupt, if not the most corrupt, place in America.
The degree of rot in city, county and state governments could not have been sustained, to such a depth and length, without the complicity of Chicago’s two, largest newspapers.
The Trib and the Times are, in short, the essential enablers of Chicago’s corruption.
They do not, nor have they been for many years, reporters of the news. They manage the flow of news, doing just enough to occasionally give the impression of being watch dogs guarding against municipal malfeasance, or bold sources of information concerning on-going crime sprees.
In fact, they are neither, for they do not fundamentally serve the best interests of Chicago’s people.
They are neither courageous, nor free, nor independent. Consequently,…
They are enemies of Chicago’s people.
To be continued....
Did the Sun Times get played by Patrick Fitzgerald?
Ernie Souchak, Editor-in-Chief
Michael Sneed is the Chicago Sun Times columnist to whom Rod Blagojevich passed false stories that he wanted printed in her paper. This was documented in the Blagojevich trial. Now, it looks like Patrick Fitzgerald has taken a page from Blago’s playbook and followed Blago’s example.
After Fitz publicly scoffed at the idea of joining a private law firm, he…joined a private law firm.
Back on September 24, 2012, Sneed reported that:
“Sneed hears rumbles former U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald may be this/close to joining a prestigious law firm in Chicago. A Sneed source, who claims Fitzgerald had narrowed his choices to three firms, stated: ‘Everyone has been after him to join their firm. I’m told he should be making his decision within the next week or so… Close friends have speculated in the past Fitzgerald would become legal counsel for a large corporation.’"
Okay, so Sneed and the Sun Times’ editors recognized that the report that Fitz was about to flip-flop and go to work for a law firm was news. That was reasonable.
But why are Sneed and the Times silent now when Fitz goes to work for the same law firm that represented Sam Zell and the Chicago Tribune, and, is, also, Greg Craig’s law firm?
Craig, you’ll remember, was the White House Counsel for then President Elect Barack Obama. It was Craig who dealt with Fitz to clear Obama, Emanuel, Jarrett, and Axelrod of any wrong-doing in the saga of Blago’s effort to sell Obama’s Senate seat. Surprise!
Makes you wonder if Fitz used the Sun Times, al la Blago, to distract attention away from the real story, doesn’t it?
Developing.....
HT Advance Indiana; Patrick Fitzgerald Joins Law Firm Of Obama's Former White House Counsel
House investigation of Jesse Jackson Jr. may widen
Hugo Floriani, Investigative Reporter
Illinoispaytoplay.com has learned that a second person with knowledge of Jesse Jackson Jr's attempted purchase of a senate seat may be prepared to offer testimony to the U.S House of Representatives Committee on Ethics that person or persons representing Illinois Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. approached Blagojevich offering to render the Governor “substantial financial considerations” in exchange for Blagojevich appointing Jackson to the U.S. Senate seat about to be vacated by then President-elect Barack Obama.
In October 2011, Robert Blagojevich, the former governor’s brother, made public his offer to testify before the House Committee on Ethics about conversations between Jackson’s representatives and his brother. To date, Robert Blagojevich has not been publicly involved in any investigation of Jackson conducted by the Committee on Ethics.
Could the possibility of a second person with knowledge of the Jackson party’s approaching Blagojevich to purchase the senate seat be the cause of Congressman Jackson's recently divulged mental illness?
Robert Blagojevich’s can be heard on the WLS radio show Don and Roma stating accusations that the Jackson party's not only approached Blagojevich with the offer to purchase the senate seat, but that witnesses have comfirmed that the general financial offer was made at Jackson's direction.
Robert Blagojevich WLS radio 10-28-2011
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Links
- Big Government
- Bill Baar's West Side
- Chicago Daily Observer
- Citizen WElls
- Doug Ross @ Journal
- Illinois Review
- Newsalert
- PeterLance.com
- RBO2.com
- The Blaze
- The Ulsterman Report